Forever at My Beloved’s Abode

By Malik Rashid Faisal, *In Ajmer, before the saint’s court* - TwoCircles.net - Jupiter, FL, USA
Friday June 26, 2009

797th Urs is being commemorated in Ajmer at the dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. It is a six day affair that invites devotees from all over the world. Malik Rashid Faisal writes about the Urs of the previous year.

It was a rainy day. The nearby streets and courtyards of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Dargah in the historical city of Ajmer were abuzz with the devotees and lovers of the Saint present there to observe the 796th Urs, the commemoration of the Sufi saint Khwaja Saheb’s passing away.

The ceremony is held for six days every year and attended by pilgrims from across the world.

Attached to the main gate of the shrine was a small room packed with devotees, irrespective of their caste, creed, gender or religion. Sitting at the centre stage like a groom was a tall and smart young man clad in kurta pajama, a saffron stole hanging around his neck. He was one of the many Khadims (custodian) present who perform rituals, take Nazrana (a special gift that is offered by devotees during religious occasions to earn blessings) and help devotees in offering Chadars to the tomb.

I introduced myself as a reporter and enquired why he was sporting a saffron stole, the colour of Shiv Sainiks. “This is the Chishtiya colour which the Chishti family has been using for centuries,” the khadim retorted.”

Among the devotees was a 55-year-old Spanish woman who, swayed by the teachings of her beloved Wali-ul-Hind Khwaja Moinuddin and inspired by the principles of Sufism, had left Spain to stay in a rented house very close to the Dargah. Earlier during their trip to Rajasthan, she and her friends had stayed for a night in Ajmer. And that night, she claims, changed her life.

She shared her exhilarating experience: “Before visiting Rajasthan, I had read a book on Sufism, and was advised by someone to visit the Dargah. We entered the Dargah at around 10 pm and were asked to sit near the entrance to the shrine that was closed for the night. Immediately, I went into a trance. It was like being glued to the place where I sat. My body was shaking, vibrating, electrified, and I was astonished. Is this me? Is this my body? I was losing track of time. My friend told me afterwards that I didn’t move at all for at least an hour. When I finally managed to get up, I felt completely changed, that I’m not the person I was before.”

The Spaniard stayed in Ajmer for two months before returning to Spain for one last time. “I sold off my belongings and closed the doors behind me to stay, insha’Allah, forever at my Beloved’s abode in India. Strangely during that time in Spain, I got my passport stolen, as if it was a sign to make me see that my old identity was being wiped out and a new chapter in my life was to begin,” she added with a sign of relief.

The history of Sufiism or Tasawwuf is very old. Almost all the Sufi orders, mainly Chishtiya, Saharwardiya, Qadriya and Naqshbandiya, trace their Silsila (order) to Prophet Mohammed through his cousin and son-in-law Hazrat Ali, considered the vice regent of Prophet Mohammed by Shiite sect of Muslims. According to Islamic ideology, no prophet will come after the last prophet Mohammed. Therefore, it is now the duty of all Muslims to convey the message of Islam to every human being.

When Muslim invader Mohammed bin Qasim raided North India, along with him came many Sufis from across the world. Various Sufi orders, particularly Chishtiya and Saharwardia, were established in India. Saharwardiya originated in Iraq but succeeded only in India. It was founded by Iranian Sufi Abu Najib Saharwardi (1097-1168). It was the Sufis who played a big role in mass conversions to Islam.

The Chishti Silsila – the order, which was brought to India at the close of the 11th century AD by Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti – derives its name from Chishti, a village near Herat in Persia. Its centre was established in Ajmer. The order played a prominent role in spreading the message of Islam and mysticism (the eternal search of the human soul for direct experience of the Ultimate Reality). It proceeds on the assumption that “the Divine disclosed itself in the human race as a whole” and that it is possible for all human beings, irrespective of their caste, colour or creed, to have direct communion with the Creator.

“Islam is a blessing for the whole humanity. Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti spread this message to all and opened his door for all. People in large numbers converted to Islam on his call,” says Junaid Haris, assistant professor in the department of Islamic Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia.

Khwaja Gharib Nawaz was the exponent of the true spirit of Islam. According to him, religion is not merely based on rituals and ecclesiastical formalities, “service of humanity” is its sole raison d’être. Describing the qualities a man should possess to be close to God, Khwaja Gharib Nawaz referred to the following attributes: “River-like generosity, sun-like affection, earth-like hospitality.” The highest form of devotion, he said, was to “to redress the misery of those in distress, to fulfill the needs of the helpless and to feed the hungry”.

Today, Ajmer Dargah has become a centre of beliefs and faiths. The pilgrimage to the tomb of Khwaja Gharib Nawaz is made for various reasons – by the believer who wants to pay homage to the great saint, by the unhappy soul in search of succour, or by those who want to beg forgiveness for their sins. Many believe that a request for a mannat or boon at the Dargah will be granted by the Almighty. Some mantas are made by paying for food to be cooked in the Degs and by offering it to the poor or offering cloth Chadars on the tomb or trying strings.

So has the real teachings of Khwaja been forgotten by his followers? Islamic scholar and professor in the Department of Islamic Studies of Aligarh Muslim University, Prof Yasin Mazhar Siddiqui says: “The teachings of Sufis do not profess visiting tombs to ask for boons or offering Chadars. These traditions are against the spirit of mysticism.”

Yet, it is the belief that “whoever comes here does not go back empty handed”, that has the devotees queuing up at the Dargah to pray to the saint. One such devotee waiting at the courtyard for her turn to offer Nazrana to Khwaja Saheb with flowers and Shirini is an Udaypur Police Line’s lady constable. “My mannat has been fulfilled by Khwaja Saheb every time,” she says. “My son works in the 12th battalion of RAC. He is short tempered. This time I am asking Khwaja Saheb to make him a good human being.”

“People from every religion and sect come here and pay their homage,” claims Anjuman Syed Zadgan, secretary of Syed Mehmoud Hasan Chishti, adding: “Even Akbar the Great had come here from Delhi on foot.”

The Trump Card

By Tom Heneghan, *“Sufi card” very hard to play against Pakistani Taliban* - Reuters Blogs - USA
Friday, June 26, 2009

One theory about how to deal with militant Islamism calls for promoting Sufism, the mystical school of Islam known for its tolerance, as a potent antidote to more radical readings of the faith.

Promoted for several years now by U.S.-based think tanks such as Rand and the Heritage Institute, a Sufi-based approach arguably enjoys an advantage over other more politically or economically based strategies because it offers a faith-based answer that comes from within Islam itself. After trying so many other options for dealing with the Taliban militants now openly challenging it, the Pakistani government now seems ready to try this theory out. Just at the time when it’s suffered a stinging set-back in practice…

Earlier this month, on June 7 to be exact, Islamabad announced the creation of a Sufi Advisory Council (SAC) to try to enlist spirituality against suicide bombers. In theory at least, this approach could have wide support. Exact numbers are unclear, but Pakistan is almost completely Muslim, about three-quarters of its Muslims are Sunnis and maybe two-thirds of them are Barelvis. This South Asian school of Islam, heavily influenced by traditional Sufi mysticism, is notable for its colourful shrines to saints whose very existence is anathema to more orthodox forms of Islam. Among those are the minority of Pakistani Sunnis, the Deobandis, who are followers of a stricter revivalist movement founded in 19th-century India whose militant branch led to the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban. Many Deobandis think Pakistan’s Shi’ite minority is not truly Muslim.

The late President General Zia-ul Haq was a Deobandi. With massive support from the United States, Saudi Arabia and other countries, he favoured Afghan guerrilla groups influenced by the Deobandis and Saudi Arabia’s Wahhabis in the 1980s war against the Soviet Union.

As the Swat Valley crisis came to a military showdown, Barelvi leaders who had stood quietly on the sidelines for years began to organise anti-Taliban rallies to stand up for their peaceful view of Islam and support the government’s military drive against the Taliban. “What these militants were doing was un-Islamic. Beheading innocent people and kidnapping are in no way condoned in Islam,” Sahibzada Fazal Karim, a leader of the moderate Islamist party Jamiat-e-ulema-e-Pakistan who organised some rallies, told Reuters in early May.

Mufti Sarfraz Naeemi, a senior Barelvi leader in Lahore, told our Islamabad correspondent Zeeshan Haider at the time that mainstream Muslim leaders like himself could no longer stay silent in the face of the Taliban threat. “They want people to fight one another, that’s why we have kept silent and endured their oppression,” he said. “We don’t want civil war … But God forbid, if the government fails to stop them, then we will confront them ourselves.”

Apart from his anti-Taliban campaigning, Naeemi was very much a traditional Barelvi mufti. He was a leading figure in Sunni groups advocating sharia enforcement, ran a madrassa in Lahore and sat on boards govering Barelvi madrassas, according to his obituary in the Pakistani daily The News. He lost a government post and was briefly arrested after protesting against Pakistani logistical support for the U.S. “war on terror” and was arrested again for protesting against the Danish cartoons of Prophet Mohammad. These views might not be called moderate positions in world Islam, but they were quite traditional and middle-of-the-road on the Pakistani religious spectrum.

