Outrage on Sufism

Statesman News Service |

November 16, 2016 | 12:39 AM

Under attack in Mosul and Aleppo, the Islamic State  of Iraq and Syria has renewed the extension of its tentacles in the subcontinent. As much is the sinister message of Saturday's suicide attack, said to have been carried out by a 14-year-old, on a Sufi dargah in Baluchistan. There are a couple of facets to the outrage. One, the Caliphate has extended the conflict beyond the Shia-Sunni confrontation. It was an attack on tolerant Sufism, indeed the manifestation  of the conflict within Islam. Dargah Shah Noorani stands today as an awesome symbol of the calculated malevolence. The other is the surge in the attack on Sufi artistes, notably singers, in parallel to the accumulation of arms by the Islamist militants. As recently as June, the  qawwali singer, Amjad Sabri, was shot dead in Karachi, a killing for which  the Taliban had claimed responsibility. Pakistan has reached a stage where the label of the terrorist is of lesser moment than the grim reality of innocents being done to death with fearsome regularity.  Less than a month ago, cadets of the Baluchistan Police College in Quetta were killed by the Taliban, a disaster that followed  the bombing of a hospital in the Baluch capital.

The tragedy at Dargah Shah Noorani would seem to be still more poignant as the targeted innocents had assembled for the weekly songs and prayers, notably when the worshippers were performing the dhamal, a ritualistic dance of profound importance in the Sufi tradition. It was, to use contemporary jargon, a surgical strike  not merely on the sect but on the tolerant and liberal culture that it has propagated over time. In death, the 52 victims have conveyed the chilling message, and not to the Muslim bloc alone. Amidst the mushroom growth of militant hubs across Pakistan, the shrine culture still prevails. And there is little doubt that the offensive of the hardliners, who strike to kill, is directed against any modern, let alone liberal, interpretation of Islam. Notably, the song-and-dance  religious culture of the Sufis has palpably turned out to be an anathema, perhaps even heretical. Direly alarmist must be the fact that its religious philosophy of tolerance is perceived as anti-Islam through the fundamentalist prism. Indeed, the contribution of the Sufi saints to Pakistan's social development has been no less significant than that of the ulema  and clerics.

Till the emergence of mortal fundamentalism, more Pakistanis are said to have visited Sufi shrines than they did mosques. Saturday's mayhem is an affront to a noble tradition. Aside from the Shias, the Sunni Caliphate has widened its targeted flank. The terrorist, whatever the label, will find it difficult to digest that Sufism, a tolerant, mystical practice of Islam, has millions of followers in Pakistan. And it shall not be easy to obliterate the groundswell of support.

Timbuktu: The Ink of Scholars and the Blood of Martyrs 

Rudolph Ware Huffington Post 8/31/2012

In this excellent montage Alexandra Huddleston closes by reminding us of a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad -- still learned and taught in Timbuktu -- "the ink of the scholar is more precious than the blood of the martyr." These words echo today as a reminder that the mainstream Islamic tradition has always harbored the most profound respect for scholarship and sanctity while questioning worldly ambitions.
Unfortunately, the "radical Islam" of groups like Ansar Dine and al-Qaida have spilled far too much blood and ink in Northern Mali and beyond. Armed with deadly weapons, a false doctrine of jihad, and a perverse sense of martyrdom they have committed countless acts of violence. While the Western imagination is captivated by fear of 'radical Islam' its victims -- in Timbuktu as elsewhere -- are almost invariably Muslims.
Ms. Huddleston shows us their faces -- the men, women, and children of Timbuktu -- many warmly rejoicing in the pleasures of ancient knowledge, all fully connected to the contemporary world. In a single blow they have suffered a double violence: their lives and ways of life have been taken, and their religion has been disfigured, disgraced, and defamed by their tormentors.
It is important to understand that the leadership of groups like Ansar Dine and al-Qaida often has little or no formal training in the Islamic religious sciences. This does not stop them from passing judgment upon the Islam of their well-learned and lettered adversaries. To make up for their lack of knowledge they routinely resort to spectacles of symbolic violence, desecrating the tombs of scholars and destroying manuscripts. They seek, not only to cow opposition, but to wipe the slate clean of competing forms of Islamic authority
In a place like Timbuktu this is no small task, for it first gained an international reputation for Islamic knowledge in the fourteenth century when the great medieval empire of Mali was at its height. Its fame as a city of learning attracted students and scholars from all over West Africa as well as the Maghrib, Egypt, Baghdad and Damascus.
Though they usually maintained cordial relations with emperors, the scholars and teachers of Timbuktu, like most West African Islamic scholars, tended to scrupulously avoid overt involvement in politics. Islamists like to say "Islam is religion and politics," but this is no Prophetic tradition, it is a maxim little more than a century old. It was coined as some began to transform Islam from a universal religion to an ideology of resistance to Western imperialism. The classical tradition, of which Timbuktu was an integral part--tended to be suspicious of such things. As a rule it preferred for scholars to maintain a pious distance from power for fear that it might corrupt their intellectual and ethical autonomy. In the West, efforts to separate church and state evolved primarily to protect the latter. In Muslim Africa scholars and saints usually maintained distance to protect the former. Continue reading here  The article also contains an excellent video.

Nazareth's Sufis bullied by fellow Muslims

Nazareth's Sufis bullied by fellow Muslims Haaretz  Saturday, August 11, 2012 Av 23, 5772 By Lauren Gelfond Feldinger, Aug.10, 2012

 For decades, the mystical Sufis in Nazareth have celebrated Islam through music and poetry without considering themselves in danger.But nowadays, local Salafis, who practice a more conservative and coercive Islam, bully and beat Sufi leaders to deter them from their practices, Muslim community leaders told Haaretz. "We visit tombs of holy peoples and they say it is forbidden; we chant and they say it is forbidden to use instruments; I say there should be dialogue with Israelis and Jews because the prophet Muhammed received delegations of Jewish tribes," but Salafis object, said Nazareth Sheikh Ghassan Menasra, 44, a leader of the Qadiri Sufi Order of the Holy Land.

Menasra says he and two of his five sons have been beaten in Nazareth and Jerusalem and his wife, an Islamic educator for women, was pushed. Shaken by threats and having tear gas thrown into his home, he spent two weeks in meditation to avoid the fate of Jerusalem Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bukhari, who suffered similar attacks and died of a heart attack in 2010 at age 61.

Such incidents may reflect a growing regional trend of clashes between progressive Muslims and their more fundamentalist brethren. Egyptian Salafis have razed Sufi shrines, Tunisian Salafis injured dozens in riots over work of art and political analysts blame Salafi Jihadis for the bloodshed in Syria.

There are thousands of Sufi supporters who worship in their homes or houses of prayer in Israel.Abdullah Shama

But Salafis and Sufis are both tiny minorities here, with Salafi activity funded by countries like Saudi Arabia, Menasra says. According to research by Middle East expert professor Khaled Hroub of Cambridge University, the small Palestinian Salafi element includes violent radicals whose interpretation of Islam is linked to Saudi Wahabism, but most are nonviolent moderates focused on conservative social and religious programs.

Sufis are famed as whirling dervishes, but the Nazareth Sufis do not practice this tradition. They observe Islamic law, but also include reverent prayers, chanting (zikr), instruments and poetry in their worship. They are often compared to Jewish Kabbalists. The greatest jihad of Islam, according to the Qadiri order that Menasra and his father Abdel-al Salaam head, is overcoming ego, hatred and violent speech and behavior. 

Critics condemn them as "heretics" for their practices, which also include having women teach Islam.

They particularly attack them as "collaborators" for associating with Jews. Menasra is involved with numerous interfaith programs, joins rabbis for meetings with international political leaders and performs Sufi chants with Jewish musicians such as Yair Dalal. Menasra argues that interfaith cooperation was the Prophet Mohammad's way and later was the tradition of Muslim and Jewish mystics in Medieval Cairo, Baghdad, Damascus and Morocco. Interacting with other faiths also helps Arabs, he said.

