Academic and Intellectual Understanding of Dawah Manhaj Methodology of Tablighi Jamaat

Written BY

  Great Islamic Scholar of last century founder of Darul Musannefin

FAZILATUZ SHEIKH ALLAMA SYED SULAIMAN NADVI (R.A.)

ISLAM IS A DIVINE MESSAGE AND THE MUSLIM UMMAT IS ITS CARRIER.

Unfortunately this fact was missed and by and large unattended and neglected. Consequently, the Muslims came to regard themselves as a nation in that idiom in which other nations of the world are 'nations', that is, on

territorial considerations or

racial peculiarities,

However some Muslims of understanding hold that, unlike other nations, the Muslim nationhood is constructed on the threshold of religious ideology. But still  the reality lies beyond this limited concept of nationhood.

The truth is that the Muslim Ummat is a community sent down to the world by Allah Subhanahu Taala with a specific message, whose sole obligation consists in preserving this message, propagating it and inviting people to fulfil its demands. Those who accept this message of Allah form one universal brotherhood, having certain obligations, and all believers belong to this universal brotherhood, or call it a nation. After coming to know this unique character and function of this Ummat, it becomes manifest that the biggest responsibility of this Ummat consists in

(1)Proper understanding of this message, (2)Fulfilling the requirements of this message,

(3)Learning the science of this message, (4)Inviting people to adhere to the demands of this message and its propagation,

(5)Establishing a universal brotherhood of those who adhere to it, and

(6)Fulfilling the obligations pertaining to this brotherhood.

It is a pity that, by and large the Muslims became forgetful of this of their responsibility. The Muslim sultans and kings were content with making conquests and expanding their domains, thereby collecting ransom and land-revenue, believing that leading a life of comforts and luxuries was the only end worth achieving. The ulama and the scholars limited themselves to scholastic pursuits, (teaching talebeen) preferring the life of contentment and seclusion to the trails (Fitnah) of the world. The soofis and the darveshes dedicated themselves to individual prayers and adopted the cloistered life of the hermits, away from the busy life of the world.

         This resulted in that due to the absence of strong & active connection with elites (Ulemas & Scholars)of ummat, the common mass became forgetful of its position, and the actual cause of the bringing forth of Muslim Ummat was lost sight of by all sections of the Muslim Community.

The Responsibility of the Muslim Ummat

It has been established on the authority of the text of the Holy Qur'an and authentic Traditions that the entire Muslim Ummat, following the example of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, has been deputed by Allah to convey His message to all nations of the world. As a matter of fact, this Ummat was created and sent out to the world with the purpose of fulfilling the obligations of da 'wat (inviting people to the message of Allah), tableegh (propagation of the message of Allah) and amr bil ma'roof wa nahi a'nil munkar (enjoining the doing of the Good and negating the evil). The following verse is elucidating this fact:

كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنْ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ

(آل عمران: 110

You are indeed the best community that has ever been brought forth for (the good of) mankind: you enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong. [Q. 3:110)

        This verse clearly states that the Muslim Ummat has been raised for [the guidance of] all other communities. The purpose of this Ummat's creation is that it should serve all the other nations in the sense that it should enjoin them to do good deeds, propagate good actions and forbid what is wrong. Now, if this Ummat neglects this duty, it will not be fulfilling the function for which it was raised'.

         A few verses earlier than the one quoted above, it has been expressly stated that it is the Farz-e-kifaya (collective responsibility) of this Ummat to depute, in every age, an adequate number of people for this mission. If all the various sections of the Ummat neglect this duty, the entire Ummat will be regarded as a community of defaulters. However, if some groups fulfil this collective obligation on behalf of the' others, the entire Ummat will be absolved from this obligation.

Allah says

وَلْتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنْ الْمُنْكَرِ وَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ الْمُفْلِحُونَ (آل عمران: 104

There has to be a group of people from among you who call towards the good, and bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair. And it is these who are successful.  [Q, 3:105)

According to this verse, this chosen group has been made responsible for the reformation and well-being of the entire Ummat; and three important tasks have been assigned  to it:

(1) Inviting the entire ummat, rather all mankind, to what is good,

(2) Propagation of good ideas and good deeds, and

(3) Forbidding what is wrong,

Till the time A large number of people  committed to this cause were present in the Ummat, these obligation continued to be fulfilled in an effective manner, the magnitude and tempo of work is proportionate to the number of devoted persons in this Jamii’ats (People for this cause). And, according to the prediction of the Hadees: The best generation is the generation of my companions... The jamiiat (Group of people) of Sahaba Raziallau Anhum, the jamii'at of tabieen' and the jamii'at of taba-tabieen Rahimullah, did this work effectively. With the passage of time generations after generations these jamii'ats (Group of people) kept on reducing in number and it finally reduced to mere individual. It became domain of the selected individual’s personal effort instead of a collective work of the ummat.

Acquisition of Worldly Fortune and Power is not the Basic Objective:

In this context, the fatal mistake was of believing the establishment of an Islamic power and acquisition of worldly fortune to be the highest idea and objective in itself.

The apprehension of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, expressed in the following Hadees came absolutely true:

“I have no fears about your foiling into poverty. but. I fear your being granted abundance of worldly things ...

When the world, with its luxuries, wealth and other attractions, put her shadow on the Muslims, they started believing the conquest of nations, expansion of boundaries and collection of land-revenue the only aims and objectives of this Ummat, and became satisfied over a Muslim kingdom instead of the kingdom of Islam.

