Why People Accept Islam?
The topic ‘The Necessities of Da’wah in the Light of Current Conditions’ is
extremely vast in its scope. People are accepting Islam in the West (USA, Canada,
UK, France and Germany), in the Middle Eastern countries (Saudi Arabia, the
Gulf States, Jordan), in Africa and the Far East (Malaysia, Philippines, Hong
Kong, etc.). Each region has its own peculiar characteristics and the reasons for
conversion vary accordingly. Furthermore, in each of these areas, the reasons for
conversion differ depending on the point of contact with Islam. In fact, the
numbers of reasons are probably as many as the number of people who have
accepted Islam, as each person has his or her own special reasons why they
decide to accept Islam. However, if the subject is considered from the general
perspective of the shared characteristics of human beings, the reasons may be
narrowed down to a few general groups of reasons.
If one assumes, as Islam proposes, that the nature of human beings has not
changed since the time the first human being was first created, then the reasons
for conversion in the time of the Prophet (pbuh) should essentially be the same
reasons as found in the present age. According to Islam, there is only one
revealed religion which has been repeatedly revealed from the time of Adam
until the last of the prophets, Muhammad (pbuh). Consequently, the essential
message of all the prophets was one and the same:
“Verily, We have sent to every nation a messenger (saying), ‘Worship Allaah and
avoid false gods.”1
There was no difference in their basic messages also because the purpose of
creation has only been one; to worship Allah.
“I did not create the jinn and mankind except for My worship.”2
This message addressed a fundamental need in human beings to worship. That
primordial need was created in all human beings at the time of Adam’s creation.
Allah addressed this need saying:
“When your Lord drew forth from the loins of the children of Adam their
descendant and made them testify concerning themselves, (saying): ‘Am I not
your Lord?’ they said, ‘Yes, we testify to it.’ (This) in case you say should say on
the Day of Judgement, ‘We were unaware of this.” Or in case you should say, ‘It
was our ancestors who made partners (with Allaah) and we are only their
descendants. Will you then destroy us for what those liars did?’”3
Man’s Natural Disposition : the Fitrah
Since Allaah made all human beings swear to His Godhood when He created
Adam, this oath is printed on the human soul even before it enters the fetus in
the fifth month of pregnancy. So when a child is born, it has with it a natural
belief in Allaah. This natural belief is called in Arabic the fitrah.4 If the child were
left alone, it would grow up aware of Allaah in His unity, but all children are
affected by the pressures of their environment, whether directly or indirectly.
The Prophet (pbuh) reported that Allaah said,
“I created My servants in the right religion but the devils made them go astray.”5
The Prophet (pbuh) also said,
“Each child is born in a state of ‘fitrah’, but his parents make him a Jew or a
Christian. It is like the way an animal gives birth to a normal offspring. Have you
noticed any (young animal) born mutilated before you mutilate them?”6
So just as the child’s body submits to the physical laws which Allaah has put in
nature, its soul also submits naturally to the fact that Allaah is its Lord and
Creator. However, its parents try to make it follow their own way and the child
is not strong enough in the early stages of its life to resist or oppose its parents.
The religion which the child follows at this stage is one of custom and
upbringing, and Allaah does not hold it to account or punish it for this religion.
When the child matures in youth and clear proofs of the falsehood of its religion
are brought to it, the adult must now follow the religion of knowledge and
reason.7 At this point the devils try their best to encourage him to stay as he is or
to go further astray. Evils are made pleasing to him and he must now live in the
midst of a struggle between his fitrah and his desires in order to find the right
road. If he chooses his fitrah, Allaah will help him overcome his desires, even
though it may take most of his life to do so; for many people enter Islam in their
old age, although most tend to do so before that.
THE ERA OF THE PROPHET
During the Prophet’s era, as in the modern era, people may be divided into
two main groups with respect to their preparedness to receive the message:
1. Those searching for the truth who are dissatisfied with the religion followed
by their contemporaries, and
2. Those not searching. This second group may be further divided into those not
searching because they are content with their religion and those not searching
because they have rejected belief in God. The second group has been a minority
throughout history.
The first group also consistently represented a minority as the majority of
people tend to accept the cultural norms of society without question. In the
Prophet’s time, that minority was called the hunafaa’ . Most of them converted to
Islam as soon as the message reached them. A few, due to tribal jealousies
rejected the message. Thus, the first group responded to the clear truth of
revelation. On the other hand, the second group based their response on their
trust in the Prophet’s (pbuh) character. They knew him to be truthful and honest
throughout his life, therefore, there was not reason to doubt his claim to
Prophethood.
1. The Role Model
The first converts were from the Prophet’s household
Khadijah bint Khuwaylid
‘Ali ibn Abi Talib
Zayd ibn Harithah
They were followed by the Prophet’s close friend and confidant, Abu Bakr.
Their conversion was due to their intimate contact with the Prophet (pbuh)
and their unquestioned belief in him his truthfulness due their personal
experience with him. This reason for conversion may be called the “role model.”
