THE FOUNDER OF TABLIGHI JAMAAT : MAULANA ILYAS KANDHALVI (RA)
THE BIOGRAPHY OF MAULANA ILYAS KANDHALVI (RA.)
Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Kandhlawi (RA.) (1885-1944) was an Indian Islamic scholar and revivalist who is best known for founding the Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic revivalist movement that is aimed at encouraging Muslims to return to the basic principles and practices of Islam.
Maulana Ilyas (RA.) was born in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in 1885 and received a traditional Islamic education in which he studied the Quran, Hadith, and other Islamic sciences. He was a deeply spiritual man who had a strong passion for the spread of Islam and the revival of its original teachings.
After completing his education, Maulana Ilyas(RA.) worked as a teacher and Islamic scholar, but he felt that his true calling was to work for the revival of Islam. He noticed that many Muslims in India had become complacent in their faith and were straying from the traditional practices of Islam. He felt a strong sense of responsibility to address this issue and began to hold gatherings and sermons to encourage people to return to the principles of Islam.
In 1927, he officially established the Tablighi Jamaat, which quickly gained popularity and became one of the largest Islamic revivalist movements in the world. The movement emphasizes the importance of individual and collective responsibility for the preservation and promotion of Islamic values and practices. It encourages Muslims to focus on their own spiritual development and to actively engage in the spread of Islam by reaching out to others and sharing their faith.
Maulana Ilyas(RA.) spent the rest of his life working tirelessly to spread the message of Tablighi Jamaat and to encourage Muslims to live according to the true principles of Islam. Despite facing opposition and criticism from some quarters, he remained steadfast in his commitment to the cause and continued to work tirelessly until his death in 1944.
After his death, the leadership of Tablighi Jamaat passed on to his son, Maulana Inamul Haq Kandhlawi, who continued to spread the movement's message and expand its reach. Today, the Tablighi Jamaat continues to be one of the largest and most influential Islamic revivalist movements in the world, with millions of followers in countries all over the world.
Maulana Ilyas's (RA.) legacy continues to inspire people to return to the basic principles and practices of Islam, and his teachings continue to shape the way that Muslims think about their faith and their role in society. He is remembered as a great Islamic scholar and a devout servant of Allah, who dedicated his life to the revival of Islam and the spread of its message.