CC-7: HISTORY OF INDIA (c.1206-1526) : Iv. Religion and Culture
CC-7: HISTORY OF INDIA (c.1206-1526) : Iv. Religion and Culture
CC-7: HISTORY OF INDIA (c.1206-1526) : Iv. Religion and Culture
1206-1526)
IV. RELIGION AND CULTURE
(A). SUFI SILSILAS: CHISHTIS AND SUHRAWARDIS;
DOCTRINES AND PRACTICES; SOCIAL ROLES
(C). SUFI LITERATURE, MALFUZAT; PREMAKHAYANS
The word Sufi is derived from ‘suf’ which means wool in Arabic, referring the
simple cloaks the early Muslim ascetics wore. It also means ‘purity’ and thus
can be understood as the one who wears wool on top of purity. The Sufis were
regarded as people who kept their heart pure and who sought to communicate
with God through their ascetic practice.
Sufism or mysticism emerged in the 8th century and the early known Sufis were
Rabiya al-Adawiya, Al-Junaid and Bayazid Bastami. However, it evolved into a
well-developed movement by the end of the 11th century. Al-Hujwiri, who
established himself in north India was buried in Lahore and regarded as the
oldest Sufi in the sub-continent. By the 12th century, the Sufis were organised in
Silsilahs (i,e., orders, which basically represented an unbreakable chain
between the Pir, the teacher, and the murids, the disciples). The four most
popular Silsilahs among these were the Chistis, Suhrawardis, Qadiriyahs,
Naqshbandis.
The Sufi orders are broadly divided into two: Ba-shara, that is, those which
follow the Islamic Law(shara) and be-shara, that is, those which were not bound
by it. Both types of orders prevailed in India.
The most famous of the Chishti saints, however, were Nizamuddin Auliya and
Nasiruddin Chiragh-i-Delhi. These early Sufis mingled freely with people of the
lower classes, including the Hindus. They led a simple, austere life, and
conversed with people in Hindawi, their local dialect. They were hardly
interested in effecting conversions, though later on, many families and groups,
attributed their conversion to the 'good wishes' of these saints. These Sufi saints
made themselves Popular by adopting musical recitations called sama, to create
a mood of nearness to God, Moreover, they often chose Hindi verses for the
purpose, since they could make a greater impact on their listeners. Nizamuddin
Auliya adopted yogic breathing exercises, so much so that the yogis called him
a sidh or perfect.
Sufism took roots in both rural and urban areas and exercised a deep social,
political, and cultural influence on the masses. It rebelled against all forms of
religious formalism, orthodoxy, falsehood, and hypocrisy, and
endeavoured to create a new world order in which spiritual bliss was the only
and the ultimate goal. At a time when struggle for political power was the
prevailing madness, the Sufi saints reminded men of their moral obligations.
To a world torn by strife and conflict, they tried to bring peace and harmony.
The most important contribution of Sufism is that it helped to blunt the edge of
Hindu−Muslim prejudices by forging the feelings of solidarity and
brotherhood between these two religious communities. These Sufi saints are
revered even today by not only Muslims but by a large number of Hindus, and
their tombs have become popular places of pilgrimage for both communities.
MALFUZAT
The Malfuzat contain those of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's words that he spoke in
the form of an address or discussion in the presence of a congregation or
gathering, including during leisurely moments, and were recorded in writing by
several companions who kept a diary of his words.
Another type of Sufi literature was known as the Premakhayan texts which were
different from the Malfuzat texts. The poetry of Premakhayans were an attempt
related to create a synthesis of Hindu-Muslim cultures as has been suggested by
Historian S. A. A. Rizvi in his book A History of Sufism in India Vol. II.
According to Historian S.A.A. Rizvi, the Premakhyan poets did choose regional
folk tales as the basis of their masnawis but the praise of Allah and the
descriptions and praise of the prophet, four pious caliphs, and the praise of the
poet’s own Pir (teacher) signals that these works were bound by traditional
Islamic Sufi ideology.
Ancient and Medieval India (McGraw Hill Education) -Poonam Dalal Dahiya
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malfuzat