Being approached about Christianity

Salaam.

You are a respectful person, I would have done the same thing as you. Just listen, nod your head, see what people have to say about their religion. It's not like they could convert you (the big guy Beardo) but it's nice that they try. Just listen, see what they have to say, ask them question etc. We're all human beings after all, God's slave.

:jz: for sharing your story with us.


I think I would have probably tried to use different cues in the conversation to provide dawah as well, in shaa Allah.

e.g. When it is mentioned about Jesus/ Isa (as) being 'our saviour', then mention the high status that he holds as a prophet of Allah, as well as our common belief in all the prophets that preceded him, starting from Adam (as).
And then dont stop here - continue to speak about the FINAL messenger of Allah - Muhammed (sallalahu alaihi wasalam) - and that the need for another messenger after Isa (as) stemmed from the fact that man had corrupted the scriptures and teachings that had been revealed to him.
You could stress that we, as muslims also believed in the Bible/ Torah and other scriptures at one point in time, and had it not been for the interference of man, then there would have been no need for the Quraan to be revealed.

They may try to defend the Bible at this point - to which you say, that it is a known fact that the Bible does not exist in its original form any longer - hence there are so many different translations/ editions/ versions that exist today.
(Yet one can travel the globe and the Quraan is exactly the same - a promise of its preservation from Allah Taa'la Himself.)

It is good to try to find the common/ shared beliefs first - and then go into our differences.

e.g. You can then mention that the only difference between Christianity and Islam is that we believe that Allah is ONE.
(Insert the translation for Surah Iklaas here in your conversation).

In this way, in shaa Allah - you have taken their 'dawah' and made it your own :shade:


Also, it is a good practise to keep leaflets on Islam and an english translation of Quraan in your bag/ car/ office, etc.
So, when you are offered their information booklets on Christianity - you can accept it, but say that 'I would like to return your generosity by providing you a copy of the Quraan and information on islam as well).
And leave your contact details as well, should they want to find out more about Islam at some point, in shaa Allah.
(You never know - this little act, could be the first step that a person takes towards finding the truth, by the will of Allah).


In summary - when people approach us to converse about religion, then this is the best opportunity to take to provide dawah.

In shaa Allah, we all need to become 'fluent' in the language of Dawah.
Allah Taa'la in His great mercy upon us, has blessed us with imaan - so it is our duty as muslims to call people to the truth at every possible chance that we have.


BarakAllah feek,

Was salaam

Beardo said:

I was feeling a bit relaxed today after submitting my assignment, so I decided to take a book and read on a bench in the middle of the campus field. It’s how I release all the stress and frustration life thrusts at me. There’s nothing like a good book along with a refreshing drink.

Anyhow, as I’m sitting on the bench alone, these two guys come forward and ask if I can spare a couple minutes. I smiled and untangled my legs onto the floor. One of them literally sat next to me leaving no gap in between. The other one sat next to my backpack, and I presume he’d brush against me too if my backpack didn’t serve as a shield.

The one sitting next to me took out a miniature book entitled, “Would you like to know God personally?” There were so many similarities to Islam, and I kept nodding my head in agreement or understanding to everything he mentioned. After reading the booklet to me, he put his phone number and name on the book, telling me to give him a call anytime I wanted to hang out.

even the title is a bit of rubbish, isn't it? you can't know Allah personally, because Allah is not a person! you can personally know about Allah as Rabb, as well as His other Attributes and how to worship Him. why would you you sit there nodding (like a fool), instead of offering a rebuttal to each idiotic thing he read from the book? i'm disappointed that someone who helps oversee an Islamic website could be so unprepared to deal with such a simple situation.

Anyway, right before this, the other guy wanted to ask me a few questions. After some small talk about my name, its origins, and my career plan, he whipped out Thr ultimate question. Rather bluntly, might I add.

What is keeping you from converting from being a Muslim to a Christian, he asked.

you might try, "cuz i'm not an idiot and i don't want to jeopardize my eternal life on fairy tales and some anonymous books. the only thing anyone knows for certain about the New Testament is that Paul wrote 7 letters. in 1 of the "authentic" letters of Paul, Galatians, he specifically rejects the what the Apostles have been preaching (read the 1st 3 chapters).

I smiled. I explained to him that I have a hard time wrapping my head around the concept of Jesus being a son of God, but I certainly admire and love him as a Prophet.

nothing to "wrap your head around", Surah Al Ikhlas states that Allah has no children.

He then asked me about how I intend to achieve salvation, and I explained that God is Most Merciful, and so on. So one of them the asks, “If you were to die today, how sure are you that you’ll be granted the good eternal life?”

we have no guarantee of eternal life, but we do retain hope in Allah's Mercy.

I was a little caught off-guard, but I light-heartedly joked, saying, “God forbid, because I’m not studying for my finals if I’m going to die tomorrow.” He laughed and gave me a light hug, probably thinking I was offended by his question.

But I continued, saying that faith is all about believing in the Unseen, and that I am very hopeful in God.

