<\/p>\n
The noble work of tabl\u012bgh slowly and gradually uproots all unislamic activities. No amount of political or economic activism is effective as the noble work of tabl\u012bgh. The focus is winning the hearts of people and cultivating in them the love for All\u0101h Ta`\u0101la, His Ras\u016bl <\/strong>\ufdfa<\/strong> and D\u012bn. Tabl\u012bgh has a direct impact on the quality life of an individual.<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n This article is a must read to understand the inception of Tabl\u012bgh and its worldwide impact.<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Mufti Ebrahim Desai<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n As-sal\u0101mu \u2018alaykum wa-rahmatull\u0101hi wa-barak\u0101tuh.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A Glimpse into the History of Deoband[1]<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n In 1601, an East India Company trade delegation under the leadership of Vasco Da Gama anchored at Bombay harbor in India. They requested assistance from the Indian government and promised to improve trade links between Britain and India while their ultimate goal was to bring India under their control. By 1701, many territories had fallen under British rule.<\/span><\/p>\n In 1702, Sh\u0101h Waliyull\u0101h (rahimahull\u0101h), who was the first to begin lessons of had\u012bth in India, was born. When he noticed that influence from the English was increasing in the sub-continent, he devised a method to preserve Islamic teachings. His first move was to translate the Qur\u2019\u0101n into the Persian language. It is important to take note that before Sh\u0101h Waliyull\u0101h, the Qur\u2019\u0101n had never been translated into any other language for the past 1200 years.<\/span><\/p>\n Soon after, he authored many works that protected the sanctity of Islam and its teachings such as Hujjatull\u0101h al-B\u0101lighah<\/em>. Through his writings, he educated the masses about the fiscal policies of Islam, the political system of Islam, and the philosophy behind Islamic law.<\/span><\/p>\n In 1762, after the demises of his father (Sh\u0101h Waliyull\u0101h), Sh\u0101h `Abdul Az\u012bz succeeded his father in teaching had\u012bth and furthered his effort against British rule. After the demise of Sh\u0101h `Abdul `Az\u012bz, many came thereafter who fought for freedom by resisting British rule and letting the banner of Islam continue to sway in the face of oppression.<\/span><\/p>\n After 1831, when the `ulam\u0101\u2019<\/em> realized that the British were becoming more and more fortified in the country, they called up many meetings to find a solution to this problem. In 1856, another meeting of many senior `ulam\u0101\u2019 <\/em>was held which was attended by great luminaries such as H\u0101j\u012b Imd\u0101dull\u0101h, Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Muhammad Q\u0101sim N\u0101notw\u012b, and Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Rash\u012bd Ahmad Gangoh\u012b (rahimahumull\u0101h).<\/span><\/p>\n By 1857, a great battle for independence took place against the British in northern and central India against the East India Company\u2019s rule. The British government brutally suppressed the opposition and further concocted a plan to eradicate the Qur`an along with any signs of Islam. From 1864 to 1867, the British government firmly resolved to eradicate all the `ulam\u0101\u2019<\/em> of India. During these three years, 14,000 `ulam\u0101\u2019<\/em> were put to death and by 1867, not a single religious institute remained whereas in 1601 there were thousands of Islamic institutes in Delhi alone. As a result of such aggression, the `ulam\u0101\u2019<\/em> were becoming scarce and Islamic knowledge was slowly being wiped out from the Indian subcontinent.<\/span><\/p>\n India was losing the Islamic spirit and Islamic knowledge was fading away. The sunnahs<\/em> of our Prophets (`alayhimus sal\u0101m) were being replaced by acts of polytheism, innovations, and ignorant customs that had no place in Islam. Those `ulam\u0101\u2019<\/em> who remained felt that there was a need to safeguard the sunnah<\/em> of our Nab\u012b \ufdfa and protect the Muslims from losing their Islamic heritage. The only way to do so was to establish an institution for imparting Islamic knowledge and to equip the Muslims with divine knowledge so they may mend their lives according to Islamic teachings.<\/span><\/p>\n Soon thereafter, Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Q\u0101sim N\u0101notw\u012b (rahimahull\u0101h) saw Ras\u016blull\u0101h \ufdfa in a dream wherein he was instructed to establish an Islamic institute in the village of Deoband. It is also mentioned that Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Q\u0101sim N\u0101notw\u012b (rahimahull\u0101h) saw another dream where he was standing on the roof of the ka`bah<\/em> and water was flowing from his hand and feet, thus reaching the four corners of the world. According to this glad-tiding, on the fifth of Muharram (May 30, 1866), Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Q\u0101sim N\u0101notw\u012b (rahimahull\u0101h) laid the foundation of this institution in Deoband, India.