Sufi Movement

Sufi Movement

• Sufi Cult or Sufism is a mystical branch of Islam, a school of practice that emphasises the spiritual search for God and rejects materialism. It is a style of Islamic mysticism that emphasises asceticism. 
• The word Sufi means wool in Arabic, and refers to the modest cloaks used by early Muslim ascetics. It also implies ‘purity’, therefore it might be translated as the person who wears wool on top of purity.
• By the 11th century, it had grown into a mature movement.

Sufism- Contribution

• The Sufis disapproved of the extensive rites and moral norms that Muslim religious academics sought.
• They held the view that Sufis are the “Ashiqs” and that God is the “Mashuq”.
• Sufism was split into 12 orders (Silsila), each led by a mystic saint of the Sufi faith. The four most well-known of these orders were the Chistis, Suhrawardis, Qadiriyahs, and Naqshbandis.
• Silsila is a constant connection between the teacher (Murshid) and the learner (Murid). They resided in a place of worship called a Khanqah.
• The names of Silsila were derived from the names of its founders, such as Qadri Silsila (which was derived from Shaikh Abdul Qadri) and its site of origin, Chishti (a location in Afghanistan).
• Sufism developed strong roots in both rural and urban places and had a profound impact on people’s social, political, and cultural outlooks.
• According to Sufism, devotion is more significant than a fast (Roza) or a prayer (Namaz).
• Sufism rejects the caste system.
• Sufism’s core beliefs include total submission to God’s will, the annihilation of the ego, and the pursuit of perfection.
• The Doctrine of Fana, which stands for the annihilation of human qualities through Union with God, is composed of these three fundamental ideas.
• In Sufism, a flawless creature is sometimes referred to as a Wali (saint), which translates as “sincere friend.”

Sufi Orders

• Chisti Silsilah:

  • Founder – Kwaja Abdul Chisti.
  • Originated in Persia and Central Asia.
  • Moinuddin Chishti introduced the Chisti order in India.
  • Sama was mostly associated with Chisti.
  • Belongs to Ba sharia.
  • This dargah’s support peaked after the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar.
  • Sheikh Hamiduddin of Nagaur and Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki were students of Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti. Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki developed a Chishti presence in Delhi. The Qutub Minar  was dedicated to him by Iltutmish.
  • The Chishti pirs emphasised simplicity, poverty, humility, and selfless devotion to God. They saw the abandonment of earthly riches as important for the control of the senses required to live a spiritual existence.
  • Sheikh Fariduddin (Baba Farid) of Ajodhan (Pattan, Pakistan) popularised Chishti silsilah in modern Haryana and Punjab. The Adi Granth quotes some of his Punjabi poetry.
  • Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya (1238-1325), Baba Farid’s most prominent follower, was instrumental in establishing Delhi as a major Chishti silsilah institution.
    • He arrived in Delhi in 1259 and lived there for sixty years, witnessing seven sultans’ reigns.
    • Among his admirers was the renowned writer Amir Khusrau.
  • In the 13th century, Shaikh Burhanuddin Gharib formed the Chisti Order in the Deccan. Between the 14th and 16th centuries, numerous Chisti Sufis relocated to Gulbarga. Some Chistis began taking endowments and sponsorship from the governing elite. The Deccan city of Bijapur arose as a major focus for Sufi activity, and Muhammad Banda Nawaz was a well-known pir in the region.

• Suhrawardi Silsilah:

  • Founder – Shaikh Shihabuddin Surhavardi.
  • The main centre was Multan.
  • The Suhrawardis maintained close ties with the state and believed that a Sufi should have property, knowledge, and mystical enlightenment. 
  • Bahauddin Zakariya promoted a combination of scholarship and mysticism. 
  • He openly supported Iltutmisht’s struggle against Qabacha and was given the title of Shaikhul Islam (Leader of Islam).
  • Belongs to Ba-sharia.

• Nakshabandi Silsilah:

  • Founder – Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari. 
  • Sheikh Baqi Billah, Khawaja Bahauddin Naqshbandi’s successor, chose to reside near Delhi. His successor, Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi, sought to rid Islam of all liberal and ‘un-Islamic’ behaviours.
  • He disliked listening to sama (religious music) and pilgrimage to saints’ tombs.
  • He was reluctant to interact with Hindus and Shias. 
  • He criticised Akbar’s new position for many non-Muslims, the revocation of the Jiziyah, and the ban on cow slaughter.
  • He thought he was the mujaddid (renewer) of the first millennium of Islam.
  • He argued that man’s relationship with God was that of a slave and a master, rather than that of a lover and a beloved.

• Qadri Silsilah:

  • Founder – Sheikh Abdul Qadir
  • Main Centre – Punjab 
  • Patronised by Akbar 
  • Embraced the notion of Wahdat al Wajud (the unity of existence).
  • Miyan Mir, a well-known Sufi of this order, took on the Mughal princess Jahanara and her brother Dara as students. The sheikh’s teachings have influenced the prince’s works.
  • While disregarding orthodox components, Shah Badakhshani, another pir of this silsilah, said that an infidel who perceived and accepted reality was a believer, while a believer who did not recognise reality was an infidel.