On June 12, five days after Islamabad announced the formation of its Sufi council, a teenage Taliban suicide bomber walked into Naeemi’s office in the Lahore madrassa and blew himself up, killing the mufti. The message was unmistakable — Pakistan’s Barelvis may have local Islamic tradition and popular support on their side, but the trump card in this fight right now is violence, not Sufism. The Taliban challenge is an armed insurrection powerful enough to intimidate the tolerant Sufis into submission.

Ali Eteraz, a keen Pakistani-American observer of militant Islam, has just published an interesting analysis in Foreign Policy that further undermines the Sufi trump card theory:

“State-sponsored Sufism (which the SAC is) gets everything backward: In an environment where demagogues are using religion to conceal their true political and material ambitions, establishing another official, “preferred” theological ideology won’t roll back their influence. Minimizing the role of all religion in government would be a better idea. Only then could people begin to speak about rights and liberty,” he writes on the FP website.

“The SAC will undoubtedly embolden extremists by giving them ideological motivation: They now have evidence to provide young recruits and foot soldiers that the “war” they are fighting is, in fact, about the integrity of Islam. Far from reducing extremists’ influence, the SAC is doing them a favor…”

“After years of bemoaning official Saudi sponsorship of Wahhabism, and condemning official Iranian sponsorship of millenarian Islam, we are now being asked to celebrate a state-sponsored brand of Islam in Pakistan. We are asked to believe this is “different” from those other cases solely because it’s a version of the religion that looks benign. But not only is this unprincipled — it is going to backfire, leaving Sufism discredited and more religious resentment among the numerous peaceful Salafis in the world.”

What do you think? Does Sufism have any role to play in this struggle?

Pictures: Mufti Sarfraz Naeemi, 17 July 2005; Naeemi’s office after the bomb, 12 June 2009. Photos by: Mohsin Raza

A Reasonable Balance

By Martha Brill Olcott, *Sufism in Central Asia: A Force for Moderation or a Cause of Politicization?* - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace - Washington, DC, USA
Thursday, June 25, 2009

Sufism—a mystical form of Islam that has flourished in the Muslim world for centuries—has enjoyed a strong revival in Central Asia.

In this Carnegie Paper, Sufism in Central Asia: A Force for Moderation or a Cause of Politicization?, Martha Brill Olcott explores Sufism’s potential to become a political movement in Central Asia by analyzing the movement’s history and current leaders in Central Asia, particularly Uzbekistan.

The future role Sufism will play in Central Asia is dependent on both secular and religious circumstances. Olcott contends that political leaders will require a political subtlety that has been lacking in recent decades in order to construct a reasonable balance between Sufis and fundamentalists.

Olcott also argues that while Sufism currently poses little threat to the secular ideology of Central Asian states, there is potential for a dangerous backlash if governments openly try to use Sufi ideology as a way to gain support.

This is the third paper in an ongoing project for a forthcoming book on Islam in Central Asia.
Carnegie Paper, June 2007

Full Text (PDF)
A limited number of print copies of this Carnegie Paper are available. Request a copy

About the Author: Martha Brill Olcott is a senior associate in the Russian and Eurasian Program at the Carnegie Endowment, directs the Central Asian Voices website, and co-directs the Carnegie Moscow Center Project on Religion, Society, and Security in the former Soviet Union. She specializes in Central Asia and the Caucasus and is the author of Central Asia’s Second Chance (Carnegie, 2005).

Sufi Dances of Universal Peace on Sunday

Community Editor, *Sufi Dances of Universal Peace on Sunday* - St. Helena Star - St. Helena, CA, USA
Thursday, June 25, 2009

Rev. Sierra Lynne White will lead a service titled “The Heart is an Altar — The Body Is a Prayer” Sunday, June 28 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of North Bay.

The service will feature chant, song and body prayer.

Sufi Dances of Universal Peace will be led by Rev. White and friends.

The Fellowship meets at 11 a.m. at the Boys & Girls Club of Napa Valley, 1515 Pueblo Ave., Napa. Visitors are welcome. Child care is provided. For information call 226-9220.

[About the Dances: http://www.dancesofuniversalpeace.org/about.htm]

[Picture: Murshid Sam. Photo from http://www.peaceworksdancesna.org/index.htm]

Succour to Distressed Hearts

By Firoz Bakht Ahmed/IANS, *Hindu or Muslim, they are flocking to Ajmer Sufi shrine (Letter from Ajmer)* - Thai Indian - Bangkok, Thailand
Thursday, June 25, 2009

Ajmer: Pilgrims, both Hindu and Muslim, are thronging the shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer for his 797th annual Urs or death anniversary, which is not treated as a sad occasion but a celebration of the soul’s union with god.

About 250,000 to 300,000 pilgrims visit Ajmer during the Urs, which this year begins Thursday and will go on till June 30. The dargah (shrine) of the saint, who was popularly known as Khwaja Gharib Nawaz by his devotees from both communities, symbolises a touching synthesis of the hopes and prayers of various faiths and communities.

Revered for his simple teachings, ecumenical approach and eclectic philosophy, the saint believed that no spiritual exercise, penitence or prayer had greater value than bringing succour to distressed hearts and helping the needy. He directed all his efforts towards alleviation of human misery, and his mission was to provide consolation and emotional security to seekers, to help diffuse tension, and bring inner peace and tranquillity within everyone’s reach.

“Develop a river-like generosity, a sun-like bounty and an earth-like hospitality,” Chishti exhorted, stressing one’s life could have divine significance only if one firmly rejected all material attractions.

Real happiness, according to him, lay not in accumulating money but in giving and spending it on others, helping those in need and never hurting the feelings of anyone, which was one of the two ways of exhibiting devotion - the other being prayers, fasting and the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Sheikh Moinuddin Chishti believed in pacifism and non-violence, contending violence created more problems than it solved. In forgiveness, large-heartedness and tolerance lay the supreme talisman of man’s happiness.

He advised his disciples to be good to their enemies too and often recited Persian verses to support his philosophy: “He who is not my friend, may God be his friend/ And he who bears ill-will against me, may his joys increase. He who puts thorns in my way on account of enmity/ May every flower that blossoms in the garden of his life be without thorns.”

“Forgive a person who has committed a wrong and thus eliminate your anger. Forgiveness and not retribution is the way to happiness in society,” he said.

Chishti of the Chishtiya order followed in the tradition of great Sufi leaders who came to India, beginning with Sheikh Ali-bin-Usmani, popularly known as Data Ganj Bakhsh. Chishti had a number of prominent followers including Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki of Ush (Turkmenistan), Sheikh Fariduddin Ganj Shakar of Multan, Sultan-ul-Mashaikh Hazrat Nizamuddin Mehboob-e-Ilahi of Badaun, Sheikh Naseeruddin Chiragh Dehlvi, Sheikh Sirajuddin Usman, Shah Burhanuddin Gharib and Syed Mohammed Gesu Daraz.

Chishti believed Islam meant submission to God and submission to God meant serving the creation of God without prejudice. He also stressed self-control and self-criticism as the best methods of reducing tension in society. When wronged, he would consider it a divine reprimand for something that had gone wrong.

He said, “If a man finds fault with me or accuses me of wrongdoing, I should first search my own heart and see whether that fault is in me. If it is, I should not be ashamed at being apprised of it by someone else. If I do not have that fault with me, I should be grateful to God that I have been protected and I should not find fault in others.”

A tradition about him says that he observed day-long fasts and kept vigils at night for the whole of his life. His daily meal at the iftar (breaking of fast) was also a meagre amount.

Chishti was a true mystic and stood for everlasting values. That is why even today his shrine draws thousands of pilgrims of all faiths.

[Picture: Dargah shrine. Photo from http://www.dargahajmer.com/v_photo.htm]

A Moderation Package

By David Montero, *Is promoting Sufi Islam the best chance for peace in Somalia?* - The Christian Science Monitor - Boston, MA, USA
Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Some armed groups who adhere to a more moderate interpretation of Islam have begun battling Al Qaeda-linked extremists

Somalia is beginning to seem more and more like the Swat Valley of eastern Africa – a place where Al Qaeda-linked insurgents are setting up religious law courts, assassinating government ministers, and spreading their tentacles farther and deeper.

This week, Al Shabab, the top militant Islamist force that controls most of the country, tried and convicted four thieves. Their punishment: amputation of one hand and one foot each, in accordance with a strict, literal reading of Islamic law. The sentence has been temporarily delayed, but it's the latest sign that Somalia is fast becoming an extremist haven. (Last month, Islamists invited a crowd to see a man suspected of stealing $90 worth of clothing get his hand cut off, BBC reports in a detailed eye witness account.)

