Amit Dey | Sufism in India

The 10th century is very significant in the history of Islam. This period witnessed the rise of Turks on the ruins of the Abbasid Caliphate, as well as striking changes in the realm of ideas and beliefs. The domination of the Mutazila or rationalist school of Islam was terminated by the emergence of orthodox schools that put emphasis on the Quran and Hadith. The period was also marked by the rise to prominence of the sufi mystics and silsilahs.
The Sufis emerged in Islam at a very early stage. Most of them were highly spiritual persons who were disgusted by the vulgar demonstration of wealth and degeneration of morals in the aftermath of Islam’s politico-military triumph. Some of the sufi pioneers such as Hasan Basri and his disciple, the woman sufi Rabia reiterated the importance of prayer, continual fasting and unconditional love of God. The term sufi originated from the Persian word suf meaning coarse wool. The Islamic mystics of Central and West Asia used to wear a long garment manufactured by suf which caused constant pinching. Such discomfort kept them awake throughout the night and reminded them about their spiritual duties such as zikr and fiqr. Wearing of a patched garment of wool also indicated that the Sufis tried to follow the legacy of the prophets, and Christian apostles and ascetics who believed in simple living and high thinking. Simple and austere lifestyle made the Sufis very much acceptable to the poor Indian masses. At the same time their sophistication in terms of cultivating literature or theology enhanced their status among the aristocracy in general and Muslim aristocracy in particular. The sufi concept of fana or spiritual merger of the devoted with Allah antagonized the orthodox ulama. Mansur Hallaj’s proclamation of the doctrine Anal-Haq was actually a reflection of the sufi belief that unification with Allah was the highest stage of enlightenment. Sufi movement got its martyr when Mansur sacrificed his life for his beliefs. The tragic death of Mansur earned the Sufis the reputation of being men who were pure hearted, sincere and indifferent to worldly gains.
Sanai, Rumi and many other Persian poets spread the sufi message of mystic union and love far and wide. Imbued with the spirit of humanity and tolerance, their verses created ripples in the Indian subcontinent. It is not surprising that the eclectic Mughal Emperor Akbar was a great admirer of Rumi.
Many sultans who excelled in statecraft realized that an empire derives its strength from heterogeneity. Now many sufi saints epitomized India’s composite culture in the sense that they had Hindu, Sikh and Muslim followers. Many Chisti and Qadiri Sufis believed in the policy of sulh-i-kul. Later on, Mughal Emperor Akbar could emerge as a great empire builder largely because of his capacity to translate this concept into practice. So offering patronage to some Sufis implied strengthening of the symbols of multiculturalism. Thus many Sultans were able to win the confidence and loyalty of the subject population.
The Chishti saints freely interacted with Hindu and Jain yogis and discussed with them various matters, particularly yogic exercises.
Majority of the Sufi saints in South Asia accepted the concept of wahadat al-wujud or ‘Unity of Being’. They believe that “The world is so closely related to Him that everything is He.” In other words God is reflected in every thing. It implies that God is also reflected in a Hindu, so a Hindu should not be denounced as a kafir. Such an inclusive approach contributed to the strengthening of India’s composite culture and further enhanced the popularity of many Sufi saints.
The Sufis played a significant role in the growth and efflorescence of vernacular literature such as Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Deccani and other regional languages. The classical language Persian continued to receive patronage from the court as the language of power and administration. The Sufis massively contributed to the spread of poetry and music. The Chishtis used song and dance techniques of concentration and for creating spiritual ecstasy. In the case of Sikhism, important sections of the Guru Granth Saheb are borrowed from Sufi poetry.
Sufi institutions, khanqahs and dargahs, emerged as centres where Muslims and non-Muslims assembled for worship and sought blessings and benediction.
About the speaker: Dr. Amit Dey is Professor of History at the University of Calcutta. He was earlier a Reader at Kalyani University (1999). He did his PhD from the University of London and was a Post Doctoral Fellow at University of Heidelberg (2006) and Royal Holloway (2007). He is the author of four monographs, "The Image of the Prophet in Bengali Muslim Piety: 1850-1947", "Sufism in India", "Islam in South Asia" and "Islam and Islamic Mysticism in Medieval and Modern India".
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