Assalam o Alaikum, Now it is available as PDF download Please Point out any mistakes and give suggestion for improving in next edition insha Allah (spelling/grammer/content/any ) JAZAKALLAH
(Dawah, Taleem-o-Ta’allum,Tazkiyya, Khidmat)
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(Dawah, Taleem-o-Ta’allum,Tazkiyya, Khidmat)
FROM THE
BOOK OF SHEIKH ABUL HASAN ALI NADVI
(From Urdu
book Musalmanon ki Umumi Taleem o
Tarbeeat ka Nizam)
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praises to Allah the Sustainer of the worlds, and grace,
honour and salutations on the Chief of Apostles and Seal of Prophets, Muhammad
Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, his family, companions and those who followed him
in an excellent fashion and invited mankind towards Allah, till the Day of
Resurrection.
It is basically translator’s note but any note on the
writing of such a great scholar is not at all appropriate for a person of low
capabilities like me.
So in the translator’s note instead of writing from my
side I will put some portions of Sheikh Abu Hasan Ali Nadvi Urdu book “Deen ki Ummomi Taleem o Tarbiat Ka Nizam”
which has also been published with name of Ek
Aham deeni Dawat
Maulana in the above book has presented, How prophet Sallallahu Alihi Wsallam
educated and nurtured all section of Society of (of Sahaba) in a way that no
one remain ignorant. Although without a printed copy of Quran, Printed copy
of Hadith and without any formal Institution, educated and What was the Methodology
and how to replicate that system for Present day general Muslims who. This book
is revolutionary. This book is giving a
model for teaching for those Muslims who cannot join Formal Madarsa/Islamic
Institutes or cannot spare themselves completely for a formal Islamic learning.
It is not only for well known illiterates (Labourers, Rickshaw Pullers etc) but also for those Muslims who otherwise
are from elite class (Doctors, engineers ,officers, ministers etc) but with respect to knowledge and practice
of deen are not in a good position. (i.e. A viable model for 95 % Muslims) .
The Urdu book is available on this website of Maulana
Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi centre. The link for urdu book is http://abulhasanalinadwi.org/urdu06.html
Below is Translation of excerpts from sheikh Nadvi urdu book (Musalmanon
ki Umumi Taleem o Tarbeeat ka Nizam also published as EK AHAM DEENI DAWAT) Page no 6 and 7.Page No 10,11 and 12
Maulana Writes ………………………………………
“Condition of Arab Nation in terms of literacy, knowledge and Ignorance”
Everyone knows that Prophet was
descended in Arab nation who was ignorant and unmannered to the deepest level. Almost
all were illiterate. The Holy Quran has mentioned the arab nation as Ummieen.
(The illiterate)
هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولاً مِنْهُم يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمْ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ ( الجمعة: 2
هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولاً مِنْهُم يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمْ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ ( الجمعة: 2
He is the One
who raised amidst the unlettered people a messenger from among themselves who
recites to them His verses, and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and
the wisdom,
Not only they were illiterate but
were deep filled in the worst kind of social economic disarray. Having no
etiquettes and protocol. No other words can describe it better than the Holy Quran
وَإِنْ كَانُوا مِنْ
قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلاَلٍ مُبِينٍ ( الجمعة: 2
وَكُنْتُمْ عَلَى
شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِنْ النَّارِ ( آل
عمران103:
While they were earlier in open error. You were at the brink of a pit
of Fire
Prophet Approach for education and
Nurturing of Arabs
“On the scale of quantitative and Qualitative
Result and long term impact the approach adopted by The beloved prophet With
the Guidance of Almighty Allah is itself a Miracle.
The first thing infused by prophet
was to make them eager, keen and passionate for Deen and the knowledge of deen.
The prophet taught them to believe on the Promises of Allah.
One Sahabi states
“TAALLAMANAL EMAAN SUMMA TAALLAMANAL QURAN”
“We learned first Emaan (Firm believe on the words and
commands of Allah and Prophet) and then learned Quran.”
With this Emaan and passion they bore all the sacrifices to the extent of
even of leaving home. Everyone was keen to learn the required Ilm for guidance.
And those who has learned something considered it obligatory to teach others
the same.
Mutaharrak and Amli Darsgah (Prophet established Practical and Kinetic seats
of learning)
Right from Beginning Prophet made a
system with the foundation principles as
Knowledge with Practice (Ilm ke saath Amal)
Practice based on Knowledge (Amaal ke saath Ilm)
Learning with teaching (Taleem with TAALLUM)
The whole Islamic society was a
practical and kinetic (Mobile) seat of learning (Madarsa) in which everyone was
seeker for himself (Taalib) and teacher for others. The lessons of this School
were not used to be reinforced alone rather by interdependence i.e. trying to
memorize others and in conveying deen to others and to bear the difficulties in
this process with enjoyment. This teaching used to get imprinted on heart
rather than only tongue.Knowledge, rectification (Islah) and Tazkiya of Nafs
was best refined and cemented in meeting different type of people dealing with
them in practical life.
To be precise lets understand that their
lessons of swimming not to take on dry classes rather in in the river of life. This system of learning was the same
way as a child learn his mother language with company of their parents and
society.
As soon as someone accepted Kalima
and Islam and believed on the rightness of Allah and rasool he used to be
involved in the path of Allah. He used to make himself worthless for the sake
of deen and Allah. He used to be in the furnace of sacrifice and a short period
of time he will become a pure gold.
Teaching and Learning of deen and its effort is integral part of muslim
life.
It is very clear from Quran and
Hadith that following is a parts and parcel of a Muslim life.
1.
To
learn deen for oneself and to practice it in life.
2.
To Teach deen (Islamic Knowledge and Practice)
to others
3.
Encouraging for good and advising to stop from
bad
4.
Striving
for the Spread and Propagation of deen. These all should be parts of a Muslim
life.
In the era of prophet and early
generation of Muslim people of all walk of life i.e Farmers businessman rich or
poor used to spare some time for learning and teaching deen.
He was a businessman or farmer but
whenever demanded he was ready to postpone these engagement for the sake of
deen. Those who could not do this. Surah Tauba is full with the stern warning
for them. (It is actually warning for all of Muslims till the day of judgment)
Hazrat Kaab bin Malik Raziallahu
Anhau who could not participate in TABOOK that the same engagements and the
city of Madeenah became a thorn for him. He was so much boycotted that no one
in the city was to even talk with him and to reply him.
A Downward and Harmful change Happened among today’s Muslim
A back revolution has happened today (Both
Ideological and Practical). Now learning and teaching of deen and striving in
the service of deen are not continuing to be a part of life of a general
Muslim.
Rather Service of Deen and striving
has become a public work as part of Ummat and not of individual Muslims. Some
special people has been engaged for the service of deen. General Muslims got an
excuse and became free from service and striving for deen.
This change was a practical turning
point in the life of current Muslims compared to the life of Sahaba and first
few generations of Muslims.
Among Sahaba there was no exception
and there was no segregation for the services of deen. (ISTASHNA AUR TAKHSEES)
Rather everyone was involved according to his capability and competence.
Remaining away from service of Deen and the message of Allah was a self harming
suicidal action .
Service and Teaching of deen along with our daily Engagements.
Another dreaded thought got hold that
we can’t do Service and learning of deen along with our daily business and
jobs. but We started thinking that (Monetary Service of deen is possible but)
we are not eligible for Service of deen by (collective effort with life and
time ) unless we leave our worldly engagement of business and job.
Obviously only few Muslims could do
the sacrificial of worldly engagement and consequently the learning and
services of deen by general Muslims became rare. By the passage of time under
influence of Materialism this trend even further increased. The people who were
free for service of deen became rarest of the rare.
Those who could not spare themselves
finally became hopeless. Slowly this class became fulfilled with their worldly
engagement.
Although Sahaba were having business
farming etc but they also learned deen and did service of deen collectively
without any exception.
Among Shaba even those who were
called as Qurra (Aalim/seeker of Knowledge) they were also doing either manual
labor or small business in the day and used to study at night.
The importance of seeking of
knowledge was very important. Those who were not able to come daily made an
association with another sahabi Started coming in the Prophet gathering on
alternate days and used to listen and understand the lesson of absent days from
his partner/ associate Sahaba and it was vice versa. (BUKHARI HADITH about
Hazrat Umar and his Neighbour tells the picture).They were restlessness about
knowledge and practice of deen.
The Approach to Implement the Model of Prophetic Era
1.
Effort
should be made that the teaching-learning and service of deen be made integral
part of a Muslim life.
2.
A
call should be given that Muslims should accomplish their worldly engagement
under this primary work of Service of deen. This is the real life underneath
the WAMA KHALAQTUL JINNA WAL INSA ILLA LIYABUDOON and with the enlightenment
Muslim has been created for this work.
The remaining
time and resources should be efficiently utilized for lawful earning instead of
wasting time in unnecessary and unwanted activities.
3.
Today
it is the prime need of Muslim ummah to revive the the teaching and learning
pattern of prophetic era. There is a need to mix and complement the formal
system of Books and syllabus with the system of kinetic mobile learning and
teaching.
4.
It is for the education of general
muslim mass.All Those Muslims who cannot join Formal
Madarsa/Islamic Institutes or cannot spare themselves completely for a formal
Islamic learning. It is not only for well known illiterates
(Labourers, Rickshaw
Pullers etc) but also for those Muslims
who otherwise are from elite class (Doctors engineers collectors ministers etc) but with respect to knowledge and practice of deen are not a good
position. (A viable model for 95 % Muslims).
