THERE seems to be a consensus on the need for preachers of Islam to utilise modern tools to carry out the task of dakwah.
As a matter of fact, most preachers today are aware of some of the popular technologies being used to disseminate information.
Many are also accustomed to the use of certain platforms of information and communication technology (ICT) such as e-mails, websites, portals, CD-ROMs, electronic newsgroups, electronic discussion boards, instant messaging and the likes.
During the recently-held seminar on “Understanding Islam through Techno-Daie” organised by the Institute of Islamic Under-standing Malaysia (IKIM), several areas vis-a-vis dakwah have been identified for further exploration and action.
The notion of techno-daie, in essence meaning preachers utilising technology for dakwah, has been agreed upon as being something of great importance for Islam in this new century.
Today’s society is very much technocentric. Technology has broken down physical, geographical and political barriers that once may have stood in the way of getting things done efficiently and effectively.
Therefore there exists a valid need for the formation of a new breed of Muslim preachers. This has already been discussed in previous articles in this column concerning techno-daie.
When it comes to dakwah Islamiah, Islamic agencies, bodies and non-governmental organisations must co-ordinate their efforts to ensure that there is no wastage of resources.
In Malaysia, for example, there are various parties conducting dakwah, each with its own mission and vision. Aside from IKIM, which focuses on the dissemination of the true understanding of Islam as a complete way of life, there are also others involved with dakwah as well, such as Jakim, Yadim, Perkim and Abim, to name a few.
All those involved in the task of conducting dakwah should be aware of what the other person is doing. This would help in optimising the limited dakwah resources and increase efficiency in carrying out dakwah.
Another area discussed during the seminar was the need for the preachers and technologists to collaborate in producing technologybased Islamic products and services that would assist in dakwah. It has been identified that Muslim preachers have the “contents” while technologists possess the “technology”.
Hence, if Muslim preachers could provide technologists with the contents, then the latter could come up with ideas to produce interactive and attractive technology-based Islamic contents.
The contents are already there � the Quran, prophetic traditions, history of Islam, stories of the prophets, texts on Islamic jurisprudence, scholarly works of Muslim ulama and many more. These materials need to be creatively repackaged using the latest technology so that they can be used in facilitating the task of dakwah.
The latest technologies are also available in the country � expert systems, creative multimedia, digital animation, virtual reality and others. What is needed is to provide the Islamic content so that these technologies could be utilised for dakwah.
Therefore, a link between Muslim preachers and technologies must be established in order for dakwah in the 21st century to be successful. Neither of these two groups can afford to conduct dakwah on their own. One lacks the state-of-the-art technical knowledge of disseminating information but has plenty of materials for dakwah, while the other has the technology but lacks the content. Logically these two groups should collaborate so that a win-win situation can be created. In the long run, Islam will benefit.
Another important aspect discussed during the seminar was the need to conduct dakwah professionally, with the proper business and management models to avoid the fate of many Islamic portals that had to be closed down as a result of the bursting of the dotcom bubble.
Dakwah is a task that needs to be organised and carried out professionally. It needs to be self-sufficient to be successful and effective. Using technology for dakwah can be costly.
Only technologies that are thought of as beneficial should be used by Muslim preachers.
However, some of the more expensive technologies should be given due consideration before preachers decide to embark on investing in them. Perhaps one way to overcome this problem is by collaborating with interested technologists.
The issue of cost was also discussed during the seminar. It was noted that most of the Islamic products utilising modern technology sold in the market today are very expensive. Most people could not afford these products even though they could be useful for the understanding of Islam.
One of the reasons identified as the factor behind the high price is the lack of competition in producing technology-based Islamic products. It has been suggested that there is a need to create competition in this area so that these products can be made more affordable.
This brings us to the issue of increasing the volume of Islamic products utilising technology. As mentioned earlier, there is an abundance of Islamic materials and resources that could be used. However most of these materials and resources are marketed in their traditional forms, that is in printed version.
One participant at the seminar raised an interesting and workable idea in order to increase technology-based Islamic materials.
The participant noted that there are many institutions of higher learning that run courses on ICT, in particular multimedia. He proposed that Muslim dakwah organisations form smart partnerships with these institutions.
The dakwah organisations could provide materials and resources to the institutions of higher learning, and they could then assign their students to come up with creative ways to produce these materials and resources using the latest technology as part of the students’ assessment.
As a result, we will have more Islamic products using technology that can be marketed. If there exists competition, then prices would be more competitive. In the long run, consumers looking for technology-based Islamic products will reap the benefit.
Furthermore, most of the products that are available in the market today are imported. The time has surely come for the country to produce its own technology-based Islamic products.
These are some of the suggestions from the seminar that warrant serious attention. What was clear was that everyone agreed that a new generation of preachers ‘the technodaie’ must be formed.
The techno-daie should consist of a group of people from various backgrounds, all with their own unique role to play. The collaboration, smart partnership and synergy between preachers and technologists could help the formation of the movement of techno-daie.
It must be noted that the techno-daie is not going to replace traditional and conventional methods of dakwah. This new breed of preachers should be seen as complementing and strengthening the dakwah movement.