Da’wah and We

يا ربنا لك الحمد حتى ترضى، ولك الحمد إذا رضيت، ولك الحمد بعد الرضى، ولك الحمد أبدا أبدا أبدا

والحمد ل، ال ن نحمد ونستعين ونسترفر ، وننمن ب ونت ع يهي ، ونع ذ بال من شرور انفسنا ومن سيئات أيمالنا، من يهـد هللا فال مضع ل ، ومن يضهع فال هـادي ل ، ونشهـد أن ال إل إال هللا وحد ال

شريك ل ، ونشهـد أن محمدا يبد هللا ورس ل ،

أرسه هللا تعالى بالهـدن ودين الحل ليـهـر يهى الدين ه و فى بال شهـيدا، وصهى هللا يهي وسهم تسهيما ثيرا ثيرا،

ثم اما بعد، فإن أصدق الحديث تاب هللا وخير الهـدي هـدي محمد صهى هللا يهي وسهم، وإن شر األم ر

محدثا تهـا وإن ع محدثة بدية و ع بدية ضاللة و ع ضاللة في النار،

طان الرجيم، ييل سبحان وتعالى فى تاب اليريم بعد أن أل ، أي ذ بال من الش) واصبر يهى ۹) رب المشرق والمررب ال إل إال ه فا تخ و يال (۸واذ ر اسم ربك وتبتع إلي تبتيال (

)۱۰ما يل ل ن واهجرهم هجرا جميال (

رب اشرحهى صدرن ويسرلى أمرن واحهع يلدة من لسانى يفلهـ ا ل لى، الههـم ثبتنا يند الم ت بال إل إال هللا، الههم اجعهنا من ال ين آمن ا ويمه ا الصهحت وت ا ص ا بالحل وت ا ص ا بالصبر،

آمين يا رب العالمين

Dear my respected brothers in Islam,

Insha Allah ta’ala in today’s brief khutbah, I will share and remind myself and all of you about our responsibility of giving da’wah wherever we are. Presenting and delivering the message of Islam in Muslim-minority country like Japan is not an easy task. And yet it is not an impossible as long as we, Muslims, struggle and give the best effort to make it happen. In one of his khutbah, brother Nouman Ali Khan said that at least we have 3 major obstacles that lay between us. First, Islam is portrayed in the media as something evil, scary, alien, terrorist, etc. With the massive news in the media such as TV, newspapers, internet, some people, even Muslims themselves, seem to believe that information. Muslim parents are worried if their children often have Islamic activities, attend Islamic lecture routinely, start to become strict to Islamic teaching. They are going to ask, “Son, don’t be too extreme, radical, whatsoever?” The propaganda of the media associating terrorist with ‘strict/pious’ Muslims has hampered the spreading of the beautiful and universal message of Islam in the society we are living in. Second, the ignorance of the Muslims. We have to admit that many Muslims are still reluctant to understand the whole Islamic teaching. How come we would apply Islamic teaching in every single day of our life if we don’t really understand what it is? It’s not surprised if in a certain Muslim country, there are many emerging cult who claim by the name of Islam and yet they have quite many number of followers. The faith of our society is still vulnerable to attack of misguided teaching.

Third, the character/behavior of Muslims, and this is the biggest obstacle that we face. Beautiful Islam veiled by the poor behavior of its adherents. For a moment let us introspect, still we find easy fellow Muslims clashed, theft in the mosque which should be the most safe and comfortable on earth, bad job performance, only being the consumer of western goods & services, etc. Whereas the object of da'wah, especially the Japanese, they would see or judge anything from the appearance/packaging. And basically, people will assess not only what is conveyed (the message), but also who deliver (messenger) and how it is delivered (manner). Though the appearance is not the most important, but it is the first one seen by human eyes. Recently, we heard bad news. Someone (Jews and Christian) made film which insults our prophet Muhammad SAW. We, Muslims, of course felt angry. But, some of us reacted too much by attacking the US embassy, yelling, screaming. US ambassador for Libya and some US embassy staffs reported to be dead due to this attack. We should not react like this. We say we defend Islam in the same time we misrepresent Islam by our bad attitude. This insult is not only this time we heard. Since the time of the prophet as we read in the Quran and hadith how they insulted and hurt our prophet much more severe. But, the prophet and the companions could manage their emotion. Allah says in the Quran: لتبه ن في أم اليم وأنفسيم ولتسمعن من ال ين أوت ا اليتاب من لبهيم ومن ال ين أشر ا أذن ثيرا وإن

]186[آ يمران: ذلك من يزم األم ر تصبروا وتتل ا فإن

“You shall certainly be tried respecting your wealth and your souls, and you shall certainly hear from those who have been given the Book before you and from those who are polytheists much annoying talk; and if you are patient and guard (against evil), surely this is one of the affairs (which should be) determined upon.” (QS Ali-Imran:186) We should rectify our character and attitude against every trial in our life. Ibn Athaillah Al-Iskandari said so beautiful words in regard to this phenomenon, "The most precious human in the sight of Allah is he who manages to hide particular devotions to God from the human eyes, and yet they can feel the result of his worship in the form of his noble character." And then, what should we do?