"We need to talk [with Jews] about the problems of Arab rights in Israel and Palestinian rights," he said. "Muslims can also teach Jews the cultural codes of peacemaking in Islam – politics alone cannot build trust."

The threats started a decade ago, after 10 Nazareth Sufis reached out to other Muslims, teaching "moderate Islam" through op-eds and classes on Islamic text and tradition, led by Menasra, who holds a master's degree in Middle Eastern and Islamic studies, a bachelor's degree in Arabic literature, a teaching certificate in Islamic family law and ordination as a sheikh by the renowned Jerusalem Sheikh Baghdadi.

As they gained followers and began including Jewish communities, threats turned to violence.

Anat Lev-Or of Central Israel, a Jewish teacher of Sufi and Jewish philosophy, says two years ago she witnessed a mob beat Menasra's teenage son, while he shielded his younger brother.

Imam Mahmoud Abukhdeir, spiritual leader of an east Jerusalem mosque, condemned Salafi violence in Nazareth and Jerusalem.

"To many Muslims, the Sufi way is not acceptable, but in Islamic law, such violence is forbidden," he said. "Salafis are against many groups, not just Sufis. They beat everyone--they think they are the only real Muslims."

It is not clear how widespread the Sufi-Salafi conflict is in Israel, because Sufis say they would not report Salafi leaders to the police or Higher Arab Council for fear of retribution. Despite repeated inquiries, Haaretz was unable to locate a Salafi leader to respond. The Salafi movement in Israel is not centralized, but Itzhak Weismann, a professor and Sufi expert at Haifa University, says most Islamist movements subscribe to Salafi principles and consider Sufis "deviators from Islam."

But he noted, "Sufism is based on Islamic texts and tradition. Sufis are part of Islam since the beginning."

"We will not stop"

Scholars date Sufis in the Holy Land to eighth-century Ramle and Jerusalem, with centers developing later in Safed and Hebron. Jerusalem was always an important site of pilgrimage, and several dozen Sufi shrines and graves remain in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Today in Israel there are a few hundred Sufi disciples and thousands of supporters who worship in their homes or houses of prayer, primarily in Jerusalem, Nazareth, Acre, Umm al-Fahm and Baqa al-Gharbiyye.

Sufism, with its many orders and varying customs, is not widespread in Israel because of the exile of Muslim leaders after the 1948 war, Weismann says.

"Since 1967, when communications resumed between Muslims in Israel with relatives in West Bank and Gaza, there was a renewal," he said.

In Nazareth, Sufis face not only the threat of extremists, but also difficult living conditions because of government prejudice against development in Arab neighborhoods, said Sufi teacher Khalid Abu Ras. Israel's largest Arab city, with nearly 74,000 residents – 69.5 percent of which are Muslim – is plagued by unemployment, overcrowding, lack of green spaces and, says Abu Ras, inadequate municipal services.

Despite struggles with poverty, threats and violence, the Sufis of Nazareth say that they will carry on as usual.

On a recent evening, twenty family and community members gathered in the Menasra home to break the Ramadan fast. After dinner, the older son played classical Egyptian oud, including works from Umm Kulthum and Mohamed Abdel Wahab. The elder community members chanted traditional songs about the prophet Mohammad. An infant moved with his arms to the music and a grandfather beat an oversized tambourine. The elder Menasra, wearing a traditional tunic and head covering, danced slowly into the inner circle, extending his arms to bless the guests.

Days later, on the Jewish day of mourning Tisha B'Av, several of Menasra's Jewish colleagues who were also fasting joined his family to break the fast.

"Our activity does not make us weaker -- it makes us strong," Menasra said.

There are three kinds of religious people, he explained, quoting Rabia al-Adawiya, a female Sufi saint: "Slaves who worship through fear, merchants who worship for profit and free people who worship through love – this is the way," he said. "The radicals think that they need to stop us in any way, but we will not stop."

The 191st annual Urs of great Sufi Hazrat Sachal Sarmast

191st Annual Urs of great Sufi Hazrat Sachal Sarmast begins today

Radio Pakistan August 3 2012

The annual Urs of great Sufi Hazrat Sachal Sarmast begins at Daraza Sharif in Khairpur district on Friday

The 191st annual Urs of great Sufi Hazrat Sachal Sarmast begins on Friday at Daraza Sharif in Khairpur district. A large number of devotees from all over the country will participate the celebrations.
Sindh cultural department has arranged a National Litrary Conference on the occasion in which scholars and writers from all the country will speak about the poetry and philosophy of Hazrat Sachal Sarmast.

Good Day :US and the Confusion between the "Two Extremes"!

http://news.sudanvisiondaily.com/details.html?rsnpid=211533

Issue #: 2701, Issue Date: 19th July, 2012 

 by Mekki Elmograbi

Lastly, Egypt has chosen - what so called by secular intellectuals - political Islam. The Military Council and the Constitutional Court are trying to put obstacles and impediments on the road for more advancement of Muslim Brotherhood. Game is over! Islamists are trusted because people have had enough of bloody years of corrupt military authoritarian regimes backed and supported by US and other Western countries. Islamists in Egypt has been long-sufferingly waiting for this moment for nearly seven decades. Moreover, they did not take over power by a coup or through cheating and violence. Many Egyptians voted for Islamists because they have the flourishing Turkish model in mind.
US Administration at the beginning of the "Arab Spring" launched a diplomatic campaign against Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt but after a while Obama "turned the official mode" and said very positive statements about the "Democratic Role" of Egyptian Islamists. US from the time of September 11 till now is moving between the extremes; combating and supporting "Islamic movements" in Middle East and in Africa.  In Sudan, US – according Natsios' article – promised the Sudanese Government four times to start the process of "Normalization" and broke its promises. World wide, US financed Sufi Orders and now they are looking for a deal with Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.
Do you remember the statements of the deputy of the American diplomatic mission in Sudan Mr. Denis Hankinson. It was about the American appreciation for the role of Sufism in Sudan and I was shocked with it.  He mentioned the positive role of Sufism in
Counterterrorism in Sudan. He did not mention the American support for some of Sufi Orders, but this fact was documented in the article: (hearts, minds and dollars) published in US news and reports, written by By David E. Kaplan.
First of all, the term (terrorism) is not clear yet in the Islamic mentality, and the definition is still a controversial issue. Western governments consider Hamas and Hizbullah as terrorist parties. In contrast, Sufis themselves – Dear Mr. Denis Hankinson - people see these groups (Freedom fighters or Mujahideen). The said article was a good layout for the biggest intellectual strategic plan related to religions. The strategy titled (Muslim World Outreach).
The strategy stated clearly that US will support Sufi Orders and classified them as the pacific side of Islam.
This is a piece of the article: (Records drawn from the State Department, USAID, and elsewhere reveal a striking array of Islamic projects bankrolled by American taxpayers since 9/11, stretching to at least 24 countries. In nine of them, U.S. funds are backing restoration of Muslim holy sites, including historic mosques in Egypt, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan. In Kirgizstan, embassy funding helped restore a major Sufi shrine. In Uzbekistan, money has gone to preserve antique Islamic manuscripts, including 20 Korans, some dating to the 11th century. In Bangladesh, USAID is training mosque leaders on development issues. In Madagascar, the embassy even sponsored an inter-mosque sports tournament. Also being funded: Islamic media of all sorts, from book translations to radio and TV in at least a half-dozen nations. Often the aid doesn't need an explicit Islamic theme, as in what boosters are calling Muppet Diplomacy.)

Sai Illai Baksha Urs

By Staff Reporter *Faith beyond religion* - The Indian Express - India; Monday, May 28, 2012

Faith beyond religion

Pir Panjal area in Poonch district of India's northern state of Jammu and Kashmir is well known for amity between Hindus and Muslims. And the celebration of annual Urs of Sai Illai Baksha is a perfect example of this fact.