 In other words." they thought only such a piece of land to be their objective which was headed by a Muslim, even though he were a Muslim in name only; whereas, in reality, the objective was that the Muslims should strive to establishment of the Rule & Law of our creator Almighty Allah and to establish system of Justice and tranquility for mankind that are core values of Islamic socio-political system, and that state (i.e., piece of land) and power should serve as the vital means for the establishment of this system approved by Almighty,

As has been said the following verse

الَّذِينَ إِنْ مَكَّنَّاهُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ أَقَامُوا الصَّلاَةَ وَآتَوْا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَمَرُوا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَنَهَوْا عَنْ الْمُنْكَرِ وَلِلَّهِ عَاقِبَةُ الأُمُورِ (الحج: 41

[22:41] (The ones who help Allah are) those who, when We give them power in the land, establish Salah, pay Zakah, bid what is Fair and forbid what is Unfair. And with Allah lies the fate of all matters.

Muslim Ummat is the Successor of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam:    

كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنْ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ

(آل عمران: 110

You are indeed the best community that has ever been brought forth for (the good of) mankind: you enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong. [Q. 3:110)

From the obligations of the Prophethood, the Muslim Ummat is made the successor of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam in: 

(1) Inviting people to what is noble,

(2) Enjoining them to do good deeds, and

(3) Forbidding them from what is wrong.

       
هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولاً مِنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمْ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِنْ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلاَلٍ مُبِينٍ (الجمعة: 2

He is the One who raised amidst the unlettered people a messenger from among themselves who recites to them His verses, and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and the wisdom, while they were earlier in open error. [62:2]

Therefore, the three obligations which were assigned to the Holy Prophet as the functions of the Prophethood, i.e.,

(1) Proclamation of Allah's commands,

(2) Teaching the knowledge contained in the Book of Allah as well as imparting wisdom to His men, and

(3) Purification of the people's souls, were made obligatory for the Ummat as its collective responsibility.

 That is why during the past centuries, the great religious figures of the Ummat (imams, sheikhs and ulama) have endeavored to fulfill these three responsibilities with great personal effort and concentration. And, it is due to their untiring efforts and devotion that today we find the World of Islam illuminated with the light of deen.

Combination of Formal Religious Education & Spiritual Purification:

The Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam fulfilled all the three responsibilities to the height of perfection.

He told Allah's command and recited the Qur' an verses to the people; taught them the Word of Allah and imparted to them the Divine Wisdom; and he was not content with this alone but with the blessed influence of his own self and correct methods, he purified the-souls of the people as well.

He made them clean personalities; cured the sicknesses of their hearts; reformed their morals and took them to the height of moral excellence by washing away the dust and rust of their evil doings.

After the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam the work on both these external and internal aspects of religious knowledge used to be performed giving them equal importance, and both these aspects of religious knowledge remained joined together during the three subsequent ages e.g The Sahaba Raziallau Anhum, the tabieen' and taba-tabieen Rahimullah,  People of these three ages combined in their persons the formalism of the ulama (religious teachers) and the spiritualism of the sheikhs (spiritual guides). Among them the teachers were sheikhs, and those who were sheikhs, were, at the same time, teachers. At day, they would impart the great deal of knowledge to their students, and, at night, stay awake and bow to Allah in the humblest devotion. In terms of religious teacher and spiritual guide, we do not see any dividing line between these three generations.

Separation between Formal Religious Education and Spiritual Purification:

          With the passage of time after generations, there followed a time when there occurred a gradual divide in the external and internal aspects of the religious knowledge. In this age, many scholars of the shari'ah were devoid of the inner spiritual attainments, and the mystics and divines of the times used to be ignorant of the knowledge and regulatory practices of shari'ah.

With the passage of time, this gap between the internal and external religious aspects grew wider and wider. A time came when the Islamic schools, Univercities and madrasas (Islamic teaching institutions) were built for [preserving] the external aspect of the knowledge, while the khanqah and Rabats (monasteries and cloisters) were built for internal development and spiritual purification and these two lights which had been together in the sacred Masjid of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam were now divided into two separate lights of madrasah (Islamic schools, universities) and khanqah (spirituality). Resultantly, Many of the product of Islamic Schools/Univercities/Madarsas became seekers of worldly concerns instead of the ulama of deen, (Ulmae e Haqq) and those who claimed spiritual attainments became un-informed of the ways and the wherefores of the knowledge of shari'ah.

Prosperity is illtbe Combining of these Two:

However, all through the Islamic history and even during this period, certain men of exceptional spiritual calibre were born in whom both these colors of the imprint of light of Prophethood [the Messenger of Allah] were present. On a closer study, it will become manifest that, in Islamic history, all spiritual leaders who profoundly influenced the lives of numerous people was only those who contained in themselves both internal and external aspects of religious knowledge.

Thus, Imam Ghazali Rahmatuulah Alaihi, a profound scholar of the knowledge of Hadees and a pioneer of study of shari'at, was simultaneously a great exponent of the Spiritual Truth (Tasawwuf/Tazkiya/Ihsan);

Sheikh Abu-Najib Suharwardi Rahmatuulah Alaihi "one of the revered soofis, taught religious Islamic knowledge at the celebrated madrasah Nizamiya (Baghdad) as well;

Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani Rahmatuulah Alaihi who enjoys great prominence among sufis, was at the same time a great Imam of Islamic Jurisprudence of his times.

Furthermore, Imam Bukhari Rahmatuulah Alaihi. Imam Ibn-e-Hanbal Rahmatuulah Alaihi, Sufyan Sauri Rahmatullah Alaihi, and the like, who are commonly regarded as the Scholars of the Hadees or Fiqh (Religious knowledge and Jurisprudence), were. in fact, accomplished spiritual leaders as well.

