Tableeghis and lack of activism for the ummah [Archive] - sunniforum.com - a resource for the propagation of authentic Islamic teachings

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Harris Ibn Qureshi

28-05-2005, 05:33 AM

Asaalam Alaikum

I have recently been to a masjid near my house. I have never had a problem in geting anything announced at any masjid before, but was startled to find out that the imam of this particular masjid (tableeghi center of montreal) did not want to announce the international day of solidarity protest on may 27. The Imam gave me one of the weakest excuses and indirectly told me they don't get political. Subhanallah, muslims are geting killed and the tableegh jamaatis are doing nothing, they ridicule the concept of muslims speaking out against injustices towards muslims. I mean the founders of Deobandis have fought in 1857 to preserve and defend muslims and the tableegh jamaat have restricted their use of their influence of the common ppl to come out and protest against what is going on in the world.

I would like to know what does everyone feel about tableeghis not fully enjoining what is good and forbiding what is evil.Since silence is complicity, wouldn't the tableegh jamaat's silence indirectly put them as assisting the agressors by not doing anything??

tazkiyyah

28-05-2005, 08:41 AM

I disagree...

They do not protest to the creation...That is true.
They are a jam'aah teaching reliance on Allah(swt) and i know that when afghanistan was attacked...They used to engage in Qunut Naazilah.
What better means of protesting...Protesting in the court of Allah(swt).
Shaykh hamza yusuf once said...you can gather people in the street to protest before the creation but can you gather your family to pray tahajud and protest before Allah(swt)?

Also,silence is not complicity. It could be deemed to be focus and wisdom, and it is this approach of avoiding political discussion which allows it to spread into lands where islamic talk is not allowed and reaquaints the hearts and souls of those muslims with the burning light of Islaam

Many of the marches in england that I have seen have achieved nothing. These situations that befall the ummah are seen by the ulema as being a manifestation of the deterioration of our a'maal, and our uma'raa(rulers) are in accordance with our a'maal. Also, the nations have gathered to gobble us up, due to hubb ad dunya and karahiyatl mawt.
Many deobandi scholars were initially attracted to the political movements of their time..e.g shaykh manzoor nu'mani and shaykh abul hasan ali nadwi were attracted to
people like jam'ah islami. They quickly realised that these were a-spiritual movements that were involved in politicisation of the deen, and wrote critiques of them.
tableegh is a Theocentric way of viewing the world, and also a sufi view as they view the cosmos as the mazhar of the names and attributes of Allah(swt) and hence they are unperturbed the apparent actions of the creation and engage in tawfeedh and islaah...which are both high acts.
Their lack of entry in a field in which they are not specialised/qualified like ilm/politics etc...should not be interpreted as a weakness but rather as a strength and,IS not one of the great definitions of wisdom, to put the right thing in the right place at the right time by the right person?
How much fitna has been created by people entering fields they do not understand.By people condemning munkarat which are not munkarat?
By people not understanding the principles of tadarruj and the graduality of change.
In the muslim Ummah at present, the main problem is not lack of awareness of what the munkaraat are. Rather the wellspring of imaan has become dry. When one tells brothers to do or abstain from deeds, there is great reluctance. The strength of imaan that should motivate and animate their lives has been sapped by the advent of a materialistic civilisation driven by logical positivists and men who only understand the world as the collision of random particles driven by physical laws-arbitrary and lacking ultimate meaning.
In such times, the emergence of men who challenge this belief (not merely intellectualy as certain dry people of kalam might do), but through their direct wijdaan and dhawqi awareness and talk to revive peoples imaan, is no less than an a spiritual alchemists dream come true. May ALlah(swt) reward Mawlana Ilyaas abundantly..Rahmatullahi Ta'3la Alayhi

You can read mawlana zakariya khandalwi(rahmatullahi Alayhis) text on this
called al i'tidaal. He also explains his reluctance to enter poltical arguments for various reasons.....

I can only see it to be a positive sign -the manifestation of millions of muslims brilliantly embodying the sunnah in tableeghi ijtimas throughout the world. Like shining stars in the midst of darkness, and embelems invitations to Allah(swt) to have mercy upon the Ummah, by lifting HIS Azaaab, and pouring upon us his mercy.

For Allah will not punish whilst the messenger is still alive...and Allah will not punish whilst the people make istighfar

ahsanirfan

28-05-2005, 02:03 PM

ilm_seeker

28-05-2005, 04:26 PM

Harris Ibn Qureshi

29-05-2005, 02:36 AM

godilali

29-05-2005, 03:09 AM

What use is there protesting in societies completely antithetical to the Islamic ideal: individualism vs. responsibility towards Allah, parents, community, etc., modesty vs. normative fornication, shunning this word vs. rampant materialism, etc. Do you honestly think people whose values are completely opposed to ours care about what we have to say? If we go out in the streets with loudspeakers and posters, all they will say is "look at those fanatics. We need to controll immigration, etc." without even listening to what we have to say. The best way to reach out to the kuffar is through good manners and good example, then those who are open minded will come to us themselves. And remember, Allah guides whomever he wills, not us.

tazkiyyah

29-05-2005, 08:48 AM

Ja zakallahu Khair For your response.
I detect a great deal of ikhlas in your response and i'm sure that Allah(swT) will be pleased with your concern for the Ummah of his beloved Prophet(Sallallaho Alayhi Wa sallam)

Well..i would perhaps disagree with the deoband issue. In fact deoband never had a united political vision. In fact there was an intense amount of fitna concerning whether muslims should join the pakistan movement or join india.
There were numerous arguments between the ulema leading to a lot of fitna(Not amongst the ulema..who maintained adab) but certainly amongst the awaam....Leading to the Thanwi camp and the Madani Camp....
Again you can refer to al i'tidal of mawlana khandalwi.

