Jamaat-e-Islami and Tabligh Jamaat: A Comparative Study of Islamic Revivalist Movements

Abstract

Since the turn of the 20th century, a broad range of Islamic revivalist movements have sprung up in Muslim societies around the globe, especially where Muslims have formerly experienced, primarily through European colonisation, a gradual decline in key Islamic institutions and threats to their identity. Islamic revivalist movements have consequently emerged to inculcate religious principles en masse in the Muslim World through institutional developments, socio-political activities, missionary preaching, and propagation. Movements such as Ilyas’s Tabligh Jama’at and Maududi’s Jama’at-e-Islami are at the forefront of this enterprise and have both demonstrated their potential for bringing about important spiritual and social changes, particularly in Muslim-majority societies. Having been initiated in the Indian subcontinent, both movements currently have global and transnational influence. These two movements, however, have some fundamental differences with regard to their attitude towards polity and social development. In this paper, we compare and contrast the major characteristics of the two movements. A comparative appraisal of these two significant revivalist movements is expected to contribute to an understanding of the socio-religious discourse surrounding the phenomenon of Islamic revivalism. With this comparison, we argue that the differences in their methods are complementary rather than antagonistic, and generally pursue a similar greater goal: reviving Islam and returning society to a stable and harmonious state.

“Khuruj Fi Sabilillah” (Traveler in Faith) And Its Implications on Household Harmony of Tabligh Jamaat in North Gorontalo Regency, Indonesia

“…Then if it has been long enough, it can be followed by ten days, and continues to 40 days, then four months and a year. However, this activity of going out to preach has several conditions, including (1). Those who are married must consult with their wife and children long before leaving, and those who are not married must ask permission from their parents.…”

Madhhab Negotiation, Education Transformation and Conflict Resolution in Conveying the Sermon of Tablighi Jamaat in Southeast Asia

“…The Tablighi is part of a reformist sufism's project from Madrasah Darul Ulum Deobandi stream (Ali & Amin, 2020;Hamdi, 2022;Rauf et al, 2018). Yayasan Darul Ulum Deobandi is an institution that is active in religious education and missionary endeavours that was built in 1867 in Saharanpur, India.…”

“…Different from other Islamic groups, the Tablighi refuses to involve politic in their dakwah, on the other hand, the Tablighi is a pure religious movement with 'silaturrahmi' friendship (visiting each other) as their struggle to spread religion with different targets (Ali & Amin, 2020;Ali & Minxing, 2021;Hamdi, 2022;Metcalf, 1996). If other groups are targeting community out of Islam as their missionary's object, the Tablighi is targeting the internal community of Islam or the Muslim itself.…”

The Kiai’s Cultural Strategy in Shaping the Religious Culture of the Community of Temboro Magetan Village, East Java

“…There was a change in the orientation of pesantren education from Salafiyah NU system to the Salafiyah Tablighi Jamaat (Suparta, 2009). Tablighi Jamaat was founded by Muhammad Ilyas al- Kandhlawi (1885Kandhlawi ( -1994, a Deoband alumnus in 1927 Mewat south Delhi India (Ali & Amin, 2020). After this, the Pesantren al-Fatah became center of the largest Tablighi Jamaat movement in East Java, based on pesantren (Arifin, 2017).…”

“…The study of Tablighi Jamaat in Temboro, generally discusses ideological aspects and religious movements (Agha, 2015;Ali & Amin, 2020;Aziz, 2004;Bustamam-Ahmad, 2008;Ma'mun, Huda et al, 2020), also related to amaliyah that characterizes Tablighi Jamaat such as khuruj and Masturah (Arifin et al, 2021;Machmudi & Ardhani, 2020;Manshur, 2010). Several studies also examine the authority and leadership of Kiai and Nyai from the perspective of the Tablighi Jamaat (Arifin, 2017;Arifin & Rohmah, 2019;Machmudi & Ardhani, 2020;Nadlifah et al, 2020).…”