Sufism is a subterfuge of ascetic movement of Middle East within Islam, founded in 675 CE. With Allah as the deity and Quran as their holy book, they have no defined headquarters anywhere in the world. Movement adopted the name Sufism owing to the course woollen overalls that they wore symbolizing rejection of luxuries of the world. Sufis are supposed to have vowed of poverty and celibacy with the ultimate goal of union with Allah. Sufi movement consists of fraternal orders wherein leaders educate and precept their disciples in philosophical principles, rituals, practices etc. Such practices include composing, reciting poetry and hymns. Practice of Dhikr is recitation similar to Japa of Hindu-s. Common body ritual is contemplation of Allah through spinning and they are known as “Whirling Dervishes”, Turkish in origin.
After ravaging Persia , Mesopotamia and Egypt, Arab invaders in 7th century encountered a different dimension of Kafir resistance wherein Hindu Kings like Nagabhatta, Bappa Raval, Takshak etc. would not convert to Islam and slew them on being asked to convert. So they swiftly re-visited their strategy and invented Sufism who would sing and dance while worshipping graves. These were allowed as a measure of Taquiya, otherwise banned in normal circumstances and necessarily banned as soon as they grab political power. Sufi tactics were hugely effective, mellowed Hindu resistance and converted them in large numbers. For centuries Sufis, their philosophy, music etc. have been projected as symbols of spiritualism, peace and harmony between Hindu-s and Muslims, a ploy to hoodwink gullible Hindu-s. Another moot question is how exactly those so-called liberal Sufis conducted themselves during brutal slaughter and plunder of Hindu-s by Islamic invaders ? Did they really prevent plunder and destruction of temples, mass slaughter and rape of Hinduwomen ? Is there any evidence available to corroborate their resistance to capture of innocent Hindu men and women as slaves ?
Sufis came to India either by accompanying Islamic invaders/marauders or followed them after conquest of Hindu Kingdoms by Mughals. Four prominent Sufis accompanied Islamic invaders who invaded Hindu Kings several times, seized their Kingdoms, looted their riches and mercilessly slaughtered defenceless commoners. All Sufi Masters were silent spectators to the macabre dance of murder, plunder of temples, towns by marauders. Taking advantage of pathetic condition of Hindu-s steeped in Adhyatma and mysticism, Sufis used their so-called mysticism for masquerading as faith healers with the sole intention of converting them into Islam.
Following Sufi Masters are well known for championing Islamic cause through deceit and subterfuge –
Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer had accompanied the army of Shahabuddin Ghori, finally settled down in Ajmer in 1233 A.D.
Khawaja Qutubuddin came to Delhi in 1236 with the herd of Shahabuddin Ghori and stayed on to further the cause of Islam.
Sheikh Faridudin came to Pattan (now in Pakistan) in the year 1265.
Sheikh Nizamuddin Auliya of Dargah Hazrat Nizamuddin came to Delhi in 1335 accompanying a contingent of the Muslim invaders.
In addition to these three, Sufi Shahabuddin Suhrawardy of Baghdad was brought to Bharata for missionary work of conversions by Bahauddin Zakariya of Multan several decades later. Like all other Sufi Masters, his main task was to apply the balm of sham spiritual unity on traumatized Hindu-s, then gradually persuade them to convert to Islam. Not a single Sufi, so-called mystic saints, ever raised a word against senseless, brutal manslaughter and plunder, nor against destruction of temples, nor even against monstrous enslavement of so-called Hindu infidels for sale in streets of Ghazni and Baghdad. Working through subterfuge of religion and spiritualism, they even participated in Mughal governance on their own volition to assist Muslim rulers consolidate their vice like grip over the strife torn, ruined and ravaged nation. Also, Sufis guided Sultans in following their Prophet and Shariah.
Another important objective of spiritual, mystic preachings of Sufis was to blunt the sharp edge of Hindu resistance, prevent them from picking up arms to defend their home, hearth, motherland and faith by presenting the façade of peace and religious harmony. It was sheer subterfuge and nothing else. Naqashbandi Sufis had close relations with Jahangir and Aurangzeb. Well known Sufi ‘Saint’ of Punjab, Ahmad Sirhindi (Mujadid) of Naqashbandi order (1564-1634) declared execution of Guru Arjun Deva by Jehangir was a great Islamic triumph. He believed and publicly proclaimed, Islam and Hinduism were antithesis of each other, therefore could not co-exist. Even the Chishti Sufi, Miyan Mir, who had been a friend of Guru Arjun Deva, ditched the Sikh Guru when the latter was arrested by Jahangir and sent for execution.