5.
It
is easy methodology for Muslim Ummah than can be without any need of Financial
or other infrastructure help. It will be based on WA TAWANU ALAL BIRRE
WATTAQWA.
6.
Under
the supervision of formal Madarsas and educational Institution there should be
some mobile institution,living guide and reformers, and speaking manuscript.
(Chalti phirti darsgahein,jeeti jagti khanqahein, bolte chalet saheefe,).They
will fill their bucket of knowledge and will deliver to masses.
Temporary Migration
Motivation and Striving for deen
7.
The
migration and motivation, movement and striving for deen has to be revived. It
is the fundamental structure of Islamic knowledge and service of prphet era,
that structure has to be replicated and revived.
8.
Muslims
should be encouraged to migrate temporarily (leave engagements for a short
period). In this short period they should be provided with a practical
religious environment following Sunnah and Shariat. This environment will make
them familiar with a religious life to adopt.
9.
This
basic skeleton of this environment will be built by accompanying fellows and
further cemented by their effort to motivate other people of the area where
they have gone and stationed.
Migration and Motivation will be three way Process
a.
Between each member of the group through a
bidirectional process. (In group some will be more knowlagable and some less
they will learn knowledge and qualities from each other Wa Tawanu Alal birre
wattaqwa.
b.
It will also motivate the people of the area
where they have gone to learn deen and for service of deen.
c.
By
this way it will become a chain and will bring revolution in Whole ummat.
On the above mentioned strong points Maulana Ilyas has called each
section of the Muslim Ummah to temporary leave their busy engagements for a
short period of time and to utilize time for teaching and learning in a
religious environment.”
Component of A
Muslim Life
The learning and practice of deen …Now and
Then??
Muslim Life in Shaba and Salafus Salehin Period
1. To acquire religious knowledge and to develop
true religiousness was an essential component of the life of a Muslim in
Sahaba Period.
2. Merely to earn and spend and remain negligent
towards the Faith was not an act of a Muslim.
3. Similarly, a Muslim's life cannot be altogether
devoid of the urge and effort for the propagation and preservation of Faith.
There must be some place for it.
4. The lives of the holy Companions were,
generally, marked by four things: i. learning knowledge, ii. Rememberance of
Allah, (Zikr), iii.Propagation
of Deen (Tableegh) and iv.Earning of Halal (lawful) livelihood.
Muslim life at Present ……..(In General)
1. But now livelihood has swept aside the other
three things, and left little room for any other activity.
2. Other than those who are teaching in Madarsas
or working in any special religious field What is common condition for General
Muslim?
3. At many Places 70-80% of Muslims are not
offering even five time prayers. What to talk about Zikr and Islamic
Propagation and others.Those who are considered as Religious they offer Five
times Prayer that’s all. And
What is the Solution?
Solution
is not in calling upon the people to give up their worldly occupations for the
sake of the neglected tasks of deen.
Rather
…………
1. The wisest thing was to work for the revival of
the way of life of the Companions.
2. Instead of demanding from the people to abandon
the worldly interests, they should be induced to find time for Faith in the
midst of them and make the best use of it by spending it in the company of the
seekers of religious knowledge and men of Faith.
3. Faith ought not to be studied in parts, but as
a whole. Not only the rules and proprieties of worship and other obligatory
duties, but the rules and regulations prescribed in the Shariat concerning
social behaviour, moral conduct, monetary dealings, companionship and eating
and drinking, too, should be learnt and acted upon. Together with it, religious
spirit, also to be cultivated.
One
Possible way of gaining and Practicing Religious life and basic knowledge
The Maulana Ilyas had got together all these
things in his programme of the Tabligh tours (Khurooj/Going in Jamaat).
He illustrate this way of gaining the higher advantages of religious
instruction, without the prerequisite of formal institutions, the money and
organisation needed for them, for millions of Muslims who were engaged in
various occupations to be introduced and made current in the Ummat.
1. He said "If this way of life becomes common and
this path is opened even at the cost of laying down our lives it would be possible
for the busiest people in the Ummat to avail themselves of religious instruction
and guidance and to practice deen."
2. Moreover, along with religious knowledge, a
man, also, gains in general understanding and matureness by living religion the
practical way, and dealing with different people, and keeping regular company
with men of Faith during the tours.
What is
done in Khurooj of Jamaat?
It would
be difficult for those who never had a personal experience of Tabligh tours
to appreciate their significance. The
following extracts from the letter of a University graduate will give some idea
of the educative value of the tours. The names of persons occurring in it
have, deliberately, been omitted:
"The Jama'at left for Kharagpur (Indian city in west
Bengal near Calcutta) at 3 p. m. on Saturday, the 4th of November from Calcutta
(KolKata). ………………………was appointed as
the Ameer (leader) of the Jama'at. It consisted of 32 persons
representing all the Zonal (area) except one. Ten of them had already been on Tabligh
tours before this while for the rest 22 brothers it was the first experience of
its kind.
"Kharagpur is 72 miles from Calcutta. To find
accommodation, without any difficulty, for the whole of the party in a third
class compartment, and that, too, on Bombay Mail during war-time (Second World
War was going on) was itself a pleasant surprise.
"We reached Kharagpur a little before the Maghrib prayers
(Sunset). The prayers were offered up in congregation on the platform. After
it, the Jama'at left for the town. We made the Dua to Allah before entering the
town. Permission for stay at the Jama Masjid had already been obtained from the
Chairman of the Managing Committee. ……… was
incharge of the meals. We ate together. After the Isha service, the aims and
objects of Tabligh were explained in a brief speech which lasted for
about 15 minutes, and an appeal was made to those present to do effort with the
Jama'at. Afterwards we listened to the reading out of a few pages from
Hikayat e Sahaba (Lives of the Companions) before retiring to bed.
"Next Morning Most of us offered the Tahajjud
prayers. We had the breakfast together after the Ishraq (Dhuha) prayers, and
Rememberance of Allah (Zikr) etc., was, also, completed. The session of
instruction (Taleem Halqa,reading Quran Ayats Hadith, Muzakra) went on
uninterruptedly till 12:30 p. m. At first, an article by Maulana Mohammad
Manzoor Nomani was read out which had appeared in Al-Furqan of Lucknow
and contained necessary guidance regarding the work of Tabligh, and,
then a part of Hikayat e Sahaba.
With us was a Qaari…………. (Reciter of Quran with Tajweed)
who had everyone recite Sura-i-Fateha, to him, turn by turn, and
corrected the mistakes. After it, the rules and proprieties of Wuzu were
taught from a book on Fiqh, and, then, the six principles of Tabligh
were narrated by some members of the Jamaat which was followed by a Muzakra
(discussion). After it, I and the leader of the Jama'at gave an account of the
tours of Delhi and Mewat. All this took about 41/2 hours and the meal-time had
arrived when the programme ended.
"The Zuhr Prayer was offered with congregation after
the meal. By that time, a fairly large number of persons had assembled to whom
I explained the guidelines of door-to-door approach, and the Jama'at
left on the round. I, the leader of the
Jama'at, and …………. were to act as the spokesmen. Many local people, also, had joined us. The Tabligh
was very successful, and the Muslims everywhere listened to us attentively.
Our round took us to another mohalla where we offered the Asr
prayers in the mosque, and, after the Prayer , people were told briefly of the
revolution that had come over Mewat. With the co-operation of the Imam of the
mosque a Jama'at was formed, and we returned, with the new Jama'at,
to Jam'i Masjid by the time of the Maghrib prayers, showing to it, in
the way, how the work of Tabligh was actually done.
The congregation at Maghrib was very large and it was
heartening to see that the people, to whom the appeal was made during the
round, had come to begin a new life, after taking a bath and putting on a clean
dress.
"The Amir asked me to speak after the service. I do not
exactly remember what I said, but, by the grace of Allah, it made an impact on
the audience and the response was enthusiastic. Twenty-five persons
spontaneously enrolled themselves for the Jama'at, including the
President of the Managing Committee of the mosque who was selected the Ameer of
the Jama'at.
"As …. ……is here these days, he was appointed to guide the
activities of the Jama'at along the right lines. Visitors continued to
come long after the congregation.
"After Isha Prayer and dinner, the party left for the
railway station on foot with everyone carrying his luggage on his shoulders. On
reaching the station, we lay down to rest. The train arrived at 2:30 A.M ., and
even in those days of heavy rush on the trains a compartment was found which
could accommodate the whole of the party and enough space was still left for
four or five of the younger colleagues to lie down and sleep.We offered Fajir
Prayer in Train.
"We arrived back at on Monday at 7:45 A.M and after the
prayers at the railway station, we embraced each-other (as an expression of
goodwill) and left for our homes."
Summing
up his impressions of the tour, the writer says:
(i) "…. …….fulfilled
his responsibilities as the Amir so well that we all felt very happy over it. I
have not found the Amir of any Jama'at more efficient and considerate.
