The Importance of Tasawwuf in Tabligh

Translated by Ismaeel Nakhuda

Translator’s foreword: The great hadith scholar and shaykh of Tasawwuf Hadrat Shaykh al-Hadith Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhalwi (d.1982) was not just a patron of Tablighi Jama‘at, but the spiritual head of this blessed work. His association with the work, uniquely, dates back from its very inception under Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas Kandhalwi (d.1944), through the period of his successor Hadratji Mawlana Muhammad Yusuf Kandhalwi (d.1965) and until his passing during the leadership of Hadratji Mawlana In‘am al-Hasan Kandhalwi (d.1994). Below is a passage from a book that Hadrat Shaykh penned in 1972 entitled Jama‘at-i-Tabligh par I‘tiradat ke Juwabat (Answers to Objections against Tablighi Jama‘at). Hadrat Shaykh writes:

Objection Three: It also often reaches us that [the people of Tabligh] show religious education (ta‘lim ) and the khanqahs to be useless. It is my view that this objection is mentioned either due to hostility or lack of understanding of the situation.

Among the formulated principles of Tabligh—which are known as the Six Numbers and which are absolutely fundamental—Knowledge and Remembrance (‘ilm and dhikr) is an individual number. Aside from this, the amount of emphasis on ‘ilm and dhikr found in the words of the founder of the movement, Hadrat [Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas Kandhalwi] Dehlawi and his successor [Hadratji] Mawlana Muhammad Yusuf, and their speeches and their sayings (malfuzat), is perhaps not found regarding any other number. There is a famous saying of Hadrat Dehlawi^[1]It should be noted that where Hadrat Shaykh refers to Hadrat Dehlawi, he is referring to his uncle, the founder of Tabligh, Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas Kandhalwi. that he would always repeat in his gatherings and when giving instructions that: “‘Ilm and dhikr are the two wings of my movement. If one wing was to break, then it would be difficult for the bird to fly.”

If those who raise objections were to read the biographies and sayings of Hadrat Dehlawi and his successor Hadratji Mawlana Muhammad Yusuf (may Allah have mercy on them) then they would not have the courage to say or write such words. The malfuzat of Hadrat Dehlawi mention the following:

[One] “Once he said (this is something that Mawlana Zafar Ahmad [‘Uthmani], the nephew of Hadrat Hakim al-Ummat Thanawi (may Allah enlighten his grave), included in his malfuzat and which he gathered during his stay at Nizamuddin and which were published among the malfuzat of Hadrat Dehlawi), ‘Mawlana, in our Tabligh, ‘ilm and dhikr have great importance. Without knowledge, action (‘amal) cannot be possible nor the understanding of actions, and without dhikr knowledge is complete darkness, light (nur) cannot come into it. However, there is a deficiency in this among our workers.’

“I (Mawlana Zafar Ahmad) suggested, ‘Tabligh is very important itself and for there to be a deficiency in dhikr because of this is just like Hadrat Sayyid Barelwi (may Allah sanctify his secret) who, when he prepared for Jihad, busied his followers with target practice and horse riding rather than with dhikr and the spiritual exercises (shugl). So, some objected that the spiritual light is no longer there as it used to be. Hadrat Sayyid Sahib (may Allah have mercy on him) replied, “Yes, the nur of dhikr is not there at this moment. The nur of Jihad is there, this is what is needed at this time.”’

“He (Hadrat Mawlana Ilyas) replied, ‘However, I have remorse that there is deficiency in ‘ilm and dhikr, and this deficiency is there because the people of knowledge and the people of dhikr have up till now not joined it. If these people were to take this work in their hands, then this deficiency would be met. However, the ‘ulama and the people of dhikr have until now joined very less.’

“Commentary: Until now, the jama‘ats that are sent for Tabligh, there is in them a lack of people of knowledge and nisbat (those associated with the shaykhs of Tasawwuf) regarding which Hadrat was anxious. If only the people of knowledge and nisbat were to do the work having joined these jama‘ats then this deficiency would be met. Alhamdulillah, there are people of knowledge and nisbat at the Markaz of Tabligh. However, they are few. If they were to go with each jama‘at then who would fulfil the work of the Markaz?”^[2]Malfuzat Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas, number 41.

[Two] “One day, after the Fajr prayer, when there was a large group of people who actively participate in this work at the masjid in Nizamuddin and Hadrat Mawlana’s health was so poor that while lying on his bed he was unable to say a few words, with diligence he called for a specific attendant (khadim) and via him told the entire group, ‘All of your movement and walking about and effort is useless if you did not show full diligence in [acquiring] religious knowledge and the dhikr of Allah. Rather, there is a severe danger and strong worry that if negligence were shown in these two things then this effort, let it not be, may become a new door for fitnah and deviance (dalalat).

“‘If there is no knowledge of religion, then Islam and iman will merely be ritualistic and by name, and without the dhikr of Allah, even if there is knowledge, then it would be clear darkness. According to this, if without the knowledge of religion there is a lot of dhikr of Allah, then there is also a danger in this.