Among those who belong to the middle period. Allama Ibn Taimiyya Rahmatullah Alaihi and Hafiz Ibn-e-Qayyim Rahmatullah Alaihi are believed, by the ignorant people, to be unfamiliar with the inner spiritual life, but their biographies reveal scores of incidents reflecting their spiritual attainments. If you study the books like Manazil-ul-Salikeen (meaning, stages in spiritual attainments) written by Hafiz Ibn-e-Qayyirn Rahmatullah Alaihi, you will feel convinced that these divines were equipped both with external decoration as well as internal beauty.

In India, the divines, whose efforts illuminated this land with the light of Islam, were invariably those who combined in their persons the accomplishments associated with both the madrasah and the khanqah. Since their way of life closely followed the sunnat of Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, their spiritual influence spread over vast areas and penetrated into distant territories.

If you see, one by one, the suns, moons, and stars of the sky of Delhi, i.e.,from Shah Abdul Rahim Rahmatullah Alaihi to Shah Isma'il Shaheed Rahmatullah Alaihi you will see a panorama of religious divines who were skilled in both internal and external accomplishments of religious knowledge; and you will thus come to know the reality of the vastness of their scholastic and spiritual blessings.

While teaching religious sciences in the Islamic schools, they fulfilled the requirements of one of the functions of the Prophethood [the Messenger of Allah] وَيُعَلِّمُهُمْ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ

to impart unto them the divine writ as well as wisdom... [Q, 62:02] and when they retired to their apartments they played the role of the purifier of souls: ... [the Messenger of Allah] وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ causes them to grow in purity ... [Q,62:02], thus discharging the due of the internal aspect of the junctions of the Prophethood.

Again, those who became the carriers of the blessings of this sacred lineage whose names do not need mention because the marks [of worship of nights] ore on their foces... سِيمَاهُمْ فِي وُجُوهِهِمْ مِنْ أَثَرِ السُّجُودِ their distinguishing feature is on their faces from the effect of Sajdah [Q.48:29],

And from whom the people of the world derived lots of benefits, and from whom the work of propagation of deen and tableegh and of the purification of the hearts and self was taken were those who possessed a thorough knowledge of the shari'ah and combined it with the life of the inner purity.

It has been decreed by Allah that even in future, only such persons will be made the fountain heads of religious revival in whose persons the qualities of spiritual purification and scholarship (khanqah and madrasah) are blended into one harmonious whole like the two seas mentioned in the verse:

مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ (الرحمن: 19

He let forth the two seas to meet together, [Q. 55:19]

 Spiritual insight grows more penetrating if one stays awake during the nights, and speech becomes more effective through excessive remembrance (zikr) of Allah. In Islam, the best soldiers have always been only those who worship Allah with devotion at night. The biographies written during the thirteen centuries bear testimony to the authenticity of this statement.

Without the illumination of the heart, fluent speeches and proficiency in writing are no more than illusive mirage in the desert: which though has outward glamour and momentary appeal, yet has no existence and future.

Unity of the Ummat is the Disposition of the Propbethood:

One of the main reasons for the failure of the present-day work of reformation in the world of Islam lies in our ignorance of the fact that every nation and groups created with certain distinguishing temperamental characteristics. Unless the work of reformation suits the temperament of the community, there can be little hope of its finding general acceptance or proving to be really fruitful.

In our times there are various groups who claim to be striving for the reformation of the Muslim Community and the revival of Islam.

One of these groups even believes that the age of the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam belongs to the remote past and a new prophethood based on nationalistic pattern is the need of the day (May Allah forbid). So, they have invented such prophethood and invite people to join their fold. The followers of this group have been defeated in their purpose and their links with the Ummat of the Holy Prophet Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam stand severed.

Another group retains belief in the Prophethood of Muhammad Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, but they maintain that a redefinition and re-modelling of the interpretations of the heavenly knowledge sent down on Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam is necessary due to the changing requirements of time. They question the authenticity of the Hadees, and give new meaning to the interpretations of the Holy Qur'an 'in view of today's felt-needs, on the base of their ideologies. In effect, they, demand a new Qur'an. The followers of this school also failed to retain any vital link with the jamii'at of Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. Every of their' mujtahid, by saying that 'Sufficient for us is the Book of Allah', is giving new meanings to the clear obvious and well established meanings of the Qur'an, inventing new and abstract modes of offering salaat, observing fast and performing Hajj.

A third group believes in the Holy Qur'an and the sunnat of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, but judges each and every Qur'anic verse and Hadees on its own rational standards. They do not believe in the Miracles nor do they believe in the physical existence of the paradise and hell. They advocate the legitimacy of usury. In fact they try to modify all the social edicts of Islam according to their own so called rational standards and seek to make the shari'at subject to what they believe to be the principles of Nature. Such people have gone to the fold of the mis-interpreters of Muhammads Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam religion and thus are not among the believers and the obedient.

There is another group which does not demand a new Prophethood, nor a revived version of the Holy Qur'an, and nor it preaches new modes of offering prayers or observing fast, but they believe in the need for a new imaamat (spiritual-cum-political leadership) which, they think, should re-define Islamic systems. {The new imaamat] should re-define kufr, imaan and hypocrisy, and set new principles for obedience to the ameer (the commander of the faithful); and should launch some 'Ism' on the lines of certain European movements for the Revival of Islam; and should spread this 'Islamism' in the youth with the determination and enthusiasm of 'isms', and should resolve all controversial issues of theology and jurisprudence in a modern manner like a Mujtahid.