He looked after everyone's comfort throughout the journey, carried the luggage
of others on his shoulders, in addition to his own, in spite of old age, filled
the glasses with water at mealtimes and refrained from sitting down to eat
until everybody had been seated comfortably, helped others to perform Wuzu
on the train and drew their attention to its rules and proprieties, kept watch
while the others slept and exhorted the members of the party to remember God
much and often, and did all this most willingly. For a person who was superior
to all of us in age, social status and wealth to behave as the servant of
everyone was the most unforgettable experience of the tour.
(ii) "After the
Amir, the man to impress us most was….He arranged for our meals, railway
tickets etc., in an admirable manner. He paid for everything himself and, at
the end of the journey, presented to every one of us an account of the expenses
and accepted the payment.
(iii) "Members of
the party who had not undertaken a Tabligh tour earlier said, with one
voice that those were the best days of their lives."
The Tabligh endeavour is ideally suited
to meet the demands of time and repel the mounting challenge of
irreligiousness. The
present-day Materialists make a direct appeal to the masses and sedulously sow
the seeds of doubt and disbelief among them. They are a dedicated and
resourceful people who know how to sell their ideas. Ideological combats,
religious literature and plans and activities that are confined to the elite
and do not involve the common man cannot arrest the progress of Apostasy and
Materialism. Only a religious movement which begins at the grass-roots and goes
straight to the farmer's cottage and the artisan's workshop and ignores no
section of the society can provide an effective answer to the menace of
irreligiousness.”
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 suited for the elementary
stage."
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."
(For Reading Full book in Urdu download
For English
JAZAKALLAH O KHAIR)
APPENDIX
(Quetes from Scholars On the Principles and
Methodology of Dawah)
A.
Maulana Muhammad Ilyas (R.A)
B.
Shaykh
Muhammad Amaan Jami (HA) & Shaykh Abdul-Kareem Murad (HA) faculty of
Hadeeth and the faculty of Shariah Jamia
Islamiyya (Madina Munawwara)
C.
Shaykh Yusuf Ibn Isa Al-Malahi (HA)
D.
Qari
Muhammad Tayyab (R.A)
E.
Maulana Muhammad Yusuf (R.A)
F.
Maulana
Manzur Nomani (R.A)
G Maulana Ihtashamul Hasan Kandhalvi R.A.
H.
Maulana
Saad Kandhalvi (HA)
"The
actual aim of this movement is to teach the Muslims everything with which
The Holy
Prophet Muhammadﷺ came, (That is to get the Ummah attached to the complete system
of thought and practice of Islam.) This is our aim.
As for this
movement of jamaats and Tablighi Gusht- these are the initial means of
achieving this aim; and the instruction and teaching of Kalimah and Salah
(Kalima Namaz correction) are, in other words, the ABC of our complete
syllabus.
It is also
clear that our Jama'at cannot do all the
work. What can be done by them is only that where ever they go, they can only
produce a motion and awakening by means of their effort, and attach those
people. who are unmindful of religious
concerns, to the possessors of deen to their place- and can inspire those
people
of their place who have the worry for deen
(i.e. ulama and reformers) for making efforts to reform the
ignorant
common people. [That is. connecting the public with the ulama and ulama with
the public],..."
From Book
Words and Reflections of Maulana Ilvas
Shaykh Yusuf
Ibn Isa Al-Malahi (HA) said……….
(Selected Translation from his Arabic book “Islah Wal-Insaaf, La-Hadam Wala-Ait’saaf”Full
Arabic text is available on http://www.binatiih.com/go/news.php?action=view&id=34&b24e67674e605aa79c36126ac8720f80 and English translation on http://www.central-mosque.com/index.php/Civil/investigative-reports-findings-of-saudi-scholars-on-tableeghi-jamaat.html)
Tableeghi Jamaat performs the work
of Dawah with Hikmah (wisdom) and words of wisdom and eloquence and refrain
from all those action which have the potential to alienate (others) and spread
hatred for Islam. They may delay (and defer) chastisement on certain evil but
it doesn't mean that they accept the evil but seek the right opportunity to
uproot the evil! The purpose of Dawah is to snatch people from sins,
innovations and misguidance and bring them towards Tawheed & Islam through
words of wisdom and eloquence and they attempt to make those (absorbed) in sins
companions in their work (of Dawah) until those who oppose and those who
support witness that those who were immersed in sins, crimes and opposition of
sin and those who were a headache (to the Government) sat in the company of
these people (of Jamaat) and they spent time in good and conducive
(environment) and they changed! They became those who invite towards Qur'aan
and Sunnah and became eager to sacrifice their life, time and wealth in the
path of Allah (SWT) in Dawah.
Tableeghi
Jamaat has a set methodology which is based upon the principles present in the
Qur'aan and Sunnah and they follow these principles
which are based on Tawheed, correct (acts of worship), Dawah and necessities of
the religion. They have deferred issues which may cause animosity and
disrespect towards Scholars (or evil) and rulers so that dissension doesn't
spread amongst the Jamaat but it doesn't mean that they reject the (nature of)
evil rather Dawah is accepted due to softness (in their approach) as Sayyidina
Rasul-ullah (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) has stated that Allah (SWT) likes those
with softness and prefers softness and blessings are granted on softness which
are not granted with harshness and there are other narrations on the subject as
well.
It is from the administrative methodology of Dawat &
Tableegh for these people (of Jamaat)to request from others to spare some of
their time and accompany them depending on their circumstances in order for new
comers to be affected by the righteous environment, and for them to be affected
by the qualities of religions and for them to engage in righteous deeds in
their free time so that it becomes easier for them to let go of their sins,
thus they regard this going out as a way for their (personal) reformation and
that of others and you will notice that due to this system and methodology the
lives of many have been transformed and eventually many who were far from the
religion become its Da'ees.
Anyone who
ponders upon the matter of Tableeghi Jamaat
will learn that these people only desire what is good for themselves and for
the believers through their Dawah and they desire nothing but reformation
through their effort. They are not exempt from error but they are satisfied
that they are treading the path of truth and they give Dawah for people to
tread the path of the book and Sunnah and to tread the path of Salaf
(As-Saliheen) and why shouldn't it be when they proclaim and announce:
"O people! Our success in this
world and the next is in obeying the commands of Allah (SWT) and the way of
Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)"
Those who
spend time with these Daees, becomes familiar with their circumstances, recognises their methodology, if not
overcome with the desires of the Nafs and external factors and is desirous (to
seek) the truth will witness many astonishing matters e.g. how Eemaan is
strengthened and how people accept their words so his heart shouldn't have any
doubt that Allah (SWT) has granted Hikamh in their Dawah. It is from wisdom that
sincere intention should be made and some time should be spared from daily
chores of life to seek the pleasure of Allah (SWT) and to seek permanent abode
of the hereafter and to seek personal reformation (and that of others) and
alongside it sincerely beg and beseech Allah (SWT) to grant us and the whole
Ummah, guidance. It doesn't mean that those going in the path of Allah (SWT)
abandons his family and children or opposes the parents or disregards his
livelihood but he organises his affairs just like a businessman or the one
travelling (for medical treatment) arranges his program (when travelling).
There are (many) who are unfamiliar with this work even amongst practising
Muslims and they look at this (going out) in astonishment and consider this an
innovation in religion and a waste of time, when in reality this is neither a
waste of time nor an innovation. In fact this (methodology) is based on wisdom
which is necessary for the reformation of the believers because going out is
hard against the Nafs because this work requires certain sacrifices which are
to endure hardships by letting go of comforts and to separate oneself from
family (and loved ones) and to endure the sacrifice of wealth, time and effort.
The purpose of this work is that the one going out in the path of Allah (SWT)
should perform Jihad against his Nafs, Shaytaan and this world (Dunya) until
this religion and hereafter becomes dearer to him and the pleasure of Allah
(SWT) becomes foremost. Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) endured
a lot of hardship during this (Dawah) trip to Taif, and 70 of his Qari
companions who were sent to various Arab tribes for Dawah were murdered (by
deception)
[9:122]...So, why should it not be
that a group from every section of them goes forth, so that they may acquire
perfect understanding of the Faith, and so that they may warn their people when
they return to them, so that they may take due care (of the rules of Shariah ).
The work of Dawah & Tableegh is Jihad
What Imam Ibn Qayyim (HA) stated can be summarised as
follows:
Indeed, Jihad includes many matters
but the foremost amongst them are four namely Jihad against Nafs, Jihad against
desires, Jihad against Shaytaan and Jihad against this world (Dunya) and when a
believer overcomes these then he overcomes the (external) enemy and when these
things overcome a man then the (external) enemy overpowers the man.