One of the ways tableegh has maintained its inner cohesion and lack of such turbulent distracting issues is maintaining silence on issues like these. Obviously this does have some pros and cons(as you highlight)

There is a need for the brilliant minds of the ummah, nurtured by true islamic scholarship to try and search for cures for some of these type of maladies we face,without doubt.

tazkiyyah

29-05-2005, 08:53 AM

My own observation has been that politics ,in its 21st century manifestation, is highly corrupt and corrupting. I have seen many pious muslims enter the field and become sucked in by a lot of the problems they are trying to cure, becos of its very nature.

Also,good ulema have often lost their public appeal and islaah potential that they had when they started talking about islamic views on politics which the awaam did not appreciate.
An example would be shaykh hamza yusuf, whom i personally think had much more effectiveness in his da'wah in terms of the response of the aw'aam-un-naas , before the whole 9/11 political controversy.
One of the reasons that ppl love listening to mawlana tariq jameel,be they deobandi or barelwi or of any poilitical background,is that it is a message of Tawba devoid of any particular political nuance.
I think it would be sad for a movement to lose that universal appeal by dabbling in such an area.

Wallahu A3lam

Sadiq

29-05-2005, 03:52 PM

i like sheikh nuh's idea of "departmentalization".... one group takes care of people's fard salat (like the tableeghis).. one group engages in political activism.. one group goes out for jihad.. one group learns the deen... one group answers sects... etc etc etc..... without condemning each other... will take care of a lot of problems...

Beautiful....

Its a sad fact, that sometimes, i have seen "polictical brothers/groups", who go around recruits... to join their groups, and ideas... they do not even attend the blessed houses of Allah, nor do they promote this... its a sad fact, that these people promote such a thing, ideas, politics, when the people they are doing "their dawah" are not even attached to the mosque, or with the ulama... truly sad...

The tabligh is a great movement, that joins the hearts of people with the love for Allah, for the sunnah, for the simple way of life, that is Islam, and one of the greatest movements, that joins hearts with the house of Allah, what can be better than this?...

They are the first step, and thats it, so they help you "come back to Allah", and then you have to take the steps, ie, learn fiqh, tasawwuf, quran, tafseer, they get you out of the forest, but you have to make your own home...

Their silence does not mean, they agree nor to they support something, they are not in that field to talk. Its a shame, when people who are doing gardening to speak about those who are driving cars... so they do not talk "politics" is because, they dont need to. They are not in that field... We are have others who are in that field, and they should be sought.

As shaykh hamza said, the polution, population problem, mad cow diesease, and other problems that we have are not from nature, they are not from anything other than "bad hearts". bad hearts do bad stuff, most people in the world have bad hearts, thus we have greed, this, global warming, its not natures fault, its the fault of individuals, who have bad hearts....

So, this movement, helps people clean their hearts and i dont think, "lack of activism for the ummah" does no justice to their work. What they are doing, is the work of the greatest people who lived with us, when your heart is fixed, purified, you "naturally" do good...

Lets not look down on step one, for that is the step we all took to get to our "high" steps...!

Harris Ibn Qureshi

30-05-2005, 12:21 AM

I would really like to make a longer reply to the above posts, however timed does not permit me to do so. I will just keep it to few key points inshallah.

The above posts were mashallah informative and it clearly pointed out the best aspects of the tableegh jamaat. I myself agree that this movement's protocol is mashallah very good. Many muslims have come back to islam and have gone on to continue their studies in islam. They have changed their lives and became an example to their peers. They have also been negative aspects that have driven many people away from this movement. it wasn't the movement, it was the extreme members of this movement who ruin a beautiful concept of the founders.

Islam in this day and age have been attacked by the kufar as the times of the prophet (pbuh). However, when we muslims try our best to organize protests or political activism( to better the situation of muslims) it is very unfortunate to have muslim orgs who have an ability to assist the opressed muslims around the world turn a blind eye to the injustices.Making dua and concrete action is needed to make changes. What ever happened to enjoing what is good and forbidding what is evil?

"When you see an evil act you have to stop it with your hand. If you can't, then at least speak out against it with your tongue. If you can't, then at least you have to hate it with all your heart. And this is the weakest of faith." - Prophet Mohammed (Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Number 79)

Also for people who say politics leads to corruption, wouldn't it be best said that joing the current parties in order to enjoin good and forbid evil require inner struggle? Corruption is everywhere and that can't be stopped, it's the work of shaytaan and it can effect everyone and is not pre-dominantly limited to political activism. As i said before we need muslim organizations who tackle the inner and outter forms of islam. Which MUST be led by our ulema..