It may be that during these days of storm and stress, this last group can prove to be a source of satisfaction for the young enthusiasts, and they can work for stopping the flood of irreligious ideas which is coming through the line of economics and politics. But, the ideological framework and methodology of this group do not confirm with the ideology and methodology of other groups of the Ummat. لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ يُحْدِثُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ أَمْرًا (الطلاق:

... it may be that Allah brings about a new situation thereafter.  [Q. 65:01]

It therefore appears from the above that, in accordance with the temperamental characteristics of the Ummat of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, it is essential that

(1) The caller himself,

(2) The call. and

(3) The manner adopted for the propagation of this call should necessarily be in conformity with the way-of-working and the manner adopted by the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.

1. The caller must possess complete harmony, both in the observance of the Islamic practices and in his spiritual state, with the first and the greatest of callers, Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam; and, the greater the harmony, the deeper and the vaster will be the influence of da'wat.

2. Secondly. it is required that the call should be the same (as that of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), i.e., the caller should invite people to pure Islam,Imaan and performance of virtuous deeds.

3. Thirdly, the manner of imparting da'wat should invariably be in full conformity with the way adopted by the greatest caller of Islam, the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.

 In other words, the extent of . success in the mission of Islamic revival and the expansion of its influence will depend on the measure of a caller's close affinity with the sunnat of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam in all these aspects of da'wat discussed above.

If the work of da'wat fulfils these three requirements, it will be effective,immune from becoming erratic and consequently, will ever be leading the callers to the true path with an ever increasing force.

The life history of the, great callers of the past centuries whose work for the revival of Islam has been universally acknowledged and unanimously appreciated by the entire Ummat, bears testimony to the truth and validity of these three principles of da'wat.

In short, it is required of a caller that he in his knowledge & practice, vision & thought, mode of da'wat, and intuition & inward spiritual state should possess a perfect spiritual affinity with the Prophets of the olden times, and especially with Hazrat Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.

Together with the soundness of Imaan and practicing good deeds in appearance, his spiritual condition and devotional state should also be in complete harmony with Old spiritual state of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam; that is, his spiritual state should be a picture of Allah's love, Allah's fear, kindness towards Allah's creation and Allah's relation.

In matters of personal habits and qualities of character, he should be practicing the sunnat of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam to the utmost possible degree.

The driving-force behind his da'wat should only be:

1.  Loving & hating people only for Allah's pleasure.

2.  Compassion and sympathy for the Muslim Community; and mercy for the humanity.

3.  Together, according to that principle of da'wat which is repeatedly stressed by all the Prophets Alaihissalam he should have no intention to gain any worldly reward or recognition from [for the work of da'wat]. 
وَمَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلاَّ عَلَى رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (الشعراء: 164 

I do not claim from you any reward for it. My reward is with none but with the Lord of the worlds. [Q. 26:164]

4.  Rather, the anxiousness of gaining this reward should be so high in him that no thoughts of worldly honour or glory, material wealth or fortune, reputation or recognition, personal comforts or selfish pleasures become a hurdle in his way and

Even his personal habits, general bearing and manner of conversation- rather every of his action and motion should get concentrated only towards this end.
قُلْ إِنَّ صَلاَتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَاي وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (الأنعام: 162 

Say, .My prayer, my offering, my life and my death are for Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.

Q. 6:162

The Person of the Biographee when put to these Standards:

The caller to the Truth, and the invitation to the Truth, whose picture is sketched in the following pages, I have had the privilege to study their various aspects from very close quarters. I observed this caller's performance of formal acts of devotion as well as his spiritual attainments. I also heard people talking about his person. It is hoped that, after the study of these pages, those who have not had the blessed opportunity of knowing him personally will be able to form a true idea of his spiritual caliber. Moreover, they will learn about the essence and true nature of the work of da'wat initiated by him, together with its principles.

The Spiritual Linage of Shah Waliullah Rahmatullah Alaihi:

In India, Allah bestowed his special blessings upon Hazrat Shah Waliullaa Rahmatullah Alaihi and his descendents and raised them to the status of qutbiyyat for the spiritual guidance of their follow countrymen. The ulama among his descendents and their followers were given the responsibility of launching a movement of Islamic Revival calculated to reform the Muslim Community and to compensate for the religious loss sustained by the Indian Muslims in consequence of the anti-Islamic political policies pursued by the rulers of Taimoor's dynasty.

The process of reformation initiated by them has been continued to our times. The founder and preceptor of this Da'wah Movement, (i.e., Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Rahmatullah Alaihi), is also linked to this golden chain ofreligious divines.

The Ancestry of Hazrat Maulana Muhammad lIyas Rahmatullah Alaihi

Maulana Muzaffar Husain Rahmatullah Alaihi the maternal great grandfather of Maulana Muhammad Ilyas, was the pupil of Shah Muhammad Ish'aq Dehlavi Rahmatullah Alaihi and a khalifa-e-majaaz' of Shah Muhammad Ya'qoob Dehlavi Rahmatullah Alaihi. The paternal uncle of Maulana Muzaffar Husain, i.e.Mufti Ilahi Bakhsh Rahmatullah Alaihi, was a distinguished pupil and a sincere follower of Shah Abdul Aziz Rahmatullah Alaihi. After the death of Shah Abdul Aziz Rahmatullah Alaihi, he did the bay'at of the khalifa of his sheikh, Syed Ahmad Shaheed Barelwi Rahmatullah Alaihi. These two persons (Maulana Muzaffar Husain and Mufti Ilahi Bakhsh) were renowned religious teachers of their times, known for their piety, righteousness and a genius for delivering religious rulings (Fatwa). This biography presents a detailed account of the spiritual benefits that reached to other members of the family through these illustrious persons. The father and two brothers of the biographee, Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Rahmatullah Alaihi, were men of piety and devotion, and were endowed with the spiritual capacity to guide and instruct others in the path of spiritualism (Tazkiya).

