Tablighi Jamaat is a global Islamic missionary movement whose primary purpose is to encourage Muslims everywhere to be more religiously observant. The group defines its objective with reference to the concept of Dawah, the proselytizing or preaching of Islam, and interprets Dawah as a means to make Muslims better and purer and ideally "religiously perfect". Unlike common proselytizing movements, Tablighi Jamaat has mostly focused on making Muslims better and purer, rather than preaching to non-Muslims. The group denies any political affiliation, involvement in debate over political or Islamic doctrine such as fiqh, let alone terrorism. It maintains its focus is on the study of the sacred scriptures of Islam: the Quran and the Hadith, and that the personal spiritual renewal that results will lead to reformation of society.
Tablighi Jamaat was founded in 1926 in Mewat, India, by Maulana Muhammad Ilyas, an Islamic scholar and teacher. The movement began as an effort to counteract the activities of Hindu revivalists in India, who at the time were attempting to convert Muslims to Hinduism. Worried that existing Islamic educational institutions were not capable of fending off the Hindu challenge, Ilyas envisioned a movement that would send missionaries to villages to instill Muslims with core Islamic values.
Despite its origins in interreligious tensions, the Tablighi Jamaat was for decades a generally apolitical and pacifist movement, which helped the group expand its membership beyond the Indian subcontinent to the Middle East, North Africa, and elsewhere. While most Tablighis still live in Muslim-majority countries, such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Indonesia, the group also has a significant presence in parts of Western Europe, particularly the U.K., France, and Spain.
The group has been accused of maintaining political links and being used by members of Islamist terrorist organizations to recruit operatives. However, it is important to note that the group denies any political affiliation or involvement in terrorism. Some of the mistakes of the group include not adopting the ‘aqidah of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamaah, not paying attention to shar’i knowledge, misinterpreting some Quranic verses, and making their system of going out for da’wah an act of worship.
In conclusion, Tablighi Jamaat is a global Islamic missionary movement that aims to encourage Muslims to be more religiously observant. The group focuses on making Muslims better and purer, rather than preaching to non-Muslims. While the group has been accused of maintaining political links and being used by members of Islamist terrorist organizations to recruit operatives, it denies any political affiliation or involvement in terrorism.
