QUESTION/SOALAN:
How should a Muslim talk to a non-Muslim who is interested in Islam and a possible convert? What "angle" should they take in illuminating their minds on Islam?
(Bagaimana seorang Muslim berkomunikasi dengan bukan Islam yang berminat dengan Islam dan berkemungkinan akan menganut Islam. Dari sudut apa, minda atau mentaliti mereka dapat menerima Islam).
(Bagaimana seorang Muslim berkomunikasi dengan bukan Islam yang berminat dengan Islam dan berkemungkinan akan menganut Islam. Dari sudut apa, minda atau mentaliti mereka dapat menerima Islam).
Answer (jawapan):
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The following are some of the major points that must be kept in mind while propagating Islam to people of other religions:
(Berikut adalah beberapa perkara yang perlu difikirkan semasa menyebarkan dakwah Islam kepada penganut agama-agama lain).
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1. It is very unfortunate that propagation of Islam has become more of a debate between proponents of Islam and other religions. We are so used to this style of "propagation" that the very word of propagation brings to mind a hot debate in which two or more parties are trying to convince an audience that the beliefs of the other are unfounded and absurd. I would like to stress at the outset that such a style is not just "not propagation" but can be very harmful to the very spirit and objective of propagation. Every criticism on another person’s beliefs and every intellectual attack on his/her philosophy makes the other person prone to criticising our own beliefs rather than accepting them. It activates a strong defense mechanism inside the person and makes it difficult for him/her to be receptive to our call. The first principle that must therefore be kept in mind is that the style of introducing Islam to others should be such that the other person does not feel offended or insulted. To introduce a person to Islam, we don't need to criticise his/her existing beliefs. We should try to present the teachings of Islam in a positive manner. Such a style is expected to face lower resistance from the addressees.
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(1. Agak menyedihkan kerana penyebaran dakwah Islam berlaku dengan cara berdebat antara Islam dan agama lain. Kita terlalu biasa dengan cara berdakwah dengan menggunakan debat mengatakan agama lain adalah karut dan tidak berasas. Saya ingin menegaskan bahawa cara ini bukan ‘berdakwah’ tetapi boleh merosakkan semangat dan tujuan asas berdakwah. Setiap kritik yang kita lemparkan terhadap agama dan kepercayaan lain, dan serangan ke atas falsafah hidup sesorang akan mengakibatkan orang lain mengkritik agama kita pula dan jauh sekali menerima kebenaran terhadap Islam. Setiap kali kita mengkritik agama lain maka semakin kuatlah mereka membentengi kepercayaan mereka dan ini menimbulkan masalah menerima pandangan kita. Prinsip pertama (asas) yang perlu kita terapkan dalam minda kita ialah apabila kita memperkenalkan Islam kepada non-muslim, pastikan kita tidak menyakiti hati mereka atau merasa terhina. Jangan cuba mengkritik mereka atau kepercayaan mereka. Kita perlu menyebarkan Islam secara positif (berhikmah dan bil hal) untuk mengurangkan pergeseran atau tentangan).
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The following are some of the major points that must be kept in mind while propagating Islam to people of other religions:
(Berikut adalah beberapa perkara yang perlu difikirkan semasa menyebarkan dakwah Islam kepada penganut agama-agama lain).
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1. It is very unfortunate that propagation of Islam has become more of a debate between proponents of Islam and other religions. We are so used to this style of "propagation" that the very word of propagation brings to mind a hot debate in which two or more parties are trying to convince an audience that the beliefs of the other are unfounded and absurd. I would like to stress at the outset that such a style is not just "not propagation" but can be very harmful to the very spirit and objective of propagation. Every criticism on another person’s beliefs and every intellectual attack on his/her philosophy makes the other person prone to criticising our own beliefs rather than accepting them. It activates a strong defense mechanism inside the person and makes it difficult for him/her to be receptive to our call. The first principle that must therefore be kept in mind is that the style of introducing Islam to others should be such that the other person does not feel offended or insulted. To introduce a person to Islam, we don't need to criticise his/her existing beliefs. We should try to present the teachings of Islam in a positive manner. Such a style is expected to face lower resistance from the addressees.
