FATWA FROM RENOWNED SCHOLARS REGARDING JAMAH DAWAH AND TABLEEGH

الخروج مع جماعة التبليغ

لفضيلة الشيخ عبد العزيز بن عبدالله بن باز (رح

)

:ﺳﺌﻞ ﺍﻟﺸﻴﺦ ﺍﺑﻦ ﺑﺎﺯ ﺭﺣﻤﻪ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ

‏( ﻧﺤﻦ ﺳﻜﺎﻥ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺒﺎﺩﻳﺔ ﻣﻨﺎ ﻣﻦ ﻫﻮ ﻣﺴﺘﻘﺮ ﻓﻲ ﻫﺠﺮﺓ ﻭﻣﻨﺎ ﻣﻦ ﻫﻮ ﻳﺘﺒﻊ ﺣﻼﻟﻪ ، ﻭﻳﺄﺗﻴﻨﺎ ﺟﻤﺎﻋﺔ ﺍﻟﺪﻋﻮﺓ ﻟﻠﺘﺒﻠﻴﻎ ﻣﻨﻬﻢ ﻣﻦ ﻧﻌﺮﻓﻪ ﺷﺨﺼﻴﺎ ﻭﻧﺜﻖ ﺑﺼﺪﻕ ﻧﻴﺘﻪ ﺇﻻ ﺃﻧﻬﻢ ﻟﻴﺴﻮﺍ ﻋﻠﻤﺎﺀ ﻭﻣﻨﻬﻢ ﻋﻠﻤﺎﺀ ﻭﻳﺪﻋﻮﻧﻨﺎ ﻟﻠﺨﺮﻭﺝ ﻟﻠﻬﺠﺮ ﺍﻟﺘﻲ ﺣﻮﻟﻨﺎ ﻭﻳﺤﺪﺩﻭﻥ ﻟﺬﻟﻚ ﺃﻳﺎﻣﺎً ﻭﺃﺳﺎﺑﻴﻊ ﻭﺃﺷﻬﺮﺍً ﻣﻊ ﻣﻼﺣﻈﺘﻨﺎ ﺃﻥ ﺣﻠﻖ ﺍﻟﺬﻛﺮ ﺍﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﻌﻤﻞ ﻋﻨﺪﻧﺎ ﻟﻴﺲ ﻋﻠﻴﻬﺎ ﺃﻱ ﺍﺷﺘﺒﺎﻩ ﻫﻞ ﻳﺠﻮﺯ ﺍﻻﺳﺘﻤﺎﻉ ﻟﻬﻢ ﺃﻭ ﺍﻟﺨﺮﻭﺝ ﻣﻌﻬﻢ ﻟﻠﻬﺠﺮ ﺍﻟﻤﺠﺎﻭﺭﺓ ﺃﻭ ﺧﺎﺭﺝ ﺍﻟﻤﻤﻠﻜﺔ ؟

:ﻓﺄﺟﺎﺏ ﺭﺣﻤﻪ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ

‏( ﺇﺫﺍ ﻛﺎﻥ ﺍﻟﻤﺬﻛﻮﺭﻭﻥ ﻣﻌﺮﻭﻓﻴﻦ ﺑﺎﻟﻌﻘﻴﺪﺓ ﺍﻟﻄﻴﺒﺔ ﻭﺍﻟﻌﻠﻢ ﻭﺍﻟﻔﻀﻞ ﻭﺣﺴﻦ ﺍﻟﺴﻴﺮﺓ ﻓﻼ ﺑﺄﺱ ﺑﺎﻟﺘﻌﺎﻭﻥ ﻣﻌﻬﻢ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺪﻋﻮﺓ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺳﺒﺤﺎﻧﻪ ﻭﺍﻟﺘﻌﻠﻴﻢ ﻭﺍﻟﻨﺼﻴﺤﺔ ﻟﻘﻮﻝ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﺰ ﻭﺟﻞ

‏( ﻭَﺗَﻌَﺎﻭَﻧُﻮﺍ ﻋَﻠَﻰ ﺍﻟْﺒِﺮِّ ﻭَﺍﻟﺘَّﻘْﻮَﻯ} ‏)}

ﻭﻗﻮﻝ ﺍﻟﻨﺒﻲ ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ : { ﻣﻦ ﺩﻝ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺧﻴﺮ ﻓﻠﻪ ﻣﺜﻞ ﺃﺟﺮ ﻓﺎﻋﻠﻪ} ﻭﻓﻖ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺍﻟﺠﻤﻴﻊ

ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻉ ﻓﺘﺎﻭﻯ ﺍﻟﺸﻴﺦ 9/307

ﻭﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺍﻋﻠﻢ

http://www.binbaz.org.sa/mat/2124

GOING OUT WITH THE TABLEEGH JAMAAH

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked :

We are living in the desert. Some of us have settled here and some are working to earn a halaal income. A group from the Tableeghi Jama’at came to us, some of whom we know personally and are sure that their intentions are sincere, but they are not scholars; and some of them are scholars who call us to go out to the villages around us, and say that we should spend so many days or weeks or months doing that. We have not seen anything wrong with the dhikr circles that they hold. Is it permissible to listen to them or to go out with them to the neighbouring villages or outside the Kingdom (Saudi Arabia)?

He replied:

If the people mentioned are known to have sound ‘aqeedah and knowledge and to be virtuous and good people, then there is nothing wrong with cooperating with them in calling people to Allaah and teaching and advising them, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety)”
[Al-Maa'idah 5:2]
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever guides others to do something good, he will have a reward like that of the one who does it.”

May Allaah guide us all.

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh, 9/307

And Allaah knows best

ﺍﻟﻘﻮﻝ ﻓﻲ ﺟﻤﺎﻋﺔ ﺍﻟﺘﺒﻠﻴﻎ ﺑﻴﻦ ﺍﻹﻓﺮﺍﻁ ﻭﺍﻟﺘﻔﺮﻳﻂ

ﻟﻘﺎﺀ ﺍﻟﺒﺎﺏ ﺍﻟﻤﻔﺘﻮﺡ

ﻓﻀﻴﻠﺔ ﺍﻟﺸﻴﺦ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﺑﻦ ﺻﺎﻟﺢ ﺍﻟﻌﺜﻴﻤﻴﻦ

بدأت الالتزام قريباً ، والحمد لله ، وتوجد في منطقتنا جماعة التبليغ الذين يخرجون ثلاثة أيام أو أكثر من ذلك ، وقد اختلف كلام الناس فيهم ؛ فبعضهم يقول : لا تمش معهم ، لأن خروجهم بدعة ، ولأن عندهم أخطاء ، وبعضهم نصحني بالخروج معهم ، فما الصواب في ذلك ؟ وهل أخرج معهم أو لا ؟

وقد سئل الشيخ ابن عثيمين ، رحمه الله تعالى عن ذلك، فقال

الغالب أن كل المسائل يكون الناس فيها طرفين ووسطاً ؛ من الناس من يثني على هؤلاء كثيراً وينصح بالخروج معهم ، ومنهم من يذمهم ذماً كثيراً ويحذر منهم ، ما يحذر من الأسد ! ومنهم متوسط

وأنا أرى الجماعة فيهم خير ، وفيهم دعوة ، ولهم تأثير واضح لم ينله أحد من الدعاة ؛ فكم من كافر آمن على أيديهم ؟ وكم من فاسق هداه الله ؟
ثم في طبائعهم من التواضع ، وفي خُلُقهم من الإيثار ، ما لا يوجد في الكثيرين
ومن الناس من يقول : إنهم ليس عندهم علم بالحديث ، أو ما أشبه ذلك
وهم أهل خير ولا شك ، لكنى أرى أن الذين يوجدون في المملكة لا يذهبون إلى باكستان وغيرها من البلاد الأخرى ، لأننا لا ندري عن عقائد أولئك ، ولا ندري عن مناهجهم ، لكن المنهج الذي عليه أصحابنا هنا في المملكة منهج لا غبار عليه ، وليس فيه شيء

وأما تقييد الدعوة بثلاثة أيام أو أربعة ، أو شهرين أو أربعة أشهر أو ستة ، أو سنتين ، فهذا لا وجه له ، ولكنهم يرون أن هذا من باب التنظيم ، وأنه إذا خرج ثلاثة أيام ، وعرف أنه مقيد بهذه الأيام الثلاثة ، استقام وعزف عن الدنيا ، فهذه مسألة تنظيمية ، وليست عبادة ولا شرعا