It may be recalled that Sufi Master Al Qushairi (A.D.1072) had unambiguously declared, there was no discord between aims of Sufi ‘Haqiqa’ and objectives of Sharia. Definition given by Al Hujwiri should be able to quell every doubt about the commitment of Sufis in upholding supremacy of Islam over all other religions. The dogma had been a key component of the philosophy of Sufism not only in India, but also across the world. Al Hujwiri laid down the golden rule that words “there is no god save Allah” and “Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah” are indisputable, incontrovertible laws for all Sufis. In other words, Sufism and Ulemas represent same two aspects of Islamic faith, universally accepted and obeyed by all Muslims. Therefore, Sufis and Ulemas are just two sides of the same coin of Islam. Ninth century Sufi Master Al Junaid, also known as “Sheikh of the Way”, widely revered as a spiritual ancestor of Sufi sect, had categorically declared for Sufis “All the mystic paths are barred, except to him who followeth in the footsteps of the Messenger (i.e., Prophet Muhammad) [Source: Martin Lings, What is Sufism, George Allen & Unwin Ltd, London, 1975, p.101].
As pointed out by Reynold A. Nicholson in the Preface to the famous tome, ‘Kashaf al Mahjub’ (Taj & Co., Delhi, 1982). “no Sufi, not even those who have attained highest degree of holiness, are exempt from the obligation of obeying religious law”. ‘Kashaf al Mahjub’ authored by Ali bin Al-Hujwiri, also known as ‘Data Ganj Baksh’, was widely regarded as the authentic holy book of Sufi philosophy and pursuit. Most Sufis have drawn on contents of this treatise for evocation of Sufi thoughts, also known as Sufi Silsilas. Those atrocious words “there is no God save Allah and Muhammed is the Apostle of Allah” are stated on page 140 of Kashaf al Mahjub Al Hujwiri only.
K.A. Nizami stated in his book ‘The Life and Times of Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya’ (Idarah-I Adabiyat-i-Delhi, Delhi), the Auliya publicly used to say, “what Ulemas seek to achieve through speech, we achieve by our behaviour.” The Auliya was a firm believer in unequivocal obedience of Ulemas by every Muslim and Sufi. According to Nizami, another Sufi Jamal Qiwamu’d-din wrote that though he had been associated with Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya for years, “but never did he find him missing a single sunnat …… ” Another well known authority on Sufism, SAA Rizvi recorded in his book, ‘A History of Sufism in India’ that Nizamuddin Auliya used to unhesitatingly accept gifts given to him by Khusraw Barwar implying, Auliya was not bothered about source of gifts provided that was paid in cash. As narrated by KA Nizami, Auliya used to preach ‘unbeliever is the doomed denizen of Hell’. In his Khutba he would leave no one in doubt that Allah created Paradise for Believers and Hell for infidels ‘in order to repay wicked ones for what they have done’. It is categorically stated on page 161 in the treatise ‘Fawaid al-Fuad’, translated by Bruce B. Lawrence (Paulist Press, New York, 1992) that the Auliya confirmed mentioning authority of the Islamic jurist Imam Abu Hanifa, ‘perdition of unbelievers is certain and Hell is the only abode left for them even if they confessed total loyalty to Allah on the Day of Judgment’. In ‘Fuwaid al-Fuad’, it is mentioned how Sufi Shayakh Ali Sijzi provided financial assistance to one of his Dervishes to participate in lucrative slave trade. He instructed the Dervish to take those slaves to Ghazni where potential for profit is much more’. It was also confirmed by Nizamuddin Auliya that the Dervish obeyed promptly. Ostensibly, neither spiritual ethics nor justice or civility were points of excellence for Sufis.
