By Firoz Bakht Ahmed - DNA Daily News and Analysis - Mumbai, India
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
No adequate history of Islam can be written until the activity and influence of the Sufi saints, studied with scholarly integrity, is recorded. Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti Rehmatullah Alaih is the most revered Sufi saint on the globe.
His khanqah has long been a place of pilgrimage for millions of people of all castes and creeds. In his day, teeming crowds flocked to him to find spiritual solace. A calm atmosphere pervaded his dwelling, and the tormented found the refreshing breeze of a world altogether different.
He inspired whoever came in contact with him. It is a great tragedy that even this shrine hasn’t been spared by terrorists.
Sufism or tasawwuf (as the mystic consciousness is known in Persian), advocates peaceful coexistence of all faiths and has been variously defined. Some call it the purification of thought, while others take it to be a way to accept truth by renouncing everything other than God.
But the ambition and effort to aim at the communion of the self with the eternal reality remains common in all its definitions.
It is quite difficult to pinpoint the exact historical background of Sufism, but sufficeth to say — in spite of the protestations of the Orientalists to the contrary — that in the lives of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) and his companions, there was clear evidence of Sufism and many believe that he started the tradition.
Sufism, one of the most important cultural links between Iran and India and the true form of Islam, is a synthesis of Islam, Vedanta and Buddhist thought and our great Sufis and saints have created unity out of diversity through pantheism.
For the first three centuries after its rise in Islam, Sufism was practised individually or in small groups. It had no congregational features. In India, the very existence of Sufis was a revolt against unequal distribution of wealth and unjust actions of tyrants.
The true essence of Sufism can be found in the words of the Sufi woman saint Rabiah-al-Adawiyah from Basra in Iraq:
“O my Lord, if I worship Thee from fear of hell, burn me in hell
and if I worship Thee in hope of Paradise, exclude me thence,
But if I worship Thee for Thine own sake,
then withhold not from me Thine eternal beauty!”
The first great Sufi to visit India was Sheikh Ali-bin-Usmani, popularly known as Data Ganj Bakhsh who died in 1081 AD. It was after him that the Chishtiya chain of Sufis began, with Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer.
It is said of him that he fasted through the day and kept vigil at night all his life and his daily meal at the iftar (breaking of fast) did not exceed 1.5 tolas. He was liberal like the ocean, kind like the sun and humble like a river.
He showed opulence in poverty, satisfaction in hunger, joy in sorrow and loved his enemies — all characteristics he believed were of paramount importance to be a Sufi.
At his shrine, the flowers come from the Hindu flower dealers of Pushkar and most of the chadars to be placed at the shrine are made by non-Muslim artisans. Besides, care is taken by the authorities that the food prepared for the pilgrims is vegetarian, as many Hindus also visit.
Phillip K. Hitti in his Islam: A Way of Life makes a special mention of the Sufi thought in India and considers the country most gifted in all walks of spiritual life, be it Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Jainism or Buddhism.
Phillip writes that Sufi mysticism came to India in the 12th century. His research showed that most of the concepts of Sufism had already been enunciated in the Upanishads. Sufism also follows the concept of Atma and Paramatma.
The early Sufis were ascetics who openly denounced the display of pomp and pursuit of pleasure of the feudal aristocracy of the Khiljis and Tughlaqs. They never bothered about the decrees of the Sultans of the day.
With their humility, selfless devotion and identification with the poor and, much more so, with their stress on the brotherhood of man, the oneness of God and the all pervading love of God, they brought more to the fold of Islam than the sultans.
Urdu poet Salim Siddiqui’s words make it clear:
“Un mominon se mera kufr-e-ishq achha,
Jin mominon ne apney imaan bech daley!”
(I am far better than those hypocrite preachers who have sold their souls for material gains).
[From the column "Opinion"]
The writer is a commentator on social issues
Thursday, October 18, 2007
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Thursday, October 18, 2007
Keeping the Sufi Faith
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
No adequate history of Islam can be written until the activity and influence of the Sufi saints, studied with scholarly integrity, is recorded. Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti Rehmatullah Alaih is the most revered Sufi saint on the globe.
His khanqah has long been a place of pilgrimage for millions of people of all castes and creeds. In his day, teeming crowds flocked to him to find spiritual solace. A calm atmosphere pervaded his dwelling, and the tormented found the refreshing breeze of a world altogether different.
He inspired whoever came in contact with him. It is a great tragedy that even this shrine hasn’t been spared by terrorists.
Sufism or tasawwuf (as the mystic consciousness is known in Persian), advocates peaceful coexistence of all faiths and has been variously defined. Some call it the purification of thought, while others take it to be a way to accept truth by renouncing everything other than God.
But the ambition and effort to aim at the communion of the self with the eternal reality remains common in all its definitions.
It is quite difficult to pinpoint the exact historical background of Sufism, but sufficeth to say — in spite of the protestations of the Orientalists to the contrary — that in the lives of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) and his companions, there was clear evidence of Sufism and many believe that he started the tradition.
Sufism, one of the most important cultural links between Iran and India and the true form of Islam, is a synthesis of Islam, Vedanta and Buddhist thought and our great Sufis and saints have created unity out of diversity through pantheism.
For the first three centuries after its rise in Islam, Sufism was practised individually or in small groups. It had no congregational features. In India, the very existence of Sufis was a revolt against unequal distribution of wealth and unjust actions of tyrants.
The true essence of Sufism can be found in the words of the Sufi woman saint Rabiah-al-Adawiyah from Basra in Iraq:
“O my Lord, if I worship Thee from fear of hell, burn me in hell
and if I worship Thee in hope of Paradise, exclude me thence,
But if I worship Thee for Thine own sake,
then withhold not from me Thine eternal beauty!”
