Professor Sanaullah Khan of Aligarh University

Abu Said ibni Abu Fadalah Ansari radiyalaahu anhu narrates: I heard  Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassallam saying: When Allah will assemble men in the Day of Reckoning, a day about which there is no doubt, a crier will call out: If anyone did a deed for Allah's sake and then associated someone else in that deed, he can seek his reward from him whom he partnered with Allah, for Allah is the One who is Self-Sufficing and has no need of partners. (Tirmidhi)

This writing is reproduced from an article by Ittehad Ummat with some additions and amendments. 

When Professor Sanaullah Khan was  a student, he used to spend his time in jamaat doing the effort of dakwah and tabligh. In those days, his parents were angry with him, thinking as a concerned parents usually do, that their son was neglecting his studies by spending his time with jamaat of dakwah and tabligh. Thus, they decided to send him to France for further studies.

When indeed he was sent to France, he could hardly find any masjid there. He then tried to find any Muslim but he could hardly find anyone recognisable since nobody from among the Muslims there followed the sunnah as their way of life. But a true dai'e would never step back even in the adverse circumstances and in the middle of the ocean of non-believers. He finally found some Muslims but he was astonished to hear that they prayed Jumaat (Friday) solaah on Sundays on the excuse or pretext that Sunday was a holiday and everyone could attend it.

He then began to deliver the true messages of Islam in France and was able to bring back many namesake Muslims back to the way of life taught by Islam and also many non-believers to the fold of Islam. Many Muslims there, including even the Arab Muslims were found to have abandoned the path of Islam and were inter-religiously married to non-Muslims. A Muslim husband who is married to a Christian wife ended up living in the same way as his Christian wife in a godless environment.

Alhamdulillah, now France is the land where even jamaats of 1 year travelled there from to other countries for dakwah and tabligh effort and there are more than 1,000 masjids now in the country known as modern "haute couture" of fashion. Once a 4-months French jamaat came to a masjid nearby my house and a new Muslim revert was among them. He asked me whether I know Arabic, to which  I answered in the negative. Then he asked me how would I be able to understand the Quran if I do not know any Arabic. I told  him that I read the meanings through a translated Quran in English. He told me that I would understand Quran better only in Arabic. He then told me that as soon as he became a Muslim, he first learnt Arabic. Subhanallah! May Allah bless him and give me taufiq to learn Arabic. Since then, I have started some Arabic lessons.

The amir of France, Sheikh Yunus, always mentioned in his many discourses and bayan, the story of how he had been introduced to the effort of dakwah and tabligh by Professor Sanaullah Khan then.

May Allah grants a long lasting lives to these dai'e of Allah for the service to Islam and for much more great benefits to the Ummah.

Aamin.

End of article

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When I was travelling in 4-months khuruuj in the path of Allah to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in 2000, I was very excited to meet two brothers from among the French jamaats in Raiwind Markaz. Being an ardent fan of French football, I foolishly diverted them to the topic of football though visibly they wisely looked like they care nothing about football. Anyway, I lured them to talk about the past French football greats like Platini, Tigana and Girese during our brief conversation. One of them asked me if I had heard of Nicholas Anelka. Indeed, I heard of Anelka. He told me back then that Nicholas Anelka had embraced Islam and had been attending dakwah and tabligh gatherings at the markaz in France. It was a delightful news to hear. A few years later news came about scores of other French footballers who came into the fold of Islam - Frank Ribery, Eric Abidal and so on.

As I briefly mentioned earlier, I had an opportunity to meet and hear a fiery  discourse or bayaan delivered in person by Sheikh Yunus, the amir of France, when I traveled to Germany for 4 months khuruuj in the path of Allah. He looked very young and energetic for a person of his age. There was hardly any grey hair on his slightly long hair and heavy beard. It was obvious that  our brothers in Europe, particularly in Germany, have a high respect of him and held him dearly.


