[PICTURES] The Tableeghi Jamaat connection with Pakistan Cricket - Good or bad?

[MenInG]

This is Mohammad Rizwan and Hassan Ali at the Dhaka Kakrail Markaz during BPL

==

Question really is whether this sort of connection is good or bad for Pakistan cricket?

Are cricketers personal beliefs an issue, when do they become an issue?

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

It’s their private matter. Why should this be any issue? Kohli and her wife have visited lot of temples and Indian gurus recently. Many Indian players have gone to golden temple to pray as well.
Marnus is a devout Christian and speaks about that. So, there is no issue in this at all.

 

[MenInG]

Think the issue is that many feel that Pakistan cricketers are somehow not carrying out their duties as cricket players on the field due to off-field religious activities

 

[sweep_shot]

I think it is a non-issue provided they are doing their jobs properly.

 

[ex-q-zit]

How is this any issue at all, its their personal choice to join/follow any organisation they belive in. It should be fine as long as it doesn't affect their game as they are professional players and need to deliver results and not turn philosophical like kudrat like nizaam crap.

Also they need to stopping making religious statements like rizwan made after the SF during presentation. Since that statement Pakistan lost the final, didn't win even 1 test match and lost an ODI series at home. It backfired big time as this means they didn't work hard so god didn't reward them.

 

[Local.Dada]

This is an absolute non-issue what someone does in their private life especially spiritual and religious stuff.

However Pakistan players have a tendency to spill religion on to the cricket pitch or in to cricket matters as well. That’s probably the concern when someone starts getting too religious.

 

[Saj]

It used to be prevalent when Inzamam and co were around, then it quietened down.

It seems to be back recently.

I have no problem with what these guys do in their private lives, as long as it doesn't affect their cricket and they don't force their opinions down the throats of other players.

 

[Bewal Express]

The guys should do what they feel comfortable with. They should also be prepared accept criticism when they dont walk the walk.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

This is Mohammad Rizwan and Hassan Ali at the Dhaka Kakrail Markaz during BPL

==

Question really is whether this sort of connection is good or bad for Pakistan cricket?

Are cricketers personal beliefs an issue, when do they become an issue?

IMO, it's a slippery slope and I think what's needed is for the players to have the intellect to be able to strike a fair balance between mixing sports with religion.

I have spent time with Tableeghi Jamaat and I hold a lot of respect for them; however, sometimes their message is not always correctly interpreted either by the person giving the sermon or by the listeners and followers.

Tableeghi jamaat has a LOT OF FOCUS on the way you should appear ("Apna Hulya Huzoor (saw) ki tarah bana lo).
They stress A LOT in sporting a long beard as it's a sunnah, raise your pants above your ankles as it's a sunnah, do miswaak as it's a sunnah, put a pagri on your head as it's a sunnah.

Not many sermon givers in Tableeghi jamaat will tell you to live an honest and hypocrisy free life because that's also a sunnah.
Avoid cheating, deceiving, lying because that's also a sunnah. Keep your streets and your cities clean because the prophet (saw) said, cleanliness is half emaan.
Learn how to forgive others because that's also a sunnah
Control your anger and be patient, because that's also a sunnah.

Some folks, who then listen to all this, get brainwashed with the wrong message. And they go on extremes and their Islam starts and ends with their wives and other females at home. I have seen examples of some Tableeghi people throwing TV away from their homes and force their women to put on Burqa, and remove their kids from school because of Kafir angraizi nizaam and/or the kids would wear pants in school uniform, and "pants not the attire of Muslims".

They would have hardly any means to support their families but they will either take off from work or quit it to go for 4 months while their kids and wives at home are "at the mercy of Allah".

And hardly any Tableeghi leader will stop them from doing so, matter of fact, they boast about it to encourage others to do the same.
This is NOT common sense. This is ridiculous. And this is not what Islam wants from you.


So,
If you are involved in a Tabeelghi group that actually reminds you to shift your priorities in the right order by


1 - Praying 5 times daily prayers
2 - Give full zakaat that you owe
3 - Extend extreme respect to your parents
4 - Develop good manners.
5 -And then LIVE YOUR LIVE WITH HONESTY IN YOU DAY TO DAY WORK, rather than getting worried about a long beard, naked ankles and miswaak sticking out of your pockets, then it's all good.

But if you are hanging out with Tabeelighies who are focused on appearance, and performing religious animations during the sporting events, then you should avoid them. Saying Bismillah irrahman in the mic ONLY when you are in front of the camera to start your speech, but not saying that same loud Bismillah to start your speech when NOT in front of the camera, reeks hypocrisy.

Imagine, how many times our players start their speech by saying Bismillag irrahman irraheem when they are in the dressing room? But in front of the camera, they put on a different mask. This hypocrisy has become part our culture. Many Pak youtubers do that too.

 

[SpiritOf1903]

Tableeghis are on par with Jehovah's witnesses

 

[moghul]

I still have some connections with crickters in Lahore from my days of club cricket there and the impression I got from them ( it might be their personal oipnion ) that the cricktyers know they have to be in good books of Tablegi Jamat to have better chance of making progress in Pakistan team or geting selcted. No wonder many of the aspiring national cricketrs pay a regular visit to Maulana Tariq Jamil even though many of them are not religious at all. Even in the national team and coaches , there is a strong lobby/group of the Tableghis and if one is not in it, he would not be doing any favor to his crickter career.