Every year devotees from different faiths come here in large numbers to pay obeisance to the saint.

Legend has it that the saint was a mystic who devoted his entire life for the betterment of mankind and preached communal harmony.

It is believed that wishes of the devotees who visit the mausoleum are fulfilled with the blessings of the Sufi saint.

[Click on the title of this article to a 2'45'' video of the Urs (ed.)]

From Public Money

By Staff Reporter, *Zardari's donation to Ajmer shrine to come from public money* - Press trust of India / NDTV - India; Friday, May 18, 2012

Zardari's donation to Ajmer shrine to come from public money

Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari's donation of $1million to the famous sufi shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti at Ajmer will be paid from Pakistan's public exchequer, his spokesman has said.

Mr Zardari announced the donation, which the shrine's administrators have described as one of the biggest in recent years, when he offered prayers at the Dargah on April 8.

The President visited the shrine in Rajasthan after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a day-long private visit to India.

Presidential spokesman Babar told The News daily that the donation for the shrine in Ajmer will be paid from public money.

A cheque for $50,000 handed over by Mr Zardari to the administrators of the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar's mausoleum in Yangon too was paid from the exchequer, Mr Babar said.

It could not immediately be ascertained when the donation would be handed over to the administrators of the shrine in Ajmer, which has been visited by several Pakistani leaders, including Mr Zardari's slain wife, former premier Benazir Bhutto.

Auspicious Occasion

By Staff Reporter, *Iran participates in “National Seminar” on Sufi Saint Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti (RA)* - Islamic Republic News Agency - Tehran, Iran; Saturday, May 19, 2012

Iran participates in “National Seminar” on Sufi Saint Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti (RA)

New Delhi: The Islamic Republic of Iran Saturday participated in the “National Seminar” held on the auspicious occasion of the 800th anniversary of globally famous Sufi Saint and Mystic Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti which kicked off in New Delhi.

Hojjatoleslam Mehdi Mahdavipour, representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in India and Syed Mahdi Nabizadeh, Ambassador of Iran to India attended the day long seminar, organized by Universal Association for Spiritual Awareness (UASA), as “Chief Guests”.

Addressing the seminar, Mahdavipour threw light on this reality that Sufis and mystics who brought the message of peace of Islam on the territory of India with most of them belonging to Iran. These historical facts prove that India and Iran hold a place of golden history of cultural and social relations in the world which cannot be forgotten.

Describing Ghareeb Nawaz as a symbol of communal harmony, he said that teachings of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti will remain relevant for all times to come.

Towing the line of Mahdavipour, Mehdi Nabizadeh said: “India has always been the cradle of the free people and thinkers of many parts of the world and the Iranians like Hazeen Lahiji, Meer Syed Ali Hamadani, Qazi Noorullah Shustri and Moinuddin Chishti chose this country for their spiritual, moral and religious activities”.

He said that the fact is the sufis have played a valuable role in the progress of social norms of the people of this country from the point of culture and Persian language.

The Iranian official noted that it is a fact that Sufism is a historical heritage of Indian culture and it is the moral duty of every Indian to promote and preserve it.

"In India the followers of different religions co-exist in peace and harmony for centuries like a bouquet respecting the religious feelings of each others. This is being the historical heritage carried by Sufis and Saints which cannot be ignored," he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Kapil Sibal, Minister of Human Resource and Development and IT expressed his view in an emotional tone that Gharib Nawaz has been the sacred symbol of Indian secular culture. He still rules the hearts of the people even after passing 8 centuries since when he came to this territory as vicegerent of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) carrying the message of peace and humanity.

Without respecting the human values peace can’t be established. The humane and spiritual teachings of Gharib Nawaz under the light of Quran and Hadith guided the humanity to live in peace and brotherhood, he added.

Sibal also announced that on this auspicious occasion the government will soon release the posting stamp on Khwaja at the spiritual capital of India, Ajmer in Rajasthan State.

Special Prayers

By Staff Reporter, *Shah Inayat Qadri’s urs starts* - Pakistan Daily Times - Lahore, Pakistan; Saturday, May 19, 2012

Shah Inayat Qadri’s Urs starts

Lahore: The three-day annual Urs of Hazrat Hafiz Muhammad Inayatllah Shah Qadri Shatari, teacher of renowned Sufi saint Bulleh Shah and popularly known as Shah Inayat Qadri, began at Queens’ Road on Friday.

Provincial Minister for Auqaf and Religious Affairs Haji Ehsanuddin Qureshi inaugurated the urs celebrations by laying a traditional chadar on the shrine.

Officers of the Auqaf Department and a large number of devotees were also present on the occasion. They also offered special prayers for the development, progress and stability of country.

The Punjab Auqaf Department had allocated Rs 66,000 for expenditures of urs and provision of Langar (free meal) for visitors and devotees. Later, a special Mehfil-e-Samaa (spiritual singing ceremony) was held at the shrine in which prominent qawwal and other folk singers participated.

Shah Inayat, generally known as Shah Inayat Qadri, was born in Kasur around three hundred years ago in an Arain family. He studied Persian and Arabic as per the tradition of local education system of the time. He was a student of a famous Sufi scholar and saint, Muhammad Ali Raza Shattari.

After he finished his studies, he was nominated a Khalifa of his teacher Hazarat Shattari. Later on he received the khilafat of seven other sub-sects of Sufi Qadri order. Soon after, he migrated to Lahore where he started his own school of Sufism. Baba Bulleh Shah was one of his prominent students.

In wake of terrorist activities and poor law and order situation across the country, local police had taken strict security measures to avoid any unpleasant incident during the urs celebrations and gathering of devotees.

The celebrations would continue for the next two days.

Shower of Flowers

By Kshitiz Gaur, *Urs of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishty formally begins* - The Times of India - India; Friday, May 18, 2012

Urs of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishty formally begins

Ajmer: The 800th Urs of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishty began formally on Thursday evening though the actual rituals will begin only after the sighting of the moon tentatively on May 21.

Thousands of devotees march amid the playing of musical bands and shower of flowers and confetti towards the main Nazim gate of the dargah during the hoisting of the traditional flag brought by the Gori family from Bhiwara for the Urs. The procession of the flag started from the dargah guest house.

Large number of devotees from different parts of the country gathered in the dargah region to participate in the march of hosting the flag. Just after the 'Aser ki namaz', there was a celebration with musical bands playing and Qawals singing Sufi songs. Sayeed Abrar Ahemad led the Sufi Qawalis procession and the devotees were eagerly touching the Urs flag.

As per the tradition, Fakhruddin Gori held the flag and marched towards the main gate of dargah. The whole route was crowded with devotees. The procession went thorugh Mustafa market, Phool gali, and reached Nizam gate where the flag was hosted at Buland darwaza.

With the formal beginning of Urs, the timing of dargah will change from Friday for devotees, "There will be no prayers in afternoon as it will be offered at 8 in the evening. After the moon sighting, the rituals of Urs will start," said Kutubdin Sakhi, a khadim. He added that from the next day of moon sighting, the 'jannati darwaza' will be open for devotees.

Considering the large number of devotees coming to attend the Urs, the district administration has started implementing its plan for elaborate security arrangements. About 4,000 extra police force will be deployed in the region during Urs. Four circles are also defined for security reasons. "About 19 ASP, 45 DySP and 23 Inspector rank officials are called from the police headquarters for the Urs" an official said. Besides, police force from the police lines is also deputed.

There will be 36 CCTV actively capturing activities both inside and outside the dargah to catch suspicious moves during the Urs. Police are also checking guest houses and hotels to verify people lodged there. The district magistrate deputed a zonal magistrate in the region to maintain law and order.

Railways has also started six Urs special trains connecting Barauni, New Jalpaigudi, Satragachi, Hyderabad and other places to Ajmer. The state roadways are also looking for the good business during the Urs.