And as in Pakistan, many are looking to armed tribes in Somalia who adhere to Sufism – a mystical, moderate interpretation of Islam – as the best chance for peace.

A Somalian writer – identifying himself only as Mr. Muthuma – writes in an opinion piece published on Bartamaha, an independent Somalian news portal, that a "new axis" of conflict has formed in Somalia, in which fighters are battling one another along religious lines.

"Moderate Sufi scholars, whose tolerant beliefs have come under attack, have decided to fight back against al-Shabaab for destroying their shrines and murdering their imams....
It is an Islamist versus Islamist war, and the Sufi scholars are part of a broader moderate movement that Western nations are counting on to repel Somalia's increasingly powerful extremists."

"Whether Somalia becomes a terrorist haven and a genuine regional threat – which is already beginning to happen, with hundreds of heavily armed foreign jihadists flocking here to fight for Al Shabab – or whether this country steadies itself and ends the years of bloodshed, may hinge on who wins these ideological, sectarian battles."

But not everyone agrees. Ali Eteraz, writing in *Foreign Policy* this month, laments the goal of propping up Sufis against other religious sects.

"The usual response by supporters of the Sufi solution is that thanks to the extremists, Islam has already been politicized, and therefore propagandist measures promoting Sufism are the only way to fight back. But that's precisely the problem: Propaganda is inherently discrediting."

"Besides, state-sponsored Sufism ... gets everything backward: In an environment where demagogues are using religion to conceal their true political and material ambitions, establishing another official, "preferred" theological ideology won't roll back their influence. Minimizing the role of all religion in government would be a better idea. Only then could people begin to speak about rights and liberty."

It remains to be seen how this internal struggle will play out. In the meantime, could an "Islamic-led international engagement" from outside be the answer?

That's the argument of Nuradin Dirie, a former presidential candidate in Puntland, a semiautonomous region in Somalia. Somaliweyn, a Somali news portal, reprinted this speech Mr. Dirie gave recently in London:

"Security and capacity for governance, economic growth and forces of moderation. Where can we find such ingredients of international intervention? How about a state-building intervention that is initiated, financed, and staffed by a coalition of Muslim countries?"

"It would have to be specifically designed to build foundations for governance, investment in economic infrastructure and something quite new. We need something I will call a 'moderation package.' An intervention made up of prominent Muslim scholars that can challenge forces of extremism with messages of peace, order and coexistence with the rest of the world."

"The defining characteristic of this intervention should be that it is a Muslim World project. The UN and the rest of the International community can support this initiative at an arms-length."

[Picture: The Silk Road extending from southern Europe through Arabia, Somalia, Egypt, Persia, India and Java until it reaches China. Photo from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somalia]

Wisaal

TOI Editor, *Learning with the Times: Chishti order of Sufism started from Afghanistan* - Times Of India - India
Monday, June 22, 2009

When is the Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti held?
The 797th Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, also known as Gharibnawaz, is going to be held from 25th to 30th of June at Ajmer, depending on the sighting of the moon.

The Urs is held from 1st to 6th day of Rajab, which is the seventh month of the Islamic calendar. Being a lunar calendar the months begin only when the first crescent of a new moon is sighted.

What is Urs?
Urs is the death anniversary of a Sufi saint. It is observed at the saint's dargah or tomb. The word Urs is derived from the Arabic word for wedding. It is believed that the relationship between sufi saints and God was of divine love. Hence their death is considered as 'wisaal' or union. That is why their death is celebrated rather than mourned.

The Urs of other Sufi saints like Nizamuddin Auliya and Khwaja Bandanawaz Gesu Daraz is also celebrated at their respective tombs in Delhi and Gulbarga. The programmes include recitations from the Quran, devotional music (qawwalis) and holding a mela (fair). People from different faiths commonly attend the Urs.

Who was Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti?
Moinuddin Chishti was born in 1141 in Iran. According to legend, he renounced his material belongings after coming in contact with Shaikh Ibrahim Qunduzi, a revered Sufi of that time. He visited nearly all the great centres of Muslim culture and acquainted himself with important trends in Muslim religious life. Later he became a disciple of the Chishti saint Uthman Haruni and accompanied him in his extensive travels of the Middle East, visiting Mecca and Medina.

His followers believe that after a dream in which Prophet Muhammad blessed him, he turned towards India. Following a brief stay in Lahore he finally settled down in Ajmer. During the reign of Emperor Akbar, who revered the Sufis, Ajmer emerged as an important centre of pilgrimage in India.

What is the Chishti order of Sufism?
The Chishti Order is a Sufi order which arose from Chisht, a small town near Herat, in western Afghanistan. It was founded by Abu Ishaq Shami in about 930 CE (Christian Era). Before returning to western Asia he trained and deputed the son of local emir, Abu Ahmad Abdal, under whose leadership the Chishtiyya flourished as a regional mystical order. Moinuddin Chishti is credited with laying its foundations in India.

Other famous saints of the Chishti Order are Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, Fariduddin Ganjshakar, Nizamuddin Auliya and Alauddin Ali Ahmed Sabir Kalyari.

What is Sufism?
Sufism is one of the mystical orders that grew out of Islam. Classical Sufi scholars define it as a science whose objective is the reparation of the heart and turning it away from all else but God.

Sufism became prominent during the period of early Umayyad Caliphate (661-750 CE).

The Sufi movement has spread to several continents over a millennium. It has considerable following in India and Kashmir is a prominent base.

[Picture: Janati Darwaza. Photo from http://www.dargahajmer.com/v_photo.htm]

The Flag Is Hoisted

By ANI, *797th Urs of Khawaja Moinuddin Chisty begins in Ajmer* - Sindh Today - Sindh, Pakistan
Saturday, June 20, 2009

Ajmer: Ajmer’s famous annual Urs festival, dedicated to Sufi saint Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Hasan Chisty started here on Friday.

The annual ceremony commenced with the hoisting of the historical flag and a 21-gun salute at the Sufi saint’s mausoleum, declaring the start of annual festival.

‘Today on the 25th day of the moon, the flag is hoisted, on the Buland Darwaza. The flag comes from Bhilwara and it denotes the faith of the devotees in the Dargah. I believe the tradition has been going on since 1945-46,’ said Syed Hasan Hashmi, Convenor, Urs programme at the Dargah of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Hasan Chisty, Ajmer.

Following conventions, the Gori family of Bhilwara, now headed by Fakrudin Gori is authorised and assigned the task of hoisting the Urs flag.

On Friday, Members of the family arrived in Ajmer carrying the flag and hoisted the flag. This tradition has been kept alive since 1944.

‘Since 1944 my grandfather had been carrying on the tradition. After him my father did so, and now I am carrying on the legacy. It is done under the guidance of my lawyer, Syed Ahmed Syed Abrar Ahmed. The significance of hoisting the flag is that the public should know that the Urs of Gharib Nawab is about to arrive,’ said Fakruddin Gori, standard-bearer of Ajmer Urs flag from Bhilwara.

Urs is observed to mark the death anniversary of any departed saintly figure. Although it is an Islamic tradition, people of all faiths participate with equal reverence. Hundreds of thousands of believers from various parts of the country flock to the Sufi sain’t mausoleum to pay their obeisance.

The general belief is that the pure-hearted individuals’ all wishes get fulfilled here.

During Urs, the Dargah’s main gates called the ‘Jannati Darwaza’ (Gateway to Heaven), which normally remains closed, are opened for the devotees.

The large convergence of people from across the country and abroad is considered to be second largest congregation of Muslims at one place after Mecca. Meanwhile, in view of large number of devotees attending the congregation, the city administration has made elaborate arrangements.

This Sufi saint Moin-ud-din Chisti, popularly known as ‘Garib Nawaz’ (Messiah of the poor), is believed to have born in Circa 1142. Since his ancestors belonged to a town named Chisti, the devotees referred to him by that name.

Chisti, who preached tolerance and unity of all religions, died in Ajmer where his tomb has become a shrine for millions of people from around the world. In 1236 AD, the saint entered his cell to pray in seclusion for six days, at the end of which he died. Since then the Urs has been celebrated for six days every year.

On their part, the devotees visiting the shrine offer fresh flowers as a symbol of their devotion. Some offer large amounts of money and expensive jewels.

Devotional music and reciting from Chishti’s own works and other Sufi saints are rendered in traditional Qawwali (chorus singing) style.

The annual event culminates with readings from the holy Quran and special prayers.

[Picture from: http://www.dargahajmer.com/v_photo.htm]

The Greater Truth

By Mustafa El-Labbad, *Understanding Iran's elections* - Al-Ahram Weekly - Cairo, Egypt

Issue n° 952, 18-24 June 2009

One needs to understand the broader, "strategic" mind that guides Iran before grasping the significance of lower contests for the presidency

The 10th presidential polls in Iran drew to a close with the victory of the incumbent, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in the first round. The surprising results triggered a storm in Iran that has yet to subside. As mass protests rage in Iran's major cities on the part of supporters of reformist candidate Mir-Hussein Mousavi, observers are wondering how to reasonably contextualise these developments.

