The IPB Journey

Note: This article is written with the memories of the right environment of dakwah in the year 2000 when it was still best to learn the work of dakwah in Pakistan and Bangladesh, besides India. In my opinion, currently only through the Nizamuddin Markaz at Banglawali Masjid in Delhi, India that the work of dakwah remains ideal to be learnt but it is no longer ideal to learn the work of dakwah in Pakistan and Bangladesh until righteousness returns to both.

بسم االله الرحمن الرحيم

I was happy that finally I have the opportunity to travel in jamaat of dakwah and tabligh for 40 days for the first time. The first person that I shared the news was my brother. "Why don't you go for 4 months instead of just 40 days?" he dropped the million dollar question hundred of miles away from his house in Johor Bahru. I paused for a few seconds, blinking my eyes staring through the wall. "But how could I go for 4 months when I have not done the 40 days journey yet?" I asked innocently. "Since when it is a pre-condition to go for 40 days first? When are you going to get this opportunity again? Just present your case to go out for 4 months during tafakud (a short interview process)." he sounded like giving me a clear instruction. From that moment I've changed my intention to go out in the path of Allah for one chillah (40 days) to three chillah (120 days). And when I said a journey of three chillah, for a first-timer like me it means a simultaneous journey of 40 days in India, 40 days in Pakistan and 40 days in Bangladesh.

You may be wondering why was the urgency for me to go on a 4 month trip to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Why the IPB journey was so important to me (and to most people that are called "tablighis")? 

Although Islam started in Makkah but Islam did not flourish in Makkah. Islam only flourished after hijrah to Madinah. Islam did not flourish in Makkah because the atmosphere and environment in Makkah was an environment that oppressed Muslims. For thirteen years in Makkah, the faith and imaan of the early Muslims had been constantly tested by Allah Ta'ala in enduring hardship and oppression surrounded by the enemies of Islam. Meanwhile, contrary to the environment in Makkah, the the sacrifices of the Sahabah radiyalaahu anhum, both the muhajireen and the ansaars from hijrah and nusrah in Madinah had created the outstanding environment for the upliftment of imaan and aamal. People all over hijaaz and beyond flocked to Madinah ul-Munawwarah to learn Deen directly from Rasulullaah sallalaahu alayhi wasallam and the Sahabah radiyalaahu anhum.

After sometime, during the time of tabi' tabi'een, people started to flock Kufah, Baghdad and Mesir to study from the ulama' fuqaha such as Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Shafie and Imam Ahmad ibn Hambal rahmatullah alayhim. Even the people of Makkah and Madinah made the journey to those places in learning fiqh and jurisprudence.

Then during the time of the muhaditheen like Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim, Imam Termizi rahmatullaah alayhim etc. people started to flock Bukhara, Khorasan, Termiz and those areas near present day Uzbekistan. Even the people of Makkah and Madinah made the journey to learn and study the science of hadith from those righteous imams of hadith.

Then in the same year of the calamity upon the ummah of the defeat and dissolution of the Ottoman caliphate, Allah Ta'ala started the revival of the ummah by the ijtima'iat work of dakwah through the effort of Maulana Ilyas Kandhlawi rahimahullaah at the Nizamuddin markaz in Delhi, India where presently, there is no other place to learn and practise the work of dakwah better than the guidance given by the Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi, India. Even the people of Makkah and Madinah made the journey to learn ijtima'iat dakwah in the Indo-pak continent, particularly India, Pakistan and Bangladesh where the work had flourished for nearly a hundred years now.

I remember once a jamaat of six brothers from Makkah came to our masjid. At the end of his bayaan, the amir of the jamaat urged or made tasykeel for people to go out for four months in the path of Allah to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Now he did not tasykeel the people to go to Makkah because he knew that going to Makkah is to perform hajj or umrah, whereas he was urging the people to go on a journey to IPB dedicating their time to learn the work of dakwah. 

It follows that a person who had gone on a 4-months IPB journey at least once in his lifetime for the purpose of learning the effort of dakwah would then be able to go to any other countries in the world, urging all Muslims to engage in the effort of dakwah and rectification of our own imaan and aamal.

Anyway, I decided to visit my mother for her blessing and openly inform all my family back at my hometown of my intention to travel in the path of Allah for four months to IPB. This is the best time to make syi'ar or declare your niyyat or good intention and openly make tasykil to everyone especially family members and hope that Allah Ta'ala would strengthen and accept your niyyat. Alhamdulillaah, I only heard words of support and encouragement from my mother and family especially when they learnt that my sister's son, Muhammad Faizal, would be joining me in the journey. Alhamdulillaah, truly Allah Ta'ala gave me more courage and steadfastness by the presence of my nephew, Muhammad Faizal. 

Thus our IPB journey began in February 2000.