Islam's Reformers .pdf

way of prophets (’alaihi mu ’s-salâtu wa ’s-salâm) and were notaimed at changing the heretical beliefs that had spread amonghuman beings; therefore, it has become a must to establish anew jamâ’at! Those who have wanted to separate al-Ummat al-Muhammadiyya and to start a new heretical movement againstAhl as-Sunna have always come about by saying such words;claiming that the whole Ummat Islâmiyya has deviated from theright path and dissented from the way of salvation, they havefounded new paths. They have put their invented, corrupt,heretical ideas forth in this way.“Another similar one, Abul Ala Mawdûdî, recently founded anorganization called Jama’at Islami in Pakistan. On the fifteenthpage of his Urdu booklet Min Musliman ur mawjûduhû sîyasî,he explains the cause of his founding this organization in thisway: ‘I have investigated and studied much. I decided to takethe present Islamic ring off my neck. If I did not do so, I, too,would be in the footsteps of the irreligious called ilhâd anddahriyya [he calls the religion of his ancestors as ‘ilhâd anddahriyya’.] Therefore, I have put forth a new religionconformable to the meaning of kalimat at-tawhid.’ He claimed tobe the first true Muslim of his time and called everybody,Muslim or not, to this new religion.“Muhammad Ilyâs said the same, claiming that what theUmmat al-Muhammadiyya had done for centuries were notconformable to the way of prophets. Muhammad Manzûr an-Nu’mânî, on the twelfth page of his booklet Malfûzât, quoteshim: ‘All of what the Ummat al-Muhammadiyya do now are ritesand customs. Those who taught religion and directed religiousaffairs depended on rites and customs.’ Muhammad HasanKhân, one of the leaders of Jamâ’at at-tablîgh, wrote in thepreface to Miftâh at-tablîgh, ‘Because religious affairs aremisdirected at the present time, many people are caught by thecurrent of shirk, kufr and ilhâd. Pitying at this situation of men,Allâhu ta’âlâ sent Shaikh Muhammad Ilyâs as a mu’jiza toawaken Muslims from unawareness and to initiate them into thespirit of religion. This mujâhid endeavoured to awaken people inthe Mivat town, south to Delhi, as possible as the conditions ofhis time permitted.’ It would not be easy for them to answer thequestion, from where did Ilyâs find the right path while thewhole Umma was in kufr and dalâla?’“In summary, the group of Jamâ’at at-tablîgh, like their other- 254 -