By Dr. Naseem Gul, *The significance of Tasawwuf* - Greater Kashmir - Srinagar, Kashmir, India; Friday, July 8, 2011
Prof. Syed Zaheer Hussain's lecture about Mysticism was enriching and enlightening, Dr. Naseem Gul sums up the proceedings
On 04-07-2011, an extension lecture was organized by Shah-i-Hamadan Institute of Islamic studies, university of Kashmir, Srinagar, on the topic History of Tasawwuf.
The lecture was delivered by Prof. Syed Zaheer Husain Ja’fari, former Ex-Head Department of History, Delhi University, and the joint secretary of Indian History Congress.
He said that Tasawwuf is a subject which has been included in the curriculum everywhere and is being taught in every Department of Islamic Studies, in Madrassas and in the subject of history in one way or the other, which shows its importance as an academic discipline.
He added that reformative movements which came to fore in the Muslim world during 19th and 20th century where actually started in response to the anti Islamic elements found in the prevalent Tasawwuf, and thus it provided the stimulus even to the reformation movements so to speak.
According to him, after the transition of khilafat into mulukiyat there were many Muslims who remained aloof from the state affairs thus begins the philosophy of Sufism in the Muslim world. He highlighted the contributions of Sufis to Hadith literature and Islamic reformation in a worldwide context. He stressed that we need to study Tasawwuf with a Muslim perspective, which will convince us that almost all the madrassas or khanqahs were attached to Sufi Dargahs and were centres of great learning and not just the bastions of superstitious and polytheistic practices as we find now very much common at these places.
It was due to this reason that the British snatched the awqaf which were endowed to the Khanqahs and thus rendered Muslims helpless and dejected as the Sufi centres were imparting education and helping Muslim community in many ways. He said that despite the staunch opposition to the Sufi institutions by many Muslim scholars and thinkers, Sufism remained a vital force in the whole history of Islam and accordingly to an Egyptian writer Manfaluti when a subject has many critics it also shows its importance and utility.
In his introductory remarks Prof Hamid Naseem Rafiabadi highlighted the role of positive Islamic Sufism to various spheres of life as we find in Shah-i-Hamadan who was not merely a sufi but a reformer scholar Muhaddith and a great benefactor of arts and crafts he introduced into Kashmir. Same was the case with Imam Ghazzali and Shah Wali Allah Dehalawi who were not merely sufis in technical sense but were personalities of different dimension contributing to all aspects of human development.
But their approach to human affairs was spiritual and not the materialist one as we find in some of the present day so called sufi people. It was perhaps in this sense that Mawlana Abul Hassan Nadwi has called even Ibn Taimiyah a sufi.
The reclusion and seclusion was added to Sufism when it came into contact with the monasticism of various religions like Buddhism and Hinduism.
He called Dr Ja’fari a practicing sufi who is well versed in the classical sources of the subject and has family roots in sufi silsilahs.
The session was chaired by Prof Muhammad Ashraf Wani, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences and Head Department of History. He said in his presidential remarks that the most important facet of sufi teachings was the capacity to build ones moral character which is lacking in modern times: despite our great erudition we lack moral uprightness.
He highlighted the need for going directly to original sources on Sufism and medieval history and Islam, for which we have to depend on Persian and Arabic languages respectively.
He lauded the scholars for being well versed in the classical literature on Tasawwuf.
Muhammad Ashraf Wani who during his address to the audience recommended the scholars to learn the language of the related subject to approach the primary sources. In addition to the students and scholars of the Dept., Dr. Ab. Rashid Bhat, Dr. Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, Dr. Jameil Ali and the other faculty members of the department were present during the lecture.
Moreover, Prof BA Khan former Head Department of History Kashmir University, Prof Parwaiz of History Department and many research scholars of Departments of History and Islamic studies participated in this lecture.
The lecture was followed by a live session of question and answer and interaction. The lecture was concluded by Dr Manzur Ahmad Bhat senior faculty by his vote of thanks.
