The Role of Islamic Movements in Enhancing Daʿwah Work: The Malaysian Experience

Abstract

Daʿwah work was one of the main means that helped spread Islam throughout the Malay Archipelago. The advent of Islamic resurgence in 1970s that came along with the emergence of influential Islamic movements had transformed the daʿwah work to become more sophisticated. This paper attempts at understanding the relationship between the traditional daʿwah work and the Islamic movements in Malaysia before looking in- depth at the development of Islamic movements in establishing and improving daʿwah methodology and institutions. Findings reveal that the Islamic movements played a very significant role in reforming daʿwah work. They had introduced an alternative system in daʿwah work that had been manifested either in their own private institutions or through advocacy of daʿwah work policies as well as in its implementation within the existing daʿwah work. The findings also prove that the differences in political ideology were not a major obstacle for them in developing daʿwah work in the country. In conclusion, despite the varied understanding and approach of Islamic movements, their contribution in developing the nation through daʿwah work is significant. Overall, the Islamic movements now have to improve the quality of their daʿwah work and learning process in order to face current challenges and obstacles.