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Presented at the 10th
International Workshop and Seminar
‘Pelaksanan dan Cabaran Hospital Mesra Ibadah’ Kuala Lumpur 7-8 November
2014 by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Chairman of the Ethics Committee King Fahad
Medical City
SUMMARY
·
The concept of dawa,
its methods, and strategies
·
Role of medical
professionals in dawa
DEFINITION OF DA’AWAH
·
Da’awah is conveying the message of Islam to
Muslims and non-Muslims.
·
Da’awah is a communication process involving the
caller, the called, the message, and behavioural change as a result of the
message. The change could be accepting or practicing Islam better.
·
Included in da’awah are
efforts at establishment of freedom of choice, of conscience and of religious
practice.
DA’AWAH and DYNAMISM
·
Da’awah is a very important
mission for the ummah and was
mentioned in many verses of the Qur’an[2].
·
Da’awah is an indication of
dynamism. Islam is a missionary religion. Whenever Muslims are serious about
their religion, they automatically find themselves engaged in da’awah.
·
Da’awah involves reminding. Human beings are not
perfect. They forget and transgress and must be brought back to the straight
path.
OBLIGATION OF DA’AWAH
·
Muslims are obliged to undertake da’awah, wujuub al da’awah[3].
The obligation is collective, fardh
kifayat, and is discharged if some people undertake it on behalf of the
community[4].
·
Da’awah the vocation of
professionals. Everybody is required to use any opportunity they get to
undertake da’awah however small the
effort may be.
·
Da’awah must be undertaken at
all places and times. No occasion should be missed without making da’awah. All
avenues must be used. You must knock on every door.
LEVELS OF DA’AWAH
·
The first level is calling people to accept the
creed and this is accomplished by the pronouncement of the kalima.
·
The second level is calling upon individuals and
families to practice and live Islam.
·
The third level is calling upon the whole
society to be organized according to the teachings of Islam.
IMPACT OF DA’AWAH
·
Da’awah has impact on the
caller, the called, and the society at large.
·
The caller has to live up to certain
expectations. You cannot give of what you do not have.
·
The called may be guided to the truth now or
later.
·
The society at large will learn more about Islam
and appreciate its beauty. This will consequently lead to decrease of
hostility.
REWARDS OF DA’AWAH
·
Every adult Muslim is obliged to do da’awah to the extent of ability. This
is an ummatic duty.
·
The caller gets the reward for calling people to
guidance equal to what they themselves get[5].
·
Accepting Islam is a favor for the called not
the caller. As a caller you have a duty to convey the message. You get rewards
for fulfilling the duty.
·
Guidance in the end is from Allah. He gives that
gift to whomever he wants.
ATTRIBUTES OF A CALLER
·
The caller must have the following personality
characteristics: patience, wisdom, insight, iman,
‘Ilm, kindness, consideration,
firmness, commitment, good personal relations, generosity, practicality,
flexibility, and humility.
·
The most important attribute is commitment, ikhlaas[6].
·
The following characteristics make a caller more
persuasive: Being perceived as honest, personal power, attractiveness,
similarity to the called, being of the same gender as the called, expertise,
and credibility.
DA’AWAH and SELF IMPROVEMENT
·
You do not have to be perfect to start da’awah. Da’awah will help you get better. Da’awah helps you improve yourself.
·
The challenge is that you have to live up to
certain standards if you to call others. You are therefore more on your guard
than others to avoid making any mistakes.
·
You have to check yourself continuously:
self-criticism, self-evaluation, looking for mistakes in ideas, methods, and
personal life.
·
All da’awah
workers whether full-time or part-time must be trained. The training program
must answer the following questions: Why train? Who trains? What is the content
of training?. The training program should be tailored to the local situation.
TARGETS
OF DAWA 2
·
VARIOUS TARGETS: The called are the
target of da’awah. Everybody is
targeted, Muslims and non-Muslims, all races and nationalities, all social
classes, and all parts of the world. Da’awah
can be targeted at non-Muslim believers, non-Muslim non-believers (atheists and
agnostics), or the general society.
·
MUSLIMS: Da’awah to Muslims involves
calling them to practice Islam.
·
NON-MUSLIMS: Da’awah to non-Muslims exposes the truth and positives of Islam
while correcting the disinformation by the enemies. It aims at returning them
to the natural state of human beings, which is Islam. Da’awah to the general society involves propagating to the general
public with the aim of making them aware or conscious of the presence of Islam.
TARGETS
OF DAWA 2
·
SPECIAL POPULATIONS
·
Da’awah programs could target
special populations such as women, youths, patients in hospitals, prisoners,
students, laborers, and workers. They could also target special social classes
such as artists and stars, aristocrats, middle class, professionals, and ordinary
people.
