Inviting people to Islam?

format_quote Originally Posted by Argamemnon

I was watching a youtube video where a Turkish scholar (I don't know who he is) was claiming that it's a 'duty for all Muslims' to invite people to Islam. Do you agree? I find that rather strange because not all people have that ability... I'm really not the type to convert people, I'm a shy and reserved person.

He said something else that I found interesting. He claimed that 'Iqra' doesn't mean 'read', but 'invite/call to'. He says anyone who is an expert in Semitic languages, such as Akkadian, Aramaic, Arabic and Hebrew, would agree. It's the first time I hear this...

Anyway, if I invited my neighbor to Islam, I'm pretty sure that he would chase me with a baseball stick. It's easier said than done...

Yes, what I know the scholar is telling right , its the duty of every muslim to spread Islam , I donot remember the exact hadis , its say something like that we have to spread the message of Islam even its was just a single verse.

Well , as you said you are shy reserved and think donot have a ability to convert , truley speaking I think i am also the same person might be much much more shy and reserved person then you.

One thing we have to keep in mind , you and me cannot convert any person , its only Allah who can give guidence , our only duty is to convey/spread the message to the people , I also have not expertise in speaking and am very shy ,but by the help of Allah I just try to spread message through the net (through forums, yahoo answers, website etc), Allah has atleast given us the oppertunity and give us this media. You might find many people who are interested in Islam or have some misconceptions atleast we can give answers to them to some extent.

I donot have much knowlege so what i normaly do is to if somebody has some misconception i take videos/material from net by scholars and provide them the detail , I know that not enough and we have to do more and more may Allah forgive us all.

You can also make websites etc (many are free) and try to spread the message of Islam.

May Allah guide all of us to the true path. (Ameen)

some people make it worse when they try to invite people to Islam.

format_quote Originally Posted by Argamemnon

I was watching a youtube video where a Turkish scholar (I don't know who he is) was claiming that it's a 'duty for all Muslims' to invite people to Islam. Do you agree? I find that rather strange because not all people have that ability... I'm really not the type to convert people, I'm a shy and reserved person.

He said something else that I found interesting. He claimed that 'Iqra' doesn't mean 'read', but 'invite/call to'. He says anyone who is an expert in Semitic languages, such as Akkadian, Aramaic, Arabic and Hebrew, would agree. It's the first time I hear this...

Anyway, if I invited my neighbor to Islam, I'm pretty sure that he would chase me with a baseball stick. It's easier said than done...

did he define and explain what "invite" means.

with dawah, you need to "tailor" it according to the mindset and mentality of the person you are preaching to.

you need to be subtle and give dawah with wisdom so that you dont scare people away. if you tell someone something, you need to ensure that they are "ready" for it...and you need to put it across and explain it in such a way that it isn't alien to them and/or doesn't offend them.

for example, telling a non-Muslim about hell is probably the last thing you should start with for the reason that it maybe offensive to them, and secondly if they are, for example, atheist then this will seem ludicrous to them because they dont have other essential aspects of Iman (such as the belief in Allah) to strengthen their belief of Hell. so without that foundation/prerequisite (in this case, belief in Allah), what will make them believe that Hell is true?

so that's what im saying do your best to give dawah to people according to how their mind works and what they already believe in and/or are familiar with.

There are many ways to invite. Each of us is unique and have our own gifts as to what is our means of inviting. An invitation is not necessarily an asking a person it can also be through example. Set an example of being a good neighbor and an obedient Muslim. Let it be known you are Muslim and let your life style be an example of good living and that you are a person who can be trusted. Be available to answer questions, do not condemn or belittle other religions. Speak of the good and truth of Islam and do not attempt to prove a neighbor's religion is in error. Remember, your non-Muslim neighbor loves his religion as much as you love Islam.

Remember you are holding out a hand of invitation, not trying to push anybody through the doors of the Masjid.

format_quote Originally Posted by Argamemnon

I was watching a youtube video where a Turkish scholar (I don't know who he is) was claiming that it's a 'duty for all Muslims' to invite people to Islam. Do you agree? I find that rather strange because not all people have that ability... I'm really not the type to convert people, I'm a shy and reserved person.

Allah -s.w.t.- says: "Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong: They are the ones to attain felicity. "[3:104]

DaAAwah is known to be a matter of Fard Kifaya (obligation of sufficiency). If enough number of people perform it, its obligation is removed off of everybody, but if it is not sufficiently performed then the responsibility is on everyone in that community.

Not only is it not possible that EVERYONE makes daAAwah correctly because of different levels of knowledge, but also because many people simply do not have the personal skill sets to deal with other people, explain, or approach others. Some will be making "Ribat" (camping in wait for any need of Jihad and military action) while some will be making daAAwah, while some are dedicated to seeking knowledge and leading masjid prayers. That is how a community functions.

He said something else that I found interesting. He claimed that 'Iqra' doesn't mean 'read', but 'invite/call to'.

Such self-interpretations by non-Arabs have been spreading for a while now, self-declarations of no essence or basis shoved down the lanes of an established science against the native Arab linguists of 1400 years. Subhan Allah.

Iqra means recite, read, proclaim, and yes it also can mean deliver a message. For example when Arabs say: "Give him peace" "أَقْرِئْ فلاناً السَّلامَ", but it is fundamentally in a completely different form than the one used in that verse this scholar is referring to, in that it is in transitive form and is spelled differently. Iqra' in the verse is spelled and expressed as non-transitive in positioning and grammatical placement, so that meaning doesn't apply. The Quran is an Arabic book, not akkadian or hebrew and Islamic rulings are not guessed by digging in for forgotten meanings in branch dialicts. The origin of Qara' can have so many meanings that it also means the time of menstruation for the woman! (check Al-Sahhah, قرأ)

More importantly, these verses and their meaning are confirmed by the very responses of the prophet -s.a.a.w.- when he said he was not a reader.

On top of all that, since when would spontaneous statements made specifically to the prophet -s.a.a.w.- become an obligation of something else on all of the muslim Ummah? Even if it was "deliver the message", it is still natural to expect as an order of Allah to his "messenger" after all.

Sunnah and hadiths confirm that daAAwah is Fard Kifaya and has pre-requisites before performing it, which means it is not required of everybody. The fact that we can all make "a sort" of daAAwah with good and kind behaviour or such is another matter, and if something is good, still does not give a single scholar the right to overturn established knowledge and make up personal rulings and announce global obligations with weak guesswork and unfounded superficial examination.

Wallahu 'AAlam