"'Dad, are cockroaches good to eat?' a boy asked his father when they were having dinner.The dad replied, 'Don't talk about things like that over dinner, it's inappropriate!'The boy then silenced and after the dinner, his dad asked, 'Now, son, what did you want to ask me?''Oh, nothing Dad,' said the boy, 'there was a cockroach in your soup, but now it’s finished.'""The truth reflects reality as it is, helping us see ourselves and the world more clearly. It acts as a mirror, forcing us to confront our reflections. The truth is like a crystal clear mirror, reflecting reality without distortion or bias, allowing us to see things as they truly are. The truth serves as an unwavering beacon that guides us through the uncertainties and challenges of life, just as a lighthouse that stands tall and steadfast, guiding ships safely to shore amidst the darkness and storms. Like a guiding light in the darkness, the truth illuminates the path ahead, revealing the way forward and helping us avoid obstacles and pitfalls. The truth serves as the fundamental, unchanging reality beneath the layers of perceptions and beliefs like bedrock forms the solid base beneath layers of soil and sediment. The truth is like a clear sky, free of clouds and fog, offering unobstructed visibility and clarity. The truth offers a constant and reliable reference point for making decisions and understanding the world, similar to how the North Star provides a fixed point of navigation for travelers.The truth is like pure water, clear and refreshing, essential for sustaining life and quenching our thirst for knowledge and understanding. The truth is like an open book, accessible and transparent, with nothing hidden or obscured, allowing everyone to read and understand its contents. The truth functions like a compass, providing direction and helping us stay on course, even when the path ahead is uncertain or difficult. The truth is a guiding force that leads us out of difficult or confusing situations. Just when it seemed all was lost, the truth emerges as the light at the end of the tunnel, showing us the way forward," said Cananga while looking at a pair of Hajj clothes. White ihram clothing is intended to make everyone appear the same, to signify that in front of Allah, there is no difference between a prince and a pauper. Ihram also contributes to a feeling of unity that pilgrims have when they are in the city of Mecca, that they are all brothers and sisters joined to worship Allah.From an Islamic perspective, dawah means 'to call the 'Truth', or more specifically, 'the call to Allah', because Allah is the Ultimate Truth, Al-Haqq, and calling to any other than Him is the falsehood. In other words, dawah work aims at bringing people closer to their Creator and Sustainer. Calling people to Allah is telling them that the only right way of life for them on this earth is to become true believers in Allah.The Arabic term dawah is derived from the verb 'da‘aa' which means 'to call; to invite; and to supplicate'. It is used to refer to the act of conveying or calling people to the message of Islam. In this context, it is a contraction of the phrase ad-da ‘wah ilallaah (calling to Allah).Calling people to Allah means warning man of the evil consequences of the self-oriented life, and therefore, inviting him to adopt the God-oriented life. The most authentic and reliable source of knowledge of the divine teachings on both types of life has been preserved for us in the form of the Quran. Calling people to Allah is purely other-worldly. That is, it is a campaign to call people to Allah. It starts in the spiritual and religious idiom and goes on in the same idiom and style till the end."Rajab is the seventh month in the Islamic calendar. From the Arabic verb, rajaba means 'respect', which can also mean 'awe or fear'. This month is seen as one of the holy months where warfare was forbidden during the time of the Prophet (ﷺ).The following month is Sha'ban, one of the meritorious months for which we find some peculiar instructions in the sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ). He (ﷺ) used to fast most of the month in Sha'ban. These fasts were not obligatory on him (ﷺ) but Sha'ban is the month immediately preceding the month of Ramadan. Therefore, some preparatory measures are suggested by the Prophet (ﷺ) through his (ﷺ) oral instructions and his practice.Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and the month in which the Quran was revealed. Ramadan comes from the Arabic word ramaḍān, literally meaning 'the hot month,' from ramad, meaning 'dryness.' However, Ramadan isn't tied to a particular season. It is the most meritorious month of the whole year. It is the season of divine blessings. It is the month of purification, it is meant for annual renovation of the inner spiritual qualities. It is a golden opportunity for every Muslim to strengthen his or her Iman, to purify his or her heart and soul and to remove the evil effects of the sins committed by him or her.Shawwal is the tenth month of the lunar Islamic calendar. On the first day of this month, the Eid al-Fitr, 'Breaking the Fast' begins, marking the end of fasting and the end of Ramadan. Stems from the Arabic verb shāla, which means to 'lift or carry', generally to take or move things from one place to another. Shawwal is the first of the three months named 'Ashhur al-hajj' i.e. the months of hajj. Although the major acts of hajj are normally performed in the first ten days of Zulhijjah, the whole period starting from the first of Shawwal up to the 10th of Zulhijjah is held to be the period of hajj because some acts of hajj can be performed any time during this period, for example, the Tawaf-ul-qudum, followed by the Sa'y of hajj cannot be performed before Shawwal, but it can be performed any day after the beginning of Shawwal.Dhu al-Qa'dah is the eleventh month in the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months in Islam during which warfare is prohibited on days of the Prophet (ﷺ). No specific rules are prescribed for this month, except that the persons performing hajj are required to follow the rules of hajj.The month of Dhu al-Hijjah is the last month of the Islamic calendar. It means 'the month of Hajj', being one