In the name of Allaah, Most Beneficent and Most Merciful
Many muslims are misinformed about the effort of tabligh and end up thinking that the muslims participating in this effort belong to a particular group or organization or cult or even a different sect. Some ignorants or deviants are also bent on spreading false information about the effort of tabligh.
Tabligh means ‘Propagation’ and Dawah means ‘Invitation’. Essentially they both mean the same, which is propagating Islam or inviting towards Islam. The act of tabligh/dawah is mentioned in Quran and Hadith in many places. This act can be done individually or in the form of a group. If this act is done in the form of a group, then that group is just implementing the act of tabligh commanded in Quran and shown in the beautiful way of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
This group was labeled as ‘Tablighi jamaat’ by the people who did not participate in this effort because of the act this group of people used to perform. Even the reviver of the effort of Tabligh did not name it so. Maulana Ilyas (Mercy of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said “If I wished to name this effort, I would have named it ‘Tehreek-e-Imaan’ (Movement to Revive Faith)”.But he did not name this effort. The understanding here is that this is an act (Amal of deen) which has to be done by all the muslims.
As any group of people who do any act of deen (Amal) collectively are not labeled as member of such group/jamaat, people performing this effort of Tabligh should not be labeled as member of ‘Tabligh Jamaat’. For example, People who perform Fajr Salaat collectively are not labeled member or people of Fajr Jamaat. People who perform Hajj collectively are not labeled member or people of Hajj Jamaat. People who collectively run the masjid are not labeled member or people of Masjid Management jamaat. Similarly the muslims who collectively perform the act of Dawah or Tabligh should not be labeled as members of Tabligh Jamaat.
These muslims get together and perform the effort of Tabligh according to the guidelines derived from the Quran, Sunnah and Stories of Sahabah (Companions of Prophet (Peace be upon him)) by the scholars who dedicated their lives to understand and revive this effort of Tabligh. This effort is neither a Sect which has a different belief nor a Cult which has deviant rituals. This effort is neither an organization which has members nor a group which has a limited focus.
All muslims, young or old, men or women are required to do the effort of deen and hence all the muslims can participate in this effort. The belief in this effort encompasses the belief of Ahle-Sunnah Wal Jamaah (main stream of Islam). Muslims from all Madhahib (Hanafi, Shaafi, Maliki & Hanbali) participate in this effort. Masjid is the place where this effort takes place and the finances are from the pocket of those who take part in this effort. The goal of this effort is “To save each and every person including the oneself from Hell fire and make them enter Paradise”. This was the goal of all the Prophets (Peace be upon them all). This effort is focused on reviving Islam in the life of every muslim and connect that person to Allah. Hence it is neither Sect or Cult or Organization or Group.
Excerpted from the speech of Maulana Tariq Jameel Saheb.