The 1979 Dhaka Ijtema: An Eyewitness Report from the Islamic University of Madinah
By Shaykh Muhammad Amaan ibn Ali al-Jami and Shaykh Abdul-Kareem Murad
Islamic University of Madinah
Based on the Arabic report attributed to Shaykh Muhammad Amaan ibn Ali al-Jami, Dean of the Faculty of Hadith and Islamic Studies.
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In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful
The Tablighi Jamaat extended an invitation to the Islamic University of Madinah to attend a large Islamic gathering being held in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.
The University accepted the invitation and appointed us—Muhammad Amaan ibn Ali al-Jami from the Faculty of Hadith and Abdul-Kareem Murad from the Faculty of Shariah—to participate in the gathering.
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Departure from Madinah
We departed from Madinah Airport on Monday, 10 Safar 1399 AH, travelling through Jeddah on our way to Karachi.
We arrived at Jeddah Airport at approximately 6:30 a.m. and contacted Pakistan International Airlines immediately. Through the airline's management, our travel formalities were completed in less than ten minutes.
We then entered the departure lounge in preparation for the flight.
After approximately an hour, however, we were informed that the flight would be delayed indefinitely because, as we were told, the aircraft had developed a technical fault.
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The Delay at Jeddah Airport
We therefore remained waiting without being given a definite departure time.
When Dhuhr arrived, we prayed in the airport because leaving the airport premises was not permitted.
We were then invited to lunch, which indicated to us that the delay was likely to be prolonged.
We continued waiting until after Isha on Tuesday night.
Eventually, a departure time was announced for after 11:00 p.m., but in reality the aircraft did not depart until after midnight.
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Arrival in Karachi
We continued our journey to Karachi and, exhausted from the prolonged wait at Jeddah Airport, fell asleep.
We did not awaken until the announcement was made that we were approaching Karachi Airport.
We thanked Allah for allowing us to arrive safely.
We entered Karachi shortly before Fajr and prayed Fajr at our hotel.
After resting sufficiently, we discussed whether we should proceed to Lahore before travelling to Dhaka, as had originally been planned.
We decided to postpone the Lahore visit until after our return from Dhaka, fearing that any delay might cause us to miss the gathering, which was the primary purpose of our journey.
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Travelling from Karachi to Dhaka
We spent Wednesday, 12 Safar 1399 AH, at the reservation office attempting to arrange travel to Dhaka for Thursday.
We were informed, however, that there were only two flights from Karachi to Dhaka: a Pakistan International Airlines flight on Tuesday and a Bangladesh flight on Friday.
Since we had missed the Tuesday flight, we reserved seats for Friday.
We travelled on the Friday flight, by the permission of Allah, and arrived at Dhaka Airport late at night.
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Arrival in Dhaka
A reception committee was waiting at the airport to welcome us and the other visitors attending the gathering.
Among those present were some Pakistani and Sudanese brothers whom we already knew.
The committee completed the necessary airport formalities for us.
We were also informed that special arrangements had been made for those attending the gathering: their luggage would not be opened or searched in the usual manner, but would instead be marked externally, whereas other travellers were subjected to detailed inspection.
We were then taken to a mosque near the airport, from where the guests were distributed to the accommodations prepared for them near the site of the gathering.
We were settled before Fajr and managed to rest briefly before the adhan.
We then prayed Fajr in the nearby mosque.
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The Temporary Mosque
The mosque was an extraordinary temporary structure erected on an open area approximately one and a half kilometres by one kilometre.
It was capable of accommodating thousands of people.
A very large congregation—estimated by those present at close to one million people—would pray behind a single imam without the use of loudspeakers during the prayer.
Instead, numerous individuals were positioned at elevated locations throughout the gathering to relay the imam's voice so that those farther away could follow the prayer.
I wondered about the reason for not using loudspeakers during the prayer, especially since loudspeakers were used for lectures, instructions and other announcements.
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How the Ijtema Was Constructed
The manner in which the gathering was organized and prepared was remarkable.
The mosque and the accommodations for the guests had been constructed from lightweight materials that could subsequently be returned to their owners and sold or reused.
