Ahammiyat al-Dawa

Ahammiyat al-Dawa (The Importance of Islamic Propagation) is a treatise by the Iraqi military historian and scholar Mahmud Sheet Khattab (1338–1419 AH / 1919–1998 CE) examining the religious, political, and cultural necessity of Islamic missionary work (dawah) and the contemporary challenges facing the Muslim world Ahammiyat al-Dawa+1.

Composition and Publication

The work was originally prepared as a research paper submitted to the First World Conference for Guiding Dawah and Preparing Callers, held at the Islamic University of Madinah between 24 and 29 Safar 1397 AH (12–17 February 1977 CE), which brought together scholars and Islamic figures from 71 countries Ahammiyat al-Dawa+1. The conference concluded with 98 general recommendations concerning missionary programs and strategies Ahammiyat al-Dawa. On the occasion of the Second World Conference, the Islamic University of Madinah, under its president Abdullah ibn Salih al-Ubayd, selected several of the submitted studies to be published as independent booklets for the benefit of Islamic callers and institutions, including Khattab's paper Ahammiyat al-Dawa.

Contents and Core Themes

Missionary Activities and External Pressures

Khattab opens the treatise by drawing attention to Christian missionary campaigns, particularly in Africa Ahammiyat al-Dawa+1. He recounts a visit made by a Muslim caller to West Africa in 1384 AH, where the colloquial expression "so-and-so became civilized" (tamaddan) had come to signify converting to Christianity Ahammiyat al-Dawa+1. He explains that Western-backed missionary organizations established educational institutions that restricted admission and the resulting government appointments to converts, effectively tying social mobility to conversion Ahammiyat al-Dawa+1. He also notes a Muslim-Christian dialogue held in Libya on 25 Muharram 1396 AH, where two of the Catholic representatives were African former Muslims Ahammiyat al-Dawa.

The author refutes the claim circulated by certain orientalists and missionaries that Islam spreads across Africa effortlessly without organized planning, arguing that such narratives were designed to lull Muslims into inaction while securing substantial funding for missionary societies Ahammiyat al-Dawa. He cites an Arab ambassador's confidential diplomatic report warning that Islam could face severe decline in Africa within two decades if missionary methods were not met with serious, structured propagation Ahammiyat al-Dawa.

Internal Crisis and Islamic Thought

Khattab diagnoses an internal intellectual crisis in Muslim societies, noting that while nations had largely shaken off military and political colonialism, they remained burdened by intellectual dependency on Western and Eastern materialist cultures Ahammiyat al-Dawa+1. He criticizes contemporary religious circles that restrict education solely to individual ritual acts of worship (ibadat), neglecting broader aspects such as struggle, sacrifice, and civilizational vitality Ahammiyat al-Dawa.

Addressing the relationship between Islam and modern applied sciences, Khattab cautions against attempts by some writers to force Quranic verses into matching specific modern technological discoveries Ahammiyat al-Dawa. Instead, he maintains that the Quran's role is to foster an intellectual climate and psychological readiness for scientific inquiry, learning, and cultural leadership Ahammiyat al-Dawa.

The Historical Model of Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz

To illustrate effective propagation, Khattab presents the Umayyad Caliph Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz as a historical paradigm for Muslim rulers and scholars Ahammiyat al-Dawa+1. He details how the caliph prioritized conversion over revenue, sending Ismail ibn Abd Allah with ten scholars to North Africa in 100 AH to instruct the Berbers, dispatching delegations to Sind and Transoxiana, and refusing a governor's request to continue collecting the poll tax (jizya) from new converts in Egypt, declaring: «إن الله بعث محمداً ﷺ داعياً، ولم يبعثه جابياً» ("God sent Muhammad ﷺ as a caller, not as a tax collector") Ahammiyat al-Dawa.

Khattab concludes by affirming that Islamic propagation is not solely a religious obligation rooted in the Quran and Sunnah, but also a cultural, social, and humanitarian imperative to preserve the identity of the Muslim community and build global ties Ahammiyat al-Dawa+1.