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The Intellectual Background of Tabligh Movement
By
(Sheikh Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi Rahmatullah Alaihi )
“The very foundations upon which the
super-structure of Islamic Revival system of teaching and learning was to be
raised were crumbling among the Muslims and even their belief in the
fundamental articles of Faith was weakening day by day. In the Maulana's own
words, "The fundamental doctrines have ceased to
be fundamental and lost the power to sustain and regulate the subsidiary doctrines."
Belief in the Supermacy and Tawheed of Allah and in the Apostleship of the
Prophet Muhammad salallahu Alaihi wasallam was steadily declining, the life Hereafter
was losing its importance, and the dignity of the Word of Allah and the worth
and significance of the sayings of the Apostle were getting reduced to
meaningless terms.
In a letter to Maulana Husain Ahmad Madni, the
Maulana Ilyas wrote:
"There is no limit to the ridicule and derision with which
the very mention of things like Namaz, Roza, adherence to Faith
and compliance with the Shariat is greeted among the Muslims. The basic aim of
the Tabligh movement is the revival of tire glory of these tenets and
duties, and to bring about a change from scoffing to reverence."
Gross neglect
The Maulana had realised that the Muslims were
drifting away from the elementary teachings of the Faith. To talk of the more
advanced branches when the plant of Faith had yet to take root in the hearts
was' unreasonable and premature. What was the point in the establishment of new
theological institutions when even the older ones were languishing and the
veins and arteries which carried blood to them were getting harder and narrower
day by day? No one was willing to acknowledge their need or to recall with
gratitude the services of their founders, teachers and other well-wishers. As
the Maulana wrote to Haji Rasheed Ahmad, who was associated with a number of
leading Madrassas:
"I had seen, fifteen years ago, the trend that was developing
among the well-wishers, and felt that the way the Madrassas were functioning
and being maintained, i. e. the interest and inclination of the people which
led them to make donations and serve the institutions in various other ways was
dwindling and it would soon disappear and there was not much hope for the
future."
The Maulana had, also, felt that theological
sciences were becoming unproductive, and, in fact, a burden on the pupils owing
to the predominance of worldly interests. He said, "These sciences are
becoming valueless because the aims and objects for which one acquired them
have gone out of them and the ends and advantages for which these were studied
are gained no longer. Keeping the two things in mind, I concentrated on this
way, i.e. Tabligh of serving the Faith."
It was not that the Maulana did not consider
the Maktabs and Madrassas essential for the Muslims. On the other hand,
he regarded their extinction a curse and a misfortune. Writing to Haji Rasheed
Ahmad on the closing down of a large number of Madrassas in Mewat, he said:
"You must emphasise that the stagnation or closure of
hundreds of Madrassas is a source of great misfortune for the people and there
is the danger of our being called to account on the Day of Final Judgement that
the Quran was disappearing from the world and there was no share in our wealth
and no anxiety in our hearts for it."
The Madrassas had been founded upon the ground
our ancestors had prepared, and deep anxiety for the preservation and
propagation of Islam had induced religious-minded Muslims to set them up so
that the younger generations did not remain ignorant of Faith. It was on
account of this awareness and solicitude, however weak, that the Madrassas were
functioning and getting pupils. But the stock of eagerness and earnestness was
running out fast which was a most alarming portent for the future of Faith and
the survival of the Madrassas.
The primary need, therefore, was to revive the
ardour and enthusiasm among the Muslims. It should be brought home to them that
there was no other way to acquire Faith than to learn it, and the learning of
Faith was more important than the learning of material arts and sciences. Once
this realisation was produced, the rest would be easy. The general ailment of
the Muslims was lethargy and listlessness. It had been presumed that Faith was
present among them, and, hence attention was being diverted towards things of a
secondary nature.
A notable change that had come over religious
preaching, instruction and reform, as compared to the earlier times, was that
it had got restricted to seekers and nothing was being done for those who were
the victims of complacency and oblivious to the need for improvement. The world
was sunk in torpor whenever the Apostles were raised up. They aroused it from
deep slumber, produced earnest seekers of truth and trained men for their
mission. To stimulate the mindless and apathetic people and to enkindle the
desire for correction and change in their hearts was the real end and purpose
of Tabligh.
