Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque and Dr M. Abul Kashem Mozumder :
Empirical evidences relating to the functioning of the Islamic institutions helps us to take cognizance of social forces influencing thought pattern and mode of interaction. The practice of religion as a sacred value orientation with its meaning and symbolic significance among the Muslim community sufficiently echoes deeply penetrating influences of Islamic institution.
Religion is the ‘alpha and omega’ of community life in our country. It shapes cultural organizations and truly so. A score of anthropological studies present a pen picture of religious institutions and their spiritual significance. It appears from the studies that religious institutional are the main generators of ethical standards and moral values that that regulate our cognitive orientation. Dedicated believers and religion practitioners contribute to the institutional significance of sacred continuum even at the present state of moral decay in the age of globalization.
There seems to be common manifestation of reverence to the institutions like mosque, maktab, mazar, shrine and tablig that act as an axis for spiritual, moral and humanitarian development. ‘Muslims believe in one God and follows the way of life laid down for them by the Prophet(SM)’. Such a belief is the manifestation of tawhid (divine unity) as the ‘primal epistemology of Islamic world view.’ The Quranic commandants are followed by the momin and musulli (staunch believers and practionars). They are devotees clinging to rituals prescribed by the Holy Quran and Hadis praying five times a day and attending weekly and periodic religious congregations. The believers realize that there is a life after death. The sinners will suffer punishment in the hell for their misdeeds and not for following key guidelines of Islam. The good souls will live in peace in heaven for pious life and merit. The Muslims believe that those who have gone astray from the right path will be severely punished even in grave until the resurrection.
Description of the institutional significance of Islam is incomplete without reference to the institution like tablig and massive spiritual gathering like Biswa Ijtema. Tablig continues to stand out to be the keynote of spiritual benediction with universal appeal reflected in Biswa Ijtema. With advocacy campaign in and outside the country it makes a modest attempt to call the attention of the people to the real values of Islam. The momins attached to this institution are preachers moving from one place to another. Most of them wear jubbah (a long loose outer garment) symbolizing strong fidelity and modeled behaviour of pious Muslims in traditional attire. They come out of the mosque where they would prefer to live for some time to visit the dwellers with a purely religious mission. They in several groups sit around to mark food participation.
Biswa Ijtema is a large religious gathering like an ocean. It is a special occasion for the musualis especially those associated with tablig to participate in religious discussions, jumma congregation and special prayer. Pious Muslims all over the world arrive at Tongi near Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, staying there for a couple of days to observe ritual in wider participation until akher munajat (the last day of prayer with supplication) that concludes the occasion.
Before arranging this massive religious meet at Tongi a three day congregation of tablig-e- jamat-the second largest of Muslims-was held in Bogra seeking divine blessings for peace and prosperity. The pre-ijtema gathering is annually held here 3-4 week ahead of the Biswa Ijtema.
Biswa Ijtema started with ambayan(general sermon at the dawn (fazar prayer) on Friday followed by the largest jumma congregation. The next day was the occasion for special discussion on a large variety of subjects including ‘teaching of Islam and supremacy of Allah’. The eminent Islamic scholars from different countries presented on this auspicious moment stressed upon the guidance of the holy Quran and Sunnah while delivering sermons translated into different languages. ‘Dowry-free marriages of 128 couples were solemnized in the Ijtema’
It is matter of pride for us that Biswa Ijtema at Tongi draws huge pious crowd to mark a mammoth gathering next to Hajj. There was report that in 2015 two million Muslims including nearly devotees from China, India , Pakistan, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, Saudi Arab and Kuwait joined the Ijtema. This year there is reported to be the attendance of more participants. “The Bishwa Ijtema, besides bringing the faithful together in one gigantic gathering of humanity devoted to prayers and prostration before the Almighty, is an opportunity for Bangladesh’s people to play host to devotees and religious scholars from abroad. Over the years, ulema and other individuals learned in the ways of Islam have joined the ijtema from India, Pakistan, the Middle East and other parts of the globe. This year was no different. There is a rich symbolism that has always underlined the Bishwa Ijtema. On the banks of a river (and rivers have historically been a spur to the rise of civilizations), millions of the faithful seek to connect with the Creator. Nothing could be more poignant and more soul-piercing”
To quote an English daily “In a land that has consistently had its religious moorings as part of its heritage; the Bishwa Ijtema is a shining instance of how the call and glory of Islam can be highlighted before the global community. At a time when extremism in the name of faith poses a threat to civilized order and malcontents are all too ready to commandeer the faith in their own narrow and violent interests, the annual congregation of devout Muslims serves as a reminder of the essential spirituality that underpins all religions and especially Islam. A remembrance of one’s duty towards one’s faith along with one’s responsibilities in the temporal world is an integral component of individual life. That is the lesson which the Bishwa Ijtema reinforces every year. It is a lesson that devotees take in with fervor, for it also reminds them of the transient nature of worldly existence and of the truth that the hereafter is all. And yet one must not turn one’s back on the worldly because it is on how one deals with the worldly that one’s place in the hereafter depends.”
We have been given to understand the range of significance of Islamic teachings in Biswa Ijtema. The picture is thus straight forward about the dynamic action of the institution of tablig. This is a real manifestation of religiosity with world wide appeal for love, godliness, peace and tranquility. The institution of Biswa Ijtema stands out as the sacred phenomenon fostering fraternity and reciprocal relationship and builds bridges among the believers economically differentiated in class lines integrating them into a larger community. It is strongly felt that this dynamic institution is an embodiment of divinity coupled with fundamental harmony showing a right direction to the community affected by diverse force of paradoxical opposite-schism, disunity, confrontation and terrorism of the militants.
All the believers from different countries associated with tablig flocked together at Tongi, the largest venue, have received common instruction about organization, mobilization and dynamic action. So tablig believers are action oriented and Biswa Ijtema redynamizes them with new methodology of actions. We have the information that participants from various countries nation states would be organized into small groups to visit several places approaching the locals with the gospels of truth. They believe in persuasion not force. Most locals as villagers come in contact with the religious personalities at the cross-cultural levels and get to know the values of the tenets of Islam. They are supposed to be received as honorable guests.
The Akheri Monajat was attended by the vast concourse of believers including the elites from the higher echelon of the society. Since the teeming million of believers assemble at Tongi that has now become a holy place it gives them an umpteen opportunity to exchange views with one another to resolve any conflicting views on religious question.
(Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque, professor, department of Public administration, Chittagong University and Dr M. Abul Kashem Mozumder Professor of Public Administration, Jahangirnagar University)