فأرى ، بارك الله فيك ، إن كان لك اتجاه لطلب العلم أن طلب العلم أفضل لك ، لأن طلب العلم فيه خير ، والناس الآن محتاجون لعلماءَ أهلِ سنةٍ ، راسخين في العلم ، وإن لم يكن عندك قدرة على طلب العلم ، وخرجت معهم لأجل أن تصفي نفسك ، فهذا لا بأس به ، وفيه أناس كثيرون هداهم الله عز وجل على أيديهم

[ الباب المفتوح ، اللقاء العاشر ]

JAMAH DAWAH AND TABLEEGH BETWEEN TWO EXTREMES

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih Al Uthymeen

I have started to become committed recently, praise be to Allaah. In our area there is the Jamaa’at al-Tableegh, who go out for thirty days or more. People say different things about them.

Some say, don’t go out with them, because their going out is an innovation (bid’ah) and they have some mistaken ideas. Others advised me to go out with them. What is the correct view concerning that? Should I go out with them or not?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about that and he said:

Usually in every issue there are two extremes and a middle way. Some people praise this group a great deal and encourage going out with them; others condemn them a great deal and warn against them more than they would warn you about a lion. And some people tread a middle path between those two extremes.

Moreover they have an attitude of humility and selflessness that is not found in many others.
Some people say that they have no knowledge of hadeeth, and so on.

They are undoubtedly good people, but I think that those of them who are in Saudi do not go to Pakistan or other countries, and we do not know anything about the ‘aqeedah of those people (in other countries) or their manhaj (methodology). But there is nothing wrong with the manhaj (system) followed by our companions here in Saudi.

With regard to limiting da’wah to three or four days, or to two or four or six months, or two years, there is no shar’i evidence for that. But they think that this has to do with organization. If a person goes out for three days, and knows that he is limited to these three days, he will focus his mind and forget about worldly matters. This is the matter of organization, and is not an act of worship or a matter of sharee’ah.

I think, may Allaah bless you, that if you have the opportunity to seek knowledge then it is better to do that, because seeking knowledge is good and the people nowadays have a great need for scholars who have knowledge of the Sunnah and who are well-versed in knowledge. If you are not able to seek knowledge, and you go out with them in order to purify yourself, there is nothing wrong with that. There are many people whom Allaah has guided at their hands.

Liqah bab maftooh

رأي الشيخ محمد العريفي في جماعة التبليغ

Sheikh Muhammad Al Arifee view on Tablighi Jamaat

Below is the translation of his Arabic speech which was in response to a question (Translation is also taken from the link)

“Our brother asked about Tablighi Jamaah

Actually Tablighi Jamaat is an Islamic association that encourages people to worship Allah Subhana hu wa taala and to guide people to the right path, They travel around the world in many countries, they have nerve and cheek to call people towards Islam and to guide them to the right path, sometime even in the disco they talk to people, guide them and give them advise even in debauchery and immoral places. People would sometimes listen to them and change their behavior, Sometimes they visit people in their own homes and speak to them. And guide them. They have a good activity so no problem to join them,

(He advises)

1. Its better for the one who join them and its better for the Tablighi Jamaah themselves to seek good knowledge of Aqeeda (Islamic Faith) and Islamic Laws.

2. Good knowledge To make sure to explain the good Islamic practices for those who make bidah (practice that is not in accordance with the Islamic teachings) ,for example those who make Tawaf (circumambulate) around tombs and build mosques on them, or to call upon other than Allah Subhanahu wa taala, or those who’s Aqeedah (Islamic knowledge) in incorrect,

Tablighi Jamaa should give these people good advise, also tablighi jamaah should make sure they speak in accordance to the Islamic laws and so on

AND

'' Inshallah Tablighi jamaah is on the right path….. ''

----------------------------------------

Disclaimer:

Tableeghi Jamaat neither have Masajid with graves inside nor instruct or build these Masajid. The work of the Tableeghi Jamaah is being carried out worldwide and they visit many Masajid for the sake of calling towards Allah (SWT) without prior knowledge of which sect / group the Mosque belongs to.
In India/Pakistan it is (unfortunately) common to have grave sites in and around Mosques this doesn’t imply that it has anything to do with Tableeghi Jamaat.

Our brothers and sisters (involved in these activities) need to be invited towards the noble Sunnah and this is what Tableeghi Jamaat does.
A Scholar inviting a group of Christians towards Allah (SWT) in a Church neither endorse Christianity nor the church!

