Pervez Bari | Clarion India
BHOPAL – On the concluding day of the four-day Tableeghi Jamaat’s Aalami Ijtema (international congregation) here on Monday, hundreds of thousands of Muslims, including Islamic scholars and intellectuals from across the globe, participated in the dua (supplications) seeking Almighty Allah’s blessings and protection from all the ills plaguing the society.
The dua, in a mix of Arabic, Urdu and Hindi, was led by Maulana Muhammad Sa’ad Kandhalvi, chief of the Tableeghi Jamaat.
A pin-drop silence descended on the sprawling Ijtema venue and the deafening silence was interspersed with an aameen (amen) of the huge assemblage as Maulana Sa’ad pleaded with the Almighty Allah for forgiveness of one and all. With uncontrolled tears in their eyes, the participants listened to every word of the supplicating cleric who in his 22-minute dua beseeched Allah to protect all the Waqf properties, mosques, madrasas, orphanages etc. which are presently under the threat of being taken over by the government.
Maulana Sa’ad also pleaded for peace and humanity to prevail across the world.
Meanwhile, an aura of spirituality pervaded through Madhya Pradesh’s capital Bhopal, the city of lakes, hills, mosques and mandirs too during the four-day event. A tent city spread over 600 acres of land had come up about 15 kms on the northern outskirts of the Bhopal city at Ghasipura in Eintkhedi village with a huge “pandal” to house the devotees. To manage the massive influx of people, 45,000 volunteers were deployed. Seventy parking lots were made over 300 acres, ensuring sufficient space for a large number of vehicles.
Bhopal’s Aalami Tableeghi Ijtema is considered the third biggest gathering of Muslims after Haj and a similar congregation in Bangladesh. The Bhopal venue of the Ijtema had turned into a sea of humanity. Many people had to trek several kilometres to reach the site as vehicular traffic was not allowed to avoid congestion.
Continuing the “dua” Maulana Sa’ad, who is the grandson of Tableeghi Jamaat founder Maulana Muhammad Ilyas, from the headquarters at Hazrat Nizamuddin in New Delhi, sought divine blessings for peace, progress and unity of Muslim Ummah and mankind at large. He prayed to Allah Almighty to bless the entire world with His final message so that the entire mankind could succeed in eternal life.
Maulana Sa’ad solicited from the Allah to forgive people’s sins, to overlook the mistakes and lethargy of the Ummah and to end our life on dependence. He solemnised, “We are guilty, show us the righteous path and inspire us so that we can follow the path of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). We have wandered and are nervous, we are victimised, show us the right path”, he added.
Earlier, before the “dua” Maulana Sa’ad in his religious discourse urged Muslims to lead an upright life in this world so that they could be rewarded in the life hereafter. He urged them to become messengers of peace so that humanity at large could benefit from them. He highlighted the importance of namaz (prayers) and emphasised the need to acquire Islamic teachings. He also emphasised on the recitation of the Quran and called on the Ummah to go through its translation if they do not know the Arabic language so that they understand the divine message.
Maulana Sa’ad called upon Muslims to purge themselves of mundane pursuits and devote more time to ameliorate their infinite life in the world hereafter by total submission to Allah Almighty. He urged the people to first purge themselves of their sins and then reach out to more and more people to convey the message of Allah Almighty, which is obligatory upon the followers of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
The Tableeghi Jamaat is a transnational religious movement which was founded in 1926 by Maulana Muhammad Ilyas, a religious scholar in the erstwhile Mewat province which is now part of Haryana. The movement primarily aims at Islamic spiritual reformation and awakening to the world Muslims by working at the grassroots level, reaching out to Muslims across all social and economic spectra to bring them closer to the practices of the Prophet of Islam Muhammad (pbuh).
Tableeghi Jamaat came forth as an offshoot of the Deobandi movement. Its inception is believed to be a response to Hindu revivalist movements, which were considered a threat to vulnerable and non-practicing Muslims. It gradually expanded from local to national to a transnational movement and now has followers in over 150 countries.
