Tabligh Movement
4. TWO DAYS IN NIZAMUDDIN
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them seriously, then followed them to the mosque,
tied the monkeys outside it, and himself entered the
mosque to say his prayers.
Similarly, a preacher who resorts to oral methods
has another advantage, that is, if his congregation
finds it difficult to understand his message, he can
illustrate it by means of practical examples which
bring the point home.
The third benefit of the personal approach is that
through contacts and exchanges of views, the
missionary himself gains a great deal: new ideas,
new ways of expression—and an access to the
minds of the people, all of which helps him greatly
to frame the message in a manner that others can
understand. In the process, the style of expression
becomes simpler and more real. It becomes lucid
and spontaneous, and this certainly has a greater
appeal for the listeners than the written word.
During my stay at the centre, I heard the prayers of
the chief of the Tabligh: one sentence of which ran
like this: “May God bless our religious activities and
activate us in every sphere connected with
religion.” This shows that they are not merely