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(1. Agak menyedihkan kerana penyebaran dakwah Islam berlaku dengan cara berdebat antara Islam dan agama lain. Kita terlalu biasa dengan cara berdakwah dengan menggunakan debat mengatakan agama lain adalah karut dan tidak berasas. Saya ingin menegaskan bahawa cara ini bukan ‘berdakwah’ tetapi boleh merosakkan semangat dan tujuan asas berdakwah. Setiap kritik yang kita lemparkan terhadap agama dan kepercayaan lain, dan serangan ke atas falsafah hidup sesorang akan mengakibatkan orang lain mengkritik agama kita pula dan jauh sekali menerima kebenaran terhadap Islam. Setiap kali kita mengkritik agama lain maka semakin kuatlah mereka membentengi kepercayaan mereka dan ini menimbulkan masalah menerima pandangan kita. Prinsip pertama (asas) yang perlu kita terapkan dalam minda kita ialah apabila kita memperkenalkan Islam kepada non-muslim, pastikan kita tidak menyakiti hati mereka atau merasa terhina. Jangan cuba mengkritik mereka atau kepercayaan mereka. Kita perlu menyebarkan Islam secara positif (berhikmah dan bil hal) untuk mengurangkan pergeseran atau tentangan).
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2. The primary object in propagating Islam is not to win a debate or to increase the number of registered Muslims in the world. It is an attempt to remove all excuses a person might have, on the Day of Judgment, for not accepting Islam. For every such excuse shall be a burden on the Muslims on that Day. It is an attempt to save a person from the eternal punishment. It is an attempt to answer all questions on Islam raised by others. Keeping this object of propagation in view, our style should only be such that the other person perceives us to be his sincere well wisher. We should try to avoid confrontation at all costs.
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(2. Objektif dalam berdakwah bukanlah untuk menang berdebat atau menambah jumlah orang Islam di dunia. Ini adalah percubaan untuk menghapus alasan yang mungkin timbul dihari pembalasan kerana tidak menganut Islam. Pada ketika itu (hari pembalasan), apa sahaja alasan akan membebankan orang-orang Islam. Ia adalah percubaan bagi menolong seseorang supaya terhindar daripada siksaan di akhirat. Ia juga satu percubaan untuk menjawab pelbagai soalan mengenai Islam yang dibangkitkan oleh orang lain. Dengan objektif dakwah ini tersemat dalam hati, apabila kita berdakwah kita mahu dilihat sebagai pendakwah yang ikhlas. Kita perlu mengelak daripada sebarang pertembungan).
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(2. Objektif dalam berdakwah bukanlah untuk menang berdebat atau menambah jumlah orang Islam di dunia. Ini adalah percubaan untuk menghapus alasan yang mungkin timbul dihari pembalasan kerana tidak menganut Islam. Pada ketika itu (hari pembalasan), apa sahaja alasan akan membebankan orang-orang Islam. Ia adalah percubaan bagi menolong seseorang supaya terhindar daripada siksaan di akhirat. Ia juga satu percubaan untuk menjawab pelbagai soalan mengenai Islam yang dibangkitkan oleh orang lain. Dengan objektif dakwah ini tersemat dalam hati, apabila kita berdakwah kita mahu dilihat sebagai pendakwah yang ikhlas. Kita perlu mengelak daripada sebarang pertembungan).
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3. For Muslims, propagating Islam really means propagating the Truth. The essence of this propagation, thus is to pursue our addressees to accept whatever is proven to be the Truth. Now, if this is really the case, then the person who is trying to convince others of his ideas, should first of all keep his own mind open to accept whatever is proven to be the Truth. If I am trying to convince others to keep their minds open to accept the Truth, I can never be effective if my own attitude towards the ideas of others is of apathy and outright rejection.
