How did we end up in the renowned Maulana Tariq Jamil’s room while lots of people were waiting outside to meet him?

And who is better in speech than one who invites to Allah and does righteousness and says, “Indeed, I am of the Muslims.”

After finishing my engineering degree, I decided to go on a spiritual tour for four months. My destinations were three countries i.e. India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Many of my seniors and also some of the lecturers from my University have gone for a similar journey. I was excited as this could be the longest holiday that I will have before starting my career.

During the preparation, I was informed that we have managed to secure only the visa for Bangladesh and India and we will go to Bangladesh for the first leg and India thereafter. We were advised to get our Pakistan visa from India and proceed to Pakistan from India before returning back to Malaysia.

The story of my 4 months journey itself is a long story thus I will spare that for another time. After finishing my first leg of the journey in Bangladesh I safely landed in India. In India while spending our time there, we tried to apply for Pakistan’s visa.
Unfortunately in 2002, India and Pakistan had a military stand-off and the Pakistan embassy in India was closed. We tried several times to visit the embassy in Delhi but the embassy was heavily guarded by the military due to the unrest and threats faced by the embassy.

I was devastated further when India rejected our request to extend our visa. We had two choices, either to return to Malaysia early or to go to Bangladesh again. Bangladesh was a poor country and our experience during the first leg was not that of a pleasant one. When I left Bangladesh, I was saying to myself that Bangladesh will be the last place on earth that I will be returning to again. But as Muslim we always believe we plan and Allah also plans, always His plans prevails.

There we were on our journey to Bangladesh for the second time, missing our chance to visit Pakistan. However, the second trip wiped all of my earlier bitter experiences and it has become one of the most memorable experiences in my life.

Missing Pakistan in that trip has always been a thorn in my heart. I heard many great stories from my friends who have been to Pakistan, especially about their hospitality. By God’s grace, I was given a chance to be in Pakistan not for 30 days but for 3 years plus.

Raiwind is dear to the people of Pakistan. This is where the field for annual tablighi ijtima is located. People not only from all over Pakistan but also all around the world gather once a year for the congregation which will see many prominent Islamic scholars give their sermon.

The tabligh movement in Pakistan was previously led by the late Almarhum Haji Abdul Abdul Wahab. He was a prominent figure in Pakistan and dear to the hearts of the locals. I was in Pakistan when Almarhum Haji Abdul Wahab passed away in 2018. His passing was announced at our Masjid and the funeral prayer was planned to be held later that day. As Raiwind was near our house, I wanted to pay my last respect to him. I requested Shabbir to drive me to the ijtima field where the prayer was to be held. To my amazement, the road towards the funeral prayer location was jammed even from my housing area which was located more than 20 kilometers away. I saw throngs of people who filled busses beyond its maximum capacity where some were hanging on doors while others sitting on its roofs. There were other groups of people standing packed inside lorries. All were stuck in a back to back jam on the road heading towards Raiwind Ijtima field. When I checked the Google Map, the road heading to Raiwind was jammed all the way from Lahore city.

I suggested to Shabbir that we should go there by motorbike. We returned home and took the motorbike. I was sitting behind Shabbir. It was winter, and the motorbike ride can be challenging. However, just a few kilometres on our ride, there was gridlock. Even a motorbike could not pass through it. Later that day, the local news also reported massive traffic jams from all directions heading towards the burial ground. Even locals were amazed by the number of people who wanted to join the prayers prior to his burial. It was estimated that a few hundred thousand people joined the prayer and maybe another few hundred thousand people including me who were stuck in traffic jams and could not join the prayer. Someone who is loved by Allah will be loved by the people.

I had few chances to see him from far only prior to his demise. He was very old and frequently ill so visitors were not allowed most of the time. He spent a major part of his life in the Masjid in Raiwind or better known as the Tableeghi Markaz preaching sermons to people who came from all over Pakistan.

Maulana Tariq Jamil who is a Pakistani renowned Islamic television preacher is another prominent figure of Pakistan’s Tablighi Jamaat. He was awarded with the Pride of Performance Award 2020 by the President of Pakistan to honour his contribution towards Islamic propagation. He is an excellent orator who is always on the go giving sermons all around the world. His sermon is one of the much awaited during the annual Raiwind Ijtema held in November every year.

