A Report On Tablighi Jamaat Ijtema in Bangladesh 1399H (1979)

THIS IS A TRANSLATED REPORT ON TABLIGHI IJTEMA IN BANGLADESH IN THE YEAR 1399H (1979) BY SYEIKH MUHAMMAD AMAN AL-JAMY AND SYEIKH ABDUL KARIM MUROD - EXCERPT FROM THE MALAY TRANSLATED BOOKLET ENTITLED "MENYINGKAP TABIR KESALAHFAHAMAN TERHADAP JEMAAH TABLIGH" (LIFTING UP THE VEIL OF MISCONCEPTION AGAINST TABLIGHI JAMAAT)

Bismillahirohmaanirrohim

Tablighi Jamaat had extended an invitation to the University Islam Madinah to attend a large gathering and meeting of Muslims in Dakka, the capital city of Bangladesh. The University had accepted the invitation and thus the two of us, Muhammad Aman Al-Jamy from Ahadith Faculty and Abdul Karim Murod of Syariah Faculty, were sent to participate in the gathering.

We left Al-Munawarrah Airport on Monday morning 10.2.1399H to Jeddah on our journey to Karachi (Pakistan). We arrived in Jeddah at 6.30am and we immediately contacted a representative of Pakistan Airlines through the Office Manager of University Islam in Jeddah, Al-Ustadz Musfir Az-Zahrani, since he had booked our seats for the flight. The travelling procedures finished within 10 minutes and we waited at the departure hall for the journey. But an hour later, we were surprised with an announcement made that our departure was being delayed to an unspecified time, apparently caused by the flight engine trouble. We then went through an uncertain waiting period. We performed Dhuhur solah at the departure hall since we were not allowed to leave the hall. During lunch, we were told that the flight would be long delayed.

And so our wait continued until after Isya' solah on Tuesday night. Then it was announced that our departure time would be at 11.00pm. It was already past midnight when we finally continue our journey to Karachi. We slept soundly all the way during the flight as we were tired during the long wait in Jeddah. We were only woken up by the in-flight landing announcement. Alhamdulillah, we arrived safely and entered Karachi city before dawn. We made Fajr solah at the hotel. 

After Fajr solah and a good rest, we discussed about our journey to Lahore (Pakistan) that we initially intended to go before going to Dakka. But we decided to postpone the Lahore journey until we return from Dakka, fearing that we would be late to attend the Ijtema' which was our main purpose for the journey. So on Wednesday 12.2.1399H we tried to book a flight to Dakka on Thursday, but we were informed that flight to Dakka was only available on Friday for those who did not take the flight on Tuesday, on the day that we just arrived in Karachi. Flights to Dakka were only available twice a week - on Tuesdays via Pakistan Airlines, and on Fridays via Bangladesh Airlines.

Hence, we booked seats on the Friday flight, and by the acceptance of Allah, we took off after Asr solah, thereby reached Dakka Airport late at night. It was a 3 1/2 hours flight from Karachi Airport to Dakka Airport. The two of us and all those who made the journey with us for the Ijtema, were welcomed at the airport by the istiqbal people who have good relationship with the airport officials, and these people were tasked to welcome all the delegations arriving for the Ijtema. With them, there were a few Sudanese and Pakistanis whom we had met before. 

They handled all the airport procedures for the benefit of all the delegations that arrived for the Ijtema' in a special way where the delegations did not have to undergo passport and travelling inspections. The delegations' passports were not even opened, just simply marked with coloured chalk, whereas other travelers have to go through rigorous inspections. We then be ushered to a masjid near the airport and divided into a few groups of guests. From there we were brought to the lodgings made up of tents readily set up at the Ijtema site! Everything settled before dawn and we have time to rest for awhile before the call of the adzan. The adzan then was called and we performed solah at the nearby masjid.

The masjid (at the Ijtema' site) looked like a large structure erected on land area measuring approximately 1.5km x 1km capable of accommodating thousands of people. A very large number of people approximately 1 million performed solah in congregation behind one imam without the use of loud speakers. A number of muballighin were divided and located on strategic high places to shout the voice of the imam until every musholi could hear the imam's voice during solah in jamaah.  I myself did not know why they never used loud speakers during solah whereas they did use loud speakers in talks, discourses, ta'leem, etc.

Everyone was amazed with the detailed arrangements and preparation for the Ijtema since the masjid and the guests' tents were all made of light building materials, made use of, and then returned to their owners at their stores in the condition that they remained eligible to be sold and used again.