<\/span><\/p>\n The first teacher to be appointed at this institution was Mull\u0101 Mahm\u016bd, and the first student to study under him was Shaykh al-Hind Mahm\u016bd al-Hasan (rahimahumall\u0101h), who was one of the leading figures in the movement for the freedom of India. As they sat for their lessons under a pomegranate tree in the courtyard of the Chattah Masjid, the only thing on their mind was to save the Muslims from losing their Islamic past.<\/span><\/p>\n This institution is called D\u0101rul `Ul\u016bm Deoband, and its students are referred to as the `Ulam\u0101\u2019<\/em> of Deoband.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Ily\u0101s and the Inception of the Tabl\u012bgh\u012b Jam\u0101`at[2]<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n In the region of Mewat located in northwestern India, Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Muhammad Ily\u0101s (rahimahull\u0101h) noticed a decline in Islamic awareness and a pattern of ignorance spreading through the masses. People had lost their zeal for attaining divine knowledge, and the mak\u0101tib<\/em> in the areas were also not sufficient in fulfilling this purpose. Since worldly occupations had distanced the majority of Muslims from Islam, children were being sent to Islamic institutions while the growing youth and adults had already left this path.<\/span><\/p>\n A pattern of perpetual decline had struck the ummah,<\/em> and the general masses were slowly losing their connection to this D\u012bn<\/em>. It was then that Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Ily\u0101s (rahimahull\u0101h) understood that if the common Muslims do not begin practicing their D\u012bn<\/em>, all other efforts to bring them towards Islam will remain in vain. From that day, Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Ily\u0101s (rahimahull\u0101h) frequently visited Mewat and made an effort to connect with the common Muslims there.<\/span><\/p>\n In Shaww\u0101l, 1344 AH <\/em>Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Ily\u0101s (rahimahull\u0101h) proceeded for Hajj in the company of Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Khal\u012bl Ahmad Sah\u0101ranp\u016br\u012b (rahimahull\u0101h). Upon reaching Madina, he felt a burning desire to remain in the city of the Prophet \ufdfa and felt grief in separating himself from this holy city. It was in this blessed city that Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Ily\u0101s (rahimahull\u0101h) first felt that great work would be taken from him in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n After returning from Hajj, Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Ily\u0101s (rahimahull\u0101h) began giving da`wat<\/em> to the people and also asked the common Muslims to join him in teaching the masses about the foundations of D\u012bn<\/em> (i.e. Tawh\u012bd, Sal\u0101h, etc.). In the town of Nuh[3]<\/a> a large gathering took place where Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Ily\u0101s (rahimahull\u0101h) expressed his desire that groups should be formed to give da`wat<\/em> and make tabl\u012bgh<\/em> of fundamental Islamic teachings. About a month later, a group (jam\u0101`at<\/em>) was formed and for the next few weeks they would visit different towns and cities giving da`wat<\/em> to the people rendezvousing each Friday to discuss the plans for the upcoming week. For the next few years, effort was made in the district of Mewat to bring people closer to the D\u012bn <\/em>of our Nab\u012b \ufdfa.<\/span><\/p>\n In 1351 AH, Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Ily\u0101s (rahimahull\u0101h) set out for Hajj once again and returned to Mewat with an even greater resolve. He formed even more groups and started going out in the path of All\u0101h for months at a time. During each of these cycles (known as a dawrah)<\/em>, he would select certain groups and send them to make gusht<\/em> (i.e. go door-to-door and make da`wat<\/em>) in the neighborhood. He also advised all groups to keep themselves busy in reading the Qur\u2019\u0101n, revising general mas\u0101\u2019il<\/em> (rulings) and fad\u0101\u2019il<\/em> (talks regarding virtues), and narrating stories of the Sah\u0101bah (radiyall\u0101hu `anhum). It was an effort to bring the Muslim communities to leave their busy schedules and come out of their houses for seeking Islamic knowledge and imparting it to others to increase Islamic awareness.<\/span><\/p>\n Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Ily\u0101s (rahimahull\u0101h) wished that such groups remain under the supervision of `ulam\u0101\u2019<\/em>; therefore, he took certain groups and set out to places that were bustling with the ak\u0101birs<\/em> (senior `ulam\u0101<\/em>) such as Kandhlah and R\u0101yp\u016br.