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New Perspectives on Worldly Matters

One of the main dichotomies present in the tablighi discourse is between akhirat (next world) and duniya (this world). Conceptualization of travel reinforces this dichotomy with new ideas and experiences. Sufi ideology always propagated the ascetic life. Tablighi journeys can be quite ascetic too. Long travels limit the amount of things people can take with them and living conditions in many mosques can be very difficult. It is mostly through these experiences that Tablighis obtain new understanding of the worldly life. For example, one Kyrgyz Tablighi explained:

When people travel, they understand that they are able to live without all the conveniences they ordinarily enjoy, like soft beds, TV sets, daily showers, and mobile phones. Travel shows that life without these conveniences is not only possible but can in fact be even more fulfilling.[14]

During the journeys references are often made to the examples of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) and many sahabahs (R.A.A.), who had the material life of utmost simplicity. I often heard in Tablighi talks that when the Prophet (S.A.W.) passed away, he was the ruler of a great territory, yet all he had in his possession was a reed mat and a bowl and when Umar (R.A.A.) was the Khalif (leader) of the Muslim Khalifat, he used to wear the dress with a great number of stitches and patches.

Tablighi travels are very egalitarian spaces. They reconstruct social hierarchies. An interesting comparison was given by a Tablighi from Kazakhstan who said that travel is a similitude of death:

Just like at the time of death people cannot take any of their possessions to the grave with them, when people travel, they also leave behind all of their material wealth, their families and their socio-economic status. All that they can take with them is their personality and their beliefs. A doctor and a taxi driver in the jamaat are in the same position, they go through the same difficulties and in critical situations what matters are not one’s degree or profession, but one’s personal qualities and relationship with the Creator.[15]

However, there is a difference between Tablighi teachings and traditional Sufi ascetism and other monastic forms in other religions, which renounces the world completely. In fact, this is a very important matter stressed in many Tablighi talks. It is suggested that going on the religious travel does not mean rejecting the worldly matters completely. The purpose of travelling is to acquire the internal power of iman (belief) and bring it back into one’s worldly life, so that everyday a person would live according to religion. Some Tablighis are known for frequent cases of abandoning the worldly matters altogether, leaving jobs and even families. This was a point of concern for many experienced Tablighis, who recognize that such practices might on the contrary have negative effect on the reputation of the movement and effectiveness of its work. In Tablighi perspectives participants are always encouraged to be active members of the community and good providers for their families. The pointing and middle fingers are often joined together to show how the middle finger representing religion is slightly longer than the pointing finger representing worldly matters, yet they are together.



The worldview of a twentieth-century spiritual nomad is the one from the “saddle”. He is not a passive observant of a wolrd events passing by his house or a work-place. He becomes an active observer, who moves through the space and worldly events taking place in different localities. This fundamental difference embedded in two positions has strong effect on the change of the world perspective of Tablighi travelers.

 

Socialization

 

While in the journey, Tablighis continuously move from one mosque to another. The average time of staying in one place is two-three days. The stay in each location is full of interactions with local residents who come to the mosque and whom Tablighis visit in their houses. That is why travelling on a spiritual path people meet many new people. Some of these encounters are very short; others become real opportunities to get to know each other, especially when members of one jamaat spend several months together.

One Pakistani Tablighi from London pointed out that in travel people become united and destroy their cultural and social barriers and that travel eradicates racism. International travels unite people of different nationalities. For example, people from all over the world come to India and one can see Indians, Arabs, Malaysians, Africans, Americans, Australians, Europeans, Russians and Central Asians sharing the meal in Nizamudin marqas (center) or during the big ijtemas (large gatherings). In such meetings believers from all over the world see the global nature of religion and start feeling themselves like real members of the Ummah (global community of Muslims).

In travel, people also meet many representatives of other religious affiliations and become familiar with the visual manifestations of their beliefs and religious practices. These encounters strengthen their identity as Muslims.

My own observations show that jamaat brings together people with different personalities. Some people get along very well, others not so much, but circumstances force all people in jamaat to be together most of the time and that teaches the travelers to be patient and not notice the mistakes of others in order to protect the unity. Maulana Saad from India, who is the leader of the movement today, frequently emphasized the importance of unity and danger of individualism. On the subject of learning from each other, one elderly Kyrgyz Tablighi explained:

When we see the mistakes of others, we try to see our own reflection in them, to correct them in ourselves, and make dua (prayers) for our brothers. When we see some good qualities, we try to adopt them. For few days I have been observing how the elderly Indian person from our jamaat wakes up every night at 2 o’clock, offers his tahajud namaz (night prayer) and sits until morning in zikr (remembrance of Allah) and how he fasts every Monday and Thursday and on several other days according to the Sunnah. I want to learn these qualities from him.[16]

 

Another experienced Tablighi from India said: “In this path we learn how to get into the shoes of another person and put our needs behind the needs of our brothers”.


Date: 2015-12-11; view: 741


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