Muslims of India, Pakistan and Malaysia are facing trouble as Tablighi Jamaat congregates defying the government restrictions to stem the spread of coronavirus. In Bangladesh, however, they listened to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who intervened early, and urged them to go back home and maintain social distancing measures.
The prime minister also restricted congregations in all places of worships including mosques.Muslim scholars in Bangladesh supported the prime minister and also instructed the followers of Tablighi Jamaat, a Muslim missionary movement, to stay at home. But elsewhere, Muslim intellectuals and religious leaders have criticised the activities of the Tablighi Jamaat since the Ummah is the worst hit.
The pandemic virus killed over 100,000 people across the world. India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have less number of cases compared to the Western countries. But Muslim scholars said the followers of Tablighi Jamaat need to change their mindset for the welfare of the mankind.
Tablighi tradition is to congregate in mosques for a long period. They live crowded in mosques and also share food on the same plate. The virus spreads through cough, sneezes and spits. Hand washing with soap is the key to prevent the infection. In Malaysia, when the whole world was facing the crisis, Tablighi Jamaat had organised a huge congregation on Feb 26 at Sripetling Mosque, Malaysia.
A large number of Bangladeshis and Pakistanis also participated there. Since Malaysian government failed to intervene early, coronavirus spread rapidly amongst the followers of Tabligh. Mur Hisham Abdullah, the Director General of Malaysian Health ministry later admitted that out of 428 persons with coronavirus in Malaysia, 243 were the followers of Tabligh.
Even after this, the Tablighis did not learn any lesson putting the lives of others at risk. In March, India found that Tablighi Jamaat is the biggest vector of the disease in the country. On March 20, thousands of followers of Tablighi Jamaat including 2,000 foreigners attended the congregation at Hazrat Nizamuddin, New Delhi despite ban from the government.
Hundreds of them later found infected with the virus but the Tablighis did not follow the orders. They fought and misbehaved with policemen, nurses and doctors who tried to take them in quarantine centres. The Indian government has arranged good facilities for them in such centres with free of cost treatment.
The government is continuously appealing to other fellow Tablighis who attended the congregation to report to quarantine centers in their respective states, but they did not pay heed to that. A returnee from the Tabligh who was being treated in a hospital in Maharashtra, India, has committed suicide after learning that he was tested positive.
Maulana Saad, the Head of the Markaz of Nizamudfin, is still making provocative statements to his followers from the hideout. Majority people from the Muslim community in India get the virus from the Tablighis. For example, 29 out of 30 infected persons in Assam have returned from Nizamuddin, Delhi. Assam is an Indian state which is bordered with Bangladesh.
There have been similar instances in another border state of West Bengal. The Muslim infected persons of West Bengal have been kept in Haj House, Rajarhat in Kolkata. Reports are still coming that Muslims are attending prayers in mosques in large numbers. A number of infected persons who attended the congregation in Nizamuddin have not even reported to the quarantine centres even.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain, who is very popular among Muslims, has blamed the Tablighis for the infection. Asad Madani, the Amir of the Jamiat Ulema e Hind in India, has termed the Tablighis as ‘enemies of India’.
Even, Badruddin Ajmal, the firebrand Muslim leader of AUDF in Assam has severely criticised Tablighi Jamaat. Syed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Delhi has cautioned the Tablighis. Pakistan is also grappling to make the followers of Tabligh to understand the situation. They are not listening to the order of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
First coronavirus case was detected in Pakistan on Feb 26 from a Muslim who returned to Taftan border in Balochistan from Iran after attending congregation. Imran Khan cautioned the people about the virus and asked them for social distancing. In spite of the instructions, more than 250,000 people attended a large congregation of Tablighi Jamaat in Lahore where more than 70,000 were foreigners.
The common people are not listening to the government advice in Pakistan and they are attending the Friday prayers in mosques in large numbers as Tablighis are encouraging them. Even the Pak army is allowing those followers. The number of persons infected with the virus is growing by the day in Pakistan. The situation has become uncontrollable.
Saudi Arabia has understood the gravity of the situation and has closed Mecca and Medina for prayers. Even Hajj has also been postponed. The Bangladesh Tablighi Jamaat has agreed to follow instructions of the government and stopped congregations on request of Sheikh Hasina.
The prime minister has appealed to all to refrain from visiting mosques or attending community prayers. State Minister for Religious Affairs Advocate Sheikh Md. Abdulla has ordered that only 5 persons can attend the regular prayers while maximum 10 persons will be allowed on Friday Jumma prayer.
Prof Younus Sikder, a Shura member of Bangladesh Tablighi Jamaat, has agreed to abide by the instructions of the government. For that, the programme of Tablighi Jamaat are almost closed in Bangladesh. Entry in mosques has also been restricted. The Tablighi Ijtema in Tongi, the largest of its kind in the world, has been postponed. “Bangladesh is in a better position now,” said an official of the religious affairs ministry.
