Questions about Jammat Tabligh

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The questions are:

1. If in islam everyone has to be united why is there division in different groups, Why is there a group called jammath tabligh and others, after all isn't everyone suppose to do the same thing, e.g. calling people to islam, purifying our soul, following the sunnath, ect...???

Answer #1

You are right. Muslims are dividing up too much and need to come back to the basics from the Quran and the Sunnah. Please read this article concerning the divisions into various groups: www.IslamTomorrow.com/whichgroups.htm

2. Since there are lots of excellent things about jammath tabligh, but also some weak points as with every organizations, can the ullemah work together to co rectify the weak points, e.g. revising the book fazaele amal to ensure that hadiths are authentic, to encourage giving dawa to non-muslims, ect... and be united???

Answer #2

There are always going to be flaws and mistakes in anything that we as humans design and Jammat Tabligh is no exception. Jammat Tabligh is new, it came about as a result of the desire of Muhammad Elias to combat the problem of Muslims going away from Islam in India about 70 years or so ago. He was a self proclaimed sufi and he had some knowledge of Islam. He and his followers did believe that some people were 'saints' and as such they did revere them to a level that is not acceptable in the Tawheed of Islam. Jammat Tabligh was not revealed as a religion as was the Quran and Islam, right? Therefore, they make some mistakes, but they do some good work as well. This is well known amongst the scholars of Islam today. We love their good efforts and their attempts to bring Muslims back to prayer, but their ways do contain bi'ah (innovation). For instance, there is nothing in the Quran or sunnah about 'going out for 3 days; 40 days; or 4 months, right? Yet, it is not haram to do so from time to time, only we should not make it seem that this is a part of Islam. Make sense?

The book that is used by most of the Jammat Tabligh is called "Fazial Al Emal" (Virtues of Good Deeds) and it is translated into many languages. Again, it does have some very good things in it. Over 70 percent of the hadeeths are sahih and from reliable sources like, Bukhari and Muslim. Unfortunately, there are about 30 percent weak and fabricated hadeeths and teachings that are outside of Islam and should be removed. I have discussed this with the 'elders' of the Jammat, but they are not willing to do anything about this. Some of them do allow the substitution of the book with Imam An Nawawi's "Riyadhus Salaheen." But even this book contains some hadeeth that are not correct.

The biggest problem with the Jammat Tabligh is that they do not have enough scholars of true knowledge of Islam. The best part of the work of the Jammat Tabligh is that they do have so much enthusiasm and dedication to trying to make things better for the Muslims and to draw closer to Allah.

So this brings us back to my initial statement, "All humans and human designs have flaws and mistakes, and Jammat Tabligh is no exception." But they do some good work and should be encouraged to seek more correct knowledge from the Quran and the authentic hadeeths, inshallah.

3. Also people who dislike this work of jammath tabligh do they have the right to insult it, as I have came across many people who did so, calling it a complete innovation and as saying that everyone in this work is fake, and as my brother told me that some mosques they do not allow them stay over? After all is not Islam about akhlaq; good manners and brotherhood?

Answer #3

You are correct. It is never correct to redicule nor insult anyone, especially those who are trying to call themselves and others to Allah. Whoever trys to tear down the dawah does so only to their own dismay and may Allah save all of us from that, ameen. Try to encourage those of knowledge to come and sit with the brothers of dawah and work together to make a program closer to the way of the prophet, peace be upon him. That would be the best, inshallah.
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Thanks again for your question. All good is from Allah & mistakes were from myself.
May Allah guide us in Truth, ameen.
Salam alaykum