The principal materials consisted of:
• Corrugated metal sheets
• Bamboo poles
• Jute
• Ropes
Nails were not used, apparently so that the materials would not be damaged.
The materials had been donated or loaned by merchants and factory owners, who themselves participated in constructing and assembling the temporary structures.
Once the gathering concluded, the structures could easily be dismantled by undoing the ropes and taking apart the construction, just as easily as they had been assembled.
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The Religious Atmosphere
The atmosphere of the temporary mosque was remarkable.
After the prayers, people would divide into groups and engage in study and recitation of the Qur'an.
This reminded us of the mosques of the early generations, when mosques were places primarily devoted to prayer and worship rather than buildings constructed for display or ornamentation.
The various groups studied and recited portions of the Qur'an, generally limiting themselves to the shorter surahs that most of the participants had memorized.
After sunrise and breakfast, the lectures began.
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Shaykh Muhammad Umar's Arabic Lecture
On the morning of Saturday, 15 Safar 1399 AH, we attended an Arabic lecture delivered by the respected Shaykh Muhammad Umar.
It was a valuable and beneficial lecture in which he addressed a number of questions and objections concerning the activities of the Tablighi Jamaat, its method of calling people towards Allah, the purpose of going out in the path of Allah, and the reason for temporarily leaving one's normal environment.
In summary, he explained that the purpose is to change the environment of both those engaged in da'wah and those being invited.
Not everyone who goes out is necessarily a da'i in the technical sense.
Rather, many of those who go out are themselves people who are intended to benefit from reform: to strengthen their religious commitment, develop love for Islam, learn what they do not know of their religion, and improve their lives.
Experience has shown that such reform is often difficult to achieve while a person remains completely occupied with his ordinary worldly responsibilities.
Temporarily leaving one's usual environment and entering a righteous environment can assist greatly in this process.
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Our Participation in the Ijtema
After Shaykh Muhammad Umar's lecture, the Arab visitors were informed that there would be a general lecture following Dhuhr prayer.
We were asked to deliver the lecture, and we accepted.
I therefore delivered the lecture after Dhuhr.
It was translated immediately into several languages so that the wider gathering could benefit.
It was subsequently announced that on Sunday, 16 Safar 1399 AH, after Dhuhr, Shaykh Abdul-Kareem Murad would deliver a lecture.
We attended the various lectures throughout the gathering, including those translated from Urdu into Arabic for our benefit.
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Shaykh Abdul-Kareem Murad's Lecture
Shaykh Abdul-Kareem Murad delivered his lecture at the appointed time.
His subject was Tawhid al-'Ibadah — the Oneness of Allah in worship.
He warned against exaggeration concerning righteous people and cautioned against constructing buildings or structures over graves.
The lecture also contained general guidance and concluded with an emphasis on realizing the meaning and implications of the statement of Tawhid.
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The Location of the Ijtema
The site of the gathering was approximately seven kilometres from the capital.
This location helped create a quieter environment and enabled the participants to remain at the mosque and maintain the congregational prayers throughout the gathering.
For people such as ourselves, who arrived relatively late, the location also meant that there was little opportunity to enter Dhaka either before or after the gathering.
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The Departure of the Jamaats
Following the conclusion of the gathering, the participants began forming groups to go out in the path of Allah for da'wah.
On the day of departure and guidance, the participants were given instructions and advice before being sent out.
It was a day marked by both happiness and tears.
The emotions displayed by the participants reflected the brotherhood and love they had developed for one another for the sake of Allah, as well as their dedication to calling people towards Him.
This, in our view, was one of the principal lessons we took from their lectures, conduct, discussions and apparent asceticism.
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A Significant Characteristic of the Jamaat
One noteworthy quality of this Jamaat is its patience with people whom it seeks to reform and guide.
They demonstrate considerable patience with those whom they take along for their religious improvement and exercise care in nurturing and guiding them.
Their concern for such people resembles, in some respects, the concern of a compassionate mother for her beloved child.
Allah has guided many people through their efforts, from different backgrounds and nationalities.
Among those particularly deserving of attention are young Muslims whom we send to Europe and America for education and then, in some cases, leave without adequate religious supervision or nurturing.
Allah has enabled many such young people to benefit through this Jamaat and to return towards religious commitment after being strongly influenced by the irreligious environments in which they studied.