On other hand, devotees from different part of the country came here through private buses and were staying at Pushkar and Kayar Vishram Sthalis. "Drinking water and sanitation are the main facilities which we are providing on these places for devotees," a municipal official said. Parking facilities for about 3,000 vehicles are made on different vishram stalis for the devotees coming to attend the Urs.

[Picture: Inside Dargah Sharif. Photo: Wiki.]

Not Because We Worship It

By Hadeel Al Shalchi, *With state weak, Libyans look to God for help* - Reuters - U.S.A./Libya; Wednesday, May 16, 2012

With state weak, Libyans look to God for help

Mohamed Salem believes it was divine intervention that saved the Muslim holy site where he works from being destroyed.

In early March, word reached the keepers of the ornate shrine, the most important of its kind in Libya, that ultra-conservative Salafis were on their way to destroy it as part of a campaign to wipe out any symbols they see as idolatrous.

The curators sent for help. Volunteer militia units came from nearby towns. They surrounded the shrine complex - which houses the tomb of the 15th-century Sufi scholar Abdel Salam al-Asmar - with pick-up trucks mounted with anti-aircraft weapons, and waited to repel the attack.

Then a sandstorm, rare at that time of year, whipped up and shrouded the mosque from view. The attack never came.

"The dust was so thick and the wind so strong you couldn't see your hand in front of you," said Salem, a caretaker and religious teacher at the complex. "God protected the grave of this scholarly man and protected us from harm."

Since last year's revolt ended Muammar Gaddafi's 42-year rule over Libya, people have grown used to looking to their own resources, or to God, to help them out, because they feel they cannot count on their government.

The struggle over this shrine in Zlitan, about 160 km (90 miles) west of the Libyan capital, is the story of Libya as it struggles to re-shape itself after Gaddafi's rule.

It is the story of the battle for the right to define what it means to be a Muslim in Libya, of theological arguments being settled by weapons, and of an interim government that is so weak that it cannot impose its authority over opposing factions.

The ending has not yet been written.

The conflict over the al-Asmar tomb and hundreds of other shrines like it has not been resolved. Instead, the National Transitional Council (NTC) has postponed a decision by ordering that all the shrines be closed until it decided on a way out.

"We are keeping this subject on hold," said NTC spokesman Mohammed al-Harizy. "We have other subjects which are more important than the graves right now."

HOLY BOOK

One afternoon in March, Salem unlocked and pushed open the door to the shrine, at the centre of the complex which also includes a school and a mosque.

A burst of incense and musk greeted him as he slipped off his slippers and muttered a short prayer before entering the cool room.

The coffin of al-Asmar stood inside, covered with Turkish rugs and surrounded by intricate blue and white mosaic patterns on the wall.

Students from all over Libya come to study Islamic law and to memorize the Islamic holy book, the Koran, at the university and school built around the shrine. Now, numbers are down.

In the school halls, the voices of young boys and girls echo in unison.

"We usually have 600 girls a day come to memorize Koran, but the parents are now afraid the Salafis will attack so only 100 show up," said teacher Wafa al-Ati.

Sufism, a mystical strain of Islam, dates back to the faith's early days. Apart from the standard prayers, Sufi devotions include singing hymns, chanting the names of God or dancing to heighten awareness of the divine.

Sufis also build shrines to revered holy men and scholars and make pilgrimages to them. There are hundreds of the shrines all over Libya. Even Gaddafi, with his ambivalent attitude to religion, did not try to interfere in a practice that is so deep-seated in Libyan culture.

But since the end of Gaddafi's rule, a new trend has emerged to challenge Sufi traditions.

Under Gaddafi's rule, many Salafis were jailed for their beliefs and those not imprisoned spent years avoiding any outward manifestation of their beliefs.

Files from Gaddafi's internal security agency, seen by Reuters after the revolt, show there was a special department set up to track hardline Islamists. Anyone suspected of affiliation was denied the right to travel abroad, enroll in university or take public sector jobs.

Since that system of repression collapsed, Salafis have become emboldened. Some have acquired weapons and used them to enforce their ultra-purist view of Islam.

The Salafis believe Islam should be followed in the simple, ascetic form practiced by the Prophet Mohammed and his disciples. Any later additions to the faith -- including tombs or lavish grave markings - are viewed by them as idolatry.

They have alarmed many secularist Libyans by trying to enforce their strict moral code. The Salafis have burned down halls were parties are held and harassed women who do not cover their heads.

In the eastern city of Benghazi, organizers of a rap concert featuring a famous Tunisian artist were forced to cancel the event after being threatened by a Salafi brigade called Libya's Shield.

Worried that the Salafis would attack their joyful annual parades to celebrate the Prophet Mohammad's birthday in February, Sufi mosques sought safety in numbers and held a joint procession in Tripoli's walled old city. The event, which Salafis also consider idolatrous, went off without incident.

The main front in their campaign has been their attacks on Sufi shrines, which are a traditional part of Libyan Islam. Dozens have been demolished all around the country and the bodies of their holy men dug up and dumped elsewhere.

The defenders of the shrine in Zlitan believe a Salafi militia, called the Thalath Salafi brigade, was behind the aborted attack on the complex.

The brigade is stationed in a former military base in the nearby town of Khoms. Commanders declined an interview with Reuters but in March, a spokesman addressed an angry crowd calling for their departure from the town.

"Having any sign or tomb marking a grave is a form of infidelity and must be removed," said the spokesman for the brigade, Jalal al-Gheit. "We prefer to call it a reorganization of the graves."

The evidence of the Salafi campaign can be seen at what remains of the Sidi Gibran shrine, also in Zlitan.

Large concrete pieces attached to metal wires dangle from where the roof used to be. A hole filled with rubble remains where the grave of the holy man, after whom the shrine is named, was dug up.

The shrine's caretaker, who lives nearby, said he witnessed the desecration one afternoon when he heard the rumble of a tractor outside his house.

"I walked out and was surprised to see 16 bearded Salafis carrying Kalashnikovs, and breaking the tomb using a Caterpillar tractor," said Faraj al-Shimi. "They all ran away when I threatened to call the police."

He said that the complaint he filed four months ago was still pending.

MUDDLE AND INDECISION

The NTC has a lot on its plate trying to run a country that, since Gaddafi's downfall, has been floating on a wave of hope and optimism but at the same time often seems close to slipping into chaos.

It is only beginning to build a state army and police force. There are still armed militias that answer only to their own commanders and refuse to disarm. It is trying to organize the country's first election next month.

That may partly explain why the official response to the crisis has been characterized by muddle and indecision. There is also confusion at the top of the religious hierarchy, where some officials seem to be theologically closer to the Salafis than Libya's traditional Sufi-inspired Islam.

Back in November last year, Grand Mufti Sadeq al-Ghariani, Libya's highest ranking Islamic scholar, who carries the NTC's endorsement, issued a religious decree declaring that it was forbidden to desecrate graves.

But he was also reported to have remarked that the time for such action was not ripe, a comment nervous Sufis took as a sign his defense of shrines might not be as strong as it might seem.

In March, NTC chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil met the mufti and representatives of Libya's Sufi and Salafi camps. Salem, the curator of Zlitan's al-Asmar shrine, was at the meeting. He said he asked for security for the complex.

Instead, the issue was fudged. Salem said he left the meeting with an order from Abdel Jalil to shutter the tomb and wait for further notice. "We received no security," he said.

Since then, official institutions have been passing the buck. The NTC said it is waiting for the mufti to make a decision on the religious legality of the grave sites. And the mufti's office told Reuters it is waiting for the NTC to make a final decision.

Harizy, the NTC spokesman, said the quarrel was all part of a natural evolution for Libya.

"Libyan people are used to working in secret, so no one knows who's who," Harizy said. "So we have to open the door for everybody to express his opinion and to try to bring the Islam which is moderate."