The masjid and tents were made of light materials such as zinc, bamboos, gunny and ropes without the use of nails to prevent tem from being damaged. The owners and merchants of the light materials donated them, put up and built the tents themselves.

When the Ijtema was over, they themselves untied the ropes and brought down the tents with ease, as easy as putting them up beforehand. In this unique masjid, in the most calm Islamic environment that spread humility and peace, the mushollis sat in groups across the masjid in halqah and discourses everytime after solah. This masjid resembled the Muslims ummah masjids in the beginning of Islam era, when masjids only had been established for solah and ibadaah, not just for the display or pride and luxuries. May Allah always assists us.

The all  the jamaahs that were apportioned across the masjid make tadarrus of the Al-Quran  by memory, reciting some short surah that in general, have been memorized by all Muslims or the majority of them. This lasted until sunrise and breakfast time. Thereafter, preparation for following lectures or discourses. At the time of Dhuha, on Saturday 15.2.1399H, we attended a discourse by the respected Syeikh Muhammad Umar in Arabic. The lecture was delivered specially for the Arabs, and it was a lecture of very high quality and of great benefits. Therein, there were answers to many doubts (syubhat) about the activities of Tablighi Jamaat, the call for khuruuj fi sabilillah and the purpose of the said khuruuj that could be summarized as changing the mahul or environment for the dai'e and the mad'u (those who are being dakwah). Since not all those who go for khuruuj are dai'e. But most of them are people who intended to get islah or rectification, in need of encouragement to practice and love for Islam, and solutions to their religious concerns. Experience shows that all these could not be achieved by a person except when he goes out, leaving the hustle bustle of lives and moves to a better environment, etc.

After his lecture ended, Arabs jamaah were told to attend a discourse after Dzuhur solah  and one of us was requested to deliver the lecture. Certainly we fulfilled the request.

I delivered the lecture after Dzuhur solah, and it was translated into various languages. Then announcement was made about a discourse by Syeikh Abdul Karim Murod on Sunday 16.2.1399 after Dzuhur solah as well. Likewise, we regularly follow discourses after every solah that was translated from Urdu to Arabic.

Sheikh Abdul Karim Murod delivered a lecture at the scheduled time, and the talk centred on Tauhid Ibadaah, a reminder not to worship any wali (righteous man), and not to erect any structure on their graves. As for the Saturday talk, it was a general direction towards achieving kalimah At-Tauhid.

The Ijtema site is approximately 7km from the city centre. This helps them to establish and tranquility in solah jamaah, even regularize themselves towards masjid throughout the duration of the Ijtema.

We and those like us, who arrived a bit later could not enter the capital city centre before and after the Ijtema. After the Ijtema was over on Tuesday, we immediately left the Ijtema site for our visit to several parties in Pakistan.

Other people immediately proceeded in the effort of dakwah ilallah, and they had been tasykil (urged to participate) in a large numbers of jamaat every time after every solah. Tuesday was the day where directions and guidance was given to the dai'e before they were sent in jamaats. On that day, the mixed feeling of joy and shedding of tears witnessed the depth of mutual love for the sake of Allah in their hearts. Also witnessed their state of fana' or ecstasy in loving Allah, their hard work in the effort of dakwah ilallah and their relaince on the One and Only Allah without turning on to other than Him.

This serves to summarize their discourses, lectures, talks, actions and abstinence that is contrary to what is being said about them by those people who do not really know them, or just pretending not to know the truth about them because of some reasons.

One thing about them that should be accorded special recognition, is that this jamaat feel the sweetness that could not be felt by other jamaats that are carrying out dakwah ilallah, ie. their patience and tolerance in dealing with those people whom are undergoing rectification with them and those people who are given guidance, together with husnu dzoon  or good impression towards them. Their patience is like the patience of a mother towards her beloved child.

At their hands, Allah gives hidayah to so many of  His servants of all races, especially the young men that we had sent to study in Europe and America, then we forgot about them and we let them managing themselves without care and guidance. Allah has saved many of them through the effort of this jamaat, and had given them hidayah when they were at the brink of leaving the fold of Islam, when they were being influenced by the living environment where they study. I have real evidence and stories of such cases that would be very long to tell all. 