We need one single ideological movement which departmentalizes and uses one another when support is needed.

BTW-Sh abu yusuf riyadth al-haq has many speechs dedicated to social justice etc in addition to essentials to islam. We all can learn alot from this blessed individual...

tazkiyyah

30-05-2005, 08:01 AM

I agree

Perfection is not found in the world. It is to be found in the names and attributes of Allah(swt). If i were to claim that tableeghi jam'aah is a Perfect movement, I think that would be a very ignorant claim.
The best humans are the messengers of God and then their companions. We have some individuals on this very forum who wish to even critique and fustigate the sahaaba,who are embelems of virtue.

The hadeeth you mention specified isti'taat as a condition of nahi anil munkar, and this has as one of its pre-requisites adequate spritiual, intellectual (and sometimes military) preparation. Was it not mawlana thanwi who said that there were 2 options for the muslims perplexing him...whether to have sabr or to make jihad?
But the rijaal and nisaa associated with tableegh do manygood things.They may not be very "learned" in the academic sense of the word,but often times one experiences the warmth and light and sensation of those islamic virtues mentioned in books made into human form(EM-BOD-IED) .
Once mawlana ilyas sent a jam'aah to work around thana bhavan. They were told not to directly approach maulana thanwi. they were working in the masaajid and news spread that there was a groups of muslims who would sit and fill the masaajid. Mawlana Thanvi visited and asked them what are you doing?They said learning deen. he became very angry and said IS DEEN LEARNT like this.
He subsequently sat in those majaalis and after a few days said Subhanallah..these people ...in them I see the sifaat of the sahaaba...

And we all know his famous dictum..That Mawlana Ilyaas turned Yaas(Despair/despondancy) into Aas(cause for optimism)

If we wish to supplement, and augment this by targeting other areas , under the guidance of noble scholars as you mention, then this is good. I think we can do this without criticising and castigating other movements like tableegh...thereby not antagonising the good work they do, and maintaining an aura of positivity..

As for shaykh Riyadh al haq's approach, his primary approach as I know it, is engaging in islaah of the hearts, and he is very au fait with the issues of the age, and a source of great inspiration to me and many others....

tazkiyyah

01-06-2005, 10:54 AM

The tableeghis, easy target for criticism,
Attacks against them launched with cynicism
Politically unaware , Intellectually Docile,
Painted as some as simplistically puerile

But I must hasten to disagree,
And quote to you some history
To prove the nature of my claims
And perhaps to defend their noble aims

When Hinduism was spreading in Mewat,
And muslims were losing iman from the heart,
A spiritual man arose who stood apart,
And founded what we now know as tableeghi jamaat

Who knew this spark of love would spread like fire,
For the situation seemed quite dire,
It transformed darkness to illumination,
And rescued the sunnah from devestation

EMpty masjids cried floods of tears,
As no worshippers made sujood for many years,
And then crowds came back and thronged their floors,
You can see angels smile, and the heavens echo with applause.

The dhikr of Allah is being revived by their crowds
Throughout the lands jam'aahs travel like rain-bearing clouds
Bringing much sought for water to thirsty lands,
And turning to luscious green arid desert lands.

Some people may be unaware of this information ,
That mawlana Ilyaas was an initiated sufi master
But he saw the mutasawifs and ulema remaining aloof from their congregation,
Whilst Indias muslims plunged into great disaster

So he took the da'wah out to the masses,
Like Bees flying on journeys making honey in stashes,
Unknown inhabitations became Honeycombes sweet,
Where millions of muslims gather and meet

They left their families and their abodes,
And embarked on difficult dusty roads,
Travelling for the pleasure of the divine,
To replace the darkness of postmodernity with the sunnah's shine.

Embryonic change happens in Forty Days,
Strange Indeed are Allah's ways,
Dont call this number a reprehensible innovation,
Perchance it be a sign of your lack of academic discrimination.

In the way of Allah each step they tread,
But only for jihaad this should be said?
Open the hadeeth work of bukhari- the chapter on JUMUAH, ya akhee f'illah,
In that very chapter not about jihad, it quotes the hadeeth of the feet being covered with dust Fee sabeel illah

How many a former drug addict I have encountered in these lands,
Whose previously injecting hands are enshrouded with ancient sins
And now he sits in the house of God with a tasbeeh in his hands
Those same hands make dhikr on those beads of strings.

How many a robber who used to steal,
How many a zaani who shamed the earth's surrounds
How many a musician singing profane sounds
Now recounts God's Jalal-it makes him yell out squeals
And now the earth begins to smile,as he prostrates and as he kneels..

How many a face- black white and yellow from every schism
Sit on a mat and eat together their repast
Whilst politicians talk of the problems of racism
Oh This is not out problem- a thing of the past.

He makes nadaama and in tawbah turns
His heart with Love of Allah yearns
God Bless you Oh dearest mawlaana ilyaas
How beautifully you turned Yaas Into Aas

From the orient to the occident
And from the south right to the north
Crowds emerge with intentions heavenly bent
And taking Allah's name alone, they come forth

Pakistanis,Caucasians,Mayalsians ,Africans,And Turks
Chinese ,Eskimo,and russian faces
Ethnicities unheard of fill masjids where traces,
Of their forefathers are written in historical works.