His father was the first religious figure who commanded sincere love and reverence of the inhabitants of the Mewaat territory. After he passed away, Maulana Muhammad Yahaya Rahmatullah Alaihi, the elder brother of Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Rahmatullah Alaihi, undertook the task of spiritual guidance of the followers of his father. He was a man of piety and tawakkul (trust in Allah) and lived a life of austerity and abstinence. Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Rahmatullah Alaihi himself is the 3rd dignitary of this lineage.

Reasons for the Failure of Da'wat in This Age:

In India, in the year 1921, through the efforts of Arya Samaj Hindu Conversion Movement, the ignorant new Muslims among the village peasantry were being drawn away from their professed religion, and the Tire of apostasy was threatening such areas. Muslims from all the four corners of the country rose in alarm to extinguish this fire. Numerous missionary societies were founded; thousands of rupees were donated for them and many paid-missionaries were employed to tour the villages. Renowned and learned defenders of Islam held public debates and spiritual discussions to advocate the cause of Islam.

This struggle continued for quite a few years with a traditional zeal and fervor, but gradually the sentiments subsided and the movement lost its tempo. The societies were dissolved one after the other, and the paid-missionaries had to be called back for want of funds. The debaters and orators ceased to receive invitations to address public meetings, and the storm in this sea gradually laid flat.

What were the reasons for the failure of this missionary work?

1.  It was because all this uproar was not motivated by a sincere religious spirit.

2.  The paid-missionaries, debaters and so called callers were not inspired by any genuine zeal for Islam.

3.  Unfortunately all their apparent missionary fervor was motivated by a desire for worldly recognition, public appearance, and thirst for material gains.

As a matter of fact, religious invitation, spiritual capacities, and tableegh [are the things which] cannot be purchased from the market.

Principles of the Prophet’s Alaihissallam Da'wat

1.First Principle

The basic thing about the principles of da'wat of all the Messengers of Allah is that they do not demand any return for their da'wah work from any of Allah's creation. And no reword whatever do, ask of you for it:

وَمَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلاَّ عَلَى رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (الشعراء: 164 

I do not claim from you any reward for it. My reward is with none but with the Lord of the worlds. [Q. 26:164]

is the unanimous decision and declaration of all the Prophets Alaihissalam Their indifference to worldly rewards grows to such proportion that they do not even expect admiration or recognition of their work from any person. The effectiveness and appeal of their da'wat efforts is the result of two vital factors:

First. Their state of being indifferent from all avenues of rewards that any creation can cause to them; and, Secondly, Their pious private life.

In surat Yaaseen, mention is made of a succession of callers sent by Allah to certain people who rejected their call. At last a fortunate person came from the farther most part of the city and addressed his people thus:

 
وَجَاءَ مِنْ أَقْصَى الْمَدِينَةِ رَجُلٌ يَسْعَى قَالَ يَاقَوْمِ اتَّبِعُوا الْمُرْسَلِينَ
اتَّبِعُوا مَنْ لاَ يَسْأَلُكُمْ أَجْرًا وَهُمْ مُهْتَدُونَ 
وَمَا لِيَ لاَ أَعْبُدُ الَّذِي فَطَرَنِي وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ (يس: 20-22

And there came a man rushing from the farthest part of the city. He said, .O my people, follow the messengers. Follow those who do not claim any reward from you, and who are on the right path. What excuse do I have if I do not worship the One who has created me and to whom you will be returned?  [Q36:20-22]

This shows that piety of character, state of being indifferent from the [mortal] creation, sincerity of intention and devotion to Alluh are the actual fountainheads of the effect of a caller.

2.Second Principle of Dawat

The driving-force behind the da'wat and tableegh of all the Messengers of Allah is the feelings of mercy and compassion for mankind and a deep concern for the well-being of all people. Their hearts are grieved at the degeneration of the people, and the feelings of sympathy inspire in them a strong desire for their reformation.

Obviously, a father's desire for the moral and spiritual reform of his son springs from no other sentiment than the paternal affection and natural feeling of sympathy for him.

Likewise, the heart of a caller should be overwhelmed with the feeling of kindness and compassion towards his people, and he should remain burdened with worry for their spiritual wellbeing. Hazrat Hood Alaihissalam says to his people:

قَالَ يَاقَوْمِ لَيْسَ بِي سَفَاهَةٌ وَلَكِنِّي رَسُولٌ مِنْ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (الأعراف67 
أُبَلِّغُكُمْ رِسَالاَتِ رَبِّي وَأَنَا لَكُمْ نَاصِحٌ أَمِينٌ (الأعراف: 68

[7:67]

He said, .O my people, there is no folly in me, but I am a messenger from the Lord of all the worlds.

[7:68]

I convey to you the messages of my Lord; and I am an honest well-wisher for you.

Hazrat Saalih Alaihissalam says, addressing his people:

فَتَوَلَّى عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَاقَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَالَةَ رَبِّي وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ وَلَكِنْ لاَ تُحِبُّونَ النَّاصِحِينَ (الأعراف: 79 
[7:79]

So, he turned away from them and said, .O my people, indeed I have delivered to you the message of my Lord, and wished you betterment, but you do not like the well-wishers.

When the people of Hazrat Nooh Alaihissalam accused him of going astray (from the traditional beliefs of the community), he says, in response to their accusation:
قَالَ يَاقَوْمِ لَيْسَ بِي ضَلاَلَةٌ وَلَكِنِّي رَسُولٌ مِنْ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (الأعراف: 61
أُبَلِّغُكُمْ رِسَالاَتِ رَبِّي وَأَنصَحُ لَكُمْ وَأَعْلَمُ مِنْ اللَّهِ مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ (الأعراف: 62 

[7:61]

He said, .O my people, there is no error in me, but I am a messenger from the Lord of all the worlds.

