Da`wah to the Dalai Lama?

[mostafa]

Asalaamu `alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuhu,

http://www.president.rutgers.edu/dalailama/

As you can see if you visit the link above, the Dalai Lama is coming to NJ in September inshaa' Allah. What is some good advice in order to take advantage of this event -- whether in giving da`wah to him and the people in his group or others attending his events on campus?

[htmohamm]

Assalamu-alaikum,

I was just reading the biography of the Dalai Lama and he said something that made my mouth kind of drop:

"I always believe that it is much better to have a variety of religions, a variety of philosophies, rather than one single religion of philosophy. This is necessary because of the different mental dispositions of each human being. Each religion has certain unique ideas to techniques, and learning about them can only enrich one's own faith."

It is like the reverse principle in Islam. To think that it could be comforting to have so many religions is kind of ludicrous in my opinion.

Anyways back to your question Brother Mostafa. I don't know, Allahu Alim, whether you will have any access whatsoever to give daw'ah to the Dalai Lama himself. Also, I have no clue if he can speak English so he may not even understand you (this probably goes for the rest of his group as well).

He most likely will draw quite a response from people who live in close proximity to either the University or New Jersey. He does after all have a large following around the world. Instead of trying to give daw'ah to the Dalai Lama, give daw'ah to those individuals who attend his talk. If they follow the same principles of peace that he so adamantly advocates then these individuals are prone to listening to the message of Islam because of its simplicity and beauty. Reading through the Dalai Lama's biography, there are points that can be extracted and from these points, connections made.

Perhaps pass out pamphlets, set up an attractive tent or table that explains Islam near the stadium where the talk will be held. You should definitely be able to draw a crowd to such a display. Maybe have people fill out a survey with questions about Islam and see where individuals seem to lack knowledge in an area. Give them a pamphlet related to what they don't know. This does seem like a great Daw'ah opportunity. In shaa Allah all of the NJ Brothers and Sisters will take great advantage of this opportunity.

These are just some ideas. In shaa Allah other Brothers and Sisters can add some of there own unique ideas.

[AZikria]

Good words are being said here but it's simple Mostafa. Make the most sincere dua you can that ALLAH (AWJ) gives you the opportunity and the guidence to give the Dalai Lama the message of Islam. The Dalai Lama knows about Islam I'm pretty sure but maybe ALLAH (AWJ) puts words in your mouth that changes his heart. Secondly make the same dua for all of those attending the gathering. Don't be greeded, lol, and take a few brothers with you and ask them to do the same.

A while ago a brother (in the fold of Islam) of ours saw Mike Tyson walk in a club in D.C.. He said he asked ALLAH (AWJ) to give him the opportunity and guidence to talk to Mike Tyson. He tried to get to him but by the time he got to the club the bouncers wouldn't let the brother in. Days and weeks past the our brother figured his dua wasn't answered. Until one night as he was going home from work he saw Mike Tyson again, going into a night club. He ran and some how got into the club. This brother was working with muslims at the time (I believe) and most of the time I see him hes wearing a thobe. Can you imagine a brother in a thobe running into a night club after Mike Tyson. LOL that takes a lot of guts and a ultimate desire to please ALLAH (AWJ). May ALLAH (SWT) give this brother the best of this world, grave and hereafter, AMEEN. Anyways the brother found Mike Tyson, sat next to him then started giving dawah right then and there. The brother told me he thought Mike Tyson was this tough, hard nosed guy. He said when he met Mike he was soft spoken and calm but that the company he was with was leading him to the wrong direction. The brother said he spent a few mins with Tyson, talked to him about the real Islam and warned him of those losers he was with. Tyson listened to everything the brother was talking to him about, listened and said thanks. Afterwards the brother walk out of the club and made shokur to ALLAH (the all seer and all hearer).

So brother Mostafa do what you do, but do it right, INSHA ALLAH.

[rayhana07]

I heard Dalai Lama speaks English well especially the fact that he has been living in India for a while. Although he might have a translator too.

[alexandalus]

For Allah, all is possible, however, just so you know what you're up against:

ALLAHABAD, India, Jan. 25 (AP) -- The Dalai Lama joined the leaders of India's Hindu nationalist movement Thursday in condemning religious conversion, propelling him into one of the hottest religious controversies in South Asia.
"Whether Hindu or Muslim or Christian, whoever tries to convert, it's wrong, not good," the exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader said, "We oppose conversions by any religious tradition using various methods of enticement."

Members of the Hindu Council have repeatedly criticized Muslims, India's largest minority, and Christians, calling on the government to oust missionaries and demanding Muslims and Christians revere Hindu gods. The Hindu Council believes that all Indians as a matter of national identity should be Hindu.

Christians constitute 2.3 percent of India's 1 billion population, or 23 million people. The nation has the world's second-largest population of Muslims, 140 million, after Indonesia.

