BANGKOK, THAILAND — On Monday (17/4/2023) at around 11.00 local time, the Dai Ambassador of Dompet Dhuafa assigned to Thailand was called by Dr Engkos Kosasih Lc, MA, one of the Dai Dompet Dhuafa assigned to the Indonesian Embassy. He said there would be a meeting with the Thai Ambassador at his office.
Hearing the news, Dai Dompet Dhuafa Thailand, on duty at their respective locations, immediately rushed to prepare for the Indonesian Embassy in Thailand. They booked a vehicle from the Sathorn area to the Phetchaburi Road area.
“Alhamdulillah, the road was quite quiet and thirty minutes later, we arrived at the White House of the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok,” Ustaz Dasram wrote to Dompet Dhuafa.
Arriving at the Indonesian Embassy, Dai Dompet Dhuafa immediately took the visitor card and handed over the ID Card, then went to the Ambassador’s office room. The Indonesian Ambassador to Thailand, Rachmat Budiman and several of his staff welcomed the Dai Dompet Dhuafa cordially. He was accompanied by the Research Attaché and Sofyan, Dompet Dhuafa’s Partner in Thailand.
Baca juga: Catatan Dai Ambassador Dompet Dhuafa Thailand: Kokohnya Masjid Indonesia di Negeri Gajah Putih
The meeting took about an hour and a half and was very fluid. The Dai Dompet Dhuafa received an important message from the relevant IT Ambassador about the challenges of da’wah in the modern era.
The Ambassador invited them to think together about the importance of maintaining the authority and quality of Islam during the growing challenges of da’wah, especially abroad. In his message, the Indonesian Ambassador emphasized the importance of practising Islam correctly in everyday life as an implementation of Islam rahmatan lil ‘alamin. According to the Ambassador, that is the key to answering the challenges above.
The Dai Dompet Dhuafa also enthusiastically responded to the Indonesian Ambassador’s message while pledging readiness to answer the da’wah challenge.
In addition, the Indonesian Ambassador also emphasized the importance of reading literacy for a Muslim. According to Ustaz Dasram, Rachmat Budiman repeatedly mentioned the tradition of “Iqra”, or reading. He emphasized that “Iqra” is not just reading a book, but reading with a broader meaning, analyzing, pondering, analyzing and deciding. According to Rachmat, all of that is also included in reading literacy.
Dai also caught the message and tried to take the right approach to convey the message of Islam to diverse communities. Especially now is the age of social media. For this reason, the ability to read or literacy becomes very important.
Based on a survey conducted by the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) released by the organization For Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2019, Indonesia ranks 62nd out of 70 countries or is in the bottom ten countries with low literacy rates.
In addition, the Indonesian Ambassador to Thailand also supported Da’i’s role as an “Agent of Change ” or agent of change and disseminator of goodness in society. However, he reminded Dai’s challenges in Indonesia are much more significant than those abroad. Therefore, Dai must have courage and consistency in carrying out his duties.
In the context of nationality, the Indonesian Ambassador challenged Dai to become a statesman, not just a politician. He advised that when a Dai enters the world of politics, he should be able to bring virtues to world politics, not even coloured. Dai is expected to make a positive contribution to the nation and state and can maintain the authority of Islam in society.
Finally, Rachmat Budiman also gave a concrete example of the practice of Islamic values in Thailand. Although most of the population is not Muslim, the awareness of cleanliness and respect for others is evident in the White Elephant Country.
This practice shows that the practice of Islam is seen in the number of Muslim populations and the practice of Islamic values in everyday life.
“Overall, the messages from the Indonesian Ambassador in Bangkok are essential for the Dai Ambassadors of Dompet Dhuafa who attended the event,” explained Ustaz Dasram.
“Remembering an Arabic proverb saying nahnu du’at qobla kulli sha’i, which means we are Dai before everything. Wherever we are and whatever our position, we should realize that we are a Dai who calls for goodness.”
“And another Arabic proverb that says nahnu du’at lasna qudho’ot, that we as Dai are not judges. This is the message of the Indonesian Ambassador in Thailand to all of us,” concluded Ustaz Dasram in his note to Dompet Dhuafa.
This activity was then closed by handing over souvenirs from Dai Ambassador Dompet Dhuafa to the Indonesian Ambassador in Thailand. (Dompet Dhuafa/Dai Ambassador, Dasram Effendi/Ronna)