Deobandi clerics meet to avoid Tablighi Jamaat’s crisis

As the annual three-day congregation of Tablighi Jamaat is set to start in Karachi’s Orangi Town on January 31, prominent Deobandi clerics from across the country gathered this week at the Jamia Daruluoom seminary to chalk out a strategy to save the Tablighi Jamaat from longstanding disputes that have split the apolitical and proselytising organisation in Bangladesh, India and United Kingdom.

The Tablighi Jamaat, which concentrates on individual piety, has split in recent years over leadership issue, especially in Bangladesh, India and the United Kingdom. The differences among the leaders turned into violent clashes during Bangaldesh’s Bishwa Ijtema in early December over establishing dominance, killing several members and injuring hundreds others.

Showing their concerns over the situation the Tablighi Jamaat facing in various countries and to save the organisation from such a situation in Pakistan, Mufti Rafi Usman, principal of the Jamia Darul Uloom seminary, convened a meeting to discuss the situation.

Jamia Darul Uloom Karachi’s Mufti Taqi Usmani, Darul Uloom Haqqani Nowshera’s Maulana Anwar ul Haq, Jamia tur Rasheed Karachi’s Mufti Abdul Rahim, Jamia Farooqi Karachi’s Maulana Dr Muhammad Adil, Jamai Binori Town’s Maulana Imadadullha, Jamia Binoria Karachi’s Maulana Noman Naeem and Darul Uloom Farooqia’s Maulana Qazi Abdul Rasheed were prominent among the clerics who attended the meeting.

The participants showed their concerns over the violent clashes in Tablighi Ijtima in Bangladesh and internal differences in India and agreed to send a joint well-wishing message from the religious scholars to the Jamaat’s four centres in Pakistan.

They also said that they would play their role to save the organsiation from such a situation and continue their support and patronage of the Tablighi Jamaat in Pakistan. They also said that the organisation’s Pakistan leaders should become impartial in the crisis and not issue any statement in favour of any faction outside the country.

In a separate statement, Mufti Muhammad Naeem, the principal of the Jamia Binoria, demanded of the Sindh government to provide security to the gathering that would start on January 31 in Orangi Town nieghbourhood.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the three-day congregation that will end on February 3. Naeem also said that the provincial government should chalk out a plan for providing basic civic facilities, such as water and electricity, and transportation for the guests attending the congregation.