Dawah Tips

A Project of Al Huda Institute, Canada

From: Farhiya Ahmed (Graduate of Taleem al Quran 2007)

I wanted to share an amazing experience I had on my way home yesterday.
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Bismillah

This lady approached me inquiring about bus arrival timings. I directed her to check the board and walked over with her to keep the conversation going.

The bus was coming in 20 minutes. I got ready for Da’wah. As I was waiting for my ‘opening’, she just asked me, “You are Muslim right?” I said, “Yes I am, and where are you from?” She said she was Greek Orthodox so I knew that I had to focus now on Towheed and Jesus alyihi sallam.

She told me that she was a hair dresser and that some Muslim women also come to her shop. But when she does their hair, they cover it. She tells them not to, that its beautiful so why not show it off? I explained to her that for a Muslim woman, it is more beautiful for her to cover her hair because this is what her Creator wants from her. She said, “Wow, if you put it like that, then it makes sense”.

Then I said, “Many people view Islsam as a foreign religion when in fact it is in fact a continuation of the ancient religions that believe in One God like Judaism and Christianity. If you look at a nun, she is dressed like a Muslim woman because this is a command in the Bible. Likewise, the Jewish women are also required to cover their hair as per the teachings of their Holy Scripture. Islam teaches the same thing because the command is from the same One Creator”. She said that this makes sense.

Next I briefly described the Message of Islam, how Allah sent Messengers and revealed Books to guide humankind. Though the previous Books such as the Torah and the Bible have changed, Quran remains preserved and unaltered. She agreed that the Bible is changed. She said her father is very religious but he only believes that his religion is correct, while she does not think that. I told her that, “I agree with your father to an extent because there can be only one true religion but its not Christianity. Christianity was the true religion when Jesus was there and he would call people to worship one God and not himself. Same is true for Judaism. It was to be followed till Musa was there. But now it is time to believe in Islam and its Messenger Muhammad sallahu alyihi wa sallam.

I related to her the narration of three Jewish tribes that had moved to Medina in search of the Final Messenger who was foretold in their Books to come to Medina (the city of date palm trees). And in fact the Final Messenger, Muhammad sallahu alyihi wa sallam did come to Medina and some Jews became Muslim. She said, “Really?”

At this time, I knew she was very interested and the bus was late.

She also asked me about all the suffering in the world and why can’t God help the innocent child who is abducted for instance? I elucidated that God is competent over all things but He cannot intercede in all worldly matters when He has given us free will. It is we who choose to wrong others, causing them to suffer. With this free will, He is testing us. And the ultimate justice will be delivered on the Day of Judgment.
Afterwards we started talking about Heaven and Hell. She said that she doesn’t think that she is that bad of a person to go to hell and that she is hopeful in God. I responded by saying that she might by a good person and I hope that I am too but I fear that I will go to hell. She asked How come? I explained, “I don’t know if all my good deeds are accepted. God accepts good deeds on condition that they are done sincerely for Him”. I told her that a person could be Mother Teresa but and do many great deeds but if he doesn’t know who is doing that good for or doesn’t know the One who provided him everything (God) then how can He accept such deeds. As humans even, we want people to recognize and acknowledge us for our accomplishments. So how can it be that God should favour us with so many blessings and we continue to ignore appreciating Him and this will be acceptable to God? She said, “When you put it like that, it makes sense”.

Furthermore she informed me of this Muslim drug dealer who is always preaching her to become Muslim. She said she doesn’t even listen to him because he was being hypocritical. How can he do that and expect that he will go to Paradise? I recited to her what Dr. Zakir Naik said, “If you want to look at a religion don’t look at its people but at its Book”. I don’t know how it came to be but I communicated to her that every Muslim will preach you if you are a non-Muslim, myself for example. This is because there is something pure in our hearts and we want to share it even if we are doing something wrong for the time being. And this pure thing is that we recognize the Creator and we see that this world could not have come into existence by chance. We have no control over the alternation of the day and night. (The Tafseer lesson was still in my head). Can I make this night into day? Can I transform the day into night? No!

I furthered added what Aisha said in Tafseer, “We humans generate energy from within ourselves while human made appliances and gadgets no matter how advance need to be plugged in or charged to function like a hair dryer needs an electrical switch and same is true for an iron. But humans have built in them everything that they need. Who makes a seed grow? Who sends down the rain? Who produces what we eat? (Then I saw a bird and asked) Who is holding up this bird? If I flap my arms can I fly? Who made law of nature like that?” She was listening very carefully. Even though the people around were sneering at us, I didn’t stop for them.

Then I told her that we can talk about these things all day but the bus will arrive soon and I would like to invite her to my school where I learn Quran and everything else I told her. SubhanAllah Ustaza, she started crying. I was shocked, I requested her not to cry. Did I say something wrong? She said no, she was just so touched that I would invite her to my school. I proclaimed that I am inviting her to something more than that. I am inviting her to realize her Creator, to testify that He is God, worthy of worship. She looked around and said, Not here, not now. I sensed that she was scared because of the people around. So I repeated again what I learned in class. This life is not worthy anything. I shared with her the time line Rushda drew on the board. It is not sensible to waste eternal life of the Hereafter for the worldly life, which has zero value. In addition I said, “it is not by chance that we met today. God choose you to listen and understand the message of Islam. Look around you, I could have been talking to anyone of these people and they may or may not have understood but you are lucky right now. (Then I pointed across the street), anytime you can be hit by a car (suddenly out of no where a truck just passed by in front of us, even I was a bit startled) and you will meet your Lord without knowing Him. I am just asking you to bear witness that you at least recognize Him. Jus say la illah illAllah”. She repeated the Shahada after me along with its English translation. I added that Jesus was His Messenger and so was Musa etc. She started crying, I gave her a big hug. The bus arrived five minutes after. SubhanAllah! Alhamdulilah!

She said she wanted to read the Quran but I didn’t have its English translation. I took her contact information and inshaAllah I will get her one soon.
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Ustaza I learned that outwardly we may not know the condition of the people we see, but talking to them does a big difference in their lives. Shyness, hesitation and lack of knowledge of the religion would have prevented me from speaking to her. Moreover, I remember she said that her father was a very knowledgeable person but whenever she would ask him a question, he would get really upset and yell at her. In Islam alhamdulilah there is no blind following. Allah explains to us in the Quran that everything we need to know. The thing she kept repeating was, “that makes sense” because Islam does make sense! SubhanAllah!
On top of that she was so moved when I invited her to the school to learn Quran. We should do invite non Muslims to our class. What better way to give Da’wah then through Tafseer class? Everything I shared with her was from Tafseer class.