Anyway, they seemed to have nothing else to add. What else is there to say? I hope they didn’t think they could convert me right then and there. Anyhow, they left me with the book with their contact information, and they were on their way.

Good times.

It’s funny this happens right after I was conversing with another friend of mine earlier. He asked me if I preach Islam. I told him that I do not, and he asked why. I told him that I simply don’t want to misrepresent my religion. It’s also due to the fact that I believe in preaching through action and conduct, rather than preaching directly. We all have our own ways of expressing ourselves, and that is the one I tr for.

And Allah Ta’ala knows best.

Should I have offered Da'wah directly? What would you have done?

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you carry a backpack, and there is not a single piece of Islamic literature in it? not a one??? not a cd or a dvd? why are you in America??????????????

why do you think Allah has placed you here?

seriously, why don't you grow up? i'm not saying that you need to reach out to others, but if they come to you and start preaching paganism then at the least tell them why they are wrong and offer to get them some information.

don't get me wrong, i AGREE with you on I believe in preaching through action and conduct. well said, as well.

me? i would say, "i'm a Muslim, are you sure you want to continue?" right at the git-go. if they start to proceed, i would say, "i'm not an uneducated Muslim. i can rebut anything you say, and i know more about the history of your books then you do. i recommend that you stop while you are ahead. if you are looking for some gullible moron, continue looking elsewhere."

but that's only cuz you didn't have time. i blow Mormons off like that, but give other Christians a little more room.

or you could try. "look i'm a Muslim and i don't have time right now. we can meet after exams and chat if you like, but to me, your book would be totally worthless."

you could regroup then.

at a College? any other Muslims there? do you pray together? Jummu'ah there?

sorry if i sound mean. i'm old and mean. so, it's not personal!

are you west coast?

:wa:

Beardo said:

I believe in preaching through action and conduct, rather than preaching directly.

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I do believe the same.In fact,Its the most effective method.Although when we give dawah to others we are giving out dawah to ourselves too,when you open your mouth you have to come up with clear mind to convey or the words you are uttering must be in line with your thoughts..This is how it goes.So when you are preaching with words and you inside and outside is on the same page,it does left an impression on others mind with credibility.An example which goes bad would be Jimmy Swaggert infamous case,a charismatic speaker but not an exemplary character.

Beardo said:

Should I have offered Da'wah directly? What would you have done?

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I don't think it would be appropriate to give counter dawah,since missionaries approached a person with a preoccupied mindset and your words for them would have no effect.I may proabably done the same what you have did.

I'm not a social person. Most people would not approach me because I have a constant scowl on my face.

On a serious note if I was in your situation I would have done the same.

Personally, I would have had a conversation with them and asked them how anyone can be assured to gain 'the good eternal life' to which they surely would reply something to the effect of accepting the free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus as the Son of God and that he died on the cross for your sins. To which I would reply that my understanding of God is such that he doesn't father children and that He is very much unlike His creation. I would ask in what sense of the word 'son' was Jesus the 'only begotten Son of God'? They would reply something to the effect of it is not literal, but figurative. I would say that my understanding of God is that He is One God and that the Christian doctrine of Trinity is not consistent with my faith. I would also say that I believe the Qur'an is the Word of God and that it promises over and over again that God will have mercy on and forgive those who believe in Him without ascribing partners with Him and who do good deeds like prayer, charity, fasting, etc. I would see this as a good opportunity to share your faith. Just a few days ago I had a conversation in a restaurant with a woman from Greece who was a Greek Orthodox Christian.

Insaanah said:

we as Muslims are not doing so, believing that we are giving da'wah through our behavior and conduct. We do have to use wisdom, but I believe we can and should do more.

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Its more heart hitting than thousands of words.Personally,I've seen action's effect a lot of time.But I agree we should strive to do more.

I think you handled the situation well, even if you did not do any direct "da'wah" you still held a good conduct which in my opinion is better than arrogantly doing da'wah (if it can even be called da'wah).

Maybe next time you can tell them about Tauhid in Islam.

I've been thinking about why muslims seem to shy away from giving dawah/ even talking about Islam in general terms to someone in public:

If we were to think of someone who is trying to sell a computer software, then at least the following 3 factors need to be in place:

1. He needs to have some (at least basic) knowledge about the software.
And his chances of making a sale are even greater, if he possesses more than basic knowledge about his product.

2. He needs to believe in his own product.
In other words, its no point trying to explain how good the software is......if he, himself, is not using it on his own computer.

3. He needs to be passionate about his product.
When he speaks about it, there should be an excitement/ enthusiasm in his voice.
If he is an disinterested/ unmotivated salesman, than his chances of making a sale are not very good.

In the same manner:

1. Before we can 'preach' something, we also have to be 'practising' it (the common saying: Practice what you preach).

My own perception, is that our own practice of Islam is far weaker than ever before....
If we are not striving ourselves, to follow the sunnah of our prophet (sallalahu alaihi wasalam).....and at times, even that which is waajib and fard upon us, then how successful can we be in calling others to this way of life?
e.g. if we do not recognize the importance of (proper) hijab, if our own mannerisms no longer reflect that of our Nabi (sallalahu alaihi wasalam), then how can we get this great message across to others?

