Here is a great thread an the Sunni Forum where a brother is posting the contents of the translation of an Urdu booklet. The point being considered is the importance of Zikr in Tablighi Jama-at. Some people used to think that if they have joined the Jama-at then they do not have to indulge personal Zikr of Allah with tongue. Then there was a brother who thought that since Jama-at work was banned in his country it was not obligatory on him to do Jama-at work and he now could turn to Zikr of Allah(SWT). There are problems with both of these attitudes and owing to this Shaikh-ul-Hadees Hazrat Maulana Muhammed Zakariya Kandhalwi (RA) asked one of his Caliphs to write a letter to the latter gentleman to clarify the matter for him in particular and for the public in general. Shaikh was so pleased with the answer written by his disciple that he got it printed, with some more material in a booklet form and got it distributed at his own expanses. This lead to further confusion and the Shaikh got that too clarified and the result of all that is what is appearing in the above thread. And it is very enjoyable.
But your poor Alig has another axe to grind. This is a great clarification about the work of Tablighi Jama-at and very soothing and spiritually enlivening and energizing. But it still leaves a sense of incompleteness in the heart of those who have been exposed to modern secular education, modern ways and modern world in general. The point is that just because Muslims have been removed from the position of rule in Indian sub-continent it does not mean that they should give up any participation in the worldly matters. After all there this famous Tradition of beloved Prophet(PBUH) that there is not asceticism in Islam (La rahbaaniyat fil Islam). The way a person is not free from Jama-at work just because it is banned in his country, the way a Jama-at worker is not free from Zikr by tongue similarly a Jama-at worker with a routine of verbal Zikr is not free from social, cultural, political and other worldly affairs. No Muslim is free from this. A Muslim is responsible not only for taking his religious affairs into his own hands but he is also obliged to take his worldly affairs in his own hands. The religious establishment should pay attention to this aspect also. To the very limited knowledge of your poor Alig Mufti Taqi Usmani (DB)'s assertions in the field of economy are the only ones where our respected religious intelligentsia has forayed into worldly matters. Some credit can be given to Jamiat-e-Ulama also. And very lately the performance of the people associated with Maulana Badruddin Ajmal in Assam Assembly elections and the Parliament elections (in the Indian context of course). This withdrawal or non-participation of Muslims in temporal affairs leave the field open to occupied by others and in any case is a cause of lots of unnecessary trouble for the Ummah as well as being one of the causes of Ummah not coming up like the other social groups in the world. The problem is basically of not using the worldly means for worldly matters. For delivering the rizq allotted to Ummah Allah(SWT) doesn not need even our Prayers, Supplications, Duas. He (SWT) has decided to give it and that is what He(SWT) will do whether we ask for it or not. But as far as changing our worldly situation is concerned He(SWT) will not change it unless we change what is within us-our attitude towards worldly affairs.
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But your poor Alig has another axe to grind. This is a great clarification about the work of Tablighi Jama-at and very soothing and spiritually enlivening and energizing. But it still leaves a sense of incompleteness in the heart of those who have been exposed to modern secular education, modern ways and modern world in general. The point is that just because Muslims have been removed from the position of rule in Indian sub-continent it does not mean that they should give up any participation in the worldly matters. After all there this famous Tradition of beloved Prophet(PBUH) that there is not asceticism in Islam (La rahbaaniyat fil Islam). The way a person is not free from Jama-at work just because it is banned in his country, the way a Jama-at worker is not free from Zikr by tongue similarly a Jama-at worker with a routine of verbal Zikr is not free from social, cultural, political and other worldly affairs. No Muslim is free from this. A Muslim is responsible not only for taking his religious affairs into his own hands but he is also obliged to take his worldly affairs in his own hands. The religious establishment should pay attention to this aspect also. To the very limited knowledge of your poor Alig Mufti Taqi Usmani (DB)'s assertions in the field of economy are the only ones where our respected religious intelligentsia has forayed into worldly matters. Some credit can be given to Jamiat-e-Ulama also. And very lately the performance of the people associated with Maulana Badruddin Ajmal in Assam Assembly elections and the Parliament elections (in the Indian context of course). This withdrawal or non-participation of Muslims in temporal affairs leave the field open to occupied by others and in any case is a cause of lots of unnecessary trouble for the Ummah as well as being one of the causes of Ummah not coming up like the other social groups in the world. The problem is basically of not using the worldly means for worldly matters. For delivering the rizq allotted to Ummah Allah(SWT) doesn not need even our Prayers, Supplications, Duas. He (SWT) has decided to give it and that is what He(SWT) will do whether we ask for it or not. But as far as changing our worldly situation is concerned He(SWT) will not change it unless we change what is within us-our attitude towards worldly affairs.
Other Link : One