----------------------------------------

الإسلام سؤال و الجواب

بإشراف الشيخ محمد صالح المنجد

The view of Shaykh Saalih Al Munajid

He is asking about Jamaa’at al-Tableegh

Q# 14037

I have started to become committed recently, praise be to Allaah. In our area there is the Jamaa’at al-Tableegh, who go out for thirty days or more. People say different things about them.

Praise be to Allaah.

We have already discussed this group and some of their pros and cons. Please see question no. 47431.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about that and he said:

I think that there is some good in this group; they call others to Islam and have a clear influence that no other daa’iyahs have had. How many kaafirs have become believers at their hands, and how many evildoers has Allaah guided through them?

Moreover they have an attitude of humility and selflessness that is not found in many others.
Some people say that they have no knowledge of hadeeth, and so on.

Al-Baab -_al-Maftooh, no. 10, P. 304.

SHEIKH SAALIH AL MUNAJJID

Islam QA

دار الإفتاء المصرية من الشيخ العلامة علي جمعة حفظه الله

DAARUL IFTAA EGYPT Dr. Ali Goma Mohammed

Number : 1201

Subject : Jama‘at al-Tableegh wa al-Da‘wah

Date : 9/23/2007

Question:
We have reviewed request no. 1201for the year 2005 which includes the following:

What is the ruling of the outings (Ar. khuruj) practiced by the Jama‘at al-Tableegh wa al-Da‘wahgroup ? Is it an innovation ?

Answer:

Dr. Ali Goma Mohammed

These outings are permissible for those who are qualified to call others to Allah, provided that they are pleasant with people; employ wisdom, fair admonishment, and kindness when calling them; that they are merciful with others; and that they are knowledgeable of what they enjoin and forbid.

A prerequisite [to it being permissible] is that they do not neglect their families and their dependents.
Limiting the khuruj to 4 days, 40, or some other number, is purely a matter of organization and logistics.

It has no connection to the issue of innovation, unless its followers believe otherwise.

Allah Mighty and Most High knows best.

الفتوى صادرة عن مركز الفتوى

بإشراف د. عبدالله الفقيه

Fatwa No : 88243

Condemning the fault of others

Fatwa Date : Jumaadaa Al-Oula 25, 1425 / 13-7-2004

Question:

I want to ask about the Jama’ah Tabligh. They are translating Qur’an and Hadith according to their own understanding in order to prove that their work is from Quran nd Hadith. Is this not a great sin for a Jama’ah that is known to be a religious Jama’ah ?

Answer:

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

The Tablighi group is a Dawah group that has an apparent impact on the field of Dawah- and like any other Islamic group, it has advantages and disadvantages. So, it is incumbent on the Muslim to follow a moderate approach when criticizing it as the knowledgeable people do whose ultimate aim is to reach the truth.

Hence, one should accept from them all that is supported by evidence from the Qur’an and the Sunnah and reject anything that is not backed by evidence.

But this rejection should be through advice and kindness.

Ibn Katheer narrated that Qatada said:

“No Muslim should meet his fellow Muslim except with the intention of advising him and never cheating him.”

As for explaining the Qur’an or the Hadith without the appropriate knowledge or guidance, no doubt that it is a great sin and it is telling lies about Allah. Allah says:

“And follow not (O man i.e., say not, or do not or witness not, etc.) that of which you have no knowledge (e.g. one’s saying: “I have seen,” while in fact he has not seen, or “I have heard,” while he has not heard). Verily! The hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of each of those you will be questioned (by Allâh).

(Al-Isra 17:36)

The duty of the Muslim is to advise his fellow brother when he sees him fall in similar things that contradict Islam. But this is not peculiar to Tablighi group alone. All the modern Islamic groups have some shortcomings which should be clarified to them whenever possible.

Allah knows best.

http://www.islamweb.net/

Calling Jamaat Tableegh to true Islam

Fatwa No : 85666

Fatwa Date : Safar 2, 1424 / 5-4-2003

Question:

Give me some guidelines/tips for Dawah. I want to call people following Jamaat-e-tableegh (more than 95% of Muslims of India are following this Jamaat, but calling themselves as Hanafees) to true Islam i.e., to follow Sunnah of the Prophetbased on saheeh ahadeeth.

These people doesn’t know what saheeh hadeeth is. They say all ahadeeth are saheeh. They read and follow only one book “Fazail-e-A’mal”. If in some issue they do something wrong and even though we quote saheeh hadeeth before them they do not accept it.

