There are so many efforts of Deen and Da’wah worldwide. InshaAllah all of them are sincere and working in the field unique to them. What is the uniqueness of Tablighi Jamaat? Why should one choose (or continue doing Tabligh) despite so many other ways to fulfil the obligation of Da’wah?
Ultimately, the purpose of getting involved in the effort of Deen is to achieve Islah (purification) in our lives. But why is this method so unique?
This article seeks to explain this.
Our success depends on how much we follow the Prophet (SAW)
Our declaration of faith (Kalima) includes accepting the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as the messenger of Allah. This indicates that we must take him as our guide. His lifestyle serves as a complete example for us to follow.
The Prophet (SAW) said, “Verily, he among you who lives long will see great controversy, so you must keep to my Sunnah and to the Sunnah of the Khulafa ar-Rashideen (the rightly guided caliphs), those who guide to the right way.”
Source: Timmidhi:2676, 40 Hadith of Nawawi:28
The more we follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW), the more Islah we achieve and the more successful we are considered in the eyes of Allah (SWT), both in this world and in the life hereafter.
Mujahadah in Da’wah was the Prophet’s Life!
The life of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) can be characterized by his unwavering sincerity and relentless Mujahadah/hardships in his Da’wah (inviting others to Islam). Even at the start of his prophethood he was warned by Waraqah ibn Naufal, that this was the tradition of all prophets:
….. and Waraqa said, “This is the same entity (referring to the angel Jibril) who keeps the secrets whom Allah had sent to Moses. I wish I were young and could live up to the time when your people would turn you out.” Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) asked, “Will they drive me out?” Waraqa replied in the affirmative and said, “Anyone (man) who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility…..”
Source: Bukhari 1:3
Today people think that Da’wa is all sunshine and roses. The Prophet SAW went through the opposite:
- He was rejected
- He was looked down upon
- He was mistreated
- He endured many loses
- He had little followers.
- His followers were mostly the underdogs of the society.
Yet, his deep concern and worry for his Ummah (community) were profound, as highlighted in the Quran:
لَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌۭ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ ١٢٨
There certainly has come to you a messenger from among yourselves. He is concerned by your suffering, anxious for your well-being, and gracious and merciful to the believers.
Source: Quran 9:128
The Prophet’s sincerity in his Da’wah
The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) exhibited complete sincerity in his Daw’ah, seeking no reward or appreciation from people. This is evident in the Quran:
وَمَآ أَسْـَٔلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ ۖ إِنْ أَجْرِىَ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
I do not claim from you any reward for it. My reward is with none but with the Lord of the worlds.
Source: Quran 26:109
His Seerah (biography) further testifies to his sincerity. A notable example is when the Quraysh offered him leadership positions and wealth to abandon his mission, which he refused.
Reference: Quraysh negotiates with the prophet
Even towards the end of his mission, despite having a large number of followers, the Prophet (SAW) chose a humble life, as reflected in a Hadith narrated by Aisha (RA):
“We used to see three crescents in two months, and no fire used to be made in the houses of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) (i.e. nothing used to be cooked).” `Urwa said, “What used to sustain you?” `Aisha said, “The two black things i.e. dates and water”
Source: Bukhari:6459
The Prophet’s Mujadahadah(Hardship) in Da’wah
The Prophet (SAW) endured immense hardships in his mission of Da’wah, with numerous examples from his Seerah, such as:
- The Incident in Taif where he faced severe rejection and hostility
- The persecution in Mecca
- The rejection of his message by his uncle (Abu Talib) who he loved dearly (Bukhari:3884)
- The rejection of his message during Hajj seasons and his years of perseverance in enduring these rejections
- The death of all his children
Tablighi Jamaat’s revival of the Mujahadah in Da’wah
In this time and age, the method of Tablighi Jamaat is one of the ways to engage in the Mujahadah of Da’wa as how the Prophets went through. This is one of the greatest paths towards Islah and the acceptance from Allah. Here are some of the Mujahadahs we endure in our Da’wah mission:
Mujahadah #1 – We go to people, not people come to us!
The typical way Da’wah is done today involves organizing a lecture, advertising it, and delivering the lecture to those who attend. While there is nothing wrong with this approach and it is also a Sunnah, how do we reach those far from Deen?
Another common method of Da’wah today is through Social Media or Online Media like YouTube. While this can bring millions of views, those views are mostly fans and practising Muslims. A large portion of the Ummah is not consuming any of these Islamic lectures. For example, Maulana Tariq Jameel has the most subscribed YouTube channel among Islamic scholars worldwide. As of 2024, he has 8.3 million subscribers. However, there are 220 million Muslim Urdu speakers worldwide. These subscribers are not even 5% of this.
In Tablighi Jamaat, we don’t wait for people but go to people instead.
