[AgindyMinnife]

As I have understood Tablighi Jamat is one method of doing work of tabligh. If a Sufi Shaykh spends his life travelling the world, moving constantly from city to city and inviting people to Deen, then surely this is also tabligh? How dare someone say this person is not involved in work of tableegh? Is it because this Shaykh is using the internet as a medium of da'wah (for example)? Just because the Shaykh doesn't stick to every principle of TJ, does not mean he is not doing work of tabligh.

The real issue is that tasawwuf has been preserved via Tariqah, which necessitates (not in fardh/wajib sense, but in our own feeling) an individual to seek it out from a Kamil Shaykh. Elements of tasawwuf are found in the work of TJ, but it's not a substitute. I don't see a major problem if students of 'ilm and zikr don't join TJ because tabligh is a type of work which every Muslim will be involved with by virtue of being a practising Muslim (and if they are formal students of 'ilm and zikr then surely they are involved in tabligh already without TJ), but I do think it's a problem if TJ saathis consciously choose not to join 'ilm and zikr. That's disastrous, and it's very common. They have spent lots of 4 months, but haven't learnt much 'ilm and are not learning zikr. What's the point? What are you calling people to? Are you doing tabligh for ignorant people to do more tabligh? Why? Surely you're meant to do tabligh for people to learn 'ilm and zikr... that's one of our six points!

I think the OP was being unfair with his question and continuous reference to the "Opening Post" - what's the point? It's a fringe point and you keep referring back to it. How many sane people actually think working with TJ is a demotion? I think you'll find the reason for many students of Tasawwuf not being involved with TJ is because they are involved with tabligh elsewhere or their zikr/'ilmi pursuits have taken up most of their time and they are doing tabligh amongst a smaller circle of friends and family (due to time constraints - it doesn't mean they are not doing tabligh). Also, students of Tasawwuf are sometimes encouraged to stay away from people "to save the people from the filth within their own nafs". Now how is that attitude viewing TJ as a demotion?

There's a good book being made available online by ahlezikr on this topic Dangers of Neglecting Zikr. Work of TJ got exceptional qubooliyyat and is still running because of the deep 'ilm and zikr of Hazrat Mawlana Ilyas (ra), Hazrat Shaykhul Hadith (ra), Hazrat Mawlana Yusuf (ra), Hazrat Mawlana In'amul Hasan (ra) and current Ameer of the Jamat. It wasn't only because they were talented at TJ because TJ didn't exist initially anyway - remember this form of TJ started around 50 years ago; but formal 'ilm and zikr has been taking place from the early Islamic centuries.

And if people think we don't like TJ, then I spend a lot of time during weekdays at university with local TJs and get involved with local work, alhamdulillah.