While people all around the world came just to attend the Ijtema, I did not want to miss the chance to attend the Ijtema as well. I had a tough time convincing my colleague to follow me to attend the Ijtema. We had a glimpse of the field where the Ijtema usually will be held. It was an empty field with just wooden poles. Locals who come to attend the Ijtema usually will bring their own materials to make the roof and the floor. They will also bring their own sleeping bags and other necessities to cook their own food while staying there for the period of Ijtema which usually lasts for three days. The devotees won’t mind the temporary hardship they have to endure for the spiritual gain that they will experience during their stay there.

However, as usual Pakistan’s hospitality prevails and I was informed that foreigners will stay in a much more comfortable area with permanent structure. I convinced him also that if we were lucky we might get a chance to meet prominent scholars. Finally he was convinced and Shabbir was well prepared to bring us there. The drive to the Ijtema area was rather short as the traffic was well managed by the volunteers and also local police, however we were stopped at the entrance to the Ijtema field. Vehicles were not allowed within the vicinity of the Ijtema area for both security reasons and managing the movement of people. Police and the volunteers were directing all the vehicles to the nearby parking area. Shabbir was adamant and he was confronting the volunteers.
“Shabbir, just proceed to the parking area and you can drop us here,” I don’t want to create a scene. “Don’t worry Sir, we can go inside. I will talk to them” He was assuring. “The walk from here to the foreigners location is far” He added. I was worried about the fact that I don’t look not even a bit like a foreigner now. I was wearing a kurta matching it with a white hat I bought in Pakistan. But then my friend was wearing a long arabic thobe. Hopefully the police and the volunteers will be convinced by his look and I should just claim to be an escort for him being a delegate from Saudi. On the other hand, I already had my Malaysian passport readily if they allowed only my friend and disallowed me.

Shabbir as usual managed to talk his way in. I was relieved. True to his statement, the location for foreigners would have been a long walk if he dropped us at the entrance just now. We would also might get lost on our way there as there were people everywhere. Shabbir drove slowly while avoiding the crowds. People were eager to see the car and us inside, assuming we must be some VVIP having been allowed access to this area with our car.

As we arrived at the foreigner camp, we were welcomed in after security checks. Yes I needed to show my passport not like my other friends who can use his appearance to get in.

This particular area that we accessed is the same area where all the top ranks of worldwide Tablighi Jamaat stay. Not all foreigners are allowed here and we got a special privilege due to our connection with the Malaysian students who are also volunteering here.

Some of them have been studying in Raiwind’s madrasa for more than five years. Most of them speak very good Urdu. We have previously visited them and they have also visited our house.

I have coordinated with the student here so that he will try to arrange for us to meet some of the prominent top ranks of Tablighi Jamaat who are here, especially Maulana Tariq Jamil. “No promise brother” Syafiq the Madrasa student who was ushering us told me. I didn’t have high hopes of meeting Maulana Tariq as his room was one of the rooms people are constantly waiting to get in.

We attended the talk or more commonly known as ‘bayan’ from the Malaysian camp where the bayan in Urdu was translated to Malay live by a Malaysian ustaz who is fluent in Urdu. After the talk ended, Syafiq came and told us that he will bring us to meet Maulana Tariq. I told Syafiq don’t sweat it if there is too much rush. “It is Maulana’s rest time and usually he won’t take any guests. But his helper told me he is willing to meet you’ll Malaysian,” Syafiq explained.
Maulana Tariq has been to Malaysia and he has affections towards Malaysians. As we arrived at his room’s entrance, there were too many people waiting outside. Syafiq suggested it wouldn’t be appropriate for us to enter from here. People who have been waiting very long and they might get upset. “There is another entrance. This is used for Maulana to move in and out easily. We will use that,” Syafiq suggested. We headed to that entrance. Outsiders are normally aren’t allowed to access this area. Syafiq who was volunteering here had all access and he brought us in.

We were invited inside the room and made to sit while waiting for Maulana who was making his wudhu. Shabbir was also allowed to enter the room. I can see his excitement. “Apa khabar” Maulana addressed us as he entered the guest area. Yes he was directing the question to my friend and I was not in his radar. He hugged all of us as Syafiq introduced all of us as Malaysian. Except for Shabbir who was so excited that he introduced himself.

After asking about us and our work in Pakistan, Maulana gave us some advice. Syafiq played the role of the translator.
We didn’t want to take much of his time as we have already intruded on his rest time. My friend needed his Instagram moment and Maulana happily allowed us to take a picture with him.

That is how we met the famous Maulana Tariq Jamil.

The annual Ijtima is truly a miracle event which is being hosted annually with all the arrangements done by volunteers. I encourage all to attend this annual event.