To even begin answering such a complex question we must look beyond customary platitudes. Some Ahmadinejad fans maintain that he was the "candidate of the poor", the leader of the "rejectionist axis" in the region, and "the chief enemy of the US and Israel," and that these are the factors that decided the election in his favour.

However, such labels that play on the prevalent themes of his ideological rhetoric fail to supply a sufficiently objective analytical framework. Nor does the customary left-versus-right framework serve the purpose, given that all candidates were solid members and supporters of the establishment and that their ideological stances elude such ready-to-hand pegs; that the entire socio-political map in Iran is much more fluid.

Nevertheless, the Ahmadinejad- Mousavi contest and the electoral results did throw into relief some major regional, ethnic, gender and other socio-cultural divides. In addition, while Ahmadinejad undoubtedly enjoyed broad support among large segments of Iranian society, he also had the backing of certain state agencies and their military and security arms, which intervened on his behalf and against Mousavi who also indisputably enjoyed widespread popularity. This intervention, moreover, was not necessarily ideologically motivated, as will be explained.

There is also a danger in projecting the superficial "good-versus-evil" dichotomy onto the "conservative- versus-reformist" dichotomy and fitting this into a hackneyed mould. It produces nothing but cheap name- calling and mudslinging: if Ahmadinejad is as described above then, according to the labellers, Mousavi must be the "candidate of the rich", "the friend of Israel", and the "enemy of the resistance".

Nothing puts paid to such mindless branding more than the fact that Mousavi, like Ahmadinejad, is a card-carrying member of the regime. Thus, to praise the incumbent as a champion of the rejectionists and to condemn his electoral rival as some kind of turncoat ignores the real dynamics between the wings of the Iranian regime.

Iran entered its electoral season at the height of its "soft strength," having fiercely resisted all forms of international pressure and, in recent years, succeeding in extending its regional influence as never before. Four candidates fielded themselves for the presidency, a very rare sight in the Middle East, even if the Iranian presidency is not the top office in the land under their constitution. The regime emerged from the elections deeply shaken by the biggest challenge to its legitimacy in the history of the Islamic Republic. However, like the good-versus-evil dichotomy, it is facile to pass off the post-election furore as a "conspiracy".

The reform candidate Mousavi, who had served as prime minister during the Iran-Iraq war and who had safeguarded the Iranian economy and steered his country's foreign policy during that period, is not an "American plot" against Iran. To think otherwise not only does an injustice to Mousavi but to the entire Iranian regime. And the tens of thousands who have taken to the street in protest against the official results of the polls and in support of Mousavi are not "enemies of Iran" or "agents of foreign powers". Their sheer numbers alone indicate that they express a large and significant body of popular sentiment.

But Mousavi is not a devil, nor is he an angel and the same applies to Ahmadinejad. The two are political rivals who competed in the electoral process, campaigning on the basis of their respective beliefs regarding what best serves Iran's national interests. Herein resides a major lesson in real life.

Sufism not only plays a major role in Iranian culture -- its influence extends to its political heritage. Indeed, we could say that present-day Iran is very much an extension of the great legacy of such Sufi philosophers and poets as Khayyam, Hafez, Bastami and Rumi. The political and cultural substance in Iran has naturally been imbued by the contributions of these intellectual and literary giants, some of whom explored causal relations that extend beyond the immediately discernible.

In his major poem Mathnawi wa Ma'nawi (Spiritual Couplets), Rumi relates the story of two ants walking by a splendid painting of colourful flowers. The first ant tells the second, "My, what a beautiful painting this is! It all has to do with the colours." The second responds, "No, the beauty stems from the fingers that controlled how the colours were applied." To which the first answers, "But the fingers are nothing without the influence of the wrist. The wrist is the most important!" Naturally, the wrist leads to the forearm, the forearm to the upper arm, and finally the arm to the mind, which, as the second ant says, "moves the upper arm, the forearm, the wrist, and the fingers." The first ant pauses at this and then says, "But the mind, unless transformed by God, is mere matter."

The story, of course, is a parable about epistemology. Rumi has a perception of a "partial mind" and a "total mind", the former belonging to human beings and, hence, subject to limitations of time and place, as much as it strives towards comprehending the greater truth, which can only perceived by the "total" or all-seeing mind. If we may apply Rumi's famous spiritual-metaphysical concept to present-day Iranian politics, we might say that there exists an Iranian strategic mind above the parts, these being the candidates and the tactical approaches and partial ideas they advocate. The strategic or "whole" mind draws the greater picture and the candidates move within its contours to the extent their manoeuvrability and skills permit.

One cannot escape the observation that each of the presidents of the Iranian Republic from Rafsanjani through Khatami to Ahmadinejad had certain traits that suited Iran's national interests at the time. Rafsanjani served as president in the aftermath of the Iran-Iraq war and oversaw the reconstruction of the country at a crucial and precarious moment. Because of his influence among all the articulations of the regime, and his "historic legitimacy" during the Islamic revolution, his presence at the helm alleviated internal contradictions and helped smooth Tehran's emergence from its international isolation.

Khatami was the intellectual and enlightened president who rehabilitated Iran's "soft power" through his appeals to a "dialogue of civilisation" and "faith and philosophy" which, incidentally, demonstrated the Iranian talent in transposing its rich Sufi metaphysical heritage into contemporary moulds.

In the era of the smiling, open-minded Khatami, Iran made impressive and irreversible leaps forward in its nuclear programme. In Ahmadinejad's first term, Khatami's foremost achievement -- the inroad into nuclear technology -- became the mainspring for Iran's regional project. Aided by former US president Bush's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, in particular, Iran under Ahmadinejad succeeded in expanding its regional influence as never before. By the end of his term, Obama was elected president in the US and had begun to make overtures to Iran that would have been inconceivable under Bush.

Iran is not facing a problem in Iraq; Obama is, having inherited it from his predecessor. Tehran is not the party that has to reassure its allies that it will be entering into dialogue with Washington; the reverse is the case. Now that the tone of US-Iranian relations has shifted from sabre-rattling to conciliation, the Iranian strategic mind seems to have rejected the Obama framework for talks and that same mind seems to think that another Ahmadinejad term will best serve to secure concessions or further softening from Washington.

Apparently, too, that mind feels that the current regional situation presents an opportunity for the further expansion of Iranian influence before finally sitting down for talks with Washington and that Ahmadinejad's hardline approach is best suited for the purpose of gaining a stronger hand.

The results of the Iranian elections can only be understood by trying to grasp the greater picture as perceived by the strategic mind behind the scene, all other innumerable details being precisely that: details.

The Message of Love

By TOI Editor, *Devotees flock to Ajmer for the Urs* - The Times Of India - India

Friday, June 19, 2009

Ajmer: Once again, Ajmer is bustling with preparations for a major Sufi festival.

The city is abuzz with kalanders, devotees and fakirs, who have come for the 797th Urs of Khwaja Garib Nawaz Chisti.

The Gori family of Bhilwara will officially inaugarate the festival by hoisting the Urs flag on Friday.

"Sufi saint Khwaja Garib Nawaz gave the message of love. People from all religions participate in the Urs," said S F Hussein Chisti, a khadim. He said that members of the Gori family will come to the dargah sharif and the procession would start at 5 pm. It would go through Langerkhana Gali, Mustafa Bazaar and reach Nizam Gate. The Urs flag would then be hoisted at the dargah.

"People have walked all the way from Bhopal, Delhi, UP and other parts of the country. They want to show their complete devotion to the Khwaja," said Nadim Gani Chisti.

The dargah bazaars are decorated with clothes, sweets and toys. The devotees can be seen roaming in the market, listening to qawwalis.

"The markets are full of people from evening to midnight. Shop-keepers are hoping to do good business," said Anil Patni, secretary of Dhani Mandi Market Association. "Usually people come around the third day of the Urs but this year, they have come early," said Mukesh Jain of Nala Bazaar.

The khadims are making arrangements for their guests while the district administration is taking steps to ensure the safety and comfort of the devotees. "Two special magistrate camps will be set up around the dargah. They will be functioning 24 hours from June 24," said the officials.

They also said that three-wheelers have been banned on Taragarh Road to avoid accidents. Meanwhile, Ajmer Dairy will provide milk at several booths at Dargah Bazaar, Naya Bazaar, and Dhai-din-ka Jhopda. "We are also providing milk at three vishram sthalis," said an official.

The railways have started special trains, which will run from Angola, Nizamabad, Hawara and Siyaldah to Ajmer.

[Picture: Sanadli Masjid. Photo from http://www.dargahajmer.com/v_photo.htm]

Sanjhi Virasat

By Anju Azad, *Let us rediscover our history of composite culture: Asghar Ali Engineer* - TwoCircles.net - Jupiter, FL, USA
Thursday, June 18, 2009

Guwahati: Ashgar Ali Engineer spoke at a 3-day long international conference on “Armed Conflcit and Peace Prospect’ on June 17th, 2009 at Guwahati, Assam.

