Tabligh Movement
1. MAULANA ILYAS
~ 47 ~
Prayer also has psychological and social values; one
can see the effects in economic, social and political
life. The essence of prayer is to bow down one’s
head before God, and with one’s heart, utter these
words: “God, I have become yours, and you become
mine.”
Sparing time for the propagation of religion
constitutes the third part of one’s mission. People
commonly misunderstand the word
Chilla,
which
means forty days. It is nothing but a period fixed for
training and being trained, and is fixed as the
maximum time for one stint of outdoor missionary
activity at a time. There is nothing mysterious or
ritualistic about it. When one finds the truth, it is
but natural to feel the urge to impart that treasure to
one’s brethren. This urge is manifested in one’s
willingness to spare time—even if it involves forty
days—leaving all activities aside. One who has
discovered the truth will not rest content with just
being a true Muslim himself, but will want to
announce it to the whole world. Such a mental state
arising from a desire to reform all that comes in its
path, takes on practical shape in the form of
Chilla.
