Tablighi Jamaat and elders of Deoband

Question:

Does the Tablighi Jamaat pay any tribute to the Amirs of the Darul Uloom Deobandi and their students for having such an impact on Muslims worldwide?

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

The question is best suited for the elders of Tablighi Jamaat to answer. We can only confirm the stance of the Deobandi institutions about the Tableeghi Jamaat.

Darul Iftaa of Deoband mentions,

“According to Deoband Ulama, Tableeghi Jamat is a true Jamat which is among the Ahl-e-Sunnah wal-Jamat (the mainstream Muslims) and following the maslak of Deoband. This Jamat is very much concerned and sincere for the reformation of the Ummah. It is very useful to listen their talks and join them with intention of self reform.” ¹

Hadhrat Mufti Ebrahim Desai Saheb states,

“As far as the Tabligh Jamaat is concerned, it is our humble view that they are acting upon this injunction of Allah Taãla and are fulfilling this obligation of Shariáh. Te Jamaat advocates strict adherence to the Sunnah and confirnes itself within the ambit of the Shariáh. The purpose of any individual taking part in the Noble work of Tabligh is firstly to reform oneself and dutifully save mankind from the fire of hell. The overwhelming success of the Jamaat is mainly because of the manifestation of the six points which involves the purification of the Naffs and the entity of Tawheed. ”²

Darul Iftaa Brimingham states :

“The Tablighi Jamaat movement is based on a principle that is a collective responsibility of the Muslims.  Allah (SWA) in the Holy Quran has said ‘You are the best of Nations, involved for Mankind, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is evil’.   (Surah Al Imran v.110)

Alhamdulillah spending time in Jamaat it is a very good thing and Inn sha Allah you will be rewarded by Allah (SWA). Just remember things which are unlawful in Islam will also stay unlawful when you are spending time in Jamaat.”³

Sheikh Abdur Raheem from Tafseer Raheemi mentions,

“The ‘Ahlus Sunnah wal jama’ah’ are those who hold strictly to the Sunnah in every form in all aspects of life and who hold onto the way of the Sahaba, also their thinking is in confirmation with that of the Sahaba. The members of tabligh jamaat are from Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah. ”⁴

Mufti Waseem Khan Saheb from Darul Uloom Trinidad and Tobago says,

“The effort of the Tabligh Jamaat is a very noble one which has been very successful and has gained wide acceptance by thousands of great Ulamah throught the world, from the time it has started until today. ”⁵

These are some of the contemporary Deobandi Institutions and their stance about Tableeghi Jamaat. It is our humble experience that the same enthusiasm and support for the work of Tableeghi Jamat was afforded by all our Akabirs as well. They may have at times showed some concerns at times, but none such that the noble work of Tableeghi Jamat be rejected. Luminaries in deobandi academia have approved of this work. The likes of Hadhrat Sheikh Zakariyyah rahimahullah who gave his life’s effort to help the Tableeghi Jamaat in the form of Fadha’il al-A’mal and responding to any question posed to Tableeghi Jamat as can be seen in his book “Tableeghi Jamat per Aiterazaat aur un key jawabat”. Giants of deobandi uloom like Faqihul Ummah Hadhrat Mufti Mahmud Hasan Gangohi rahimahullah endeavored in the noble work and his exertions can be seen in the treatise “Mufti Mahmud Hasan Gangohi aur Tableeghi Jama’at”.

Nonetheless, the vast majority of Deobandi Ulama have given their approval to this noble work, Alhamdulillah.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mufti Faisal bin Abdul Hameed al-Mahmudi
Darul Iftaa wal Irshaad, Montreal
www.fatwa.ca

Concurred by,
Mufti Luqman Hansrot
www.efiqh.com