The story of Sayyidina Tufayl bin Amr Ad-Dausi radiyalaahu anhu came to mind. He met Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam and embraced Islam in Makkah in the fourth year that Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam was granted nubuwwah (prophethood) by Allah Ta'ala. He then returned to his people, the Daus tribe, to make the effort of dakwah. The effort of dakwah that he made towards his people demanded great patience and perseverance on his part as for a long time, only a handful of his people accepted his call. It had taken him about 16 years of hardwork as it was not until the 7th Hijri that he arrived in Madinah in migration together with 70-80 families from the Daus tribe. And among them was Sayiddina Abu Hurayrah radiyalaahu anhu, the father of hadith, who had given and will continue to give tremendous benefits to the Muslims until the Day of Judgement. Most Muslims know Sayidinna Abu Hurayrah radiyalaahu anhu by name, but very few Muslims had ever heard of Sayyidina Tufayl bin Amr Ad-Dausi radiyalaahu anhu.


Today we hear great many recent stories and news that Islam is now busy establishing itself in the West; indeed, it is the fastest-growing religion in the West, and certainly in France. But only a handful of people ever heard of Professor Sanaullah Khan. Truly, Allah Ta'ala is the doer, He safeguard and establish His Deen in accordance to and to what extent the effort of dakwah and tabligh is being carried out with patience and perseverance by the adherents of His beloved Rasul sallalaahu alayhi wassalam . May Allah Ta'ala chooses and accepts us all to be a part of the blessed effort.

Hijrah and Nusrah

"Allah is pleased with the first to lead the way from the Muhajireen, the Ansaar, and those who followed them with sincerity and they are pleased with Him. He has prepared for them such Jannah beneath which rivers flow, in which they shall live forever. This is the ultimate success." (Surah Taubah: 100).

The Muhajireen were among the Sahabah radiyalaahu anhum who left their dearly loved homelands (hijrah), an act that is extremely difficult for a person. They also left with the intention of never returning until their deaths. Doing this was more beloved to them than the world and all its pleasures and that they gave preference to the Deen above mundane pleasures and were not concerned when these pleasures were lost. The Sahabah radiyalaahu anhum also travelled from place to place to protect the Deen from evil, as if they were specially created for the Aakhirah and were its sons. It therefore appeared as if this world was created for them.

The Ansaar were among the Sahabah radiyalaahu anhum who rendered assistance (nusrah) to the upright of Deen and the Straight path. Doing this was more beloved to them than everything else and how they prided themselves for this more than they prided themselves for worldly honour. They sacrificied their pleasures for it, doing it all in search of Allah's pleasure and in compliance with the commands of Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam.

Hadhrat Ayesha radiyalaahu anha says, "Every year Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam used to present his case to the various Arab tribes, asking them to grant him asylum with their people so that he could propagate Allah's word and message. He promised them Jannah in return for their assistance. However, no Arab tribe accepted his offer until the time came when Allah decided that His Deen should become dominant, that His Nabi sallalaahu alayhi wassalam should receive assistance and that His promises should be fulfilled. It was then that Allah pulled forward the tribe of the Ansaar. They accepted the offer of Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam and Allah thus created a place to which Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam could migrate."

Hadhratji Maulana In'amul Hassan rahmatullah alayhi said, "The Sahabah radiyalaahu anhum of Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam were divided into two groups, either Muhajireen or Ansaar. The first state is the Hijrah and the second state is Nusrah.  Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam  said, "Were it not for Hijrah, certainly I would become the Ansaar." Even if today the people are divided into two groups, one doing Hijrah, and the rest did Nusrah, then Deen would prosper in the world. Have concern for the world and seek the way how people can be saved from Jahannam."

And so during one of the session of our halqah mesywarah, it was decided that a form of assistance should be given to me and Imam Al for the initial effort that we had started in our masjid. Hence, one fine weekend, the first jamaat of 3 days from the Markaz Masjid Jame' Seri Petaling consisting of old karkuns (fellows connected with the effort of dakwah and tabligh for a long time) arrived at our masjid. 

There were about 13 brothers in the jamaat. The amir of the jamaat was the youngest person among them. He was an accountant by profession. I was very excited since it was the first time that I made nusrah to the jamaat. In fact, I did not even know the word "nusrah" then. I remember sitting with them with the mix feeling of awe, respect, nervous and a little confuse with some terms that they used in conversation. There I was, a chap who not very long ago got to know the masjid/surau and just stepped in to worship Allah, sitting in the company of the righteous workers of Deen. Most of the time I just observed and listened to them, trying to learn from them. 

