Harbingers of peace
Muslim mystics of India were harbingers of sulh- e- kul ( peace with all), a Sufi term that essentially means “love for all and hatred for none”. This greatly impacted their attitude towards other faiths. As a result, they were loved and admired by all. Kings and commoners, elites and laymen, intellectuals and illiterate, the poor and the rich were equally enchanted by the immense sincerity and simplicity in their lives. What actually appealed to all, regardless of caste and creed, was the Sufi saints’ spiritual legacy of humanism. It was upheld by their shrines and khanqahs, running across the country as seminaries ( madrasas) of mystical learning, experience and enlightenment. The curriculum of the madrasas was so broad and inclusive in its worldview that students and disciples from all backgrounds were cordially welcomed. In such Sufi khanqahs and madrasas, devotional songs were composed in different vernacular languages and Sufi music ( sima) was considered a manifestation of complete submission to Allah.
One of the most glorious impacts of Sufism on Indian society is the widespread phenomenon of social integration and day- to- day interactions between Muslims and non- Muslims. Back in the day, many non- Muslim brethren, particularly from among Hindus and Sikhs, chose to become murid ( disciples) of great Sufi saints. It was the mystical impact of Sufism on the composite Indian culture that inspired the Bhakti Movement in southern India first and then north. Even Sikhism preached by Guru Nanak was greatly influenced by Islamic mysticism ( tasawwuf) due to its emphasis on monotheism and rejection of caste system. The common cause of all mystical movements and spiritual interpretations of different faiths was stiff opposition to the priestly domination and obsession with false rituals and dogmas.
The great Sufi saint who had the biggest role in preaching Sufism in India was Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer, popularly known as Khwaja Gharib Nawaz ( the benefactor of the poor), who was born in Herat, Afghanistan, but renounced his country in search of higher spiritual learning and experience. Having visited the historical seminaries and big centres of Muslim culture, travelling across Central Asia to West Asia, Khwaja sahib ultimately attained inner peace and solace in India. He is reported to have seen the Prophet in his vision, blessing him for his stay in India. He gave a definite turn to the Sufi narrative of Islamic faith by introducing the element of ecstasy and the mystic doctrine of the immanence of God. Inspired by the early Sufi masters, notably Khwaja Usman Harooni, he focused on loving devotion to God, discipline of the individual soul and brotherhood of mankind. Consequently, his mystical mission fostered amicable understanding between Muslims and non- Muslims in the country. At a time when India was struggling to rise above the differentiations of cast and creed, Sufis stressed on the essential Quranic message of equality ( masawat) and prophetic saying that “all mankind is one family of a God”.
Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi is an alim ( classical Islamic scholar) and English- Arabic- Urdu writer. He is associated with New Age Islam Foundation and can be contacted at grdehlavi@ gmail. com