Islamic preaching

This research was inspired by the problem of the mercy of Islam which is reduced in the contemporary era, on the one side, and awareness of the Islamic preaching Sufism of M. Fethullah Gülen, in thought and praxis, to the problem, on the other side. This inspiration manifests three issues that drive this study, namely: (1) How is the thought of Sufism of the contemporary Islamic preaching of Gülen? (2) How is the praxis of Sufism of the contemporary Islamic preaching of Gülen? (3) How is the Gülen’s construction of the Islamic preaching and the future of world civilization associated with the vision and mission of Islamic preaching? Its main focus is the urgency and the existence of Sufism of the contemporary Islamic preaching of Gülen. Conforming to the substance of three issues above, this study uses a combination of textual and field qualitative research, with the interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches of analysis (hermeneutical, phenomenological, historical and existentialist). Its major theoretical perspectives are the Islamic preaching approaches belonging to Moh. Ali Aziz and M. Abu> al-Fath} al-Baya>>nu>>ni>>, and the combined theories of Sufism.There are three points findings in this study. First, the thought of the Gülen’s Islamic preaching Sufism comes down from his view of Sufism as the spiritual life and the journey of a lifetime for a human to achieve happiness in this world and hereafter. This thinking evolved and can be accepted by the global community in the contemporary era. This thinking is urgent because it is needed to solve a number of problems that occur due to the reduction of Islamic mercy and build a future world of peace and mutual respect. This thought exists in its role to disseminate the ideas of love, tolerance, and pluralism and to absorb a lot of attention from over 160 countries. Second, the praxis of the Gülen’s Islamic preaching Sufism manifested into Islamic preaching practice with a methodical system that emphasizes the hizmet movement with the philanthropist and contemporary media tactics. This praxis is urgent as the actualization of thought and alternative models of successful Islamic preaching praxis. This praxis exists in its role of producing the golden generation progressively, contributing to an increase in the positive image of Islam and Muslims and moral development of the world community. Thirdly, the thought and praxis can be formed into an ideal construction of the Sufism of the Gülen’s contemporary Islamic preaching based on Islamic preaching ideality (global mercy) from the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet with an emphasis on the hizmet praxis aimed at the creation of the Golden Age (Age of Happiness).

Hizmet is the most globalized, transnational Islamic movement, emphasizing altruistic service, and attracts many supporters in more than 160 countries. Hizmet moves as a da`wah movement based on Sufism as an approach, centered by M. Fethullah Gülen. The inspiration of this movement includes education, interfaith and intercultural dialogues, and social assistance and services. The spirit of morality of the hizmet movement is "life is dedication" with the characters: oriented transcendental, the gait of the movement's personnels derived from the sufistic values, the existence of the inspirational power that always lives on every member of the propagation movement, representing almost entirely the visionary idealism of da`wah into uswah (exemplar), positioning itself in participation in the great vision of building a peaceful and mutually rewarding future of the world.

This figure was translated from its original source entitled”Paradigma Ilmu Dakwah dan Pengembangannya Melalui Kajian  Empiris”, Jurnal Ilmu Dakwah, Fakultas Dakwah IAIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya, Vol.9 No.1, April 2004, p. 14-29. ISSN: 1411-4724x, URL: http://catalog.uinsby.ac.id//index.php?p=show_detail&id=44970.

The current book project, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, studies a unique unedited manuscript of Muslim sermons from 13th-century Aragon.  My hypothesis is that the Mudejar preacher’s portrayal of his community as suffering servants who “persevered in faith amidst adversity” was an empowering message intended to help the Aragonese Muslims adapt to a new situation of living under Christian rule while simultaneously reaffirming their membership in a transnational Islamic community, and even daring to reposition themselves as God’s chosen viz. both the wider community of Muslims as well as their Christian conquerors.