·
THE MARGINALIZED
·
The marginalized and rejected members or classes
of society are a special target group for da’awah
because they are so susceptible. These include: criminals in prisons, drug
addicts, the socially deprived, etc. They are looking for an alternative that
will take them out of their sad situation.
DA’AWAH STRATEGIES 1
·
Da’awah approaches could be
defensive and reactive or aggressive and pro-active. It is better to
take the initiative to take the message to the people rather than wait to
defend it from attacks and distortions. When attacked, you should not take a
defensive stance. Do not waste time in warding off ill-meant attacks and you
fail to present the positives and strength of your message.
·
A phased approach must be used. The
prophet started da’awah in secret. He
called relatives first before addressing the public. He called Arabs before
calling the rest of the world. The strategy is to gradually expand the circle
of truth by defections from the circle of falsehood and ignorance.
DA’AWAH STRATEGIES 2
·
Gradualism is needed in da’awah, al tadarruj fi al da’awa[7].
Start by calling people to tauhid and
to worship of the creator. Emphasize ‘aqiidah
because it is the basis of the Ummah. People enter and leave the Ummah on the
basis of ‘aqiidah. Present only the
basics that are agreed on by everybody. Avoid any matters of differences or
unclear issues.
·
Foot in the door approach is to present
a weak point that will be accepted easily then present the stronger one later.
The door in the foot strategy is to present a strong argument at the
start and after it is rejected you present a weak one that is accepted as a
concession.
DA’AWAH STRATEGIES 3
·
Iman is not only intellectual conviction or
acquisition of knowledge. It also includes emotional attachment and practical
application. Da’awah will have a
permanent impact only when it is followed by tarbiyyah.
·
Remember that influence by example is the
most powerful tool; your character and behavior must be impeccable even in the
face of hostile attacks. You must mix and socialize with the people called.
DA’AWAH STRATEGIES 4
·
You should never seek to convince people with
your message by offering them material incentives. They will return to
wherever they came from as soon as the material benefits stop. It however helps
to offer some help to people in need as a way of establishing relationships and
closeness which as was said above is a positive preliminary step to da’awah.
·
Material help strengthens the new Muslim against
temptations of being diverted from the new faith. Living with the called and
getting to understand them as well as sharing their happiness and sorrows helps
a lot. Acts of kindness however shall open up people’s hearts.
WISDOM IN DA’AWAH 1
·
Wisdom in da’awah, al hikmat fi al da’awah[8],
is always effective. You must be wise in your approach. Do not antagonize or
provoke people. Your arguments should be polite.
·
You should aim at convincing and not defeating
people and making them feel bad about themselves.
·
There is a human tendency to be argumentative.
Some people will argue for the sake of argument. Watch out for such people.
They will waste your time and you will get nowhere with them.
WISDOM IN DA’AWAH 2
·
Do not attack or criticize. Provide the
alternative. Always concentrate on presenting the truth. Truth automatically
displaces falsehood. You need not attack the falsehood in all cases.
·
Attack provokes counter attacks and may become a
psychological barrier to the conveyance of the message.
DIRECT DA’AWAH METHODS 1
·
Da’awah may be by direct or
indirect approach. It may be by personal or remote contact. In our
experience the most effective methods are those that involve personal contact.
·
Personal contact methods may be one-to-one,
one-to-many, many-to-one, and many-to-many. Direct contact and oral discussion
are effective because of the personal rapport and immediate feedback.
DIRECT DA’AWAH METHODS 2
·
Occasions for direct contact for purposes of da’awah include: the street, the work
place, the mosque, the market, the theater, and public celebrations.
·
Storytellers and griots in rural areas are a resource that has not been used.
·
Public adhan
over the loudspeaker has an impact by daily reminding listeners, Muslim and
non-Muslim about Allah.
DIRECT DA’AWAH METHODS 3
·
The methods of da’awah used in direct contact include: good personal relations to
influence by example, teaching and tarbiyyat,
preaching (wa'dh, khutbat), lectures,
seminars, conferences, debates, discussions, providing social services,
material assistance to the muallafat
qulubuhum, treating people with justice, telling people to do good and
forbidding the bad, telling stories and proverbs, and poetry.
·
It is better to start da’awah with people you already know or with whom you have some
sort of relationship. This is easier than complete strangers.
·
Preaching, maw’idhat[9],
is an effective method of da’awah but
should not be misused. Do not preach too much to people. Avoid being a
nuisance. Do not impose yourself on people. Make sure that when talking to them
they are indeed interested. It is better to talk to people briefly but repeat
the process than bore them with a long presentation.
INDIRECT DA’AWAH METHODS
·
Indirect/remote contacts include: letters (personal and
circulars), books, newsletters, newspapers, flyers, the public library,
artistic works, cartoons, films and videos, radio and TV, audio cassettes.
