TO BE INNOVATIVE IN DELIVERING DA'WA

TO BE INNOVATIVE IN DELIVERING DA'WA

 Assalamualaikumwarahmatullahwabararakatuh!

I hope and pray we are all doing wonderful. In sha Allah

Our first presenter did a wonderful job in making us appreciate who and what is a caller to Allah.

There would be absolutely no need to add anything to that. Presumably, we all understand who is a caller to Allah and hence his responsibility.

I'm know to make long presentations. But, in shaAllah , I would put my today's presentation in a nutshell and administer it to respected brothers and sisters in condensed for easy assimilation.

We live in a period time period era and a century where everyone calls himself a CALLER TO ALLAH. Everyone wants to call to Allah, but little to do we care about learning effective ways of conveying the message of Islam.

Yes, the Prophet has ordered us to convey the message even if it's a single Verse.

But, as time changes, it's relevant as Muslims for us to try to be innovative in how we propagate the word of Allah SWA.

In everything we do, when there is a paradigm shift, it only makes sense sense that we navigate in similar directions. You can't expect to remain stagnated for the world in constantly progressing. When you realize you are stuck in methods of hunting and gathering ways of doing things, you can be sure that you retrogressing. There's no way you can be stagnated in our world! In effect, it's important we try to be innovative in our ways of propagating Islam. First of all, you can't be a caller to the way of Allah without the requisite knowledge.

And knowledge minus the right method could lead to a cos(90) DA'WA.

So Allah calls us in this regard saying; قُلْهَٰذِهِسَبِيلِيأَدْعُوإِلَىاللَّهِ ۚ عَلَىٰبَصِيرَةٍأَنَاوَمَنِاتَّبَعَنِي ۖ وَسُبْحَانَاللَّهِوَمَاأَنَامِنَالْمُشْرِكِينَ

Say, "This is my way; I invite to Allah with insight, I and those who follow me. And exalted is Allah ; and I am not of those who associate others with Him."Sura Yusuf, Ayah 108.

Of course, you can't call to the way of Allah minus insight!

Even with this insight, care should be taken as to how one presents his valuable information. For all you know, the wrong product with the right packaging could and would sell more than a wonderful product with the very disastrous and terrible packaging.

So Allah calls on us saying!

ادْعُإِلَىٰسَبِيلِرَبِّكَبِالْحِكْمَةِوَالْمَوْعِظَةِالْحَسَنَةِ ۖ وَجَادِلْهُمْبِالَّتِيهِيَأَحْسَنُ ۚ إِنَّرَبَّكَهُوَأَعْلَمُبِمَنْضَلَّعَنْسَبِيلِهِ ۖ وَهُوَأَعْلَمُبِالْمُهْتَدِينَ

Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best.  Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided. Sura An-Nahl, Ayah 125.

Again, as a caller to Allah, you've been ordered by the creator and originator of the universe to call people to Him with wisdom. Not only that, with good instruction!

You don't call people to the way of Allah by force. You only appeal to their conscience to buy your woefully wonderful message.

Yes, of course, we've been given the green light to argue with people in matters of faith. But, in a manner that is best. You don't vilify people just because they have different options from you. That would be tantamount to dawahmothodological bankruptcy!

An innovative caller should be able to listen to different opinions if even they are wayward, and devise effective ways of convincing them buy his. The Prophet received revelation from above the horizons from the most high. He had all that he needed in his call to righteousness. Yet, listen to what Allah tells him!

 فَبِمَارَحْمَةٍمِنَاللَّهِلِنْتَلَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْكُنْتَفَظًّاغَلِيظَالْقَلْبِلَانْفَضُّوامِنْحَوْلِكَ ۖ فَاعْفُعَنْهُمْوَاسْتَغْفِرْلَهُمْوَشَاوِرْهُمْفِيالْأَمْرِ ۖ فَإِذَاعَزَمْتَفَتَوَكَّلْعَلَىاللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّاللَّهَيُحِبُّالْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ

 

So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah . Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him].SuraAal-E-Imran, Ayah 159

We learn that, from mercy of Allah the Prophet was lenient with his companions. But, unequivocally, Allah tells him he could not have control of his companions if he was harsh in speech. So we've got to understand that, harshness is speech is an archaic method of preaching. We've got be innovative enough to drift from these old fashioned methods!

Again, seeking the opinions of the people is every effective way of calling to Allah. It makes dawah participatory. Unlike yesteryears when we had assimilate all that our scholars presented to us. We should seek the opinion of our audience sometimes on their views about our methods of preaching and try sieve their suggestions to pick the best out of them. We should seek the opinion of our audience sometimes on their views about our methods of preaching and try sieve their suggestions to pick the best out of them.  This makes us unique in our ways! And our audience never would feel we are somewhat *MUGABELISTIC*😊

More importantly, there is a famous saying in Arabic that :

لكلمكانمقال

"every situation is unique to it's message". I selectively chose this translation!

