The Ruling on the Tabligh Jama'ah
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Many questions have come in asking about the Tabligh Group, and there is much disagreement regarding them. What is your Eminence’s opinion? The Tabligh Group is a group of Indians from Pakistan who had activity in da'wah (calling others to Islam). They organized their activities in limited trips of forty days, more or less, and they would prepare for them. Allah made much benefit through them in their lands and elsewhere.
Answer:
However, some of them are ignorant and lack insight, and some of them have some religious innovations (bid'ah). We have advised them many times; we have met with their leaders and prominent figures more than once and advised them extensively. If it is possible to have with them someone from the people of knowledge who can guide them and point out any errors that may occur among them, there is no harm in that. However, if they are alone, they may err in some matters, and they may encounter issues whose rulings they do not know. Generally, they advise people regarding the prayer and maintaining it, abandoning what Allah has forbidden, and caring for what Allah has made obligatory. But they are ignorant of the creed, and they have no insight into the creed except for whom Allah has mercy. If there is with them someone from the people of knowledge who has insight into the creed, the matter becomes good and easy. If there is no one with them who has knowledge of the creed, then one should refrain from going out with them, or not, so that a person does not fall into error regarding the creed.
The point is that they are enthusiastic, but they have a deficiency in knowledge regarding the creed. If their enthusiasm and activity are accompanied by someone who has knowledge of the creed and insight into the creed, all good will be gathered in the movement of calling to Allah, visiting villages, towns, and tribes for the call and simplification. If there is no one with them who has insight, then one should refrain from it, or not, because some people may err and not know in what they may err. When they sit in the mosque, one sees enthusiasm and activity, and one sees activity in oneself. I have seen Allah benefit many people through them in terms of activity and maintaining the prayer, quitting smoking, and quitting intoxicants because of them. Their only deficiency is in the aspect of the creed. If Allah facilitates someone with insight into the creed, the benefit will be complete.
Many questions have come in asking about the Tabligh Group, and there is much disagreement regarding them. What is your Eminence’s opinion? The Tabligh Group is a group of Indians from Pakistan who had activity in da'wah (calling others to Islam). They organized their activities in limited trips of forty days, more or less, and they would prepare for them. Allah made much benefit through them in their lands and elsewhere.
Answer:
However, some of them are ignorant and lack insight, and some of them have some religious innovations (bid'ah). We have advised them many times; we have met with their leaders and prominent figures more than once and advised them extensively. If it is possible to have with them someone from the people of knowledge who can guide them and point out any errors that may occur among them, there is no harm in that. However, if they are alone, they may err in some matters, and they may encounter issues whose rulings they do not know. Generally, they advise people regarding the prayer and maintaining it, abandoning what Allah has forbidden, and caring for what Allah has made obligatory. But they are ignorant of the creed, and they have no insight into the creed except for whom Allah has mercy. If there is with them someone from the people of knowledge who has insight into the creed, the matter becomes good and easy. If there is no one with them who has knowledge of the creed, then one should refrain from going out with them, or not, so that a person does not fall into error regarding the creed.
The point is that they are enthusiastic, but they have a deficiency in knowledge regarding the creed. If their enthusiasm and activity are accompanied by someone who has knowledge of the creed and insight into the creed, all good will be gathered in the movement of calling to Allah, visiting villages, towns, and tribes for the call and simplification. If there is no one with them who has insight, then one should refrain from it, or not, because some people may err and not know in what they may err. When they sit in the mosque, one sees enthusiasm and activity, and one sees activity in oneself. I have seen Allah benefit many people through them in terms of activity and maintaining the prayer, quitting smoking, and quitting intoxicants because of them. Their only deficiency is in the aspect of the creed. If Allah facilitates someone with insight into the creed, the benefit will be complete.
Source
لقاءات لابن باز - لقاء مفتوح مع الشيخ ابن باز — archive.org (39:56)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.