Method
But, how was it to be done? The Kalima of
Laa ilaah was the end of the Rope of Allah which was in the hands of
every Muslim. By seizing that end you can pull him towards the whole Faith. He
cannot resist it. As long as the Muslim affirms the Kalima, there will
be a good chance of bringing him over to Faith. The opportunity must be seized
with both hands before it is lost altogether.
The only way now to create religious
consciousness among the Muslims was that contact was made with them through the
Kalima. It should be taught to them if they did not know it already and
seen that they pronounced it correctly. Its significance should be explained
to them and they should be told what the affirmation of servility to God and
loyalty to the Prophet meant. They should be roused and brought round to
observing the duties to God and the Apostle, the foremost among which was Namaz.
God had endowed Namaz with the exceptional quality of generating the
strength and ability to adhere and be faithful to the whole of Faith. It was
the primary and most manifest evidence of loyalty and obeisance avowed through
the Kalima. For further advancement and solidity, the Muslims were to be
exhorted to remember the Lord much and often, and it should be made clear to
them that for living as Muslims it was necessary to acquire knowledge of the
will and purpose and commands and injunctions of God. No art or skill could be
acquired without spending sometime over it. The same was true of Faith. One had
to find time for it, aside of one's pre-occupations. The task was so extensive
that it was beyond the capacity of a few individuals or groups. The general
body of the Muslims must come forward to fulfill it. In the words of the
Maulana: "If lakhs will not rise up for the sake of crores, how will it be
done? There are not as many lakhs who know as crores who do not."
For it, the Maulana was convinced that a
ceaseless and universal endeavour had to be launched in the whole of the
Muslim World. Action and movement were a permanent and intrinsic part of the
life of a Muslim. Lethargy and pre-occupation with worldly affairs were a
passing phenomenon. The foundation of the Muslim millet was laid on struggle
and endeavour for Faith. It was for it that it had been raised up otherwise
there was nothing lacking in any sphere of worldly activity to remove which a
new community had to be brought forth. The decline of the Muslims began when
they neglected this duty and grew spiritually weak and listless and their
habits became sedentary and they acquired fondness for the softer ways of urban
life. It started with the end of the Glorious Caliphate. Says the Maulana:
"We stopped setting out in batches in the path of Faith
although it was a fundamental duty. The Prophet himself used to go from place
to place and whoever took the pledge at his hand, also, began to do the same
like a man possessed. When, in Mecca, Islam was confined to the individual
plane, everyone who became a Muslim strove individually to preach the Faith to
others. In Medina, there was a more civilized and collective life. On migrating
to it, the Prophet started sending out parties in all directions, and as the
Muslims grew in number, they acquired a martial character. Peaceful life was
possible only to those who served as the refuge and sustainers of the
wanderers. To be in a state of movement and active endeavour in the path of
Faith was the thing that mattered. When it ceased, the Caliphate, too, came to
an end."
Design of work
The plan of work, in the Maulana's own words,
was as follows:
"The real Tabligh is of two things, and the rest
consists only of giving it a definite shape. One of these things is material
and the other is spiritual. By 'material' we mean what is related to the limbs
i.e. revival of the practice of travelling in batches from place to place and
country to country for the propagation of the Guidance brought by the Prophet,
while the 'spiritual' half denotes the engendering of sentiments i.e. giving rise, once again, to the custom of
laying down one's life at the command of God, as has been set forth in the
Quran:
"But nay, by thy Lord, they will not believe (in truth)
until they make thee judge of what is in dispute between them and find within
themselves no dislike of that which thou decides, and submit with full submission.(
IV : 65)
"I created the jinn and humankind only that they
might worship Me. (LI : 86)
might worship Me. (LI : 86)
1. To strive for the things brought by the sacred Prophet in
proportion, to their importance. As, unfortunately, we are getting unacquainted
with the Kalima, its preaching should receive paramount attention,
which, in truth, lies in the affirmation of the godhead of God, i. e., our sole
ambition should be to lay down our lives at the behest of Allah.
