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