I would
like to end my treatise by briefly describing the methodology of (this) Jamaat,
their Dawah primarily revolves around six fundamental principles:
1 The reality of faith and Kalima (of Shahada)
2 Devotion and concentration in Salah
3 (Islamic) knowledge & Dhikr (remembrance of Allah
(SWT))
4 Honouring the believers
5 Sincerity of intention
6 Dawah (invitation) and Tabligh (conveyance)
These fundamentals are not meant to be (merely) memorised
but the intention is that these fundamentals should becomes attributes in the
tongue, hearts and the limbs and it is to achieved by sparing some time to go
in the path of Allah (SWT) for them to become manifestations in the internal
and external aspects of life and however is endowed with the real
manifestations of these fundamentals then indeed the manifestations of
Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) and his companions (RA) will
enter his life. These fundamentals are chosen because as it is not hidden from
those who ponder that these are always needed and it is from the reality that
it is difficult to attain the qualities of Jamaat by anyone except that he
accompanies them for a long period (with the intention of benefit) and his
heart is devoid of desires of the Nafs and in the path of Allah (SWT) they spend their time in 4 (four)
activities:
1 Dawah towards Allah (SWT)
2 Teaching & leaning (of Islam)
3 Acts of worship
4 Service (of others)
None has the power to truly and fully know, ascertain and
understand the methodology of the Jamaat and to know their principles and
fundamentals which are extracted from the book and the Sunnah and ways which
they act upon unless he accompanies them (for sometime) and spends time with
them until he gains an insight and if he decides to ground his judgement on
hearsay then his judgement will be flawed. Why? Because the basis is devoid of
(firm) foundation and facts when the affairs of the Jamaats and those who
participate in it are clear and manifest in front of peoples' eyes:
Despite cultural, methodological and other differences these
people of Tableegh always ask other believers to join them in their work (of
Dawah) and to inform them of their shortcomings so they can reform
(themselves):
"The word of wisdom is the lost
property of the believer, so wherever he finds it he has a better right to
it." [Tirmidhi]
I beseech & invoke Allah (SWT) that he may penetrate the
words of guidance in our heart and to protect us from the evils of the Nafs and
to make truth appear as truth and for us to follow it and to make evil appear
as evil and the ability to abstain from it and not to make it ambiguous for us
because we will be misguided (due to its ambiguity) and to assist his religion
and to surmount his Kalima and to give us all the ability to assist in his
religion.”
Shaykh Muhammad Amaan Jami (HA) & Shaykh Abdul-Kareem
Murad (HA)
Muhammad
Amaan Ibn Ali Jami from the faculty of Hadeeth and Abdul-Kareem Murad from the
faculty of Shariah Jamia Islamiyya
(Islamic University Madina Munawwara, Saudi Arabia)
Full Arabic Report
and english translation available on http://www.central-mosque.com/index.php/Civil/investigative-reports-findings-of-saudi-scholars-on-tableeghi-jamaat.html
Taken from Eye witness
account of Bangladesh (Tableeghi) Ijtema send as a fact finding mission.
“A noteworthy trait of this Jamaat is that this Jamaat
concerns itself with matters which other Jamaats don't find appealing and it is
that they take people with them (for reformation) and remain patient (on their
excesses) and make their Tarbiyah (nurture them) in an excellent manner and
have concern for their guidance. Their worry and concern is similar to a
merciful mother towards her beloved son. Allah (SWT) has guided many kinds of
people through them and foremost amongst them are those youth whom we have sent
to America & Europe for education and then left them to their
(affairs) and not worried about their welfare and Tarbiyah. Allah (SWT) has
deputed this Jamaat for many such individuals when these youngsters had left
this (Deen of Islam) after being impressed by the irreligious society around
them and I have many such eye witness accounts and stories and it will be too
long to write them all so I will suffice with recounting only one incident.
A resident of Riyadh brought a group (Jamaat) of
American youth to the Dhaka Ijtema. Allah (SWT) had enable him to climb out of
the abyss (of misguidance) through the work of Jamaat. This youth desired to
perform Umrah as he longed for the Umrah to become a means of his (forgiveness
of sins) and his distance from his actions (of Jahilliyah). I congratulated him
and told him about the virtues of repentance to which he embarrassingly replied
"O Br Muhammad! I intend to perform Umrah but don't know how to actually
perform it and I don't know what I should do when I reach Makkah and before
going to America whatever I had learned in primary (education), I have
forgotten and lost it." I told him to go to one side so we may be away
from the (rush of people) and that I may describe the actions of Umrah to him
in detail. He requested of me to record it on a cassette to which I replied
that if you have a cassette recorder and a cassette then there is nothing
preventing us from this matter. So he brought me a cassette and I recorded the
actions of Umrah and then also he also asked for a cassette of actions of Hajj
and I also summarised those actions for him. I also encouraged him to visit
Masjidun-Nabawi and to also visit Jamia Islamiyya so that he may obtain
beneficial books and magazines from there.
The purpose of recounting this incident and other
(incidents) which I have presented in your presence and there are many other
successes of this Jamaat and the mention of these will be rather long and these
success are real (and palpable so that can be touched by hand) and some of
other Jamaats which are engaged in Dawah (towards Allah (SWT)) are not able to
achieve these and no one (friend or foe, alike) can deny this. The secret is
that this Jamaat has made Dawah-Illallah and the work of reformation of morals
(of people) its primary objective (of life) and it is not so that they have
taken the work of dawah in their left hand and the (fame and enjoyments due to
Dawah) in their right; rather this Jamaat has grasped the work of dawah
(itself) with both hands and these people are far from the greed of fame and
popularity and to them praise and condemnation is equal until the life of this
world has no value in their eyes.
And I suffice at this hint and since the issue is
clear so the effects of the Dawah of this nation is also clear as I previously
elucidated so the ones to make decisions can do so as the work, its effects and
its successes are in front of them to decide.
We spent 3 days in the environment of this Ijtema and
on the fourth day on Monday after Dhohar prayers we returned to Karachi and on
the 23rd of Safar 1399 on Sunday we returned to Jeddah via our flights and we
hope that this journey will be a blessed one, Insha'Allah.
Observations:
1 The name "Tableeghi Jamaat" is not an organized
adaptation, rather it is an identity and they didn't propose but people
witnessed their work (of Dawah and Tadhkeer) and gave them (this name).
2 Dawah, discipline and repeated Ijtemaas have
inculcated in them skills of organisation and structure which enables to
perform their duties in an excellent manner without getting tired.
3 They have the ability to organise and conduct
large-scale Ijtemaas in a structure and organised manner and if someone else
was to organise such a large scale Ijtema they would need to exert themselves
(heavily), require large sums of money while they (Tableeghi Jamaat) are able
to do so with the minimum of expenditure except for when they host (long
distance foreign) guests. All participants of Jamaat consider themselves
responsible for the work of the Ijtema.
Every person performs his assigned task and presents
his belongings (according to his capacity) and performs his duty himself and it
is the intention of every individual that he may become a Khaadim (i.e. serve
others) and not a ruler and strives to benefit his brothers as to them it is an
exalted action, indeed.
Recommendations:
There are clear and apparent qualities and successes
associated with this Jamaat (and its work) which we have highlighted and are
accepted by friends and foe, alike. Subsequently, we deem it appropriate to
present the following recommendations:
1 For benefit and advantage, practical and sincere
cooperation with the Jamaat should be done.
2 We recommend that this movement (of Tableegh) should
also be present amongst our students so that they may benefit from it and for
them to benefit Jamaat. Our students are in need of this blessed Dawah compared
to many other people.
3 Jamia Islamiyya (Madina) should frequently (and in
great numbers) attend these Ijtemaas and teachers and students alike should be
represented here.
We beseech Allah (SWT)to make our actions pure and
exclusive for His Benevolent Diety (SWT) and to keep show and fame away from us
for surely He (SWT) is the most exalted and the one towards whom beseechment is
directed.
Muhammad Amaan Ibn Ali Jami (HA)
10th of Rabiul-Awwal 1399 (8th of February 1979)
Hazrat Qari Muhammad Tayyib R.A.
said….
(Founder President of
All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB)
(Taken from his urdu book (Islah e Nafs and Tablighi Jamaat)
"There
are four ways of attaining self reformation and by good chance, they all happen
to be found in the tablighi jama'at. It includes sitting in the company of
the pious, it includes dzikr and fikr, it includes brotherhood for the pleasure
of Allah, it includes taking lessons from enemies and also taking account of
oneself. The tablighi jama'at is a conglomeration of the four. For an average
person there can be no way better than this for attaining self-reformation.
Hazrat Maulana Manzoor Nomani R.A. said..
(The Hadith Scholar and
compiler of Maariful Hadith)
It (Tabligh
Movement) is the start of an era of purely religious effort. Those people who
will take part and move forward with courage are certainely the distinguished
one. The only thing is at stake is the proper utilisation of time and
capabilities given by Allah Tabarak o Taala and the reward is so precious that
is even beneficial at the cost of life...........
This
description is not only to read and close it, Rather it is a live
Dawah..............(30th March 1946)
KHUROOJ OF TABLIGHI JAMAAT?
The Great Hadith Scholar and compiler of Maariful Hadith Maulana Manzur Nomani Rahimullah writes”
“I have always been of opinion that this name TABLEEGH and those who are working in it as TABLIGHI JAMAAT is creating many confusion for many people. It causes many misconceptions.
From the word TABLEEGH people think that it is a work of Naseehah & Preaching (Nassehat o Waaz) and TABLIGHI JAMAAT is a team or Party of these Preachers.
“Here TABLEEGHI JAMAAT means a system of developing a deeni (Religious) and Dawah Environment in with a person will be will do the 1. Aamal of Dawat 2.Taleem o Taallum (teaching and learning) 3.Ibadat and 4. Khidmat (Service) with certain Usools.
With this environment it is expected that he will have an increase in 1. Attachment to Islam, 2.increase in Emaan (Belive in Allah and Rasool command and words), 3. Reformation of Action 4.seeking of knowledge and 5.Islah e Nafs and the 6.development of aspiration (Jazba) for sacrifice for Islam.
