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Dawah is considered to be the Muslim responsibility to invite others to Islam. Dawah is often referred to as the act of '' Preach ing Islam''. It can apply to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. For example, in the Qur'an , Sura An-Nahl 16:125 states, "Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching and argue with them in ways that are best." A '' and Christianity , have similar categories of action (e.g. Evangelization ). DAWAH IN QU'RAN Resurrection on the day of Judgment The term dawah is applied to the call to the dead to rise from the tomb on the day of Judgment. (sura 30) Appeal to God It also means an appeal to God or prayer or vow. Two examples are Abraham's prayer in sura 2 and Solomon's prayer in sura 38. Invitation to believe In the religious sense, the da'wa is the invitation, addressed to men by God and the prophets, to believe in the true religion, Islam. The religion of all the prophets is Islam, and each prophet has his dawah (see also Prophets Of Islam ) ''The Encyclopeadia of ISLAM'', BRILL. Dawah has more meanings, but these three usages of the term dawah are mentioned in the Qu'ran DAWAH IN THE FIRST CENTURIES OF ISLAM When used in the Quran it generally refers to God's invitation to live according to his will. Thus when used in the first centuries of Islam it increasingly referred to the content of that message and was sometimes used interchangably with '' Sharī'a '' (law) and '' Dīn '' (religion). It also described the duty to "actively encourage fellow Muslims in the pursuance of greater piety in all aspects of their lives," a definition which has become central to contemporary Islamic thought. (ibid) PURPOSES OF DAWAH From an Islamic standpoint, the purpose of dawah is to "invite" people to the worship of ''Allah'' as expressed in Tawheed as well as to inform them about their belief about Muhammad who Muslims believe is the last Prophet and Messenger. By doing so, Muslims hope to guide people to the religion of Islam. However, Muslims believe that if people come to Islam the decision is ultimately between them and their Creator. Another purpose of dawah is to strengthen the Muslim community, or Ummah . For Muslims, it is the encouragement to be more observant of Allah and to increase the level of piety. That applies whether the person is just at the edge of Islam (applying very little of it) or someone who is already practicing well but wants to reach higher levels. For the non-Muslim, it is explaining Islam by a congruent person, through acts, discussions, and dialogue in the best manner possible. APPROACHES TO DAWAH Dawah, from the Islamic perspective, is an open and general act of informing others about the message of Islam by carrying it, living it, and making it available to others through all positive and engaging means. It is not the mere act of telling someone about Islam, although dialogue, discussion, presentations, etc. are a part of dawah. It is the steady engagement of living the message, exemplifying the behaviors and providing answers and material when necessary. As a general principle, most Muslims agree that successful dawah includes knowledge of Islam, manners, and sincerity and intention in action. Many callers to Islam, such as Imam s, undergo dawah training to build their foundation on various aspects of the Islamic faith. "Whereas in liberal society religious authority is generally understood to impose undue constraints on free and open discussion and is thus unwelcome within the secular public sphere, here it provides the foundation upon which opposing viewpoints are articulated." (ibid, p.195) AL-DAWAH Al-da'wa is a broad movement started by the revivers of the concept and practice of da'wa, the Muslim Brotherhood and its founder Hassān Al-Banna . al-Banna considered da'wa to be the "mode of action by which moral and political reform were to be brought about" that being speaking to those willing to listen in public places such as mosques, schools, cafes, or clubs. The Brotherhood also promoted the similar practice of Isti'dhān , where a member asks to address the mosque on a matter or matters relevant to Muslims. (Hirschkind 2004, p.190 and 192) SEE ALSO REFERENCES SOURCE
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Dawa is a Tibetan word for moon, month or Monday. It is also a popular Tibetan name for both females and males. A child born on Monday is often named Dawa by Tibetan parents. It has nothing to do with Islamism so I don't know why it is put inside Islamic category. |