 

[Champ_Pal]

Technically being religious should help sports people to concentrate on the sport and spirituality. It should bring discipline and keeps the sportsman away from the distractions that fame brings.

 

[dildilpak]

Tableeghis are on par with Jehovah's witnesses

True. Many similarities between the two.

Are Tableeghis popular in India too? I read somewhere that Tableeghi movement originated in India.

 

[SalimBhai]

What you do in your personal life is nobodies business. However many Pakistani players bring it in public life. That’s where it’s a bit cringe.

 

[moghul]

Technically being religious should help sports people to concentrate on the sport and spirituality. It should bring discipline and keeps the sportsman away from the distractions that fame brings.

Technically correct, not practically . In last 2-3 decades Pakistanis have become more "religious" and Tabelighi at the same time corruption has become a culture . I miss that almost secular Pakistan but with far less corruption overall .

 

[KB]

I read somewhere that Tableeghi movement originated in India.

Correct. The movement was founded in India in the 1920s (I have seen references to both 1926 and 1927 as the year the movement was founded). The founder of the movement - Maulana Muhammad Ilyas (1885-1944) - was born in 1885 in the district of Muzaffarnagar in UP. He studied under the well know Deobandi, Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, and spent time at the madrassa at Deoband as well as a sister Deobandi seminary in Saharanpur.

The Tablighi mission can be considered an offshoot of the Deobandi movement. The Deoband madrassa, established in 1866, grappled with the question of how to sustain Islam and a religious way of life in a context where Muslim state power had declined. Their response was to emphasise individual self-conscience and knowledge of God’s word mediated by Deobandi ulama themselves, who would serve as custodians of religious knowledge. For the Deobandi ulama, in the late nineteenth century, personal adherence to the shari’a, which could operate independently of the state, was the bedrock of their imagined Muslim community. In other words the Deobandi movement pointed to ways of being Muslim, which did not rely on Muslims possessing state power.

In the twentieth century, Deobandis would go in many different directions, but the Tablighis can be seen as intensifying the original Deobandi mission that focussed on individual moral transformation. The prime object was not the capturing of political power but an ‘inward’ conversion in the hearts of believers.

There were of course differences with the original Deobandi movement. Firstly, for the Tablighis the central locus of religious dissemination was not the madrassa as it was and still is for Deobandi ulama. Secondly, the Tablighi movement also vested greater authority in the role of ‘lay’ leaders in spreading the teachings of Islam, as they interpreted it. Thirdly, they also tended to steer clear of debates with other Muslims on religious matters.

In sum, the emphasis was on an Islamic fashioning of the inner self through face to face communication.

This said, the above provides historical context, but I must admit that I know much less of the contemporary Tablighi movement.

 

[Saj]

I believe Saeed Anwar joined the tableeghi jamaat too?

 

[Bhaijaan]

One can simple look at the journeys of all the cricketers who have had associations with the so called Jamaat, how they fared ever since, and how they are carrying on today. That should give an idea.

So far I think the Jamaat has not got anyone at the peak of their careers except Yousuf. Yousuf is a very intellectual person. When he is not holding grudges, he’s a very interesting person to listen to. Saeed Anwar was a childhood hero but I don’t quite vibe with his speeches as a Jamati. Inzamam is very safe and sensible, I don’t see any special change in him as such after joining the Jamaat.

I think Hashim Amla is a great Muslim
Athlete to look up to. He keeps his opinions very private which is the best thing in today’s world.

 

[SalimBhai]

Saeed anwar might be my fav Pakistani cricketer . But he has terrible views on most things. I would say yousuf if you listen to him long e Pugh says the same things as saeed. . Saqi and junaid jamsheed I have heard them live ( only once). Identical views to saeed also. Inzimam I find very different to them and also mushtaq ahmed also. Sensible poeple.

 

[sweep_shot]

Saeed anwar might be my fav Pakistani cricketer . But he has terrible views on most things. I would say yousuf if you listen to him long e Pugh says the same things as saeed. . Saqi and junaid jamsheed I have heard them live ( only once). Identical views to saeed also. Inzimam I find very different to them and also mushtaq ahmed also. Sensible poeple.

Why terrible views?

What did Saeed Anwar say?

 

[moghul]

I believe Saeed Anwar joined the tableeghi jamaat too?

Saeed Anwar joined Tableeghi Jamat 20 years ago, just after his retirement.

 

[MenInG]

I recently attended a function with Saeed Anwar and wondered what influence he has on the Pakistan team?

He mentioned Inzamam's name a few times as a good person so obviously there is a connection there.

 

[aboveandbeyond]

Saeed Anwar joined Tableeghi Jamat 20 years ago, just after his retirement.

Yep. Can remember about 20 years back Saeed Anwar and Saqlain Mushtaq attending a General conference in our locality in the U.K. very informative guy and spoke really well.

 

[Justcrazy]

This has nothing to do with cricket.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Now that various historical factors related to PCT are being discussed in terms of which had the greatest impact in bringing PCT to this level, where do you put this Tableegi connection.

It started in 2000s and right from there only PCT deterioration started. At least from a timeline point of view it has a direct connection.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Now this shows how strong the Tableeghi Jamaat's influence is in our cricket.