That’s why all muslims with whatever lag in his knowledge or action (Ilm o Amal ki Kmee) is not only invited rather sometimes pulled and no minimum condition is put as eligibility for going in TABLIGHI JAMAAT. it is expected that with this Environment he will take good effect and Allah the actual caller and the master of our heart will bless him with hidayat.”
(Translation of excerpts of his Urdu article Published in Al Furqan Monthly and available on this linkhttp://ia601704.us.archive.org/8/items/TablighiJamaatHaqeeqatRealityAndMisconceptionsAnswers/MaulanaManzurNomaniBooks.pdf
Maulana Yusuf R.A. said…..
(Translated from his Letter to a
Jamaah in the path of Allah)
To achieve
strong connection with Allah and to gain his divine help, the only means are
the way of Muhammadﷺ.If the following the prophet will be in all sphere of our
life then Allah will make us successful irrespective of the situation &
worldly means. (Biography page 767)
Maulana Ihtashamul
Hasan Kandhalvi R.A.
(Taken from Translation
of his Urdu book Muslim Degeneration and its Only Remedy Available for download
http://www.islamicbulletin.org/free_downloads/resources/muslim_degeneration_and_its_only_remedy.pdf
The Root-Cause of Allah Anger with Ummah and
Collective Punishment
From the above Hadith it is clear that giving up the act of
enjoining the good and forbidding the evil has usually been the root cause of
Allah (SWT)‟s anger and displeasure and His eventual
punishment. And if this Ummah becomes guilty of that neglect and omission, the
punishment to be given to them will be more severe than to the earlier Ummah
because they would have failed to recognize their exclusive obligation and
neglected to fulfil the sole mission in their life.
1. For this reason, Sayyidina Rasulullah (Sallallahu „alayhi wa
sallam) has enjoined the act of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil as
"the essence and special feature of the faith of Islam" and declared
giving up this act as the cause of decay and decline of the faith.
2. In the Hadith of Sayyidina Abu Saeed Al-Khudri (RA) narrated from Sayyidina Rasul-ullah
(Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam) it is stated: "When anyone of you witnesses
the commission of evil, he should use his hands to prevent it; and if he has
not the power to do this, he should use his tongue; and if he has not the power
to do even this, he should use the power of his heart; and this last represents
the weakest degree of faith." [Muslim]
3. Even clearer is the Hadith of Sayyidina Abdullah bin Masood (RA)
narrated from Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam): “Never a
Prophet had been sent before me by Allah (SWT) towards his nation who had not
among his people; his disciples and companions who followed his ways and obeyed
his command. Then there came after them their successors who said whatever they
did not practise, and practised whatever they were not commanded to do. He who
strove against them with his hand was a believer: he who strove against them
with his tongue was a believer, and he who strove against them with his heart
was a believer and beyond that there is no faith even to the extent of a
mustard seed.” [Muslim]
4.
The vital importance of
Tabligh (the task of propagation of Islam) has been further emphasized by Imam Ghazali (RA) in
the following manner:
5.
“There can be no doubt that the act of enjoining the good and
forbidding the evil is that solid pillar of Islam on which each and every
article of faith rests. It is for this very mission that Allah (SWT) deputed
all the Ambiya. If, unfortunately, it is ignored or forgotten and its methods
and practices are given up, one has to say that the very purpose of Nubuwwah is
totally defeated and rendered meaningless. Thereafter, conscience, which is the
capital wealth of man, will decline and worsen, inactivates and dullness of
mind will prevail. The highway to sin and highhandedness will be opened up and
inhumanity will spread in the whole world. All achievements of man will become
dangerous and even harmful. Human relationships will break down. Civilizations
will be ruined. Mankind will be reduced to utter moral poverty. But, the clear
realization of all this will come only on the day of Qiyamah, when all of
mankind will be on trial before Allah (SWT) and be called upon to account for
each and every action.
6. “ Alas! Alas! The fear has come true, that which was feared is
before our very eyes. وكان أمر الله قدرا مقدورا ، فإنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون The
tower of knowledge and enlightenment has been destroyed and its benefits and
effects have been completely wiped out.
7. Consequently, mutual disrespect and disgrace are common. Nothing
of the grand relationship between man and his Creator is left in human hearts;
on the contrary man like an animal has become the slave of his desires.
8. Indeed, not only is there scarcity of true Muslims in this world
now, but it is practically impossible to meet anyone who is prepared to bear
hardship for the sake of propagating Islam.
9. Any Muslim who dares to take steps to remove the present state of
breakdown and destruction, endeavors to revive the Sunnah of Tabligh and comes
forward to shoulder that heavy responsibility will surely rank as the noblest
and the most distinguished being among all of mankind.
10.
He (RA) said this nearly
eight hundred years ago, but his statement is very accurately applicable to us
today. We must consider and calmly think out what is to be done in these
circumstances. There are some well known causes which seem to be responsible
for the indifference that prevails today. These are discussed below:
First Cause of Muslims not doing (Left)/neglecting work of
Dawah o Tabligh & Islah
We generally perceive that the act of
Tabligh is the sole and special responsibility of the Ulama, even when the
related orders of the Quran are clear and fully applicable to each and every
living Muslim.
1.
The
actions and the hard work of the Sahabah of the Nabi (Sallallahu „alayhi wa
sallam) and all those distinguished Muslims who immediately followed them, bear
definite testimony to the view that each and every Muslim is responsible for
Tabligh.
2.
To
give the responsibility of Tabligh (enjoining the good and forbidding the evil)
solely to the ranks of Ulama and not to ourselves is a sign of great ignorance
on our part.
3.
The
duty of the Ulama is to state the truth and to point out the right path. To
enforce righteousness among the people and to keep the people moving on the
right path is the responsibility of all other Muslims.
4.
The
following Hadith of Sayyidina Ibn Umar (RA) narrated from Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu „alayhi wa
sallam) is a clear warning for this: “Beware! Every one of you is a shepherd
and every one is answerable with regard to his flock. The Caliph is a shepherd
over the people and shall be questioned about his subjects (as to how he
conducted their affairs). A man is a guardian over the members of his family
and shall be questioned about them (as to how he looked after their physical
and moral well-being). A woman is a guardian over the household of her husband
and his children and shall be questioned about them (as to how she managed the
household and brought up the children). A slave is a guardian over the property
of his master and shall be questioned about it (as to how he safeguarded his
trust). Beware, every one of you is a guardian and every one of you shall be
questioned with regard to his trust.” [Muslim]
5.
In
another place, a yet clearer account is given: Sayyidina Abu Ruqayya Tameem ibn Aus
ad-Daaree (RA) narrates that Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu „alayhi wa
sallam) said: “The Deen (religion) is Naseehah (advice with sincerity). We
said, “To whom?” He (Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam) said, “To Allah and His
Book, and His Messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and their common
folk.”” [Muslim]
6.
Even if we suppose as an extreme case that
this task has to be carried out by the Ulama only, the present emergency and
the critical situation demand that every one of us should put his shoulder to
the wheel and strive hard for establishing Allah's supremacy on the earth and
for protecting the Muslim way of life.
Second Cause of Muslims not doing (Left) work of Dawah o
Tabligh & Islah
It is commonly
perceived that if a person is firm and steadfast in his own Imaan the wrong
belief of others will bring him no harm because of the meaning attached to the
following Ayah of the Quran: O you who believe! Watch out for your own selves
(i.e. your deeds). When you are on the right path, those who go astray cannot
harm you [Surah Al-Mai‟da:105]
1.
In fact, the real meaning and sense of the
above Ayah is not what is being apparently attached to it, because in that
case, the meaning would appear to be against the Divine wisdom and spirit and
against the teachings of the Shariah which considers the collective life,
progress and salvation of the Muslim society as a whole to be fundamental.
2.
The
Muslim people must be considered like a single body having several limbs and
when any limb receives an injury, the whole body suffers from the pain.
3.
Mankind
may progress to any limit and it may reach the highest peak of glory in any
sphere of life, yet there will be some who will go wrong and become involved in
godlessness.
4.
In
such an event, the above Ayah reassures the righteous people that as long as they
remain steadfast and keep moving along the right path, no harm can be brought
to them by those who decide to give up the right way of life.
5.
Another
point is that full enlightment will be received only when all the rules of
Shariah are accepted and practiced, including all the Divine commands, which
naturally cover enjoining the good and forbidding the evil.
6.
This
interpretation is supported by the following words of Sayyidina Abu Bakr (RA): “O people! You quote
this Ayah “O you who believe! Watch out for your own selves (i.e. your deeds).
When you are on the right path, those who go astray cannot harm you [Surah
Al-Mai‟da:105] But I have heard Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu
„alayhi wa sallam) say that when people see something evil and do not seek to
change it, Allah will send down punishment for all of them.” [Tafsser Ibn
Katheer]
7.
The
Ayah in question has been similarly explained by all the truly learned
personalities such as Imam Nawawi (RA) who explains in his book Sharh Muslim: “The agreed opinion
of the learned personalities regarding the meaning of this Ayah is that When
you have performed the duty enjoined on you, the carelessness of those who
refuse to profit by your counsel will not harm you as Allah (SWT) says “No one
shall carry another man's burden [Surah Al-Faatir:18]”.
8.
And
of the several commandments addressed to all, one is that regarding enforcement
of good and prevention of evil. Therefore when an individual has performed this
duty and the addressee does not obey, the former shall not be penalized for it.
He has performed his duty of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil and
acceptance or rejection of it by the other party is not within his ability.”