In the meantime, caretakers at the al-Asmar shrine have the more immediate concern of how to stop the complex from being destroyed by Salafis, without help from the state.

For the past few weeks, the complex has organized an armed brigade of 30 to 40 volunteers from Zlitan who stand guard at the tomb.

"We are not protecting this tomb because we worship it," said Salem. "We protect it because it is a part of our heritage and culture."

(Additional Reporting by Mussab Al-Khairalla; Editing by Christian Lowe, Tom Heneghan and Sonya Hepinstall).

Great Female Scholars

By Evelyn Osagie, *Northern women scholars in pre-colonial Nigeria*- The Nation - Matori, Mushin, Lagos State, Nigeria; Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Northern women scholars in pre-colonial Nigeria

Many Nigerian women contributed to the socio-political and economic development of the country. Sadly, oftentimes, while celebrating achievers, these women are scarcely mentioned, women rights advocates have said.

They argue that historians and scholars must start exposing women contributions in our historical milieu.

One good way to go about it, according to them, is to bring to the fore the contributions of women, especially those from the north. A major northern women’s advocate is Mallam Futuhu. He urged historians to celebrate the achievement of women scholars in pre-colonial northern Nigeria.

His view on the issue, published online, are currently igniting debates at intellectual circles within and outside the country. According to him, evidences abound of great women scholars who have made historical strides.

Historians, he said, have not done justice to women from the northern part of the country, adding that they have been relegated in historical works.

Futuhu said: "Northern women’s contribution in scholarship is usually relegated, neglected and, oftentimes, reduced to footnote in most intellectual history I have come across. ADH Vibar and Mervin Hiskett, whose works in the 60s was on Northern Nigerian intellectual history, did not mention any great woman scholar, either in Yandoto, Gobarau, Danranko or Madabo schools, despite the fact that, there are many.

"It was only John Hunwick’s and Hamid Bobboyi’s work: Arabic literary tradition in Northern Nigeria, that gave us a little glimpse of some great female scholars."

To further explain his point, he named 10 great women scholars of pre-colonial Northern Nigeria whose works are notable among the northern scholars. However, he said, the list may not mean his list is absolute. "Anyone can come up with his own list," he said.

First on his list is Fatima Dukku. According to him, "She was among the entourage of Wangarawa who arrived in Kano, during the reign of Muhammad Rumfa in 15th Century circa."
Dukku (sometime Tukku) was said to be a great scholar. Some sources said she was a saint (waliyya). For more on her vide, there are some notes on Wangarawa coming to Kano, by Love and Joy. Asl al Wangariyun, by M A Alhaj, Hausawa da Makwabtansu, by Dokaji Abubakar, and I'ilan bi Tarikh Kano, by Malam Adamu na Ma'aji," he wrote.

Next is Ruqayya Fallatiya. "Hunwick made mention of her as the author of the famous song; Ummul Yatim (aka; Alkarimun Yaqbal). Some historians also said she was the author of famous Qawa'idi. She was the wife of Muhammad Fodio al Akbar (not the father of Usman Danfodio, probably the great grandfather, and teacher of Alkashnawi and Muhammad Na wali). She may have lived in 16th Century and died in the early 17th Century," according to him.

Raliya, whose surname was not mentioned, is next on the list. According to him, "She is one of the few women who thrive in Yandoto School. She is said to have authored some poems and a book on epistemology. Her works are not extent; this might be as a result of conquest of Yandoto, by Muhammad Bello (Sultan), in the early 19th century."

Nana Asma'u bint Fodio, he noted, is the most famous scholar among all the female scholars of central Sudan. "She authored 38 works in her life time. Her works include poetry and prose, on grammar, syntax, spiritualism, wa'az, medicine, among others. Her outstanding contribution was on her Yantaru School initiative, where less privilege and slave women were educated.

Many illiterate women, benefited from her mass literacy programme. Vide; One Woman Jihad by B Mark and Jean boyd. See also Some collected works of Nana Asma'u, by B Marks," he stated.
Amina Bint Adeh, according to him, is a great scholar and Sufist. "She was said to be the liaison officer of Usman Danfodio in the spiritual palace of Sidi Abdulqadir Jelani. Nana Asma'u made mention of her in her Tawassali ga mata masu albarka. Hunwick also, in Arabic literary tradition.

Goggo Zaituna is next. He noted that she was born in Adamawa at the time of Lamido Zubayr. "She was said to be a great islamic jurist. In her time, she trained many reknown Qadhis in Adamawa."

Maimunatu Binta Qadhi Bazarin, according to him, was a jurist, grammarian and sufist. Born in Jibiya, Katsina State, she died in 1906, at the age of 80. "She authored some books, both in prose and poetry. She was the founder of famous Jibiya Islamiyya School, which is noted for teaching the children and women."

Sheikh al Qariyya, he observed, was an Algerian, who resided in Kano, at the end of the 19th Century. "Qariyya's original name was Rakiyya, she was called Qarriyya, because it was believed there is no door of the degree of Suffism that she did not knock and open. She was the teacher and initiator of many Kano Sufi scholars, including: al Qalansuwi (Shehu mai hula), Malam Ibrahim Natsugunne, the father of Sheikh Nasiru Kabara, Malam Bako Sufi, and Malam Tijjani Zangon bare-bari. She later went to Medina and died there."

Fatuhu also named Hajiya Hassana Sufi, an educationist and Arabicist of her own right, who died last year, "she was the headmistress of Hassana sufi women Islamiyya School in Kankarofi quarters, Kano. Hajiya Hassana was the author of many books."

Miriam bint al Sheikh is last on the list. She is popularly known as Shekara, according to some historians. "She was the originator of Gidan Sarki Islamiyya School. A daughter of Usman Danfodio and wife of Ibrahim Dabo (second Fulani Emir of Kano). Her famous works, which is still Wasiqa ila Amir Kano, Min amr Mahdi. She seems to outlive most of her sisters. Waziri Bukhari made mention of her in his famous poem Wakar Buhari, as a Saint.

Junooni Time

By Staff Correspondent, *Salman Ahmad performs at Ajmer Sharif* - The Express Tribune - Karachi, Pakistan; Saturday, May 5, 2012

Salman Ahmad performs at Ajmer Sharif

Karachi: Sufi rock star Salman Ahmad may have performed in various places around the world but his most recent stop was a unique one. The Junoon member got the rare chance of performing at the Dargah Sharif of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishty in Ajmer Sharif, India.

“It was an honour to pay tribute to Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishty in Ajmer Sharif,” said Ahmad via e-mail. “This is the 800th year of Khawaja Gharib Nawaz’s urs celebration. Thousands of people flocked to the Dargah Sharif and they were in a state of fana while listening to the Sufi songs of love and devotion,” added the Sufi musician.

Ahmad was invited to the memorable event by Syed Salman Chishty, who is also the Gaddi Nashin (heir apparent), Khadim-i-Khawaja sahib (Khwaja’s servant) and the Director of Chishty Foundation.

“It was really nice to have Junoon here in Ajmer Sharif,” Chishty said about Ahmad’s visit.

Ahmad has now joined the league of Pakistani Sufi musicians Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Abida Parveen who have also had the privilege to perform at Ajmer Sharif.

Recently, Ahmad made headlines when he announced that he will be making his Bollywood debut in Vicky Kumar’s musical love story Rhythm, according to timesofindia.com.

Hindustan Times reports that Ahmad’s Indian fan following started strengthening from 1997, when his song “Sayonee” created a rage in India.

Currently, Junoon, spearheaded by Ahmad, are in India, for a series of concerts in different cities of the country. Their next performance will be at the Bluefrog in Delhi on May 10.

“A Junooni time is guaranteed for all,” Ahmad tweeted. Junoon’s last concert in India was on February 6, 2010.