2. To pay attention, after the correction of the Kalima, to the
correction of Namaz and ending it with as much likeness to the Namaz of the
holy Prophet as possible.
3. To engage, in morning and evening and in some part of the
night, in gaining the knowledge of Faith and remembrance of God.
4. To travel in order to spread the teachings of the Prophet in
all parts of the world.
5. To train oneself in good moral and social behaviour during
the travels and to fulfill the duties to God and fellowmen with sincerity.
6. (Correction of intention), i. e., to seek Divine good
pleasure and betterment of life in the Hereafter through carrying out the
Commands of God with fullest faith in the promises made by Him on each
Command."
A great evil which is the source of a thousand
evils these days and has deprived the Muslims of each-other's virtues and Islam
of the collective goodness of the Muslims is the disparagement of fellow
Muslims. Every Muslim has taken it for granted that he is the embodiment of
virtue while all the other Muslims are mean, vicious and sinful, and, hence,
he, alone, is worthy of esteem. This attitude is responsible for all the ills
and evils that are plaguing the religious and social life of the Muslims.
There was a special favour of the Lord on
Maulana Mohammad Ilyas in this regard and he made respect for Muslims a
cardinal point of his endeavour. The nature of the Tabligh movement is
such that, in it, one has to deal with all sorts of Muslims and numerous
difficulties can arise if this basic principle is overlooked.
In place of the prevalent attitude of
self-righteousness, the Maulana insisted that people saw their own faults and
learnt to admire the good qualities of others. It was the only way to ensure
peace and co-operation in individual as well as collective life.
As the Maulana, once, wrote:
"There is no man or Muslim who is wholly good or wholly
bad. Everyone has his own virtues and weaknesses. If the practice of
appreciating the good and ignoring the bad points of each-other became current
among us, many evils will disappear, by themselves, from the world and virtues will
take their place. But, unfortunately, what obtains in actual practice, today,
is far different."
By his own example and through instruction and
exhortation the Maulana had instilled into the Mewatis and other Tabligh workers
reverence for the Kalima and respect for the Muslims so well that it had
become a part of their nature. Together with it, the emphasis on Zikr and
Ilm, and on abstention from vain and fruitless conversation, and
rendering obedience to the leader, and working as a united body, in accordance
with the rules, had made the Movement safe against the sad experiences that,
generally, befell those who are associated with the work of religious reform
and instruction.
Preparing the ground
According to the Maulana, the Faith was the
soil and to travel from place to place for its propagation among the masses was
like the preparation of the soil, while theological institutions and other
manifestations of the religious life of the Muslims could be compared to the
orchards, and, naturally, the more fertile and well-irrigated the soil, the
more flourishing would be the orchards. The primary need, therefore, was to
prepare the soil and make it fertile.
As he writes:
"Striving in the cause of Tabligh and going from place to
place is, for theological institutions and all other religious affairs, like
preparing the soil, and the other religious activities are like planting trees
on it. Groves are of many kinds. There are groves of dates, apples,
pomegranates, bananas, and, so on. But no grove can be grown without hard work
in two directions. One is the preparation of the soil without which nothing can
be done, and the other is taking care of the trees. The Tabligh movement, thus,
is the soil of the Faith, and the institutions are the groves. So far, the soil
of the Faith has been lying neglected. How, then, can trees be grown on
it?"
And, again:
"How can a community whose degeneration has gone so far
that it has sunk even below the words of the Kalima of Laa Illaaha illallaah
be reformed at the top without starting from the bottom. The end cannot be
corrected without the correction of the beginning. If it is corrected at the
starting point and set on the right course, it will reach the top by itself,
while to hope for reformation at the top when the base is unsound is pure
illusion."
