Tablighi Jamaat, the world’s largest religious reform movement of Muslims, is organizing 'Ijtema' at various places across Maharashtra.  Among these, the district-level Ijtema was held from January 2 to January 3 at Ambajogai in the Beed district of Maharashtra. This grand event was organized in an area of ​​​​about 150 acres. 

About two lakh Muslims from all the talukas (blocks) of the district gathered and prayers were offered for the welfare of all. Speakers emphasized that everyone should follow the path shown by Prophet Mohammad and everyone must be treated politely and with care.

Interestingly, the occasion also saw young couples getting married in a simple Islamic way.

Thousands of Muslims from the Beed district and around attended this two-day Ijtema which concluded with a prayer for social harmony. 

Preparations for the Ijtema had been going on for the last few months. MLA of Gevrai Mantadar Sangh of Beed district Vijay Singh Pandit sought a toll waiver for the vehicles of Muslims coming for the Ijtema.

Some Volunteers of the Tablighi Ijtema

Ismail Qadri, a member of the management committee of Ijtema, says, “Many of those who come to attend the ijtema drive down. We requested Gevrai MLA Vijay Singh Pandit to exempt vehicles coming to Ijtema from paying toll. The MLA accepted the demand of the Muslim community and he immediately called the authorities.

He sent a letter to the manager of the toll plaza. “I express my heartfelt thanks to him on behalf of the entire Muslim community.” Qadri said.

Cabinet Minister Dhananjay Munde also made a courtesy visit to the Ijtema and greeted the people. 

Muslim clerics and ulemas were present to guide the Muslim community at the Ijtema. On this occasion, Maulana Sadiq said, "The power of faith and Islamic ways are important for Muslims. Along with this, the country is also important for Muslims. Muslims should come together and maintain social harmony. Only then will the society and the country progress." 

Maulana Junaid Sultani says, "Tablighi Ijtema is not just an organization of religion. Ijtema makes an honest effort to improve the lives of Muslims, establish unity in society, and respect for all religions. Along with this, Muslims are also guided about Islamic education and social responsibility here."  

Letter of MLA seeking toll exemption for Muslims coming to attend Ijtema

The managers who organize the Ijtema take responsibility for the accommodation and food of thousands and lakhs of Muslim community members who come to the Ijtema. More manpower is required to fulfill this responsibility.

Considering this need as a duty, thousands of Muslim workers offer their services for Ijtema. The purpose of this service is to ensure that the Muslims coming for Ijtema do not face any problems and that their basic needs are met. The volunteers especially take special care that this grand gathering of Muslims does not create traffic and other problems and cause trouble to others.

For the Ijtema organized in Beed, a pavilion was constructed on an area of ​​100 acres in Chandmari ground. Arrangements were also made for the stay, food, health, and parking of all those attending the conference.

The Ijtema management had created zones for accommodation to take care of the visiting Muslims. Each zone was supposed to have a limited number of people. The management used walkie-talkies to maintain contact with each other. 

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Tablighi Jamaat was founded in 1927 by Maulana Ilyas Kandhalvi. Tablighi Jamaat is known as the largest religious reform movement for Muslims in the world. 'Jamaat' means a group of people, a team. The annual meeting of Tablighi Jamaat is Ijtema. Every year this Ijtema is organized in different parts of the country. The purpose of Ijtema is to develop the moral values ​​of Islam in Muslims and to reform them morally and religiously.