Third Cause of Muslims not doing (Left) work of Dawah o
Tabligh & Islah
People of
distinction as well as the common man, the learned and the uneducated all alike
have become indifferent or even lost hope of the improvement of society. They
all seem to have accepted the fate that it is difficult, rather impossible
these days for Muslims to make any progress to regain their lost glory.
1.
Whenever
any scheme for improvement and correction is presented to anyone, the usual
reaction is how can the Muslims progress in the circumstances when they have
neither a state of their own nor any power to rule, neither wealth nor any
financial standing nor army and equipment of war nor any influence?
2.
They
lack even in physical strength, mutual agreement and unity of purpose. Even the
religious people seem to have decided by themselves that, it being the
fourteenth century Hijra and the people having drifted so far away from Nabi
(Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam)‟s
teachings that the downfall of Islam and the Muslims is inevitable.
3.
They
maintain that in these circumstances it will be useless to make any effort
towards the betterment of Muslims. It is true that the effects of the light of
Nubuwwah become less and less as we are removed farther and farther away from
it, but this does not mean that no effort should be made to revive that light
by enforcing Shariah and upholding and defending it with all our energies and
power i.e. the way of life taught by Mohammed (Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam).
4.
For,
had the Muslims before us thought so there would have been no trace of Islam
left anywhere by now because there would have been no means through which the
lessons and the teachings of the Shariah could have reached us.
5.
Therefore,
it will be deadly for us not to check the present negative attitude towards
Islam. We should adopt a forcefully positive line for our own sake and also for
the sake of future generations. Time is moving swiftly and so is the pace of
fall in the religion of Islam.
6.
The
situation demands a strong, quick and determined effort by one and all for
arresting the corruption and stopping further decline of Muslim society. As a
rule, existence of true Islam depends entirely upon the steadfastness and collective
effort of its followers. Unfortunately, they seem to be inferior in these very
requirements.
7.
We
must appreciate that the Quran and Hadith are full of the lessons in calling
Muslims to be active and to stand firm in the path of Allah (SWT). There is a
Hadith about a very pious person who may be busy in Salaah night and day all
his life, but he cannot come to the level of one who struggles and sacrifices
his pleasure and comfort for the sake of guiding and helping people to move on
the right path of Islam.
8.
On
this very point, many commands and injunctions in the Quran exist. It is
clearly brought out that the one who strives hard in the path of Allah (SWT)
remains superior and noble compared to all others, for example it occurs in the
Quran: The believers who, without a reasonable excuse, sit at home cannot equal
those who perform Jihad in the path of Allah (SWT) with their lives and wealth.
Allah (SWT) has raised the status of those who perform Jihad with their lives
and wealth as compared to those who stay at home.
9.
To
the former, He has promised a blessed abode. Allah (SWT) has exalted the
Mujaahideen over those who stay at home, with glorious rewards, eminent
positions, His mercy and forgiveness and Allah (SWT) is forgiving and Merciful
[Surah An-Nisa:95] Although the above Ayah refer directly to Jihad against the
infidels and unbelievers in order to uphold the teachings of Islam and to crush
and suppress faithlessness and belief in more than one god and although we are
unfortunate in not having the opportunity of fulfilling that great task, we
ought not to throw away any chance of doing something, however small, in the
direction of propagating the truth.
10.
Only
then can we expect that one day our humble efforts and insignificant
steadfastness may gather strength for bigger and higher performances. We shall
most certainly guide to Our ways those people who struggle for Our Deen [Surah
Al- Ankaboot:69] Undoubtedly Allah (SWT) has promised to provide protection for
the way of life propagated by Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu „alayhi wa
sallam).
11.
However,
human effort and perseverance have been defined as the only media for its
promotion and advancement. The Sahabah of the Nabi (Sallallahu „alayhi wa
sallam) strove untiringly for that purpose and assuredly, they succeeded and
were given high rewards. They had the honour of receiving Divine help and
assistance.
12.
We
being their admirers and believers, should try and follow them and prepare
ourselves for working to establish Allah (SWT)‟s supremacy on the earth and for propagating the message of
Allah (SWT) Thus, we will also be favoured with Divine help and assistance. "If you (come
forward to) help the religion of Allah (SWT), He shall help you and make you
steadfast" [Surah Muhammad:07]
Fourth Cause of Muslims not doing (Left) work of Dawah o
Tabligh & Islah
Most of us think that, as we
ourselves do not possess the essential worthiness and qualities of Islam, we
are not competent to perform the duty of propagation of those qualities to
others. This is a clear misunderstanding.
1.
Since
an obligation has to be fulfilled, particularly when we have been commanded by
Allah (SWT) for that task, there can be no question of denying obedience to it.
2.
We
must set ourselves to work in obedience to the Divine command. Our efforts then
shall InshaAllah (if Allah (SWT) wills) gather greater strength and make us
more determined and bold.
3.
In
this way, our continued endeavor on proper lines will one day bring us the
great honour of being dear to Allah (SWT). It is against the law of Allah (SWT)
that, if one perseveres and strives for His sake (religion), He would not grant
favours and kindness because the person was not competent or fit for the task!
4.
This
point is fully brought out in the following Hadith: Sayyidina Anas (RA) states
that we asked Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam), “Should we not
enjoin good until we practice it all and should we not forbid evil until we
avoid it all? He (Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam) said, “No enjoin good even if
you do not practice it all yourself and forbid evil even if you yourself are
not able to avoid all of it.”[Tabarani]
Fifth Cause of Muslims left work of Tabligh o Dawat &
Islah
Cause
Most of us believe that the religious
schools, the Ulama, the presence of places like Islamic research Institutes,
Islamic centers, Maktabs ,Madarsas Khanaqah (where practitioners of Dhikr
devote themselves to teaching Dhikr to those who come to them) and the
religious books and magazines are sufficient activities for the fulfillment of
the mission of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil. These efforts (many
of us think) are enough to meet the requirements of Tabligh.
1.
Undoubtedly,
the presence of all these is absolutely essential and one must look upon them with
respect and pay attention to their problems, as the remains of Islam that exist
today owe their existence to these very institutions, but they are not enough
to meet the situation even partially.
2.
The
task (of reformation) is difficult considering our present weaknesses and the
extent of the problem. To be content with the existence of these few methods
will be a folly on our part.
3.
Even
to get full benefit from these institutions, we have to create within
ourselves, a true and a deep respect for the faith of Islam and a burning
desire to adopt it in our practical life.
4.
Even
until fifty years ago, people did possess real love, urge and passion for Islam
and there were visible signs and products of the Islamic way of life. In those
days these institutions could perhaps meet the demand satisfactorily.
5.
But
today all our sentiments and feelings for Islam are practically dead, because
of the continuous onslaught on our faith and society by various foreign
elements and forces.
6.
Alas!
They have succeeded in their object, since instead of love; we seem to possess
a hidden inferiority complex towards our religion and faith! Therefore, we must
act quickly and take the initiative from the hands of opposing forces and
launch a strong counter effort whereby we are able to revive the dead spirit of
each and every Muslim and reawake in him the love and attachment for Islam.
7.
Only
then we get full benefit from existing religious institutions which in turn,
can serve the community in a right manner and unless such steps are taken
strongly, the present state of false satisfaction will spread deep and wide and
these institutions which are doing good in this limited way, may meet the fate
of total destruction.
Sixth Cause of Muslims not doing work of Tabligh o Dawat
& Islah
There is great danger that whenever
someone takes up the work of commanding good and forbidding evil, he is not
received well by the people. People will treat him badly, using harsh and
insulting language and sometimes people will adopt a rude and insulting
attitude towards religious workers.
1.
This
is all true, but we are likely to forget the fact that the performance of the
act of propagation means simply to follow in the footsteps of the Ambiya of
Allah (SWT), who were always the victims of the worst type of treatment.
2.
That
is the usual and certain fate of those who take to the mission! Indeed, all
Ambiya had to suffer untold miseries on account of this, as is clear from the
following Ayah: And
we sent down Ambiya before you amongst people gone by, and no Rasul came to
them but that they ridiculed him [Surah Al-Hijr:10]
3.
Nabi
(Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam), “No Rasul or Nabi has suffered more than me in the
propagation of truth.” It is clear therefore, that there is no
excuse for such doubts. As we declare ourselves to be the followers of
Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam) who himself had suffered
in the performance of this very mission. He persevered with everything
patiently and with tolerance, we must also follow his noble example and show
patience and calmness while performing the essential duty of Tabligh.
The Solution
1. It has been clearly brought out in the previous
pages that the current disease in the body of Muslims has sprung from the
weakening of the true spirit of Islam in our hearts. As a result, real feelings
and love for Islam are practically dead in us and our belief in it has become
weak.
2. Obviously, when the very source becomes dry, the
channels of justice, good deeds and fine character, which can flow from it, are
not to be benefitted from any longer.
3. This is exactly what is being witnessed today. It
has been fully discussed and brought out earlier that the only means for the
building up of this source and maintaining a flow of religious benefits from it
is the act of Tabligh which really and truly is the life blood of Islam.
4. Unless we are able to renew it, we cannot achieve
anything in this life, because no nation or people can rise to fame without
having in them the high human qualities and character which only the religion
of Islam can give. We should now clearly realize the disease from which we
suffer and judge the treatment which can bring the cure.
