Essay on Origin of Sufism & elements of

Sufism in India

The term, Sufi Wali-Allah (protégé of god), dervish and faqir, are applied to
spiritualists who attempted to achieve development of their intuitive faculties through
aesthetic exercises, contemplation, renunciation and self-denial. Sufism is a mystical
system; also known as tasawuff. Non-Islamic populations mistakenly consider it as a
part of Islam. It arises out of the Islamic lineage with influences from Judaism,
Christianity and Zoroastrianism. Sufism influenced the development of Sikhism and
Baha’i religion. Two origins of the word ‘Sufi’ have been suggested. One is ‘safa’
which means purity and the other is ‘suf’ which means wool (attire of these Sufis was
made out of wool).The concept of Sufism has been there since the time of Prophet
Mohammed. The Prophet himself carried out the practice of meditation during the
time when he received the Quran from Allah. This was done in order to be closer to
Allah, to be his friend, which was what the Sufis tried to do.We don’t have any other
sources to get to know the history of origin of Sufism but one thing that scholars
around the world agree on is that it came after the advent of Islam. The most accepted
theory is that people who lived with the Prophet were the ones indulging in the
practices of meditation and fasting to be closer to god and find inner knowledge
through stabilization of their emotions and inculcate an understanding.

After the death of Mohammed, the khalifa was seen as his successor. The decade
following his death, the umma started falling apart. The Arab town dwellers were
lured by the wealth and fortune around them. But there was a small group of people,
known as ‘ Ahl al- Suffa’ who continued to live their ascetic lives. The reign of the
third Caliph saw civil wars. Ali moved his capital from Medina to Kufa, where the
founder of the Umayyad dynasty assassinated him. Husain, the son of Ali refused to
accept the Umayyad rule. The death of Husain and the prosecution of his successors
in the infamous Battle of Karbala created a rift in the Muslim community creating the
two sects- Shia and Sunni.The differences between the Shias and the Sunnis
sharpened under the Abbasids.

All this time the new caliphs coaxed by the fortunes around them had stopped
practicing the five pillars of Islam, because of which they had started losing their
authority. This was the time when theologians and various philosophers started
referring to the Hadith and the Quran to see what Muhammad said and did. They
started looking at the role of a caliph and questioning the importance of his role. They
deemed the rule of the first four caliphs as pious. The first caliph, Abu bakr was a
paragon of voluntary poverty to the Sufis and taught them to renounce all their
material goods for Islam. The second Caliph Umar was the symbol of his self-denial.
The third caliph Usman set the example of resignation during crisis. However it was
the fourth Caliph Ali, who was regarded as the Sheikh in both theory and practice of
Islam.

By the twelfth century Sufism has become a universal aspect of Islamic social life
whose influence had spread to all Muslims. There were also an important no. of Sufis
who transcending religious and communal distinctions , promoted the interest of
humanity at large. On the whole Sufism gave meaning and mission to the religious
feeling and beliefs of a wide cross section of society, both in India and many parts of
Islamic world .Even though the Sufi movement is credited for the spread of Islam,
especially in Asian and African countries. But with the spread of the Umayyad and
Abbasid dynasties, the ideas of Sufis also spread. Philosophers everywhere tried to
oppose the rule of the Caliphs and practice the ways of Prophet. This was the time
when the world witnessed the most prominent Sufi saints like Hasan al-Basra and
Rabia. Hasan was a saint during the Umayyad dynasty and gave voice for constant
vigilance after the model of Prophet. His ideas couldn’t have reached their height
without the contribution of Rabia. While the Ulema were busy in formulating the
Quranic description of Allah as the God of justice, she portrayed Him as the God of
love.Within a hundred years of the hijrah, there was considerable political turmoil,
many well-known and respected Muslims, as a result, cut themselves from the
government who rejected the secular government started to be called Sufis. The
Persian sheikh Abu Hashim Kufi was the first person to be known by this name.

The second phase in the spread of Sufi teachings coincides with another important
aspect of Islamic history, from 850 C.E. until the tenth century. Greek philosophy and
sciences had become current among Muslims, and Islamic society was faced with a
storm of rationalism. The common people found their beliefs shaken to the core.
Doubts assailed them. To counteract these influences Sufi masters stressed the
doctrine of ‘ishq (passionate love) and the experiences attained through spiritual states
of the heart.

The third stage of the development of Sufism took place in the tenth century C.E. The
sages of this era tried to reawaken a religious spirit that would permeate people’s day-
to-day lives. They realized that human behaviour could not improve as long as human
hearts were consumed with secular concerns. They emphasized purification of the
self, guiding people to overcome the conditioning that comes with worldly pursuits
and rational thinking. They helped people revivify their inner lives by providing a
framework and discipline for ethical and moral outer lives.

Between the tenth and twelfth centuries, Sufism became a widely respected discipline.
Many great scholars and spiritual masters taught during this period, establishing the
Sufi practices and terminology. Several tariqahs (orders) were founded. The
Sufi tariqahs had become the basis for a widespread mystical movement, lending new
life to humanity’s age-old spiritual quest.

Some masters have found that the practice of the hadra is a useful
method for enabling 'openings' to the 'heart'. The Arabic word hadra is usually defined
as 'Sufi dancing' in this context, but literally it means presence, since those who do the
hadra correctly are increased in their awareness of the ever-present, all-pervading
presence of God. The hadra, which usually involves the invocation of the attribute of
Allah the living al-Hayyu, can be done standing, chanting and swaying in groups.
Some groups stand in circles, some of them stand in rows, and some sit in rows or
circles,
the men in one group, and the women in another separate group.