The conference was organized by Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development. He delivered a lecture on ‘Re-reading through History of Communal Harmony’.

A brief abstract of his speech is as follows:

History is not history in the long run. History can be reconstructed, can be used or misused, history is the only social science that can be reconstructed as it deals with the past. It is a powerful tool which strongly appealed to our emotion. It can be used for controlling power to make or unmake society by reconstructing the past.

Because, it is all about our past. We tend to glorify our past. Muslims glorify their past and Hindus glorify Hindu period. We always take refuge in the past if there is anything wrong in the present. It is related with our culture and identity.

Hindus says, before Muslims came it was all peace, prosperity, and everything started once Muslims came to India. Muslims will say, Muslim period was a glorious period. Muslims rulers were more tolerant towards others. In this way we reconstruct our history.

Text book in history – our heroes are their villains and there villains are our heroes. We give selective glorification of our past. It is a part of human behavior, we suppress our bad aspects. Same thing we do with our history. So that past appears to be real and ideal.

One must think about human behavior in mind while interpreting history.

Everyone thinks that his religion is great. The dynamics of human behavior is important. For rulers, their interest is more important than anything else in the world. If a ruler belongs to my religion we would shape according to my religion. If a ruler belongs to other religion we may focus his bad aspects. So, we need to understand human mind.

Our history was written from British period. It was written chronologically. We don’t have analytical analysis of our history. British had their own interest keeping in mind their political goals. They saw unity among the Hindus and Muslims here and wanted to destroy that. They wrote history in a way to create tension between Hindus and Muslims.

Whole Babari Masjid Ram Janambhoomi, the way the British translated Babar Nama. Babar never visited Ayodhya. He passed through. It was six month period in the diary is missing. So it was interpreted that in this period ram janambhoomi was destroyed in order to construct Babri Masjid. There was absolutely no evidence. He wrote it in a foot note and it was repeatedly used when the ram janambhoomi controversy started.

We can write history which will be very helpful in creating harmony in the society. Ayodhya has been a city of composite culture. There are so many Sufi establishments, masjids and temples. It was a great place of Muslim culture. It is also a city of Tulsi Das who translated Ramayana. In this conflict thousands died along with the harmony.

History of India is a culture of composite heritage. I don’t believe is periodisation as Hindu period, Muslims period, etc. it is very wrong. When we use the term Hindu or Muslim it becomes problematic. All rulers are homogenized as Hindus or Muslims.

There is nothing like Hindu past or Muslims past. Various Hindu rulers fought among themselves and Muslims among themselves. Babar defeated Ibrahim Lodhi to come to India. It was between two Muslim dynasties. How can we say that Muslims killed Hindus to reign over India. Except Babar, Akbar or Humayun, all Mughals fought among themselves for power.

Culture of India is a composite culture, even before the Muslims came. It was diversity. Diversity is a part of the history of the India. It was always a composite culture. In Hindi, we called sanjhi virasat.

Today Indian Muslims don’t follow Ram, but in their language, they are very Indian.

Once I went to Saudi Arabia in my childhood. They addressed me as ‘Hindi kaafir’. They think Arab Muslims is the true Muslim. Indian Islam is different and divers. Islam in Kashmir and Kerala are different. Indian Muslims, sect wise, are culturally linguistically different. Say for example, Assamese Muslims are different from me. I am a Guajarati Muslim. In fact al communities are diverse.

Different communities co-existed in India for a long time. Kabir panth is a result of marriage between Hindus and Muslims. Kabir would criticize both Hindus and Muslims. Arya samaj is another example of marriage between Hindus and Muslims.

Parinam Panthi from Gujarat believe in both Prophet Mohammed and Krishna. They also believe in idol worshipping. They consider prophet as an avatar of Krishna. In earlier days those who adopt Parinam Panthi would follow both religions. One brother would go to temple and another one will go to masjid.

These things are not known. We don’t teach history in a way that fosters communal harmony. We teach only those that create communal conflict.

Sufis contributed a lot for communal harmony. Kaafir means ‘someone who hides’ in Arabic. A famous Sufi leader opposed the use of the term of kaafir.

Communalism will be a thing of the past if we teach out history in a way to create communal harmony. Our education system is a powerful tool for strengthening communal harmony in the country.

There should free debate among the historians on multiple interpretations in the country. Let us rediscover our past of composite culture.

We should not let our rulers use history in a way to satisfy their interests.

In Common Worship

By Yoginder Sikand, *Sacred Kerala—A Spiritual Journey* - Countercurrents.org - Kerala, India
Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Name of the Book: Sacred Kerala—A Spiritual Journey
Author: Dominique-Sila Khan
Publisher: Penguin, New Delhi
Year: 2009 - Pages: 233 - Price: Rs.275
ISBN: 978-0-14-310415-5

The southern Indian state of Kerala has a unique population mix. A little less than half of Kerala’s inhabitants are Hindus, who belong to various castes. The rest are Muslims and Christians, in roughly equal number, and a miniscule number of Jews, who form India’s oldest Jewish community.

In contrast to much of north India, inter-community relations in Kerala have always been fairly harmonious, although the situation is beginning to change today.

At the popular level, economic and social ties and inter-dependence between Kerala’s different religious communities have given birth to a strong sense of Malayali identity that transcends religious boundaries. This has been facilitated by the use of the Malayalam language by all of the state’s communities as well as a long-standing tradition of religious overlapping or shared religious identities, which is what this fascinating book is all about.

The author, a Jewish woman of Romanian origin, born and brought up in France, married to a Rajasthani Muslim and deeply interested in India’s ‘folk’ religious traditions, herself exemplifies the notion of shared religious traditions that defy neat categorisation. Her own personal location, she says, led her to undertake a series of journeys to Kerala to explore the state’s rich and living legacy of popular religiosity that brings together people of different religious communities, as officially defined, and devotion.

The central argument of the book is that in large parts of Kerala, and, indeed over much of India, the notion of religious or communal identities as neatly-bounded, homogenous and clearly set apart from, or even in contradistinction to, other religious communities is misleading. Textbook definitions of Islam, Hinduism and Christianity, that see them as wholly independent religions whose followers are neatly separated from each other, Khan argues, conceal a vibrant historical and still living tradition of overlapping religious traditions and identities, or what, for want of a better term, can be called ‘syncretism’ or ‘liminality’. These shared religious traditions and religious spaces, the author contends, can be seen as containing the seeds of a truly universal spirituality that transcends narrow creedal boundaries.

As an ethnographic account of numerous shared religious traditions and spaces in Kerala, this book excels. Khan describes, making no effort to conceal her passion for such traditions and spaces, unique ceremonies that bring together village Hindus, Muslims and Christians throughout Kerala. She talks of generous land grants made by various Malayali Hindu rulers to Christian, Muslim and Jewish communities to build their shrines. The cults that have emerged around these shrines continue to survive, hundreds of years after they emerged, brining together people of different faith communities in common worship and celebration.

At the annual Chandankulam festival in a remote Kerala village, for instance, devotees of all faiths gather at a Catholic church, proceed to a Bhagvati temple and then finally congregate at a mosque. Pilgrims undertaking the strenuous journey to the shrine of Ayyapa at Sabarimala must first visit a mosque, and, after completion of the pilgrimage, often visit the shrine of a Christian saint. Ayappa, one of the major Malayali Hindu folk deities, is believed to have been a close friend of a Muslim named Vavar, and also of a Christian priest.

A fascinating example of religious bonhomie associated with traditional Kerala is a unique royal structure. Outside Cochin lie the ruins of a palace built by the state’s Prime Minister, surrounded, in each of the cardinal directions, by a church, a mosque, a temple and a synagogue. Negating the oft-held notion of religions as wholly separate from each other, numerous local Hindu goddesses in Kerala are considered to be sisters of deceased Christian and Muslim saints, and the festivities associated with the former also involve offerings at the shrines of the latter.

All over Kerala, especially in the Malabar region, Christians and Hindus flock to the shrines of Muslim missionaries and saints in the hope of assistance to have their wishes met. A Jewish grave in Cochin attracts scores of Hindu and Christian devotees every Friday. And so on.

Khan travels across the length and breath of Kerala to uncover dozens of such shrine-based religious traditions that, take together, present a vastly different picture of community identities and inter-communal relations from the conventional image of them having no significant overlaps in terms of belief and practice.

Another focus of this book is on the rich internal diversities and divisions within what are ordinarily seen as homogenous religious communities. In the Hindu case, the variety of cults and the diversity of castes is, of course, well known. But, even among communities in Kerala that subscribe to one or the other monotheistic faiths, sectarian, caste and other divisions remain stark, thus forcefully negating the notion of Christians, Muslims and Jews as being monolithic communities.

Khan talks of the numerous Christian sects and caste-based communities in Kerala, some, such as the Syrian Christians, that follow a range of local practices in common with the Malayali Hindus.

