Thank you so much for your Email and your question regarding Islam. It is wonderful to see people like yourself taking the time and interest to learn more about the correct teachings of Islam. This in itself is a sign of guidance from the Almighty Above. May He grant us the wisdom to know the right knowledge and the ability to put it into practice, ameen.
Now as regards your question:
Bismillah Al Hamdulilah was Salat wa Salam ala rasoolulah. Maa baad:
Allahu Alim.
In the Name of Allah, I praise Allah and thank Him and ask for His Peace and Prayers upon Muhammad, and all of the prophets of Allah, ameen. It is only Allah Who has all the Knowledge, and we only have what He might give us.
To continue:
In order to keep this answer brief, I would like to make only the following comments and suggestions. First of all, let us acknowledge that this organization is made up of brothers and sisters just like you and I and we should be most careful in how we treat our beloved brothers and sisters in Islam. We should give them full consideration and hospitality and share with them in calling people to come to the masajid and coming into Islam. This is an order from our creator (surah 3:110; surah Asr and other places). But at the same time we cannot join with them in their mistakes and propagate something that Allah will punish us for in the Next Life. So we have to evaluate the whole picture before making any decisions.
With respect to the wonderful brothers and sisters who are doing the "work" of the "Jamata Tableegh" we should be cautious in two regards:
1.) Never assume anything about something unless you have deep inside knowledge of the subject
2.) Never judge people or make presumptuous remarks without there being a need for it and then verify your proofs.
So, I would like to proceed with due caution in answering this question. Let me begin by saying that I asked many questions to a number of scholars about this 'jamat' in the first few years that I came to Islam. There were different opinions and perspectives on the 'good' that they do versus the 'innovations' that are often associated with their organization.
Let us look to a more analytical view of their beginnings and development over the decades, inshallah.
According to their own teachings, the 'Jamata Tableegh' started around 1930s after a Sufi sheik, Muhammad Elias had a dream in which he saw the development and spread of this 'work' bringing people back to the masajid.
One reporter told me that when the sheik began his preaching he had to make a few concessions with the British (they were in control of India at that time), not the least of which was that they should not preach about the 'Jihad' in Islam. To this day they propagate a false hadeeth about the 'great jihad' being the 'jihad al nafs.' (Jihad Al Akbar - Jihad Al Nafs.)
Which brings us to a most important subject: "Fazail Amal" (Virtuous Deeds). This book which every group carries along and holds dear in their gatherings and masajid is actually a very big compilation of six separate books about important parts of Islam. The sahabeeh, the salat, the fasting, the thicker (remembrance of Allah), Hajj and the 'Tableegh' (preaching) itself. If it weren't for a serious defect in the book, it could be consider a modern day treasure for Islam and the Muslims. However, it suffers from a serious problem. According to the scholars of hadeeth, over 30% of the hadeeths and narrations are very weak or even FABRICATED. This will never do. Although some scholars have allowed that a weak hadeeth may be brought into evidence in support of a good or 'hasan' hadeeth, or to support 'Fazail' (virtuous acts), no scholar has ever allowed for fabricated hadeeths to be brought into play regardless of the virtues or other merits that it might contribute.
Next consideration is the lack of knowledge on the part of those who are giving speeches and lectures in the mosques all around the world. Many of them do not even know the basics of Islam or the foundation of Ilm (knowledge) for Islam. Often as not, they rely on something they heard someone else saying without any proof and even dreams that someone has had. Through this practice they frequently propagate weak and fabricated hadeeths as well as ideologies from other religions.
You will often heard their 'elders' and 'sheiks' quoting the hadeeth in Saheeh Bukhari which says that the prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Inna ma amalu bin niyat." (Certainly everyone will have that which he intended). They base everything on their 'good intentions' and try to justify their shortcomings through this line of thinking. The problem with that is that no matter how many people you bring into the masjid (or even into Islam for that matter), using fabrications and lies, Allah will never accept from you, although He can accept from those who do begin to practice Islam.
Even though they do have some problems, according to the top scholars of Islam in the last several decades, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Baz, Raheem Allah and Sheikh Muhammad Nasr Deen Al Albani, Raheem Allah, we should not try to stop their work under any circumstances, only correct their mistakes and join them in doing all that is according to the Quran and Sunnah in calling ourselves and others to this beautiful deen of Islam. But again, it must be according to the 'menhaj' or methodology of the early Muslims and not according to something new which was never heard of by the sahabeeh. Examples include always insisting on 'going out' for 3 days or 40 days or 4 months. What is the source for this? While we would agree with many of the principles of their call to Islam, we cannot justify making up something which is baseless in the viewpoint of the Quran and the Sunnah.
And just so that you know, I too have spent many months 'in the Path of Allah' along with these brothers doing exactly what the Allah (scholars) have prescribed to do. I worked with the Jamat Tableegh in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Colorado, Florida and even into Mexico. The longest time I spent with them was 48 days (I always preferred not to follow their fixed numbers). Most of them are simple Muslims like you and I. But I did find a few who look to the 'work' of the 'Jamat Tableegh' as though it were Islam itself and these are the ones who have the most problems in Aqeedah (correct belief) and menhaj (methodology).
The deen (way of life in Islam) of Islam is complete and it was totally revealed to the prophet, peace be upon him, over 1,400 years ago. It does not need me or you or anyone in India or Pakistan to come along today and make some adjustments to it to make things work better. The proofs for this are from the Quran and the verified hadeeths of the prophet, peace be upon him.
Again, it is only Allah who has All Knowledge. May He forgive me my mistakes and guide us all to the right way, ameen?
Jazakalah khair and may Allah continue to guide you, ameen.
WA As-Salam alaykum wa rahmatulah wa barakatah,
Your Brother in Islam,