The document discusses the retrospect, introspect, and prospect of Islamic websites in disseminating da'wah (Islamic propagation). It summarizes past studies on how Muslims have adopted the internet for da'wah efforts. Local efforts in Malaysia to define Islamic websites and models for online da'wah are also examined. The document proposes analyzing elements of credibility and trust to provide a comprehensive description of an Islamic website for effective da'wah online based on existing da'wah models.

1. RETROSPECT, INTROSPECT AND
PROSPECT OF ISLAMIC WEBSITES
IN DISSEMINATING DA’WAH
Azimaton Abdul Rahman
Nor Hazlina Hashim
School of Communication

2. Introduction
In the past two decades, discussions on Islam, Muslims
and the Internet are of high interest as scholars
examined its construction and formation from various
perspectives
– September 11 incident (Black Tuesday)
(Bunt, 2004; Conway, 2006; Mohamed Chawki, 2010;
Wheeler, 2001)
– July 7 incident (London Bombing)
(Green & Kabir, 2007; Jones & Smith, 2005)
– Uprising scenario in the Middle-East
(Amir Hatem Ali, 2011; Dunn, 2011; Youmans & York, 2012)

3. Introduction
• Statistics from Google search engine produces over 8
million results on a keyword of ‘Islam’ in April 2004
compared to 1.25 million in October 2000 (Varisco,
2004).
• Through a webservation from The Open Directory
Project (DMOZ) on religion and spirituality shows a
total of 1,410 pages of Islamic websites while
Christianity with 73,219 pages available on the web
(Netscape, 2012).

4. Introduction
• From another aspect, Islam and Muslims continued in
the struggle of misrepresentation in the media,
participation in the public as well as on independent
media production (Aydin & Hammer, 2010).
• Somehow, these webservation statistics indicates that
not all of these sites on the Google search are
presenting Islam or at least, reflecting an Islamic
website in providing accurate and reliable information
based on the true beliefs and practices of the Prophet
Muhammad peace be upon him (pbuh) (Bunt, 2004;
Muhd Rosydi Muhammad & Marjan Muhammad,
2003).

5. Introduction
• Islam stands for both, religious or theological part, and
as a how-to guide of the living aspects towards
civilisation, the way of life, a din al-fitrah, for all
mankind (Abul A'la Maududi, 1960; Isma'il Raji Al-
Faruqi, 1976; Muhammad Mumtaz Ali, 2012; Shaykh
Rabee' ibn Haadee, 1997).
• While da’wah, is the process of proliferation and
dissemination of Islamic information, a call to Islam or
propagation of Islam.

6. Introduction
• Islamic da’wah is an invitation to think, to debate
and argue, far from neither being coercive nor a
psychotropic induction process (Ismail Rajii al-
Faruqi, 1976). Furthermore, it is an obligation for
Muslims to perform this duty (Quran 16:125) guided
by the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh
(Maqsood, 2008).
• The development in Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) provide means as
well as an alternative for others to seek in-depth
information about Islam and Muslims.

7. Introduction
• Cyber Islamic Environment (Bunt, 2000; 2003; 2009)
– Islamic refers to any influence for example cultural,
social, textual, political, Divine in which the primary
source of Islam’s formation or interpretation have
contributed to an identity label.
– Islamic belief are what an individual who describes
him- or herself as Muslim undertakes in the name of
Islam, whether that practice is approved by
‘authorities’ or not.
– ‘Islamic environment’ refers to the sense of a place
where Islamic beliefs form an identity reference point.
• Hence, Islamic websites refers to websites with influence
of Islamic beliefs.

8. Introduction
Da’wah Online (Muhamad Faisal Ashaari & Rozina
Abd. Ghani, 2010)
• Da’wah which is carried out through internet
– Internet as a versatile medium of
communication
– It is a representation of Islamic information.
– Use of such technology is permissible as long as
the fundamentals of Islam is intact.

9. Introduction
• Therefore, this discussion focuses on the
– retrospect of da’wah online within the CIEs
landscape by examining past studies on Islamic
websites globally and followed by
– introspection on the local efforts in defining Islamic
website, this paper aims towards the
– prospect of an Islamic website through identifying
the elements from an insight perspective of Islamic
da’wah.

10. Retrospect of Da’wah Online within Cyber
Islamic Environments (CIEs) Landscape
• Retrospect is defined as `to look back upon’ meaning,
this section will elucidate past studies in Islamic
information or da’wah online and towards
interpretation of Islamic website within the cyber
Islamic environments (CIEs) landscape.
• Looking back on the historical background, Helland
(2004) claimed that religion began appearing online
since 1985 and even Muslims was sceptical in
welcoming the new phenomena (Ahmad F. Yousif, 2006;
Ghaffari-Farhangi, 1998).

11. Retrospect
• The emergence of Islam and Muslims public sphere in
the cyberspace can be described in three interrelated
phases.
• According to Anderson(2001), the initial phase was the
technological adepts when the internet was at research
and development process and, by the time the World
Wide Web was introduced, Muslims activists and
official voices came in the picture.
• The final phase saw Muslims, being neither so activist
nor so establishment acts as spokespersons and
audiences due to their interest and motivation both in
Islam and technology which enhanced broader
explorations.