“‘In sum, light (nur) comes in knowledge through dhikr, and without knowledge of religion, the true blessings (barakah) and fruit of dhikr cannot be acquired. Rather, at times Satan makes such ignorant Sufis his tools. Therefore, the importance of knowledge and dhikr should never be neglected in this line and there should be specific diligence in this always, otherwise this Tablighi movement of yours will just become aimless wandering around (awara-gardi) and, may Allah not allow it to happen, you people will be in severe loss.’”^[3]Malfuzat Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas, number 35.

[Three] “Once he said, ‘I instruct dhikr like this at the beginning… (he then detailed the wird that is given and then said…) knowledge without dhikr is darkness and dhikr without knowledge is the door to many fitnahs.’”^[4]Malfuzat Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas, number 49.

[Four] “He said, ‘There are two things for which I am greatly worried, one should be diligent in them. One is dhikr, in that I am sensing a deficiency in my jama‘at regarding this, they should be shown dhikr. The second is that people who have wealth (ahl-i-amwal) are considered to be people to whom Zakat can be given. Their Zakat is mostly going to waste. It is not being spent in the right place…’”^[5]Malfuzat Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas, number 62.

[Five] “He said, ‘Knowledge should lead to actions (‘amal), and action should create dhikr. It is then that knowledge is knowledge and action is action. If knowledge does not create action, then it is clearly darkness. And if from action the remembrance of Allah is not created in the heart, then it is weak, and dhikr without knowledge is fitnah.’”^[6]Malfuzat Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas, number 63.

[Six] “He said, ‘The dhikr of Allah is a castle and a fortified fortress (hisn-i-hasin) to safeguard from the wickedness of Satan. Therefore, however much one goes to wrong and bad environments for Tabligh, for one’s own protection from the Satanic djinn and the bad effects of people, one should accordingly be diligent in the dhikr of Allah.’”^[7]Malfuzat Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas, number 69.

[Seven] “He said, ‘Whenever I go to Mewat, I always go in a gathering of good people and people of dhikr. Even then, due to the general mixing with people the condition of the heart changes so much that until I do not cleanse it through i‘tikaf or do not spend a few days in the special group and special environment of Saharanpur or Raipur, then the heart does not return to its condition.’

“He would also sometimes tell others, ‘Those who go around due to the work of religion, they should wash the natural effects of the ghasht and wandering by means of dhikr and meditation (fikr) in solitude (khalwat).’”^[8]Malfuzat Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas, number 85.

[Eight] “He said, ‘There is an increased need to hold tight to knowledge and dhikr… (he then went at length to describe the reality of knowledge and dhikr in which he said…) the meaning of knowledge is not just knowing religious issues (masa’il) and religious sciences. Look at the Jews, how much were they learned in their Shari‘ah and heavenly sciences to an extent that they knew the description of the successors of the successors of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), in that they had the knowledge of the moles on their bodies.^[9]In the footnotes to this malfuz Mawlana Manzur Nu‘mani writes that some narrations mention that during the time of Sayyiduna ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) some rabbis saw some moles or … Continue reading However, what benefit was it for them to merely know that?’”^[10]Malfuzat Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas, number 181.

These are some malfuzat that have been written in short. The speeches of Hadrat Dehlawi and Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Yusuf (may Allah enlighten their graves), their malfuzat, words and letters have been published plentifully. I am quoting some parts from one of Hadrat Dehlawi’s letters which was addressed to the workers in Mewat and has been published in Hadrat Dehlawi’s letters:

“My friends and dear ones! The happiness that is being felt at this moment from the news of your giving a year each cannot be written down. May Allah Most High accept and grant more tawfiq. There are some matters that I would like to draw you respected ones’ attention to:

“[1] Gather a list of all those people in your areas and send to me and Shaykh al-Hadith Sahib^[11]This is in reference to Hadrat Shaykh al-Hadith Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhalwi (d.1982). who have started dhikr or are doing it right now or have abandoned it.

“[2] Others who are bay‘at and those instructions that they are shown after the bay‘at, are they completing this or not?

“[3] [Names of the] maktabs that are in every markaz – who is overseeing them and where is there a need for new maktabs?

“[4] Are you yourselves busy in dhikr and religious education or not? If not, then quickly be remorseful on one’s inattention (ghaflat) and begin.

“[5] Number one refers to those who have been shown the Bara Tasbih^[12]The Bara Tasbih is a popular form of audible dhikr within the Chishti tariqah. This entails the movement of the head with a focus on the heart and consists of 200 la-ilaha illallah, 400 illallah, 600 … Continue reading—do they complete it with diligence or not, and are they doing it having asked us or have they determined it themselves having observed those who do dhikr? Ask each person and write according to the above numbers in detail.

“[6] There should be diligence from your marakiz in sending updates (kar-guzari) according to the [above] numbers to myself and Shaykh al-Hadith Sahib.

“[7] Those who do Bara Tasbih, encourage them to each spend forty days (chilla) at Raipur…^[13] The reference here is to the khidmah of Hadrat Mawlana ‘Abdul Qadir Raipuri (d.1965) and the famous khanqah of Raipur.