In his book, Anis Matta explains three stages in an effort to apply the value of Islam in every aspect of our life as Muslims, the stages that will make the distance between the truly Islamic teaching and the reality of Muslims life in the society, the stages that are going to make our dreams come true. These stages are affiliation, participation, and contribution.

Affiliation is the stage in which we renew our commitment toward Islam, make Islam as an identity that forms our paradigm, mentality and character. We renew our commitment toward our ‘aqidah, ‘ibadah, and akhlaq. By this way, we become Muslims who understand and care about Islamic teachings, no longer ignorant, capable of filtering information that discredit Islam, being the best of human who has noble character and beneficial to others.

Participation is the stage where we fuse into the society, unite and work together with them. In this stage, we are committed to supporting all the projects of right and forbid all forms of wrong; committed to giving benefit to others; committed to strengthening the unity and preventing the divisions among Muslims people.

Contribution is the stage in which we have already united with the society while improving the efficiency and effectiveness of our life. This is realized by sharpening the role and position in accordance with our competence/expertise. By this way, we can contribute optimally which will have a great impact in the society. Competence here can be anything: in terms of science, technology, art, etc.. There is no field what-so-called better than others, all are the same. The most important one is our contribution. For those working in the field of media, do the best by spreading good information about Islam. In this information era, media has very significant role in shaping the mindset and behavior of people. For those working in the field of science and technology, make the innovation, create our own product, do the best research. We must prove that Muslims are able to excel in science & technology related things like Muslims did in the past. It also applies to other fields. We never know through which field the guidance and blessing of Allah will descend into the human heart. Many stories of people converting to Islam through various ways, such as hearing the beautiful voice of someone calling for prayer (adzan) and reciting Quran, seeing the wonderful Arabic calligraphy and Islamic architecture, reading the amazing scientific facts of human creation which is in accordance with the Quran, feeling the noble character of the friend/neighbor, etc.. Therefore, our task is simply to do as best as we can, whereas the matter of guidance is the right merely of Allah alone.

Through these three stages, we have combined the three powers at once: the power of individual, social, and professional. Armed with these, insha Allah, our dream of spreading and applying Islam in our daily life will finally come true.

ولع رب اغفر وارحم وأنت خير الراحمين

***

الحمد ل ال ي أرسع رس ل بالهـدن ودين الحل ليـهـر يهى الدين ه ول ر المشر ن،

نشهـد أن ال إل إال هللا وحد ال شريك ل ونشهـد أن محمدا يبد ورس ل ، يا أيهـا ال ين آمن ا اتل ا هللا حل تلات وال تم تن إال وأنتم مسهم ن،

يا أيهـا ال ين آمن ا اتل ا هللا ول ل ا ل ال سديدا، يصهح ليم أيماليم ويرفرليم ذن بيم ومن يطع هللا ورس ل فلد فاز ف زا يـيما

الههـم صع وسهم يهى محمد ويهى آ محمد، ما صهيت وسهمت يهى إبراهـيم ويهى آ إبراهـيم، وبارك

يهى محمد ويهى آ محمد، ما بار ت يهى إبراهـيم ويهى آ إبراهـيم، فى العالمين إنك حميد مجيد، وارض الههـم ين خهفائ الراشدين، وين ازواج أمهـات المنمنين، وين سائر الصحابة أجمعين، وين

المنمنين والمنمنات إلى ي م الدين، وينا معهـم برحمتك يا أرحم الراحمين،

الههـم اجعع جمعنا هـ ا جمعا مرح ما، واجعع تفرلنا من بعد تفرلا معص ما، وال تدع فينا وال معنا شليا وال محروما،

الههم إنا نسألك الهدن والتلى والعفاف والرنى،

الههم أيز اإلسالم والمسهمين وذ الشرك والمشر ين ودمر أيدآء الدين واحم ح زة اإلسالم يا رب العالمين،

الههم انصر اخ اننا المجاهدين فى فهسطين وس ريا وب رما وفى ع بالد المسهمين،

الههم أنج المستضعفين من المنمنين وأصهح أح ا المسهمين فى ع ميان،

الههم أنز يهينا من بر ات السماء وأخرج لنا من خيرات األرض، وبارك لنا فى ثمارنا وزروينا و ع أرزالنا يا ذا الجال واإل رام،

ربنا آتنا فى الدنيا حسنة وفى اآلخرة حسنة ولنا ي اب النار، ربنا ال تزغ له بنا بعد اذ هديتنا وهب لنا من

لدنك رحمة، إنك أنت ال هاب، ربنا ظهمنا أنفسنا وإن لم ترفر لنا وترحمنا لني نن من الخاسرين

الههم اغفر لهمنمنين والمنمنات، والمسهمين والمسهمات، األحياء منهم واألم ات، إنك سميع لريب مجيب الدياء،

يبادهللا: إن هللا يأمر بالعد واإلحسان وإيتاء ذي اللربى وينهى ين الفحشاء والمنير والبري يعـيم لعهيم

ت رون، ول ر هللا أ بر

أليم الصالة