They hate people of AHLUL HADEETH. Their dawah is to call people to tour 1day or 3days or 10 days or 4 days with them so that they can learn about Islam. But actually they have no knowledge about hadeeth.
Tell me how should I try my best in calling them to true Islam?

Answer:

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

“Al-Tableegh group” is one among the Muslim groups that work in the field of Da’wah. This group has demonstrated a good influence in guiding people to the truth and serving the teachings of Islam although there are some errors, as you mentioned in your question, in their way of Da’wah.

Thus, a Muslim is strongly advised to co-operate with this group in good and piety. Also, he is required to advise them individually to the truth in kindness and wisdom and to choose the appropriate time and person, who is bias-free. At the same time, there is no harm to invite some persons of them if possible. Then, show them that your goal is to follow the truth and guidance and that you are doing this for the sake of Allah and due to loving them as Muslim brothers. At first, you have to avoid discussing sensitive issues with them. You have to invite them step-by-step.

In the same vein, we advise you to seek advice from good scholars in your country and to avoid making decisions in a hurry since such things may harm Da’wah and its faithful followers.
In addition, we draw your attention to spread your Da’wah activities to the Muslim society in general and do not limit your activities to this group. Since enemies of Allah do their best to fight Islam and destroy creed and morals of Muslims.

Allah knows best.

BY: MUFTI TAQEE UTHMANI

Questions Regarding Jama’ah Tabligh

Q 1.) For an ordinary Muslim (a businessman, a laborer, a farmer, a professional, etc.) who is not associated with a religious organization, is it Fard, Wajib, or Mustahab to go out for three or forty days, etc. with Jama’ah Tabligh?

A 1.) Dawah (inviting people to Islam) and Tabligh (conveying the Message) is a collective responsibility of the whole Ummah and an act of great reward as it has been declared a distinguishing characteristic of this Ummah by the Qur’an

.[See Albaqarah 2:104, 110. Yusuf 12:108. Hamim Al Sajjdah 41:33]

Dawah falls in two categories:

1. Inviting Muslims to follow the religion. It has two levels:

Special or Individual. Every Muslim is required to inform his household and people under his care about religious instructions and to forbid them from performing the munkarat (evils). Quran and Hadith clearly declare it a mandatory duty of everyone .

"Everyone of you is a supervisor and everyone will be asked about those given in his supervision…."
[Hadith]

In addition, if a particular person alone is in a position to influence another person, and there is a major expectation of his effectiveness, the first person is required to try to correct the behavior of the other person, even though the other person may not be his family member or subordinate.

"If anyone of you witnesses an evil, he should correct it by his hand. If he is not in a position to do so, then by his tongue. If he is not in a position to do so then by his heart. And that is the lowest level of Imaan." [Muslim]

This level of Dawah is Fard Ayn (mandatory individual duty).

General or Collective. This involves addressing the Muslims collectively to enjoin good and forbid evil. This is Fard Kifayah or collective responsibility which means that it is a responsibility of everyone who is capable of doing this kind of Dawah but if some people discharge this duty then the burden would be lifted from others. Otherwise, everyone would be in sin.

This collective responsibility requires an organized effort designed to perform it according to the teachings of Shariah. The jurists have explained that if the Muslim government fails to perform this function, it would be the responsibility of the common Muslims to establish a group to discharge this responsibility.

It does not mean that a formal association must be launched but it does mean that sufficient number of persons should come forward for this purpose whether or not they are part of a formal organization.

2. Inviting non-Muslims to Islam. Every Muslim in general and the particular group mentioned above, specially would be responsible for this Dawah.

It should be noted that Shariah has not prescribed a special format for the Dawah effort. Whether it is performed by going to homes as Jama’ah Tabligh does, or through writings or publications, or through any other means, the responsibility would be discharged.

This explains that it is not Fard Ayn for every Muslim to participate in the work of Tablighi Jamat because

a) Dawah at the general level is not Fard Ayn and

b) the particular style of work adopted by the Tablighi Jama’ah is not mandated by the Shariah.

However, since the work of Tablighi Jama’ah, with the blessings of Allah, has been greatly beneficial and it has proven to be an effective means of countering the work of anti-religious forces, therefore cooperating with this Jama’ah and participating in its work to the maximum extent possible is an act of great reward.