“…[10] My friends, the upshot of your coming out is to revive three things: dhikr, ta‘lim and Tabligh. In other words, coming out for Tabligh and they should be made diligent in dhikr and ta‘lim.”^[14] This is an excerpt from a letter included in Makatib-i-Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Muhammad Ilyas by Mawlana Sayyid Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali Nadwi (d.1999).

It is written in the biography of Hadrat Mawlana Yusuf:

“Mawlana Yusuf (may Allah have mercy on him) would, while considering firm conviction (yaqin) and prayer to be the foundation of this work, consider knowledge and dhikr to be the two arms of the movement of da‘wat and Tabligh. He would always draw attention to this in his speeches and letters. In an important letter, he writes: ‘Knowledge and dhikr are the two arms of this work. Deficiency and laziness in any one of these is something that is severely harmful to the work and makes it weak. Each one, in its place, is extremely necessary and important. The centres of knowledge and dhikr are the khanqahs and madrasahs. To strengthen our two arms we are in all ways and at all times in need of the people of knowledge, the ‘ulama and the pious mashayikh. They are, especially in these two important matters, our leaders because they have the knowledge of prophethood (nubuwwat) and the essence of prophethood. It is a necessary responsibility on us that we value them greatly because of this knowledge and dhikr, serve them and consider their company (suhbat) as a means of reforming ourselves and salvation. It is because of this that one of the important numbers of Tabligh is to visit the ‘ulama and mashayikh and to acquire their du‘as. Convey to them conditions of Tabligh and acquire beneficial advice (mashwera) from them.'”^[15] Sawanih Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Yusuf Kandhalwi (page 752) by Mawlana Sayyid Muhammad Thani Hasani.

Mufti ‘Aziz al-Rahman [Bijnori], author of Sawanih Hadratji, writes:

“Once I complained to mawlana about my preoccupations in teaching and suggested that I am so tired of teaching that I wish to find someone for a few days who I could handover my teaching duties and spend a few days in Tabligh. He said, ‘Absolutely not, this work [of teaching] needs to be done before Tabligh and also after Tabligh this work needs to be done. People say we are against the madrasahs, but this is wrong. We consider teaching to be the fundamental work and the limit is such that we teach ourselves. We desire that along with teaching we remain attached to Tabligh.'”^[16] Sawanih Hadratji (page 57) by Hadrat Mawlana Mufti ‘Aziz al-Rahman Bijnori, published in 1966 by Idara Furug-i-‘Ilm, Delhi.

Hadrat Dehlawi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes in a lengthy letter of his: “… I busy my time in the morning and evening, and a portion of time at night, according to my situation, in these two (acquiring knowledge and dhikr)…”

[Hadrat] ‘Ali Miyan writes in the biography of Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas:

“He began sending the Mewatis towards Deoband, Saharanpur, Raipur and Thana Bhawan, and instructed them not to mention Tabligh in the gatherings of the elders. 50 to 60 men should carry out the gasht in the surrounding villages, and to gather together in the town (qasbah) on the eighth day, and to then divide themselves into the villages from there. If the respected akabir were to ask themselves, then tell them, but do not mention yourselves. He wrote to Shaykh al-Hadith Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya in a letter: ‘There is an old yearning of mine that with specific principles (usuls), in the company of the shaykhs of tariqat, these jama‘ats, while fulfilling the etiquettes of the khanqahs, acquire the spiritual blessings (fayd) in the khanqahs and along with this, in a structured way at specific times, the work of Tabligh should continue in nearby villages. Regarding this, through consultation with those who come, a way needs to be fixed. This worthless slave is also this week overcome with thinking that I should present myself with some poor ones. Thinking of Deoband and Thana Bhawan.’”^[17]Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas or unki Dini Da‘wat (page 116) published by Maktabah Mahmudiyyah, Raiwind.

[Hadratji] Mawlana Yusuf (may Allah have mercy on him) would consistently send those affiliated to himself and those connected to the work of Tabligh to Deoband in the service of Hadrat [Mawlana Husayn Ahmad] Madani and to Raipur in the service of Hadrat Mawlana ‘Abdul Qadir Raipuri (may Allah have mercy on them), and would emphasise spending some time there and to benefit as much as possible (Hadrat Hakim al-Ummat (may Allah sanctify his secret) had passed away before [Hadratji] Mawlana Yusuf’s time). Regarding this, with great diligence he wrote instructing someone who had been connected to him for quite a long time:

“For you, it has been determined through mutual mashwera that you should reside at Raipur; not just for one chilla but for up to three chillas you should happily stay with Hadrat. While envisioning the blessed company (suhbat) of Hadrat-i-‘Ali to be an elixir and a very mighty cure in making one’s morals lofty, while fully taking into consideration the etiquettes there [at the khanqah], make effort in developing eagerness for the dhikr of Allah and harvesting Allah’s love.

“We were not able to do anything. You become involved in the acquisition of this great treasure. May Allah Most High make your stay there the means of our salvation and forgiveness. After conveying the Sunnah salam to Hadrat, request du‘a for this helpless and worthless one, and also in the court of all those who are affiliated [to him] and resident there.

“The slave Muhammad Yusuf (may he be forgiven).”