Below is the Translation of an Arabic Article by
Fazilatus Shaykh Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi R.A
(Faisal Award winner,Former Vice Chancelor of Darul uloom
Nadwatul Ulema Lucknow India,and Former president of All India Muslim Personal
Law Board, (AIMPLB) author of above hundred books,One of the greatest
Islamic scholar of last century.
The Religious reflection of Maulana Ilyas
When Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ilyas (Died 1944
,1364H) observed decrease in religious sentiments, increase in irreligiousness
of society, accelerating influence of western culture and found even some of
elites of society under the grip of Materialism, westernize and inattentive of Dawah.
He observed our Religious personalities and
Institution has become small islands between sea of irreligiousness, there
general impact on society has decreased , there direct contact with general
Public has ended, and the time is very critical.
He Realised and decided not to sit in a corner,
and not to be contained with whatever he was already doing for Islam. He
decided to make direct contact with general Public.
As the diseased (General Muslims) has not aware of
their disease so surely they will not approach the Ulema and scholars. Rather
it has to be done from Ulema side.
Thats why Maulana Ilyas stressed most on making
direct contact with General Muslims, and to cultivate and nourish Emaan in
their heart. To strengthen The Aqeedah of tawheed in them. They should be
taught the basics of Deen and necessary Masael (Islamic rules of daily life). They should be motivated
for Islamic knowledge for themselves (and their children).
He also stressed to be very careful for all the
Islamic Methodology of Dawah, etiquettes, manners and Rulings so that the Dawah
should be effective and to save the movement from trials and tribulations.
Foremost among these etiquettes are, Ikram e Muslim giving others priority over
oneself (despite one's dire needs)refraining as far as humanly possible from
unprofitable and unnecessary preoccupations.
Start of the Movement and its Evolution
Maulana Muhammad Ilyas initiated the movement
from most backward region of India, known as Mewat (State of Haryana )
bordering Delhi. This area was very infamous on scale of ignorance to Islam,
being unaware from even basic of deen, and almost non practicing on islam.
Maulana Ilyas motivated and invited the people
of the area for temporary migration adjusting their temporal engagement, and to
go in groups accompanying some knowledgeable people in other areas for learning
deen, Islamic nurturing and Dawat o Tabligh. Because Maulana Ilyas was of view
that unless and until they will not leave their ignorant and corrupt society in
which they are living, they cannot learn or understand deen, Islamic manners
and not possible for them to practice the shariah.
Thousands of people from this area accepted the
Dawah and actively participated. They sacrificed a lot for weeaks, months and
even for year for the sake of Allah in his path. They ore hardship for Islam
many a time went on foot in the absence of means of transportation (As they
were poor and resource limited people).
They learned deen for themselves, Practiced deen
and developed the spirit of deen in them.
Within a short period of time this Dawah
movement spreaded all over India. It affected and touched the heart and mind of
people across the sections of society.
What was the deriving force behind this speedy
success of Dawah? It was not due to
Any Advertisement in news papers,
Any collection of money from public or government
Any pamphlet banner poster or any propaganda
means.
The force behind this phenomenal success was
First “Its Dawah methodology was very close to the
Dawah and Reformation methods adopted at initial period of Islam.
Second “The Ikhlas and sincerity of intention to
please Allah in Dawah worker (People associated with this movement) was giving
glimpse of the era of Salafus salehin period (Early generation of Muslims) who
sacrificed in the path of Dawah and strived in the path of Allah only with the
intention to please the Almighty. They bore all difficulties with patience with
smile.
Slowly the effect of the movement spreaded the
countries and continent of the world. The movement of Jamaat started in America
Europe Africa Australia, its affected people motivating them for reformation,
preparation for life after death, and doing effort for reforming others.
The strengthening of Jamaat against the
opposers.
(Note: In this section the Fazilatuz sheikh
Nadvi being an author and historian expressing the truth has been outspoken and
has took names of some groups and persons to describe the sequence of events of
opposition of Tablighi Jamaat. But the policy of Maulana Ilyas (closely
followed by Markaz Nizamuddin elder is not to involve in these matters in any
form. Maulana Inamul Hasan
(R.A.)(died 1995) the former Amir of Tableeghi Jamaat has said."It is better that in case the objections and criticism if
they are correct, rectify them .{No one is free from shortcomings} Whereas if
they are wrong ,have patience (leave the matter to Allah)."
(Book Insight into dawah and its understanding &
cognition Page No 181 translation of urdu book Dawat ki Faham o baseerat or
uska Idrak) They have no complain to
any person/organization. For them
Although the blogger personal opinion is with
sheikh nadvi rahimullah to tell the truth openly and to stop the propaganda and
false information spreaded against dawat o tabligh by groups/people of
vested interest. so that mslim
ummah could be saved from this misinformation and mayget benefitted from
blessed work of dawat o tabligh.