2. Da’wah to Islamic Monotheism (Tawheed)
The next five converts embraced Islam as a result of Abu Bakr’s invitation.
‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan
Az-Zubayr ibn al- ‘Awwam
‘Abdur-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf
Sa ‘ad ibn Abi Waqqas
Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah
Their conversion was a result of the message being taken to them.8 This
reason may be generally called the “Da’wah”
3. Truth Seekers
Among the converts was ‘Amr ibn ‘Absah who had rejected the idolatry of
his people and sought the truth. Like him was Salman al-Farisi who journeyed
from Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity to Islam. The reason for the
conversion of these companions and others like them may be called “truth
seekers”
4. Reading the Qur’an
‘Umar ibn al-Khattab’s conversion is authentically narrated as a result of his
hearing the Prophet (pbuh) recite Surah al-Haaqqah.9 The Najashi’s was due to
his hearing Surah Maryam. These and others like them may be referred under
the general reason of “Reading the Qur’an”.
5. Marriage
Abu Talhah al-Ansari was offered a dowry of accepting Islam by Umm
Sulaym (Mother of Anas ibn Maalik). She also gave him logical da’wah
concerning his idol worship.
Abul-‘Aas who was married to the Prophet’s daughter, Zaynab, was
separated from her by the Prophet (pbuh) and was later ransomed from among
the prisoners of Badr by Zaynad. In both of these cases, marriage to a Muslim
woman was a factor in their conversions.
The following eleven surveys of reasons for conversion were done in April,
2001, in different parts of the world. From the surveys, it is evident that the
above-mentioned factors continue to be the main reasons for people accepting
Islam in the 21st century.
It should be noted that in the Middle East, one of the biggest factors in
conversion is the religious example of employers. This is especially the case of
Far and Near-Eastern women working as domestic helpers in Arab homes. This
is the role model reason which constituted the first major reason for converts in
the Prophet’s era. See surveys 2 and 3 of Discover Islam /Bahrain and QCPI of
Qatar. In the West, living with Muslims is a minor factor because contact with
Muslims is much less frequent and Westerners do not usually work as domestic
helpers in Arab homes. However, the role model reason is still significant in so
far as it comes from contact with Muslims on the job, in universities, in the
neighborhood, etc. See survey 6 of the convert community in Detroit, Michigan,
USA, where the majority of converts were introduced to Islam by someone
trusted.
From the survey results it appears that the most critical conversion factor in
the West seems to be the availability of information.
The topic ‘The Necessities of Da’wah in the Light of Current Conditions’ is
extremely vast in its scope. People are accepting Islam in the West (USA, Canada,
UK, France and Germany), in the Middle Eastern countries (Saudi Arabia, the
Gulf States, Jordan), in Africa and the Far East (Malaysia, Philippines, Hong
Kong, etc.). Each region has its own peculiar characteristics and the reasons for
conversion vary accordingly. Furthermore, in each of these areas, the reasons for
conversion differ depending on the point of contact with Islam. In fact, the
numbers of reasons are probably as many as the number of people who have
accepted Islam, as each person has his or her own special reasons why they
decide to accept Islam. However, if the subject is considered from the general
perspective of the shared characteristics of human beings, the reasons may be
narrowed down to a few general groups of reasons.
If one assumes, as Islam proposes, that the nature of human beings has not
changed since the time the first human being was first created, then the reasons
for conversion in the time of the Prophet (pbuh) should essentially be the same
reasons as found in the present age. According to Islam, there is only one
revealed religion which has been repeatedly revealed from the time of Adam
until the last of the prophets, Muhammad (pbuh). Consequently, the essential
message of all the prophets was one and the same:
“Verily, We have sent to every nation a messenger (saying), ‘Worship Allaah and
avoid false gods.”1
There was no difference in their basic messages also because the purpose of
creation has only been one; to worship Allah.
“I did not create the jinn and mankind except for My worship.”2
This message addressed a fundamental need in human beings to worship. That
primordial need was created in all human beings at the time of Adam’s creation.
Allah addressed this need saying:
“When your Lord drew forth from the loins of the children of Adam their
descendant and made them testify concerning themselves, (saying): ‘Am I not
your Lord?’ they said, ‘Yes, we testify to it.’ (This) in case you say should say on
the Day of Judgement, ‘We were unaware of this.” Or in case you should say, ‘It
was our ancestors who made partners (with Allaah) and we are only their
descendants. Will you then destroy us for what those liars did?’”3
Man’s Natural Disposition : the Fitrah
Since Allaah made all human beings swear to His Godhood when He created
Adam, this oath is printed on the human soul even before it enters the fetus in
the fifth month of pregnancy. So when a child is born, it has with it a natural
belief in Allaah. This natural belief is called in Arabic the fitrah.4 If the child were
left alone, it would grow up aware of Allaah in His unity, but all children are
affected by the pressures of their environment, whether directly or indirectly.