·
Try to talk to people in the language they
understand. By language is meant not only English, French, or German. You must
use idioms, examples, expressions, and concepts that they understand.
·
You must gear your communication to the cultural
and educational background of the called.
·
The biggest mistake is to talk to everybody
alike. There are differences that must be respected.
TYPES/STAGES OF CONVERSION 1
·
Conversion can be intellectual, emotional
or both.
·
Everybody comes to Islam through a different
sequence. Some people start by reading and getting intellectually convinced.
Then they make contact with Muslims and get emotionally and cultural involved.
·
Some people live with Muslims, see their
behavior and get attracted to their religion and way of life. They accept Islam
and study to get the intellectual dimension.
·
Calibrate the content and method of the message
to the appropriate stage of conversion.
TYPES/STAGES OF CONVERSION 2
·
Philosophical understanding of the faith is not
a condition for conversion and is not an obligation. It will come with time.
·
Moral transformation is individual. The aim
should be to raise the level of the individual. The message should therefore be
individualized and customized as much as possible to the intellectual and
emotional state of the target.
·
The message conveyed is simple and direct; keep
it so. Do not complicate it at all.
·
Ideas are powerful and are infectious. True
ideas are the most powerful. We have to continue propagating even if there are
no tangible results. People are always infected but the manifestation of
changed attitudes, convictions, and beliefs may be delayed.
DYNAMICS OF DAWA
·
Da’awah has its own dynamics.
It is very difficult at the beginning. Once you start getting some success with
some people accepting the call, things get easier.
·
Success leads to more success. People tend to
get convinced if they see others like themselves being convinced.
PLANNING OF DAWA
·
Planning da’awah
is very important in the complicated society of today.
·
Planning basically helps use
available resources in the most efficient way.
·
The main elements that a da’awah plan covers are: the caller, the called, the time
dimension, resources (money, material), and program control.
FUNDING OF DAWA
·
Da’awah requires funding.
It however can never succeed if it is fully professionalized.
·
Volunteers will always be needed to do the
legwork. Blessings are in the motivation and enthusiasm of the volunteers.
COORDINATION OF DAWA
·
Da’awah must be coordinated
to avoid unnecessary duplication and competition.
·
Individual initiative should never be curtailed
or suppressed in the name of unity and coordination.
·
What you should aim at is unity of purpose and
not necessarily one da’awah
organization.
EVALUATION OF DAWA
·
Da’awah programs must be
evaluated for effectiveness; the results of evaluation being used to
improve the program.
·
Lack of immediate success should not be a reason
for giving up. Continue and persevere.
·
Most evaluation is that of the process. Outcome
evaluation very difficult and unreliable in da’awah.
Results of da’awah are long-term and
are difficult to quantify.
·
Never forget to pray to Allah to guide the
called. You may do all what is humanly possible and not succeed. It is Allah who
guides.
·
Opposition should never tempt you to consider a
violent approach. Da’awah is a
peaceful process that targets the hearts of men and not their bodies.
DAWA
IN THE MEDICAL SETTING 1
·
Medics and paramedics have unique opportunities
for dawa that other professions do not have. This is because of their intimate
contact with patients.
·
The patients are very receptive to dawa because
they are dependent, anxious, and think of death and the hereafter.
·
The patients are removed from the daily chores
of life and actually have time to think about their present life and their
destiny.
DAWA
IN THE MEDICAL SETTING 2
·
The healthcare worker makes dawa by example. In
his behavior and dealing with the patient he must display the highest standards
of conduct. This will open the heart of the patient to ask about Islam and seek
to know more.
·
The patient will be curious about the motivation
for the good conduct. The patient discovers teachings of Islam can motivate
health workers to be kind, empathetic, caring, efficient, and helpful. This is
then the beginning of a long journey of searching for Islam.
·
The healthcare may help in the search and
follow-up or may leave that to other dawa workers outside the hospital. The
essence of this is that the health worker can be a catalyst for the dawa
process that may end in conversion to Islam.
DAWA BY THE ETIQUETTE OF
THE BED-SIDE VISIT 1
·
The physician-patient interaction is both
professional and social.
·
The bedside visit fulfills the brotherhood
obligation of visiting the sick.
·
The human relation with the patient comes before
the professional technical relation. It is reassurance, psychological and
social support, show of fraternal love, and sharing.
·
A psychologically satisfied patient is more
likely to be cooperative in taking medication, eating, or drinking.
DAWA BY THE ETIQUETTE OF
THE BED-SIDE VISIT 2
·
The following are recommended during a visit:
greeting the patient, dua for the
patient, good encouraging words, asking about the patient’s feelings,
·
doing good/pleasing things for the patient,
making the patient happy, and encouraging
the patient to be patient, discouraging the patient from wishing for death, nasiihat for the patient, reminding the
patient about dhikr.