Whilst nations sit before cathode rays,
That titillate their eyes with their enticing ways,
These men rebel against satan's invitation
And turn to the work of the prophets-driving iblees to frustration

They sit of the floor as it indents their knees,
They know not of Nietzsche,Hume,Kant or Socrates,
They couldnt perhaps recount ghazzali or avicenna's complex kalaam,
But the dhikr of Allah makes their souls calm

This is not to deny the place of the mutaklimeen,
Without whom we would be in disarray,
But for the awaam such complex arguments can lead astray
So let dhawq and wijdaan provide them with yaqeen.

They are not by tales of Machiavelli's prince infected
The sahabas stories motivate their lives
Such dark political ideologies before such heros stand rejected
Upholders of truth and self sacrifice

They hold no huge political rallies protesting to creation
In the nights they stand in prayer before the answer of every supplication
And with tears flood the floors begging for mercy and rejuvenation
Once more gifting glory to the Ummah of the best of creation

Don't approach the worldy kings -they cannot protect,
A Pretzel falls into their tracheas,almost suffocating
Such a small little thing He cannot eject?
How will he give Honour to those who stand outside the white house waiting?

They couldnt tell you about quantum mechanics or Hawkings
They couldnt refute Darwinian thought or the reductionism of dawkins
They dont know that much of Heisenbergs principle of uncertainty
For to them the kalimah is a deeply rooted certainty

They might not know Chomskys views on Linguistic Bayaan,
Or how Steven Pinker's instincts about neurolinguistics fit,
But they have of a surety read soorah rahman
And know that language is from Allah a merciful Gift.

And not the product of random forces without end,
Or indeed a blind watchmaker -No my friend
The blindness is in your hearts-not the maker of harmony
So with Ahsan-ul-qawl..They call To the Absolute with humility

On the Day of Reckoning when the Prophets say nafsee nafsee....
Perhaps Dawkins will smile ,albeit,temporarily
Thinking "Ah My Selfish Gene Thesis was true"
Even these prophets are exhibiting ultimately a selfish hue

But Then Mustafa shall come and say Ummati Ummati..
Such selflessness which will cause his theory to terminate suddenly,
This is the beloved of Allah, and this maqam you cannot explain scientifically,
So Discard Dawkins Memes for Muhammad(saw)'s MEEM

They fall not prey to materialism or such bakwaas,
They see the divine hand behind each moving leaf,
In fact they are aboard a noah's ark constructed by mawlana ilyaas,
They hold on to the sunnah with their teeth

Of Freud's oedipus complex they remain unaware
Or indeed of changing uncertain paradigms
Imaan, Salaah, the 6 points are in the air
The kaafirs who promote intellectual kufr will pay for their crimes

Qiyamah is before their eyes
Not mere logical premises philosophers surmise
But deep rooted convictions that change their lives
You don't have to read volumes to be called wise

Those of us who study in intellectual arrogance
Forget rumi's tales of the lover's simple acceptance
The intellect is still looking for its transportation
Love has circled the ka'ba 7 times in dedication

tazkiyyah

01-06-2005, 01:29 PM

:)
Ja zakallahu khair

if you wish

(my error first time!)

yes i wrote it

tazkiyyah

02-06-2005, 09:17 AM

corrected

Harris Ibn Qureshi

02-06-2005, 11:49 PM

Asalaam Alaikum

Good poem, it is agreed upon that what they have done, was great.. What we are talking about though is now. I am sure malauna ilyas wouldn't go on 40 days if he knew that brothers in his locality are having probs, now would he?? He would have tried to change it if he can or speak out firmly against it..

Just for the record it is true ppl who criticize the tableegh jamaat have done so unfairly. Either their ignorant of tableegh jamaats rich history and contemporary successes or they just like to criticize.However, their are ppl like me who agree 100% with their protocol, but are frustrated with them not doing anything for the muslims in their locality. We are living in difficult times, these amirs of the tableegh movement, need to step up and help the ummah from ongoing agressions by the kufar and the munafiqs...

nauk

03-06-2005, 10:24 AM

The imam has the every right to do that.

tazkiyyah

03-06-2005, 06:10 PM

It was good that sidi haris expressed his views.

I think the whole nature of these forums is to have fruitful cross ferilisation of ideas, and certainly caused me to think and ponder about some of the certainities I hold, and even stimulated some poetry

tazkiyyah

03-06-2005, 07:34 PM

At the risk of being accused of being a "passive-ist"(is that a neologism?),One should perhaps be a little careful of latching onto every new campaign to do this and that. Sometimes this hyper-activity is not healthy.
Not every activity is healthy. Cancer cells are very active...it doesnt equate their activity to beneficial effects... At such times people should find a place of sanctity - and lodge in it. I have found tableeghi jam'aah to be a haven of sanity in an insane world-which isnt to deny the existence of other havens. A haven in this world insha'allah- and heaven in the next insha'allah.

Whats the daleel with not getting carried away with all these activities?