Hence, we should be able to know what to say when. That's how innovative we should be! For instance, you can't go a wedding and start talking about death or the grave! You can't also go a funeral and start talking about *FIQH OF LOVE*. IT'LL be some way kraa.

So, what we say should be at the level of our audience. For when we speak the best of English, employing the most colloquial of words like *PATRICK OBAHIAGBON* and in the end our audience don't fathom what we present, I'm afraid work done is equal zero never mind the impeccable syntax record we exhibit. Hopefully, I'm not being a victim here!!

Listen to the originator of the universe saying!

I'أُولَٰئِكَالَّذِينَيَعْلَمُاللَّهُمَافِيقُلُوبِهِمْفَأَعْرِضْعَنْهُمْوَعِظْهُمْوَقُلْلَهُمْفِيأَنْفُسِهِمْقَوْلًابَلِيغًا

Those are the ones of whom Allah knows what is in their hearts, so turn away from them but admonish them and speak to them a far-reaching word.

-Sura An-Nisa', Ayah 63

 

In writing dawah, one thing is important.

It's sad to say that most of us have become BIBLIOPHOBIC. We don't just like reading. As innovative callers, we should adjust to accommodate our audience. By so doing, we should try as much as possible to summarize our reminders. Interesting topics should be written in episodes for the consumption of our readers. Also, let's avoid quoting too much in daily reminders. It's a reminder and not an academic writeup. When you quote too much, it makes your work clamsy. Deterring people away from reading it. Let's try make our writeups look attractive enough for readers.

Captioning of written reminders is an effective way to draw attention of people to read your write ups. The caption alone can do the magic. For instance, imagine i write an article titled THE CONCEPT OF DATING IN ISLAM.

There norr, seasoned and internationally recognized bachelors would start salivating. In fact, they will obey Ivan Pavlovs experiment. You find them eager to know the content! That's how Innovative we should be!!

Leave them no choice but to read the piece! The caption should be irresistible!

Instead of articles always, short inspirational quotes should be employed, too.

Sometimes, lovely quotes to induce smiles on the face of the depressed. After all, it's sunnah to smile!

You can't always frighten people with hell. Do give them hope of entering Paradise, too

With all due respect, Mufti MENK, Sulaimanmoola, Qadhi,..... NAME THEM!! It's not that they are extraordinarily intelligent than our scholars.

With all due respect, Mufti MENK, Sulaimanmoola, Qadhi,..... NAME THEM!! It's not that they are extraordinarily intelligent than our scholars. Truth is, they are very innovative! They have packaged themselves very well! And with some level of sincerity, they are taking Islam beyond human imagination!

Mufti MENK is mostly about social issues, MOOLA is unique in his profound use of Arabic couplets, YasirQadhi the history giant. They are all unique in their way!

That's the power of innovation.

You can know better someone, yet his innovation would always put him miles ahead of you. As callers to Allah, we must be smarter than the word!

When orally presenting,....Hmmmmm!! I like talking ooo! Friends would attest to that. You can't underestimate the power of words! Sometimes, you listen to someone, and you just can't help but sink in an ocean of love for him. In fact, your would love him without seeking your permission!

Our choice of words, gestures... Pitch of our voice speaks volumes of us!

We must know when to shout, when to slowly like we do to our fiancé. We literally carry our audience along. Preaching isn't all about shouting. The objective should be to carry a message across and not shout to scare people. Listen to NOUMAN ALI KHAN, and you will have a different approach to dawah! Legendary methodology, superlative gestures, spectacular presentations!

Try to introduce jokes. Yes, I mean jokes! You can't be serious throughout a presentation. Create fun at times. Let people smile, reinvigorate them, introduce life back into the gathering, and keep toasoing! But, excessive jokes takes away the substance of the presentation. We've got to minimize jokes when we mean business. 

Finally finally, we have to start thinking of pictorial illustrations in our dawah. Some things are best explained when they are visualized. We can't rattle throughout presentations. There should be times we have to make people see some stuff. Meaning, projectors should be part of our plans as callers to Allah for PowerPoint presentations!

Let's try to sometimes make dawah participatory. Not just to speak to people and that ends. We can open discussions and hear from them. Contribution and suggestions and possible questions, just as I would humbly pause here for possible questions from respectable brothers and sisters on this noble platform. Any good said is from Allah via the effort our scholars. Any mistake is from us as fallible beings. May Allah forgive us and accept our efforts. But, let's remember, that, a long life might not be good enough, but a good life is surely long enough. Wassalamualaikumwarahmatullah!!