Honestly, if there was an award for ‘the best male writer’, i’d definitely vote for you inshaAllah ta’ala br. Arif. May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala bless you with all good in both this world and the Hereafter ameen.

jazakAllah khayr for this beautiful piece.

But to fast forward to our 21st century western environment, there are undoubtedly a variety of ways that Muslim women can do Da’wah. * But to quickly address the issue of the “fatwas” on this issue and that issue – the idea here is, to – at the same time – maintain the femininity & preserve the Islamic attire amongst Muslim women. e.g. Hijab, dressing properly, no free mixing of the opposite genders, etc.

Note also that Da’wah doesn’t just have to be through ‘leadership’ – that is something that only a few amongst the Ummah achieve. For all of us, every Abdullahs and Fatimahs, the door of Da’wah is wide open and waiting 4 us to open it.

You also mentioned the silent Da’wah, perhaps referring to the concept “A smile is the best thing you can say without speaking – in fact, many times it is more effective than speaking.” — You know, that sometimes it’s not just your words, but rather your actions that impact people more! ‘Actions speak louder than words.’ But btw, when you mentioned public speaking, realize that it is not prohibited for Muslim women to speak, preach and have a voice. e.g. Our Mother `Aa’ishah, was the teacher of many of the greatest scholar of this Ummah in the generation (that followed the Sahabah) of the Tabi’een.

Also note that Muslim women don’t have to always be silent – and that is their way of Da’wah, no! The only prohibitions (for both men & women) are the mixing and [unlimited] interactions of the opposite genders. So (a) Muslim women can definitely give Da’wah to non-Muslim women; friends, colleagues, classmates, neighbors, etc. There are many forms of Da’wah to one’s neighbors. The Prophet ordered `Aa’ishah (رضي الله عنها) to do this form of Da’wah to her (nearby) neighbors, and 1 of the ways he mentioned was giving them gifts or food, etc. so they recognize that it is our Religion, our God who has commanded us to go out of our way to be courteous & generous to our neighbors!
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Ultimately, it is really through one’s true embodiment of all the principles & teachings of Islam that one really affects the ppl around him (or her). Through our standing firm on our principles, through our character, behavior, manners, ethics and high standards.

1 of our teachers, Sh. Abdullah Hakim Quick, once made a statement – which I’d like to end on – he said: “Educate a man and you benefit an individual. Educate a woman and you benefit a family.”

And this statement is absolutely true and very critical. Def. the best form of Da’wah that a woman could do is to raise a true believer; if you look at the broader scheme of things, you’ll see how this goes a long way in impacting the entire society & nation as a whole. Imagine if every single Muslim woman in America were to spend time and put effort into raising, nurturing and taking care of what is necessary for the proper development of their children ~ what would this do for the Ummah?! سبحان الله But sadly, due to this culture & other factors, many Muslim women have begun to think that this is a ‘lesser role’, whereas that is the exact opposite of the reality & it is what the enemies of Islam want Muslim women to think. It was the strong mothers – in our Islamic history – that brought up the likes of Imam Al-Bukhaari, Imam Ahmad, and many of the giants of this religion.

But again, realize that the Door of Da’wah is open for you, and its forms are indeed numerous! The only real restrictions that are present are for our own good, and for the preservation of the Islamic principles; modesty, dignity, hayaa’, taqwa, the limitedness of opposite gender relations (only to what is necessary), proper dress & etiquette of speaking.