If evocations and actions of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer are assumed to be an indication of his religious philosophy, he emerges as a Sufi Master nursing intense hatred towards Hindu-s, revealed utter contempt for their religious pursuits. As elaborated by SSA Rizvi in ‘A History of Sufism in India, Vol. 1’ (Munshiram Manoharlal, 1978, page 117), he referred to a book ‘Jawahar-i- Faridi’ describing the fact, ‘when Moinuddin Chishti reached Annasagar Lake at Ajmer surrounded by a number of Hindu shrines, he slaughtered a cow to cook beef-kebab there’. Jawahar-i-Faridi further claims, ‘Khwaja dried holy lakes of Annasagar and Pansela with Islamic spiritual power’. He is even stated to have managed an idol in a temple near Annasagar recite Kalma !! Khwaja was obsessed with the desire to destroy rule of the brave Rajput King Prithviraj Chauhan so much so that he ascribed victory of Muhammad Ghori in the battle of Tarain entirely to his own spiritual prowess and declared, “We have seized Pithaura alive and handed him over to the army of Islam”. [Source: Siyar’l Auliya, cited by Rizvi on page 116 of ‘A History of Sufism in India’].
Throughout Muslim rule, all Sufis enjoyed full confidence, royal favours and patronage of cruel Muslim rulers. Though ignorantly and stupidly accepted as ‘secular’ by many Hindu-s seeking spiritual solace after being battered, bruised and marginalised, almost all Sufis dogmatically followed commandments contained in Quran, Hadith and Sharia. Historians have recorded, many Sufis had accompanied Muslim invaders to use their spiritual powers to consolidate Islamic conquests. Not one of them raised even a word to stop morbid, macabre death and destruction. Nor did they ever question imposition of Jaziya by Muslim rulers on Hindu-s. Indeed, most of them guided Muslim rulers in advancing their mission of brutal conquest, conversion, loot and plunder out of which Sufis gladly partook share. Sufis were just unable to accept a Hindu ascending throne of any Kingdom during their heydays. In an instance narrated by SAA Rizvi on page 37 of his well researched book ‘The Wonder That Was India’ (Vol.II, Rupa & Co, 1993, New Delhi), it is pointed out that when the mighty King Ganesha captured throne in Bengal in 1415 AD, Ibrahim Shah Sharqi attacked his Kingdom at the request of an outraged Ulema and other Sufis of Bengal. Then a leading Sufi of Bengal Nur Qutb-i-Alam intervened, secured a political agreement to the benefit of Muslim community and satisfaction of Sufis. King Ganesha was forced to abdicate his throne in favour of his 12 years old son Jadu who was then converted to Islam and proclaimed as Sultan Jalaluddin much to the joy of Sufi Masters. Similarly Sultan Ahmed Shah of Gujarat (1411-42), a practitioner of Sufism, derived morbid pleasure in destroying temples as stated in the same tome by SAA Rizvi. The Sultan also used to compel Rajput Kings to marry off their daughters to him to render them caste-pariah in their own community. And the gameplan could as well be that some of them opted for Islam.
Even now, Sufism remains most potent Taqiya and a Dhimmi aid. Every Hindu King who resisted the death cult was killed by Sufis including Direct Action day of 1946 led by a Sufi Ghulam Sarvar Nizami and Hassan Suharawardi. Hindus swaying to Sufi tunes must know that the song of death is only meant to divert attention so that Hindu-necks are chopped off comfortably. Owing to relentless colonization of Hindu mind during 1000 year long oppressive Muslim rule, Hindu-s at mass level were unable to realize, so-called Sufi philosophy of religious harmony is the same street of conquest, conversion, rape and plunder. Trend of Hindu-s praying at Maqbaras, Dargahs has been nurtured by the forces behind colonisation of Hindu minds. Even well-educated Hindu-s too, suffer from the same subjugated mind-set. No Muslim, nor any Sufi, has ever agreed to worship in a Hindu temple, nor do obeisance before images of Hindu Deities. For them, it is the worst sacrilege and unacceptable violation of Sufism/Islam. That is the entire reality hidden behind the mask of liberality and harmony of Sufism and Islam while Hindu-s, naïve an unblemished faith in eternal and infinite Brahma assuming myriad manifests, remained their victims.
Prime Minister Modi addressed a seminar on Sufism in 2016 which was widely attended and reported all over. Probably he intends to strengthen Sufism at the expense of fanatic elements viz. Sunni etc. Since all of them at the end of day, boil down to the same depth of Islamism, it is moot question how far the effort would traverse in right direction or otherwise.
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