Just as fire spreads from one house to another, so does divine love spread from one heart to another. Hadhrat Jalaluddin Rumi rahmatullah alayhi said that from one heart to another there are secret ways. He said, "Understand the secret unseen ways of heart to heart contact like this: When two lamps are being lit, the lamps will remain separate. But their light will become intermixed." In other words, if the lamps are lit, it is impossible to say which light belongs to which lamp. Similarly the body of Muslims are different, but when they sit together in a gathering the enlightenment (anwaar) from their hearts become as one in the atmosphere of the gathering place.

This is one of the reasons why Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam gave the advise to the Muslims to have mutual consultation over matters of importance. Among the other points of wisdom in mutual consultation is that when ten Muslims gather for consultation, then it is like ten lamps burning together in one place and their light being so much stronger than one light, hence in the light of this increased light of Imaan and Yaqeen, the truth is uncovered.

Hadhrat Maulana Rumi rahmatullah alayhi said, "Consult with the assembly of the righteous, for Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam was also ordered to do that. The minds of men are like lighted lights. The light of twenty lamps surely gives more light than one." He further said, "This is also the reason why  Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam prohibited monasticism, because by casting aside the world and going to settle alone in a cave in the mountains, the idea of mutual rectification and consultation is lost."

Alhamdulillah, by the favours of Allah Ta'ala, in a short period of 3 days the jamaat had shown us the practical way of doing the work of dakwah and tabligh in our makami (locality). There were numerous visits made to the local people at their houses as well as speeches, explanation and bayaan made in our masjid/surau.

May Allah Ta'ala transforms every masjid all over the world to be like Masjid-un Nabawi during the time of Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam. May Allah Ta'ala transform every cities like Madinnah al-Munawwarah during the time of Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam. May Allah Ta'ala transforms every household of the Muslims to be like the household of the Sahabah radiyalaahu anhum, eventhough our meager effort is not worthy of such transformation to come into existence.

The Consultation

Every morning after Fajr solaah, Imam Al and I would sit for awhile for a short mesywarah or consultation about how we were going to spend our time for the effort of dakwah and tabligh for the day. We would agree as to when the two of us would meet again in the masjid and who we were going to visit to convey the message of dakwah for the day. Usually we would meet at Maghreb time at our masjid and the short time between Maghreb and Esha' was being utilised to visit one or two persons in our neighbourhood. After Esha', the two of us would sit at the back corner of the masjid and we took turn to read ahadith from the kitaab Fadha'il Amal. That was our routine then. In this way it helped us to fix our attention to the effort of dakwah for the whole day.

Right about this time, I began to attend the weekly mesywarah where I sat together with 15-20 people from different masjids and surau in our district or halqah. I was a total stranger to them then but no sooner I felt at home with the brotherly love and affection that they had given me. The weekly halqah consultation was held at a small wooden Hanafi Indians' masjid every Thursday from Maghreb right to after Esha' solaah. These weekly gathering brought together people of the same mindset and the same heartfelt in our area to converge upon the takaza (urgency and demand) of the effort of dakwah and tabligh. Specific takazas were discussed and then systematically streamlined and consolidated collectively in the most informal but effective manner. These include, among other things, giving nusrah or assistance to the various jamaats that arrived at our area and forming jamaats from our area to proceed in the path of Allah to other areas, districts, states or countries.

All of us know that Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam always consulted with the Sahabah radiyalaahu anhum. Hadhrat Abu Bakr radiyaalahu anhu consulted with men of knowledge and insight who constituted the consultative assembly during his time. Similar practice had been adopted by Hadhrat Umar radiyalaahu anhu during his time. Hadhrat  Umar radiyalaahu anhu used to say, "Verily Allah has gathered the Muslims around Islam, has created love between their hearts and made them brothers in Islam. The Muslims are therefore like a single body in their relationship with each other. No part is free from pain when another part is suffering. It is therefore incumbent on the Muslims that their matters be decided by mutual consultation between their men of insight (the consultative assembly). The masses need to follow the one who is their leader and also bound by the decision of the consultative assembly. The people will have to adopt the course that these men plan. In fact, even the Ameer is bound by the decision that the consultative assembly make." Thus, it had always been the practice of the pious generations from this Ummah before us.
The manner and etiquette in which the consultation was conducted really fascinated me. I had never witnessed anywhere such manner and etiquette of consultation in any meetings, discussions, dialogues, deliberations or conferences.