Picture: Salman Ahmad has now joined the league of Pakistani Sufi musicians Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Abida Parveen who have also performed at Ajmer Sharif. Photo: PUBLICITY.

For Harmonious Relations

By Gaurav Sharma, *Zardari prays at Ajmer Sharif, donates $ 1m* - Two Circles Net / IANS - Cambridge, MA, USA; Sunday, April 8, 2012

Zardari prays at Ajmer Sharif, donates $ 1m

Ajmer: After a gap of eight years, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari offered prayers at the revered shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti in Ajmer and announced a donation of $1 million for the dargah.

Accompanied by his son Bilawal, Zardari who had last visited the shrine in 2003, was presented a ring studded with nine gems.

"President Zardari prayed here...He announced a donation of $1 million for the shrine," Syed Zeeshan Kaptan, the Khadim or caretaker of the dargah, told IANS.

The father-son duo spent around 35 minutes at the shrine, which included a 15-minute prayer at the tomb of Moinuddin Chisti.

Both Zardari and Bilawal offered separate chadars at the shrine which they had brought from Pakistan.

According to Kaptan, the father-son duo spent around 10 minutes at the tomb of the Sufi saint also known as Garib Nawaz, and recited verses from the pocket-sized editions of the holy Quran they were carrying.

Both received gifts from the Khadim.

"Bilwal was very happy when we gifted him the picture of his mother when she had last come here," Kaptan said.

The 24-year-old Bilawal Bhutto drew instant comparisons with Gandhi scion Rahul Gandhi.
"Bilawal looks like the Pakistani version of Rahul Gandhi... He is a soft spoken person and a thorough gentleman," Syed Natik Chishti, Khadim at the dargarh who helped Zardari and Bilawal perform their prayers, told IANS.

"We were very impressed by Bilawal...He seems so full of energy and has a kind and clean heart...He is just like Rahul Gandhi," he said.

Chishti said Bilawal held his hand and asked him to pray for harmonious relations between India and Pakistan.

[Picture: Dargah Sharif. Photo: Wiki.]

Food to the Deprived

By Anil Sharma, *The journey to Ajmer Sharif - from Akbar to Zardari* - Two Circles Net / IANS; - Cambridge, MA, USA; Thursday, April 5, 2012

The journey to Ajmer Sharif - from Akbar to Zardari

Ajmer: From Mughal emperor Akbar who came praying for a son to a relentless stream of around 12,000 people who throng every day to Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari who will visit it Sunday, the pull of the 12th century Sufi shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer remains undiminished.

The marble-domed tomb of the Sufi saint, located 145 km from Jaipur, in the middle of Ajmer's walled city area, attracts a huge mass of people from all over the world who come here with an ardent wish and a prayer on their lips.

The tomb is located at the centre of a courtyard and is surrounded by a marble platform. It is believed that the remains of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, also known as Khwaja Garib Nawaz, lie buried at the shrine.

Khadims, or priests at the dargah, claim to be his descendants and are authorised to carry out prayers at the shrine. The premises have eight more tombs, including those of the saint's family members.

S.F. Hussein Chishti, a khadim, told IANS that people come here with the hope to fulfil their wishes and offer 'chadar'. After their wish is fulfilled, they visit again to express their gratitude.

"It used to be Mughal emperor Akbar's favourite destination for many years," said Chishti.

He said the most spectacular thing about the shrine is that it is visited by not only Muslims but equally by those from other religions, including Hindus, Sikhs and Jains.

The shrine is set to complete 800 years in June.

Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chishti is said to have been born in 1142 A.D. in Iran. "He left the place to spread the teachings of Sufism. He came to India and settled in Ajmer," added a khadim.

"At that time, society had many social evils; so he spread the teachings of equality and brotherhood. Sufism is a moderate philosophy and Mughal kings were impressed and encouraged the spread of its teachings". He is largely famous for the Sufi philosophy that preaches brotherhood, harmony and prosperity, say the khadims.

Julfikar Chishti, another khadim, said: "The deprived and the poor come barefoot, walking hundreds of kilometres. For the past three to four years, people from Europe and America are also coming here to learn the teachings of Sufism."

Mohamed Aajam, a historian, said: "King Akbar came barefoot from Agra to the Ajmer dargah and wished for a son here.

"There is the Akbari mosque and also Shahani mosque constructed by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan," he said.

There are eight gates for entrance to the shrine, but only three are used. "The Nizam gate was constructed by the Nizams of Hyderabad," said Aajam.

A dargah committee takes care of the security and sanitation of the place. The rituals are in the hands of the Anjuman Committee, made up of priests of the place.

"Our duty is to organise rituals and provide food to the deprived coming here," said Waheed Angara, secretary of the Anjuman Committee. There are regular elections to this committee and only khadims can participate in it.

Zardari will be the fourth Pakistani head of state or government to visit the dargah. His late wife Benazir Bhutto and former presidents Zia-ul Haq and Pervez Musharraf also visited the shrine.

"The shrine has always been a great source of communal harmony and national integrity," Mohammad Ahmed, a resident of the dargah area, told IANS.

Every year, on the death anniversary (urs) of the Sufi saint, held on the first six days of Rajab (seventh month of the Islamic calendar), millions pour into the shrine.

[Picture: Ajmer Sharif, Big Degh (cauldron). It was presented by Emperor Akbar, 4800 kgs of food can be cooked in it and the cost comes to about 1,20,000 Indian Rupees (2300.-- USD). Photo: Chishti Ajmer Sharif.]

Rahman Baba’s Urs

By PPI / Staff Reporter, *Pushto poet Rahman Baba’s Urs on Sunday* - The News International - Karachi, Pakistan; Saturday, March 31, 2012

Islamabad: The Urs of renowned Pashto Sufi Poet Abdul Rahman Baba will be observed on Sunday.

Rahman Baba was a member of the Khalil Muhmand (Bahader Kalay) sub-tribe of Pukhtunsé, a group that originally migrated from Kandahar to the Peshawar valleyé from the 13th to the 16th century.

He grew up in a small pocket of Mohmand settlers on the outskirts of Peshawar.

His poetry expresses a peaceful mystical side of local culture which is becoming increasingly threatened by less tolerant interpretations of Islam. A collection of Rahman’s poetryé called the Diwan (Anthology) of Rahman Babaé contains 343 poemsé most of which are written in his native Pukhtoé which is a dialect of the Pashto language found in Afghanistan and parts of Western Pakistan.

Abdur Rahman Baba died in 1715 AD. Radio Pakistan will broadcast programmes to pay homage to Rahman Baba on his Urs on Sunday.

Ranjhan Mera, Main Ranjhan Di

By Raza Rumi, *And then there was light* - The Friday Times - Lahore, Pakistan; Vol. XXIV, No. 07; March 30 - April 05, 2012

As a young apprentice in medieval India, Shah Hussain was struck by the idea of this life as a 'game and sport'. The poetry he went on to write still holds a light to the darkness we carry within us.

Lahore, the ancient city of Loh, the age-old halt for invaders, is also the home to eclectic Sufis. Men and women who shed conventions and discovered newer planes of spirituality found a home in this city. The merging of centuries' old Indus valley bastion - the Punjab and its primordial language - with core strands of Islamic Sufism was a unique moment in South Asia's cultural evolution. And, no one can better represent the composite soul of Lahore than its poet and Sufi master Shah Hussain, whose identity has forever fused with his Hindu disciple Madhu Lal. Those who seek Lahore's Mela Chiraghaan or Festival of Lights still frequent the 16th century shrine of Madhu Lal Hussain.

Shah Hussain's father, Shaykh Usman, was a loom weaver, and his grandfather Kaljas Rai (Kalsarai) was a convert to Islam who gained the confidence of the state during the reign of Emperor Firoz Shah Tughlaq. Shah Hussain Lahori was born in 1538 AD near Taxali Gate, Lahore. His early religious education was followed by induction into the Qadiriya order by Hazrat Bahlul Daryavi at a very young age. As a devout Muslim in his early years, he gained a formal outward knowledge and imbibed the spiritual moorings of Lahore, including the blessings of Hazrat Usman Ali Hajvery, aka Data Saheb, whose shrine has guided scores of saints, fakirs and yogis for nearly a millennium.

