Tablighi Jamaat ("Conveying[1] Group") (Arabic: جماعة التبليغ , also Tabligh) is a Muslim missionary and revival movement. Their activities are not limited to the Muslim community.[2]
Tabligh Jamat seeks to revitalize the Muslim community, especially those it believes are in danger of losing their Muslim identity. It emphasizes Muslim practice and participation in the Muslim community. It gathers its members and aids in community activities such as mosque building and education.
Tabligh maintains an international headquarters, the Markaz, in Nizamuddin, and has several national headquarters to coordinate its activities in over 80 countries. Throughout its history it has sent its members to travel the world, preaching a message of peace and tolerance. It organizes preachers in groups (called Jamaats). Each group, on average, consists of 10 to 12 Muslims who fund themselves in this preaching mission.
The Tablighi Jamaat was founded in the late 1920s by the well known scholar Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Kandhalawi in the Mewat province of India. The inspiration for devoting his life to Islam came to Ilyas during his second pilgrimage to the Hijaz in 1926.[4] Maulana Ilyas put forward the slogan, ‘Aye Musalmano! Musalman bano’ (Urdu) which translates 'O Muslims! Become Muslims' (in English). This expressed the central focus of Tablighi Jamat, which has been renewing Muslim society by renewing Muslim practice in those it feels have lost their Muslim-ness.
Ilyas was a prominent member of the Deobandi movement and throughout Tabligh's history there has been a degree of association between the two groups, although Tablighi Jamat does not see itself as Deobandi. Tabligh was formed at a time in India when some Muslim leaders feared that Indian Muslims were losing their Muslim identity to the majority Hindu culture.[5]
In 1978, construction of the Tablighi mosque in Dewsbury, England commenced. Subsequently, the mosque became the European headquarters of Tablighi Jamaat.
Ameer or Zimmadar are titles of leadership in the movement. The first Ameer, also the founder, was Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Kandhalawi (Maulana Ilyas) (1885-1944). The second was his son Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Kandhalawi. The third one was Maulana Inaam ul Hasan. Now there is a shura which includes two leaders: Maulana Zubair ul Hasan and Maulana Saad Kandhalawi. In Pakistan the duties of the Ameer are being served by Haji Abdulwahab. Maulana Muhammad Zakariya al-Kandahlawi is also among the prestigious personalities of the jamaat, as he compiled the famous book Fazail-e-Amal. [6]
With the ascent of Maulana Yusuf, Ilyas’ son, as its second emir (leader), the group began to expand activities in 1946, and within two decades the group reached Southwest and Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. Initially it expanded its reach to South Asian diaspora communities, first in Arab countries then in Southeast Asia. Once established, the Tablighi Jamaat began enraging local populations as well.
In the 1990s, the official apolitical stance of Tabligh was challenged by a break-away sect which added a seventh tenant to Tabligh's 6-point ideology, "jihad in Pakistan and abroad."
Although the Movement first established itself in the United States, it established a large presence in Europe during the 1970s and 1980's. It was especially prominent in France during the 1980s, although its influence has fallen since then, with many of its members becoming associated with UOIF, although one of its members is still represented in the French Council of the Muslim Creed.[7] Tabligh's influence has grown, though, in the increasing Pakistani community in France, which has doubled in the decade before 2008 to 50,000-60,000.[8]
However, Britain is the current focus of the Movement in the West, primarily due to the large South Asian population that began to arrive there in the 1960s and 1970s.[2] By 2007, Tabligh members were situated at 600 of Britain's 1350 mosques.[9]
By 2008 it had a presence in nearly 80 countries and had become a leading revitalist movement. However, it maintains a presence in India, where at least 100 of its Jamaats go out from Markaz, the international headquarters, to different parts of India and overseas.[10]
The second largest gathering of Muslims after the Hajj, (the pilgrimage to Mecca which is obligatory to each able Muslim at least once in a life time) is known as "Bishwa Ijtema", a non political gathering of Muslims from all over the world hosted by the leaders of "International Tabligh Jama'at". It takes place in "Tongi" which is on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
There are many renowned personalities associated with the movement.
Former President of India, Dr. Zakir Hussain was associated with the Jamaat.Dr.Nadir Ali Khan Rafiq Tarar (former president of Pakistan), Lieutenant General (retd) Javed Nasir (former head of Inter-Services Intelligence), and General Zia-ul-Haq have also been linked with the movement. Major General Ziaur Rahman, former President and COAS of Bangladesh, was a strong supporter and member of Tablighi Jamaat, and popularized it in Bangladesh.
Former singer Junaid Jamshed has close links with the Jamaat. His departure from professional singing career is attributed as the result of his inclination towards this organization. Among Pakistani cricket professionals, Shahid Afridi, Saqlain Mushtaq, Inzamam-ul-haq, Mushtaq Ahmed and Saeed Anwar are active members. It is also widely believed the Pakistani middle order batsman Mohammad Yousuf embraced Islam with the help of the Tablighi Jamaat.
Dr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim the former chief mininster of Sindh, and Ijaz-ul-Haq have strong ties with the Tablighi activities.
There is a misconception about tableeghi jamaat in many people of the world, that tableeg means persuading others only to embrace islam. tableeg is actually for the correction of individuality. Whenever he say the greatness of ALLAH from his own tongue to any other Muslim or non Muslim brother, his own faith automatically enhances. It is a common phenomenon that when individual talks about something for e.g."Diamond" continuously, The greatness of diamond starts coming in his/her heart automatically.Similarly, when an individual sits in any stock exchange for example Karachi Stock Exchange. He/She listens the value of shares in the market and their income per share. Desire of buying those companies` shares starts coming in his/her heart. because of environment in which he is sitting is totally related to shares . Similarly, when person sits in an religious environment and listens the words about oneness and greatness of Allah. As well as about the facts of life after death, A sort of fear comes in his/her heart. and he/she determines to change the pattern of his life for example to stop committing sins. Thus, tableeg is not only to persuade others to accept Islam but also to make one`s own correction. Holy Prophet ( p.b.u.h ) went to each and every person of Makkah to convey the massage of Allah. As a result, thousands of people accepted Islam who are known as SAHABA( for example hazrat Omar R.S , Hazrat Abu Bakar R.s etc. There is a famous saying of Holy Prophet P.b.u.h "May he be blessed with happiness,should he listen and obey me and pass my message to others". Thus, tablig is a responsibility of each and every Muslim of the world . That whatever he knows about islam, he should pass that massage to others for example his parents, relatives, friends and all muslim ummah. tablig is not only the responsibility of scholars but it is a responsibility of the entire muslim ummah.
- Wikipedia
