It was an ache that it distressed him all the time; he couldn't
eat, he couldn't sleep. was a worry that had engulfed all
other worries; it was a topic, the explanation and elucidation
of which took up all energies of his tongue and pen to the
extent that writing on any other subject was a trial for him.
He had written to Shaykhul Hadith Maulana Zakarya (rahimuhullah),
"My heartfelt desire is that at least my brain, thought,
time, and energy should be limited to nothing but this work."
He used to say, "How can any other occupation be lawful
for me when I see that the soul of Rasulullah (sallallahu
'alaihe wasallam) is distressed (because of the weakness of
the Muslims' faith and the supremacy of kufr)." One day
an attendant complained that he saw a lack of attention and
affection in his behaviour as previously compared. He replied,
"I am very busy; I feel that Rasulullah (sallallahu 'alaihe
wasallam) is in distress; I cannot pay attention to anything
else."
He did not attend gatherings where there was little chance
of putting forward his message; he disliked going for the
sake of an obligation only. He used to say, "If you go
to a place, go with your message and put it forward, keep
your invitation above anything."
Once in Delhi, he had to perforce attend a wedding ceremony
of an acquaintance. He addressed the gathering at the wedding
thus, "Today is the happiest of days for you when even
the lowliest is pleased; it is not done to displease even
the sweeperess………tell me! Do you have any
concern of pleasing Rasulullah (sallallahu 'alaihe wasallam)?"
then he explained that the endeavour to revive the deen brought
by Rasulullah (sallallahu 'alaihe wasallam) was the greatest
way to please him (sallallahu 'alaihe wasallam).
This fine references are of the founder of the Tablighi Jama'at,
Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Noorullah marqadahu, who adored calling
to the Faith to such extent that all other sensory pleasures
and opinions were dimmed before them; this spiritual pleasure
had become sensory and natural for him.
Once, Maulana had defined 'Ishq', (adoration) as such, "The
pleasures and interests of man that are divided between so
many things come out and converge at one point; this is Ishq."
This definition was personified in the Maulana himself. He
used to sob and cry on the departure of the ummah from its
deen. Sometimes he used to writhe in pain, sigh, sob, and
complain, "O Allah! What else should I do? I am not doing
enough." Sometimes he used to turn agonizingly on his
bed, then get up and pace the room. One night his wife at
last asked him, "What is the matter? Can you not sleep?"
he answered, "What can I tell you? If you get to know
what I do then the waking ones will become two."
The result of this heart ache and dedication to his aim was
that in just a few years, the ache that had bothered one breast
caught fire in hundreds. The Mewatis who had become half Hindu
despite being called Muslims, who celebrated many of the Hindu
festivals, whose villages rarely had a mosque in them, who
even used to kill their newborns; suddenly, little beacons
of light sprung up in the same Mewati dwellings. Mosques were
built, religious schools and madaris mushroomed, the number
of huffaz exceeded hundreds, and there was a good number of
qualified `ulama. The birth of the love of Imaan extinguished
the following of kufr. The customs and traditions that had
come to be a way of life for them began to be eradicated.
An experienced Mewati explained this in a very clear manner
when he was asked what was happening in his area; he said,
"I don't know anything else, what I do know is some things
for which we used to strive and they did not happen, are happening
on their own; some things which we tried to stop with battles
and great endeavour and did not stop, are being stopped on
their own."
Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ilyas had a keen concern that if the
`ulama did not overlook the preaching and this task was left
to the common man alone, it would develop lots of flaws. His
wish was for the educated `ulama to take an interest in this
task and use their God gifted talents for the propagation
of this work. Because most of his life Maulana had been associated
to learning, he knew intimately the pursuits of the madaris,
its teachers, and students. He wanted them to join hands with
this work of calling to God but he also wanted a way out that
would help those of the madaris in their learning but not
interfere with it. He writes, "Deen can progress and
develop according to the progress and development of learning,
and under the progress and development of learning. It would
be the greatest of losses if my movement caused any set back
to learning. I do not mean by tabligh to prevent or hurt progress
towards learning………"
He used to council the groups going in the way of Allah for
tabligh to sit and learn from the gatherings of elders with
the intention of improving oneself, and never to mention their
own work in their presence. If the elders asked anything of
their own accord, well and good, otherwise they were to keep
silent. He wrote to Shaykhul Hadith Maulana Zakarya rahamahullah
'alaih, "I have an old wish, that these groups benefit
from the khanqahs, keeping to all the manners of khanqahs,
and that the missionary work be done in particular timings
in surrounding villages. (Please) make a plan concerning this
after council with the coming groups. This humble person is
also overwhelmed with the wish to attend with some companions;
I am also thinking of Deoband and Thana Bhawan."
Hakim-ul-Ummah, Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi was of the
opinion that when `ulama educated for eight to ten years failed
to solve some matters when on mission work, what would the
ignorant Mewatis do without any formal education and training?
His cautious and farsighted nature was unsatisfied and he
feared some harm would come out of it. But when he received
continuous news that the groups were working under supervision
of the `ulama and getting guidance from them, and that they
did not mention anything for which they were not allowed,
he became satisfied.
The founder of the Jama'at always tried to link the workers
of Tabligh to the `ulama. He used to stress the importance
of `ulama, the need to benefit from them, the rewards of meeting
them, and used to teach the manners of talking to them. He
used to educate the workers to take the best possible explanation
of things they did not understand and keep their faith in
the scholars. The results of this effort became apparent when
those big businessmen who were against the `ulama started
attending their gatherings with respect and reverence and
invited them for discourses to their congregations. They did
not have the condition that only those `ulama would give talks
who had spent time in the Jama'at; all authentic and righteous
`ulama were invited.
The connection of Shaykhul Islam Maulana Sayyed Hussein Ahmad
Madani (rahimuhullah) with politics was no secret, but he
often gave discourses in gatherings although he had not spent
any formal time in the Jama'at. Maulana Sayyed Abul Hassan
Ali Nadvi (rahimuhullah), who was the heart and soul of Nadvatul
`ulama--- and who is unaware of the barrier between the Nadwah
and the rest of the madaris because of its special ambience
and isolation of some of its founders---his dealing with the
founder of the Jama'at was totally different. Hazrat Ilyas
respected and loved all `ulama and so he did Ali Mian (rahimuhullah),
and gave importance to his advise.
One day Ali Mian said that although the Nadwah had always
extended an effectionate hand towards the people of deen,
they had seldom had a positive response; thank God that he,
Maulana Ilyas, had been loving towards them. Tears ran down
Maulana's face and he said, "What are you saying? Your
Jama'at is that of deen; I am not in favour of leaving out
even the people from Aligarh." Besides Ali Mian, Hazrat
Maulana Manzoor Ahmad Naumani rahimihullah was also among
Maulana's close associates. Hazrat Maulana Abdul Qadir Raipoori
was also a frequent visitor.
Not even a blind person can deny the fruit born by the whole
world seems in a stir by its blessing, millions of people
have been reformed by joining it; but despite all this, there
is a need for guidance from the `ulama at each step. God forbid,
if a rift is created between the Jama'at and the `ulama and
the `ulama are made to follow the Jama'at instead of the other
way round, it will have grave results for the religious circles.
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