of the four sacred months during which war is forbidden, it is the month in which the Ḥajj takes place as well as Eid al-Adha, the 'Festival of the Sacrifice.' This name of the month indicates that the great annual worship of 'hajj' is performed in this month, and for this reason, it has a peculiar significance as compared to other months of the year. Hadith mentions, 'One fast during these days is equal to the fasting of one complete year, and the worship of one night during this period is equal to the worship in the 'Lailatul-Qadr', classed as da‘if (weak chain of transmission) according to Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Hajar, Ibn Rajab, and al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on them).One of the functions of the Islamic calendar is a means of conveying da'wah. The aim is to straighten out erroneous understandings during the period of ignorance in the application of their calendar, as mentioned in the Qur'an, 'Indeed, the postponing [of restriction within sacred months] is an increase in disbelief by which those who have disbelieved are led [further] astray. They make it [fighting during a sacred month] lawful one year and unlawful another year to correspond to the number made unlawful by Allah and [thus] make lawful what Allah has made unlawful. Made pleasing to them is the evil of their deeds; and Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.' [QS. At-Tawbah (9):37]For example, some false beliefs are attached to the month of Dhu al-Qa'dah by ignorant people. They say this month is not a blessed month, therefore, marriages should not be held or solemnized in the month of Dhu al-Qa'dah. According to them, a marriage held in this month may not be successful, rather it may bring misfortune to the spouses. This belief is baseless. A Muslim should never attend to such superstitious whims. The month is one of the sanctified months, as mentioned earlier.The purpose of the sacred months or inviolable months including Dhu al-Qadah, Dhu al-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab, the four months of the Islamic calendar during which war is considered forbidden except in response to aggression, is to enable pilgrims to go to places of worship and return home safely.From an Islamic perspective, dawah means 'to call the Truth', or more specifically, 'the call to Allah', because Allah is the Ultimate Truth, Al-Haqq, and calling to any other than Him is the falsehood. In other words, dawah work aims at bringing people closer to their Creator and Sustainer. Calling people to Allah is telling them that the only right way of life for them on this earth is to become true believers in Allah. Conveying glad tidings and issuing warnings entails urging towards good and warning against disobedience.The purpose of dawah work is to awaken souls from their slumber. It is to put a lost person on the right path leading toward Allah. It is to awaken man’s insight so that he begins to see glimpses of Allah in the signs of the vast universe. It is to unveil the Creator in the mirror of His creation. Dawah's work is different than that of community work. Both have their importance. In many countries, Muslims are performing community work on a large scale. The fields they are working in include education, economics, community issues, communal disputes, relief work, social welfare, finding solutions to the problems they are facing, etc. Such type of activities is called community work. What is meant by dawah work is as is termed in the Quran ‘dawah ilallah’ or calling people to Allah and ‘being witness on the people’. Dawah's work derives its importance from the viewpoint of constructing one’s mentality, i.e. the hereafter.Dawah is an obligatory duty of the believers. What is meant by dawah is to convey the message of Allah to those who are still unaware of it. It should be made clear here that the work a Muslim or a da‘ee does among the Muslims is not dawah but it is called islah. 'Islah' advocates for moral advancement through a reformation based on the rudimental standards of the Qur'an and Sunnah, and is characterized by an attitude of bypassing classical legal works in preference of the literature from the early Muslim generations. Another term is Tajdid, the process of restoring the understanding of Islam that has been impaired by false understandings or observing an aspect of Fiqh (jurisprudence), Iman (faith), and 'Amal (action) with novel methods that are compatible. However, this type of work are also divine though not dawah work. In dawah we call those to Allah who are still unaware of the creation plan of Allah; those who are still leading a purposeless life.A da‘ee—the one who calls people to Allah—has to perform his task of dawah, that is, to tell the man that the ideal for which he has been searching is none other than Allah and His Paradise. It is Allah alone who can enable him to find his ideal and it is only by his finding Allah that this can happen. A Da'ee is an advocate for truth, not a representative of a group of people. A scholar is one to whom Allah has given knowledge and who may or may not be a da'ee. A Muslim is supposed to be a da'ee to invite people to understand Islam. A good da'ee usually requires knowledge of many aspects and religions. That's why it is obligatory for a Muslim should seek knowledge, in addition to 'a good intention'. A da‘ee is like a beacon standing by the roadside as a divine guide for the wandering caravan of humanity.According to the Quran, after believing in Allah, a man is required in practical life to carry out a two-fold task. One is obedience to Allah, and the other is helping Allah. Obedience to Allah means man’s obedience to all the commandments given by Allah through His revelations to the Prophet (ﷺ), and his refraining from all such acts as have been forbidden by Allah in His Book or through His Prophet (ﷺ).Helping Allah means ‘making an effort in His cause’. This is an exceptional honor which is granted only to a true believer. It is the same precept that is mentioned in the Quran as dawah ilallah, or calling people to Allah. Since it is a task that is seen as desirable by Allah Himself and is performed by servants of Allah, it is therefore called ‘helping Allah’. It