Tablighi Jamaat is the world’s largest proselytizing group of any faith, and it consists of trained missionaries who have dedicated much of their lives to spreading Islam across the globe. They are a large part of the reason for the explosive growth of Islamic religious fervor and conversion. It is designed to remain out of both media and governmental notice, and operates without an organizational structure. It does not publicise any details about the scope of its activities, its membership, or its finances. By eschewing open discussion of politics and portraying itself only as a pietistic movement, Tablighi Jamaat works to project a non-threatening image. It is this secrecy and duality, which forces even religious scholars to write about it from information available from Tableeghi followers or appeasers

Former CIA official and expert on Islam, Graham Fuller, describes Tablighi Jamaat as a “peaceful and apolitical preaching-to-the-people movement.” Barbara Metcalf, a University of California scholar of South Asian Islam, called Tablighi Jamaat “an apolitical, quietist movement of internal grassroots missionary renewal” and draws a comparison of its activities to how the Alcoholics Anonymous have worked towards reforming individual lives. Olivier Roy, a prominent authority on Islam at Paris’s prestigious Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, described Tablighi Jamaat as “completely apolitical and law abiding.”

Reading on, one would get the idea as to how this image is created completely by design.

Tableeghi Jamat works loosely on the following principles:

1) Islam is under attack and Muslims are going through an immense crisis. This is a result of a departure from orthodox Islamic ways.
2) The Muslims must revert to following the uncompromising Islamic practices which require regimentalism.
3) Appear and practice being pious, honest, nice, and gentle to all, and in particular to fellow Muslims.
4) After you the preacher and fellow Muslims are back to Islamic ways, you will be granted Khilafa as Allah has promised to you, and done to those before you in past
5. Until you are able to get to this level of strict following, you must not take part in politics and strictly portray yourself as being apolitical.
6) Once you have passed this stage and are in power, the Sharia rule is to be enforced.

The methodolgy followed by Tableeghi Jamat is to spread the word of Islam through traveling Tablighis who undertake proselytizing missions over varying durations. Formed into jamaats of approximately ten people, these Tablighis’ missions last three days, forty days (chilla), four months, or one year. Those who are sent for three days concentrate on a local city, while a jamaat traveling for a month will do so throughout their country. The longer tours of four months to one year generally take the Tablighis abroad.  This division of months and days is also determined as per the need in that particular area.  Wherever they find the need to engage more unemployed people in pre-Jihadi training, they are known to even stay in the same place and hold Chilla in the same town.  These Chillas are widely attended in countries currently in the Dar ul Islam territory, while in Dar ul Harb countries, the gatherings are smaller and spread over different areas.

Here are some of the things taught in Tableeghi Ijtima:
a) Haram and completely banned: Music, dance, all forms of entertainment, drama, film, alcohol, friendship with women and Kaafirs, idol worship by ANYONE
b) Modern education is Yahudi and Nasrani (christianised). Only Islamic education is to be given
c) All Kafirs, including Jews, Christians, Atheists, and Hindus must be kept under Islamic control
d) All women are to be controlled strictly according to Islamic law
e) All idols to be destroyed at the earliest, and all buildings and premises holding any idols to be taken over by Islamic authorities
f) Children are to be taught according to Islamic values from the age of 4 years, and indoctrinated – prepared for Jihad from an early age
g) Islamic/shariat rule to be implemented in letter and spirit.

More to come in future write ups.

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