Doing it with balance and within the limits prescribed by the jurists is a very effective means of protecting ourselves and the Ummah.

There may be a situation in which participating in the work of this Jama’ah may become Fard Ayn for an individual. Consider the case of a person who has no religious training and who is ignorant of the basic religious teachings concerning his life. For him it is mandatory to seek the minimally necessary religious education and training.

If such a person finds no other means of getting this basic instruction other than going out with the Tablighi Jama’ah, then for him it would be required to join this Jama’ah. If this person does have access to other means like sitting in the company of scholars, or joining a religious school, etc.

Then it would not be mandatory for him to join the Jama’ah. The participation would still be desirable because of the benefits that we have seen through experience.

Q 2.) A person is working with a religious school or Masjid or is involved in a religious work individually, but he does not go out with the Jama’ah Tablighi.

He also does not go door to door in his own neighborhood for the purpose of Tabligh, nor does he participate in Jihad (in Kashmir or elsewhere).
At the same time, he does not reject Dawah or Jihad. Is such a person a sinner for abandoning the responsibilities of Dawah and Jihad?

A 2.) The person of Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, was the focal point of all good. He, single handedly, established the standards of excellence in all areas of life. Subsequently we see a division of work in the Ummah. Some scholars concentrated on Jihad or Dawah, others on Islamic schools, etc.

If everyone is required to work only in one area, other areas will obviously suffer, while all are important for the mission of Prophethood. So the kind of person mentioned in this question cannot be declared a sinner for leaving the responsibilities of Dawah or Jihad.

It should also be noted that different approaches appeal to different people. Some people are influenced by listening to a sermon, others through reading. For some, simple facts have a great appeal, others require in-depth academic discussion. So all approaches should continue for the benefit of their intended audiences.

Q 3.) Is the particular style of Dawah work started by Moulana Ilyas (and used by Jama’ah Tabligh) established by evidence from the earlier Islamic period?

A 3.) As was explained in the answer to question #1 above, Shariah has not mandated a particular format for Dawah work. Religious education, Tabligh, Jihad, etc. are different ways of discharging this collective responsibility and they are all important in their own right. The popular format chosen for a given function is an administrative matter.

For example, today our religious schools offer instruction for ten months a year, for six days a week, for six hours a day. They also have exams at predetermined intervals.

This arrangement has been found useful through experience but it was not used at the time of Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, and one cannot find any evidence requiring it in the books of Hadith. However, since this arrangement is not considered mandated by Shariah, but it is only an administrative matter, therefore it cannot be considered a bid’ah (innovation).

The format adopted by Tablighi Jama’ah is also an administrative matter, and therefore, is permissible and it does not need any evidence in its favor as long as it is not considered mandated by Shariah.

However, for our understanding, it is sufficient to note that all Prophets and Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, himself had gone to the people to invite them to Islam.

And Allah knows best.

Written by Aleem Ahsan Aziz, Darul Ifta, Darul Uloom, Karachi.

Comments by Justice Mufti Taqi Usmani

( I ) concur with the above Fatwa. The discussion of Fard Ayn and Fard Kifayah included here is in accordance with the juristic evidence.

However, it does not diminish the importance of the work of Tabligh and it should not be used as a basis for reluctance in this matter.

In our times when the forces of evil are very active, the work of Tabligh and Dawah has assumed special importance and Masha-Allah Jama’ah Tabligh is, overall, discharging this responsibility very well. Therefore, Muslims should cooperate with it. At the same time, efforts should be continued to correct the overstatements(ghuloo) made by some of its members.

And Allah knows best.

(Abridged and Translated into English by Khalid Baig. The responsibility for any error in translation does not rest with the Darul-Uloom.)

http://albalagh.net/qa/tablighqa.shtml

DARUL-IFTA SOUTH AFRICA

AUTHENTICITY OF TABLIGH JAMAAH

Mufti Ebraheim Desai

Question :

I have been and are quite regular in tabligh and some people question the authenticity of tabligh. The question that i get asked the most is what proof do you hav regarding spending months.3 DAYS 40 DAYS and 4 MONTHS.

They ask me to point and give reference to Bukari etc. Now, I know how the work came in existance through the worry and concern of Maulana Ilyas RA.
And the proliferated through Moulana Yusuf RA and they introduced the whole tabligh infrastructure through Quran and Hadith. I was wondering If you could point me in the right direction and better yet explain to me and provide evidence related to this ?
Answer:

Allah Taãla says in the Noble Qurãn:

{{‘You are the best of nations sent to man. You command good and forbid evil and you believe in Allah}}
(A'ali Imraan).