The first great Sufi to visit India was Sheikh Ali-bin-Usmani, popularly known as Data Ganj Bakhsh who died in 1081 AD. It was after him that the Chishtiya chain of Sufis began, with Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer.
It is said of him that he fasted through the day and kept vigil at night all his life and his daily meal at the iftar (breaking of fast) did not exceed 1.5 tolas. He was liberal like the ocean, kind like the sun and humble like a river.
He showed opulence in poverty, satisfaction in hunger, joy in sorrow and loved his enemies — all characteristics he believed were of paramount importance to be a Sufi.
At his shrine, the flowers come from the Hindu flower dealers of Pushkar and most of the chadars to be placed at the shrine are made by non-Muslim artisans. Besides, care is taken by the authorities that the food prepared for the pilgrims is vegetarian, as many Hindus also visit.
Phillip K. Hitti in his Islam: A Way of Life makes a special mention of the Sufi thought in India and considers the country most gifted in all walks of spiritual life, be it Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Jainism or Buddhism.
Phillip writes that Sufi mysticism came to India in the 12th century. His research showed that most of the concepts of Sufism had already been enunciated in the Upanishads. Sufism also follows the concept of Atma and Paramatma.
The early Sufis were ascetics who openly denounced the display of pomp and pursuit of pleasure of the feudal aristocracy of the Khiljis and Tughlaqs. They never bothered about the decrees of the Sultans of the day.
With their humility, selfless devotion and identification with the poor and, much more so, with their stress on the brotherhood of man, the oneness of God and the all pervading love of God, they brought more to the fold of Islam than the sultans.
Urdu poet Salim Siddiqui’s words make it clear:
“Un mominon se mera kufr-e-ishq achha,
Jin mominon ne apney imaan bech daley!”
(I am far better than those hypocrite preachers who have sold their souls for material gains).
[From the column "Opinion"]
The writer is a commentator on social issues
Labels:
saints and shrines
By Firoz Bakht Ahmed - DNA Daily News and Analysis - Mumbai, IndiaTuesday, October 16, 2007
No adequate history of Islam can be written until the activity and influence of the Sufi saints, studied with scholarly integrity, is recorded. Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti Rehmatullah Alaih is the most revered Sufi saint on the globe.
His khanqah has long been a place of pilgrimage for millions of people of all castes and creeds. In his day, teeming crowds flocked to him to find spiritual solace. A calm atmosphere pervaded his dwelling, and the tormented found the refreshing breeze of a world altogether different.
He inspired whoever came in contact with him. It is a great tragedy that even this shrine hasn’t been spared by terrorists.
Sufism or tasawwuf (as the mystic consciousness is known in Persian), advocates peaceful coexistence of all faiths and has been variously defined. Some call it the purification of thought, while others take it to be a way to accept truth by renouncing everything other than God.
But the ambition and effort to aim at the communion of the self with the eternal reality remains common in all its definitions.
It is quite difficult to pinpoint the exact historical background of Sufism, but sufficeth to say — in spite of the protestations of the Orientalists to the contrary — that in the lives of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) and his companions, there was clear evidence of Sufism and many believe that he started the tradition.
Sufism, one of the most important cultural links between Iran and India and the true form of Islam, is a synthesis of Islam, Vedanta and Buddhist thought and our great Sufis and saints have created unity out of diversity through pantheism.
For the first three centuries after its rise in Islam, Sufism was practised individually or in small groups. It had no congregational features. In India, the very existence of Sufis was a revolt against unequal distribution of wealth and unjust actions of tyrants.
The true essence of Sufism can be found in the words of the Sufi woman saint Rabiah-al-Adawiyah from Basra in Iraq:
“O my Lord, if I worship Thee from fear of hell, burn me in hell
and if I worship Thee in hope of Paradise, exclude me thence,
But if I worship Thee for Thine own sake,
then withhold not from me Thine eternal beauty!”
The first great Sufi to visit India was Sheikh Ali-bin-Usmani, popularly known as Data Ganj Bakhsh who died in 1081 AD. It was after him that the Chishtiya chain of Sufis began, with Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer.
It is said of him that he fasted through the day and kept vigil at night all his life and his daily meal at the iftar (breaking of fast) did not exceed 1.5 tolas. He was liberal like the ocean, kind like the sun and humble like a river.
He showed opulence in poverty, satisfaction in hunger, joy in sorrow and loved his enemies — all characteristics he believed were of paramount importance to be a Sufi.
At his shrine, the flowers come from the Hindu flower dealers of Pushkar and most of the chadars to be placed at the shrine are made by non-Muslim artisans. Besides, care is taken by the authorities that the food prepared for the pilgrims is vegetarian, as many Hindus also visit.
Phillip K. Hitti in his Islam: A Way of Life makes a special mention of the Sufi thought in India and considers the country most gifted in all walks of spiritual life, be it Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Jainism or Buddhism.
Phillip writes that Sufi mysticism came to India in the 12th century. His research showed that most of the concepts of Sufism had already been enunciated in the Upanishads. Sufism also follows the concept of Atma and Paramatma.
The early Sufis were ascetics who openly denounced the display of pomp and pursuit of pleasure of the feudal aristocracy of the Khiljis and Tughlaqs. They never bothered about the decrees of the Sultans of the day.
With their humility, selfless devotion and identification with the poor and, much more so, with their stress on the brotherhood of man, the oneness of God and the all pervading love of God, they brought more to the fold of Islam than the sultans.
Urdu poet Salim Siddiqui’s words make it clear:
“Un mominon se mera kufr-e-ishq achha,
Jin mominon ne apney imaan bech daley!”
(I am far better than those hypocrite preachers who have sold their souls for material gains).
[From the column "Opinion"]
The writer is a commentator on social issues
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