Mythological accounts suggest that at the age of thirty-six, while studying a commentary on the Quran, Shah Hussain was struck by a line which equated the 'life of this world' to 'game and sport.' He asked his instructor to explain the concept but his teacher's response did not satisfy him. He is said to have interpreted this verse as a means to undertake sport and dance. It is said that Shah Hussain pursued dancing, sport and frolicking but his mentor Hazrat Bahlul Shah Daryavi was not alarmed as he thought his student was spiritually intact.

A life of questioning and seeking alternative meanings in conventional beliefs had arrived. This turning point in Shah Hussain's journey proved to be a major milestone. The first step was to question the clergy and the religious establishment that was co-joined with the monarchy in medieval India. Muslim rulers had sought refuge in religious legitimacy to entrench their dynasties, and in divine right to rule a mass of infidels. Sufis such as Shah Hussain were rebels against the established power-cliques and this is why they gained a huge following across religious, sectarian and caste divides.

Shah Hussain's intoxication with love for the Beloved succeeded his admiration for a Hindu boy named Madhu Lal. Madhu was to become a disciple of the Sufi master in due course and join his khanqah. A Brahmin and a convert weaver duo challenged all the established social hierarchies by acknowledging the ascendancy of humanism above everything. The path to God only lay through the realization of love for fellow human beings. In an extraordinary short poem or kaafi, Hussain speaks through the voice of Heer, who rejects her well-to-do in-laws for her cow-herder lover Ranjha, and declares her rebellion against the social order:

Ni Mai menoon Kherian di gal naa aakh
Ranjhan mera, main Ranjhan di, Kherian noon koori jhak
Lok janey Heer kamli hoi, Heeray da wer chak

Do not talk of the Kheras to me,
O mother, do not.
I belong to Ranjha and he belongs to me.
And the Kheras dream idle dreams.
Let the people say, "Heer is crazy; she has given herself to the cowherd." He alone knows what it all means.

Oral histories suggest that Madhu Lal's parents wanted him to accompany them for a ritual bathing ceremony at Hardwar, but Shah Hussain did not allow him to go. When Madhu's parents reached Hardwar, Shah Hussain made Madhu Lal shut his eyes, strike his feet upon the ground, and then open his eyes again. Madhu Lal did as he was told, and to his and his parents' utter amazement, found himself in Hardwar. Madhu Lal along with his parents later converted to Islam following this miracle. And popular belief is that the name "Madhu Lal Hussain" was bestowed on the young Brahmin.

Madhu became the successor of Shah Hussain after the latter's death in 1599. Madhu Lal survived his pir for the next 48 years, and his tomb lies next to Shah Hussain's at the eclectic shrine today in Baghbanpura, Lahore. This shrine is the centerpiece of the annual Mela Chiraghan, or Festival of Lights, celebrated on the Sufi saint's death anniversary (urs). It was previously celebrated on the 22nd day of the Islamic calendar month of Jamadi-at-Thani, but is now celebrated on the 14th of Baisakh or on the last Sunday of March. It is the biggest religious festival in Lahore, and was considered the biggest public festival of the city until Basant occupied the slot.

Shah Hussain's stature as a Sufi equals his literary stature in the world of Punjabi language and literature. Composing in a kaafi style (short rhyming poems), Hussain employed a variety of styles and enriched the genre. His kaafis speak of the yearning, both spiritual and temporal, faced by Sufis in their pursuit of the divine path. Hussain was acquainted with the nuances of music - and this is why his kaafis have an innate musicality and layers of meaning, which surprisingly are similar to the Urdu and Persian ghazal that was soon to flourish in medieval India. In this kaafi the beauty of Punjabi is explored to its limits as Heer, the yearning lover, sings a song of separation:

Sujjen bin raatan hoiyan wadyan
Ranjha jogi, main jogiani, kamli kar kar sadian
Mass jhurey jhur pinjer hoyya, karken lagiyan hadyan
Main ayani niyoonh ki janan, birhoon tannawan gadiyan
Kahe Husain faqeer sain da, larr tairay main lagiyaan

Nights swell and merge into each other as I stand in wait for him.
Since the day Ranjha became jogi, I have scarcely been my old self
and people everywhere call me crazy.
My young flesh crept into creases, leaving my young bones a creaking skeleton.
I was too young to know the ways of love; and now as the nights swell and merge into each other,
I play host to that unkind guest - separation.

(Translation: Najam Hosain Syed)

There is a universe of symbolism within these kaafis: the charkha (spindle) emerges as a metaphor for the wheel of spiritual journey and also as a symbol peaceful coexistence of humanity. More importantly, the weaver is the Divine force of Creation as well as an embodiment of the human desires and vicissitudes of temporal life. The folk tales of the Punjab such as Heer-Ranjha figure prominently in Shah Hussain's poetry. These kaafis also condemn violence as noted by scholars such as Salman Saeed (The South Asian, April 2001), the limits and boundaries of life's journey, and acceptance of mortality. Long before 'symbolism' was noted in literature, this Punjabi Sufi was weaving allegories and complex themes using simple and easily accessible folk symbols. The timelessness of these poetic celebrations have inspired a variety of singers from the maestros Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Abida Parveen to contemporary pop outfits such as Mekaal Hasan Band and Junoon who have rendered Hussain's kaafis with ease.

This one is a particular favourite of mine as it invokes the Heer-Ranjha tale and alludes to the path of Love that entails crossing of a dangerous river that stands between "desire and fulfillment", to quote Najam Hosain Syed, who has rendered a competent translation of this kaafi:

Main wi janan dhok Ranjhan di, naal mare koi challey
Pairan paindi, mintan kardi, janaan tan peya ukkaley
Neen wi dhoonghi, tilla purana, sheehan ney pattan malley
Ranjhan yaar tabeeb sadhendha, main tan dard awalley
Kahe Husain faqeer namana, sain senhurray ghalley

Travelers, I too have to go; I have to go to the solitary hut of Ranjha. Is there anyone who will go with me? I have begged many to accompany me and now I set out alone. Travelers, is there no one who could go with me?

The River is deep and the shaky bridge creaks as people step on it. And the ferry is a known haunt of tigers. Will no one go with me to the lonely hut of Ranjha?

During long nights I have been tortured by my raw wounds. I have heard he in his lonely hut knows the sure remedy. Will no one come with me, travelers?

The lighting of lamps at the start of every spring is a metaphor for killing the inner darkness that we live with. By invoking spiritual light through love and self-knowledge, we can overcome ourselves and reaffirm our need to love and be loved. The urs of Shah Hussain is also an occasion for celebration. It defies convention and the religiosity of the Mullahs and allows for much festivity. Qalandars and mystics from all over the country congregate and indulge in dhamaals (dancing in a trance) which celebrate the love of Sufis for their Divine beloved and masters.

Amid our many clouds of extremism, Madhu Lal's syncretic shrine represents the long-gone era of spirituality rising above religious identities and rituals. Shah Hussain was feared by the Mughal Emperors and unconfirmed accounts relate that Hussain was sympathetic to Dulla Bhatti (the rebel leader of the peasantry) but Hussain's popular status prevented his arrest. Madhu and Shah Hussain represented and continue to represent the unity of people against all divides and labels:

They alone know what is love and longing,
Who have it in their lives.
Like digging a well in dry land,
With no cart to carry away the sand.