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(3. Bagi umat Islam, dakwah bererti menyebar kebenaran. Intisari daripada dakwah ini, semua tuturkata kita diharapkan diterima sebagai benar belaka. Apabila orang yang mencuba meyakinkan orang lain pula, orang itu sendiri mestilah juga mempunyai minda yang terbuka untuk menerima hakikat kebenaran sesuatu. Jika saya mencuba meyakinkan orang lain supaya minda terbuka untuk menerima kebenaran, usaha saya tidak efektif kalau bersikap menolak dengan sewenag-wenangnya idea orang lain).
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4. Propagation of Islam is not merely convincing someone intellectually about Islamic ideals, it is much more than that. It is to present the moral, ethical and philosophical teachings of Islam. This presentation can only be effective if the person presenting these ideals is himself a practicing Muslim. After all, how can I convince another person to change his life according to the views that are true in my eyes, if I am myself not living my life according to the propagated views.
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4. Propagation of Islam is not merely convincing someone intellectually about Islamic ideals, it is much more than that. It is to present the moral, ethical and philosophical teachings of Islam. This presentation can only be effective if the person presenting these ideals is himself a practicing Muslim. After all, how can I convince another person to change his life according to the views that are true in my eyes, if I am myself not living my life according to the propagated views.
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(4. Berdakwah secara intelektual mengenai Islam bukanlah semata-mata meyakinkan orang lain, malah lebih dari itu. Kita mesti persembahkan ketinggian moral, etika dan falsafah mengenai ajaran Islam. Persembahan ini hanya efektif jika sekiranya kita sendiri mengamalkan Islam. Bagaimana mungkin kita meyakinkan orang lain jika kita 'cakap tak serupa bikin' atau kita sendiri tidak mempraktik seperti yang dikata).
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5. As our experience shows, the primary response from a non-Muslim that should be expected in reply to our propagational efforts is that he would criticize on matters relating to Islam; this criticism is most likely to be on some of the verses of the Qur’an, some of the sayings of the Prophet (pbuh) and a few events from Sirah (the life of the Prophet) and Muslim history. It is normally observed that in response to such criticism, we – the Muslims – start criticising the books and the teachings of the prophet who holds a revered position in the eyes of our addressee. This may critically hamper the communication process. We must remember that if somebody has criticised the Qur’an or the life and teachings of the Prophet (pbuh), the correct response should be to give an acceptable answer to such criticism, not to criticise the beliefs of the critic. Such criticism on the beliefs of the critic may prove the beliefs of the critic to be wrong, but it would not, by itself, prove the correctness of the Islamic ideology. In view of this fact, propagation of Islamic ideals should only be taken up either after having deep knowledge about Islam and its teachings or under close guidance and supervision of someone who has this knowledge. We must also remember that the case of propagating Islam, is quite different from that of the other major religions of the world, in the sense that in the case of Islamic propagation, we need not prove the other religions to be wrong. Our stand point can simply be that Mohammad (pbuh) was the last among the prophets of the Almighty. Even if their respective beliefs are taken to be correct, still if Mohammad (pbuh) is proven to be a true prophet of Allah, his teachings, merely because he was the last among these prophets, must be followed. On the contrary, the case for Christianity, for instance, or Judaism can only hold ground if Islam is proven to be a false religion and Mohammad (pbuh) a false prophet. It is because of this reason that, in my opinion, we must concentrate solely on the positive presentation and replies to criticisms on Islam and try to avoid criticising other religions.
