Essay on Sufism: The philosophy of Sufism consists in belief in one God

Sufism was an old religious sect. It was a reform movement within Islam which started in Persia. It came to India on the eve of the establishment of Delhi Sultanate and was influenced by religious views prevalent among Indians.

The philosophy of Sufism consists in belief in one God and regards every individual as part of Him. Sufi saints preached that God is one and all powerful and all men are God’s children. The Sufis preached the doctrine of universal brotherhood. They believed that all men are equal; and that discriminations based on caste, colour and creed must be condemned.

They were men of great learning and deep religious feelings. They led simple and austere lives and laid emphasis on self-discipline.

They believed in the Guru or Master, whom they called Pir. The Sufis believed in synthesis and preached their doctrine in local dialects. They travelled in different parts of India. The Bhakti gurus, it is suggested, were much influenced by Sufism. To some, the term ‘Sufi’ was derived from word ‘Safa’ (pure) because of the purity of their hearts, thoughts and the nobility of their actions. All these ideas have been beautifully explained by Sheikh-al Islam Zakariyah Ansari :

“Sufism teaches how to purify one’s self, improve one’s morals and build up one’s inner and outer life in order to attain perpetual bliss. Its subject matter is the purification of the soul and its end or aim is the attainment of eternal felicity and blessedness”. Hence they believed in complete surrender to the will of God and self purification.

Among the early preachers of Sufism in India, Hazrat Khwaja Muinnu–Din Chisti describes special mention. He came to India soon after the fall of Prithivi Raj Chauhan. He was buried at Ajmir. His Dargah (burial place) at Ajmir has become an important place of pilgrimage for devout Muslims from all over India and even from abroad. It has been said that Rama Deo, the Chief Hindu priest of Ajmir, himself became the disciple of Khwaja. He adopted a catholic attitude in his dealings with the Hindus. His motto was that “the highest form of devotion to God consists in doing service to humanity.” This attitude of Khwaja towards God and the people brought him great popularity. He lived to a ripe old age and died in about A.D. 1236.

Hazrat Khwaja Nizam-ul-Din Auliya was another prominent Sufi saint of the period. His Dargah at Delhi is an important place of pilgrimage to this day. He was born in A.D. 1236 and became a disciple of Baba Farid, another great Sufi saint. He made Delhi his religious headquarters. It is said that during his life time he witnessed the rise and fall of Seven Sultans of Delhi Sultanate but he never visited the royal court or accepted any royal favour. He has been accepted by his followers as ‘Pir’. He urged the people to rise above their narrow mindedness and treat all human beings as brother and as the children of one and the same God. He, like other Sufi saints, was against bigotry and practised religious tolerance. He laid stress on love for he believed that it led one to God.

Besides these two there were many other famous Sufi Saints. Nasir-ud-Din Chiragh of Delhi, Salim Chisti and Baba Farid were some other great Sufi saints of the period.

There were different Sufi sects in India. Among them the Chistia, the Suhrawardiza, the Nasuabandia orders were important. Sufism acted as a great social force in shaping the character of medieval Indian society. It fostered a spirit of reconciliation among Hindus and Muslims in medieval society.