A short transcript of a lecture delivered by Mufti Zar Wali Khan (DB)after his attendance of the Raiwind Ijtima 2011
The Tabligh Markaz at Raiwind in Punjab Province of Pakistan
After 25 years Allah provided me the taufeeq to participate in the Raiwind Ijtima, the last time (I participated) was in 1988. There are two ways to participate in an action. One is to actually do it and another is to support and be helpful in that. Alhamdulillah this aspect I have been doing always. This is the real property of a believer that he is associated with acts of virtue; he is involved in it in some way or the other. In the manner that a person who is not performing Salaah does not know the sweet taste of Salaah, and thinks performing Salaah five times a day is a burden. But when that person begins performing Salaah then how distasteful he finds life without Salaah! How much shame and regret he finds on that! Those who do not fast, who do not pay Zakat, who do not perform Haj – they are all in the same state. But when they become habitual in performing these (good) deeds then they come to the realisation of the value and status of these deeds.
The work of Tabligh was a different task from the beginning. This enforced the realisation in the hearts that what have we come for (our purpose in life) and what have we gotten busy with. How trustful am I in my office (of the believer)? How alert? If I am asked then to what extant can I defend myself? This type of feelings and emotions are generated by involvement in Tabligh. This Ijtima is like the season that comes once in a year in which the trees drop their leaves and become green again, they become fresh again, Earth becomes grassy again, and the loss that is suffered during autumn is compensated for. The hectic happenings of the whole year, careless life style and a realisation of our shortcomings and failings takes place in these gatherings (Ijtima). And the root of acceptance of actions is this realisation. A man who realises that it is bad that I am not performing Salaah will not remain in that state (for long). A person who realizes that Zakat has become obligatory on him, obligation is like debt, this is my duty to pay it, this is not my own decision but a duty, he will never shy away from that. Sooner or later he’ll pay it. The same is true about the rest of the habits and ibada’at.
There is no doubt that the organising of this type of gatherings (Ijtima) is a miracle. These are physical activities and that lead to the awareness of the Shari’ah. This is a great method indeed. Guests, delegates and people from 81 countries came to ponder about Deen. Hundred and fifty thousand people’s request for visas had been forwarded. The government said that they will accept everyone, even if it is a million people. They say that they are happy that (Tabligh) produces goodness. There is some inclination in the government in favour of Deen. The former agenda of Bush and Musharraf has been broken with a bang.
A total of 5000 jamaats, local and international, have gone out. Fifty thousand people have stepped forward in the path of Allah courageously. This is a great crop, a great success. A great Mufti and Faqih went in jamaat in one year. They take everybody with them. They put different types of people together (in a jamaat). People from every walk of life are there, it is a wonder! All the Ministers of Punjab (were there) at the time of (the final) Dua and they feel that if they are present in this blessed moment then the government and the conditions in the country will be in a state of well being. So that Mufti and Faqih too was some how taken (out in jamaat). They are experts in persuading people to join them, they know the tricks and the magic. Allah has given them that inclination and motivation and dedication. They are of various types for example the way you have different restaurants – some good some bad, this is true for every group amongst the ‘Ulama, Shuyukh, etc. if all of them were like Sahabah and tabi’een then there would not have been any non-believers in the world. Everybody would have been a Muslim. There are weak people also in a caravan. All of them are not alike. There good and bad and even dogs travel with the caravan. People keep dogs for guarding houses. Dogs are kept for hunting. It remains a dog. It will not turn into a man. It will fulfill its duty.
So when that Mufti came back he was asked (about his experience), he replied that people will come to a Mufti when he realises that there are some things which are halaal and some which are haraam. This I can do and this I am not supposed to do. When people are not worried about halaal and haraam then how will they differentiate between Nikah and fornication? How will they tell milk from urine, do away with the curse of alcohol? How will they avoid them if they do not know it? In these Tablighi crowds you develop the consciousness about these things.
*Mufti Zar Wali Khan is the Shaykh al-Hadith of Jamiah Arabia Ahsan-Ul-Uloom in Karachi and is the student of amongst others ‘Allamah Yusuf Binnori and Mufti Wali Hasan Tonki. His website is: http://www.ahsanululoom.net/
(Help from brother AfriqiHaq acknowledged.)
Also Appeared At: Sunni Forum, Friends of Deoband
Original (Full) Urdu : Serve Islam