Allah Taãla states that one reason for this Ummah being titled as the best of Ummah, is the practice of commanding good and preventing evil’.

Nabi (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) states:

‘Whosoever from among you witnesses evil, he should change it with his hands. And if he is unable to do so then he should change it with his tongue. And if he is unable to do so with his tongue, then he should at least consider it to be wrong. And this is the weakest stage of Imaan.
(Muslim)

Hadhrat Nuúmaan bin Basheer (Radhiallaahu Ánhu) says that:
Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) gave an example of people sailing on a boat having an upper deck and a lower deck. The people from the lower deck require water and request water from the people of the upper deck.
The people from the upper deck refuse water so the people from the lower deck decide to make a hole on the floor of the ship and get water from the sea. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) said, ‘If the people from the upper deck don’t stop the people at the bottom from making a hole, the ship will sink and all the people traveling will drown.
(Mishkãt vol. 2 p. 436)

Similarly, if people do not prohibit evil and sin in the society, the entire society – innocent and evil – will equally suffer.

Hadhrat Abu Hurayra (Radhiallaahu Ánhu) states that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) said:
“Command good and prohibit evil or else Allah will send such a punishment that will destroy everyone''. (Ibid).

The above quotations of the Qurãn and Ahaadith of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) are clear that commanding good and prohibiting evil is an emphasized injunction of Allah and His Rasool (saws).
Every person must carry out this injunction. All the Prophets (Álayhimus salaam) followed the footsteps of their respective Prophets and after the demise of their Prophet, they carried out the same mission. The Sahaaba of Rasulullah (Radhiallaahu Ánhum) spent their entire lives in commanding good and prohibiting evil.

Since there is no Prophet to come, every Ummati (follower) of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) is the deputy of the Prophet and he has to carry on the mission of the Prophet.

The people of Tabligh Jamaat sacrifice their time, wealth and comforts to undergo difficulty and hardships to go in the path of Allah – to carry out this Sunnah of the Prophets – commanding good and prohibiting evil.

As far as the Tabligh Jamaat is concerned, it is our humble view that they are acting upon this injunction of Allah Taãla and are fulfilling this obligation of Shariáh. The Jamaat advocates strict adherence to the Sunnah and confirms itself within the ambit of the Shariáh.
The purpose of any individual taking part in the Noble work of Tabligh is firstly to reform oneself and dutifully save mankind from the fire of hell. The overwhelming success of the Jamaat is mainly because of the manifestation of the six points which involves the purification of the Naffs and the entity of Tawheed.

The word, ‘Tashkeel’, literally means to form. In the terminology of Tabligh, it means to urge the people to give time, to come out in the path of Allah for self reformation and propagating good for a number of days 3, 7, 40, 4months,1 year, etc.
The number of days is also not compulsory, it is only recommended just as it is recommended that a person studying first aid, for example, serves one month as practicals. While he will not be an expert in medicine, he will know the basic things to do during an emergency.

Similarly, a person going out for 3 days, 40 days, 4 months, etc. does not become an expert on Shariáh, but he will learn the basic requirements of Shariáh.
The more time he gives, the more he will learn and perfect himself. The time frame is not a criteria according to Shariáh. It is not regarded as compulsory in the Shari’ah. The time is merely recommended like the time frame for any course in college and university. There is no prohibition in Shari’ah to set time frames for learning and training.

And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best

Mufti Ebrahim DESAI

Darul Ifta UK

The Jama’ah of Tabligh and Da’wa.

Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam

The grand mufti of Saudi Arabia has clearly stated his dislike of the tableegh and Jam’at.
What my question is that, WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS WORK …… even imams of the haramain have clearly stated their dislike.

Please give your pearls of advice regarding this topic.

Question # : 23350053
Date Posted: 04/02/2004

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

Enjoining the good and forbidding the evil is a collective responsibility of the Muslims (Fardh al-Kifaya).

Allah Most High says:

“You are the best of Nations, involved for mankind, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is evil.”
(Surah Ali Imran, V: 110).

This collective responsibility of the Muslims requires an organized effort, and this is exactly what the Jama’ah of Tabligh is doing. How can someone be condemned for carrying out the responsibility which Allah Almighty has ordained upon him?