Saheeh Al Bukhari

Volume 9, Book 88, Number 203:
Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Apostle said, "There will be afflictions (in the near future) during which a sitting person will be better than a standing one, and the standing one will be better than a walking one, and the walking one will be better than a running one, and whoever will expose himself to these afflictions, they will destroy him. So whoever can find a place of protection or refuge from them, should take shelter in it."

Ajami

11-06-2005, 08:40 PM

Don't approach the worldy kings -they cannot protect,
A Pretzel falls into their tracheas,almost suffocating
Such a small little thing He cannot eject?
How will he give Honour to those who stand outside the white house waiting?

lol. that was beautiful.

Brother

29-06-2005, 01:35 AM

brother Haris, first of all Tablighi Jamaat is not a political jamaat...second of all, is it not the truth that if you look at every country or nation in the world and will see and notice that the leaders reflect the general public. We have gone too far away from real islam, unless and until we donot revivie the real deen in our lives and bring it about in our bretrhren, we will not see any political changes that will be just for muslims and non-muslims.....

....Also, I suggest not to judge any work by the people, look at the work it self. I can assure you that Tabligh Jammat and its nisaab is very beneficial and in current times, probably the most effective and succesfull .......

Abid

29-06-2005, 11:56 AM

Masha' Allah excellent poem brother.

Jazakallah

mohammedmaster

29-06-2005, 06:27 PM

Its wrong for yoU TO criticize, tabilighi jamaats. Just because one mosque decision was made against your exoection, doesnt mean all of them are the same. Tabeeleeghi Jamaat is one of the most fastest growing group. You cannot judge your decision on the basis of one imam. There could have been a good valid AND DEEPER reason why they oppose to making that decision, to your expectation. People are dying outthere for the past couple of years & we are all watching that T.V like an action movie. Im the same and your the same.

We are not true muslims brother. We are not even a drop of what we should be like. No matter which group we follow. We should be following the exact footsteps of the Prophet(s.a.w) and his sahaba's. We are not even a tiny little drop brother.

We have to look at our own amaal, our sins, We hav to look at our own deeds before we start criticizing other groups. Therefore you should look at you and your sins first then you should criticize, therefor this will stop you from criticizing any human being or any mankind on this planet.

MAY FIRST GIVE ME THE RIGHT GUIDANCE AND GIVE YOU THE RIGHT GUIDANCE INSHALLAH.

Jazakallah

Harris Ibn Qureshi

01-07-2005, 05:30 AM

salaams

I could tell everyone who posted in defence on this thread is a tj. Secondly, i am not judging the tj movememnt from one imam, it's the whole organization. It's great to concentrate on the spirtual aspect of islam, but happened to the collective? I pray that scholars within the tj movement start helping out their muslims in the world and stand up against injustice..

Brother

04-07-2005, 03:24 AM

btw....."the decision of Tableghee Jamaat for not being involved in the POLITICS is the jamaats POLITICS"................ :)

Freeway

04-07-2005, 05:19 AM

Salaam Brothers

Brother don't let one person change your mind of T.J. because trust me if it was not for T.J. i would not be where I'am today aslo bro i have seen peoples lives change when they start doing this work T.J.

Salaam Freeway

abby

04-07-2005, 06:20 AM

Assalamu-alaikum, first off, I'd just like to say I know Harris personally, and just so no one gets the wrong idea, Harris is very much aware of the tableeghi jamaat, what they do, their benefits...he himself has been on jamaat..Alhamdulillah...

Secondly, regarding the imam's decision...and this is just an idea I have...which I'll explain through an example

teacher 1: very strict, hardly socializes with his students, demands results from his students, and demands alot of work to be done

students: don't feel comfortable around this teacher, BUT get alot done, do alot of work, are very disciplined

teacher 2 relaxed, let's the students go at their own pace, jokes around with the students

students: don't get as much work done, but smile much more, love the teacher's company, love coming to class

You see in both cases, the teacher had an agenda, their agenda was different, they basically have a recipe, which they follow, to get what they want out of the students...

For tableegh, they want to focus on certain things, they want to build love for Allah(SWT), they want to unite the believers, etc...so when the Imam didn't want to get "political", and it seemes very uncaring of him not to atleast announce this event, it could be because he wanted to keep with the recipe, so the overall goals of him and masjid don't go off track...basically, they want to really focus on what they feel is the most important, ....so , what I'm trying to say, is that it's not like the imam didn't care, for all we know, he may have had to fight his inner desire to announce the event, just for the sake of following along the tableeghi ajenda...for what the imam felt was important for the overall good and benefit for moving closer towards, what they are striving for, which is to bring ppl closer to Allah....so you may ask, why couldn't he atleast just announce the event, maybe he felt just announcing alone, could steer ppl in a direction that is not most important to them(tableeghis)...we gotta keep in mind here, he IS an imam..his whole community looks up to him, maybe just by announcing this alone,the youth present, will start focusing more on protests, than working on their own eeman.."cuz the imam said so"..

..just an idea..

w'Allahu alam

Wassalam

AFM

04-07-2005, 06:55 AM

Assalamualaykum...

I don't want to make this long.