(Translated by Sant Singh Sekhon)

Mela Charaghan

By TET Correspondent, *Mela Charagan: Urs of Madhu Lal Hussain begins at Baghbanpura* - The Express Tribune - Karachi, Pakistan; Sunday, March 25, 2012

Mela Charaghan: Urs of Madhu Lal Hussain begins at Baghbanpura

Lahore: The three-day 424th urs of Madhu Lal Hussain started here on Saturday as devotees from all over the province began pouring in to pay their respects to the Sufi poet.

The urs, also known as Mela Charaghan (Festival of Lights), started at 11am with chadar poshi, a ritual changing of the sheet covering the tomb.

The ritual was performed by Auqaf Minister Haji Ehsanuddin Qureshi, MNA Rohail Asghar Sheikh and MNA Pervez Malik, while MPA Chaudhry Shehbaz and MPA Waseem Qadir were also present at the occasion.

A number of food stalls were set up on GT Road and close to Madhu Lal Hussain’s shrine. Swings, a merry-go-round, a Ferris wheel, a swing boat ride and a trampoline were installed around the shrine for children.

Mela Charaghan got its name from the large fire, Alao, at the shrine where people throw candles, oils and mud lamps (charagh) after making wishes. The fire remains lit till the conclusion of the ceremony.

The urs continues around the clock, with women mostly there during the day and the men at night.

Auqaf Minister Qureshi, inaugurating the urs, said that the government was paying special attention to the protection and renovation of Sufi shrines.

He said that Mela Charaghan was a cherished folk tradition in Punjab, especially Lahore.

Sheikh Muhammad Younis, the manager of the shrine, told The Express Tribune that tight security had been arranged for the urs.

He said that men and women had separate entrances.

He said that the concluding prayer would be led by Ghulam Mustafa Rizwan.

He said that the Auqaf Department roughly broke even or made a small loss at the festival.

The department allocated Rs345,000 for the urs this year, while last year Rs300,000 was collected from charity during the urs.

A side of the shrine was occupied by malangs wearing traditional black dhotis and anklets and dancing the dhamal to drum beats. People gathered in groups to discuss the contribution of the Sufis in spreading Islam and for naat khawani. The Auqaf Department distributed a langar (free food) to the devotees.

People travelled great distances to get to the festival, some waving red flags bearing Quranic verses.

Saleem Baba, a malang from Sialkot, said that he came to the urs every year. “We get blessings from the saint and then distribute them amongst the people in our areas,” he said. “We try to bring people enlightenment, so they can understand the vital contribution made by malangs.”

Pictures: Devotees arrive from far and wide for three-day urs. Photo: Ijaz Mahmood and Waseem Niaz / Express.

Such a Rich History

By Randeep Kaur, *Treading the path of Sufi saints* - Deccan Herald - Delhi, India - Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Surrounded by engrossing stories of Sufi saints, tales of emperors & poets is none than Delhi’s well-known village named after Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, well known Sufi saint.

At the epicenter of the area is Dargah of Nizamuddin, set in a medieval ambience of narrow alleys and bazaars. Because of its association with the saint, the area became a popular site for burials – for emperors, saints, nobility, royalty, warriors and poets alike.

While one takes the Nizam Piya trail which details the monuments in and around Nizamuddin, Himanshu Verma, an emerging arts curator, talks about Humanyun’s Tomb, one of the many monuments which lies in the vicinity,

“Humayun succeeded Babur and had ruled India for nearly a decade before being ousted by Sher Shah Suri. Taking refuge at the court of Safavid ruler, the Shah of Persia, Humayun regained control over Delhi in 1555 AD. Unfortunately, he met with an untimely death after falling from the stairs of Sher Mandal library. Bega Begum also known as Haji Begum, Humayun’s Persian wife, supervised the construction of a tomb for her husband. This tomb was the first building to be constructed during the reign of Akbar and the site chosen for it was on the banks of the Yamuna adjoining the shrine of the Sufi saint of Chisti, Nizamuddin Auliya.”

Located exactly opposite Humayun's Tomb is Nizamuddin Dargah. It is the mausoleum of Nizamuddin Auliya, one of the best known Sufi saints. This dargah is not only revered by Muslims but includes visitors from other faiths, including Hindus.

Built by Muhammad Bin-Tughlaq of Delhi Sultanate this mausoleum also includes the tombs of Amir Khusrau, one of the eminent Muslim poets and Jahanara Begum along with the tomb of Inayat Khan located within the complex.

Today, the dargah is surrounded by a bustling marketplace complex, surrounded by a colony of staunch Muslims. According to legend, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya was chiefly responsible for spreading Sufism to every corner of India. Born in 1236 and known as Sheikh Nizamuddin, he came to Delhi along with his mother and became a disciple of Sheikh Farid of Shakargunj.

It is often said that Hazrat Nizamuddin was the first to predict that the city of Tughlaqabad which was the capital of Delhi Sultanate would never prosper to glory and Ghias-ud-din Tughlaq would never return to Delhi to rule the Sultanate. His prediction came true and since then it was believed that all his predictions would come true.

He died in 1325 and laid to rest in this mausoleum constructed by Muhammad Bin-Tughlaq who decorated it with white marbles inscriptions from the Quran.

Qawwalis at the Nizamuddin Dargah are very well-known and boast of their own loyal following.

The colony around is named after the saint and is divided into two parts along Mathura Road - Nizamuddin West where the Dargah step and a lively market dominated by Muslim vendors is located, and Nizamuddin East, an upper-class residential area situated between Humayun's Tomb and Nizamuddin Railway Station.

The other important monuments in this heritage area include Chausath Khamba, Mirza Ghalib's tomb, Barakhamba, Blue Gumbad at the roundabout and Lal Mahal.

But while the area bears such a rich history, today the area reels under the influence of drug abuse, crime and poverty all of which remain a big problem for the neighbourhood.

Preaching Peace

By Kashif Zafar, *Rohi Mela: Poetry finds fertile soil in the Cholistan desert* - The Express Tribune - Karachi, Pakistan; Sunday, March 11, 2012

Rohi Mela: Poetry finds fertile soil in the Cholistan desert

Bahawalpur: This year saw the 11th Rohi Mela, a celebration Sufi poet Khawaja Ghulam Farid. The festival provides much-needed economic support to the people of Cholistan.

The organiser of the mela, Jalil Kohkar, told The Express Tribune that he finances it alone and faces several administrative difficulties. He said that the mela was the biggest event in the area and thousands of people attend. He regretted, though, that no security arrangements were made by the government.

Aside from the organiser’s difficulties, the thousands who turned up had a colourful and enjoyable experience.

Farid is an immensely respected poet. He came from the Chishti-Nizami Sufi orders, was born in Chachran Sharif and buried at Kot Mithan in the district of Rajanpur. His life story was similar to many Sufi poets: travelling from city to city, preaching peace. Farid was well-versed in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Sindhi, Braj, Bhasha and Punjabi.

His preachings and poetry also had a political bent, as he opposed British role in Bahawalpur. He said to ruler of Bahawalpur in one poem: “You rule yourself on your state and finish the police station of the British from your state.”

A love of Cholistan pervades his work. There are also many depictions of the desert life of Rohi Cholistan.

The mela was inaugurated by the current leader of the sufi order, Khawaja Moeen Koreja. The eleventh edition featured Cholistani singers, who recited the poetry of Farid, as well as other entertainments, such as camel shows, horse races, motorbike races, snake shows and wrestling. Moeen told The Express Tribune that the event was one of the most important cultural events in the region.

One of the singers, Shoukat Cholistani, told The Express Tribune that Farid’s poetry contains a love for the land and life of Cholistan, and for that reason people from the region appreciate him. Other singers also expressed their pride at singing the verses of the regional hero.

During the mela season, the organisers filled much of the land with tents so that people could stay at the event. There were also more than 200 stalls of Cholistani-related items, such as shoes, clothes and jewelry.

A free medical camp was set up by the Khawaja Farid Foundation. An eye camp was also set by the Al-Khidmat Foundation.

Picture: Khawaja Farid Stamp. Photo: Pakistan Post.