A jamaat of mesywarah is usually conducted by a decision maker called faisala or zumindar or an ameer (although we are taught to exclude from it the word of "ameer" and to clearly mention that it is such an ameer who has no authority - he is merely a servant who serves the people). The faisala may ask for an opinion from anyone who is present in the consultation. It is not necessary for him to ask for an opinion from everyone. He usually makes decision on the matter in discussion based on the opinions given although, for some reasons, there are circumstances when a faisala reaches a decision without following any of the opinions given. He may also make his own decision without asking anyone for an opinion but it is undesirable for him to do so, and this is made only in exceptional cases. The faisala in a mesywarah should make the decision with the attention towards Allah, because he is placed in a very delicate position.  There is no such thing as majority or minority voice in a mesywarah. 

No one should, in a mesywarah, insist on his opinion and assume that his suggestion only is the correct one. Rather, he should express his opinion and then gladly act according to the decision. If one's opinion is accepted he should be scared and if not accepted he should be thankful to Allah. Rather syukur to Allah is to be offered in both cases. Opinions should not be governed by vested interest, rather by the benefits of Allah's Deen. All should sit together,  express opinions and Allah Ta'ala would show the right path. Intervening other's opinion, deriding, humiliating, or laughing at, all are to be avoided. 

A difference in opinions is but natural. And it should be like that because everyone's wisdom is different. Some have little wisdom, others have more and some others have a very high intellectual level. Everyone gives suggestions in accordance with his wisdom. With different opinions, all the aspects are explored and the issues clarified. It is therefore important to know everyone's opinion. Finally, whatever decision is taken, it must be followed whole-heartedly. One should not insist and be adamant on his opinion. Even if not satisfied, he should try to convince himself and not to go against the decision. 

Hadhrat Umar radiyalaahu anhu formed a shura (consultation council) to decide his successor and directed that whatever was agreed upon by four of them should be accepted and decison made accordingly and anyone who went against it, his neck should be slashed, whoever he was. Once a decision was made, to go against it demanded a death sentence.

Hadhratji Maulana Inaamul Hassan rahmatullah alayhi said, "My dear friends and elders! While admitting your slackness and shortcomings and being hopeful for Allah's blessing, continue the effort and move ahead, make du'a to Allah and be afraid of Him lest He may deprive you of this work. With mutual adherence and regards for other's opinion, step forward with pleasure in accordance with the decision. Then Insha'Allah, things will move nicely. There is nothing wrong if a difference in opinions exist. But an opposition is something very bad and undesirable. A decision, even if against one's opinion, must be gladly accepted, adhered to and steps taken accordingly. There used to be a lot of difference in opinions between Hadhrat Abu Bakr and Hadhrat Umar radiyalaahu anhuma. Even to the extent that once Hadhrat Umar radiyalaahu anhu told Hadhrat Abu Bakr radiyalaahu anhu, 'you said it just to oppose me'. The difference of opinions used to go even to that extent. But despite of this Allah Ta'ala had kept so much attachment and affection between them that the difference of opinions did not create division and deterioration of mutual affection between them. Express your opinion frankly with honesty and sincerity in mesywarah and when a decision is taken everyone should adhere to it. The decision will be in accordance with someone's opinion and against someone else's suggestion. The former should be afraid lest his opinion may cause lack of blessings, whereas the latter should be pleased that, alhamdulillah, the matter was saved from the evil of his self. Both should obey it. May Allah make it possible for us to be firm on the right path and move accordingly."

In this way those who make the effort of dakwah and tabligh in the world work unitedly with consultation and move ahead keeping themselves free from individualism and self conceit. That is why a shura is established in every centres of dakwah and tabligh in the world and evolved the system that every member of the shura may act as a decision maker turn by turn, in alphabetical  order so that the capability and competence of each one of them might grow and they remain unitedly engaged in the aamal of dakwah with unanimity, unity and collectively. 

Alhamdulillah, all praise to Allah Ta'ala for the opportunity given to me in witnessing the outstanding manner and etiquette in which such consultations take place in the time when such order of Allah Ta'ala and sunnah of Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam is being neglected by most people..

My Tablighi Brother

Despite the early skirmish of events that I faced in relation to the effort of dakwah and tabligh, it had taken me ages to get to know the effort in a little bit deeper. Alhamdulillah, by the grace of Allah, I seemed to be reminded again and again that the ultimate responsibility of a Muslim is to firmly uphold the work of dakwah and tabligh. At the fragile time when I started to question my own purpose of life, Allah Ta'ala had sent me "full-blown reminders" from a single individual. The said individual is my own elder brother whom I briefly mentioned earlier.