[7:62]

I convey to you the messages of my Lord and wish your betterment, and I know from Allah what you do not know.

The Holy Qur'an repeatedly quotes invitational situations and circumstances of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam and many verses describe how heavily grieved he was about his Ummat.

In this connection he was so worried that grief weighed down his blessed back:
أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ (الشرح: 1
وَوَضَعْنَا عَنكَ وِزْرَكَ (الشرح: 2
الَّذِي أَنقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ (الشرح: 3

[94:1]

Have We not caused your bosom to be wide open for you?

[94:2]

And We removed from you your burden

[94:3]

that had (almost) broken your back,

Constant grieving over the [future of] Ummat made his life burdensome to such an extent that Allah consoled him in the words:

 
لَعَلَّكَ بَاخِعٌ نَفْسَكَ أَلاَّ يَكُونُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ (الشعراء: 3 

[26:3] (O Prophet,) perhaps you are going to let yourself collapse in grief because they do not believe.

In suratul Kahaf, there is another verse of this series:
فَلَعَلَّكَ بَاخِعٌ نَفْسَكَ عَلَى آثَارِهِمْ إِنْ لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ أَسَفًا (الكهف: 6 

[18:6] So, (O Prophet) perhaps you are going to kill yourself after them, out of grief, if they do not believe in this discourse.

On account of such feelings of mercy and compassion, any affliction of the mankind was unbearably painful to the noble heart of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, who earnestly desired that all avenues of betterment should get open on his people.

Allah says:
لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ (التوبة: 128

[9:128] Surely, there has come to you, from your midst, a Messenger who feels it very hard on him if you face a hardship, who is very anxious for your welfare, and for the believers he is very kind, very merciful.

3. Third principle

Of da'wat and tableegh is the adoption of polite behaviour:

Addressing people with soft and courteous words, and approaching them in such a wise manner that they are deeply impressed with the sincere and human attitude of the caller so that his message sinks deep into their hearts.

To an arrogant disbeliever like Fir'own who claimed to be a god, was sent Hazrat Musa Alaihissalam, a Prophet of great determination, but with the instruction that:
فَقُولاَ لَهُ قَوْلاً لَيِّنًا لَعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَى (طه: 44

[20:44] So speak to him in soft words. May be, he accepts the advice or fears (Allah).

It is common knowledge that the hypocrites tried their utmost to impede the progress of da'wat and defeat the noble mission entrusted to the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. But, notwithstanding their evil designs against Islam, the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam was directed by Allah in the following words:
أُوْلَئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُ اللَّهُ مَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَعِظْهُمْ وَقُلْ لَهُمْ فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ قَوْلاً بَلِيغًا (النساء: 63). 

[4:63] Those are the ones Allah knows what is in their hearts. So, ignore them, and give them good counsel, and speak to them about themselves in appealing words.

       In this verse, the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam has been directed to adopt a kind attitude towards the hypocrites to address them in courteous, penetrating words. Judging from this, we can well imagine what manners are to be observed while preaching to the ignorant among the Muslims.

In the following verse, this principle of da'wat has been explained in detail

When the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam sent two of his Sahaba Raziallahu Anhu  as missionaries to Yemen, he advised them in the following words at the time of farewell:

'Make things easy and do not involve people in difficulties; give them happy news and do not inspire aversion in them.'

       On the face of it this Hadees seems to consist of just two short expressions but, in reality, it speaks volumes for the proper etiquette of missionary work. It holds that a caller and preacher should, while giving da'wat to a community, present his da'wat in such a manner that the people find it easy to follow it. He should not burden people [with the technicalities of deen] in the beginning. He should always give good news to his people and explain the great rewards which are promised as return of good deeds, and should make frequent references of Allah's infinite mercy and all embracing Forgiveness. In this way, he should inspire courage in the people to practice deen.

But from this, it should not be concluded that a compromising attitude might be adopted in the matter of the fundamental beliefs and Faraeez. It is by no means permissible to adopt such an attitude [regarding the essentials of Islam].

The idea is that the caller should be polite in his approach and he should not be unduly exacting about performances which are a collective responsibility (farz-e-kifaya) of the Ummat or acts which are commendable but not obligatory (mustahab) or virtuous deeds which, if omitted, do not cause a serious deviation from generally accepted practices.

Moreover, in matters wherein jurists have differences of opinion, he should not insist on adherence to a particular school of jurisprudence. He should not prescribe on his own the more demanding acts of devotion in matters where Allah has made liberal concessions. Many Traditions and episodes from the sacred life of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam testify to the truth of this principle of da'wat.

In many verses of the Holy Qur'an, Allah strictly forbids the adoption of a compromising attitude in matters concerning fundamental beliefs and obligatory performances. For example in response to the unbeliever’s demand for a compromising attitude towards essential beliefs of Islam, Allah says:

وَدُّوا لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ (القلم: 9

[68:9] They wish that you become flexible (in your faith), so that they should become flexible (in their hostile attitude.)

In this verse, Allah has strictly forbidden to compromise on fundamentals.

Fourth Principle of Dawah

It follows, as a corollary to the principle of da'wat and tableegh discussed above (i.e.adopting compromising attitude regarding the essentials and leniency ill other, less important matters) that the sequence of 'first things first' should be kept in view. (That is, in the first instance, a caller should invite people to the fundamentals of Islam, then he should take up matters of secondary importance and, likewise, determine various priorities according to the degree of importance.)

When the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam started his missionary effort, he mainly emphasised on Allah's Oneness and his own Prophethood. He began with inviting people to believe in the Kalimah La ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah.