(Dr Naseem Gul is Lecturer Department of Islamic Studies, KU)
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
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Wednesday, July 13, 2011
History of Tasawwuf
Prof. Syed Zaheer Hussain's lecture about Mysticism was enriching and enlightening, Dr. Naseem Gul sums up the proceedings
On 04-07-2011, an extension lecture was organized by Shah-i-Hamadan Institute of Islamic studies, university of Kashmir, Srinagar, on the topic History of Tasawwuf.
The lecture was delivered by Prof. Syed Zaheer Husain Ja’fari, former Ex-Head Department of History, Delhi University, and the joint secretary of Indian History Congress.
He said that Tasawwuf is a subject which has been included in the curriculum everywhere and is being taught in every Department of Islamic Studies, in Madrassas and in the subject of history in one way or the other, which shows its importance as an academic discipline.
He added that reformative movements which came to fore in the Muslim world during 19th and 20th century where actually started in response to the anti Islamic elements found in the prevalent Tasawwuf, and thus it provided the stimulus even to the reformation movements so to speak.
According to him, after the transition of khilafat into mulukiyat there were many Muslims who remained aloof from the state affairs thus begins the philosophy of Sufism in the Muslim world. He highlighted the contributions of Sufis to Hadith literature and Islamic reformation in a worldwide context. He stressed that we need to study Tasawwuf with a Muslim perspective, which will convince us that almost all the madrassas or khanqahs were attached to Sufi Dargahs and were centres of great learning and not just the bastions of superstitious and polytheistic practices as we find now very much common at these places.
It was due to this reason that the British snatched the awqaf which were endowed to the Khanqahs and thus rendered Muslims helpless and dejected as the Sufi centres were imparting education and helping Muslim community in many ways. He said that despite the staunch opposition to the Sufi institutions by many Muslim scholars and thinkers, Sufism remained a vital force in the whole history of Islam and accordingly to an Egyptian writer Manfaluti when a subject has many critics it also shows its importance and utility.
In his introductory remarks Prof Hamid Naseem Rafiabadi highlighted the role of positive Islamic Sufism to various spheres of life as we find in Shah-i-Hamadan who was not merely a sufi but a reformer scholar Muhaddith and a great benefactor of arts and crafts he introduced into Kashmir. Same was the case with Imam Ghazzali and Shah Wali Allah Dehalawi who were not merely sufis in technical sense but were personalities of different dimension contributing to all aspects of human development.
But their approach to human affairs was spiritual and not the materialist one as we find in some of the present day so called sufi people. It was perhaps in this sense that Mawlana Abul Hassan Nadwi has called even Ibn Taimiyah a sufi.
The reclusion and seclusion was added to Sufism when it came into contact with the monasticism of various religions like Buddhism and Hinduism.
He called Dr Ja’fari a practicing sufi who is well versed in the classical sources of the subject and has family roots in sufi silsilahs.
The session was chaired by Prof Muhammad Ashraf Wani, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences and Head Department of History. He said in his presidential remarks that the most important facet of sufi teachings was the capacity to build ones moral character which is lacking in modern times: despite our great erudition we lack moral uprightness.
He highlighted the need for going directly to original sources on Sufism and medieval history and Islam, for which we have to depend on Persian and Arabic languages respectively.
He lauded the scholars for being well versed in the classical literature on Tasawwuf.
Muhammad Ashraf Wani who during his address to the audience recommended the scholars to learn the language of the related subject to approach the primary sources. In addition to the students and scholars of the Dept., Dr. Ab. Rashid Bhat, Dr. Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, Dr. Jameil Ali and the other faculty members of the department were present during the lecture.
Moreover, Prof BA Khan former Head Department of History Kashmir University, Prof Parwaiz of History Department and many research scholars of Departments of History and Islamic studies participated in this lecture.
The lecture was followed by a live session of question and answer and interaction. The lecture was concluded by Dr Manzur Ahmad Bhat senior faculty by his vote of thanks.