Mujahadah #2 – We go to people far from Deen
One Mujahada(hardship) we go through is giving Da’wah to people far from Deen. We give Da’wah door-to-door, in public places, at offices, businesses, etc; Some people ask, why give Da’way to people if they are not interested? The answer is simply that it is the Sunnah of the Prophet SAW. Mujahadah (hardship) makes our Da’wah sincere and humble.
Mujahadah #3 – We struggle to convince practising Muslims to be involved in Da’wah.
Another Mujahadah (difficulty) we endure is to get practising Muslims involved in Da’wah (Da’ees), or any efforts of Deen for that matter (like establishing a Masjid, Madrasa, etc). We do this by sparking the Fikr (worry and concern) of Deen in them by inviting them to go out in Jamaat. In Jamat, as they give Da’wah to others (for example during Gasht), the Fikr of Deen slowly grows in them.
Today, the majority of practising Muslims are not involved in any efforts of Deen at all. Alhamdulillah, they earn a Halal living, pray, fast, pay Zakat, etc, but an important component of the Sunnah, which is Da’wah and establishing Deen, is missing in their life.
Mujahadah #4 – We give Da’wah as a Nobody (without status)
In Tablighi Jamaat, we learn to give Da’wah as an unknown person. We learn to humble ourselves in front of people. We have to put ourselves down and talk politely for the sake of Allah.
This was the Sunnah of the prophets (AS). They were often looked down upon. This is despite some of them having the best of intelligence, qualifications, lineage, etc, yet they are treated like the underdogs in society. Their early followers are often low-status people.
There is nothing wrong with being famous or “high status”, but If Da’wah is to be restricted to such people, there are not many people available for Da’wah.
Once a person is famous or has ‘high acceptance’, he may feel there is no need for him to go through Mujahadah(hardship) in Da’wah anymore. There is also no need for him to go to people far from Deen. He already enjoys a large following. He may also find it hard to seclude at night and cry in front of Allah SWT in supplication.
Mujahadah #5 – We get rejections and disappointments
In Tablighi Jamaat, we are either:
- Giving Da’wah to people far from Deen
- Inviting practising Muslims to get involved in Da’wa
These are extremely difficult tasks and we often face rejections and disappointments in our efforts.
Sometimes, hardships come from externally pious-looking people. We know they are better than us, they just do not understand the importance of Da’wa, an important part missing in their life. As long as we remain patient, this is a sign that Allah SWT is pleased with us and has chosen us to revive a great Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW) (Mujahada in Da’wah).
Mujahadah #6 – We are often left alone with no one listening to us
Most of the time, in our Da’wah, Allah SWT tests us with small numbers. Sometimes, we are even left alone, with no one to help us in our efforts.
Having small numbers in the early stages of Da’wah is a Sunnah of all the Prophets (AS). Some Prophets even struggle to gain followers throughout their entire mission.
It is also common that when we give a talk (such as Bayan), no one will sit and listen to our talks. It is normal for us as human beings to feel sad about this. However, there are two advantages to this:
- We get to revive the Sunnah of the Prophets (AS) when people do not listen to their talks, yet they continue giving Da’wah
- We can take this opportunity to train new or less experienced brothers to give talks. Giving new brothers the chance to talk will build the Fikr for Deen (worry and concern for Deen) in them.
Mujahadah #7 – We have to put up with brothers with different temperaments
It is common that when we engage in any team or Jamaat effort, we have different temperaments and ways of doing things. Desire comes to push our opinions or put down others who are different from us.
However, deep inside, due to the fear of Allah, we don’t want to create chaos. We don’t want the effort to be affected because of us. We don’t want Hidaya (guidance) to be stopped due to our petty grievances. If this effort dies, what other efforts are there left to give Da’wa to people door-to-door (the uniqueness of Tabligh mentioned in point #1)?
Sometimes due to our dissatisfaction, we feel like giving up Da’wa entirely. However, we make Sabr.
- We put up with brothers who have different temperaments to us.
- We continue to attend local Mashwaras despite our opinions being rejected.
- We make Sabr when brothers are harsh to us.
- We are first to say sorry and apologize.
There is no doubt that this is a great Sunnah that the prophets also went through. Prophet Musa AS dealt with intense difficulty with his own tribe. The Sahaba RAhum also had different temperaments (Mizaaj) but they made Sabr on it.
Due to ALL the difficulties, we turn and cry to Allah SWT
With all these hardships, difficulties, and feelings of hopelessness, Allah SWT Himself makes us humble towards him. We turn to Allah SWT crying in Du’a (supplication). Tears after tears fall from our cheeks. We complain to Allah SWT of our weakness. We don’t want any fame, status or anything in this world; and we beg Allah SWT the only thing we want from all our hardships…
…..and that is the Hidayah (guidance) for all mankind.
How beautiful is this effort? It is pure, sincere and is no doubt the Sunnah of all the prophets (AS).
Even after all our efforts and no one listens to us, this experience alone is the greatest success we have achieved.
Da’wah was the means for Islah.
Da’wah was the means to gain closeness to Allah.
May Allah SWT accept us all.
