Table Of ContentReadings in
Cross-cultural Dafwah
Edited by
Ridzuan Wu
^7-55JV
，•规
Centre for Research and Da’wah Methodology (CRTDM)
The Muslim Converts’Association of Singapore
First printed in 2001
The Muslim Converts' Association of Singapore
(Darul Arqam Singapore)
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n the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
CONTENTS
Contributors
Introduction: Readings in Cross-cultural
Da'wah by Ridzuan Wu..........................
mi
Part 1: Conceptual Considerations in Cross-cultural Dafwah
Chapter I: The Concept of Dawah bi 'l-Hikmah and
Its Applications in Modern Society by
Hikmatullah Babu Sahib............................. 3
Chapter 2: Issues in Cross-cultural Da’wah by
Ridzuan Wu...................................... 31
Chapter 3: Da'wah and Inter-religious Tolerance by
Muddathir Abdel Rahim........................... 73
Chapter 4: Muslims Engaging the Other and a World
Where All Religious Communities are
Minorities by Farid Esack............................. 101
Part 2: Specializations in Cross-cultural Dafwah
Chapter 5: Presenting God to Modern Man by
Muhammad Nur Manuty................. 115
Chapter 6: Presenting Islam to the Buddhists by
Imtiyaz Yusuf......................................... 137
Chapter 7: Presenting Islam to Christians by
Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood........ 165
Chapter 8: Presenting Islam to Secular Humanists by
Ataullah Bogdan Kopanski......................... 195
ReadingsinCross-culturalDj’ivah
CONTRIBUTORS
Hikmatullah Babu Sahib is from Singapore and is currently pursuing post-PhD
studies at Yale University, USA. He holds a BA (Islamic Studies and Law), a MA
(Arts in Islamic Studies) from Peshawar University, and a PhD (Islamic Law)
from Edinburgh University, UK. He has been the Principal of the Islamic Studies
Programme in the Muslim Converts' Association of Singapore (Darul Arqam
Singapore), and has previously served in the Shari’ah Council of the Islamic
Religious Council of Singapore.
Ridzuan Wu is from Singapore. He holds a BA and a BS Sc Hons (University of
Singapore). He has served as the President of the Muslim Converts7 Association
of Singapore (from 1980 to the present), the Chairman of the Centre for
Contemporary Islamic Studies, or CCIS (from 1997 to the present), the Deputy
President of the Regional Islamic Da’wah Council for Southeast Asia and the
Pacific, or RISEAP (from 1988 to the present), the Founding Trustee for the
International Council for Islamic Information, or ICII (from 1993 to the present)
and the Honorary Director of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth, or WAMY
for the Southeast Asian region (from 1988 to 1993). He has written several
papers on Islam, some of which have been published in a book entitled "The
Call to Islam: a Contemporary Perspective'
Muddathir Abdel Rahim is from Sudan. He is presently a Professor if Political
Science and Islamic Studies at the International Institute of Islamic Thought
and Civilization (lSTAC) in Malaysia. He holds a BA from the University of
London, a MA (Politics) from Nottingham University, UK, and a PhD (Economics
and Social Studies) from Manchester University, UK. He has been a member
of the Jordanian Royal Academy of Islamic Civilization Studies since 1948. He
was formerly the Vice Chancellor of Omdurman Islamic University. He has
held the position of a UNESCO Senior Expert in Social Sciences, and has been
the Ambassador of Sudan to the Nordic countries. Professor Muddathir has a
special academic interest in Islamic political thought and institutions,
international relations and human rights. He has authored several books and
papers, mainly on politics and society in the African region in relation to Islam.
Farid Esack is from South Africa and is presently the Commissioner for Gender
Equality in South Africa. He holds a BA (Theology) from the International
Islamic University of Pakistan, a MA (Qur’an Studies) from the University of
Abu Bakr, Pakistan, and a PhD (Qur'anic Hermeneutics) from Birmingham
Contributors
University, UK. His books include Qur’an, Liberation and Pluralism: An Islamic
Perspective on Interreligious Solidarity against Oppression, and On Being a
Muslim: Finding a Religious Path in the World Today.
Muhd. Nur Manuty is from Malaysia and presently an Islamic educational
consultant with the Muslim Converts’Association of Singapore. He holds a BA
(Usuluddin and Philosophy) from the National University of Malaysia, and a
MA and a PhD (Islamic Thought and Comparative Religion) from Temple
University, USA. He has served as the Secretary-General of the Association of
Malaysian National Muslim Students (from 1971 to 1973), the President of
Malaysian Youth Assembly or ABIM (from 1991 to 1997), a Board Member of
the Institute of Islamic University or I KIM, a Member of the Islamic Consultative
Council (from 1996 to 1998), and a Board Member for the Institute of Policy
Research or IKD. He has also been an Associate Professor at the International
Islamic University of Malaysia.
Imtiyaz Yusuf is bom in Tanzania and presently lives in Thailand. He is currently
a Professor of Religion in the Graduate School of Philosophy and Religion in
Assumption University, Bangkok, Thailand. He holds a BA (Politics) from Poona
University, India, MA (Islamic Studies) from Aligarh University, India, and a
PhD (Religion) from Temple University, USA. He had previously taught in
Mahidol University in Bangkok, and in the College of Islamic Studies at the
Prince of Songkla University in Thailand. He has written more than 27 papers
on Islamic Studies, History of Religion, Islam and Society and on Da'wah
methodology.
Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood is from the United Kingdom. She holds a BA
(Theology) from Hull University UK and has been a Lecturer in Theology and
Comparative Religion at Hull University. She has written over thirty books on
Islam and other related subjects. Among the books she has written are: /yWhat
Every Christian should know about Islam", and "The Separated Ones - Jesus,
the Pharisees and Islam”.