<\/span><\/p>\n After returning to Mewat, Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Ily\u0101s (rahimahull\u0101h) sketched a map and set out destinations for all the different groups while designating an am\u012br<\/em> (leader) to lead each group. Not much time passed until a special gathering (jalsah<\/em>) was held in Faridabad[4]<\/a> where 16 jam\u0101`ats <\/em>gathered from various places. From there they gathered in the J\u0101mi` Masjid in New Delhi and dispersed to different places for tabl\u012bgh<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n During this time, the number of jam\u0101`ats<\/em> in Mewat increased and more and more people were encouraged to join this effort. Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Ily\u0101s (rahimahull\u0101h) focused on establishing a resolve in these groups to leave their worldly affairs and give time for tabl\u012bgh<\/em>. He wished for them to realize that if they are in the path of All\u0101h Ta`\u0101l\u0101 then All\u0101h Himself will take care of their homely affairs.<\/span><\/p>\n After exerting much effort, the district of Mewat began to change and light of D\u012bn<\/em> was emanating from even the common Muslims living in the area. Islamic awareness was established and a concern for the hereafter was ignited within the hearts of many Muslims. The environment of Mewat was beginning to take a new form. The Islamic dress was becoming prevalent, the Sunnah<\/em> of the beard was becoming more common, the drunkards and gamblers were leaving their sins behind them, and the pure light of Islam was shining through Mewat. When luminaries such as Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Ashraf Ali Thanw\u012b (rahimahull\u0101h) saw the fruits of this effort, they were also compelled to express their satisfaction at the work of the Tabl\u012bgh\u012b Jam\u0101`at<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Ily\u0101s (rahimahull\u0101h) believed that until the people of a certain area will not make a personal effort to bring others closer to Islam, then such an area will slowly see the light of Islam fade away. He felt that even the common man should know the fundamentals of his D\u012bn<\/em> for there were many who did not even know how to recite the Qur\u2019\u0101n or pray correctly (as is the situation throughout many parts of the world even today). He believed that the only way for them to bring an awareness of Islam in the hearts of people was to call them out of their homes and have them learn their fundamentals while giving da`wat <\/em>to others in the path of All\u0101h Ta`\u0101l\u0101. Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Ily\u0101s (rahimahull\u0101h) stated in one of his letters:<\/span><\/p>\n If you do not prepare yourself for spending four-four months traveling in each city (and giving da`wat <\/em>to the people of that area), then until that time comes the people of that area will never have the true taste of D\u012bn<\/em> and \u012am\u0101n.<\/span><\/p>\n In 1357 AH, Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Ily\u0101s (rahimahull\u0101h) expanded his effort and traveled to the holy cities of Makkah and Medina. There, he met with the governors of the areas so he could seek their permission in starting tabl\u012bgh<\/em> in Hejaz. After hearing his plea, they showed great delight at the work of Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Ily\u0101s (rahimahull\u0101h) and commended the Tabl\u012bgh\u012b<\/em> Jam\u0101`at <\/em>and their efforts. Thus, the spirit of tabl\u012bgh<\/em> was also ignited in the holy land of Hejaz.<\/span><\/p>\n In 1362 AH (1943 CE), the effort was expanded to the city of Lucknow[5]<\/a>. Their schedule was such that after the Asr prayer a jam\u0101`at<\/em> would leave the D\u0101rul `Ul\u016bm and after Maghrib they would make gusht<\/em> in the surrounding areas. After Isha there would be lectures and dialogues regarding the principles of tabl\u012bgh<\/em> after which each jam\u0101`at<\/em> would return to their resting areas. After the Fajr prayer, there would be a session of ta`l\u012bm<\/em> followed by sessions for fixing one\u2019s recitation of the Qur\u2019\u0101n (according to the rules of tajw\u012bd<\/em>) and discussing necessary rulings pertaining to day-to-day occurrences.<\/span><\/p>\n Soon thereafter, Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Ily\u0101s (rahimahull\u0101h) returned to Mewat and the effort of the Tabligh\u012b Jam\u0101`at <\/em>began to spread far and wide. The fruits of this effort were such that those who had led a life of sin, never prayed a day in their lives, and never knew a single verse of the Qur\u2019\u0101n were now enveloped in the sunnah<\/em> from head-to-toe.<\/span><\/p>\n It is clear from above that the Tabl\u012bgh\u012b Jam\u0101`at\u2019s <\/em>main focus is to bring the common man from darkness to light and enlighten him with at least the most basic teachings of Islam. While many of us may impart our knowledge through lectures at home and via the internet, we can never contend with the efforts of tabl\u012bgh<\/em>. How often do we see that due to the efforts of the Tabl\u012bgh\u012b Jam\u0101`at<\/em>, cities and villages that were once unable to find even an Imam to lead them in prayer are now filled with people who are teaching others how to recite the Qur\u2019\u0101n. How often do we hear stories of great scholars who had lived a life of darkness but through the efforts of the Tabl\u012bgh\u012b Jam\u0101`at<\/em> they are now enlightening youngsters and adults with the light of \u012am\u0101n.