5. It is now up to us to set about the renewal of the
compulsory task of Tabligh. It is only then that we can hope to restore the
true faith of Islam in the people.
6. By this method alone can we recognize and truly
understand both Allah (SWT) and His Rasul (Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam) and
will be able to clearly understand and finally agree to follow their commands
and wishes. To achieve it, we will have to adopt the exact methods and ways
which were expressed and shown by Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu „alayhi wa
sallam) himself when he reformed the unbelieving Arabs.
7. Allah (SWT) says in the Quran: Indeed
Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam) is the perfect example for you to
follow [Surah Al- Ahzaab:21]
In this regard Imam Maalik (RA) said: “In other words, the people who come as the last
part of the Ummah of Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam) will
never be reformed until the same way is used to reform them as was used in the
beginning.”[ Tanqīḥ
Taḥqīq
Aḥādīth
at-Ta‟līq]
8.
In the beginning, when Nabi
(Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam) had started to call the people to Islam, he did
not have a single supporter behind him nor had he any political power or
wealth. The non believer Arabs were proudly independent, unyielding and
uncompromising.
9.
None from among them was prepared to
listen to reason or truth or obey another person. They strongly disliked and
were deadly opposed to the message of Truth which Nabi (Sallallahu „alayhi wa
sallam) had the sole mission to teach.
10.
In these circumstances, one wonders
what gave such invisible power and force to that one single man who was worldy
poor and without any means that he eventually was able to draw the whole of the
Arab nation towards him.
11.
After all, what was it towards which
Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam) called people and whoever
responded to it would remain Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu „alayhi wa
sallam)‟s forever?
12.
The whole
world knows that it was a single lesson which was Sayyidina Rasul-ullah
(Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam)‟s
goal and real purpose which he presented in front of people, as elaborated in
the following Ayah: That we worship nothing but Allah and associate none
with Him as His compeer or rival and none of us considers another god except
Allah [Surah Ale-Imran:64]
13.
The propagation of very truth can
bring the same results, today. Nabi (Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam) disallowed
his followers from looking upon any being except Allah (SWT) for worship or
obedience. Not only did he succeed in achieving his aim but was able to cut all
ties between his followers and every foreign system and bound his people in one
unchanging system of life from which they never tried to break away again.
14.
They really became the embodiment of:
Follow that which has been sent to you from the Sustainer, and do not follow
other (considering them) as Protectors except Allah (SWT) [Surah Al-A‟raaf:03]
15.
This was the real lesson, which Nabi
(Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam) had been commanded (by Allah (SWT)) to teach and
spread. It is further clear from the following Ayah: O Mohammed (Sallallahu „alayhi wa
sallam), invite (people) to your Allah with wisdom and better counsel, and
argue with them in such a way as is best; verily your Allah knows the one who
wanders astray from His path and He knows those who are on the right path
[Surah An-Nahl:125]
16.
The highway marked for the progress of
the Nabi (Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam) and his followers is further described
in the following Ayah: (O Mohammed (Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam)!) say,
this is my path, and I invite you towards Allah (SWT) with full wisdom, I and
my followers too: and Allah is all Pure, and I am not one of those who
associate others with Allah (SWT) [Surah Yusuf:108]
17.
And whose words can be better than those of one who
invites (you) towards Allah (SWT), does good deeds and say "Verily, I am
of those who submit their will to Allah [Surah Fussilaat:33]
18.
To call mankind to Allah (SWT) and
show the right path to all those who had gone astray was the only mission and
the sole purpose of the life of Nabi (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam).
19.
To serve this very purpose, thousands
of Ambiya had been deputed before him. As Allah (SWT) says: And we did not
send any Rasul before you, but that we revealed upon him that verily there is
no Allah but Me and so worship Me [Surah Al-Anbiyya:25]
20.
The noble life history of Sayyidina
Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam) and also those of other Ambiya show
one single aim as the sole mission of their lives: i.e. to believe in One True
Allah (SWT) and His one Divine Personality and His Divine Attributes. This
belief is the essence of the faith of Islam.
21.
It was to practice and prove this very
faith that man has been sent on this earth, in other words: I have created
the Jinn and Human beings only so that they live their lives as My slaves
[Surah Az- Zaariyaat:56] We should
by now be able to understand the real purpose behind the creation of man and
the way we particularly Muslims should live. We should also know the true
disease from which we suffer and its treatment should consequently not be
difficult. We need to find out how to apply that treatment and regain our lost
strength. If we bear in mind all which has been discussed so far and as a
result act sincerely, the method adopted will Insha Allah (by the will of Allah
(SWT)) prove beneficial and successful. The proven successful method is
described below.
Course of Action
With my
very limited knowledge and understanding, I have proposed a scheme of work and
action for the improvement of Muslims and their progress in Islam. Actually
what I have to say is nothing else than a brief outline of the practical way of
life which had been followed by our forefathers and early Muslims.
1. The first and the foremost thing
to do is to change the aim of our life from material intention and collection
of wealth to the work to establish the supremacy of Allah (SWT) on earth and
Islam and this needs to become a defined objective for ourselves.
2. A sincere effort needs to be made
for the enforcement of the commands and orders of Allah (SWT); to sincerely
decide to obey all commands of Allah (SWT) i.e. to try to practice them in our
daily lives and to turn away from the disobedience of Allah (SWT) in all
circumstances. The fulfillment of this decision must be made the primary
objective of our lives. We can plan and act on this foundation by adopting the
following practical method and procedure.
3. To memorize and correctly recite the Kalimah لا إله إلاَّ الله محمد رسول الله And to understand its exact meaning as well as what
it actually suggests. That is to believe, to say, and to act on the faith that
Allah (SWT) is the only Power, the onlv Authority and the Sole Controller of
all things, and it is He alone who is to be worshipped and obeyed, and it is He
alone who grants success or failure in life. Success will depend on our truly
adopting the way of life preached and taught by Sayyidina Rasul-ullah
(Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam) and our accepting him as true and last Prophet
of Allah (SWT).
4. Having this as a foundation, we
then begin to change our own life on the requirements of the Kalimah.
5. To become punctual and regular in
offering our Salaah five times daily. The performance of this most obligatory
duty should be strictly in accordance with the procedure laid down by Sayyidina
Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam), to be performed in utmost humility
and devotion.
6. The greatness and superiority of Allah (SWT)
must be held supreme in mind throughout the prayers, whilst maintaining the
feelings of our humbleness and helplessness.
7. In other words, Salaah should be
performed as if one was actually being presented to Allah (SWT) in a manner
befitting the Height of His Greatness and Glory. If the procedure of Salaah is
not known, it should be learnt properly with each of its details committed to
memory.
8. To develop attachment of body and
soul to the Quran in the following manner:
9. a) To recite daily a portion of
the Quran, however small with highest respect and reverence for the Holy
Scripture along with understanding of it’s meaning, if possible. If one is
unable to understand the meaning, he may still recite the text with the purpose
and hope that his salvation and progress depends upon it. Simple recitation of
the original words and lines is also a great blessing. If a person is unable to
read, he should spend a litle time daily to learn to recite it (properly).
10.
b) To
ensure that one's own children as well as those of the neighbours and friends
are taught the Quran and other essential religious books as a first step in
their learning.
11.
Some time
should be devoted each day to Dhikr Rememberance for Allah which means
concentrating on the Omnipotence, the Greatness, and the Attributes of Allah
(SWT), and to offer Durood [Prayers & Salutations] for Sayyidina
Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam). In this connection, guidance should
be sought from a Sheikh-e-Tariqat (a learned and saintly person) who should be
carefully selected for his distinction in piety and his capacity to follow
Shariah and Sunnah. He may prescribe certain Wazaif (litanies) to be recited
during the times of Dhikr. In case no such person can be contacted, it is
suggested that the following Wazaif (litanies) may be repeated a hundred times
both in the morning and in the evening: a) Third Kalimah: سُبْحَان اللهِ وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلِّ وَ لآ اِلهَ اِلّا اللهُّ، وَ اللهُّ اَكْبَرُ وَلا حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّة الَّا بِالِّلِ الْعَلِىّ الْعَظِيْم b) Durood [Prayers &
Salutations] for Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam) c)
Istighfaar (seeking forgiveness of Allah)
12.
Every Muslim must be considered as one's real
brother and must always be given affection, sympathy and sincere attention at
all times, particularly when he is in need. The fact that a person professes
the faith of Islam automatically entitles him to brotherly respect and
reverence from all Muslims, who must at all times refrain from causing him any
physical or mental harm.
13.
The above
practices should be strictly enforced in one's own life and, at the same time,
efforts should be made so that other people may follow them as well.
14.
The only
and the best way to achieve this is to devote some time specifically for
learning and inculcating in oneself these fine Islamic qualities, and also
persuading others to make similar efforts.
15.
Thus a
joint and collective campaign will automatically ensure for the growth and
expansion of Islam in its true form, which is the real and urgent need of the
day. It was exactly this type of work, which every Prophet of Allah (SWT) had
to do as his sole occupation.
16.
For the
sake of this work, almost all Prophets had to bear untold miseries and perils.
The worthy Companions of Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam),
as well as many other distinguished Muslims of the early period of Islam, spent
the whole of their lives in striving hard and struggling for the religion of
Islam in this very manner. Most of them sacrificed their lives in the sacred
path of Allah (SWT).
17.
