In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent and the Merciful

DAWAH PROGRAM AROUND MASJID

HARD FACTS: Vandalism is going on against Masajid throughout the United States and the non-Muslim neighbors of the area around the Masjid are somewhat found apprehensive to their presence in their midst whereas Muslims are irritating these neighbors constantly through their *careless behavior, * parking cars in front of their houses and Drive ways, * discourteous responses to their complaints and * expressing indifferent attitude to their discomfort. Thus, Muslims on their own accord are causing tension and unfriendly reactions around the Masajid and their vicinity and create “un-welcome” common scenes, especially on Fridays, resulting in vandalism of Masajid by the street urchins and disgruntled social and political activists.

THE CAUSES: Muslims hardly or rarely try to * interact with the local population around the Masajid, * mix with them as social partners of the community life, * ever try to introduce who we are, *what we are doing in Masajid premises, *how peaceful citizens we are, * what are our religious activities, * rarely invite them either to our homes or in the Masjid premise for social get-together, and Share with them the common values that the Abrahamic faith nurtures and promotes between us and them and * never try to seek their help and cooperation to eradicate the social evils that are rampant in the society and eating away our vitals, spoiling ours and their children’s future alike.

However, there are vast fields of cooperation which are waiting to be shared together, explored and worked for jointly and concertedly provided we meet them on regular basis and share with each other our common destinies to make the country worth living for all of us in a free, unprejudiced and “free-from-hate” environment.

THE ONLY CURE: The paramount remedy for all these persisting social evils is to launch upon a Dawah Campaign within one mile radius around the Masjid on regular basis to begin with. It would be arranged and organized for and behalf of the Masjid on the basis of “house to house” and “person to person” contact. It would be a Masjid sponsor program and Masjid NAZM will facilitate its working. The fundamental needs of this “Dawah Around Masjid Program” are listed below. The Masjid will appoint a person to act as Organizer for the job, to organize the Program – arranging, moderating and going in the field with the workers and developing cordial relations with the people in the field.

This Dawah program in the field will create interaction with the Masjid and the people of Abrahamic faith living in its vicinity. That will bring them together and help to build the cooperation to eradicate the evils from the society and help each other at the time of distress and take care of the common sufferings.

REQUISITES OF DAWAH AROUND THE MASJID:

1. A Team of workers for Dawah in the field will be arranged by the Organizer with the help of the Masjid NAZM. Six to eight young brother/sisters are required to begin with;

2. Literature towards:

*introducing Masjid and its activities to be provided by the Masjid,

*basics of Islam and what for it stands to be arranged by the Organizer,

*invitation letter/flyer for attending Open Masjid Meeting to be pre arranged

QUATERLY by the MASJID with light refreshment,

*training of field workers to be conducted by the Organizer as and when needed,

*preparing the list of brothers and sisters of the area who are in favor, against or

neutral on separate papers – green, red and brown road wise,

*Preparing the list of the affluent, the needy and the deprived who need help and

support from the community,

*providing the opportunity to have a complete survey of the population around the

Masjid: who’s who?

*getting immense opportunities to come in contact with non-Muslim brothers and

sisters who may be eloquently interested in Knowing and understanding Islam as a

System of life,

3.*On voluntary basis Masjid can provide/arrange services like: Neighborhood Help, Neighborhood Watch, Food pantry supply, basic medical care facility, Remedial coaching for Math, science, SAT, ACT to general students of the community and, thus, rendering itself as the source of confidence and help.

IMPORTANT: The Masjid will go on increasing or multiplying the radius around it till it engulfs an Electoral constituency around it and is able to send its own representative to Congress within the next 15 to 20 years for its protection and carry out its Islamic mission systematically and methodologically in the midst of hate campaign against Muslims. We must develop this insight through our multidimensional various activities around the Masjid for our own safety and providing brighter future to our sons and daughters.

Every Masjid and its Musalli in the USA must do this Dawah oriented Job in its vicinity on the lines suggested above to inculcate a bright future for Islam and Muslim Ummah in this country and do the necessary social work to bring others closer to Masjid with love and care for the Muslims, eliminating altogether the outrageous campaign of hate and disgust as going on against Muslims today. This is the most constructive, democratic and the constitutional program for Muslims to live gracefully in this country as law-abiding citizens with others with love, care and sympathy for each others for decades and centuries together, Insha Allah.

May Allah give Tawfeeq to all of us and to the office bearers of the Masjid committee to act accordingly with the spirit of dedication and service to the people of the land! Amen!

Shamim Siddiqi

January 21, 2010