The Prophet (pbuh) reported that Allaah said,
“I created My servants in the right religion but the devils made them go astray.”5
The Prophet (pbuh) also said,
“Each child is born in a state of ‘fitrah’, but his parents make him a Jew or a
Christian. It is like the way an animal gives birth to a normal offspring. Have you
noticed any (young animal) born mutilated before you mutilate them?”6
So just as the child’s body submits to the physical laws which Allaah has put in
nature, its soul also submits naturally to the fact that Allaah is its Lord and
Creator. However, its parents try to make it follow their own way and the child
is not strong enough in the early stages of its life to resist or oppose its parents.
The religion which the child follows at this stage is one of custom and
upbringing, and Allaah does not hold it to account or punish it for this religion.
When the child matures in youth and clear proofs of the falsehood of its religion
are brought to it, the adult must now follow the religion of knowledge and
reason.7 At this point the devils try their best to encourage him to stay as he is or
to go further astray. Evils are made pleasing to him and he must now live in the
midst of a struggle between his fitrah and his desires in order to find the right
road. If he chooses his fitrah, Allaah will help him overcome his desires, even
though it may take most of his life to do so; for many people enter Islam in their
old age, although most tend to do so before that.
THE ERA OF THE PROPHET
During the Prophet’s era, as in the modern era, people may be divided into
two main groups with respect to their preparedness to receive the message:
1. Those searching for the truth who are dissatisfied with the religion followed
by their contemporaries, and
2. Those not searching. This second group may be further divided into those not
searching because they are content with their religion and those not searching
because they have rejected belief in God. The second group has been a minority
throughout history.
The first group also consistently represented a minority as the majority of
people tend to accept the cultural norms of society without question. In the
Prophet’s time, that minority was called the hunafaa’ . Most of them converted to
Islam as soon as the message reached them. A few, due to tribal jealousies
rejected the message. Thus, the first group responded to the clear truth of
revelation. On the other hand, the second group based their response on their
trust in the Prophet’s (pbuh) character. They knew him to be truthful and honest
throughout his life, therefore, there was not reason to doubt his claim to
Prophethood.
1. The Role Model
The first converts were from the Prophet’s household
Khadijah bint Khuwaylid
‘Ali ibn Abi Talib
Zayd ibn Harithah
They were followed by the Prophet’s close friend and confidant, Abu Bakr.
Their conversion was due to their intimate contact with the Prophet (pbuh)
and their unquestioned belief in him his truthfulness due their personal
experience with him. This reason for conversion may be called the “role model.”
2. Da’wah to Islamic Monotheism (Tawheed)
The next five converts embraced Islam as a result of Abu Bakr’s invitation.
‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan
Az-Zubayr ibn al- ‘Awwam
‘Abdur-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf
Sa ‘ad ibn Abi Waqqas
Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah
Their conversion was a result of the message being taken to them.8 This
reason may be generally called the “Da’wah”
3. Truth Seekers
Among the converts was ‘Amr ibn ‘Absah who had rejected the idolatry of
his people and sought the truth. Like him was Salman al-Farisi who journeyed
from Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity to Islam. The reason for the
conversion of these companions and others like them may be called “truth
seekers”
4. Reading the Qur’an
‘Umar ibn al-Khattab’s conversion is authentically narrated as a result of his
hearing the Prophet (pbuh) recite Surah al-Haaqqah.9 The Najashi’s was due to
his hearing Surah Maryam. These and others like them may be referred under
the general reason of “Reading the Qur’an”.
5. Marriage
Abu Talhah al-Ansari was offered a dowry of accepting Islam by Umm
Sulaym (Mother of Anas ibn Maalik). She also gave him logical da’wah
concerning his idol worship.
Abul-‘Aas who was married to the Prophet’s daughter, Zaynab, was
separated from her by the Prophet (pbuh) and was later ransomed from among
the prisoners of Badr by Zaynad. In both of these cases, marriage to a Muslim
woman was a factor in their conversions.
The following eleven surveys of reasons for conversion were done in April,
2001, in different parts of the world. From the surveys, it is evident that the
above-mentioned factors continue to be the main reasons for people accepting
Islam in the 21st century.
It should be noted that in the Middle East, one of the biggest factors in
conversion is the religious example of employers. This is especially the case of
Far and Near-Eastern women working as domestic helpers in Arab homes. This
is the role model reason which constituted the first major reason for converts in
the Prophet’s era. See surveys 2 and 3 of Discover Islam /Bahrain and QCPI of
Qatar. In the West, living with Muslims is a minor factor because contact with
Muslims is much less frequent and Westerners do not usually work as domestic
helpers in Arab homes. However, the role model reason is still significant in so
far as it comes from contact with Muslims on the job, in universities, in the
neighborhood, etc. See survey 6 of the convert community in Detroit, Michigan,
USA, where the majority of converts were introduced to Islam by someone
trusted.
From the survey results it appears that the most critical conversion factor in
the West seems to be the availability of information.