Among the minuscule Jewish population in Kerala, till recently a rigid barrier divided the so-called ‘white’ Jews, of European or Arab origin, from the ‘black’ Jews, who considered themselves to be descendants of the original Jewish settlers in the state.

Among Kerala’s Muslims, Khan says, sectarian differences remain acute--the ‘Sunnis’, followers of local Sufi traditions and associated with the Shafi school of jurisprudence; the Jamaat-e Islami, a puritanical Islamist formation; and the Nadwat ul-Mujahidin, a vociferous critic of a host of popular customs associated with the ‘Sunnis’ and many Hindu followers of the Sufis, which it brands as ‘un-Islamic’.

Khan admits that, in recent years, Kerala has witnessed the emergence of a number of right-wing communal and religious ‘fundamentalist’ movements, among Hindus, Muslims and Christians. Typically, she writes, these movements see the state’s rich legacy of shared religious traditions and spaces that bring together people belonging to different religious communities, as ‘superstitious’, ‘aberrant’ and ‘deviant’.

These movements have had a major impact on Kerala society, and have succeeded in making communal divisions much stronger and clearly-demarcated. These constitute a fundamental departure from Malayali tradition, which Khan characterises as inclusive and open, at the same time as she is cognizant of the deep-rootedness of caste discrimination in Kerala historically.

This book tells a fascinating story of alternate, more accepting and accommodating ways of imagining religion, spirituality and community identities. It is a story of vast numbers of ‘ordinary’ people, whose voices are little-heard, but who carry on in the footsteps of their forefathers in celebrating forms of spirituality that, in effect, bitterly critique the politics of religious exclusivism.

The Larger Picture

By Sahar Adil, *Seven Notes with Hari Adivarekar* - Mybangalore - Bangalore, Karnataka, India -
Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Hari Adivarekar’s exhibition of music photos called Seven Notes is on display at the Alliance Francaise until the 21st of June. Exploring music genres ranging from jazz, to cult to Sufi, with his lens, how he feels about music and spirituality clearly comes through in the pictures.

Having travelled and taken pictures extensively, Mybangalore decided to catch up with the lensman and find out what make him “click”.

Seven Notes, tell us a little about your present exhibition.
It's incredible that seven notes connect all forms of music, in terms of melody of course. I've always believed that there are just two kinds of music, good and bad. As a result I listen to any kind of music and that extends to the shows I photograph.

It doesn't matter if the musician is Indian or from abroad, big or small, I'm happy to be there. This enabled me to shoot a wide range of musicians and showcasing that has been the underlying concept of Seven Notes. To be able to tie it in with the Fete de la Musique at the Alliance Francaise was fortuitous and I'm happy for the opportunity to make my exhibition even more relevant.

What is your work all about?
My work is about many things. Expression, deeper conceptual thinking, love and constant learning. In the largest sense it is an opportunity to give back, especially to those who really need help and have no voice. That is my ultimate goal.

To be in a position to truly make a difference to the marginalised using my skills. Not for any personal aggrandisement but to do something that has results for them.

Spiritual mystical music seems to move you, and this comes through in your extensive collection right from baul singers to monks chanting to Sufi Music festivals to folk music.

That's because I'm a spiritual person. Spiritual not religious. I'm inspired by Jesus as much as I am by Shirdi Sai Baba or Kabir.

I believe in a spirituality of love, compassion and truth. Added to this is my deep love for music and I automatically admire and respect any musician who is able to truly combine all those things. From deep within their souls, not for the sake of it.

Have you had other exhibitions? Other cities you have displayed your pictures in?
No I haven't unless you count exhibiting some photos of India at a library in New Jersey, when I was visiting the US last year. But that was minor, so I wouldn't count that.

The most important thing for an artist to remember is?
To work with love and surrender the ego. The ego can be a dangerous opponent to real artistic fulfillment.

The more it becomes about the artist and not about the art, the more it becomes some kind of posturing, taking away from the creation process.

Basically be mindful of oneself and the larger picture.

This is purely a personal feeling. I don't believe everyone should think any one way.

To Defeat Extremism

By TCn News Desk, *Indian Muslims protest against Talibani terrorism* - Two Circles.net - Jupiter, FL, USA
Wednesday, June 17, 2009

New Delhi: Murder of Mufti Sarfarza Naeemi in Pakistan by terrorists has prompted some Muslim organizations to organize a protest at Jantar Mantar yesterday.

The protest was jointly organized by Raza Academy, Muslim Students Organization (MSO), and Islamic Educationa Board of India. These organizations that represent Barelvi Muslims said that they are protesting the continuous and targeted killing of Sunni (Barelvi) scholars by extremist elements in Pakistan. The latest in the series is the killing of India born Mufti Sarfarz Naeemi of Jamia Naeemia in Lahore.

In a statement issued today, they said that they refuse to recognize Taliban and its associates and condemn their inhuman and un-Islamic acts. The statement declared the Talibans as terrorists and thugs.

They also demanded the Pakistani government to punish the culprits involved in killings of Sufi Shaikhs and provide adequate security to Barelvi scholars, dargaahs, khankahs and masaajid.

They also promised to promote Sufi version of Islam which promotes love and harmony between communities to defeat extremism.

Exhortation in the name of ‘jaziya’ was condemned and Taliban declared a danger to India as well. The statement demanded adequate protection at Ajmer for the annual Ajmer Sharif urs due later this month.

An Echo of Immortal Love

By Schezee Zaidi, *‘Shah Hussain Faqir Saeen Da’ play receives rousing ovation* - The News International - Karachi, Pakistan
Monday, June 15, 2009

Islamabad: A play titled ‘Shah Hussain Faqir Saeen Da’ staged at the National Art Gallery here on Saturday by Dolphin Communications as part of National Drama Festival 2009 received rousing ovation from the audience for its spiritual content and superb production.

Scripted by Arshad Chahal and directed by Asma Butt, the play characterised ‘sufi’ poets Shah Hussain and Madho Lal, sketching the local legends that survived through ages in spiritual poetry and ‘kafis’ of Shah Hussain.

The play came as a surprise to many for being such an admirable presentation by a relatively less known local group. This also brings home the significance of the festival in promoting drama and theatre in the country by providing a platform not only to a select group and production houses but to diverse theatre groups and production houses, working in different parts of the country.

Capturing the legends surrounding the lives of Shah Hussain, Madho Lal, Shehenshah Akbar, Mirza Nizamuddin, Dullah Bhatti, Noori, Barkatay and Nadir, the play wove ancient tales of this land that still live on.

Staged in the presence of a jam-packed audience, ‘Shah Hussain Faqir Saeen Da’ was the first Punjabi production of the festival.

The verses of Shah Hussain were incorporated beautifully in the script by Arshad Chahal, bringing out the ethos of the enlightened lifestyle and thoughts of the ‘sufi’ saints of this land. ‘Maae ni main kinnu aakhan, dard wichhoray da haal ni’ and other such verses created an aura of mystic magic along with the excellent portrayal of Shah Hussain by local artist Afzal Latif and that of Madho Lal by Salman Sunny that also received great applause from the audience.

The female lead, played by Rabiya Durrani, received appreciation. Though the play was scripted as a tragedy, as both Shah Hussain and Madho Lal die in the end, it left an echo of immortal love that still lives on, and so the story continues, illustrating that the end is only a beginning.

[Visit the PNCA website]

An Uneasy Air

By Tahir Hasan Khan, *A tale of two mindsets* - The News International - Karachi, Pakistan
Sunday, June 14, 2009

The province of Sindh has always been known as the land of Sufism, and a majority of the people here believe that Islam spread in the region through the practices of famous Sufi saints.

Most of the population hold the ‘Pir’ in high esteem and follow them religiously. This, in turn, enables family members of the ‘Pirs’ to enter the realm of politics, as they already have a large number of people supporting and following them. In fact, political parties in Sindh with no connection with Sufism often fail as none of them manage to win any election from the rural areas of the province.

In Karachi, majority of the Muhajirs, who migrated from India after partition, also belong to same school of thought. Although Jamat-e-Islami (JI) had a strong base of loyalists in the city, Jamiat-Ulema-Pakistan (JUP), led by Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani swept the elections held in 1971.

After General Ziaul Haq captured power from Zulfiqar Bhutto, steps were taken to destabilise JUP as Mualana Noorani had opposed General Zia’s martial law. However, JI was a staunch supported of the Gen Zia due to its involvement in the Afghan Jihad. The military regime created rifts within the JUP ranks and most of the leaders joined Ziaul Haq’s government. JI tried to take advantage of that situation to increase its political stronghold.

However people rejected JI in the 1985 non party elections as well. Candidates who got selected from Karachi and Hyderabad belonged to Barelvi school of thought. Despite increasing pressure by the military rulers, religious seminaries under the Barelvi system refused to support the Afghan Jihad, which led Gen Zia to promote the Deobandi school of thought. Throughout the country, there was a mushrooming of religious seminaries under the Deobandi system, which promoted the Jihadi culture.

