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Sufism in India
Irfan or Sufism is one of the disciplines that originated within the realm of Islamic culture and developed there to attain a high level of sophistication. The Sufis or Urafa are a group of famous divine personalities who not only developed their own science, producing great scholars and important books, but have also given rise within the Islamic world to a distinct social grouping.
The 'urafa' or Sufis are not regarded as forming a separate sect in Islam, nor do they claim themselves to be such. They are to be found within every Islamic school and sect, yet, at the same time, they coalesce to form a distinct social group. The factors that set them apart from the rest of Islamic society are a distinctive chain of ideas and opinions, a special code governing their social intercourse, dress and even, sometimes, the way they wear their hair and beards, and their living communally in their Khanqahs.
Sufism, as a scientific and academic discipline, itself has two branches: the practical and the theoretical. The practical aspect of 'irfan describes and explains the relationship and responsibilities the human being bears towards itself, towards the world and towards God. Here, 'irfan is similar to ethics (akhlaq), both of them being practical sciences.
The Sufi doctrine that there must always be a Qutb in the world and the qualities they attribute to him, correspond to the Shi'ah doctrine of Imamat.
The famous French scholar Henry Corbin mentions that the Sufis borrowed their notions of qutb or qhawth from the Shi’ah conception of Imamat. There is an intimate relationship between the Shi’ah belief in Imamat and the Sufi conception of spiritual leadership in the history of Sufism.
`The kharqah ‑ the patched garment ‑ both among the common and the elite is an expression of the secret of welayah (intimacy with God) and the hidden wisdom of tawhid. This welayah and wisdom was bestowed by God on Adam. The kharqah is related to the Commander of the Faithful Hazrat Ali (A.S.) and his infallible progeny ‑ both in the outer realm of the manifest and in the inner realm of meaning.
Sayyid Haider Amuli, the famous Muslim gnostic says in his book ‘Jami al‑Asrar’ `Shari'ah is on a par with the divine message, tariqah with the prophecy and haqiqah with welayah (intimacy and friendship with God); all the Sufis accept these truths.
With regard to the patched robe, the kharqah, Sayyid Haider Amuli says in Al‑Muhit al‑Azam (The Mighty Ocean): `This garment which is well‑known amongst the common and elite of the muwahhidin ‑ those who affirm the unity of Allah ‑ is an indication of the secret of welayah ‑ friendship with Allah ‑ and the secret wisdom of tawhid which came from Allah by means of Gabriel to Adam and then to his son Sheth: this wilayah was transmitted as an inner reality by means of this lineage. Thereafter, it was transferred to Noah through a chain of prophets and saints (awliya) until it reached Imam al-Mahdi, may God speed his appearance on earth. With Imam al-Mahdi this transmission came to an end and it is for this reason Imam al-Mahdi is known as ‘the Seal of the Awliya'.
Sufism in India
Sufism in India has history of over 1,000 years. With the entrance of Islam in India in the early 8th century the Sufi mystic traditions also became more visible from the 10th century onwards. It regularly increased its influence in the Indian society with its thoughts, syncretic values, literature and education. Many of the Muslim merchants who were Sufis also settled in coastal Bengal and Gujarat through maritime voyages and trade.
Various leaders of Sufi orders organized activities in India to introduce Islam through Sufism through service work and helping the poor. The Sufi Saints provided solace and inspiration to local Indian population because they were tolerant of non-Muslim traditions. The function of traditional Sufi Khanqahs which functioned as community shelters solidified Sufism in India. The Chishti Order Sufis in India, especially, crystallized khanqahs with the highest form of modest hospitality and generosity. Keeping a "visitors welcome" policy, khanqahs in India offered spiritual guidance, psychological support, and counseling that was free and open to all people.
Sufis successfully spread their teachings of love, spirituality, and harmony in India. It was this example of Sufi brotherhood and equity that drew people to the religion of Islam. Soon these khanqahs became social, cultural, and theological epicenters for people of all ethnic and religious backgrounds and both genders.
The Sufi teachings of divine spirituality, cosmic harmony, love, and humanity resonated with the common people and still does so today, thus, making India a contemporary epicenter for Sufi culture today.
Sufis helped Islam spread widely in India by refining the consciousness of the divine, intensifying piety, and inculcating a humanistic attitude. The Sufi brotherhoods became firmly consolidated in northern India. Sufis exclusively introduced Islam into Kashmir and even today the Kashmiris have great love and regard for Sufis namely Bulbul Shah and Mir Syed Ali Hamadani famous as 'Ameer-e-Kabeer' among the Kashmiris. Sufism also spread through various regions, expanding to the Deccan plateau with the succession of the Tughlaq dynasty in 1290 CE.
Chishti Order took root with the notable Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti (d. 1236) who championed the order within India, making it one of the largest orders in India today. Khwaja Moiuddin Chishti, popularly known as Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (protector of the poor), was originally from Sistan, eastern Iran. He reached Delhi in 1193 during the end of Ghurid reign, then shortly settled in Ajmer-Rajasthan when the Delhi Sultanate formed. The Chishti order formed khanqah to reach the local communities, thus helping Islam spread with charity work. Chishtis were famous establishing khanqahs and for their simple teachings of humanity, peace, and generosity. Until this day, both Muslims and non-Muslims visit the famous tomb of Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, Rajasthan.