<\/span><\/p>\n It goes without saying that Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Ily\u0101s (rahimahull\u0101h) and his Tabl\u012bgh\u012b Jam\u0101`at<\/em> were also a part of the legacy of Deoband. The concern (fikr<\/em>) he showed in the district of Mewat has now become an effort carried out by thousands of Muslims throughout the Muslim world.<\/span><\/p>\n This great institution of Deoband played a cardinal role in preserving the culture, tradition, and honor of Islam in the Indian subcontinent. If it was not for their efforts, millions of Muslims today would be left in the darkness sulking in worldly affairs without a sign of D\u012bn<\/em> in their life.<\/span><\/p>\n As such, we request that one considers the following points before criticizing the works of such great people:<\/span><\/p>\n 1) The efforts of Deoband (whether in the form of institutions or the Tabl\u012bgh\u012b Jam\u0101`at<\/em>) have been widely accepted in each corner of the world. This shows us that such a noble effort must be backed by the help of All\u0101h Ta`\u0101l\u0101 as well.<\/span><\/p>\n 2) The `Ulam\u0101 <\/em>of Deoband are academically linked right up to the Messenger of All\u0101h \ufdfa through a consistent chain going through luminaries such as Sh\u0101h Waliyull\u0101h, Hafiz ibn Hajar Al-`Asqal\u0101n\u012b, `All\u0101mah Suy\u016bt\u012b, Khat\u012bb Baghd\u0101d\u012b, Imam Bukh\u0101r\u012b, and Imam Muslim (rahimahumull\u0101h).<\/span><\/p>\n 3) The `Ulam\u0101 <\/em>of Deoband are spiritually linked to the Messenger of All\u0101h \ufdfa as well through luminaries such as H\u0101j\u012b Imd\u0101dull\u0101h, Khw\u0101jah Mu`\u012bn al-D\u012bn Chisht\u012b, Hasan Basr\u012b (rahimahumull\u0101h), and `Al\u012b (radiyall\u0101hu `anh).<\/span><\/p>\n And Allah Ta\u2019\u0101la Knows Best<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Checked and Approved by, \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The noble work of tabl\u012bgh slowly and gradually uproots all unislamic activities. No amount of political or<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1601,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[61,205],"class_list":["post-370","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-deobandi","tag-tablighi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fatwa-tt.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/370","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fatwa-tt.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fatwa-tt.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fatwa-tt.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fatwa-tt.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=370"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fatwa-tt.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/370\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fatwa-tt.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fatwa-tt.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=370"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fatwa-tt.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=370"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fatwa-tt.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=370"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nMufti Ebrahim Desai.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n[1]<\/a> The following has been summarized from the book \u201cThe Ulama of Deoband \u2013 Their Majestic Past<\/em>\u201d (Madrasah Arabia Islamia, 2006) and \u201cT\u0101r\u012bkh D\u0101rul `Ul\u016bm Deoband\u201d (D\u0101rul Ish\u0101`at).<\/span><\/h5>\n
[2]<\/a> The following has been summarized from the book \u201cMawl\u0101n\u0101 Ily\u0101s Aur Unki D\u012bn\u012b Da`wat\u201d (Maktabah Mahmudiyyah).<\/span><\/h5>\n
[3]<\/a> Nuh is the district headquarters of the Mewat district in the Indian state of Haryana. It lies on the Delhi-Alwar highway and is about 45 kilometres from Gurgaon.<\/span><\/h5>\n
[\u201cNuh (city)\u201d, Wikipedia<\/em>, accessed on November 15, 2014]<\/span><\/h5>\n
[4]<\/a> Faridabad is the largest city in the north Indian state of Haryana, in Faridabad district. It is a leading industrial center and situated in the National Capital Region near the Indian capital New Delhi.<\/span><\/h5>\n
[\u201cFaridabad\u201d, Wikipedia<\/em>, accessed on November 15, 2014]<\/span><\/h5>\n
[5]<\/a> Lucknow is the capital city of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. A major metropolitan city of India, Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous District and Division.<\/span><\/h5>\n
[\u201cLucknow\u201d, Wikipedia<\/em>, accessed on November 15, 2014]<\/span><\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"