'Dawah' of Tableeghi Jama'at Views of Javed Ahmed Ghamidi
[Hassan Ilyas] Javed Saab, we see that in our society to call people toward the Deen
to orient them with Allah (swt), towards the Quran and its teachings
and the love of the Prophet (pbuh) of Allah (swt), for all these
different religious groups & 'Ulemas' and various movements
are putting efforts day and night, working hard.
Among them one very popular name is of 'Tablighi Jama'at' as you are aware.
I wish to understand that the whole methodology of Tablighi Jama'at,
the way they are working, their impact, and success, and their results.
and the outlines of this movement, how do you see them?
[Javed Ahmed Ghamidi] With a lot of love, and with much respect.
They were very sincere people who started it.
If you read the happenings in the life of Maulana Ilyas
we come to know what he had for 'Deen' and the Community,
for Muslims in general especially for the lower classes
He had such great empathy for them that it is unimaginable
I read about an incident. Maulana Syed Sulaiman Nadvi has narrated it.
He was no ordinary person.
Allama Iqbal had said about Syed Sahab that he was the last luminary
of the Khanwada-e-Ulema (House of Ulema)
The student of Moulana Shibli, author of 'Seerat un-Nabi' (Life of the Prophet)
He says that,"While I was sitting on a Railway Platform,
and had been wishing for meeting Moulana Ilyas someday
All of a sudden I saw that he too had come to that Station.
He recognized me too.
Taking it as an opportunity for reaching out for his 'Dawah'
he started pouring his heart out to me.
If I saw his words or his style of speaking,
the quality (as we often tend to look for) flow, articulation, eloquence, or rhetoric
was missing but the grief was such that I was crying and so was he."
When sincerity reaches such a level then Allah (swt) confers His great mercy.
Mewat is the place where this movement originated.
What was the condition of people there? We can guess.
People had forgotten the 'kalima'.
They only knew that somebody from their forefathers was a Muslim.
That is, what Islam is? What 'Salah' is? What a mosque is?
Do not take it as an exaggeration. I have myself seen in villages of Punjab,
In some places the mosques where I went, there were animal droppings.
Nobody was there to clean it
In the whole village, not a single person was there
who had ever opened to see the mosque.
This was the situation, even though seen here too in some places,
existed all over that region there.
He started putting in front of them this thing and despite the difficulties
bore the hostile reactions of the people.
After that, after much contemplation, he thought of 5 to 7 things
which he calls 6 points, should be taken to the people.
You look at those 6 points, there is not a single thing
where you can point a finger or raise an objection to.
Those are the basic things which Muslims were to be somewhat made aware of.
He did not come up with any intellectual movement.
i.e. he did not rise to contribute for the knowledge tradition of the religion.
He aim was to develop a desire among ordinary people towards religion.
And this was his purpose for which he gave shape to a mobile khankah (monastery)
i.e he achieved both his aims with it,
to motivate people to go out of their houses and
they develop a passion to spread 'Deen' among the people.
Go to the villages, talk with humble people,
Not start an intellectual discussion or debate on the 'Hazir & Nazir'
nor tell any stories of 'Noor Bashar'
Not to start discussions on 'this pronoun & to whom it refers to' among people.
The common discussions of interrelations of Ahadith
and the verses of the Quran, stories of abrogation, were to be avoided.
Avoiding these ilmi debates
only the fundamental teachings of Deen should be told to the people.
If you view from this angle then this work is of huge service.
The poor people, the farmers, those living in villages
who had become unfamiliar with the Deen, the intent was to send them the message.
And in its aftermath, we saw that for a long time,
countless people benefitted from it.
As a result of which many people learned to recite the 'Kalma'
learned to perform 'Namaz', developed a connection with the mosque
These are immense virtues.
Even now if you see they keep on performing this work with utmost sincerity
Regardless of the fact that people of a definite viewpoint or religious background
get more attracted to them.
This is our (Muslims') temperament.
Any person rising from a particular background.
Obivously if people are from the Deobandi thought
or of the Barelvi point of view then they surely see from their own angles.
But if you observe their 'Dawah' (Teachings) in totality
then they rose above all these things. The aim was to take people out from homes
to bring them to the mosque and develop an affinity for their religion.
And the foundation made was very true, the knowledge of Allah and 'Iman'.
'Iman' (Faith) is such a reality that without its reinforcement
you cannot expect anything of the remaining things.
In the hearts, the growing of 'Dawah' for Iman appeared in such a nice way
and among us the establishment of 'khankhah' by the Sufis was done.
'Khankhah' in itself was an institution par excellence.
'Tassawuf' as I have said is a parallel religion.
However as far as the 'Khankhah' as institutions are concerned
they are the need of every society.
Just as the students need Madrasas (Schools) Colleges & Universities,
in the same way, Khankhahs should be there for the elders.
What is a Khankhah? In fact, they were places to refresh Iman.
He, keeping in view the demands of the present age,
gave it the shape of a mobile 'khankhah'.
The person would teach some things, goes out and himself undergoes learning.
Human beings are such, if you take them out from their environment then,
often they undergo changes in a few days which would not have come in years.
and experiments have been done on this. In general, these things were good
originated with goodness, goodness dominated on them
and even today goodness encompasses them Alhamdulillah.
So from this aspect, I am their great admirer.
The rest is, any human work can never be called perfect.
Some of the things can be pointed at and a few suggestions can also be made.
Only a prophet's Dawah can be free of shortcomings.
The rest are humans, when humans work, emotions, feelings religious background
and countless other things that have been a part of his
environment and civilization to which he belongs to, have an impact on him.
In this sense, I have said over and over again and repeating the same here too.
That there are three things.
With all due reverence, respect and appreciation for their work.
