EYE WITNESS ACCOUNT AND IMPRESSIONS OF TABLIGHI JAMAAT WORK AT GROUND
Written by Shaykh Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi Rahimullah
(Translated from his book ek Aham deeni dawat)
"To understand this Programme in a better way and to give some first hand glimpse the write visited first time in January 1940 (Zeeqada 1358). I met different people of Mewat who has gone in path and noted down their impression feeling and intuition.(Mushahidat O Tassurat.).
First Account
“After Asr time our vehicle reached Gud GaonJama Mosque.(A TOWN IN MEWAT AREA). We were pleased to know that A Jamaat (Group of people for the above mentioned programme) has just reached there. Listening our arrival news some of them came upto our vehicle our luggage was taken out. They met us and did Hand shake Musafha with love and affection.
We entered Jama Mosque and the scene that I saw can never forget, and its pleasure still getting in my heart.
There were about thirty brothers sitting in circle comprising people of different age. Two boys of thirteen and sixteen years, and elders as old as sixty years were there. And many in between.
Everyone was having very few article one bed sheet,one cotton blanket etc. it was there eighth day after leaving their native villages. At start they took some dry food for journey and some was left for home.
Thirty people of Jamaat were subdivided into three groups to go on three different routes of Gud Gaon town. Every ten brothers there was a responsible (Ameer).
My colleague respected Patwar Sb addressed these Jamaat and said “You should be grately thankful to Allah that he accepted you for this noble path. This path of Tabligh is actually the path of Prophet. Allah has opened his blessing on you and has opened this path that has been dead for a time being. Allah is rejuvenating this path on your Hand.
Then he asked the Ameer of Jamaat to tell remarks of his last weak in Jamaat. One Jamaat Ameer stood and plainly described it as follows.
“Last Friday there was Nuh Jalsa (Religious gathering). We departed from there. We arrived village chandeni and did effort on them called villagers for prayers, We corrected their Kalima and persuaded them for sparing some time locally for conveying the same to nearby villagers.
Then we took the tribal leader of one village to another, In village Basaee we persuded the locals. We passed and spent night in hills. All of us slept on rocks of the hill. There was no food for the morning breakfast we did Sabr and everyone was patient.
Then we proceeded to another village known as Piyaka. We persuaded many towards Mosque, corrected their Kalima, convinced them to start local effort of Tabligh. We also requested them to prepare Jamaat to go locally in nearby villages and to go Uttar Pardesh area also. Some brother made some excuses we said if the deen of Allah is not alive we will also be dead. This impressed them much.
We reached Pudhiaini and did effort there to bring back muslims towards deen. Then we went Chahalka there we did effort we also went in the service of a local Pious Scholar.
Then we proceeded to Raeseena village, we went to the fields of Farmers and persuaded them for prayer, they had to take bath then they offered Zuhar Salat (Alhamdulillah). In the meantime we did their remaining field work of irrigation.
A second Jamaat Ameer narrated following routine of his Jamaat and this is more or less common Routine of Jamaat.
“We normally get up at 4 oclock morning, By the taufeeq of Allah we pray Tahajjud. Then till Fajr Slat we do some recitation or dhikr. After the Fajr salat we do learning and Recitation of the Holly Quran. Then our Muallim teaches us basic lessons. They teach us Salat, and basic Fiqh for related with Routine matters.
Then they read from books and we listen to it. Generally Hikayat Sahaba (Stories of Sahaba) and Fatuhussham is read. Before Salat we do Gusht (Meeting local muslims and calling then to prayer). After the Maghrib Prayer we do dhikr. At some places where the farmers return late from the field we talk with them after Isha Prayer.
About the Usool and Propagation Method what different people has said I am reproducing it here.
“Our intention is that we have come in Jamaat for our own Islah (correction and reformation) and for others. We are in need of our own Islah. How can we do Islah of others. The Deen Islam is of Allah. It is his will to take work of his deen from whom he wants. What is our status?(Nothing at all) We are not having much knowledge or etiquettes. If Allah takes his work from us it is his blessing. We have a firm a believe that even if Makhlooq (people) does not listen the Khaliq (Allah) listen”
It has been constantly Reminded and emphasized to us that we have to respect all the Muslims. To do conveying (Tableegh) becoming soft and polite thinking ourself as of little less important. (Narmi and Tawazu). W have been asked to bear all types of Hardship and adverse responses.”
When we reach near destined village we first pray to Allah to save the villagers from our Shar and to save us from their Shar. We pray to give benefit from the good of us to the villagers and from good of villagers to us.
We pray to Allah to assimilate in them whatever good we are going to tell them. After reaching Mosque if it is not Makrooh time we recite two rikats Salat. Then we go out for conveying and pursuance (Tableegh).”
Zeeqadah 1360 (November 1941) There was a big Ijtema in Nooh Town of Gud Gaon district.With a rough estimate 15-20 Thousands people gathered there. In this Ijtema there were many poor who have come from 30-40 km on foot (having no money for journey.). This Jalsa (Urdu word commonly used for a gathering under a pandal with talk by different scholars) was more than a Jalsa. Rather it was more a Kinetic and live Reformative place.
It was having Prayer (Ibadat dhikr) punctuality of Salat with aspiration of even Nawafil (Non obligatory prayer), Caring for his duty, Servicing of others specially of Ulema, and live example of Islamic etiquettes, Tawazuu Simplicity Sadgi was visible.
It was an effective demonstration of Islamic way of Life.
After returning from Ijtema The writer of these line has expressed his impression in An Nadva magazine.(Zilhijja1360H, December 1943) In it I persuaded the Elites and Scholars of Ummat to be closer to the effort and to get first hand information and academic and practical understanding of the work. For this to visit the centre of the Movement. I am ending this book on those lines.
“To all the elite and scholars of Ummat who have cognition and understanding of deen and have become fed up with the downward trend of Ummah. Also for those who consider the Prophetic way is only way for success and are in pain and remorseful with the irreligiousness of Ummah.
I sincerely request them to visit Basti Hazrat Nizamuddin Delhi India and meet Maulana Ilyas1 (This article was written in Maulana Ilyas life time. Now he ahs died but by grace of Allah the effort is going on).
They should spend some time with them and to seen the effort practically. They should see the structure of effort and get first hand information.
I am surprised that people take out time to visit the remains of forts and ruined palaces of the kings, and left over Domes etc. But there are only few to visit and observe the live sample of the early generations of Muslims and kinetic and live demonstration of Islam. In reality Maasart is a big barrier”