It will
be our misfortune and enormous loss if we do not devote a part of our lifetime,
however small a period it may be, towards propagating and perpetuating Islam.
18.
We must
confess that it is due to our negligence in this vital task that the Muslim
society has reached its present state of low morale and virtual collapse and,
therefore, we must rise and make manifold efforts.
19.
Previously,
the very purpose of being a Muslim was to be ready to sacrifice one's life,
honour and wealth for upholding Islam and the Kalimah. In those days, whoever
didn’t aspire to sacrifice his life for the sake of Islam and the Kalimah was
considered to be ignorant and a useless person.
20.
But alas!
Today, although we feel proud to be called Muslims, we remain totally unmoved
by the fact that every particle of Islam is being destroyed one by one before
our very eyes, and not a finger is moved to check this terrible loss.
21.
If we
realised it only then we could have appreciated that the propagation of Islam
is our real mission in life, and therein is the key to our very existence as
Muslims and also our success, glory and ultimate salvation.
22.
The
opposite is also true that by neglecting this important task we suffer from
moral degeneration and social degradation. The only remedy is that all of us
must sincerely repent our lethargic and injurious past and take immediate steps
to revive the act of Tabligh as our major occupation. It is only then that we
can expect the mercy and compassion of Allah (SWT) to flow, to bring us triumph
and happiness both in this life and the hereafter.
23.
This does not mean that we should give up
everything else, i.e. our professions, trades or employment and take entirely
to this work. It actually means that as we devote our whole-hearted attention
and time to other material vocations, in a similar manner we should also attend
to this work.
24.
As and
when someone finds himself ready to pickup this sacred task, he should try to
contact his friends or such people in his neighbourhood who may already be
engaged in this work and spend a few hours a week in their company.
25.
The next
step will be to spend under the guidance of those people, full three days every
month outside in a locality or a village other than one's own. Later, but as
early as possible, to pass one full month, or better still, forty days annually
in some distant area in a similar manner.
26.
Lastly,
the real requirement in Tabligh is to spend continuously four months once in
the lifetime, in a given place or area. All these periods are to be spent
entirely in the pursuit of learning and propagation of the true faith of Islam
and adopting the actual way of life under the sacred code of Shariah.
27.
Thus our
efforts will become extensive and ultimately reach every person, rich and poor,
employer and employee, Land-Lord and Peasant, learned and ignorant, to join
hands in this work and become bound in the ties of true Islam as ordained by
Allah (SWT) and Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu „alayhi wa sallam).
Summary of the
Model of Dawah Work of Every Muslims
A brief outline of the work of Tabligh, its importance and urgent
need have been discussed and it now remains to be seen as to how all this can
guide us and bring us the desired relief and benefits in our times which are
filled with confusion, unrest and conflicts. For this, once again, we have to
seek guidance from the Quran which refers to the hard work and patience for the
faith of Islam as a highly profitable business and puts it across in the
following manner: O you who believe! Shall I point out to you a trade that will
shield you from a grievous doom? Believe in Allah and His Rasul and perform
Jihad in His way with your wealth and lives. This is best for you, if you
understand. Your Allah will forgive your sins and you shall enter Jannah, under
which ripple (beauteous) streams and stately abodes in everlasting gardens and
this is great success.... And another which you covet much, i.e. succor from
Allah and victory near at hand, and give glad tidings to those who
believe" [Surah As-Saff:10-13] The above Ayah describes a trade, which, if
accepted, promises rescue from all types of sufferings and punishments. The
trade meant is to have a firm faith in Allah (SWT) and His Rasul and to
struggle hard in the path of Allah (SWT), without avoiding using one's life and
wealth. This again points to the act of Tabligh, which can ensure for us
everlasting well being and happiness. It is this simple work that will bring us
great benefits, such as the forgiveness for all our sins, deliberate mistakes
and shortcomings and high rewards in the Akhirah. So much for the success in
the next life which really is the greatest joy for a Muslim, but there is also
a clear hint for benefits in this life, too. We shall get what we like most
such as prosperity, divine help and success against all our adversaries. In
other words, Allah (SWT) has demanded two things from us, first to have firm
faith in Him and His Rasul and secondly to struggle hard in His path, giving if
need be, our lives and all that we possess. In return for this, He has also
promised two things first a beautiful and peaceful house in Jannah with an
eternal life and everlasting happiness and second honour and success in this
life. The first demand on us is that of Imaan. This is exactly what Tabligh is
meant to bring about in us that we should all be gifted with the wealth of true
faith. The second demand is of striving in the path of Allah (SWT) which
actually means Jihad, which may sometimes mean fighting a war against
oppressors and non believers. However, it also means striving in belief of
Allah (SWT) being One and enforcing Allah (SWT)’s commandments, which is also
the ultimate aim of Tabligh. It should be clear to us that happiness and
success in the life after death is solely dependent on having firm faith in
Allah (SWT) and His Rasul (Sallallaho Alaihi wassallam) and in striving hard in
the path laid down by Him. Similarly, success and prosperity in this life, also
depend entirely on that very faith and on spending all our efforts in the path
of Allah (SWT) When we fulfil these basic requirements, firstly, of faith in
Allah (SWT) and His Rasul (Sallallaho Alaihi wassallam), and, secondly, of
struggling hard in their path, through these two qualities alone, we can
decorate ourselves with high noble qualities and excellence of character and
then can we be fit to receive the promised Khilafah of Allah (SWT) and His
kingdom on earth, which are bound to come to us as is promised in the Quran: To
those of you who believe and do righteous deeds, Allah promises that He will
certainly give dominance to them in this world as He gave to those before you,
and the religion that has been chosen for them shall be strengthened for them,
and He will thereafter certainly transform their fear into tranquility;
provided they worship Me and associate none with Me [Surah An-Noor:55] The
above Ayah describes a direct promise of kingdom, but through Imaan and
righteous deeds. This was actually fulfilled in the days of the Nabi
(Sallallaho Alaihi wassallam) and remained in effect right through the period
of the first four caliphs of Islam who were guided by Allah (SWT) i.e.
Sayyidina Abu Bakr (RA), Sayyidina Umar (RA), Sayydina Uthman (RA) &
Sayyidina Ali (RA). Practically the whole of Arabia had become an Islamic State
in the days of the Nabi (Sallallaho Alaihi wassallam) himself and the rest of
the countries (Muslim countries of today) mostly joined Islam during the period
of the first four Caliphs or immediately after their time. Later on the promise
continued to be fulfilled in favor of a number of Muslims kings and caliphs and
it would still happen if someone fulfills the conditions, as is clear from
another Ayah: Surely Allah's followers shall dominate [Surah Al-Maida:56] In
these pages, a study of the present situation and a practical solution for
improving it has been given. In fact, the solution is nothing other than the
actual Islamic way of life which belonged to our forefathers and early Muslims.
Conclusion In conclusion, it can be said that there is no way to gain honour,
happiness, peace and rest in this life other than to adopt and firmly hold on
to the work and system of Tabligh, for which everyone of us must use all our
energies and wealth. Hold fast to the rope of Allah and do not create
dissension's [Surah Ale-Imran:103] Final Appeal This very system has actually
been put into practice in the recent past, in the territory of Mewaat and a few
other districts around Delhi (India). Although the work in that region has not
yet reached the final stages the progress of the local Muslim has been
noticeable. The blessings and benefits of the system of Tabligh are clearly
visible and worth witnessing. If all Muslims collectively resolve to follow the
noble example described above and adopt the correct system of life, as
described in this book, there is every hope that through this effort, Allah
(SWT) may remove all our hardships and troubles and we may be able to regain
our faith, the power to do righteous deeds and the resultant honour, greatness
and glory in this life and attain permanent success in the next. The Muslims
can then set an example for the rest of the world to live in peace, rest and
happiness, which is the natural desire of every man on earth. An attempt has
been made to explain as clearly as possible the real purpose behind the publishing
of this book, which is to present the readers the sketch of a practical way of
life which about sixty years ago, had been started and faithfully followed by
Maulana Mohammed Ilyas (RA). He had in fact devoted all his life for this
sacred purpose and mission. It is up to us, the Muslims of the present time to
understand our obligations towards Islam and fulfil them in our own interest
and that of the coming generations and of mankind at large. The way is clear
and well set. Let us begin the march and fix our minds on the final goal, which
is to earn the pleasure and approval of Allah (SWT).
Maulana Muhammad
Saad Kandhalvi (HA)
(Madarsa Kashiful Uloom Basti Hazrat Nizamuddin
Rahimullah)
(Taken from preface of Muntakhab Ahadith )
“Such
Daee (one who invites towards Islam) need to be developed, whose desires should
be consistent in knowledge, action, thought, perception, passion,
compassion, and the manner of invitation to Islam following the aspirations of
prophets, particularly Muhammadﷺ. Not only should they posses a strong
Iman (Faith) and virtuous deeds, but their inner inspirations should be on the
pattern of prophets. They should cherish a fervent love of Allah and His fear,
and a state of intimacy with Him. In character and habits, they should adhere
to the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. Their
love or hatred should be for the: sake of Allah. The motivating factor behind
their inviting to Islam should be a deep compassion and mercy and kindness for
all mankind. The often repeated Devine principle for prophets. "Our reward
is solely with Allah," should be their hallmark. They should have no other
objective except the pleasure of Allah. May Allah help us (Ameen)”
JAZAKALLAH
O KHAIR
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