Most of today’s Taliban belong to such Maderressahs. The Nishtar Park bomb blast three years ago killed the top leadership of the Barelvi school of thought. Although some Barelvi Ulema and leaders blamed Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) for the incident, the authorities claimed that pro-Taliban elements were involved in this attack.

MQM’s chief Altaf Hussain also belongs to Barelvi faction and this has helped the party garner a strong loyalty and support from the people of Karachi. In fact, MQM has taken over JUP’s support and after yesterday’s suicide attack which killed Maulana Sarfaraz Naeemi in Lahore, the party announced a day of mourning.

It might be noted that Maulana Naeemi was a strong critic of the Taliban and had declared suicide bombing an un-Islamic act. Maulana Naeemi and other religious party leaders were trying to form an Anti-Taliban alliance, and his gruesome murder can be termed a message for people resisting the Taliban.

This incident also raised fear that the country’s political leadership was also being warned, since Maulana Naeemi was close to Nawaz Sharif.

Although the strike today against the killing of Maulana Naeemi was observed peacefully without any major incident (at the time of writing), this calm has an uneasy air about it.

It is, after all, the calm before the next round of clashes begins between pro and anti-Taliban forces in country.

Cut Flowers

By Charles Upton, " Sufi Manifesto " - The American Muslim (TAM) - Bridgeton, MO, USA
Saturday, June 13, 2009

There is nothing essential in Sufi doctrine that is not ultimately a commentary on the Noble Qur‘an and the prophetic ahadith—the flawed scholarship of the orientalists and the fantasies of the anti-traditional pseudo-esoterics notwithstanding.

Those so-called Sufis who try to separate Sufism from Islam, no matter how sincere they may be, are like cut flowers in a vase. Until the water that sustains them evaporates, they bloom and give off fragrance—but in reality they possess only the semblance of life, and the power to reproduce is forever denied them. God in His Mercy may save them in view of their sincerity, because He has the power to save whoever He will—but the norms He Himself has laid down for the soul’s return to Him will form no part of that saving act.

To reject the religion brought by Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is to cut the silsila that stretches back to him, and from him to Gabriel, and from Gabriel to Allah—to deprive it of all meaning, and of any effectiveness except (perhaps) a temporary and fading one.

Sufism is not a revelation in itself—a truth that some Sufis may lose sight of in view of the fact that the basic practices and some of the lore of tasawwuf clearly pre-date Islam. The Christian practice of the Prayer of the Heart, carried on by the Eastern Orthodox Hesychasts and referred to in several places in the New Testament, as when St. Paul recommends that we “pray without ceasing”, or when St. Peter speaks of the moment when “the day-star shall arise in your hearts”, is almost identical in form to the Sufi dhikr.

Certain indications in the Old Testament also appear to refer to the practice of the invocation of God’s Name, such as passages from the Psalms like “our heart will rejoice in Him because we have trusted in His Holy Name” [33:21] and “unite my heart to fear Thy Name” [86:11].

And certainly some Sufi lore and practices came into the tradition from pre-Islamic Central Asia. The question is: Did lore and practice from the ancient Near East and Central Asia enter Islam so as to become part of Sufism? Or did Sufism depart from Islam to seek that lore and practice in foreign lands and religions? The answer is obvious: the pre-Islamic and non-Islamic lore and spiritual practices were the guests, but Islam was the host.

And it is the host who provides the nourishment.

To say that Sufism is not intrinsically Islamic is no different from saying that the Dalai Lama is not really a Buddhist, since many of the practices of Tibetan Buddhism originally derived from the shamanic religion of Bön. Certainly Vajrayana Buddhism drew upon Bön, but whatever entered Buddhism from that religion became essentially Buddhist, not just accidentally so.

No spiritual lore or practice is spiritually effective unless it sits at the table of one of God’s great revelations to humanity; to attempt to carry on such practice outside one of these revelations is to turn it over to the self-will of the ego, to the nafs al-ammara. As every Sufi silsila attests, living contact with God’s baraka comes through His revelation to humanity in the Noble Qur’an and the way of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him; every special unveiling or grace given and received in the course of spiritual practice and attainment, even in the case of the greatest Sufi masters, is only effective in that context.

It may seem as if the existence of spiritual seekers and masters who reached high stations outside, or between, the great revelations—such as Waraqah the Hanif or Uways al-Qarani—proves that such revelations are unnecessary and can be ignored with impunity. Such is not the case.

Waraqah was a Christian, and was waiting for the new revelation destined to come through Muhammad, which he gladly embraced. And although Uways al-Qarani, who is sometimes given as an example of a “Sufi” master outside Islam, never met the Prophet, he did embrace Islam when news of it came to him; this is undoubtedly what Muhammad meant when he said, referring to Uways, “I feel the Breath of the Merciful coming from the direction from the Yemen”.

When God opens a clear path, and we still foolishly think we can invent our own path or find a better one, then God help us.

Many Sufis who emmigrate from nations with oppressive Islamicist regimes go to pieces in the comparative religious freedom of the west. They are so relieved not to be under the thumb of the Wahhabis, the Ayatollahs, the religious police that they gladly dump the shari’ah, even the Five Pillars, and revel in their new-found liberty. It is one thing to abbreviate the shari’ah, sometimes radically, so as to make it possible to practice it in a balanced way in non-Islamic nations; it is quite another thing to abandon it entirely.

I cannot think of a single historical example where an esoterism such as tasawwuf deserted its parent religion without eventually—or immediately—turning into a heterodox cult, a political cadre, a universalist pseudo-religion, or all three at once. And though it is understandable that some Sufis in the west would want to publicly distance themselves from Islam—particularly after 9/11—the fact remains that the persecution faced by Muslims in western nations is nothing compared to the persecution faced by Sufis in certain Islamic nations.

Whether or not they openly admit it, some Sufis who immigrate to the west feel relieved to be “freed” from Islam itself, forgetting that they are Islam, that as traditional Sufis they are much more truly Islamic than the Islamicists ever could be.

What they don’t seem to realize is that in drifting aimlessly away from Islam over the seas of western secularism, they are actually obeying the orders of the Wahhabis, the Ayatollahs, the religious police. Those heartless oppressors would like see Sufism ejected from Islam entirely—and those westernized Sufis who separate Sufism from its Islamic roots are blithely and unwittingly doing their work for them.

The Islamicists slander Sufism by calling it heterodox and anti-Islamic, and then the westernized Sufis prove them right by transforming themselves into the very image of the heterodox, non-Islamic Sufi, perfectly validating the Islamicist ideology upon whose false image of Sufism they have patterned themselves. Westernized Sufis sometimes justify dumping the shari’ah by pointing to the all-too-common example of those Muslims who become obsessed with it, who use the law as a whip against others rather applying it to themselves in an attempt to become true human beings. But whether the ego of the exoteric Muslim obsessed with the law or that of the so-called Sufi who prides himself on being above the law is the hungrier beast, God only knows.

The Sufis of the west should stand against the Islamicists, not obey them. They should not abandon Islam to the Wahhabis and the other anti-Sufi Muslims, but should claim it for their own. This need not be done in a politicized or “activist” way, with public demonstrations and denunciations; all that is required is that western Sufis should stand in the tradition of their own great exemplars of the past, in the lineage stretching back to the first Sufis, in the days when Sufism was a reality without a name, not a name without a reality—to Ali ibn Abi Talib and the Prophet Muhammad himself, peace and blessings be upon them. It is in the west alone that they are almost entirely free to do this; it would be a tragedy if they did not fully avail themselves of that freedom, while it still exists.

If there is one thing that immigrants to the west from dar al-Islam need to understand—something that under present conditions it is very difficult for them to get a clear picture of—it is the history of the west’s religious opposition to its own secularization, and of the relentless ejection of religious doctrines and values from the arena of public discourse.

They do not realize that religious freedom, which is a good thing in itself and a necessary aspect of any humane, religiously-pluralistic society, is inseparable in practical terms from a militant secularism that devalues all religion, relegating it to the “private” realm alone—and that religious freedom in the west has already begun to be seriously curtailed by the very “democratic” secularism that brought it into being.

To the degree that Sufis abandon their Islamic roots, and are content to occupy only the shapeless “interfaith” zone designed by the secular globalists as a sort of theme-park to keep the traditional religions pacified, subject to a false sense of security calculated to blind them to their increasing marginalization under the “oppressive tolerance” of the west, they will not be able to stand together in any effective way, either vocally or silently, with their brothers and sisters of the other world religions, against the forces of militant secularism and official denial of God that menace them all.

Sleepers, awake.

[Picture from Pro Flowers]

Journey through Ten Thousand Veils

Sufi News and Sufism World Report would like to recommend the new book Journey through Ten Thousand Veils, by Shaykha Maryam Kabeer Faye.