I have witnessed a number of such examples, although relating them all would make this report excessively long.
I shall therefore mention only one.
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The Young Man from Riyadh
A young man from Riyadh attended the Dhaka gathering with a group of young Muslims who had been studying in America.
Allah had enabled him, through the efforts of this Jamaat, to emerge from the state of religious heedlessness in which he had become immersed.
He expressed his desire to perform Umrah, hoping that it would become a means of repentance and forgiveness for his previous sins.
I encouraged him and reminded him of the virtue of repentance and that sincere repentance wipes away what preceded it.
He then said, visibly embarrassed:
“O brother Muhammad, I want to perform Umrah, but I do not know how to perform it.
I do not know what I should do when I reach Makkah. Before I went to America, I had studied these things, but I have forgotten everything.”
I was affected by his words and asked him to come somewhere away from the crowd so that I could explain the rites of Umrah to him.
He then asked whether I could record the explanation for him.
I told him that there was no objection if he had a tape recorder and cassette.
He brought the recorder, and I recorded a brief explanation of the rites of Umrah for him.
I also encouraged him to visit the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah and to visit the Islamic University so that he could obtain beneficial books and publications.
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The Results of the Da'wah
The purpose of mentioning this incident and the other examples is to illustrate some of the tangible benefits produced by the work of this Jamaat.
There are many other examples and successes, but listing them all would make the report lengthy.
The results of their efforts are observable and tangible, and their existence cannot simply be denied by someone who has witnessed them.
The underlying reason, as we see it, is that the Jamaat has made calling people towards Allah and seeking to reform them one of its principal concerns.
They do not appear to treat da'wah as a means of obtaining fame, status or worldly benefit.
Rather, they have devoted themselves to the work itself and have distanced themselves from seeking praise and recognition.
Their concern appears to be the work of da'wah and reform rather than personal reputation.
I shall suffice with this brief indication, since the matter is clear and the effects of their efforts can be observed through their work and its results.
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Observations
1. The Name “Tablighi Jamaat”
The Jamaat does not appear to have adopted “Tablighi Jamaat” as an official organizational name.
Rather, people came to refer to them by this name because of the nature of their work in da'wah, reminding people and calling them towards religious practice.
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2. Organization and Discipline
Their continual engagement in da'wah, organization and repeated gatherings has developed in them a high degree of organizational skill.
They are able to carry out their responsibilities with considerable order and without apparent exhaustion or unnecessary formality.
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3. Their Ability to Organize Large Gatherings
They possess the ability to organize very large gatherings in an orderly and efficient manner.
An organization attempting to arrange a gathering of this size by conventional means could require enormous expenditure and a long period of preparation.
The Tablighi Jamaat, however, appears to accomplish much of this with relatively little expenditure, apart from the costs associated with accommodating guests who travel from distant places.
Every participant considers himself responsible for contributing to the gathering.
Each person performs the task assigned to him, brings whatever he is able to contribute, and carries out his responsibility personally.
The prevailing attitude is that one should become a khadim — a servant of others — rather than a ruler over them.
Each person strives to benefit and serve his fellow Muslims, considering this an honorable and virtuous action.
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Recommendations
After considering the activities of the Jamaat and the tangible benefits that we observed, we believe the following recommendations are appropriate:
1. There should be sincere and practical cooperation with the Jamaat so that both sides may benefit from one another's experience and abilities.
2. The activities of this da'wah movement should also have a presence among the students of the Islamic University so that they may benefit from it and, in turn, contribute to its work. Our students are among those who have great need of beneficial religious activity and da'wah.
3. The Islamic University should increase its participation in the gatherings and conferences of the Jamaat, with representation from both the teaching staff and the students.
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Conclusion and Supplication
We ask Allah to make our deeds sincerely for His sake, to keep us far from showing off and seeking reputation, and to grant us sincerity in all that we do.
He is the Best One to whom supplication is made.
May Allah send blessings and peace upon His Messenger Muhammad, his family and his Companions.
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Muhammad Amaan ibn Ali al-Jami
Dean, Faculty of Hadith and Islamic Studies
10 Safar 1399 AH