(Dr Naseem Gul is Lecturer Department of Islamic Studies, KU)
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By Dr. Naseem Gul, *The significance of Tasawwuf* - Greater Kashmir - Srinagar, Kashmir, India; Friday, July 8, 2011Prof. Syed Zaheer Hussain's lecture about Mysticism was enriching and enlightening, Dr. Naseem Gul sums up the proceedings
On 04-07-2011, an extension lecture was organized by Shah-i-Hamadan Institute of Islamic studies, university of Kashmir, Srinagar, on the topic History of Tasawwuf.
The lecture was delivered by Prof. Syed Zaheer Husain Ja’fari, former Ex-Head Department of History, Delhi University, and the joint secretary of Indian History Congress.
He said that Tasawwuf is a subject which has been included in the curriculum everywhere and is being taught in every Department of Islamic Studies, in Madrassas and in the subject of history in one way or the other, which shows its importance as an academic discipline.
He added that reformative movements which came to fore in the Muslim world during 19th and 20th century where actually started in response to the anti Islamic elements found in the prevalent Tasawwuf, and thus it provided the stimulus even to the reformation movements so to speak.
According to him, after the transition of khilafat into mulukiyat there were many Muslims who remained aloof from the state affairs thus begins the philosophy of Sufism in the Muslim world. He highlighted the contributions of Sufis to Hadith literature and Islamic reformation in a worldwide context. He stressed that we need to study Tasawwuf with a Muslim perspective, which will convince us that almost all the madrassas or khanqahs were attached to Sufi Dargahs and were centres of great learning and not just the bastions of superstitious and polytheistic practices as we find now very much common at these places.
It was due to this reason that the British snatched the awqaf which were endowed to the Khanqahs and thus rendered Muslims helpless and dejected as the Sufi centres were imparting education and helping Muslim community in many ways. He said that despite the staunch opposition to the Sufi institutions by many Muslim scholars and thinkers, Sufism remained a vital force in the whole history of Islam and accordingly to an Egyptian writer Manfaluti when a subject has many critics it also shows its importance and utility.
In his introductory remarks Prof Hamid Naseem Rafiabadi highlighted the role of positive Islamic Sufism to various spheres of life as we find in Shah-i-Hamadan who was not merely a sufi but a reformer scholar Muhaddith and a great benefactor of arts and crafts he introduced into Kashmir. Same was the case with Imam Ghazzali and Shah Wali Allah Dehalawi who were not merely sufis in technical sense but were personalities of different dimension contributing to all aspects of human development.
But their approach to human affairs was spiritual and not the materialist one as we find in some of the present day so called sufi people. It was perhaps in this sense that Mawlana Abul Hassan Nadwi has called even Ibn Taimiyah a sufi.
The reclusion and seclusion was added to Sufism when it came into contact with the monasticism of various religions like Buddhism and Hinduism.
He called Dr Ja’fari a practicing sufi who is well versed in the classical sources of the subject and has family roots in sufi silsilahs.
The session was chaired by Prof Muhammad Ashraf Wani, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences and Head Department of History. He said in his presidential remarks that the most important facet of sufi teachings was the capacity to build ones moral character which is lacking in modern times: despite our great erudition we lack moral uprightness.
He highlighted the need for going directly to original sources on Sufism and medieval history and Islam, for which we have to depend on Persian and Arabic languages respectively.
He lauded the scholars for being well versed in the classical literature on Tasawwuf.
Muhammad Ashraf Wani who during his address to the audience recommended the scholars to learn the language of the related subject to approach the primary sources. In addition to the students and scholars of the Dept., Dr. Ab. Rashid Bhat, Dr. Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, Dr. Jameil Ali and the other faculty members of the department were present during the lecture.
Moreover, Prof BA Khan former Head Department of History Kashmir University, Prof Parwaiz of History Department and many research scholars of Departments of History and Islamic studies participated in this lecture.
The lecture was followed by a live session of question and answer and interaction. The lecture was concluded by Dr Manzur Ahmad Bhat senior faculty by his vote of thanks.
(Dr Naseem Gul is Lecturer Department of Islamic Studies, KU)
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