He is the fifth from seven elder brothers that I have. Between them all, he is the wildest, the boldest and the loudest. He was rough, tough and unruly. Only my father (may Allah fill his grave with noor) could tame him. 

When he talks people listen to him. And there is a good chance that he will dominate any gathering whenever he talks. In those early days, the young ones in our family including me, liked to listen to him. At times he cracked jokes that made us laughed, at times he just loved to scare and terrify us and at other times he reminded us of the events in the past. Most of the time, we listened to him until the wee hour of the night. One blessed day, he joined his childhood friends in a jamaat of 3 days in the path of Allah.

Our beloved Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam told us to migrate (in the path of Allah) and hold firmly to Islam; for so long as Jihad (striving hard in the path of Allah) exists, migration also would not end. Just as Jihad will continue till the Last Day, so will migration; which includes, leaving one's home for the sake of spreading, learning, or protecting Islam. Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam also told us that migration is of two types. First, migration is to give up evils. Second, migration is to go towards Allah (His Cause) and His Messenger (by leaving your home). Migration will continue till repentance will be acceptable; and repentance will be acceptable until the time that the sun does not rise rise from the West. When the sun will rise from the West, the state of the heart (Imaan or Kufr) will be sealed; and the (prior) deeds of people will suffice (either for eternal success or failure).

He returned from the 3 days khuruuj in the path of Allah a changed man. The first person to notice the change was my mother and how glad and happy she was. Thereafter, began a total transformation of his life. 

Nevertheless habits once formed become second nature, which does not change. The Persian saying that, "The mountain can move, but not the habit." This saying is also gathered from another hadith, "You may believe if you hear that a mountain has moved from its place, but do not believe if you are told that the habits of somebody have changed." Habits do not change, but the relationship of habits changes. In a similar manner, my brother's nature is such that he is inclined to anger, bold and loud in his conversations, but whereas formerly his anger, boldness and loudness led him to vain or idle talks and insulting or mocking others, it is directed against violation of Allah Ta'ala's commandments and urging and pushing others towards rectification of imaan and aamal by the effort of dakwah and tabligh.

Needless to say, he started to continuously bombard everyone in our family, close or distant relatives, young and old, in the boldest and loudest of tashkeel that I had ever witnessed. It is said that a gem-grade diamonds exists through a process, from mining to cutting and polish. If diamonds are located in the diamond-rich density fraction with the help of X-ray flourescence, my brother centred and focused his immediate effort within the family members. And he is like a miner who uses TNT to blast layers of stones to get to the diamond ore block.

He used to say to me, "During one of my longer khuruuj in the path of Allah, I specifically mentioned all the names of our family members one by one, for hidayah from Allah Ta'ala. And somehow, your name was being mentioned first." Alhamdulillah, today all of our family members and most of our relatives are in close proximity with the effort of dakwah and tabligh.

May Allah Ta'ala grant us all istiqama (straightforwardness) in the noble effort of dakwah and tabligh and may Allah Ta'ala covers us all with mercy and bounty.

Different Opinions On The Effort of Dakwah and Tabligh

"In a certain country no one had ever seen an elephant. From India the first elephant was brought to this country. It was placed in a dark building where the eyes could not see the dark coloured elephant. Many viewers came along to see the animal. They were allowed to touch the elephant and then draw conclusions as to what an elephant was. According to which part of the elephant they had touched, they drew their conclusions by analogy and in this manner each one had a different opinion. The one who touched the ear‑lobes of the elephant exclaimed: “The elephant was like a huge fan.” The one who touched its back exclaimed: “The elephant is like a platform.” The one who touched its leg exclaimed: “No, you are all wrong. This is like a pillar.” The one who touched the trunk of the elephant said: “According to my opinion, this elephant is long and hollow within.” So, in this manner all of them had different versions of an elephant.

Maulana Rumi (R.A.) says that if in their hands they had a lamp, all these differences of opinion would have disappeared. “If every one of them had a lamp in his hand, they would all have been safe from differing.”