It should be on the must read list for anyone interested in following the Sufi path and especially for women aspirants. The following is a slightly edited description of the book from the publisher together with recommendation notes from a variety of scholars and Sufis.
---
In her book, an engaging autobiographical tale of journeying through the physical and spiritual worlds, Maryam Kabeer Faye tells of the trials and joys she has met on the Sufi path.

When she was twelve years old, Maryam Kabeer Faye was given a painted scroll of an ancient wanderer, upon which were inscribed the words: Seek and The Truth Shall Make You Free. This message galvanized her soul and determined the course of her life. Following the call, she set out on the journey, internally and then externally, and was guided around the world many times, from one remarkable being to the next, everywhere collecting messages and clues.

Born in a Jewish family, she was led to live in India and Nepal, and in monasteries in Europe, and then guided to embrace Islam at the hands of an ancient Sufi Master a few minutes away from the tomb of the Prophet Abraham. She then was guided to study intensively with Sufi Masters around the world. Her journey to the holy places and people of the earth, led her finally to Africa and the deep truth that all lives are totally interconnected and united with our own. This profound realization dispelled the great myth that the creations of the One Most Loving Creator can be separated by any racial, national, or cultural distinctions.

This book is a significant and revealing social commentary, also dispelling many other myths and stereotypes such as the proposition, often fostered by the media, that women are inevitably oppressed in Islam. On the contrary, it is by entering into the heart of Islam that the author was liberated, elevated, empowered, and guided to realize the true purpose of her existence.

Kabeer Faye paints a picture of a glorious, golden chain of individuals of all faiths and types who welcome her, contribute to her progress, and accompany her along her way. Descriptions of the many lands she explores and the regions she traverses are intense, vivid and colorful.

Among them are her childhood and early youth in sixties’ California, her experiences of the warmth and hospitality shown to her in Afghanistan and Pakistan before the region became wracked by war, and a moving description of her pilgrimage to Mecca that reveals its inner meaning to a believer of deep faith.

The stages of the inner journey are revealed synchronistically with the outer journey, which led her to so many realms. Her encounters with masters and teachers of various faith traditions in India, Europe, the Middle East, and America, and then culminating in Africa, are recalled with insight and reflection, and she makes many astute observations about how their teaching is heard and understood differently by people in different states of awareness. A journey of leaving the world as we know it in order to return to the Source, Journey through Ten Thousand Veils is the story of striving to give up the world while still remaining in the world, to make the return from darkness to the light.

Maryam Kabeer Faye is a speaker and writer on Islam, sufism, and spirituality. She lives in Philadelphia where she owns a home that is a refuge for spiritual travelers, and she herself travels extensively throughout the world on the mission of building bridges of light, knowledge, and understanding.

From the publisher: Tughra Books, distributed by: Independent Publishers Group*
---

From 1960s Berkeley to India, Iran, Jerusalem, Europe, Sri Lanka and Senegal--Shaykha Maryam Kabir Faye's amazing account of a spiritual odyssey through religious traditions describes her encounters with some of the greatest guides of the past 40 years and continually offers fresh vistas and deep insights. This is Islamic Sufism from the inside; powerful, authentic, and inspiring. Read this book and believe.

Marcia Hermansen, Director, Islamic World Studies Program, Loyola University, Chicago
---

Sheikha Maryam Kabeer Faye takes us on an exciting journey from California to Afghanistan, from India to the French Alps, from Jerusalem to Senegal, in search for a realized Master who can reflect and unveil the hidden knowledge within her. The book plunges the reader into the experience of her discovery of the beauty within all of monotheistic religions, manifesting ultimately as one sole message, revealing the nature of the One Creator, the Only Sustainer. The history narrated in this extraordinary book is not literature, but a practical guide, based upon living experience, for any sincere traveler in search of spiritual transformation and opening to the inner truth.

Dr. Mansur Escudero, President of Junta Islamica, Spain
---

Journey Through Ten Thousand Veils contains Shaykha Maryam Kabeer Faye’s autobiographical account of her life long search to become closer to God, ultimately via Sufism, in Islam, and what journey it is! The memoir is all the more impressive, because the author is a historical person in her own right, with a unique experience ranging from the counter cultural milieu of 1960’s California to encounters with various eastern Masters popular in the “new age”, to a long and studied absorption in a number of different Sufi orders and discipleship under their inspired Shaykhs. This book will be highly valuable to any seekers of God, as Faye examines all of the multiple dimensions of a quest. It is also a treasure as a record of a precious and significant part of American Muslim History. The author’s frankness and sincerity through all the variety of what she has discovered make reading her book a memorable experience.

Khalid Yahya Blankinship, Chair of the Department of Religion, Temple University, Phila, PA
---

Maryam Kabeer Faye, in her autobiographical Journey Through Ten Thousand Veils, provides a stunning verbal portrait that allows readers to accompany her on her life's journey--feeling what she's feeling and thinking her deepest thoughts. Beginning in the 1940s, her life has been a nearly continuous sequence of pilgrimages. Maryam opens spiritual doorways for readers of many religions and cultures, through which they will be able to recognize the terrible and wonderful importance of their lives at this very moment and thereby enter the timeless reality of the spiritual path.

Dr. Alan Godlas, director, Sufis Without Borders; publisher of Sufi News and Sufism World Report; professor, Islamic Studies, University of Georgia
---

Shaykhah Maryam Kabir’s long journey begins in her heart, and in quest of the “Beloved.” It is a journey in search of the Truth that has indeed set her free from all attachments to worldly things, but not to the world, which is the vestibule to the Beloved’s heavenly court.

It is a journey towards God, the Beloved that took her to many parts of His beautiful creation, where she witnessed “His signs” in her soul and in the horizons. Having achieved this earthly journey towards God, May she be now ready for the journey in God, a journey of countless veils of light and darkness. It is a journey that begins with the true humility of nothingness, which is fana’ in the beloved and ends with true baqa’ in Him.

Shaykhah Maryam’s book will no doubt be an inspiration to many readers. It will lead many to join her on this blessed pilgrimage. May He accept and bless this eternal pilgrimage to Him.

Mahmoud Ayoub, Professor Emeritus Temple University and Professor Islamic Studies & Christian-Muslim Relations; Hartford Seminary, Hartford, CT
---

Maryam Kabeer Faye invites her reader to join her on two distinctive journeys. One
reveals the events of her life and the other exposes true Islam. She carries her
reader into her experiences and emotions, vividly painting the reality of her life,
her fears, her joys and all that is in between. Her search for a teacher, for
enlightenment, for nearness and submission to God are masterfully woven around
the reader, who joins her on her quest.

In the sound, the rhythm and the power of her story the reader finds, as she does, Islam. With this, the other journey begins and Maryam becomes the teacher. She is the guide telling her reader the meaning of Islam, lifting the veils to expose the spiritual bond between God, humans, and all lives. Maryam Kabeer Faye shows her reader that life can be lived, should be
lived, by seeking nearness to God.

Michelle Byng, Ph.D., Department of Sociology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
---

With the hard-won key forged from her extensive and adventurous God-seeking world wanderings, Shaykha Maryam, an exemplary Sufi teacher, is given entrance to the world of West African Sufism with its rich mystical tradition. Her journey with her son to Medina and Mecca, and their visit to the Kabah, is probably the most exaltedly symphonic and overwhelming of her pivotal experiences in the book, in her relentless search for transformative liberation and the Truth of Certainty.

Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore (Poet, The Ecstatic Exchange)

---

*Visit the Publisher's website

[Buy at the Sufi Book Store]

Hami Corner

Staff Report, " Sufism can defeat extremism: Sassui Palijo " Dawn.com - Karachi, Pakistan

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Khairpur: Sindh Minister for Culture and Tourism Ms Sassui Palijo has said that Sufism is the only means by which terrorism and extremism can be fought and curbed.

She said at the 27th death anniversary of renowned poet and scholar Dr Atta Mohammad Hami in Sohu Kanasiro village that Sindh is a land where Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, Sachal and many other mystics were born who combated extremism in their times and succeeded in uprooting it through their poetry and philosophy.

She said that Hami preached tolerance in his poetry and served common man throughout his life. Hami’s book ‘The role of Talpurs in literature, politics and culture’, which he wrote as the PhD thesis, was one of the most important research works, she said.

The minister announced donating Rs 200,000 to Hami Yadgar Committee.

Ms Palijo, PPP MNA Nawab Wassan and Shoukat Shoro launched the second edition of ‘Role of Talpurs in literature, politics and culture’ and a book of Hami’s poetry. The books were published by the Sindh Culture Department.

Mr Wassan, Agha Saleem and Shoukat Shoro paid rich tribute to Hami in their speeches and Shoro announced setting up Hami Corner at the Sindhology.

Later, a musical programme was held at which Shahnila Ali, Taj Mastani and others sung Hami’s poetry.

Picture: Sindh is a land where many mystics combated extremism in their times and succeeded in uprooting it through their poetry’. — APP/File Photo