means giving oneself wholeheartedly to the divine dawah mission. It means joining oneself with the divine plan wholeheartedly in both word and deed so that mankind might have no argument against Allah on the Day of Judgement.Dawah was the basic mission of the prophets of Allah. They were raised among their respective people to call them to the worship of Allah alone and to abandon the worship of the various false gods that they had invented. The best words that any human being can speak are words of guidance inviting people to the purpose of their creation or why are we here: the worship of Allah. This being the case, the reward for giving dawah must be tremendous.The pillars or foundations of da‘wah consist of three elements: the Call, the Caller, and the Called. Each has its particular characteristics, prerequisites, and goals. For the effective fulfillment of the responsibility of dawah, the requirements of each pillar must be thoroughly met. The call to Islam, meaning the Qur’an and Sunnah, should be on the understanding of the early righteous generations of Muslims. The call to Tawheed should address Allah’s unique unity with respect to His lordship and sovereignty over His creation, His names and attributes and His right to be worshipped alone, without any partner. This belief in Tawheed should also be manifest in human relations with Allah, in their social interactions among themselves and in their relationship with the world in which they live and the creatures of that world that have been subjected to them. Thus, whatever subject the da‘wah may begin on, whether hijaab, terrorism, polygamy, etc., a conscious effort should be made to divert the topic ultimately to that of Tawheed, for it is only the acceptance of Tawheed which will provide the one being called with success in this life and the next. In short, the call is Tawheed.Lalu bagaimana ciri-ciri penelepon atau da’i? The individual who has accepted the duty of calling others to Allah must possess certain characteristics to effectively convey the message. The foremost quality that the da‘ee or the caller) should have is that of knowledge which is itself a prerequisite for faith. One must have sound knowledge of what one is inviting others to. If the Muslim missionary is ignorant, his message will appear weak and incapable of withstanding scrutiny. This does not mean that the da‘ee must know all of Islam before inviting others. However, it does mean that he should have clear knowledge of whatever limited area of Islam he is inviting others to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, instructed the Prophet (ﷺ) to inform others that his call to Islam was based on knowledge.It is essential that the da‘ee be soft in conveying the message because harshness could easily discourage people from listening to the truth.In disseminating the message of Islaam, the da‘ee must adjust himself or herself to each situation and use the most appropriate material. It needs wisdom. Some scholars of tafseer explain that 'wisdom' refers to the Qur’an and the Sunnah due to the wisdom that they contain as well as the guidance to righteousness and happiness. About wisdom, Shaikh Ibn Baaz said, 'A part of wisdom is to clarify the meaning and explanation in effective ways. The caller does this in the language of the one whom he is calling so he can understand the message. The da‘ee continues in this way until the one being called has no doubt remaining in his mind, and the truth, which may have been hidden due to a lack of explanation, or persuasive da‘wah in his language. [...] If there is a need for religious admonition, then the da‘ee should preach mentioning the suitable verses and hadeeths that concentrate on encouragement and warnings. The heart of the one called will then awaken and be attracted to the truth'.Another characteristic of the caller is patience. Most people who come to Islam do so after a faith-seeking journey. Consequently, only a very few begin their search and end it with the same person. When declarations of faith are given it is after many stops on the road. Someone may start the person off and many help on the way and someone else helps the person finally declare their faith. Therefore, the responsibility of the da‘ee is to convey the message and not to put faith in people's hearts.Morality or Ethics is also important for the caller to have. Great stress has been placed in Islaam on good moral character. Islam teaches man how to lead a morally righteous life by pointing out the proper way to live. Any Muslim who displays bad manners such as swearing or lying is either a hypocrite pretending to be a Muslim or a very weak Muslim. Faith is inseparable from action. There should be an underlying principle of morality at the base of all Islamic teachings. Islam covers all aspects of human existence; spiritual, social, and economic. Consequently, there is in Islaam a network of moral principles governing all human relations with Allah, with other humans, as well as with the environment in which humans exist. For example, from an Islamic perspective, worshipping others besides Allah would be considered morally wrong and bad character, in the same way that lying to others or littering the environment would be considered morally objectionable. Therefore, it may be assumed that each of the pillars of Islam and Iman was designed to develop a particular set of moral characteristics. Without understanding the Islamic ethics and spiritual goals of the pillars, they remain empty rituals that cannot benefit anyone in the next life.So, in short, the characteristics of the da'ee are knowledge, kindness or gentleness, wisdom, patience, and morality or ethics.So what are the strategies and methods aimed at those being called? We will continue in the next episode, biidhnillah."
Citations & References:
- ’Abdul ’Azeez ibn ’Abdullaah ibn Baaz, Words of Advice Regarding Da'wah, 1998, Al-Hidaayah Publishing
- Naasirud-Deen Al-Albaanee, Tawheed First O' Callers to Islaam, 2004, Tarbiyyah Bookstore Publishing
- Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani, Islamic Months: Merits and Precepts, 2000, Idaratul Ma'arif
- Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, Dawah Made Simple, 2019, Goodword Books
