MYSTICALLY YOURS
Sufism is a religion surrounded by mystique. Nasser Lalljee uncovers the truth behind i t
Traditionally known as the 'people of the wool', the word itself being derived from the, word 'Suf' meaning 'wool', the Sufis' twin, streaks of mysticism and asceticism are immediately noticeable. The current movement having been started from Basra and Kufa in Iraq , though having its roots in the Quran, soon spread all over the world.
There are basically four orders of dervishes, namely the Qadri, the Chisti, the Suhrawaddi and the Nakshbandi order. The followers are those whose lifestyles are based upon repentance, abstinence, renunciation, poverty, patience, absolute faith in God and live happily in the state of complete surrender to God's will which is the final authority. Sufism, like the Upanishad, calls for the giving up of desired as a means to reaching God, by doing away of self-will and relying entirely on the will of God. To possess nothing and to be possessed by nothing, controlling the senses and by the observance of breath are certain step which are prescribed even as they are in the Raja Yoga.
The first Sufi Saint in India was Sheikh Mohin up Din Chisty also known popularly as khwaja Garib Nawaz, the founder of the Chisty Order, whose shrine is in Ajmer . His spiritual heir was Baba Ganj Farid whose shrine is in Lahore, and whose spiritual successor and heir was Hazrat Nizam Ud Din Awliya, whose Shrine is in Delhi At this juncture around 1,000 Sufi saints wound their way to the Deccan, led by Khwaja Muntajib al Din (Zar Zari Zar Bakhsh) the premier disciple of Hazrat Nizam ud Din, mainly to bring about the unity of Hindus and Muslims.
Beginning in the late 12 th and early 13 th century, there arose a two-fold devotional movement in environment and social surroundings in Maharashtra . On one hand it was the worship of Vitthala in Pandharpur and on the other the Islamic mystics better known as Sufis who came from the north. Intense love of God was the common emotional force behind both these groups. The similarity of their thoughts and practices though in a different language and cultural medium, drew them together, and it is this symbolic relationship, which was reflected centuries later in the life of Sai Baba of Shirdi.
The Bhakti movement was growing' with abhangas and kirtans of various saints, namely Eknath, Namdev, Tukaram who are highly revered in Maharashtra even today. Simultaneously, the Sufis established their orders in Hyderabad , Gulbarga , Bijapur, Khuldabad and more and making themselves known with lodging for travelers, called Khanquahs.
Culturally the arrival of Sufism into the Deccan greatly influenced the existing Hindu Society, and the newly emerging Bhakti Movement, Hinduism also created a direct impact upon the Islamic Mystics, adapting existing traditions. The Sufis considered themselves to be humble seekers of God and spent their lives in trying to unlock the secrets which would take them on the path, to reach the twin states of fana (annihilation or passing away) and baqa (abiding in God). The fleeting and base elements would fade away by the Grace of God, leaving the immortal soul's pure identity with God. The Sufis stressed this unity as Tawhid. Similarly the Bhakti poet saints, who were not allied to any schools of Hindu philosophy, also reached God through intense devotion alone.
When Saints also known as Pirs passed away, elaborate darghas were erected and their power also known as barakha is still believed to be there. The poet saints also proclaimed through their poetic verses how to reach God realisation through the repetition of the name of God, calling it namasmarana, a practice the Sufis also embrace, though they call it dhikr.