Ataullah Bodgan Kopanski is originally from Poland and presently holds an
American citizenship. He is currently a Professor of History and Civilization at
the International Islamic University of Malaysia. He holds a BA and MA (History)
and a PhD (Social Sciences) from the University of Silesia. He has written
three books and more than 47 papers on the History of Muslims in Eurasia.
ii
ReadingsinCross-culturalD.i'wah
Introduction:
Readings in Cross-cultural Dafwah
Ridzuan Wu
The expression "cross-cultural" has gained popularity in recent decades and
has already found its way into the more recent editions of popular English
language dictionaries. The term has been associated with the proliferation of
centres (both in the West and the East) for cross-cultural studies and research
into a range of disciplines that are as varied as ethnography, business
management and communications, conflict-resolution, to film-making. Under
the circumstances, the term "cross-cultural da'wah"shou\c\ require no definition
in order to be understood.
Although the substance in a cross-cultural approach to da’wah may not be
new to the Muslim world, the use of the term "cross-cultural” as an adjective
in conjunction with da'wah is definitely new to the Muslim vocabulary.
Yet, it would seem to be quite natural to apply the term "cross-cultural” to
describe an aspect of da'wah activity. The target of the audience is likely to be
the non-Muslims. Muslims have always claimed that Islam is not the religion
of the Arabs, but that it is God’s message intended for all mankind. As such,
Muslims believe that the relevance of the message of Islam transcends all
geographical, political and sociocultural settings. To truly be of universal
appeal, it must be able to strike a chord of sympathy in the very hearts of all
human beings. This worldview should make it easy for Muslims to recognize
the pivotal place of the "trans-cultural” or "cross-cultural" elements in the
communicative science of da’wah.
The reality on the ground seems to present a different picture altogether. The
schools and faculties of da'wah studies in Muslim institutions of higher learning
have in fact given little attention to cultural studies. On one hand, this
phenomenon may be interpreted as a deliberate dismissal by these institutions
of the likelihood that cultural studies can be of relevance. On the other hand,
it could also be interpreted as a lack of consciousness and appreciation of the
significance of the subject.
iii
Introduction
The question that would naturally follow is: how important are sociocultural
variables in influencing the appreciation of an individual or community in
response to the contemporary ways in which Muslims are portraying the message
of Islam?
Those who dispute the need to consider socio-cultural factors may argue as
follows:
1) Since Islam is a God-given Message, it appeals instinctively to the
fitrah of every human being, regardless of his socio-cultural setting.
The belief is that God the Creator has implanted, in the psyche of
every human being, an instinctive capacity to recognize the
fundamental beliefs and concepts in Islamic teachings
(if they are correctly explained) as something that is subconsciously
familiar and correct. If given the correct exposure, he will find himself
naturally attracted and drawn (almost with magnetic affiliation) towards
Islam. The power of this fitrah would prevail and overcome whatever
different socio-cultural traditions that the individual may be raised to
believe in. The universality of Islam is manifested in its ability to
transcend all socio-cultural worldviews and value systems. Deep down
the individual knows that he is home when he succumbs and surrenders
himself to God, and accepts the Islamic tenets. If he listens to his core
instincts, he will recognize that Islam is the truth. The message of Islam,
if explained correctly, has the capacity to strike a responsive chord in
all persons. There is therefore no need for da'wah studies to focus socio
cultural matters.
2) Western ethnographers and social anthropologists have inadvertently
exaggerated the differences in the socio-cultural norms and practices of
one cultural community from another. This is not to say that the
differences do not exist. However, all cultures share universal
commonalities, especially with rituals and rites of passage, such as for
birth, marriage and death. All human beings, regardless of their respective
cultural background, share the same basic necessities for food, shelter,
love and reproduction and these needs shape the way they think and
behave. Added to these factors is the Muslim belief that all communities
in the world had received Divine Guidance at some point of time or
another. The Qur'an tells us that "To every people (was sent) a
iv
Readings in Cross-cultural Dj'wah
Messenger^ . It also tells us that “.".and there never was a people
without a warner having lived among them (in the past)"2 • The details
of the message (Divine Guidance) that each community had received
may have been corrupted and distorted over time, due to neglect, but
the remnants of it (that message) must surely remain within the legacy
of each and every community, making it easy for all communities to
recognize the message of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as an
affirmation of the same message that they had once received. The
existence of cultural variations are therefore not so drastic as to stand in
the way of any person’s appreciation of the message of Islam.
3) Western ethnographers and social anthropologists may have given
the impression that all individuals within any particular community
tend to conform to a monolithic culture. Yet, in reality, individuals
are not creatures of conformity and there are variations in individual
behaviour in any society. Culture is also not static. The cultural
status quo is being challenged all the time. Cultural changes take
place to any community, particularly in response to the processes of
urbanization, technological changes, reinterpretation of borrowed
ideas, innovations, and the synthesis of the old and the new ways.
What can be considered a characteristic of a cultural group may no
longer be so within a generation. Conversely, what is considered
alien to a cultural group may become the fashion in another
generation. The cultural "snapshots" that Western ethnographers have
taken of each community have artificially frozen and under-estimated
the capacity of the individual and the community to innovate and adapt
to social and cultural changes. Individuals within society are not as
rigid as they are portrayed to be. If Islamic beliefs, values and practices
are found to be acceptable by an individual, there is not reason not to
believe that he would adapt to these Muslim practices.
In contrast to the above views, those who assign greater importance to the role
of sociocultural factors in da'wah may argue as follows:
1 Al-Quran, 10:47
2 Al-Quran, 35:24. In addition, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has been reported to have said, in the hadith, that
God has sent 124,000 prophets lo the world throughout the history of mankind.