We should follow the footsteps of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, and make an effort to imitate his life. His life as a Nabi (prophet) was Da'wah, calling people towards the greatness of Allah Ta'ala, that was his work as a prophet, and it's our work now. So call people's attention away from the creation and towards the Creator, including ourselves, our families, our friends, our co-workers, people we meet at the market, everywhere, anywhere, Muslims, non-Muslims - may Allah Ta'ala use us in the spreading of His Deen.

Harris Ibn Qureshi

04-07-2005, 07:33 AM

No one is against the Tableegh jamaat except for maybe some muslims and muslim groups. The criticisms against the tableegh is their turning a blind eye towards the muslim cause. It's very good what their doing in terms of spirtuality, and to be honest spirtuality is a long forgotten concept amongst the muslims of today. However, where is the support for our brethen. If a protest is organized by a homosexual supporting organization( you will be suprised how many weirdos support muslims) in defence of Iraqi and Afghani muslims then i can understand why the imam would not support the event. The thing is when muslims from a masjid are supporting a cause, why can't their fellow muslims support them?

Anyhow, i don't want to make this post long. I just want to mention that it's very important that we support our brethen when in need. 40 days and 4 months is great if your tring to improve yourself spirtualy, can u not come out for 2hrs and show your opposition to the gvts who kill your brothers and sisters of islam? Members responding in this thread need to understand, iam not against the movement. I believe it's just lacking important ingredients in where we can classify them as a "complete" islamic movement. If your not political due to external pressures, then admit to it. Don't beat around the bush and say muslims don't pray etc (even though it's true) and thus we don't need to get involved with what happens with the muslims around the world and we must concentrate only on the spiritual aspects. Thier is nothing wrong in being spirtual and anyone who speaks out against it is ignorant or plain stupid. But their is something wrong when you DO nothing to support YOUR brothers and sisters in islam. One simple question to my fellow brothers and sisters who replied and will reply in this thread. One of the 6 points is ikram ul muslim right? Then where is the ikram for our muslims who are suffering opression?

tazkiyyah

05-07-2005, 02:00 PM

[Interesting stuff

Tabligh's Beginnings

Tablighi Jamat represents one of the great efforts to revive the faith of Islam in the hearts of Muslims. Their founder, Mawlana Ilyas (may Allah have mercy on him) was a man of great piety and concern for the Umma. His father was Mawlana Muhammad Ismail (may Allah have mercy on him) who, although a great learned man, was known for drawing water from wells, serving travelers and then offering two rakats of shukr to Allah for blessing him to serve them. He died in 1896 and his funeral prayer was so crowded that it had to be repeated. Shortly after his prayer, a pious man saw him in his dream saying, "Send me off soon. I am feeling ashamed The Holy Prophet is waiting for me."

His mother, Bibi Safia (may Allah have mercy on her) memorized the entire Qur'an and was known for reading 10 Ajza (parts) of Qur'an every day during the month of Ramadan. She was known for her piety and reverence in worship. She was not only a worshiper of Allah, but she was a Murabiyah, who built and nurtured the young Mawlana and watered him from the blessed spring of Islam. Once, seeing something great in her son's future, she said to him, "Ilyas, I feel the aroma of the holy Companions in you." She used to place her hand on his back, and would say, "How is it that I see figures resembling the holy Companions moving along with you?"

The blessed fruit of these noble parents, Mawlana Ilyas, was born in 1885. It was in this home that the Mawlana was raised and nurtured on faith and actions. Once, the Mawlana, describing his grandmother, stated that she had become so engrossed in her worship and dhikr that she stopped eating. It was said to her, "You are old and weak and must eat!" She responded, "I draw sustenance from my tasbihat (remembrance of Allah)." Thus, the young Mawlana was surrounded by pious examples of people who were so attached to Allah that the world attached to them.

The Mawlana memorized the entire Qur'an at a young age and continued his studies of different Islamic sciences. He was known for having an intense presence about him. One day his teacher said to him, "When I see Muhammad Ilyas, I am reminded of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)." He was known for a strong intellect and excelled his peers in all of his studies. He had a number of great teachers and was blessed to study the works of Bukhari and Tirmithi; however, he was struck by an illness which led to his increase in studies and spiritual devotion.

In 1910 he assumed a teaching position at a famous school. After the death of his two brothers, and almost his own, the Mawlana moved to Dehli and began to teach. There he witnessed the horrible conditions of the Muslim Umma. In fact, it is well known that the Muslims there had adopted Hindu names, forgot their prayers and observed Hindu rights and festivals over their own. Under these conditions the heart of this saint pushed him to act. It was not sufficient for the Mawlana to focus solely on himself, but his true devotion to Allah and the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him pece) led him to openly address the ills of the society. Thus, like the famous Sufis before him, he not only focused on the purification of his soul, but the purification of his society and the Muslims around him. Thus, he was led to open a number of schools and educational institutions that focused on reviving the core Islamic teachings amongst the people. It was through this effort that Tablighi Jamat was born.

I'm sure many of our readers are wondering, why the long answer. Let me state that I felt it was an obligation to give them a small glimpse into the life of one of the greatest reformers our Muslim nation has seen in the last 200 years.