It should be noted that although the method which the Jama’ah of Tabligh use for their Da’wah was not prevalent in its full context during the time of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace), yet it will not be considered to be an innovation (bid’ah).

Shariah has not prescribed a special method for the Da’wah work. The responsibility of Da’wah will be discharged by using any method, whether this is by teaching religious knowledge to thirsty students, writing books, inviting people to Islam, going to peoples homes and calling them to the Masjid’s (As the Jama’ah Tabligh does) or any other means.

Those from Saudi Arabia who criticize this group usually are unaware of the reality of the Jama’ah Tabligh.
It should be said to them : if this work is wrong, then you should close down the Islamic universities in Makkah and Madinah and all the other types of Da’wah work, as the methods of many were not prevalent in the time of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace).

In conclusion, there is nothing wrong with the work of Jama’ah Tabligh in general. People should be encouraged to join and participate in this auspicious work.
The forces of evil are very active and the work of this Jama’ah has assumed special importance and Al-Hamdulillah this Jama’ah is (overall) discharging the responsibility of Da’wah very well.

If there are any mistakes made by people involved in this work (as indeed some do), it should be corrected by the scholars with wisdom, insight, gentleness and politeness.

And Allah knows best

Muhammad ibn Adam

Darul Iftaa

Leicester , UK

Darul Ifta Trinidad & Tobago

Tabligh Jamaat

Q.: Concerning a lot of discussions on Dawat e Tabligh or Tableegh Jamaat, a lot of scholars and others such as Dr. Zakir Naik and other ulema criticizing and saying it is bidah to participate in Dawat e Tableegh, where are these people getting these views from? They say it is not in Quran and Sunnah about Tableegh. What is your opinion on this matter?

A. The effort of the Tabligh Jamaat is a very noble one which has been very successful and has gained wide acceptance by thousands of great Ulamah throught the world, from the time it has started until today.

This work is simply about reminding Muslims of their faith and instilling in them, the seriousness of practicing Islam. The Tabligh work does not preach any thing against the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah, and it propagates the true message of Islam. The work brings across the
message of how a Muslim can gain success in this world and the next, and exhorts the Muslims to hold firmly to the Sunnah of the Prophet (SA). The talks, speeches and advises given, are based on Imaan and striving in the path of Allah, so that the message of Islam can reach the homes of every Muslim.

If a survey is taken today, it will be seen that the Tabligh Jamaat is doing an effort just like what the Prophet (SA) and the Sahabah had done. The brothers involved in the effort spend their ‘hard-earned’ monies to travel to distant places in order to spread the message of Islam. They do not ask anyone for anything. Their time is spent fully in the masjid, and they look after their necessities and needs.
Those who speak ill of this noble work, do so on account of their ignorance of what goes on in the Tabligh work, or they are misinformed, or it is possible that some may naturally dislike it for no reason at all.

Alhamdulillah, through the blessings which Allah Has given to this effort tens of thousands of Muslims have reformed themselves, and have changed the course of their lives to the right direction. Thousands (of those Muslims) who never performed Salaah have started to perform it, and also do the other duties as Muslims. On account of this work, a great awakening has come about, and Muslims are now becoming more conscious of their religion.
We see daily, that while there are many Muslims living around a Masjid, only a very few come for Salaah in congregation. The majority stay at home, while many may not even perform Salaah at all. It is on account of this state, we find that today, many Masjids remain empty, locked, dirty, deplorable and unattended. Many Muslims seem to have lost the zeal to attend the house of Allah.
We rarely see members of the locality visiting those Muslims who are not attending the masjid or are weak in their religion. To add to this, we find that at times, Christian missionaries come to different localities and pitch their tents, inviting the Muslims to their Crusades. On a weekly basis, we find that Christian missionaries visit the homes of everyone, including the Muslims’ homes, in order to propagate their religion. While all these take place, we find that not much is done, (in fact, in many places, nothing is done) to bring the Muslims to the Masjids, and to attend to them in an effort to strengthen their Imaan and Islam. In this ‘wanting’ situation, we find that most of the time, it is the Tabligh Jamaat who comes around to different localities to revive the spirit of Islam among the Muslims.
So, the gist of this explanation, is that the Tabligh work is a very important and noble effort which is based on the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet (SA).

And Allah knows best.

Mufti Waseem Khan