The Hindu Council's general secretary, Ashok Singhal, told reporters, "Buddhism, Hinduism and other non-aggressive religions have to unite to douse Islam...an aggressive religion."

"I always believe it's safer and better and reasonable to keep one's own tradition or belief," the Dalai Lama told reporters during a break in the meetings. "To change it is not proper, it's much safer to follow one's own religion."

"We Buddhists consider Hindus and Buddhists like twin brothers and sisters," the Dalai Lama added.
from beliefnet.com

[Hasan]

The Hindu Council's general secretary, Ashok Singhal, told reporters, "Buddhism, Hinduism and other non-aggressive religions have to unite to douse Islam...an aggressive religion."
"Douse Islam"? Isn't that an aggressive statement in and of itself?

mostafa, go for it, bro! I like how you think big!

[Muhammad Alshareef]

Y'know, i know we focus on the leaders, and that's a great thing ... but one thing we forget are the 'followers' and the 'on-lookers' that come to see him. As one brother told me, they are totally totally ready to accept Islam. He told me that whenever there is a march or something in Washington, especially if it's a Muslim cause or an African American cause, they go to the march just to assist people in coming to Islam. They take with them free tapes (or Cds) and speak to everyone.

As one brother told me, in one day, up to 35 people became Muslim at an African American march. Allahu Akbar!

In the end, what Allah requires of us is to convey the Message. Thus, ask yourself this: what is the best way i can convey the message to those that shall visit this event?

[taimur]

so How did the event go?
any dawah to the Dalai Lama or the people...

[mostafa]

Asalaamu `alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuhu,

I'm waiting to find out. The whole football stadium was sold out, and the gates closed by 10am. Unfortunately, I couldn't get out of work. I found out that the Dalai Lama doesn't speak English (or all that much). Here's the article from today's campus newspaper --

http://www.dailytargum.com/media/paper168/news/2005/09/26/PageOne/Dalai.Lama.Engages.SoldOut.Stadium-997981.shtml

If it doesn't give you the full article, let me know and I can e-mail it to you inshaa' Allah.

[KashifN]

assalaamu alaikum

He does speak English Mostafa, i watched an interview of him with Michael Palin. The Dalai Lama watches the BBC channels :)

Kashif
Wa Salaam

[Shirien]

taken from Yahoo! News:

Dalai Lama Meets With Muslims in Calif.

By JUSTIN M. NORTON, Associated Press Writer Sun Apr 16, 8:47 AM ET

SAN FRANCISCO - The Dalai Lama urged religious leaders Saturday to reach out to Muslims, saying Islam is a compassionate faith that has been unfairly maligned because of a few extremists.
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"Nowadays to some people the Muslim tradition appears more militant," the 70-year-old exiled monk said at a weekend conference, which aimed to bring Muslims and Buddhists together.

"I feel that's totally wrong. Muslims, like any other traditions — same message, same practice. That is a practice of compassion," he said.

Event organizers say the Dalai Lama interrupted his schedule to fly to San Francisco and meet Islamic scholars and leaders from other faiths to discuss reducing violence and extremism.

Security was tight at the invitation-only event, which drew about 500 religious leaders and scholars. The conference included speakers and presenters from numerous faiths and roughly 30 countries.

The Dalai Lama told the audience that many people see and hear news of suicide bombings in predominantly Muslim countries but don't hear about how Muslims often work with the poor.

He said all human beings are prone to violence if they lose control of their emotions and not to judge an entire faith based on a few people. "A few mischievous people are always there," he said.

The Dalai Lama, who was awarded the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, fled Tibet in 1959 following an aborted uprising against Chinese rule in the territory and now keeps an office in exile in the Himalayan town of Dharmsala, India.

The Dalai Lama also told conference attendees that religious traditions must work harder to live together in peace, citing religious violence in Northern Ireland, Pakistan and
Iraq.

Hamza Yusuf, founder of the Zaytuna Institute, a Hayward-based center for Islamic study, said the conference could help build relationships between Buddhists and Muslims and promote a greater understanding of Islam. He noted that Muslims and Buddhists lived together peacefully for hundreds of years in Tibet.

Yusuf said the Dalai Lama's participation in the event could warm Americans to Islam, since many Americans have mixed feelings about the faith but are receptive to Buddhism.

"He wanted to meet us in solidarity as a community because he felt like people were attacking Islam," Yusuf said.

Seyed Ali Ghazvini of the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno said he hoped the conference would encourage Muslims to be more visible and active in the United States.

"This is a matter of necessity," said Ghazvini, who gave the Dalai Lama a set of Islamic prayer beads. "It's not an option to sit alone in our own community and our own mosques."

[silyas]

Yes, without a doubt the Dalai Lama does speak English. He came to Canada a few years back and gave numerous interviews.. in english!!!!!

[Sarah Mushtaq]

...ALLAHABAD, India...
Okay, this random.. but cool!! I never knew there was a city in India called Allahabad! Subhanallah that's awesome:D