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The Methodology of Da’wa in America: The Case of Yasir Qadhi
Abstract
The da’wa (call to Islam) is a command to spread the message of Allah to Muslims and non-Muslims (mission) worldwide. Despite the irony, da’wa has been on the rise in America since the September-11 attacks. This phenomenon is related in part to the escalation of Islamophobia, which created a da’wa, that acted as a tool to present Islam positively and called for social involvement and dialogue with non-Muslims. One of the figures who has been preaching for this activity is Sheikh Dr. Yasir Qadhi, a famous and influential scholar in America. Although he was considered in his distant past a radical Salafi, he has updated many of his harsh positions and has been calling since, to practice Islam in a manner that fits the residence in a Western democracy. This paper presents the broad doctrine of Qadhi towards da’wa and his ability to temper between the American and the Muslim Identities. I argue that Qadhi’s methodology mainly effected by the American environment that promises religious freedom. That influence reinforces the potential of da’wa in America, in comparison to other Western states, like France, for example, which has restricted religious freedom in the case of Hijab (scarf head for women). The paper includes Quranic, historical, and social examples that Qadhi uses to address his philosophy of da’wa. For example, he supports the legal residence of Muslims in Dar al-Kufr (residence in non-Muslim country) with no condition to their Islamic activities. As opposed to the doctrine of past prominent scholars, such as Ismail al-Faruqi and Shamim A.Siddiqi, who claimed the only permission to live in America is to make da’wa. That argument helps Qadhi to connect Muslims to American society and market the da’wa activity as a social contribution and good manners. This methodology also proves that Qadhi links between Islamophobia and da’wa and continue to use the negative attitude towards Islam and Muslims, as a circulation activity- the more Islamophobia is on the rise, the more da’wa is highlighted. This process can also indicate that the consequences of the September-11 attacks still play a significant pattern in shaping the aspect of da’wa in America.
Discipline
History
Geographic Area
North America
Sub Area
Islamic Thought