These days there are much differences of opinion in this world regarding the concept of Allah, Messengership, Prophethood, the aim and object of life on earth and the resurrection. Many people, in this darkened world, independent of the light of revelation try to understand the links between the worldly life and the life of the hereafter. They try to understand the relationship between the Creator and His creation simply and only by using reasoning powers, or who try to understand these things through the reason of him who does not rely on revelation; They are all like those mentioned in this story. Not one of them will be able to reach the truth. One blind man, whether he tries to tread the path of his own accord or through following another blind one, in both cases he will be treading towards destruction and be deprived of reaching the required destination. If a traveller and guide, are blind ‑ no matter how many they may be, the sum total will still be blindness. Hence, to understand the reality of things, logic and reason alone is not enough. Light of revelation is also required. In the story all those who touched the elephant were rational beings, only light was missing."

The above writings are excerpts of MA‑AARIF‑E‑MATHNAVI: A Commentary of the Mathnavi of Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi (R.A) By Maulana Hakim Muhammad Akhtar Publisher: Idara Isha’at-e-Diniyat (P) Ltd

Perhaps one may claim he knew all about dakwah and tabligh effort inside out by merely hearing something about the effort from someone else. From time to time, I've met scores of people who tended to give judgement on the noble effort by just looking at the people in the jamaat, or might have spoken a few sentences with them, or have a friend, a family member or relative who is involved with the effort of dakwah and tabligh. Of those people, they are of two types - they either like the effort or shun it.

As for me, I know I could not learn how to swim by merely reading a swimming guide book, or listening to a talk by an Olympic gold medalist, or by joining as a member of Watermanship Club, or even after watching all the rerun episodes of Man from Atlantis. I have to simply go in the water to be able to swim.

Likewise, if I sat at a chai stall just outside a football stadium, sipping a cup of tea, I would never know for certain what transpires inside the stadium. When the stadium suddenly erupted with shouts, cheers and loud applause, I may assume the home team scored a goal. But it would only be my assumption and imagination. Perhaps it is not a goal scored, only a penalty kick is being awarded. Even if it is a goal, I would not be able to tell who scored the goal or how the goal was scored. My position is not the same as someone who is actually in the stadium watching the game.

If only we could feel the sweetness and ecstasy of hidayah from Allah that is opening wide, waiting for the Ummah thorough the blessed effort of dakwah and tabligh - that is, unless and until we are willing to spend some time ourselves in khuruuj in the path of Allah and forego whatever that is dear to us in order to attain closeness to Allah.

Anecdote of Dakwah and Tabligh Effort: The Masjid Chairman and the Village Thug

Once I had been given a task of meeting a chairman of a surau (locality masjid) during a short 3 days khuruuj in the path of Allah. It is always the tartib of any jamaat that whenever we reached any masjid or surau, one of the first things to be done by the amir or leader of the jamaat is to send a couple of brothers to gave a courtesy visit to any leader of the locality, any ustadz or aalim that lives in the vicinnity of the masjid, and the chairman and committee members responsible in the affairs of the administration of the masjid. In case of the chairman and the committee members, one the purposes of the visit is to inform the arrival of our jamaat at their masjid as oppose to seeking permission. A local brother who is a revert from hindu to Islam, acted as a dalil or guide, accompanying me to the chairman's house. When we reached the house, our dalil gave the salam from outside the house. There came out emerging from inside the house a man in late 50's. Before I could even say a word, he immediately blasted us with furious antagonizing remarks, "You people do not have to come here. All the people in this locality perform the solah. You people should go to UMNO's surau! They're the one who do not perform the solah!" (Note: UMNO is a political party).

I was taken aback by surprise. I looked at our dalil and he looked visibly upset. He was a very nice man who has a little disability in his left arm after suffering from a stroke. The chairman continued his lambasting remarks louder, "What's the point of you coming here!? It's better for you people to go to Afghanistan...lift your arms in jihaad! Then it's worthy." Before he could continue, I found myself answering back in the fit of the moment, "How many times have you yourself gone to Afghanistan for jihaad!? Have you ever been to Afghanistan? I just came back from Afghanistan for jihaad! My grandfather and my father were from Afghanistan. Tell me how many times have you gone to Afghanistan? You were talking nonsense when you yourself had never set a foot in Afghanistan. I just come here to inform you of our jamaat's arrival at the masjid for three days. I do not come here to seek your permission." I then gestured to our dalil to leave his place while my retortation somehow managed to silent the chairman.