12. Retrospect
• Among the earliest scholars in examining how Muslims
and its community (ummah) adopt and adapt the
internet, Bunt offered his perspective through the
Cyber Islamic Environments (CIEs) in his signature,
Virtually Islamic (2000b).
• As academicians are becoming more inspired in the
discussion (refer to Table 1), sharing his thoughts and
interest, Bunt introduced in-depth discussions through
the publications of Islam in the Digital Age (Bunt, 2003)
and iMuslim (Bunt, 2009).

13. Retrospect
• Efforts was also made in studying Islamic internet sites
in the East Africa (Chesworth, 2007) and through
weblogs, forums and publications online such as
IslamOnline.net, Fatwa-Online.com and AskImam.org
(Mohamed Chawki, 2010). In addition, Sisler (2007)
discussed the internet Islamic sites in the process of
decision making and its interpretation of Islamic
knowledge within European Muslim minorities.
• These discussions are somehow supporting the notion
that Muslim publics developed new direction in the
process of proliferating and disseminating Islamic
information by using the internet (Eickelman &
Anderson, 2003b).

14. Retrospect
• Due to high responds from Muslims on ICT
development, ‘The Digital Revolution and the New
Reformation’, Ali Mazrui and Alamin Mazrui (2001, p.
52) posted their thoughts,
– ‘The question here is whether the internet and cyberspace
and the third industrial revolution will do to Islam what
the first industrial revolution did to Christianity, … the
information revolution may help Islam realize its earliest
aims more effectively.’
• However, there still an unsolved issue of
misrepresentation of Muslims and Islam in the
media, both online and offline (Aydin & Hammer,
2010)

15. Retrospect
• In the case of misconceptions of Islam within the
Muslims society in the study done by Wheeler
(2001), it may be caused by confused thinking and a
blurred vision of the fundamentals of Islam, Islamic
law and the aims of its message (Yusof al-Qardawi,
2010).
• Following studies on representation and participation
of Muslims on the internet, Aydin and Hammer
(2010) stressed where internet content is produced
and consumed, there are direct impact on such
content and its reception.

16. Retrospect
• Hence, in view of da’wah online, it is a need to define
these Islamic websites accordingly, in terms of its
content and presentation of da’wah, which aims at
inviting others to find the shari’ah, the ‘straight path’
of Islam guided by the footsteps of the Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) (RuqaiyyahWaris Maqsood,
2008).
• As Ismail Raji al-Faruqi (1976) insist upon earlier that
Islamic propagation or da’wah is an invitation to
think, to debate and argue and far from neither being
coercive action nor a psychotropic induction process.

17. Studies on Islamic Websites – (Global)

18. Studies on Islamic Websites – (Global)

19. Studies on Islamic Websites – (Global)

20. Introspection on Local Efforts in Realising
Da’wah Online
• Introspection is defined as careful examination of
one’s thoughts, this section is focus at examining
local efforts in defining Islamic website towards
implementation of da’wah online.
• For Muslims, da’wah is aimed at increasing one’s
faith (tawheed) in Allah while for non-Muslims,
da’wah endeavours are focussed at inviting others to
find the straight path (sharia’h) of Islam.
(Muhammad Mumtaz Ali,2012; Sohirin M. Solihin,
2008)

21. Introspect
• Hence, the process of dissemination and proliferation
in da’wah can simply be described as a humanistic
message from a caller (da’i); addressed to a recipient
(mad’u) using all possible means with wisdom
(hikmah) and intelligence (Shaykh Rabee' ibn Haadee,
1997).
• As such, although varies in terms of aims and
approach, enhanced efforts in da’wah deemed
necessary to both Muslims and non-Muslims as it
applied to Malaysia, a multi-racial nation, where
majority of the population professed Islam as the
religion (Department of Statistics Malaysia Official
Website, 2011).

22. Introspect
• The emerging of Malaysia’s International Islamic
University (IIUM) homepage was described by
Anderson (2003) to be within the second phase of
Muslims’ encounter with the internet.
• Though the page appeared in a simple graphics with
information of the organisation and courses offered by
the university, it is significant as an indication of Islam
and Muslims presence in Malaysia’s cyberspace as well
as in the ICT development.

23. Introspect
• Meanwhile, the new media has continuously been
given a serious thought in reflecting da’wah online from
Islamic scholars, academicians, individuals and also by
the government’s Islamic agencies (Ahmad F. Yousif,
2006; Muhd Rosydi Muhammad & Marjan Muhammad,
2003; Zulkiple Abd. Ghani, 2001).
• The internet has become a tool in assisting Muslims in
their religious obligations such as zakat payment and
locating halal food and business in the economic
sectors (Frazier & Ewing, 2009; Md Badarudin, Saleh,
Senin, & Deraman, 2004; Samsi, Zainal, & Ibrahim,
2011)

24. Introspect
• Ahmad F. Yousif (2006) commented on the so called
‘information technology revolution’ through Islamic
perspective leaving two choices for the ulama and
Islamic scholars; either to ignore the existence of IT
which may cause a loss of credibility or taken up the
challenge in assisting the ummah and furthering the
cause of Islam by using the tools towards obtaining the
pleasure of Allah.