The Maulana, thus, regarded his Movement
essential for the preservation of Faith and believed no effort or sacrifice to
be too much for it. He said:
"I cannot think of any other way to the progress and
advancement of our Movement, the need of which is accepted on all hands, than
that everyone got ready to sacrifice whatever he had.
Like Jehad, it, too, in its typical form, is a foremost
religious duty, and it is binding on all Muslims to take an active interest in
it. Doubtlessly, among all the efforts that are being made today, it is nearest
to the method of the holy Prophet."
In a talk with Maulana Ataullah Shah Bukhari,
during his last illness, the Maulana explained his viewpoint in these words:
"In the beginning, when
I taught in the Madrassa, a large number of pupils came to study, and there
were many good and promising boys among them. I thought that the net result of
the time and energy I spent on them could only be that after graduating from
the Madrassa, they would become Molvis and Alims, and, then, take
to professions that were, generally, accepted during those days. Some of them
would learn the Unani system of medicine and open their clinics, some would
pass the university examinations and become teachers in schools and colleges,
and some would have to rest content with serving as Molvis in the Madrassas.
That was all.I, thereupon, lost interest in teaching in the Madrassa.
Then a time came when my spiritual mentor gave me the permission
to teach Zikr to the seekers of Truth, and I, also, felt inclined
towards it. By the grace of God, those under my instruction made such a rapid
progress that even I was surprised. With it, I, also, started thinking what it
all was and where would it lead to. At the most, some men of spiritual merit
would be produced and people would come to them with requests to invoke Divine
favour on their behalf to win a law-suit, or give them an amulet for having
children. It could, also, be that the chain of guidance and instruction endured
for sometime because of them. Ultimately, I lost interest in it as well, and
resolved that the proper use of the capabilities God had endowed me with was
that those were employed for the same purpose for which the holy Prophet had
employed his own capabilities, i. e., for leading the bondmen of the Lord,
specially the heedless and the negligent, towards Him and giving rise to the
practice of striving to the utmost, even to the extent of sacrificing one's
life, for the glory of the Word of God. This, solely, is our endeavour, and
this is all that I say to everyone. If this work is seriously undertaken, a
thousand times more Madrassas and Sufi-lodges will get established
automatically, or, rather, every Muslim will become a Madrassa and a Khanqah,
and the boon and blessing brought by the sacred Prophet will come to be
distributed at the level of the common man."
To a friend asking for an amulet, the Maulana
wrote:
"May God bless you, brother. I possess no knowledge of the
amulets, charms and incantations. It will, however, be most beneficial if you
learnt Tabligh from me for steadfastness in Faith. It will make the
life of this world easy and the life of Futurity pleasant for you. I want to
devote all my time to Tabligh though I know it not as well."
Similarly, in another letter, he said:
"I know nothing of amulets and charms. For me the panacea
for all the ills and evils is Tabligh. God is pleased with the
ascendancy of Faith and cool comfort is brought to the Prophet in
his mausoleum. Thus, God will mend everything by Himself when His good
pleasure will be sought and comfort brought to the sacred Prophet."
In yet another letter, the Maulana wrote:
"My friend, I am neither a conjurer nor a soothsayer. I,
also, know nothing about charms and amulets. I am am ignorant man lying in the
corner of a mosque. By the grace of God, 1 strive for the correction of the
life of Futurity, and my sole anxiety is that God made me of those who derive
benefit from the holy Prophet. This is my one and only occupation. If you and
your friends are in need of it, pay heed to what I say. Maybe, it does you some good."
Tending to the roots of the Faith
The Maulana had realised that the leaves and
branches of the tree of Faith were withering because its roots had dried up.