·
Caregivers should seek permission, idhn, before getting to the patient.
They should not engage in secret conversations that do not involve the patient.
GENERAL ETIQUETTE OF THE
HEALTHCARE WORKER IS DAWA 1
·
The caregiver should respect the rights of the
patient regarding advance directives on treatment, privacy, access to
information, informed consent, and protection from nosocomial infections.
·
Caregivers must be clean and dress appropriately
to look serious, organized and disciplined.
·
They must be cheerful, lenient, merciful, and
kind.
·
They must enjoin the good, have good thoughts
about the patients, husn al dhann,
and avoid evil or obscene words.
·
They must observe the rules of lowering the
gaze, ghadh al basar, and khalwat.
·
Caregivers must have an attitude of humbleness, tawadhu'u,
GENERAL ETIQUETTE OF THE
HEALTHCARE WORKER IS DAWA 2
·
They cannot be emotionally-detached in the
mistaken impression that they are being professional. They must be loving and
empathetic and show mercifulness but the emotional involvement must not go to
the extreme of being so engrossed that rational professional judgment is
impaired.
·
They must make dua for the patients because qadar
can only be changed by dua. They can make ruqya for the patients by reciting the two mu’awadhatain or any other verses of the Qur’an.
·
They must seek permission, isti' dhaan, when approaching or examining patients.
·
Medical care must be professional, competent,
and considerate.
·
Medical decisions should consider the balance of
benefits and risks. The general position of the Law is to give priority to
minimizing risk over maximizing benefit. Any procedures carried out must be
explained very well to the patient in advance.
GENERAL ETIQUETTE OF THE
HEALTHCARE WORKER IS DAWA 3
·
The caregiver must never promise cure or
improvement. Every action of the caregiver must be preceded by basmalah. Everything should be
predicated with the formula inshallah,
if Allah wishes.
·
The caregivers must listen to the felt needs and
problems of the patients. They should ask about both medical and non-medical
problems.
·
Supportive care such as nursing care,
cleanliness, physical comfort, nutrition, treatment of fever and pain are as
important as the medical procedures themselves and are all what can be offered
in terminal illness.
·
Caregivers must reassure the patients not to
give up hope. Measures should be taken to prevent nosocomial infections.
DEALING
WITH THE FAMILY IS DAWA
·
Visits by the family
fulfill the social obligation of joining the kindred and should be encouraged.
·
The family are honored
guests of the hospital with all the shari’at
rights of a guest.
·
The caregiver must provide psychological support
to family because they are also victims of the illness because they anxious and
worried.
·
They need reassurance about the condition of the
patient within the limits allowed by the rules of confidentiality.
·
The family can be involved in some aspects of
supportive care so that they feel they are helping and are involved.
MEDICAL SERVICE AS DAWA
·
Medicine should be taught as a social service
with the human dimension dominating the biomedical dimension.
·
Medicine should be practiced as of mutual social
support.
·
Medical education should prepare the future
physician to provide service to the community. This will require skills of
understanding and responding to community needs that can be acquired by spending
part of the training period in a community setting away from the high
technology hospital environment.
MEDICAL
PROFESSIONAL’S LEADERSHIP IS DAWA
·
The medical school curriculum and experience
should be a lesson in social responsibility and leadership.
·
The best physician should be a social activist
who goes into society and gives leadership in solving underlying social causes
of ill-health.
·
The physician as a respected opinion leader with
close contact with the patients must be a model for others in moral values,
attitudes, akhlaq, and thoughts.
·
He must give leadership in preventing or solving
ethical issues arising out of modern biotechnology. He must understand the
medical, legal, and ethical issue involved and explain them to the patients and
their families so that they can form an informed decision. He should also
provide leadership in advocating for the less privileged and advocacy for human
rights.
REFERENCES
[1] (p426-427 7:59, 7:65, 7:73, 7:85, 11:50,
11:61, 11:84, 23:23, 23:32)
[2] (p425-426 2:221 … 71:5-20)
[3] (p428 3:103, 16:125, 22:67, 28:87, 42:15,
79:17)
[4]
(3:84)
[5] (KS544 Darimi Intr B43; Muwatta K15 H41)
[6] (p426 6:90, 10:72, 11:29, 11:51, 12:104,
25:57, 26:109, 26:127, 26:145, 26:164, 26:180, 34:47, 36:21, 38:86, 38:86,
42:23)
[7] (p427 17:106, 2:32-33, 71:9)
[8] (p427 6:108, 10:41, 16:125, 20:43-44,
21:109, 22:68-69, 26:215-216, 28:55, 29:46, 41:33-34, 79:17-19)
[9] (p427-428 7:164-165, 11:84-86, 31:16,
34:46-50, 71:8-10)