From: shaik@caip.rutgers.edu (Imtiaz Shaik)
Subject: RE: WRONG HEDDER: Jammat Tabligh: The Murderer of Muslim Dignity (Jihad)
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.40    
Originator: Mughal@Romeo.Caltech.Edu (Asim Mughal -Moderator)
Organization: California Institute of Technology
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 05:07:00 GMT

Dear Brother Mirza,
Assalamualymum

It is a pity that you gave a wrong heading to the message what you
have inside.   I don't understand how you have got such an
understanding of the Tabligh Movement.  

I understand that it THE GRACE of Allah SWT that he has renewed the
effort of the Prophets, Sahabah and Owliyaah, in this time and age.  The
objective of the mission is to make each and every muslim of the world
a Daa'i, and a strong practioner of islam and an example of islam in the
society for non-believers.  We in India (and the whole subcontinent as
well) were at one stage in such a disgrace that we don't even know
what the basic pillars of islam are!  When we get up early in the
morning, our mind revolves around the question of bread-earning, but
not to say LABBAIK to the call of Allah's Mu-az-zin for the fajr
prayers.   Our state of affairs were fully mingled with the
non-muslims, adopting their customs, in every part of our life, let it
be marriage, parties, music, moovies, dress and every aspect of our
life, except for a few things, that we remembered islam only for our
NIKAAH's and for BURYING the dead.  Its is a Blessing of the
Almighty that he has set some people, whom you may name it Tabligh
Jamaat, so as to remind people of their duty.  Initially I remember
when things in Qur'an and Hadith were put straight forward in front of
the people (which oppose their age old customs, and some against the
bid'a like making sajdah in front of graves) they were beaten and
driven out of the towns, as happened in the case of Prophets and the
Sahabah.  But gradually the young generation understood the message,
and I now see some changes coming in the basic belief and aa'maal.
But it is not yet over.  There is a great deal to achieve.  

The Tabligh Movement as I understand is not registered organisation
under some Government or something like that.  Even you are a Tablighi
if you do the work of "Amar-bin-Maa'roof Nahi-an-il Mun-kar" (Ordering
people to good deeds and preventing them from bad things).  Don't you
like to stop some one if he is doing bad and against Islam and advice
him to  do good?  Then you are a Daa'i!!!  This is what (y)our Prophet
(SAS) has asked us to do.  When he gave the last Qutbah in his last
Haj he asked each and every muslim to convey his message to the
Gaa-ya-been(people not present).   

And I also can say strongly that if some person like
Lieutenant-General Javed Nasir does some thing which does not suit to
your conscince, then it is entirely a business between you and him.
Why do you blame the Tabligh Jamaat for that, let he have connections
with the Jamaat.  I don't think either that the Gemeral Secretary or
President  (if any) of the Tabligh Jamaat has declared the
Lieutenant-General as a representative in connection to the affair you
have posted.   If he is doing something wrong he is responsible for
his acts and Allah won't leave him free on the day of Judgement. 

All of us want islam to flurish and gain victory.  Each of us, each
group, each jamaat, thinks in a different way to achieve this.  This
is perfectly ok.  May Allah give all of us victory in what we do for
islam and finally unite us, like the fingers of a hand, though
separated at the tips, are joined to the same hand at the base.  UNITY
IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOR ISLAM TODAY.   If we compare the whole
MUSLIM UMMAH to a human body, cutting off some fellows 
belonging to some jamaat means  cutting off parts of body one by one.
If you keep cutting off, each and every part, then you will be left
over only with a diseased, painfully suffering body.  And this body
can be easily tortured further by the kuffar.  That body which is
being tortured is not even able to say to the whole world (including
the non-believers) that I have such a gem, such a magic with it, in its
heart, that can save you from the eternal fire, that can save you from
the aggraveting punishments of the grave....   And it is not even able
to say that it knows such a system of law, sent by our Creator, which
if implemented in the society, can keep all and evils in check.  How
can it talk, when it is fully amputated and cut into pieces??!!??!

I don't know if we get a Khalifah today, are we going to obey him
fully?!?!?   Probably each of will have their own idea and way of
solving the problem on hand and all of us will be the royal advisors
to the Khalifah.   This is because our hearts are divided.  All of us
dont think the same and all of us don't look in the same direction.
So we don't see the same thing.   The objective of the Tabligh
Movement, as I understand is to unite the Ummah under the law of the
Almighty Allah SWT and the way of the Prophet Sallahu-ali-hi-wa-sallam.
Probably when Allah SWT sees that the ummah is correcting itself  he
would give us better rulers and Khalifas, for the rulers are the
reflection of the people. 

You talk derogatively against the BEARD and DRESS??  I ask you if it
was not the sunnah of the Prophet?  If some of us (I guess many of us)
under the bad influence of the society, dress ourselves in the way of
the western world, I don't blame them straight away.  But first my way
is to develop close friendship with them.  Then when he becomes a
friend who can hear to a good advice, them I can slowly feed him the
essentials of islam.   And one more thing is to create an environment
for the individual so that he can start imitating it.  The westerm
culture is imbibed in us because we spent most part of our lives in
it.  Had we spent time in an islamic environment, then I don't see any
reason if an individual fails to see the BEAUTY in the SUNNAH.

Maulana  Hafiz Yousuf Islahi, a renouned scholar of islam was here  in
Ramazan to lead the Tarawih prayers, at the Muslim Center of Middlesex
County, Piscataway, NJ.  (He is supposed to be the Secretary of the
Jamaat-e-Islami in India at one time).  I never heard any word from
his mouth, against any jamaat, or against any prominent person.  He
stresses the Importance of unity, Daawah, how to build an Islaamic
Society in USA, Child education (both Islamic education, and worldly
education), role of Women in Islam etc.  What a fine man he was!!

I guess you gave a wrong heading and to your article, and in my humble
opinion it kills our unity.   ALL THE MATTER IS THIS ARTICLE IS MY
HUMBLE OPINION OF THE ISSUE AT HAND.  AND I DONT REPRESENT ANY JAMAAT
IN ISSUING THIS OPINION.  I SEEK FORGIVENESS FROM ALL IF IT AFFECTS
THEM IN ANY  WAY......I AM FORGIVABLE, AND I WOULD TRY TO CORRECT MY
SELF, FOR OTHERWISE MY AAKHIRAH IS IN DANGER.   And finally I seek
forgiveness form Allah SWT and pray to unite the whole UMMAH,  and
lead us on the straight path, the path which HE has favoured.

Wassalaam
Imtiaz Shaik