25. Introspect
• With that comment in view, Muhamad Faisal Ashaari
and Rozina Abd. Ghani (2010) proposed The Model of
Online al-Da’wah al-Fardhiyyah in their awareness of
the need for da’is to having a certain frame of reference
in performing da’wah online (refer to Figure 1).
– combining the traditional face-to-face da’wah
approach by al-Dib with an online communication
learning model proposed by Salmon called e-moderating.

26. The Model of Online Da’wah by Muhamad
Faisal Ashaari and Rozina Abd. Ghani (2010)
Source : Muhamad Faisal Ashaari and Rozina Abd. Ghani (2010)

27. Defining The Model of Online Da’wah
Stage Level Categorization Objective
Mobilization
To guide and
motivate to work
for Islam
Inviting
To encourage people
to attend event or
activities
Mobilising
To insist people to
attend events or
activities
Participation
To guide into
understanding
about Islam
Commenting
To advise and critique
people
Constructing
knowledge
To develop knowledge
Dissemination Sharing/Exchanging
To disseminate news
and diffuse
information
Socialization
To get the close
relationship
Socialisation
To keep and preserve
the current and
potential friendship

28. Prospect of an Islamic Websites through
Da’wah Online
• Da’wah is the central component in Islam and is
regarded as an essential element in every level of
developmental aspects in a Muslim community, as an
individual, within a family and towards the collective
unit called ummah and it is mainly related to the nature
or character of the message given to Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) (Sohirin M. Solihin, 2008).
• Obligation for Muslims in communicating da’wah
depends on the level of one’s understanding and
knowledge of Islam as Islam inspire and promote all
efforts towards achieving a knowledge-based society
and information-rich community (Zulkiple Abd. Ghani,
2001)

29. Prospect
• Knowledge would enable to drive the ummah and
reviving the humankind from moral, socio-economic
and political deprivation towards civilisation (Abdul
Ghafar Hj. Don & Jaffary Awang, 2009). Meanwhile,
according to Imtiaz Hasnain (1988) in view of
communication through the Islamic approach, applying
to da’wah, the communicator referred to da’is, hold an
important position in ensuring Islamic information is
communicated correctly.
• Therefore, da’is should be well versed and equipped
with ample knowledge in proliferating and
disseminating Islamic information using available
medium deemed necessary and wise, in view of da’wah
online, the da’i would be the webmaster, whilst the
mad’u refers to the audience.

30. Prospect
• In a bigger scope, da’wah is a dynamic information
process based on one-to-one or one-to-many
connection towards sharing the meaning and
understanding of Islam. Da’wah is an Islamic term in
referring to divine messages through words or deeds in
forms of action.
• By applying this concept of da’wah online within the
Cyber Islamic Environments (CIEs), dissemination and
proliferation of da’wah is just a click away between the
da’i and the mad’u, where the internet used as a tool
towards increasing connectivity of Muslim community
(ummah).

31. Prospect
• There is also a need to understand the behavioural
aspects in driving the ummah towards generating
Islamic information and messages, thus, increasing
Islamic expression using the cyberspace.
• Relatively, The Model of Online Al-Da’wah Al-Fardhiyyah
as proposed by Muhamad Faisal Ashaari and Rozina
Abd. Ghani (2010) seems missing on these elements and
the communication aspects as to how the model could
be operationalized in the cyberspace.
• Therefore, this study proposed an extension on the
scope of analysis (refer to table 3) based on the original
model (Muhamad Faisal Ashaari & Rozina Abd. Ghani,
2010) and to incorporate studies on credibility and trust
elements towards a comprehensive description of an
Islamic website

32. Prospect: An analysis of da’wah online
adapted from the Model of Online al-Da’wah
al-Fardhiyyah.

33. Conclusion
• To recall, da’wah or Islamic propagation activity is a
communicative action or set of actions which is an
intentionally planned and arranged action towards
disseminating appropriate information to a single
person or more, in the best possible action.
• The comprehensive description of offline da’wah has
been discussed by many Islamic scholars and has been
studied widely by Muslims who are highly interested in
this scope of work towards achieving their task as a
Muslim which has been clearly stated in the Quran (3
:110); “You are the best nation which has ever been
raised for the guidance of mankind. You enjoin good,
forbid evil, and believe in Allah.”

34. Conclusion
• To recall, da’wah or Islamic propagation activity is a
communicative action or set of actions which is an
intentionally planned and arranged action towards
disseminating appropriate information to a single
person or more, in the best possible action.
• The comprehensive description of offline da’wah has
been discussed by many Islamic scholars and has been
studied widely by Muslims who are highly interested in
this scope of work towards achieving their task as a
Muslim which has been clearly stated in the Quran (3
:110); “You are the best nation which has ever been
raised for the guidance of mankind. You enjoin good,
forbid evil, and believe in Allah.”

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