When we got in the vehicle to return to the masjid, our dalil innocently asked me, "Is it true you just return from Afghanistan from jihaad?" I could not stop smiling at him and replied, "No, I made up the story to teach people like him. But it's true that my grandfather was from Afghanistan."

Alhamdulillah, although there were exchanges of words between me and the chairman, I am glad the matter did not escalate to the worse. However, during that particular khuruuj, the other committee members of the masjid somehow seemed to be united in giving us cold treatment. The whole jamaat, young and old, were forced to sleep on the floor of an adjoining children's dirty classroom since we were not allowed to make i'tikaaf in the masjid. The incident happened in the month of Ramadhan 2002.

Another incident happened during one of my khuruuj in the path of Allah for 40 days. We arrived on Thursday morning at a village's masjid. Among our many dalils was the head of Industrial Training Institute (ILP). He was a soft spoken man. He led us for an umumi ghusht after Asar to visit every Muslims in the village from house to house and from alley to alley. I was being tasked as mutakallim (the one that give a short reminding speech) at that particular time. The first person who our dalil introduced me to was a man in his 30's. I started my task saying,"Alhamdulillah, we came here because we are brothers. And we are brothers since we both recite the kalimah 'La Illaha Illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah'." Suddenly, the man retorted in rage, "Do you want to teach me the kalimah!? You bothered me to teach me the kalimah!? Why don't you go to the kuffar and teach them the kalimah instead!?" I was about to give a reply when our dalil pulled my arm leading me away from the man, perhaps sensing it would lead to arguments and heated exchanges." He then led us to other houses as we left the man behind us to his own rage. At least that was what all of us thought...

After Maghrib, the dalil and I were about to leave for ILP to give a talk meant to enjoin and encourage his students to make effort in strengthening imaan and aamal, when suddenly a group of men emerged from the dark led by the man that we had met earlier on. He began to shout in rage, "Where is the man who tried to teach me the kalimah!?" He then came straight to me shouting, "Are you the one who tried to teach me the kalimah!?" I could merely stood there motionless and replied, "I am the man." He raised both fists and aim one fist with a lit cigarette protruding from the grip directly inches from my face while he kept on repeating asking me, "You tell me did Nabi order you to teach the kalimah (to me)?" I just stood still staring at the lit cigarette that threatened to burn my eyeball. All I could think of at that moment of time was at which fragile part of his body should I deliver a single blow that would paralyse him. The noises and commotion caused all the people inside the masjid to rush out. The man eventually backed off as the commotion ensued between the man and a few local brothers that accompanied our jamaat. Our dalil then quickly ushered me to his vehicle and drove off to ILP. But still the incident did not end there...

The next morning on Friday the man returned to the masjid at the time of ta'leem when everyone was listening to ahadith being read. He held an iron rod in his hand which he dragged on the tarmac outside the masjid making scratching noises while he hurled abuses and repeatedly shouted, "Come out, the man who tried to teach me the kalimah!" Some brothers immediately rushed out to reason with the man while the amir of our jamaat ordered me to stay put in the masjid. Further commotion ensued.

Up to that point of time, everyone of us in the jamaat could still tolerate the event and suggested to our amir that we should stay on to continue the dakwah and tabligh effort at the village. We felt that it was an isolated incident under control. At the end of Friday Jumu'ah solah, our amir himself humbly tried to foster a relationship with the Imam of the masjid introducing us as a jamaat from Kuala Lumpur. However, the Imam threw a thunderbolt against us, snubbing our amir in a sharp sarcastic tone, "Huh! There are many claimants of many kinds of jamaat nowadays. Who knows, it might be jamaat of shaytaan!" Indeed it was too much of abuse for us to swallow, and our amir then decided to leave the place and move on to our next route.

About a year after the unfortunate event, I received a great news that the local villagers had started doing ghusht from the masjid and sat in fadha'il ta'leem listening to the blessed ahadith of Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam. I hope the said man is among them. And I hope he is making the effort of dakwah and tabligh better than us.

