Narrowing Gaps in Islamic Propagation: NASFAT's Educational and Socioeconomic Strategies

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to highlight the efforts that NASFAT has made in the promotion of Islamic religious knowledge through da’wah training sessions, the dissemination of Islamic messages, and the establishment of agencies for socioeconomic impacts in the last four years, mostly in Nigeria and some other countries of the world. The paper uses a qualitative case study approach, employing data from da’wah training records, relevant literature, and the websites and social media handles of the society and its agencies. The result reveals the society’s impacts on Islamic religious propagation, as evidenced by the significant number of participants from both within and outside the society, who have participated in the society’s various training programmes. They have had access to authentic Islamic teachings and exposure to steps in da’wah and dialogue that help correct misconceptions about Islam and its teachings. It has trained 5665 participants in da’wah, Islam and dialogue from 2012 to date, sourced from personal interview with the author. Beyond religious education, the impacts are also evident in economic empowerment and job creation through various socio-economic activities. The paper espouses how religion is used to engender socioeconomic development and promote religious teaching that fosters peaceful co-existence, while recommending further studies on similar initiatives by other Islamic organisations.
Keywords
NASFAT, Islamic propagation, educational, socioeconomic strategies