Competing with Islaam, with a parellel for everything.

In this organisation, Tableegh Jamaa'ath, you will find that they have set up equivalent practices and terminology to make fun of certain Islaamic words and practices, and to practically compete with the symbols of Islaam.

1. To begin with, let us take the name of the deen of Allaah : Islaam. We hear in the supplications by its elders and many of its members, when done in Urdu language, the following : "Aye Allaah ! Too hamayn is kaam mayn mauth tak qaaim rakh!". It is as if saying in English :"Oh Allaah, keep us steadfast in is kaam till death " (is_kaam in Urdu means this work, i.e., the jamaa'ath work). Why not say "Oh Allaah, keep us steadfast in islaam till death ". Thus, "this work" - iskaam -  is made more valuable than Islaam itself. Those with a hypocritical mind-set would enjoy this pun and would do the supplication tongue-in-cheek.

2. The third day of my first expedition, which was for three days, I had to spend in a "district consultation" (zilay ka mashwara) in a town called Arakonam. The whole day, delegates were, one by one, reeling of statistics about the progress of the "work" in their respective towns and I could hear the sound of "chilla" (forty days), as often as the name of Allaah should be mentioned.

3. We could see the participants in "this work" exhorting others not to miss the weekly "ijtema" (congregation) in the "markaz" (centre) of the "halqaa" (circle), which is usually held in the circles on days other than Friday. Because of the importance given to this weekly congregation, we see among the members a keen awareness and restlessness right from the morning on that day and they would adjust all their work, in order to make themselves available for the 'ijtema', which is conducted in the evening. But ask them what Allaah tells us in Qur-aan to do on a Friday, you will get a blank stare.

4. Why ? Because they have set up a parallel "reading" for themselves, in place of Qur-aan : their "fazaail" books. They devote more time for the "fazaail" books.and practically no time for Qur-aan.

5. Similarly, "Jihaad" for them is a word that denotes "striving". So, any fruitless striving fulfils the obligation for "Jihaad".

6. In a mosque in Madras, I heard the following Tamil announcement after the 'asr prayers : "Sagodarargalay ! Ippodu gasht yannum deenin maylaana amal nadai perum" meaning : "Brothers ! Now, Gasht, the excellent work of deen, will take place." For any muslim, the just-concluded prayer is the excellent work of deen. But to announce after the prayers that the superior work of deen - gasht (the patrol) - will take place now, is a contempt of swalaat prayers.

7. A lady from Ranipet was canvassing with other ladies to pay a visit to the head-quarters of the Tableegh Jamaa'ath in Nizaamuddeen area of Delhi. The words which she uttered are : "The feet which have not touched Nizaamuddeen are no feet." But for them, it is of no consequence if the feet have not touched Makkah. Just enquire with the hundreds of foreigners that arrive every week in Nizaamuddeen, spending thousand of dollars, whether they have completed the hajj. A majority of them will say "No". Many of them would be coming to Delhi from Europe, America and Africa overflying the Arabian region , but it would not occur to them to touch down for an Umrah. Because they have been incited to visit a different markaz (centre) of a different deen, that seeks to compete with the deen of Allaah.

In the next article, in-sha-Allaah, you will read more of their dirty ridicules and dirtier conspiracies.