2. If we are not making an attempt to obtain deeni knowledge from correct sources - actually making a sincere, concerted effort (as we do in all other aspects in life), then how weak will our own foundations be?
While we do not need to be scholars/ aalims to be able to give dawah, it is still our duty to seek knowledge (not just in worldly affairs, but also in our religion).
And considering that those who we are giving dawah to, often possess (frequently distorted) information about Islam, then it makes it even more important for us to understand our own deen (to the best of our abilities).

3. And finally, if we do not carry in our hearts, a sincere love and passion for Allah and His Rasul (sallalahu alaihi wasalam), then how can we motivate others to follow this way of life?
We may claim to have this love,
But as Hasan al-Basri once said: "Know that you will never truly love Allah, until you love obeying Him."


I think, (part of) the reason why our attempts at dawah do not seem adequate, and sometimes even sincere, is because the change needs to begin with ourselves first.
A change that is not only important for our own salvation, but also for sake of calling upon others towards this perfect and complete way of life.


:wasalam:

There is a saying from a japanese novel which I liked though it doesn't directly relate to the situation. It is about this young boy who grew up always being ridiculed and looked down on by the rest of his village. His goal is to be the village leader when he grows up so that he will be acknowledged by the people in his village. One day he met a wise man and told this wise man of his goal to which the wise man responded "You will not be acknowledged by the villagers for being the village leader, rather you will be the village leader for being acknowledged by the villagers.".

I think that while it is good for a muslim to actively go about inviting others to Islam it is important not to lose sight of what is more important which is bettering himself as a muslim first by seeking ilm as well as striving to achieve the best of akhlaq, adab and amal with the intention of earning the pleasure of Allah.

It could be through our strive to be a better muslim that others see the truth in Islam. It is important not to rely on a "cookie cutter" response to questions that might arise in the event of speaking to someone who is interested in learning about Islam. People come from different backgrounds and may have different worldviews so it is important on our part to understand what we are trying to convey so that we may express it in the best way possible for the questioner to understand.

It's not about selling a product nor about showing how much we know. It's about showing others the truth from their Lord.

A brother I am close with has had two non-muslims in his life who's converted to Islam and to my knowledge he never preached to either of them. One of them became interested over time as he saw that the brother would always take some time off school stuff to do his daily prayers, the other one started being interested when the brother sincerely explained that he is trying to be a better muslim and thus will not be joining for certain activities that might not be good for a muslim to join.

What I am sure of is that both these people had already acknowledged this brother as an upright person, seeing him strive to be a better muslim was what made them interested to know more. Alhamdulillah Allah opened their hearts to accept Islam.

You handled it well. I like your jokes, I wouldn't have done a joke though, since I'm a much too serious person for that. They didn't challenge you on Islam, so I guess there is no other way to go about it.

My advice though is that you do learn enough about Islam so that you are able to do Da'wah to anyone. Islam isn't just about action, it is also about knowledge.

Christian proselytizers are not going to listen if you talk about Islam as they are set in stone and are trying to convert you. They are like vampires if you don't let them in, then they cannot bug you. I have tried to reason with them but it is futile, they pull out a Bible and quote passages as if they were absolute truths. But the Bible is full of fantastic tales like the old pagan stories of the Gods have. I just say " I am not interested" and they go away to annoy someone else.

Salaam,

Interesting feedbacks. Definitely will keep in mind in the event of similar thing happening to me in the future. I have noticed about myself is that I can react differently, even when given the same 'stimuli'. It has a lot to do with how I feel at that particular moment. Sometimes I welcome a debate and sometimes not.

Peace:shade:

العنود;1586085 said:

one time I was ambushed by two of them, and one of them started with ''Are you saved?'' and I said yes, yes I am that's my bus I thought the bus arriving then was perfect comedic timing.. I wish I had that moment to commemorated on camera

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Assalamu alaikum, sister, ROFLOL, I never knew you had such a quirky sense of humor. Christians put their faith for salvation in a supposed past event, the crucifixion of Jesus, while Muslims put their faith in the mercy of Allah and hope in the promises He made in the Qur'an as they look forward to a future event, Judgment Day. If the crucifixion never happened, as we believe, then the whole of Christianity collapses like a house of cards. I find it utterly amazing that the Qur'an so deftly refutes Christianity with a single verse. Subhan Allah! Christians confidently say "I am saved!" based on a nebulous event while Muslims acknowledge uncertainty based on their not knowing the purity of their own hearts or the status of their faith upon their death. Christians have a hard time understanding why someone would reject 'certainty' offered by their faith and rather choose 'uncertainty' offered by Islam.

I have heard people being rude to Christian preachers. Muslims should avoid doing that. It does take guts to go out to the streets and preach. This should show how much these preachers care about spreading their message. So it's best to be polite to them. I assume it is appropriate to openly disagree with them but at least be gentle.

It is not easy being told you are wrong about beliefs you were taught at a young age.