Summary of Tablighi Jamat:

Tablighi Jamat is a movement designed to bring faith back into the lives of the Muslims. They focus on five major duties and travel to different locations in order to spread the message of faith and dawa (calling to Allah) to other Muslims. They serve as one of the important alarm clocks whose job is to awaken a sleeping Umma, and remind it of its noble position and tasks. Members are encouraged to go for 3 days in a month, 40 days in a year and, if possible, 4 months in a lifetime.

Answer to the question:

Akhi, I think you should be happy that your wife is complaining that you're not making dawa, praying, or doing enough for Allah's deen. It sure beats hearing someone complain about the bills, not having the latest Visa Platinum or a new SUV etc. In fact, such a wife is one of the greatest gifts of Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) said, "This world is nothing but goods. And the best thing in this life is a righteous wife." Thus, instead of being angry at your wife, you should praise Allah that he has blessed you with her and she is encouraging you to look after your faith.

As was mentioned earlier, Tablighi Jamat serves as one of the many alarm clocks that Allah has used to wake up this umma. There are many such groups such as the Sufi, Salafi and the Ikwan. All of these groups have good and bad qualities, thus, what is obligated is to follow the truth. The Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) said, "Wisdom is the lost property of the believer." Thus, one should approach these different groups as one would a fruit garden, examine the fruit and take what is good, If you are able to correct the wrongs found in these groups, based on sound knowledge and wisdom then you should do so. In addition, one of the dangers that any group possesses is a blind fanaticism (ta'assub) which, at times, causes splitting and hatred to appear in the hearts of the believers. It is important to realize that these groups are mere custodians of the umma and not vice versa. Thus, if you are not comfortable with Tabligh, then try and work with another group in your city or location. Islamic work is needed today in the West more than ever. Thus, work with groups who cling to the way of the sunna, avoid extremes on any side, and seek Allah's assistance.

As for your wife, mention to her the story of Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him): Once a man from the people of renunciation (zuhd) sent him a letter, chastising him for not fasting enough, praying in the night or wearing shabby clothes. The Imam responded by saying, "Allah has distributed actions amongst His servants as He has distributed their sustenance." Then he mentioned how Allah has placed the love of certain types of worship (ibada) in the hearts of His servants. Thus, you would have a person who loved seeking knowledge, one who loved zuhd and another who loved dawa. The Imam finished his letter by saying, "I have no doubt that you're on good from your Lord and I'm on good from Him as well." Thus, you can explain to her, it is very normal for one to be inclined to a certain type of Islamic group. Then, explain to her where your heart leads you and perhaps try to compromise. One night a week you can attend different programs together as a family. Thus, one week for her flavor and the next for yours.

Finally, nicely remind your beloved that it impossible for anyone to know what is in the hearts of Allah's servants. Thus, if you do something good, she should assume the best and avoid the whispers of Shaytan. The Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) said, "Be careful of suspicion. For, indeed, it is the worst type of speech."

A Few Points:

1. Mawlana Ilyas (may Allah have mercy on him) did not appear out of a vacuum. Like so many other great luminaries of our umma, the Mawlana was surrounded by wonderful parents who encouraged him to be a great Muslim. Thus, our brothers and sisters should focus on raising the next Imam Shafi’i, Malik or Salah al-din. Therefore, try to teach your children about the Sahaba (may Allah be well pleased with them). Then ask them to choose their favorite. Try to encourage that child to emulate the characteristics of that Sahabi. But remember that the most important lesson they will learn, are those that illuminate from the parents.

2. True Sufism leads one past mere focus upon the soul. A true servant of Allah is also concerned with the conditions and situations around him. Ibn Kathir relates that once Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked, "Who is better? One who stays away from others, or one who mingles with others and continues to worship Allah?" Umar said, "Those who mingle with others, put up with their difficulties and continues to worship Allah, "Indeed, they are those whom Allah has tested their hearts for Taqwa." At the same time mere actions with no inner connection are like an empty cup. Thus, Mawlana Ilyas represented a rare balance of a person. He had a personality built on sound knowledge, sound tasawuf and sound actions.

3. It is important to realize that the Ahl-Sunna is very wide. It is very dangerous to declare different groups out of Ahl al-Sunna based on one's mere love for their group. Thus, such issues should be left to the scholars. One thing that one should do is not merely listen to what others say about certain scholars such as Imam Ghazali or Ibn Taymiyya. It is always better to read about their lives and understand the historical and cultural realities that they dealt with.

4. In general it is important to realize that people are different when it comes to different acts of worship. Thus, a truly wise person recognizes this and tries to facilitate the needs of his or her family or community. It is important for MSA's and masjids to organize programs that benefit all community members. We must move past group politics and work towards realistic unity.

5. The state of the heart is known only to Allah. Thus, questioning another's intention is something that should be avoided. The great knower of Allah, Junaid (may Allah have mercy upon him), said, "Ikhlas is a secret between Allah and His servant. No angel knows it, nor can any shaytan overcome it."

6. The virtue of having a pious good fearing wife.

I ask Allah to protect us from ta’assub (blind fanaticism) and hatred. I ask Him to unite the hearts of the umma and make us as one body.