The freshness and radiance of supererogatory deeds was diminishing owing to
the neglect of fundamental duties. Says he:
"The supererogatory acts of worship, prayer-formulas,
entreaties and supplications, in fact, everything in the line of religion are
the leaves and flowers of Faith. Now, how can the leaves and flowers of a tree
preserve their freshness when it has dried up at the root? That is why, in my
humble opinion, neither the prayer-formulas are being effective these days nor
supplications nor the spiritual attention and inclination of anyone. As a
Tradition has it, 'When the endeavour for the preaching and propagation of
Faith, which consists of sanctioning what is right and forbidding what is
wrong, will have ceased, the prayers of the devotees who spend their nights in
crying to the Lord and their supplications will avail nothing. 'The Gates of
Mercy have been closed. It is futile to hope for improvement in the condition
of the Muslims until they make efforts for the preservation and propagation of
Islam.' It is the Will of God that He will turn with mercy towards the Muslims
only when they strive for the glory of Faith and spend their time and energy on
it."
To feel earnestly for Faith was an essential
attribute of a Muslim. There was, he said, a great danger of being put to
humiliation and disgrace in the Hereafter for the Believer who remains
indifferent to the Call of Tabligh and does not participate in the
endeavour for the revival and regeneration of Faith.
"Believe me",
says the Maulana in a letter, "Whoever dies without grief in his heart
over the extinction of Islam dies the worst kind of death. On the Day of
Resurrection, he will rise with a blackened face."
In the same way, on the occasion of a Tabligh
meeting in Mewat, he wrote:
"Give glad tidings to those who worked towards the success
of the meeting. Tell them that as they have striven to change the scene of
mutual discord and hatred into that of the glory of the Word of God, this act
of theirs shall, Insha Allah, be mentioned, on the Day of Final Requital, from
the pulpit where all the men and jinn and angels and Apostles will be
present."
Change of outlook is essential for
reform
The religious surroundings in which the Maulana
had been brought up did not permit of any laxity or hesitation in the
forbidding of what was wrong and sanctioning of what was right in the eye of
the Shariat. In fact, it was owing to this constancy and resoluteness that
many lawful things were made current in the religious circle to which he
belonged and unlawful things were eradicated, and numerous defunct Sunnats were
revived.
The Maulana knew that the way to remove the
evils was not to grapple with them one by one for often a life-time was spent
in uprooting a sinful practice, and, yet, no progress was made, and even if
some success was gained, it remained confined to a particular class or group,
and, sometimes, it, also, happened that if one evil was eradicated, another
took its place. It would, thus, take centuries of struggle to rid the world of
the innumerable vices and iniquities that were prevalent in it. The wisest
course would be to avoid a direct assault on them and concentrate on the
promotion of religious conscience and giving rise to lawful and virtuous acts and
practices.
The Maulana did not believe in piecemeal
reform. He would say, "Come from far and near, changing the environment
all the way and spreading what is good and lawful. The evil and forbidden
things will disappear by themselves. The more the positive virtues and
legitimate acts will flourish, the more will the moral and religious faults and
sinful deeds and habits lose their hold and pass from existence."
It was related to me by a Mewati that, once, he
was wetting the ground with water to make it cool. He poured the water all
around him, but the place where he was standing remained dry, and, then, a cool
breeze came and the temperature of that place, also, fell down. At that time,
he realised that if he had poured water only where he was standing and the
surrounding ground had remained dry, it, too, would not have become cool, and,
it was with it, that the wisdom of the Maulana's method dawned upon him.
About a village which was devoid of religious
feeling, the Maulana wrote:
"It would not be correct to make a
direct approach. A better course would be to persuade the people of the adjoining
village to take Tabligh parties to it. They should first be brought into a
proper frame of mind and it is only then that a direct appeal can bear fruit;
otherwise the consequences will be even more disastrous.
A man is always influenced by his environment. This is the
guiding principle of our Movement. It is most difficult to take a man out of
his surroundings. The aim should, therefore, be to change the
surroundings."
The Maulana insisted that the whole life should
be brought under the influence of Faith.
"Keep your spirits high in the service of Faith", said
he to a friend. "You cannot imagine how much joy will it bring to the soul
of the sacred Prophet, and, God willing you will see a marvellous
improvement."
Similarly, to a friend who was, probably,
interested in the religious uplift of the trading classes, the Maulana wrote:
"In my humble view, the ultimate purpose of Tabligh
to which I invited you and for which I am, also, striving to the best of my
ability is to bring the trade, commerce and agriculture of the Muslims under
the control of the Shariat. The starting point of Tabligh is worship,
and without the perfection of worship, no progress can be made towards the
observance of the teachings of Islam in social conduct and monetary dealings.
The primary object of the earnest bondmen should, therefore, be the propagation
and perfection of the A, B. C. of Tabligh, i. e., worship in the world. Moral
conduct, social behaviour and monetary dealings can be reformed only through
it."
Popular method of Zikr and Ta'allum
Maulana Mohammad Ilyas gave a general call of Zikr
and Ta'allum to the Muslims, but in his scheme of things, these terms
possessed a special significance. Throughout India, or, rather, the Islamic
World there are in vogue some definite prayer-formulas for Zikr and a
special course of study is prescribed for the Madrassas. Gradually, Zikr and
Ta'allum have become so institutionalised that to observe or pursue them
outside the traditional design is considered inconceivable. The Maulana held a
revolutionary idea in these matters as well. He felt that while the established
order was necessary, only a few persons could profit by it. The general body of
Muslims could make little or no progress in Zikr and knowledge within a
limited period of time.
After a deep study of the life-record of the
holy companions, the Maulana had concluded that the method which was followed
during the early phase of Islam was the most natural way for the education and
instruction of the Ummat. About Zikr he felt that it would be a grave
folly to neglect it, yet, at the same time, he was sure that it should not be
confined to the repetition of a few set prayer-formulas. To bear in mind the
rules and principles laid down for various walks and circumstances of life and
to abide by them at each step was the sum and essence of God-remembrance, and
the main task lay in reviving, in the Ummat, the spirit of Iman and Ihtisab.
All the same, it was, also, necessary to include vocal Zikr in the
plan of Tabligh. He wrote:
"Believing Tabligh to be an easy and unfailing means of
seeking the countenance of the Lord, keep yourselves engaged in this task,
carrying out Zikr much and often and making earnest entreaties to Him,
with the head bent low in genuflexion. Tell others, also, to do the same.
Remembrance of God and supplication are the essence of Tabligh."
As for education, the Maulana believed that to
confine it to books and Madrassas was to exclude a large section of the Ummat
from acquiring it. Only a small minority of Muslims would be able to profit by
it, and that, too, only intellectually. The direct method through which the
masses could acquire not only religious knowledge but, also, realise its inner
reality without the usual paraphernalia was that of personal contact, association
and congregation and active
participation in religious effort
and coming out of one's traditional environment. Just as language and good
manners were learnt best in the company of men of culture and education, in the
same way correct knowledge of religion was acquired in the company of and
close association with men of Faith and piety. Faith was a living and dynamic
thing while books were lifeless and devoid of feeling and spirit, and to obtain
the animate from the inanimate was contrary to the law of nature. A part of the
Faith was related to the limbs and it could be acquired only by moving the
limbs, and a part of it was related to the heart which could be transmitted
only from one heart to another and a part of it was related to mind and this
could be gained, of course, by reading the books. As he said:
"Every limb of a man has a function to perform. The eye is
meant for seeing and it must do that. It cannot be used for hearing. In the
same way, it is the function of the heart to react to the surroundings, and the
mind gives a definite form to what the heart feels. Mind is governed by the
heart and feeling is produced in the heart by external environment, and the
giving of form to it is called knowledge. The mind will form the correct
image, i. e., acquire knowledge only when the response of the heart is correct
and this is not possible through the books. It can be produced only by action.
I do not say that the Madrassas should be closed down. The Madrassas are for
the perfection of education, but they are not sufficient for the elementary
and basic education of all Muslims."(Only 5% of Muslims can join the
formal system of Madarsa)
Another thing needed for the advancement of
education was to share with others the knowledge one had acquired. To put it in
Maulana's own words:
"Know that a scholar cannot make progress in learning until
he imparts what he has learnt to those who are inferior to him in knowledge,
particularly to those who are on the borderline of Apostasy."
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