Early Recollection of Dakwah and Tabligh Effort

I have 7 brothers and 2 sisters and I am the youngest. Alhamdulillah, our family is not alien to the effort of dakwah and tabligh ever since my second sister got married to a man whose brothers were amongst the early men who had embraced the effort of dakwah and tabligh many years ago. I recall my sister used to read ahadith from Fadha'il Amal after Maghrib or Isya' when I was very young whenever she returned to visit us and our parents for a few days. Sometimes she would asked me to read from the kitaab which I gladly did but I was too young to understand them. But the scene of us sitting together, hearing the ahadith sticks in my mind to this day. Never mind about understanding any of the ahadith, it is the mahul or the environment of ta'leem that is important. In fact, I believe even now many Muslim adults have difficulties in understanding ahadith and aayah (verses) from the Holy Quran. Blessed are the souls who are given deep understanding by Allah of kalamullah and kalam of Rasul sallalaahu alayhi wassalam, and none understood them better than the Sahabah radiyalaahu anhum. When Allah wishes well for someone, He guides him towards the understanding of Deen. Even a verse of ahadith is being read and listened to by a Muslim household members in a Muslim home is a giant step towards emulating the households of the Sahabah radiyalaahu anhum during the time of Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam.

My father (may Allah fill his grave with noor) had been a chairman of the Jame' Masjid in our community for a long period throughout his lifetime. When I was very young, I vividly recall heavily bearded men of Pakistani or Indian origin with a local man came to viist him on several occasions. Subsequently, I used to play with a miswaak that somehow my father had kept one in his car, knowing not what the use of the twig like miswaak for. Only now I realised that the solah offered after doing miswaak in wudhu'  is seventy times better than the solah offered without miswaak. I also found out after the demise of my father that one of the kitaabs that he frequently read every morning sitting on his rocking chair was the Fadha'il Solah booklet by Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Zakariya Kandhlawi rahmatullah alayhi, a part of Fadha'il Aamal kitaab. 

When I was about fourteen or fifteen years old, I remember on several occasions, my childhood friend who is the son of Arwah Haji Wan Mahmood had approached me with a group of people, amongst them his elder brothers and one of them talked to me about something that I could not comprehend. I only recalled they asked me to go to our local masjid. It turned out that they were already doing umumi ghusht long before I knew about the effort of dakwah and tabligh.

When I was at a primary school levels at a military college, I recalled sitting with other students listening to ahadith being read out after Maghrib solah. It turned out also to be a fadha'il ta'leem from Fadha'il Aamal that had been started by my past seniors since the mid 70's. 

When I was studying at pre-university levels, I recalled spending a night with a few friends at Masjid India in Kuala Lumpur, which turned out to be a sabguzari night at the former markaz or centre of dakwah and tabligh in Malaysia.

When I was an undergraduate in England, I arrived there with the wrong intention of anticipating freedom. Even before I arrived in the UK, I plotted nasty thoughts and actions away from what I foolishly thought of regimented life at home lands. Just before I was about to be drown in wretched sinful life, someone came knocking at the door at my house at George Street. I was in speechless shock when I opened the door and there standing at the front door of my house the smiling faces of heavily bearded men in white robes and white amamah, a couple of them looked very much like Indians or Pakistanis, one looked like he was from West Indies and the other, white British man with dark brown beard. As if I could still see their glowing faces. I stood there motionless. I could not remember even a word of their short speech. The only thing that crossed my mind at that very moment was how could there possibly exist such men in England? I was completely awestruck. Though I did not fulfill their supposedly invitation to the nearby masjid, that moment really had saved my fragile imaan and served as a wake-up call on me as a Muslim. I hope I would have an opportunity to relate about this episode of my life in more detail and my subsequent dakwah and tabligh journey back to England after the lapse of 12 years.

The most astonishing thing is that I could not recall any of the above mentioned foreshadowing glimpse of guidance until I finally went out for the first time in khuruuj in the path of Allah for 3 days. Only after the blessed khuruuj, those auspicious memories started to come to me like river flow. It is rather frightening when I see them as several signs and signals of guidance by Allah, yet I had failed to grasp them earlier on. I dread imagining those moments of events are only be put to recall and recollection on the Day of Judgement where there is absolutely no hope for return. All praise is due only to Allah. We seek salvation in Him from the evils of our inner selves and the vices of our actions. There is none to guide one whom Allah intends to misguide and there is none to misguide one whom Allah intends to guide.


Note: Other early recollection had reached me in the form of tall-tales.