This course will guide students through the complexity of da’wah today: effective communication requires not only a sound understanding of the message, but also an awareness of the public’s preconceptions, values and culture. This course will show how, rather than simply preaching, effective da’wah is understanding, learning, sharing ideas and experiences, and that transforming attitudes is more important than the utterance of well-worn phrases.

A ten day specialised course offering students in-depth insight, confidence and skills in the duty of communicating the message of Islam.

Nothing is an accident, rather a reflection of God’s will and wisdom, He is after all, Al Khaliq (the Creator), Al ‘Aleem (the Most Knowing), Al Qadir (The All Powerful), Al Hakeem (The Most Wise). So our presence in Britain is a historically unique opportunity, and it is incumbent upon us that we reflect the light of God in this land, becoming a community of positive purpose rather than a minority of self-interest.

As da’ees however, we need to ask some tough questions: why, despite many individual and collective efforts in da’wah over the past years, do we not seem to be making much difference to public attitudes: Islam is still seen as a foreign and eastern religion, even though Muslims are now moving into their third generation here? What is more, recent years have witnessed an alarming growth in anti-Muslim and anti-Islam attitudes. For the success of da’wah in our country, it is therefore crucial that we understand this dangerous trend and forge an intelligent and dynamic da’wah strategy to reverse it.

The course will provide knowledge and skills in the best modes and techniques for communication, including strategies to bring entire communities into dialogue, rather than just individuals, as well as addressing the key factors that are working against a better understanding of Islam and Muslims in our society.

Aims of the Course

• It will strengthen your understanding and confidence in Islam
• It will deepen your insight and understanding of the nature of da’wah, based on the Qur’an and sunnah and the experiences of reverts
• It will give you a comprehensive overview of the attitudes of the wider public towards Islam and the key challenges that da’wah faces in Britain today
• It will develop your knowledge of the key misunderstanding that people have of Islam today, and how to respond to them
• It will give you an awareness appreciation of the crucial field of Fiqh of Da’wah through leading scholars in this area
• It will help you understand the key stumbling blocks to da'wah within the Muslim community: need for priorities, culture, attitudes and fiqh that are relevant to Britain and the challenges of indigenising, identity and loyalty
• It will improve your skills and sophistication in communicating Islamic teachings
• It will help you understand British society and its people better
• It will help you discover effective ways of improving public opinion, bringing greater understanding and winning hearts (through contact and training with leaders and pioneers in the field of da’wah)

Course contents

Explaining Islam

• Authenticity of the Qur’an and hadith - Dr Naveed Ahmad
• The Case for Islam - Dr Naveed Ahmad
• Presenting Islam - Naved Siddiqi
• Muslim approach to Atheism - Shabbir Ally
• Addressing Misunderstandings - women - Daud Matthews
• Addressing Misunderstandings - hudood - Hafiz Naveed Idrees

The Tongue, Head and Heart in Da’wah

• The Art & Science of Communication - Dr Naveed Ahmad
• 1-2-1 communication Practicals (6 role play sessions)
• The use and abuse of Logic - Shabbir Ally
• Experiences in communicating Islam - Shabbir Ally
• The need for a pure and willing heart - Hafiz Naveed Idrees
• Character of da'ee - Dr Munir Ahmed
• Understanding the British people - Julie Siddiqi
• The Muslim Community: Fit for Da'wah? - Dr Rizwan Syed
• Wisdom in Da'wah - Dr Rizwan Syed
• Justice in da'wah - Julie Siddiqi
• The power of story in da'wah - Luqman Ali
• Strategic da'wah (societal dimensions) - Dr Rizwan Syed

The Fiqh of Da’wah

• What is the Fiqh of Da'wah? - Dr Rizwan Syed
• Understanding shar'iah and the maqasid - Dr Munir Ahmed
• Usul al Fiqh I (Applying Qur’an and Hadith) - Dr Munir Ahmed
• Usul al Fiqh II (Ijma' and Qiyas) - Dr Munir Ahmed
• Shari'ah and Culture (‘Urf) - Dr Munir Ahmed
• The Fiqh of priorities (Fiqh al Awlawiyat)- Dr Munir Ahmed
• Fiqh of gender relations - Ahtesham Ali
• Fiqh of Muslim/non-Muslim relations - Ahtesham Ali
• Defending the character of the Prophet - Ahtesham Ali
• Case Studies in the Fiqh of da'wah (e.g. the fiqh of khidmah)- Dr Munir Ahmed

The Arenas of Da’wah

• Street level Da'wah - Zahid Khan & Dr Naveed Ahmad
• Prophet Isa (AS) in the Bible I - Shabbir Ally
• Prophet Isa (AS) in the Bible II - Shabbir Ally
• Prophet Isa (AS) in the Qur'an - Shabbir Ally
• Understanding Secular Humanism – Allan Hayes
• Understanding Christianity - Dr Chris Hewer
• Understanding Sikhism - Resham Singh Sandhu MBE
• Islam Awareness Week - Sughra Ahmed
• Meet Your Muslim Neighbour - Khalid Surty
• Cyber-da'wah - Naved Siddiqi
• Experiences of conversion - Batool Toma
• Supporting New Muslims - Batool Toma
• Muslims in the mainstream media - Inayat Bunglawala
• Muslims and Christians - Living and Working together – Canon Dr Andrew Wingate & Sughra Ahmed
• Living da'wah: Bridge-building - Mahmooda Qureshi

Teachers and Scholars

• Dr. Munir Ahmed
• Ahtesham Ali
• Shabbir Ally
• Dr. Chris Hewer
• Daud Matthews
• Naveed Ahmad
• Zahid Khan
• Naveed Ahmad
• Julie Siddiqi
• Batool Toma
• Andrew Wingate
• Naved Siddiqi
• Hafiz Naveed Idrees
• Dr. Allan Hayes
• Canon Dr Andrew Wingate
• Khalid Surty
• Resham Singh Sandhu MBE
• Dr. Rizwan Syed
• Luqman Ali
• Inayat Bunglawala
• Mahmooda Qureshi

Daily Schedule

Criteria for Acceptance

Applicants enrolling for the Course, must be 18 years or over and show a desire to learn the Deen. This is an intermediate level course and therefore applicants must have completed one of our previous Islamic studies programmes, or its equivalent, or must be willing to take a pre-course assessment, which will be organized by Knowledgeseekers. Further details on the assessment are available on the ISB website (www.isb.org.uk).

Pre-course material

Successful applicants will be sent pre-course material once they have been accepted onto this course.