The great Sufi saints of the medieval Chishtiyya order were Moinuddin Chishti (d. 1233 in Ajmer, India), Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki (d. 1236 in Delhi, India), Baba Farid Ganjshakar (d. 1265 in Pakpattan, Pakistan), Nizamuddin Auliya (d. 1335 in Delhi), Nasiruddin Chiragh Dehlavi, Khwaja Bandanawaz (d. 1422 in Gulbarga, India), and Ashraf Jahangir Semnani(d. 1386, Kichaucha India)
The practices and theological standpoints of the Bhakti movement were very similar to Sufism, often blurring the distinction between Hindus and Muslims. By building a syncretic medieval culture tolerant and appreciative of non-Muslims, Sufi saints contributed to a growth of stability, vernacular literature, and devotional music in India.
Many Sufi traditions in India encouraged poetry and music as part of education. Sufism spread widely with their teachings packaged in popular songs accessing mass demographics. Sufi gatherings in India today are known as qawwali.
The massive geographic presence of Islam in India can be explained by the tireless activity of Sufi preachers. Sufis reached out to poor and marginalized rural communities and preached in local dialects such as Sindhi, Punjabi, and Bengali. Sufis were firm in abstaining from religious and communal conflict and strived to be peaceful elements of civil society. Furthermore, it is the attitude of accommodation, adaptation, piety, and charisma that continues to help Sufism remain as a pillar of mystical Islam in India.
Visiting of grave-tombs of Sufi saints and Sufi shrines are seen among cultural and religious landscape of India. In order to show reverence to Sufi saints, kings and nobles provided large donations or waqf to preserve the tombs and renovate them architecturally. Over time, these donation, rituals, annual commemorations called as Urs formed into an elaborate system of accepted norms. These forms of Sufi practise created an aura of spiritual and religious traditions around prescribed dates.
Dargah of Khwaja Gharib Nawaz
The shrine of Khwaja Moiuddin Chishti, popularly known as Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (protector of the poor) in Ajmer, Rajasthan is the most widely visited shrine of a Sufi Saint in India. Until this day, both Muslims and non-Muslims visit the famous tomb of Moinuddin Chishti.
Nagore Dargah
The Muslims and the non-Muslims in India frequently visit the grave-tombs of Sufi saints and Sufi shrines are seen among cultural and religious landscape of India. One of the famous Sufi shrine in South India is Nagore Dargah or Hazrat Syed Shahul Hameed Dargah built over the tomb of the Sufi a saint Nagore Shahul Hamid (1490–1579 CE). It is located in Nagore, a coastal town in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Nagore dargah as it stands now, have been built by ardent devotees of Shahul Hamid, with major contribution from Hindus. There are five minarets in the dargah, with the Hindu Maratha ruler of Thanjavur Pratap Singh (1739–1763 CE), building the tallest minaret. The dargah is a major pilgrimage centre that attracts pilgrims from both Islam and Hinduism, symbolizing peaceful coexistence between the two religions. According to the administration of the dargah, about 50–75 per cent of pilgrims visiting the dargah everyday are Hindus.
Dargah Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki
Hazrat Khwaja Sayyid Muhammad Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki ý) (born 1173-died 1235) was a Muslim Sufi mystic, saint and scholar of the Chishti Order from Delhi. He was the disciple and the spiritual successor of Moinuddin Chishti as head of the Chishti order. His dargah located adjacent to Zafar Mahal in Mehrauli, and the oldest dargah in Delhi, is also the venue of his annual Urs festivities.
His most famous disciple and spiritual successor was Baba Farid Ganjshakar, who in turn became the spiritual master of Delhi's noted Sufi saint, Nizamuddin Auliya, who himself was the spiritual master of Amir Khusrau and Nasiruddin Chirag-e-Delhi.
The tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti
The tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti is famed as one of the finest examples of Mughal architecture in India, built during the years 1580 and 1581, along with the imperial complex at Fatehpur Sikri facing south towards Buland Darwaza, It enshrines the burial place of the Sufi saint, Salim Chisti (1478 – 1572), a descendant of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer. The mausoleum, constructed by Mughal Emperor Akbar as a mark of his respect for the Sufi saint, who foretold the birth of Akbar's son, who was named Prince Salim after the Sufi Saint and later succeeded Akbar to the throne of the Mughal Empire, as Jahangir.
Dargah of Khwaja Hamiduddin Nagauri
Dargah of Khwaja Hamiduddin Nagauri, the famous Sufi saint of Chishti Order is located in Nagaur city, Rajasthan.
Nizamuddin Dargah
Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah is the dargah (mausoleum) of one of the world's most famous Sufi saints, Hazrat Khwaja Syed Nizamuddin Auliya (1238 - 1325 CE). Situated in the Hazrat Nizamuddin West area of Delhi, the dargah is visited by thousands of Muslims every week, and sees a fair share of Hindus and people from other religions. The tombs of poet Hazrat Amir Khusro and Mughal princess Jehan Ara Begum are also located within the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah complex, and Inayat Khan's tomb is just around the corner.
Dargah Khwaja Banda Nawaz Gaisu Daraz
Dargah Khwaja Banda Nawaz Gaisu Daraz (born 13 July 1321 – died 1 November 1422), was a famous Sufi saint from India of the Chishti Order, who advocated understanding, tolerance and harmony among various religious groups. He finally settled down in Gulbarga, at the invitation of Bahamani Sultan, Taj ud-Din Firuz Shah.
People from various walks of life, irrespective of caste and creed, assemble even today to celebrate the urs (death anniversary) which takes place on the 15, 16 and 17-day of Zul-Qa'dah of Muslim calendar at the famous Bande Nawaz dargah in Gulbarga every year.
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