When the Quraish asked him: 'What do you demand from us? and he replied: " invite you to believe in one Kalimah; if you believe in it the entire Arab and non-Arab will come under you.

Believing in Allah to be the only God and in the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam is like a seed sown in the human heart, which after a period of time, spouts into obedience to various commands of Allah. So, first of all, this seed should be sown. The issue of commands comes after it.

The sequence in which the various surahs of the Holy Qur'an were revealed is also a correct example of this principle of da'wat.

Mother of the Believers Hazrat Aisha Raziallahu Anha says: 'In the beginning such surahs of the Holy Qur'an were revealed as soften the hearts of people, i.e., verses that describe paradise and hell, encourage people to perform good deeds and warn them against committing evil deeds. Later, when people had accepted Islam, the verses regarding the lawful (halal) and the unlawful (haram) were revealed. If prohibition against drinking had been revealed in the early age of Islam, who would have obeyed it?

 This Hadees makes us known that the abovementioned principle of tableegh has been observed in the sequence of the revelation of the Holy Quran as well.

When a group of people from Taaif arrived in Madinah, they said that they would enter the fold of Islam if they were exempted from observing the daily prayers. To this, the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam replied: 'There is no good in a deen in which there is no act of bending [before the Sustainer] in devotion. Then they put forth two more conditions, that

(1) they should be exempted from paying 'ushr' i.e., one-tenth of the produce of agricultural land, and

(2) they should not be compelled to join the army of the warriors of the path of Allah. The Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam acceded to the last two conditions and said: When they embrace Islam, they will pay the ushr and will also participate in jihad in due course.'

Commenting on this Hadees, the Traditionists write; 'Since the salaat becomes obligatory for every believer as soon as he embraces Islam and it becomes due upon him to observe five-time salaat every day and night, no concession was made regarding its observance. Participation in jihaad, on the other hand. is a collective obligation of the entire Muslim Community, and it becomes compulsory under specific conditions. Similarly, payment of zakaat and ushr becomes due on specific times, and these can be paid even afterwards. For these reasons leniency was shown about these two observances. This attitude throws full light on this prudent principle of da'wat.

When the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam sent Hazrat Ma'az bin Jabal Raziallahu Anhu to Yemen, he said:

You are going to such people among whom there live the followers of the Early Revelations as well. As you reach there, tell them, before doing everything else, that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam is his Messenger.

As they believe that, tell them that Allah has made five times prayers obligatory every day.

As they obey that, tell them that Allah has made zakaat due upon them, which should be taken from [their] rich and will be handed-over to the poor ones [among their community].

As they accept that, then while collecting zakaat, avoid selecting the choicest things of their property. And beware of the curse of him who is wronged, for there is no delay in its acceptance by Allah.'

This Hadees also illustrates the gradual wisely planned manner to be adopted while presenting da'wat.

Fifth Principle of Dawah

From those principles of da'wat and tableegh which are very much evident in the way-of-working of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, one is that he did not wait for people to come: he and his callers rather approached the people personally and invited them to the Truth. So much so that occasionally they visited the people in their homes and preached to them the Word of Truth. The Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam  undertook a long journey to Taaif. visited A'bdy  and other tribal chiefs in' their homes and discharged his duty of tableegh.

During the Hajj season, he used to visit each and every tribe among the pilgrims, to convey to them the message of the Truth. Even if they were harsh towards him, he remained patient. It was in the course of this search that he eventually came across those blessed souls of Yasrib (Madinah) through whom the wealth of imaan and Islam was spreaded from Makkah to Madinah.

After the Truce of Hudaibiyah when there followed a period of peace and harmony in the country, the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam sent messengers to the sovereigns of the neighboring countries like Egypt, Persia,Ethiopia and to the chiefs of Oman, Bahrain, Yemen and the territories bordering Syria, to convey to them the message of Islam.

A number of sahaba Raziallahu Anha were sent as missionaries to different territories and tribal areas in Arabia for inviting people to the fold of Islam. Hazrat Mus'ab bin Umair Raziallahu Anhu was deputed [before Hijrat] to preach Islam in Madinah. Hazrat Ali Raziallahu Anhu and Hazrat Ma'az bin Jabl Raziallahu Anhu went to Yemen. Similar has been the way-of-working of the ulama and imams of deen of every age.

This illustrates that the duty of caller and preacher is to approach the people personally so as to convey to them the message of the Truth. Seeing only the ways adopted by some divines (Shaykhs,Buzurgane deen & Mashayakhs) of recent times who provide religious guidance in their khanqahs, some people wrongly think that these divines have always favoured a life of seclusion for such a task. This deduction is absolutely incorrect. The biographies [of Shaykhs,Buzurgane deen & Mashayakhs] reveal a long story of where they lived and where they received their spiritual food, 'the countries through which they journeyed to disseminate these blessed teachings, and the far off places where they were laid to rest. And, what is more, all these vlong journeys were made during the time when none of the modern comforts of travel existed, as the world had not yet seen the invention of railways, buses and cars.

Shaykh Moin-ud-Din Chishti Rahmatullah Alaihi was born in Seestan (Iran), found his Islamic knowledge & spiritual wealth and in Chisht, a city in Afghanistan, and from there he travelled to Rajputana (India), a land wholly inhabited by disbelievers, and during this long journey, illuminated this land with the divine light of the Truth.

Hazrat Farid-ud-Din Gang-e-Shakar Rahmatullah Alaihi came from the borders of Sind and reached Delhi from where he made several long journeys through the Punjab and returned to Sind again.