But Respecting the Markaz view in the
translation those portions has not been translated . Rather this
portion has been dotted as..............Ulema who want to know may refer
original Arabic article.
For general Muslims knowing these name is of no
use, What is useful to them is to know the lesson on response of Dawah worker
to opposers and their patience, faith on Allah,high morale, and to continue
work of Dawah in adverse situations.)
In Indian subcontinent (India Pakistan
Bangladesh) a fierce Propaganda was started against this movement as it
silently started removing the unislamic ideologies thoughts,customs, practices,
innovation and rituals prevalent at that time in Muslim Society… The Foremost
oppose group against Dawat o Tabligh movement…………………….. was………………………… ……………………………………………………………..
………………..………..……………………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………..To limit its impact of Dawah they utilised
programme of misinformation and all sorts of means. Their basic means was “ To
make so much noise, misinformation and propaganda so that the voice of Dawah
movement will be suppressed.”
But Allah is the witness that ……
In the face of baseless allegation, wrong
accusations, Psychological and mental torture, and many times physical
assaults, the Dawah brothers remained intact. What to talk about taking revenge
or distracting from the path of Dawah, these events further strengthened their
patience,fortitude, positivity, and aspiration of objective and goal.
There meekness, humbleness and humility and to be
silent on hardest comment brought so much effect that many of their oppose
became became their follower. Thousands of people involved in Innovation and
Polythestic practices made Taubah and returned to the Tawheed of Allah and
started following the path of Prophet Muhammad sallallahu Alaihi wasallam.
All those onlookers and close observers who have
seen the areas of work of Tablighi jamaat can give the eye witness account for
all these.
Individual mistakes and shortcomings cannot be
attributed to Jamaat
Now if people associated with movement make any
mistakes, unknowingly doing some wrong, any punishable action, so these are
faults on the part of individuals in understanding its methodology. And its
imposition on jamaat is not justifiable or acceptable.
The views of Allama Syed Sulaiman Nadvi
Rahimullah on Tablighi Jamaat.
(Shekh abl hasan writes)This article and remark
is finished with the words of Syed Sulaiman Nadvi Rahimullah that he has
written as last lines in the preface of my book life and mission of Maulana
Ilyas Rahimullah.
“This Da'wat Closely Resembles with the Da'wa:
of the Holy Prophet sallallahu Alaihi wasallam :
“In the above lines, I've tried to explain some
principles of da'wat and tableegh to my readers and I believe that, after
studying these they will be able to form a realistic idea of the essence of
Islamic da'wat and of the proper mode of presenting this da'wat to the people.
I dare to say that, of all the religious movements of the present-day India',
(These words were written in 1947,The tableegh movement was largely based in
India at that time) the one known as 'Da'wat and Tableegh' bears the closest
resemblance both in method as well as in spirit-with the true Islamic da 'wat
initiated by the Holy Prophet Muhammad sallallahu Alaihi wasallam.
The Importance of Tableegh: A wisely-planned
[system of] da'wat and tableegh, amr bil ma'roof, and nahi a'nil munkar is the
backbone of the entire body of Islam. It is da'wat on which depends the
foundation, strength, expansion and success of Islam. I believe that, in these
days, da'wat is more needed than it was needed in any time in the past; and in
contrast with converting the non Muslims to Islamic Faith, this is more
important to make Muslims as Muslim, i.e., making effort on those who are Muslims
in name or by nationality so that they become true and dutiful Muslims. In the
light of the present-day religious state of Muslims, it becomes the duty of
every Muslim to raise the cry of the Holy Qur'an:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ
آمَنُوا آمِنُوا
O you who believe, do believe in Allah and His
Messenger and in the Book [Q,
'4:136]
With all force and potentials.
This demands that we go about from city to city,
village to village, and from door to door, persuading those who are Muslims in
name to become true Muslims by faith and by practice.
And in this path, that amount of dedicated
hardwork, consistent effort, courage and tolerance should be invested which the
worldly people are employing for gaining worldly honor and authority. That is,
that dedication to the cause which inspires such an insurmountable power in the
people that they get willing to sacrifice their most prized possessions even
their own lives and pledge to remove any obstruction that might possibly hinder
the progress of their mission. To promote the cause of da'wat, we should use
all means; invite peoples' attention towards it, utilize honest efforts, and in
fact invest all our life and possessions- and try to take a step forward in
this field in a way or the other.
And for achieving this objective, we should
inspire in our self that restlessness without which neither any work, worldly
or spiritual, has ever been completed in past and nor will get completed in
future. If you want to see the examples of the men of determination of the
field of da'wat in this age, please start reading the actual book (to which
this essay is the introduction).
With regards from one who is aware of his humble
knowledge."
WAMA
ALAINA ILLAL BALAGHUL MUBEEN