And Allah knows best

SDW

June 27, 2005

abby

05-07-2005, 04:28 PM

The Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) said, "Wisdom is the lost property of the believer." Thus, one should approach these different groups as one would a fruit garden, examine the fruit and take what is good, If you are able to correct the wrongs found in these groups, based on sound knowledge and wisdom then you should do so. In addition, one of the dangers that any group possesses is a blind fanaticism (ta'assub) which, at times, causes splitting and hatred to appear in the hearts of the believers. It is important to realize that these groups are mere custodians of the umma and not vice versa. Thus, if you are not comfortable with Tabligh, then try and work with another group in your city or location. Islamic work is needed today in the West more than ever. Thus, work with groups who cling to the way of the sunna, avoid extremes on any side, and seek Allah's assistance.

I think Harris would be interested in this part..

UaHuSsain

07-07-2005, 07:35 PM

Respected Brothers
Of all the world movements that have come about to revive Islam within the Umah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW), I have seen that the Tablighi movement has proven to be the most effective in accomplishing this goal at the personal level. This is where it has to start from: any movement has to begin at the individual level first before it can reach the collective.

I have also seen many people who spent their youth involved and connected with this noble effort, and are now making significant differences in their respective communities (outside of Tabligh).

One MAIN critcism of Muslim political activities today is at the leadership level (whether it be in governments, or in Islamic organizations).So before you criticize the "lack of involvement" of this group in the community. Realize, that this effort has the potential to be the stepping stone people need to become strong, solid Muslim leaders for the future.

Harris Ibn Qureshi

09-07-2005, 06:13 AM

No one answered my questions on Ikram

Harris Ibn Qureshi

09-07-2005, 06:07 PM

Jazakallah khair for your post brother.

I have to clarify once again that iam not against the effort of tabligh. I think their doing a great job mashallah in bringing many of us to islam. Yes they do have some issues that need to be adressed, but overall they have tackled the issue of spirtuality which is lacking in the ummah. However, u mentioned that many tablighis in UK have protested and spoke out against the injustices of their gvt. May allah reward them and it brings me much joy. But here in CANADA it is different. Many of these tablighis have uttered words such as politics has no place in islam and many muslims waste time in following what is going on in the world. Yes some may waste alot of time and these muslims are extreme who don't balance out islam with worldly information. I have told them but this is some muslims many of them study fiqh and aqeeda and also follow whats going on in the world. Anyhow UK even though it has some wack muslim orgs, are much better than us muslims in Canada. And being on jamaat myself, i never expereinced any uk TJ saying stuff like the brothers in Montreal for example would say....

tazkiyyah

11-07-2005, 09:11 AM

Salams
I would be careful of jumping to rapid conclusions and steretyping all fans of tableegh
I live in the Uk.

I have more of a political book collection than most people who criticise tableegh so I wouldnt say I am necessarily politically "naive".

Some recent reads

From Plato to Nato

Machiavelli- The prince
New rulers of the World- Pilger
No Logo Naomi Klein

Globalistaion and its discontents Joseph Stiglitz
The best democracy money can buy Palatz
Wealth Of Nations Adam Smith
History of Political Philosophy-Cropsey

Various works by Chomsy
A theory of Justice John Rawles
The Blackwell guide to social and political philosophy- Robert Simon
Against the Current Isiah Berlin
The Crooked Timber of Humanity-Isiah Berlin
What We Owe Iraq: War and the Ethics of Nation Building. N. Feldman.
When States Fail: Causes and Consequences. R.I. Rotberg, ed.
Why Deliberative Democracy? A. Gutmann and D. Thompson.
The World of Prometheus: The Politics of Punishing in Democratic Athens. D.S. Allen.

Al I'tidal- Khandalwi
Hakeem al Ummat Kay Siyasi Afkaar- Compiled By Mufti Taqi
Rise and Fall of the Ummah-political reflections by zaid shakir

Giving the listener a comprehensive breakdown of the numerous opinions regarding the cause of the Muslim decline, Imam Zaid draws from and accesses the varied efforts and theories of significant political reformists, modernist movements, Western orientalists, and Islam’s distinguished religious scholars. This important course offers a masterful balance between a political-material analysis and the traditional Islamic worldview, clarifying this complex historical topic, highlighting the rays of hope in the darkness, and proposing the actions and means by which the Muslim ummah may rise again(alhambrapublications)

et al

nauk

07-12-2005, 10:28 PM

Top thread!

Do people think mosques should remain a place of worship or be politicized/do lobbying or should they leave lobbying to such groups.. ?

Nafeesa

11-12-2005, 11:05 PM

hope_n_fear

12-12-2005, 12:29 AM

Jihad is fardh upon every male, how then would it be possible for only one group to go.

:salam: sister,

Sometimes Jihad is fard upon everyone and sometimes it's a fard upon a community - ie, if a group of the community does so, then the rest is exempted.

Such scenario is stated in the Qur'aan, when Allah swt asks some to stay back from the battles and learn the religion.

A similar question was asked to brother Muhammad Alshreef of Al-maghrib Institute a few weeks ago in a lecture at my university, and he said, that the ones who stay back to learn/preach the religion, can become a helpful guide for the Jihadis when they return. (ex. to help them be strong spiritually, to be free from pride and arrogance etc.)
And Allah swt knows best.

:ws: