Tabligh Movement in Mewat
Encyclopedia
Tabligh is an Arabic word which means, “to deliver (the message)” and in other words “to make Islam’s message known to people” and Tabligh Jamaat (Proselytising or Conveying Group) is a Muslim missionary and revival movement. It claims to revive those duties, which they consider as the primary duty of the Muslims. It was founded in 1926 by Maulana Mohammad Ilyas Kandhalvi (1885–1944) in Mewat and put forward the slogan ‘Aye Musalmano Musalman Bano’ (O Muslims! Be Muslim).
He made his headquarters at Banglewali Mosque at Hazrat Nizamuddin, New Delhi. Although it was a massive movement which needed a lot of funding but it does not solicit or receive donations. It itself funded by its own members and operates it in a very efficient model and take care of from its senior members. It is a free-floating religious movement and very much closed to the traditional forms of Islam. It detests politics and does not involve itself in any issue of socio-political significance. Even in the controversies relating the future of Muslim minorities in India, it has remained apparently unconcerned. The apolitical programme of the Jamaat has helped it to operate freely and without official hindrance. But Maulana Ilyas never criticised Islamic groups actively engaged in politics. On the contrary he maintained extremely cordial relations with Maulana Husain Ahmad Madni of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (anti-British and pro-Indian National Congress group) and Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi who led the pro-Pakistani faction of Deoband School.2
The members of the Tabligh form groups under Amirs (group leaders) who roam village to village and town to town and stay in mosques from where they preach and converse each other the message of Allah and Prophet. They use a book named Fazail-e-Amaal which mainly consists of the Hadith (the traditions of the Prophet) written by Maulana Mohammad Zakaria, as a preaching material. They try to inspire everybody to do various acts as directed by the Prophet and refrain from doing misdeeds and to call others to follow the true path of Islam.
of Tijara
, Khwaja Nizamuddin Aulia, Shaikh Moosa, Shah Chokha, Miyan Raj Shah, Qutbuddin, Akbar Ali, Khwaja Ajmeri, Khwaja Mehrauli, Qazi Syed Rafi Mohammad
(alias Qazi Dasondhi of Sakras), Qazi Syed Inayatullah
, Qazi Syed Hayatullah
, Qazi Syed Mohammad Zaman
, Qazi Syed Mohammad Rafi
, Qazi Syed Mohammad Ashraf
, etc.
These Sufi saints illuminated the light of Islam in Mewat region. The Meos and other communities of Mewat accepted Islam and followed it till the long time. But as the time passed the Muslims of this region drifted away from the Islamic rules and principles and adopted innovations that too mixed with the Hinduism. They used to celebrate Hindu festivals and fares with pomp and show. Their customs were predominantly Hindus even their names were like Hari Singh, Dhan Singh, Chand Singh, Sammu Singh, Jal Singh, Lal Singh etc.4 They were Muslims without Islam. On the other side the emergence of Tabligh was also a direct response to the rise of such aggressive Hindu proselytizing movements such as Shudhi and Sangathan. They tried to reconvert those people who had embraced Islam in the past. Maulana Ilyas believed that only a gross root Islamic religious movement could counter it.
Although Tabligh was founded in 1920s by Mohd Ilyas but it was enrooted by his father Maulana Mohammad Ismail much early in the beginning of the later half of the 19th century in the Banglewali Mosque at Hazrat Nizamuddin, New Delhi. About him it is stated that one day at the prayer time he came out of the mosque in search of the Muktadi (companion). He saw that some Muslim labourers were going to Delhi for the search of work. He called them for prayer and after prayer he preached them some verses from Holy Quran. He also enquired about them. Maulana assured them to give their daily wages if they study Islamic education in that mosque. They were agreed and Maulana kept them engaged in their lessons. They were the Meos of Mewat. Maulana fixed their scholarship equal to their daily wages. It was the starting of the madarsa Kasiful Uloom and these Meos were the first students. After that some other Meos also joined the madarsa.5
His son Maulana Mohammad who carried his father’s mission of teaching Islamic Theology succeeded Maulana Ismail. At his time the strength of the students rose 25 to 30. But Maulana Shah Mohammad Ilyas, the younger brother of Maulana Mohammad while teaching at Saharanpur visited Mewat and met the Mewati Muslims who had not offered prayer even once in their life because they did not know how to pray. In the early 1920s he prepared a team of young madarsa graduates from Deoband and Saharanpur and send them to Mewat to establish a network of mosque, maktab (primary school) and madarsa throughout the region. But he soon realized that the madarsa Ulema trained in the Deoband tradition were simply reproducing their prototype. By this method, only children were benefited and the skilled people both young and old were untouched. He resigned from the madarsa Mazahirul Uloom and settled in Hazrat Nizamuddin, New Delhi in Banglewali mosque. Then Maulana Ilyas started roaming and invitation method whose name he gave “Tahrik-e-Tajdeed Dawat-wa-Tagligh” (Movement for renewed Proselytizing and Invitation). He stated that this would be a moving madarsa or Khanqah or school or hospice.6 He also stated that the real aim of this movement was to correlate the Muslims with the complete literary and practical management of Islam. He also cleared that this method of roaming and invitation is the beginning phase or ABC of the curriculum of the movement. Maulana Ilyas also asked ladies to help their gents in their religious work and ease them from the burden of the domestic work.7
The works on above three points made this movement more successful and the people joined this movement on mass level. Maulana Ilyas asked Tabligh members to restrict their preaching on six points only. These points were generally called six numbers. These are as follows:
The other challenge for the Tabligh Movement was from its own Muslim community. Actually Tabligh work is reformation of the society as well as religion and in Mewat both were polluted and innovated. Muslim society was not ready to give up their customary traditions and so called religious malpractices. The innovations or bid’at was fully developed in their mind. These people opposed the Tabligh tooth and nail and not even ready to listen their appeal. They abused and teased the Tabligh workers openly. They did not even spared Maulana Ilyas. During one of his missionary tours in Mewat, a peasant upon whom he impressed the importance of leading a religious life once hit him with a stick. The Maulana a mere skeleton fell on the ground and collapsed. When he regained his consciousness he said “look, you have done your job, now would you let me do my job and listen to me for a little while?” According to a Tabligh worker Abdullah of Dewla Nagli (Mewat), the Tablighis were teased with the following poem—12
The members of the Jamaat were encouraged by saying that if they happen to be abused by the people then don’t desperate because it was the work of the Prophet. They were also taught that in this way if they face the misfortunes and troubles then they consider them as Divine benevolence.13 Slowly and gradually the mentality of the people started to change due to the day night effort of the Tabligh workers. The Meo workers of the Tabligh Jamaat were in much strength in Mewat who had extended their full support to Maulana Ilyas and later on to his successors. They were well versed in Quran and Islamic Principles, called as “Miyanji”.14
In 1926, the first group of Tabligh Jamaat arrived in Mewat under Maulana Khalil Ahmad of Saharanpur. This group with the assistance of the Miyanjis arranged a conference at Nuh town. This was attended by thousands of people with much enthusiasm.15 In this conference the people were requested to disown the Hindu customs and follow the Muslim practices and spread the network of Tabligh in the whole of Mewat. First Tabligh Jamaat of the Meos was also convened and toured the areas of Sohna, Taoru and Nagina. Maulana Ilyas also came and spoke on the occasion of Juma prayer in all the three places .16
On 2 August 1934, Maulana Mohammad Ilyas arranged a Panchayat at Nuh which was attended by around 107 Chaudharies of Mewat In this Panchayat he gave emphasis on the importance of Islamic Principles and its full implication in the daily life. Regarding this he prepared 15 points as a Panchayatnama, which was duly signed by all the presentees with full assurance and acceptance.17 This Panchayat, was considered as the milestone and everybody started to take part in the Tabligh work.
Another chapter added in the progress of the Tabligh work when a three day conference was organized at Nuh on 28 to 30 November 1941.This conference was attended by 25 thousand people who came all across Mewat and around one thousand people attended from the outside Mewat. It was ever biggest gathering which the people of Mewat never seen in the past. Maulana Ilyas gave many impressive speeches along with his companions. Maulana Husain Ahmad Madni was also one of the speakers. In this convention Jamaat were convened and sent to Delhi, U.P., Karachi etc.18 Sayed Abu Ala Maududi, the founder of Jamaat-i-Islami, paid a glowing tribute to spectacular success of Maulanas effort in Mewat and elsewhere in India and described the Tabligh Movement as a major step towards the Islamisation of Indian society.
From that very time the Tabligh Movement never seen behind and from Mewat it spread to the whole of India and now covering almost entire world. Now it has become truly a global Islamic movement. It has spread to 150 countries of South East Asia, Middle East, Africa, Europe, North America etc. It has an active following estimated to be around 70 to 80 million devout followers. In 1993 one million Muslims attended its Annual International Convention at Raiwind near Lahore from 94 countries. This convention has become the second religious congregation of the Muslim world after the Hajj.19
He made his headquarters at Banglewali Mosque at Hazrat Nizamuddin, New Delhi. Although it was a massive movement which needed a lot of funding but it does not solicit or receive donations. It itself funded by its own members and operates it in a very efficient model and take care of from its senior members. It is a free-floating religious movement and very much closed to the traditional forms of Islam. It detests politics and does not involve itself in any issue of socio-political significance. Even in the controversies relating the future of Muslim minorities in India, it has remained apparently unconcerned. The apolitical programme of the Jamaat has helped it to operate freely and without official hindrance. But Maulana Ilyas never criticised Islamic groups actively engaged in politics. On the contrary he maintained extremely cordial relations with Maulana Husain Ahmad Madni of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (anti-British and pro-Indian National Congress group) and Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi who led the pro-Pakistani faction of Deoband School.2
The members of the Tabligh form groups under Amirs (group leaders) who roam village to village and town to town and stay in mosques from where they preach and converse each other the message of Allah and Prophet. They use a book named Fazail-e-Amaal which mainly consists of the Hadith (the traditions of the Prophet) written by Maulana Mohammad Zakaria, as a preaching material. They try to inspire everybody to do various acts as directed by the Prophet and refrain from doing misdeeds and to call others to follow the true path of Islam.
Emergence of Tabligh
From around the 10th century onwards Mewat attracted many great Sufi saints e.g. Ghazi Saiyyad Salar MasudGhazi Saiyyad Salar Masud
Ghazi Saiyyed Salar Masud was nephew of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi and a Muslim missionary. Salar Masud was a Islamic scholar who came along with his uncle Jalaluddin Bukhari and teacher Syed Ibrahim Mashadi Bara Hazari in early 11th century to the South Asia for propagation of Islam...
of Tijara
Tijara
Tijara is a city and a municipality in Alwar district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Tijara is situated 48 km to the north east of Alwar, the nearest Railwau station is Khairthal. It was founded by Tajpala, Raja of Sarahata, 6 km from Tijara. A scion of Yadav family, he built palaces at...
, Khwaja Nizamuddin Aulia, Shaikh Moosa, Shah Chokha, Miyan Raj Shah, Qutbuddin, Akbar Ali, Khwaja Ajmeri, Khwaja Mehrauli, Qazi Syed Rafi Mohammad
Qazi Syed Rafi Mohammad
Qazi Syed Rafi Mohammad was a scholar of repute from Sakras, District Gurgaon . He belonged to the family of Gardēzī Sadaat.-Biography:...
(alias Qazi Dasondhi of Sakras), Qazi Syed Inayatullah
Qazi Syed Inayatullah
Qazi Syed Inayatullah was a scholar of Fiqh from Sakras, District Gurgaon . He belonged to the family of Gardēzī Sadaat.-Biography:...
, Qazi Syed Hayatullah
Qazi Syed Hayatullah
Qazi Syed Hayatullah was a Muslim scholar of Fiqh from Sakras, District Gurgaon . He belonged to the family of Gardēzī Sadaat.-Biography:...
, Qazi Syed Mohammad Zaman
Qazi Syed Mohammad Zaman
Qazi Syed Mohammad Zaman was a judge edicted in accordance with the laws of sharia from Sakras, now in District Gurgaon, Haryana.-Biography:...
, Qazi Syed Mohammad Rafi
Qazi Syed Mohammad Rafi
Qazi Syed Mohammad Rafi was a famous, religious scholar from Mewat during British India. He had influence in every sphere of life in the nearby areas of Mewat...
, Qazi Syed Mohammad Ashraf
Syed Mohammad Ashraf
Qazi Syed Mohammad Ashraf was a very influential person in the region of Mewat of Alwar during British India.-Biography:Qazi Syed Mohammad Ashraf was one of the prominent men from the region of Mewat. He was a ulama, faqih and well versed in sharia law. He worked for Islamic dawah and did tabligh...
, etc.
These Sufi saints illuminated the light of Islam in Mewat region. The Meos and other communities of Mewat accepted Islam and followed it till the long time. But as the time passed the Muslims of this region drifted away from the Islamic rules and principles and adopted innovations that too mixed with the Hinduism. They used to celebrate Hindu festivals and fares with pomp and show. Their customs were predominantly Hindus even their names were like Hari Singh, Dhan Singh, Chand Singh, Sammu Singh, Jal Singh, Lal Singh etc.4 They were Muslims without Islam. On the other side the emergence of Tabligh was also a direct response to the rise of such aggressive Hindu proselytizing movements such as Shudhi and Sangathan. They tried to reconvert those people who had embraced Islam in the past. Maulana Ilyas believed that only a gross root Islamic religious movement could counter it.
Although Tabligh was founded in 1920s by Mohd Ilyas but it was enrooted by his father Maulana Mohammad Ismail much early in the beginning of the later half of the 19th century in the Banglewali Mosque at Hazrat Nizamuddin, New Delhi. About him it is stated that one day at the prayer time he came out of the mosque in search of the Muktadi (companion). He saw that some Muslim labourers were going to Delhi for the search of work. He called them for prayer and after prayer he preached them some verses from Holy Quran. He also enquired about them. Maulana assured them to give their daily wages if they study Islamic education in that mosque. They were agreed and Maulana kept them engaged in their lessons. They were the Meos of Mewat. Maulana fixed their scholarship equal to their daily wages. It was the starting of the madarsa Kasiful Uloom and these Meos were the first students. After that some other Meos also joined the madarsa.5
His son Maulana Mohammad who carried his father’s mission of teaching Islamic Theology succeeded Maulana Ismail. At his time the strength of the students rose 25 to 30. But Maulana Shah Mohammad Ilyas, the younger brother of Maulana Mohammad while teaching at Saharanpur visited Mewat and met the Mewati Muslims who had not offered prayer even once in their life because they did not know how to pray. In the early 1920s he prepared a team of young madarsa graduates from Deoband and Saharanpur and send them to Mewat to establish a network of mosque, maktab (primary school) and madarsa throughout the region. But he soon realized that the madarsa Ulema trained in the Deoband tradition were simply reproducing their prototype. By this method, only children were benefited and the skilled people both young and old were untouched. He resigned from the madarsa Mazahirul Uloom and settled in Hazrat Nizamuddin, New Delhi in Banglewali mosque. Then Maulana Ilyas started roaming and invitation method whose name he gave “Tahrik-e-Tajdeed Dawat-wa-Tagligh” (Movement for renewed Proselytizing and Invitation). He stated that this would be a moving madarsa or Khanqah or school or hospice.6 He also stated that the real aim of this movement was to correlate the Muslims with the complete literary and practical management of Islam. He also cleared that this method of roaming and invitation is the beginning phase or ABC of the curriculum of the movement. Maulana Ilyas also asked ladies to help their gents in their religious work and ease them from the burden of the domestic work.7
Principles and Methods
Tabligh movement, which is popularly known as Tabligh Jamaat, is not a registered body nor has it enrolled membership. It comprises some people from skilled and unskilled masses from the gross root level. They request the Muslims to offer prayer, to observe roza (fast) and adopt Islamic way of life. They also encourage the people to spend three day or more in their company. They also argue that it was the way of the Prophet.8 When a Tablighi returns from his journey, he should try to implement what he has learned into his life. He should also invite others towards it so they can also spiritually benefit from it. Daily Taalim (which means teaching and learning) is recommended to be done at home so that the women folk and children can also benefit from what the men have learnt. However there is a Jamat for women called a Masturat Jamat. Unlike the men, the women stay outside the mosque in the house of a well known tablighi worker following full sharia'h rules with parda (veil) and learn and also teach the women of that locality who may come to join them. Men do not join the Masturat Jamat as they are separate and stay in nearby mosque. Tabligh Jamaat has mainly focused its works on the following three points:—9- Removal of innovations—The whole Mewat region was full of innovations or bid’at. The people of Mewat had considered these innovations and local customs like Urs, Mela, Teeja, and Gyarahwan as the Islamic traditions. These were the biggest hurdle for the Tabligh preachers. But due to their day-night work they became successful to a great extent to enlighten the people of Mewat. #Mentally prepare the people for Islamic principles and Tabligh—The people were encouraged to leave their homes for three days or more to learn the principles of Islam like Kalima and Namaz etc. They were also advised to go to distant places to meet their Muslim brethren and invite them to follow the Islamic rules. #Adoption the way of Quran and Prophet—Maulana Mohammad Ilyas and his followers started madarsa in the village and city level. In this process madarsa Moinul Islam was established at Nuh in 1923 and thereafter madarsa Hafizul Islam at Ferozpur Jhirka, madarsa Asharful Imdad at Mandikhera and madarsa Misbahul Uloom at Singar were established. It was thought that without Islamic education the real Islam cannot enter the minds of the people and the madarsas were the permanent solution of all the problems facing the Muslims of Mewat from the centuries.
The works on above three points made this movement more successful and the people joined this movement on mass level. Maulana Ilyas asked Tabligh members to restrict their preaching on six points only. These points were generally called six numbers. These are as follows:
- Kalima (There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger)- The people should follow in full conviction of faith, belief and oneness of Allah. This is expanded to mean that creature cannot do anything without the will of Allah and Allah can do everything without the creature. The complete success in this world and hereafter is only achieved in following the way of life shown by Muhammad and every other way led to failure in this world and hereafter.
- Namaz (Prayer) - What has been professed in the Kalima is to be proved by offering prayers at the appointed hours of day and night.
- Ilm and Zikr (knowledge and hymning the glory of Allah) - The true religion cannot be followed without knowledge of Quran and Hadith (tradition of Prophet). One must spent some time everyday in hymning His glory.
- Ikram-e-Muslim (kindness and respect for the Muslims) - Whatever is due to others should be given to them. It also includes respecting ones elders and showing kindness to the younger. This idea was to bring back the various factions and different classes of the Muslim society to the fold of the real Islamic brotherhood.
- Ikhlas-e-Niyat (purity of intention) - The performance should be in accordance with the Commands of Allah with the sincere intention. All good actions should not be for fame or materialistic gains.
- Tafrigh-e-Waqt (sparing the time) - The Muslims are required to spare their time for travelling in groups, exhorting the people to lead their life according to the principles mentioned above.
Challenges and Development
The first challenge was from the Shudhi Movement of the Arya Samaj. Their activities were widespread in Mewat. They were in the groups of 10 to 12 preachers roamed the whole of Mewat and tried to convert the people according to their mission. In its response some people of Mewat requested Maulana Ilyas to visit Mewat in order to thwart the activities of Arya Samaj. He quickly responded and along with Syed Husain Ahmad Madni, Mufti Kifaitullah etc. arrived in Mewat and after a long conversation with the Shudhi workers he became successful to counteract the opponents. According to the Tabligh workers, they learnt enough from them specially the group preaching from village to village. The Tabligh workers adopted it completely in their own mission.11The other challenge for the Tabligh Movement was from its own Muslim community. Actually Tabligh work is reformation of the society as well as religion and in Mewat both were polluted and innovated. Muslim society was not ready to give up their customary traditions and so called religious malpractices. The innovations or bid’at was fully developed in their mind. These people opposed the Tabligh tooth and nail and not even ready to listen their appeal. They abused and teased the Tabligh workers openly. They did not even spared Maulana Ilyas. During one of his missionary tours in Mewat, a peasant upon whom he impressed the importance of leading a religious life once hit him with a stick. The Maulana a mere skeleton fell on the ground and collapsed. When he regained his consciousness he said “look, you have done your job, now would you let me do my job and listen to me for a little while?” According to a Tabligh worker Abdullah of Dewla Nagli (Mewat), the Tablighis were teased with the following poem—12
The members of the Jamaat were encouraged by saying that if they happen to be abused by the people then don’t desperate because it was the work of the Prophet. They were also taught that in this way if they face the misfortunes and troubles then they consider them as Divine benevolence.13 Slowly and gradually the mentality of the people started to change due to the day night effort of the Tabligh workers. The Meo workers of the Tabligh Jamaat were in much strength in Mewat who had extended their full support to Maulana Ilyas and later on to his successors. They were well versed in Quran and Islamic Principles, called as “Miyanji”.14
In 1926, the first group of Tabligh Jamaat arrived in Mewat under Maulana Khalil Ahmad of Saharanpur. This group with the assistance of the Miyanjis arranged a conference at Nuh town. This was attended by thousands of people with much enthusiasm.15 In this conference the people were requested to disown the Hindu customs and follow the Muslim practices and spread the network of Tabligh in the whole of Mewat. First Tabligh Jamaat of the Meos was also convened and toured the areas of Sohna, Taoru and Nagina. Maulana Ilyas also came and spoke on the occasion of Juma prayer in all the three places .16
On 2 August 1934, Maulana Mohammad Ilyas arranged a Panchayat at Nuh which was attended by around 107 Chaudharies of Mewat In this Panchayat he gave emphasis on the importance of Islamic Principles and its full implication in the daily life. Regarding this he prepared 15 points as a Panchayatnama, which was duly signed by all the presentees with full assurance and acceptance.17 This Panchayat, was considered as the milestone and everybody started to take part in the Tabligh work.
Another chapter added in the progress of the Tabligh work when a three day conference was organized at Nuh on 28 to 30 November 1941.This conference was attended by 25 thousand people who came all across Mewat and around one thousand people attended from the outside Mewat. It was ever biggest gathering which the people of Mewat never seen in the past. Maulana Ilyas gave many impressive speeches along with his companions. Maulana Husain Ahmad Madni was also one of the speakers. In this convention Jamaat were convened and sent to Delhi, U.P., Karachi etc.18 Sayed Abu Ala Maududi, the founder of Jamaat-i-Islami, paid a glowing tribute to spectacular success of Maulanas effort in Mewat and elsewhere in India and described the Tabligh Movement as a major step towards the Islamisation of Indian society.
From that very time the Tabligh Movement never seen behind and from Mewat it spread to the whole of India and now covering almost entire world. Now it has become truly a global Islamic movement. It has spread to 150 countries of South East Asia, Middle East, Africa, Europe, North America etc. It has an active following estimated to be around 70 to 80 million devout followers. In 1993 one million Muslims attended its Annual International Convention at Raiwind near Lahore from 94 countries. This convention has become the second religious congregation of the Muslim world after the Hajj.19