Badī‘ al-Zamān Sa‘īd Nursī’s approach through writing in da‘wah: A study of effective verbal communication

Abstract

Effective da‘wah communication is veritably necessary in maintaining the well-being of the community so that it's always in a state of peace, tranquility, and harmony. The traditional medium of preaching, which previously only revolved around oral mediums such as lectures and speeches, needs to be improved with the method of delivery through writing. Badī‘ al-Zamān Sa‘īd Nursī used the pen as the medium of his preaching, resulting in the work Rasā’il al-Nūr, which spread throughout the world. Therefore, this study focuses on the study of Sa‘īd Nursī's form of communication while spreading and delivering da‘wah through jotting styles (bi al- kitābah), such as his masterpiece Rasā’il al-Nūr, letters, and newspapers. This study is a library study, and the analysis is based on the document analysis framework (contents analysis). While the book Rasā’il al-Nūr is the main basis of every topic of discussion and includes some scholars' views on da‘wah communication. The results of the study set up that, Sa‘īd Nursī's greatest da‘wah contribution was through the writing approach. The findings also set up that Sa‘īd Nursī's da‘wah experience in colorful stages of his life similar to politics, education, war, and so on, caused him to be loaded with preaching experience with colorful forms of communication, especially in jotting, until he was appointed as a contemporary preacher of the Islamic world.