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5. As our experience shows, the primary response from a non-Muslim that should be expected in reply to our propagational efforts is that he would criticize on matters relating to Islam; this criticism is most likely to be on some of the verses of the Qur’an, some of the sayings of the Prophet (pbuh) and a few events from Sirah (the life of the Prophet) and Muslim history. It is normally observed that in response to such criticism, we – the Muslims – start criticising the books and the teachings of the prophet who holds a revered position in the eyes of our addressee. This may critically hamper the communication process. We must remember that if somebody has criticised the Qur’an or the life and teachings of the Prophet (pbuh), the correct response should be to give an acceptable answer to such criticism, not to criticise the beliefs of the critic. Such criticism on the beliefs of the critic may prove the beliefs of the critic to be wrong, but it would not, by itself, prove the correctness of the Islamic ideology. In view of this fact, propagation of Islamic ideals should only be taken up either after having deep knowledge about Islam and its teachings or under close guidance and supervision of someone who has this knowledge. We must also remember that the case of propagating Islam, is quite different from that of the other major religions of the world, in the sense that in the case of Islamic propagation, we need not prove the other religions to be wrong. Our stand point can simply be that Mohammad (pbuh) was the last among the prophets of the Almighty. Even if their respective beliefs are taken to be correct, still if Mohammad (pbuh) is proven to be a true prophet of Allah, his teachings, merely because he was the last among these prophets, must be followed. On the contrary, the case for Christianity, for instance, or Judaism can only hold ground if Islam is proven to be a false religion and Mohammad (pbuh) a false prophet. It is because of this reason that, in my opinion, we must concentrate solely on the positive presentation and replies to criticisms on Islam and try to avoid criticising other religions.
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(5. Mengikut pengalaman, non-muslim akan memberi maklum-balas dengan pelbagai kritikan mengenai Islam; mungkin kritikan ini melibatkan ayat-ayat dalam Quran, hadis nabi Muhammad saw dan sirah nabi Muhammad dan sejarah Islam. Selalunya kita akan mengkritik kitab dan ajaran penganut agama lain. Cara ini telah merosakkan proses komunikasi. Kita perlu ingat, apabila sesorang melemparkan kritikan terhadap Quran atau nabi dan ajarannya, cara yang betul ialah dengan menjawab kritikan itu dan bukan mengkritik agama atau kepercayaan mereka. Jika kita mengkritik kepercayaan mereka maka kita gagal memberi jawapan terhadap kritikan mereka mengenai dengan keindahan ideology Islam. Oleh itu, kita seharusnya tidak cuba berdakwah jika sekiranya kita belum mendalami ajaran Islam sebenar. Jika terpaksa juga berdakwah, kita perlulah mendapat bantuan dan panduan dari orang lain yang lebih arif mengenai ajaran Islam. Perlu diingat bahawa cara berdakwah Islam berlainan dengan cara penganut agama utama lain di dunia dengan tidak mencuba membuktikan bahawa agama lain tidak betul. Kita perlu mengatakan bahawa Muhammad adalah nabi terakhir disamping nabi-nabi yang lain. Kalau pun kita menganggap kepercayaan agama lain betul, namun ajaran Nabi Muhammad mesti diikuti hanya kerana Muhammad adalah terbukti nabi terakhir. Disebaliknya, agama Kristian dan Yahudi akan tegak jika sekiranya mereka berjaya membuktikan bahawa Nabi Muhammad adalah palsu dan Islam adalah agama palsu. Oleh yang demikian, tumpuan dakwah kita hanyalah menjawab salah faham terhadap Islam dan mengelak mengkritik agama-agama lain).
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6. While propagating our ideals, we must always try to find a common point of reference with our addressee from where we start our efforts. One must remember that the human mind can more easily adapt to and accept ideas that are familiar to it, than to those that are absolutely novel and new..
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6. While propagating our ideals, we must always try to find a common point of reference with our addressee from where we start our efforts. One must remember that the human mind can more easily adapt to and accept ideas that are familiar to it, than to those that are absolutely novel and new..
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(6. Pada masa kita berdakwah dengan orang lain, kita mestilah mencari titik persamaan bermula dari awal. Perlu diingat, minda manusia lebih mudah menerima idea (yang ada persamaan) yang mereka sudah biasa (familiar) jika dibandingkan dengan perkara baru dan tidak jelas).
