In writing on and about the Tablighi Jama’at, I am already assuming that there is a thing to be studied, and that the signifier Tablighi Jama’at signifies a thing that is distinct and identifiable.

Scholars of the Tablighi are, of course, cognisant of the fact that they are discussing a mass movement that is made up of many individual subjectivities, and no scholar seriously believes that even the most detailed study of such a movement can account for the millions of subjectivities that make up the rank and file of such a complex entity. No matter how deep we delve into the micro-histories and micro-biographies of such a movement, we cannot hope to account for it in all its totality. Nor should we assume that any claims of knowledge we make of such movements can ever be exhaustive or final.

Nonetheless we are left with the challenge of describing what this mass movement is, and to forward certain opinions and observations about its character, worldview, long-term ambitions and so on. When dealing with such composite entities like mass movements and political parties, scholars are undoubtedly aware of the pitfalls of overgeneralisation and the trap of assuming some sort of homogeneous mindset that is uniform among all the members of such groups. Even at the height of the Cold War and the ‘red scare’, it is doubtful that even the most ardent opponents of the Soviets believed that all communists thought alike; so why should it be any different when we study religiously inspired movements?

Furthermore, as we shall see in the following chapters, it should be noted that the Tablighi Jama’at has not only come under the scrutiny of scholars and academics but also other Muslim schools of thought who have held certain notions, and even apprehensions, about them.