Some Sufis have taken some practices from Asia and Africa and innovated different
ways and means of utilizing them, which are suitable for their particular needs. For
example, some Sufis, particularly members of the Naqshbandi Order, use breathing
exercises and intensive hyperventilation that increase the flow of oxygen into the
bloodstream. These practices are quite similar to those performed by the yogis of
India. The 12th century witnessed the formation of silsilas. Silsilas were chains or
order of lineage through which different Sufis could be traced. This gave Sufis greater
respectability and a stronger base of defence against the onslaught of the orthodox.
The founders of silsilas linked themselves to either Ali or Abu bakr. Institutionally the
Sufis began to organize themselves around the hospice (khanqah) controlled by a
teaching master known as the sheikh, pir or murid. When the sheikh died, his tom-
shrine attracted his followers, which led to the concept of Ziyarat. This was generally
made on the death anniversary or urs, as the followers believed that the saints united
with God after their death bringing them closer to God than he was when he was
alive. People attained his blessings for material and spiritual blessings. Thus evolved
the cult of sheikh revered as Wali.

Some mystics initiated movements based on a radical interpretation of Sufi ideals.

Many scorned the Khanqah and took to mendicancy and observed celibacy. They
ignored the rituals and observed extreme forms of asceticism. They were known by
different names- Qalandars, Madaris, Malangs, and Haidaris etc.; because of their
deliberate defiance of the Shari’a they were often referred to as be-sharia, in contrast
to the ba-sharia Sufis who complied with it.

Shifting the focus to India. Around this time the Bhakti movement had become
widespread. Many new religious leaders had started questioning the authority of the
Vedas. A new element in this was the coming up of the Turks and setting up the Delhi
Sultanate. Of the various Sufi orders, Muslims of India prominently follow CHISTI,
NAQSHBANDHI, QADIRI and SUHRAWARDI.

Of them the impact of Chisti order is visible even in small villages of Indian
subcontinent. Kwaja Moin-ud-Din Chisti, a disciple of Khwaja Abu Abdal Chisti, the
propounder of this order introduced it in India. Born in Afghanistan in 1142 AD, he
came to India with the army of Shihab-ud-Din Ghuri in 1192 AD and selected Ajmer
as his permanent abode since 1195. His shrine became a place of pilgrimage largely
with the support of Muslim rulers. Radiating from Delhi under Nizamuddin and
following the trail of Mohammad ibn Tughlaq towards the south, the Chisti spread its
roots all across India .Internationally famous Sufi Shine at Ajmer Sharif in Rajasthan
and Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi belong to this order. These Chisti interacted freely
with people of all religion and patronized the Hindawi language. Chisiti saints
cultivated the practice of Fasting in order to weaken and control human desires
control. They followed the principle of Wahdat-al-Wujud. Lived of Charity of
common people and rejected any state patronization or favors. They aroused public
interest in practices of Pas-i-Arfas (Control of breath),
Meditation, Chilla (40 days of hard ascetic exercise in a cell or lonely place), Chilla-i-
Makus (40 days of ascetic exercise performed with the head on the ground and legs
tied to a tree), and their most popular practice of Sama (recital of holy songs).

Suhrawardi order of Sufism was founded by Shihabud-Din Suharawardy of Baghdad

and introduced in India by his disciple Baha-ud-Din Zakariya of Multan.
Suharawardi order of Sufism became popular in Bengal. Zakariya invited Sulta
illtutmish to invade Multan and over throw Qubecha, he was later made the Shaikh-
al-Islam (leader of Muslim community). Unlike the Chisiti the Suhrwardi did not
believe in living life of poverty, they accepted state support and appointments&
rejected Music.Followed the concept of Wahdat-al-wujud ( Unity of being).Qadiri
order founded by Abdul Qadir whose tomb is at Baghdad. Its influence is extensively
among the M uslims of south India.
Qadiri silsilah was founded by Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani of Bagdad (1077-1166).
The order reached India by 15th century, however its major gains came much later.
Believed in Wahdat-al-Wujud and worked for the unity of all people irrespective of
religion.Shah Niamat-al-lah, Makdum Muhammad Jilani , Mir Miyan, and Mullah
Shah were its major saints.Mir Miyan Impressed Jahangir who gifted him an antelope
skin to prey on. Shahjahan and Jahanara were both followers of Mulla Shah.Dara
Shikoh, the eldest son of Shahjahan was a follower of thisorder. The followers of this
order opposed Music and Singing. Order was limited initially to Ucuch and later
Agra. Bulleh Shah Kheda was also one famous Saint of the order.Suring Aurangzeb’s
reign the order lost all court patronage but continued to be followed by common
people.

Naqshbandhi Silsilah was introduced in India by Khwaja Pir Muhammad. Popularized

later by Khwaja Baqi Billah during the last year of Akbar’s reign. This order was
closest to Orthodoxy and tried to counteract the liberal religious policies of Akbar and
declared Akbar asa Heretic.Among its disciples were Mirza Aziz Koka, Qilich Khan
and Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khana.The order became important unde Shaikh Ahamad
Sirhindi who pushed forward the concept of Wahadat-al-Shudud. He also wanted re
imposition of Jaziya.He was later imprisione dby Jahangir on claims to have claimed
to be having a status beyond prophet that ofMujaddid ( rene wer) who has come to
restore Sunniorthodoxy.Khwaja Mohhammad Baqi Billah Berang whose tomb is in
Delhi introduced Naqshbandi order in India. Though, the Sufis of this order were
lying low during the period of Akbar, Khalifa Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi, (1564-1624), a
favorite disciple of Baqi Billah achieved increasing importance and popularised this
order when the Great Mogul became bed ridden. Baqi Billah, nicknamed him as
'Mujaddid (Reformer or reviver of Islam for the second millennium).