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7. Another important principle is that the Islamic teachings should be presented in the correct sequence. A new convert or a potential convert should be taught only the most basic and primary teachings. Only after these teachings are fully accepted and adopted by our addressees should we move on. If the proper sequence in this process is not maintained, it may quite easily result in not only making these teachings incomprehensible for a new convert but also in disturbing the perfect balance of the total body of the teachings of Islam. In this case, a new or a potential convert should be considered as a child who starts going to school. He may plan on ultimately becoming a doctor, but no one would recommend that the child should be introduced to advanced medical concepts in its forming years..
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7. Another important principle is that the Islamic teachings should be presented in the correct sequence. A new convert or a potential convert should be taught only the most basic and primary teachings. Only after these teachings are fully accepted and adopted by our addressees should we move on. If the proper sequence in this process is not maintained, it may quite easily result in not only making these teachings incomprehensible for a new convert but also in disturbing the perfect balance of the total body of the teachings of Islam. In this case, a new or a potential convert should be considered as a child who starts going to school. He may plan on ultimately becoming a doctor, but no one would recommend that the child should be introduced to advanced medical concepts in its forming years..
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(7. Prinsip lain yang penting ialah ajaran islam mesti disebarkan mengikut urutan yang benar. Orang yang berpotensi akan memeluk Islam mestilah diajar dengan ajaran asas dengan cara mudah. Setelah ajaran asas ini diterima dan didokong barulah kita mengorak langkah kehadapan. Jika urutan ini diabaikan (tidak diikuti) mungkin kaedah pengajaran ini bukan sahaja tidak sesuai untuk mualaf tetapi mengganggu keseimbangan kandungan keseluruhan ajaran Islam. Kita perlulah mengandaikan bahawa seorang yang bakal memasuki Islam adalah 'orang baru' atau umpama kanak-kanak yang baru memulakan sekolah. Mungkin ianya bercadang menjadi seorang doktor tetapi tiada siapa yang mengsyorkan kepada seorang kanak-kanak mengenai konsep perubatan yang terlalu canggih di awal tahun pendidikannya).
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I have tried to briefly enlist a few of the important principles in propagating and teaching Islam to those who are interested to learn. I hope this helps. In case anything remains unclear or any point needs further elaboration, please feel free to write to me through my email ‘jjabcgroup@gmail.com’.
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I have tried to briefly enlist a few of the important principles in propagating and teaching Islam to those who are interested to learn. I hope this helps. In case anything remains unclear or any point needs further elaboration, please feel free to write to me through my email ‘jjabcgroup@gmail.com’.
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(Saya telah mencuba meyenaraikan beberapa prinsip penting cara berdakwah dan mengajar Islam kepada mereka yang berminat untuk belajar. Saya harap ianya membantu. Jika kurang jelas dan perlu penerangan, saya boleh dihubungi bila-bila masa melalui email ‘jjabcgroup@gmail.com’).
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Nota: Terjemahan dalam Bahasa Malaysia dibuat pada 22.09.2009. Akan diedit dari masa kesemasa untuk mendapatkan terjemahan yang tepat.
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Terjemahan ini saya buat atas permintaan saudara saya Ahadin. Kadang-kadang penggunaan bahasa BM tidak setepat BI kerana saya mengelakkan dari tersalah pengertian ayat jika saya gunakan direct translation, atau word for word. Mohon maaf jika tersasar dari segi pengertian. Setakat ini, hanya ini sahaja yang mampu saya buat. Bagaimanapun, saya akan sentiasa up-date.
ReplyDeleteTahniah atas usaha murni untuk menterjemahkan teks asal dari Bahasa Inggeris ke Bahasa Malaysia. Semoga terjemahan tersebut akan memudahkan para daie atau siapa jua yang berminat mendalami ilmu dakwah memahami tugas dan falsafah dakwah.
ReplyDeleteSaya setuju bahawa bagi memahami secara mendalam konsep dakwah yang disebutkan di atas, rujukan boleh dibuat kepada JJA atau siapa jua yang mempunyai kepakaran berhubung selok belok dakwah. Proses bersemuka untuk mendapatkan keterangan atau penjelasan lanjut mengenai hal-hal berkaitan merupakan satu pendekatan yang baik.
TQ JJA & Wassalam.