I wish to offer them at their service. First thing is that
the basis of their 'Dawah', not debating their 6 points scheme.
The basis of the dawah they formulated was to read a book standing in the Mosque.
Such as 'Fazaile-e Aamal' or 'Tableeghi Nisab' or books of this kind.
These books if you see, their ideas are completely based on tales and traditions.
This is a very defective and weak basis.
Allah (swt) had bound us that the basis of Dawah
will be based upon the Book of Allah (swt) i.e. the Quran.
The Quran itself tells us that 'Zakkir Bil Qurane Mai Yakhafo Waeed'
('But remind with the Quran whoever fears my threat')
Even the prophet was asked to read to the people the Book of Allah.
I have with utmost respect and reverence to them & acknowledging their sincerity,
tried over and over again to communicate to them ardently that
instead of Fazaile Aamal or Tablighi Nisab which have even unreliable & weak Ahadith
tales and stories, from which the whole balance of Deen gets shaken,
so instead of that, alas if you had the Book of Allah in your hands
and you would have called people to the mosque and said
'come today I will read to you Sura A'rad' or 'will read you Sura Kaaf'
' today I will read to you Sura Isra' and would have read the simple translation
As a consequence of it, people would have experienced
the grandeur of Deen, as grandiosely as it has been portrayed in the Quran.
The first thing that I have said, and obviously one can only wish this thing
that you hold this book in your hand.
The second thing, that is said in this regard with due respect, reverence
and acknowledgment of their work;
To create this idea among people that
they have a certain responsibility for Iran or Central Asia,
rather they should be made attentive to their immediate surroundings.
i.e. as an ordinary person, I haven't been made responsible for America or Britain.
As an ordinary person, my area of work is my surroundings.
My children, my relatives, my near ones, my colleagues, my place of work, or trade.
This circle should be concentrated upon.
In this, many a times people in a very unbalanced manner shun their businesses
responsibilities, neglecting the demands of their employment
even to such an extent as to leave their sick wife and get out.
In this, the balance created by Deen as 'Faraidh' (Duties) 'Wajibat' (Obligations)
responsibilities,'Nawafil' (Voluntary) & 'Mustahbaat' (Desirables) gets disturbed.
This thing should necessarily be inculcated in people so that they
perform this service in their environment. The reason being;
this is what has been told in the Quran.
That an ordinary person 'Tawasau bil Haq Wa Tawasau Bis Sabr'
(Recommend each other to the truth, and recommend each another to patience)
In our environment, we have to advise one another for righteousness
and remain steadfast on the truth.
Hence the circumference of Dawah should not be extended to 'Iran and Turan'
Instead the whole action should be centered around its surroundings.
The third thing that I said was it is absolutely right that whatever
4-5 things you have fixed, there may be some changes in them as they are not
the points laid down by the prophet; it's okay that you have opted for them.
However when a person comes to you then he should be trained in a proper manner.
Not that you should make him an 'Aalim', everyone cannot become an Scholar.
Although they have established 'Madaris' (Schools) as well.
However, that work is being done by the rest of the Ulemas too.
Being an ordinary person he should be introduced with the complete 'Deen'
this should not happen that his whole life turns around the axis of those 6 points
and the rest of the Deen, the facts of Deen, its virtues and responsibilities
the wisdom of Deen, from all these, he remains oblivious.
So for him, there should be a concise syllabus.
It should not comprise of tales and stories.
Rather it should have the Quran, a comprehensive interpretation of the Deen
and along with this, there should be a decent collection of Ahadith.
So when people go through them, they come to know about their complete Deen.
Over and above this, they should become expansive enough to rise above
sectarianism and prejudices and
as an ordinary person become aware of the whole tradition of Deen.
This should be the way of training.
As people have come, In the first stage, it's okay but later this is required.
These are the three points that I have always said.
As you asked I have repeated them. Apart from this, I value their work greatly.
I have a huge respect and I pay tribute to them for their spirit.
and its stalwarts, I consider them as my stalwarts and my elders.
[Hassan] The second aspect which you had told towards advice and reforms
that the circle should be fixed for the Dawah, that you have to give
what is its extent of the burden and what are your responsibilities?
But we observe that whatever was the condition of Mewat, the same is
found with people sitting in the jungles of Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania
and wherever the Jamaats go,
on the mountains of Baluchistan.
So for us only these common people are there who would sacrifice,
come out in 'Jamats' (Groups) and go there to give the Dawah of Deen.
So what is meant by it? For the second point, I need an explanation.
[Ghamidi] For that the right way would have been,
just as you are motivating the common people to go out in their own spheres
and in their own circles and teach the Deen to people
as well as train their own self too in Deen.
In the same way, you should bring the 'Ulema' (Scholars) into it also.
They should go to different places.
They should go there and establish similar circles.
They should prepare the locals there for doing this work.
This work should be done by the 'Ulema' (Scholars).
They can go there, of course if there aren't such people.
However, the second & best alternative is you should have such academic institutions
where people would come from those places and become scholars of Deen.
We have many such 'Madaris' (Seminaries). You see,
where people from all over the world come & become 'Aalime Deen' (Religious Scholar)
If you yourself cannot establish your institutions,
then you could have contacted those religious institutions.
If somebody comes from Africa, knows its language, is familiar with those people.
So for all places, their local people should only be motivated.
This is the right method.
If at all, you have to send, then only 'sahib-e ilm' (Scholar) should be sent.
The responsibilities of a common person are of different nature.
To become 'Ulema, it is those who dedicate themselves,
who actually have decided to go for specialization.
For them the responsibility of supporting them is also to be done.
A common person has to look after his wife, children, and family members.
If you put him on unbalanced ways then you will disturb the whole balance of Deen