Inside the Tablighi Jamaat

Not much is known about what is arguably the worlds, and certainly Indias, largest Islamic organization the Tablighi Jamaat. From poverty-stricken peasants of Bihar to dairy farmers of Mewat, its members attend three-day retreats in local mosques, and at times, the Markaz in Delhi. They come of their own free will, at their own expense. The Tabligh tells its members to look within, that life is about internal cleansing with regular prayer that paves the path to spiritual uplift. Unlike other Islamic organisations that balance the here and the hereafter, the Tabligh is concerned only about matters beyond the sky and under the earth. Its steadfast refusal to take a political stand has stood it in good stead. It is the ideal Muslim organisation for some focused solely on introspection in isolation. Now, for the first time, author Ziya Us Salam provides an inside view of the organization that unwittingly became a hotspot during the novel coronavirus pandemic in 2020.