Down his spiritual linage came Hazrat Nizam-ud-Din Sultan-ul-Aowliya Rahmatullah Alaihi and his successors, whose biographies show that they made journeys to distant places for the cause of Dawat o Tableegh, and their tombs were built in Daccan (Present Andhra Pradesh) Malwah (Present Madhya Pradesh) and in the united provinces (Present uttar Pradesh) of the former Indian subcontinent far away from their native lands.

6.Sixth Principle of Dawah

A 'chief principle of da'wat and tableegh in Islam is 'nafeer', That is, leaving one's native place and going to the places which afford opportunities of acquiring deen and then coming back to fellow tribesmen and nationals for disseminating among them the religious knowledge thus acquired.

The following verse of surah Nisa which was revealed on the occasion of the Battle of Uhud
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا خُذُوا حِذْرَكُمْ فَانفِرُوا ثُبَاتٍ أَوْ انفِرُوا جَمِيعًا (النساء: 71

[4:71] O you who believe, be on your guard, and march in groups, or march all together. 

contains instruction though for wartime strategy, yet its general scope includes any nafeer made for the cause of deen. Qazi Bazaavi Rahmatullah Alaihi has also given this interpretation of this verse in his commentary of the Holy Qur'an.

In surah Taubah, there is a particular verse of this idiom:
وَمَا كَانَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لِيَنفِرُوا كَافَّةً فَلَوْلاَ نَفَرَ مِنْ كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِنْهُمْ طَائِفَةٌ لِيَتَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ وَلِيُنذِرُوا قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَجَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ (التوبة: 122 

[9:122] It is not (necessary) for all the believers to go forth; So, why should it not be that a group from every section of them goes forth, so that they may acquire perfect understanding of the Faith, and so that they may warn their people when they return to them, so that they may take due care (of the rules of Shariah ).

During the time of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam deputations from different tribes came to Madinah to get the knowledge and practice of deen. Staying for a period of seven to ten days (a few stayed for about three weeks) and, having got the basic knowledge of deen, these groups went back to their homes to acquaint the people of their community with deen.

7.(Seventh)

During the blessed time of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam there was a platform (suffah) beside the Masjid of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam where the people of suffah lived. These sahaaba Raziallahu Anhum had no houses of their own. To earn their living, they used to bring fire-wood from the jungle by day and sold it in the market. And, during the night, they used to learn religious knowledge from knowledgeable people. When the need arose, they were also sent as Jailers to various places. Apart from earning for themselves the necessities of life, their work was nothing other than acquiring religious knowledge, deriving spiritual benefit from the blessed companionship of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, and practicing devotional worships.

It thus appears that evolving and maintaining a group of such callers and missionaries is also a collective responsibility of the Muslim Community. It further appears that this blessed group emerged as a result of a specific training given by the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam to his sahaaba Raziallahu Anhum and, due to enjoying the blessings of the companionship of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam this group possessed the wealth of both internal and external aspects of religious knowledge, and used to accomplish the tasks of da'wat and tableegh.

The method of religious education comprised mostly of

(1) Receiving spiritual benefits through a constant and devout companionship,

(2) Teaching and learning of religious knowledge and discussions on commands of Allah and religious principles, and

(3) Exchanging information on various matters and teaching one another the requirements of religious practices. The nights of these people used to remain illuminated with devout worships, while their days were spent in religious pursuits.

This Da'wat Closely Resembles with the Da'wa: of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam:

In the above lines, I have tried to explain some principles of da 'wat and tableegh to my readers and I believe that, after studying these they will be able to form a realistic idea of the essence of Islamic da'wat and of the proper mode of presenting this da'wat to the people.

I dare to say that, of all the religious movements of the present-day India' ,the one known as 'Da'wat and Tableegh' bears the closest resemblance both in method as well as in spirit with the true Islamic da'wat initiated by the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.

The Importance of Tableegh:

A wisely-planned [system of] da'wat and tableegh, amr bil ma'roof, and nahi a'nil munkar is the backbone of the entire body of Islam. It is da'wat on which depend the foundation, strength, expansion and success of Islam. I believe that, in these days, da'wat is more needed than it was needed in any time in the past; and in contrast with converting the non-Muslims to Islamic Faith, this is more important to make Muslims as Muslim, i.e., making effort on those who are Muslims in name or by nationality so that they become true and dutiful Muslims.

In the light of the present-day religious state of Muslims, it becomes the duty of every Muslim to raise the cry of the Holy Qur'an:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا آمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَابِ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَابِ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ مِنْ قَبْلُ (النساء: 136). 

[4:136] O, you who believe, do believe in Allah and His Messenger and in the Book He has revealed to His Messenger and in the Books He has revealed earlier.

 with all force and potentials.

This demands that we go about from city to city, village to village, and from door to door, persuading those who are Muslims in name to become true Muslims by faith and by practice. And in this path, that amount of dedicated hard work, consistent effort, courage and tolerance should be invested which the worldly people are employing for gaining worldly honor and authority.

That is, that dedication to the cause which inspires such an insurmountable power in the people that they get willing to sacrifice their most prized possessions- even their own lives- and pledge to remove any obstruction that might possibly hinder the progress of their mission.

To promote the cause of da'wat, we should use all means; invite peoples' attention towards it, utilize honest efforts, and in fact invest all our life and possessions and try to take a step forward in this field in a way or the other. And for achieving this objective, we should inspire in our self that eagerness and Jazba without which neither any work, worldly or spiritual, has ever been completed in past and nor will get completed in future.

If you want to see the examples of the men of determination of the field of da'wat in this age, please start reading the actual book (to which this essay is the introduction).

(With regards from one who is aware of his humble knowledge.)

Syed Suleman Nadvi (Rahmatullah Alaihi)

Bhopal (India)

May, 1947