The ruling on going out with the Tablighi Jamaat
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Your Eminence! A few years ago, many of the brothers would come and ask about going out with the Tablighi Jamaat. Most of what we hear from students of knowledge is that they encourage them to pursue knowledge, to attend the circles of dhikr and the circles of knowledge that exist in the cities, and also to cooperate with the Commission for Promoting Virtue and Forbidding Wrongdoing.
Etc.
But for about the last two years, there has been a decline and disappearance of the circles of knowledge in many cities; in fact, they are almost nonexistent in some cities. So the brothers in the Tablighi Jamaat ask, saying: Where do we go now if there is no student of knowledge to gather with, or to learn from? Where do we go? Knowing that the brothers in the Tablighi Jamaat are the only ones who continue with their activities, their gatherings, and their efforts, whether few or many. So we want to know, Your Eminence! The truth of the matter, even if the discussion of this issue is long. We truly have a group of young men who come from cities five hundred or six hundred kilometers away to attend this meeting, because in the cities where we live, there is truly no one who knows what happened to most of the students of knowledge; they have distanced themselves from the circles. So the truth is, Shaykh! We do not know whether to let them continue with the Tablighi Jamaat,Or do we remain on our first position and say: or to direct them to knowledge,And if we say to them: or to direct them to knowledge, they say: We do not find anyone to teach us, or if we sit with some of the students of knowledge, he begins to innovate and commit open sinfulness,They say: we do not truly find anyone who helps us with ourselves, or with continuing our activities, except these brothers. So what is your opinion, Your Eminence, especially in these days when real weakness has begun in most regions?
I say: We ask Allah for well-being, and we ask Allah to restore the activity of the youth in what is good for them and for the country.
The Tablighi Jamaat is an active group, a group in which there is good, a group with an influence that no other group has, and a group that restrains its harm from people; they do not speak about people, neither about the rulers, nor about the scholars, nor about the princes. This is well known. In fact, they try to avoid argument among themselves, even in matters of knowledge. All of this is to avoid discord. Their influence is clear. How many an open sinner became a righteous, upright person through them, and how many a disbeliever entered Islam because of them, and their good morals. But they lack knowledge. They need students of knowledge to be with them and clarify the truth to them, so that they may be on clear guidance regarding the matter. And there is fear regarding traveling abroad to Pakistan or Bangladesh or elsewhere, of what they might fear from religious innovations there. However, some of the brothers from the Qassim region went this year to a gathering that was in Pakistan or Bangladesh—I do not know—but they mentioned that their leader, who delivered the sermon in this large gathering, from the very beginning, from the Maghrib prayer until four hours after sunset, was affirming the oneness of Allah (tawhid),They say: and we did not hear from him anything indicating a contradiction of the oneness of Allah (tawhid) at all. And yet, when a meeting took place between us and them, he praised the people of knowledge in this country and said: We hope that one of you will come to us to clarify the error to us so that we may return from it.
In any case: They need students of knowledge to be with them. So if a student of knowledge is with them, he will benefit from two aspects: The first aspect: that he teaches them, guides them, and directs this group that calls people with their morals, their etiquette, and their preference for others. He teaches them what is obligatory upon them from the matters of the Shari'ah.
And the second aspect: The second aspect: that he himself, if he is proud because he is a student of knowledge, he will become soft and know humility, and the practice of preferring others. So condemning them absolutely is wrong, and praising them absolutely is wrong. But as far as I know, their good deeds are more than their bad deeds, and the deficiency they have is the matter of knowledge; they have ignorance.
We ask the Exalted to gather us all upon beneficial knowledge and righteous action. Indeed, He is capable of all things.
Etc.
But for about the last two years, there has been a decline and disappearance of the circles of knowledge in many cities; in fact, they are almost nonexistent in some cities. So the brothers in the Tablighi Jamaat ask, saying: Where do we go now if there is no student of knowledge to gather with, or to learn from? Where do we go? Knowing that the brothers in the Tablighi Jamaat are the only ones who continue with their activities, their gatherings, and their efforts, whether few or many. So we want to know, Your Eminence! The truth of the matter, even if the discussion of this issue is long. We truly have a group of young men who come from cities five hundred or six hundred kilometers away to attend this meeting, because in the cities where we live, there is truly no one who knows what happened to most of the students of knowledge; they have distanced themselves from the circles. So the truth is, Shaykh! We do not know whether to let them continue with the Tablighi Jamaat,Or do we remain on our first position and say: or to direct them to knowledge,And if we say to them: or to direct them to knowledge, they say: We do not find anyone to teach us, or if we sit with some of the students of knowledge, he begins to innovate and commit open sinfulness,They say: we do not truly find anyone who helps us with ourselves, or with continuing our activities, except these brothers. So what is your opinion, Your Eminence, especially in these days when real weakness has begun in most regions?
I say: We ask Allah for well-being, and we ask Allah to restore the activity of the youth in what is good for them and for the country.
The Tablighi Jamaat is an active group, a group in which there is good, a group with an influence that no other group has, and a group that restrains its harm from people; they do not speak about people, neither about the rulers, nor about the scholars, nor about the princes. This is well known. In fact, they try to avoid argument among themselves, even in matters of knowledge. All of this is to avoid discord. Their influence is clear. How many an open sinner became a righteous, upright person through them, and how many a disbeliever entered Islam because of them, and their good morals. But they lack knowledge. They need students of knowledge to be with them and clarify the truth to them, so that they may be on clear guidance regarding the matter. And there is fear regarding traveling abroad to Pakistan or Bangladesh or elsewhere, of what they might fear from religious innovations there. However, some of the brothers from the Qassim region went this year to a gathering that was in Pakistan or Bangladesh—I do not know—but they mentioned that their leader, who delivered the sermon in this large gathering, from the very beginning, from the Maghrib prayer until four hours after sunset, was affirming the oneness of Allah (tawhid),They say: and we did not hear from him anything indicating a contradiction of the oneness of Allah (tawhid) at all. And yet, when a meeting took place between us and them, he praised the people of knowledge in this country and said: We hope that one of you will come to us to clarify the error to us so that we may return from it.
In any case: They need students of knowledge to be with them. So if a student of knowledge is with them, he will benefit from two aspects: The first aspect: that he teaches them, guides them, and directs this group that calls people with their morals, their etiquette, and their preference for others. He teaches them what is obligatory upon them from the matters of the Shari'ah.
And the second aspect: The second aspect: that he himself, if he is proud because he is a student of knowledge, he will become soft and know humility, and the practice of preferring others. So condemning them absolutely is wrong, and praising them absolutely is wrong. But as far as I know, their good deeds are more than their bad deeds, and the deficiency they have is the matter of knowledge; they have ignorance.
We ask the Exalted to gather us all upon beneficial knowledge and righteous action. Indeed, He is capable of all things.