Reconstruction of Communicative Rationality in Contemporary Islamic Dawah Discourse Based on the Quran and Sunnah

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD., student, Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Law, Theology, and Political Science, East Azerbaijan Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran.

2 Department of Theology, Faculty of Law, Theology, and Political Science, East Azerbaijan Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

Invitation to Islam (Da'wah) has been a living and dynamic manifestation of religion's presence in the realm of social communication and human guidance since the beginning of the Prophet's mission. The Holy Quran, through its triad of "wisdom, good admonition, and disputation in the best manner" (Q. 16:125), has outlined a comprehensive framework
for the communicative logic of Da'wah, in which religious guidance is founded upon rationality, ethics, and dialogue. However, in the recent century, following extensive epistemological, media-related, and civilizational transformations, the discourse of Islamic Da'wah has faced challenges in the realm of communication and interaction with the contemporary audience. The present study, employing the method of critical discourse analysis and in light of the teachings of the Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah, analyzes this situation and undertakes the reconstruction of communicative rationality in contemporary Islamic Da'wah discourse. The research findings indicate that the fundamental problem in the current state of Islamic Da'wah lies not in the epistemological richness of the religion or the weakness of its content, but rather in the disorder and rupture of "communicative rationality" — a rationality that, in certain contemporary manifestations, has deviated
from the prophetic model of dialogue and, in relation to the media world and new communicative spaces, has become ambiguous and reactive. Based on this analysis, the article, drawing upon revelatory foundations, the theory of communicative rationality, and historical experiences of Islamic Da'wah, presents a proposed model for reconstructing communicative rationality organized around five axes: wisdom as dialogical practical rationality, dialogue ethics as the foundation of Da'wah interaction, rational persuasion beyond emotional arousal, strengthening discursive solidarity within the Islamic ummah, and the reproduction of Da'wah language in accordance with contemporary media and cultural transformations. Accordingly, the innovation of this research lies in presenting an integrated model of Quranic rationality and modern communication theories, which can open new horizons for the effective, dialogue-centered revival of Islamic Da'wah in the contemporary world.

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