Muslim Da ’Wah and Christian Mission. New Perspectives in the Global Interfaith Context

Dear Colleagues,

Both Islam and Christianity are fundamentally missionary religions, with their missions at the core of their beliefs. For Christians, their mission finds its roots in God Himself. God is love (1 Jn 4:8,16) revealed in Jesus Christ and present in the world through the Holy Spirit. In Genesis 12:1–3, He calls Abraham and promises that through him, "all peoples on Earth will be blessed." This covenant illustrates God's plan to bless the nations through Israel, culminating in the work of Jesus Christ. The concept of Missio Dei emphasizes that missions are not solely an initiative of the church but rather a continuation of God’s work carried out through His people. The history of missions is unfortunately marked by acts of violence against individuals of various faiths, particularly when different religions are seen as adversaries to be conquered, subdued, and converted. This confrontational approach has often been supported by the writings of early Church Fathers. However, Christians now acknowledge that the Holy Spirit has guided the Church away from confrontation towards deeper understanding, portraying the Church as a living sign of God’s love that transforms the world into a community of love through every action inspired by this spirit.

For Muslims, God is at the heart of the Da ‘wah, the invitation to submit and surrender to Him. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was entrusted with the mission of calling people to God and establishing a community (umma) of those who submit, which serves as an enduring example of Da ‘wah for all time. In light of the finality of prophethood, Muslims are to carry out this same mission on behalf of the Prophet, emulating his actions in their lives. Historically, the umma went beyond this ‘mission understanding’. The umma went beyond the prophetic mission and became politically active. Some groups of Muslims who became politically active began presenting an ultimatum to others. Their call was, “Accept Islam, if not submit to Muslims by paying Jazia or be ready for a battle.” It is not uncommon to find these beliefs present in some Muslims and groups of Muslims in our times.

We are pleased to invite you to explore the dynamics of the Muslim Da ‘wah and Christian mission, offering a comprehensive analysis of the interplay between these two religious practices in the contemporary global context characterized by religious plurality and interfaith dialogue. It is evident that both forms of religious expression demonstrate a robust association with tradition, concomitant with a genuine openness to dialogue.

This Special Issue welcomes scholars to reflect on aspects, examples, and systematic elaborations of the Muslim Da ‘wah and Christian mission, analyzing their potential for nurturing identity and dialogue. Possible topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Christian theology of their mission;
• Muslim theology of their mission (Da ‘wah);
• Comparative mission theology;
• Hermeneutics of missiological texts;
• Witnesses to the Christian mission and Muslim Da ‘wah and their relations;
• Controversial aspects of the Christian mission or Da ‘wah and their developments;
• The missiological approach to the theology of religions in Christianity and Islam;
• The mission and dialogue in Christian theology;
• The Da ‘wah and dialogue in Muslim theology;
• Spirituality of the mission of Christianity;
• Spirituality and the mission in Muslim theological thoughts;
• Christian public theology on the mission;
• Muslim public theology and the Da ‘wah.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 300–400 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editor, or to the Assistant Editor of Religions. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the special issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

References:

Bevans B. Stephen and Schroeder P. Roger. 2004. Constants in Context. A Theology of Mission for Today. New York: Orbis Book – Maryknoll.

Suud Sarim Karimullah. The Influence of Humanist Da'wah in social transformation and social change in Muslim societies. SYIAR:Jurnal Komunikasi dan Penyiaran Islam: 3 (2) (2023): 51–70.

Adebayo, Baale Sheriff, Abdollatif Ahmadi Ramchahi, and Faisal Ahmad Shah. Efforts to Propagate the Sunnah in Nigeria; the Role of Majma’ al-Sunnah li al-Da’wah wa al-Buhuth (MSDB) in Ilorin, Al-Bayan: Journal of Qur'an and Hadith Studies 20, 2 (2022): 217–237, doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/22321969-12340114

Meuleman, Johan. Dakwah, competition for authority, and development, Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia 167, 2–3 (2011): 236–269, doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/22134379-90003591

Riszuan Wu (ed). 2001. Readings in Cross-cultural Da’wah. Singapore: Darul Arqam Singapore.

David W. Shenk. 2003. Journeys of the Muslim Nation and the Chrstian Church. Exploring the Mission of two Communities. Waterloo-Scottdale: Herald Press.

Gada, Muhammad Yaseen. How to Study the Qur’an: Sayyid Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi’s Approach, written by Choughley, Abdul Kader, Al-Bayan: Journal of Qur'an and Hadith Studies 17, 2 (2019): 247–250, doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/22321969-12340076

Ng’atigwa, Francis Xavier. From Madrasas to Organised Iftar Culture: Current Trends of Islamisation in Tanzania, Utafiti 15, 2 (2020): 236–256, doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/26836408-15020032

Kuiper, Matthew, J. Da’wa and Other Religions, Indian Muslims and the Modern Resurgence of Global Islamic Activism. Taylor and Francis. https://www.perlego.com/book/1489970/dawa-and-other-religions-indian-muslims-and-the-modern-resurgence-of-global-islamic-activism-pdf.

Prof. Dr. Gaetano Sabetta
Dr. Joseph Victor Edwin
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• mission in Christianity
• Da ‘wah in Islam
• Muslim–Christian relations
• interfaith dialogue