Letter For Muslim Missionaries
For the last century, Islam has grown rapidly in terms of its faithful followers. In 1910 the world’ population was 12.6% Muslim, and by 2010, this number had skyrocketed to 22.5%. Islam is expected to become the world’s largest religion by 2075, surpassing the current world’s largest religion, Christianity. This could never happen without the strenuous, indefatigable efforts of our Muslim missionaries, teachers, activists and allies who work day and night to educate the public about Islam and its easy-to-understand contents.
In my studies, we have a subject called Methods of Da’wah in International Islamic University, Malaysia, which educates us on how to approach Muslims and non-Muslims regarding Islam. The lecturer shares the same passion regarding religion with me. At some point, I could see that he believes in a little bit of humanism. I myself believe in humanism—with religion as its guide.
I want to share what I’ve learnt from the course, and hopefully, this will eliminate Islamophobia bit by bit and clarify the true message of Islam. Muslim missionaries should know how to propagate Islam the right way.
The lecturer laid down three steps which are to make people know, accept and practice. Before we begin, it should be noted that Islam does not impose coercion to anyone and that we still have our volition and conscience to weigh our actions and bear the consequences that follow. The first two steps are the most crucial, while the last one is not obligatory. Ignorance can be the main cause of fear, as we tend to fear what we don’t understand, thus we need to tell as many people as we can about how Islam operates. Once our audience has learnt the basis of Islam, we should convince them that it is okay to accept Islam as a part of the community, as Islam is as peaceful and safe as Christianity. There are two outcomes of this step: one being that Islam is accepted as the faith, and second, that Islam is accepted as part of the community. The former is the best outcome of the two. The last step, which is practice, depends on the individual. If Islam is to be accepted as the faith, the individual should slowly start practicing the religious rituals—and no coercion can be imposed.
Living in a multi-religious society, we must eradicate the notion of we–they labelling, dichotomy and othering so that no one will feel discriminated against because of religion, race, sexuality, status, class, etc. As Muslims, we must also equip ourselves with the knowledge of multiple religions so that there will be no misunderstanding. It is a negotiation of understanding. Muslim missionaries who propagate Islam should be soft-spoken and have tremendous patience. We should never be drowned in rage when we are provoked. Take provocation as an opportunity to show the beauty of Islam by being patient and soft-spoken.
We should also point out that in Islam, we also believe in Prophethood. The Qur’an tells many stories of the Prophets of the past, and this includes Jesus Christ. By laying down this base, we create a mutual diplomatic understanding between Islam and Christianity. It is sad to see that a lot of Christians think Islam does not include Jesus Christ.
Last but not least, Muslims must never insult other religions. This is a warning that is stated in the Qur’an, chapter 6, verse 108. This forbiddance begets respect from both parties, Muslims and non-Muslims. We must respect religions and not insult the rituals and beliefs that entail them.