Conceiving Tablighi Jamaat

Abstract

Tablighi Jamaat (TJ) is one of the world’s largest religious movements. From its humble origins in “small town” colonial India, it grew to have a presence on every continent, and in almost every country in the world. Although its members are from diverse backgrounds, all share one key common interest—the propagation of Islam for the salvation of souls. To understand TJ’s development and success as a movement, a closer look at its history is necessary. A number of studies provide detailed historical overviews of the movement (Haq 1972; Metcalf 1982; Sikand 2001; Nadwi 2002; Ali 2012), and this chapter focuses on the key factors that shaped the movement to what it is today.