Guys, allow me to share an important article today just for us to contemplate about our current life in this world. We have long forgotten the greatest work of all. That is the work of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). We as the last of ummah is the greatest people in the eyes of Allah Ta'ala. (The Creator). But we never take this opportunity to grab the position to the highest level. We must call people especially Muslim to comeback to the deen of Allah Ta'ala that is to remember Allah Ta'ala to the fullest. Then we must also invite our non-muslim friend to Allah Ta'ala too. Why? Because they are also the creator of Allah Ta'ala. In the day of resurrection, we will be asked. Have you convey the deen of Allah Ta'ala to all your family, to all your friends, to all your neighbors, to all the people in this world? We are answerable to Allah Ta'ala. So what are we going to answer? If we do not do this work, we definitely could not answer those questions. So we must convey it to all of them before we depart from this world.
Let me brief you on the word ‘to convey‘. Tableegh literally means ‘to convey’. Contextually, it refers to conveying the message of Islam. This is the sunnah of all the prophets. The most important rule of tableegh is Hikmah. Allah Ta’ala says in the Holy Quran:
Invite (people) to the way of your lord with wisdom and good counsel. (Verse: 16:125)
Whosoever does tableegh must adopt hikmah. It is only then, that people will understand and accept.
The system conducted by the Tableegh Jama’at was initiated by Moulana Ilyas Saheb (Rahimahullah). He observed that people were too engrossed in their worldly activities and had forgotten the objective for which they had been sent to this world. He realized that they had to free some time from their worldly engagements, to sit and ponder about Allah Ta’ala and their purpose for being sent to this world. Therefore, he started calling people to the masjid, and reminded them about Allah Ta’ala and His greatness. Initially people rebuked him, they discouraged him and used to say that they had no time for all of this; but as time went by, they realised the truth behind it and the need for it, and started joining him in calling others towards Allah Ta’ala. Thereafter, when more people started joining this work, a few guidelines had to be set, to make sure that the work was done in a proper manner. Different time periods of 3 days, 40 days, etc. were set, so that people knew for how long they had to be away, and could make the necessary arrangements for that period.
Beliefs and Objectives
Those that are engaged in the work of tableegh are from the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah. They do not have any beliefs that are exclusive to them. Each one is allowed to follow his own mazhab, as long as he does not move away from the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah.
Their objective is that each and every Muslim adopts the Islamic way in all aspects of life. They do not advice anyone to leave all their daily activities and join this work, but they encourage people to take out some time from their daily engagements so that the rest of the time could be spent in accordance to the teachings of Islam. Spending time in the path of Allah is not the objective of the work, but rather the objective is to adopt the Islamic lifestyle whilst engaged in daily activities, whether one is at home with family or at his work place; spending time in the path of Allah Ta’ala only acts as a means to fulfill this objective.
Proof from Quran and Hadith
There are numerous verses of the Quran and the Ahadith of Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) that support the practice of tableegh. Hereunder are a few of them:
From the Holy Quran:
1. Invite (people) to the way of your lord with wisdom and good counsel. (Verse: 16:125)
2. And there has to be a group of people from among you who call towards good and prevent from evil. (Verse: 3:104)
3. And who is better in utterance than the one who called people towards Allah, and acts righteously and says, “I am one of those who submit themselves (to Allah Ta’ala). (Verse: 41:33)
From the Ahadith of Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam):
4. Hazrat Abu Sa’eed (Radhiyallahu Anhu) narrates that he heard Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) saying, “Whosoever witnesses a forbidden act being committed, he should prevent it by the use of his hands; if he is unable to do so, then he should prevent it with his tongue; if he is unable to do so, he should at least consider it a vice in his heart; and this is a very low level of Iman”.
Sahih Muslim Vol.2 Pg.211/2 (Darul Ma’rifah)
5. It has been reported by Nu’man bin Bashir (Radhiyallahu Anhu) that Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “There are people who do not transgress the limits (laws) of Allah Ta’ala, and there are others who do so. They are like two groups who boarded a ship; one of them settled on the upper deck, and the other on the lower deck of the ship. When the people of the lower deck needed water, they said, “Why should we cause trouble to the people of the upper deck when we can have plenty of water by making a hole in our deck”. Now, if the people of the upper deck do not prevent this group from such foolishness, all of them will perish; but if they stop them, they will be saved”.
Sahih Al Bukhari Vol.3 Pg.152 (Darul fikr)
One may question that the above mentioned Aayaat and Ahadith only prove the practice of tableegh. They do not prove the manner in which it is coordinated by the Tabligh Jama’at (e.g. specifying the time period of 40 days, stipulating time for ta’lim and gusht, etc.).
The answer to this is simple. There are some commandments in Shari’ah in which the method is not stipulated. For example, it is a commandment of Shariah to acquire knowledge, but the manner in which the Madrasas are established today, is not proven through Quran and Hadith. Up until the recent past, the scholars used to teach in the masjids of their respective towns and villages. The students had to go to different scholars to learn the different sciences. No arrangements of food or boarding were made. However, the zeal for knowledge had decreased as time went by, and the scholars felt it necessary to establish the system of Darul Ulooms as is established today. Nobody regards such a system to be bid’ah.
Similarly, Shariah has commanded us to do the work of tableegh. This work used to be done on an individual basis. The learned people used to preach the others and prevent them from all vices. As time went on, vice started prevailing, and people had stopped doing the work on an individual basis; therefore, a collective effort had to take place, and rules had to be set up for the work to carry on in order.
The outcome of Tableegh
Anyone with a sound mind and fair thinking will have no option but to accept that the work of Tableegh has been responsible, to a great extent, in the reformation that has taken place in the Muslim Ummah, in the last few decades. Tableegh Jama’at has played a big role in the establishment of madrasas in the last few years. Similarly, it has influenced many Muslim men and women in adapting their attire and appearance in accordance to sunnah. It acts as a deterrent for the Muslim youth from going to cinemas, night clubs, discothèques, raves and all other places of sin. Cricket players like Sa’eed Anver and pop singers like Junaid Jamshed, who were drowned in sin, have now become the means for spreading Islam. Tabligh Jama’at plays an important role in preaching Islam to those who have even forgotten the kalimah, like those staying in the Kazakhistan, , etc. and the descendants of Arabs staying in South America. Many non Muslims have also accepted Islam through this effort.
May Allah guide us and save us all.
Nice blog