The Application of Da’wah Communication in Building Rapport with Children at a Learning Center in Malaysia

Abstract

Da’wah for children requires a gentle, dialogical, and enjoyable communication approach, because emotional closeness opens the way for religious messages to be accepted. This study aims to describe the application of da’wah communication in building closeness with children at a learning studio (sanggar belajar) in Malaysia, and to identify its supporting and inhibiting factors. The study used a descriptive qualitative approach. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation, and analyzed through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings show that closeness is built through four forms of da’wah communication: a warm and empathetic personal approach, role modeling and habituation of good character (da’wah bil hal), message delivery through stories, games, and Islamic songs, and the involvement of children and parents in religious activities. Supporting factors include the children’s enthusiasm, the teachers’ commitment, and parental support, while inhibiting factors include a limited number of teachers, diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds among the children, and limited learning facilities. This study affirms that emotional closeness is a prerequisite for effective da’wah to children.