A Short Story

For instance, I will mention a story about a young man from Riyadh who was present at the Dakka Ijtema together with a group of young men from America. He was saved by Allah from 'jahiliyyah' that takes root in America because of this jamaat. This young man told me about his desire to perform umrah, with the hope that the act of worship will eliminate his sins and purify him from jahiliyyah.

Of course I gave encouragement for it, after I explained to him the priority of taubah (repentance) that it is able to remove previous sins. With an apparently visible embarrassment on his face he said, "Syeikh Muhammad, I desire to perform umrah but I do not know what to do if I reached Makkah, since I had forgotten all that I had learnt at school before, even before I went to America. I've lost everything." He said this with great remorse, and I was very heartened to hear his confession. I said to him, "Let us rather move away from the bustle of people for me to describe the practices of umrah." He said, "May I record them?" I said, "Please do if you have tape recorders and cassette." I was also asked to describe the practices of hajj. I described them all in brief and encouraged him to visit Masjid Nabawi and the Islamic University in Madinah Al-Munawarrah for books and beneficial pamphlets. 

One thing that I want to briefly mentioned about this story and the description of events mentioned before, that the Jamaat Tabligh had a long lists of desirable results from their effort that are too lengthy to mention, which are not present in other jamaats, in Islamic world and others. Their effort could clearly be perceived by, and could not be denied by friends or foes.

The secret of their success is because this jamaat makes dakwah ilallah and the rectification of the entire humanity as their purpose of life. It is not enough for this jamaat to hold dakwah effort with their left hand and live by its name, but they hold dakwah effort with both hands. Then they stay away from desire for praises and commendation. To them, praises or condemnation is the same, till they attain simplicity of lives. 

Suffice for me these as illustrious, since the difficulty is clear, and the effect of their dakwah effort is also very clear. And those who make aamal, the effect of their aamal and struggle is evidently theirs. May Allah Ta'ala grants taufiq and strength unto us.

In the atmosphere that we described, we lived the life of the earliest da'ie that still is being preserved in their fitrah, for the duration of 3 days.

On the fourth day, Tuesday 18.2.1399H, after solah dzuhur, we left for Karachi. There we reserved flight seats for Sunday 23.2.1399H flight to Jeddah, and one of us to take a flight to Lahore before Sunday, intending to get back to Karachi so that we could return together to Jeddah. Alas, the flight to Lahore could only be obtained on Wednesday 19.2.1399H and because of an unforeseeable event, return flight to Karachi could not be obtained except on Monday 24.2.1399H. Because of that one of us returned to Jeddah on Sunday 23.2.1399H and the other on Wednesday 26.2.1399H, thereby completing our blessed journey, Insha' Allah.

Notes

It is observed that the fact is Tabligh Jamaat has no official name. Tabligh Jamaat is the name being called by people, that pointed out to dakwah and their activities, i.e. dakwah and tadzkir (giving reminders). Whereas dakwah training, coordination, and repeated gatherings, all of which make them capable of carrying out through coordination in their affairs without feeling weariness or dejection.

Tablighi Jamaat is capable of holding and organizing the largest of gathering, when if it is held by others, would require huge sum of expenses and require a long duration of time. As for Tablighi Jamaat, in their ijtema or gatherings, require not much expenses except to treat the guests and delegations that come from distant places. In fact, every individuals in the jamaat consider themselves to be responsible for the success of the ijtema or gatherings. Everyone perform their duties. Everyone presented themselves according to their abilities and straightaway deal with the work. Everyone seek to serve and not to be served, and strive to give benefits to others, making the love and care for each other at a very high level.

Suggestions

Having described about this jamaat and the Islamic activities that they performed, expressed by the great real results that could be relished, and some of them had been spoken of, where friends and foes provide a similar assessment against them. After all those, we view it as sound to make the following suggestions:

1. To actively help each other with this jamaat in all honesty, work together with them, in order to attain efforts like sharing experiences.

2. For the effort of this jamaat exists among our university students so that they may give or receive useful lessons. Verily our university students include those who are really in need of an effort such as this and the dakwah which is full of bless.

3.  The Islamic University should participate more in the ijtema and gatherings of this jamaat through their board of teachers and students.

We pray to Allah to make our aamal sincere only for Him, to rid us from riya' and seeking fame. Verily to Him we place all our needs.

May salutation and peace be continuously showered upon the best of Rasul sallalaahu alayhi wassalam, his family and his Companions radiyalaahu anhum.

Muhammad Aman bin Aly Al-Jamy

Dean of Ahadith Faculty and Islamic Studies.