Sufi Culture In India

On the mosaic of Indian culture, Sufism left its mark and got absorbed in the ocean of the Indian ethos. Sufism the Indian Muslim mystic tradition developed in Mesopotamia, Arabia, Iran and Afghanistan. In the 8th century AD, a set of peons Muslims appeared with strange manners, coarse clothes, living in jungle caves and isolated places. These people, the Sufis, believed in a practical way of life without any philosophy but faith in submission, humility, eclectism, ascetism, detachment and complete reliance upon god. the term Sufi originated here; the three possible origins are:
1. from the word suf-wool, Sufis put on coarse woolen
2. sufia-wisdom
3. sufa-purity
by 12th century AD Sufism had become a universal aspect of Islamic social life and promoted the interests of the humanity at large. The contact of Muslims with Greeks, Indians and Iranian philosophers, and encounters of Islam with Judaism, Christianity and Buddhism left a great impact on the mind of Muslim thinkers.
Sufism, a psycho-historic phenomenon that developed the esoteric side of Islam had similarities with other mystic disciplines. The two defining features of Sufism were transdence and immanence. A fully developed mystical experience involves the apprehensions of a life time of an ultimate, non-sensuous unity in all things, a one-ness tow which neither the sense nor the reason can penetrate .It entirely transcends our sensory-intellectual experience, and is not necessarily a religious experience. The experiences of all mystics, Hindu, Jew, Christian or Muslim involve an intuitive or spiritual awareness of God, which transcends empirical experience. Reality is indescribable and so expressed in symbols, and the best medium for that is poetry. The concept of unity of Being (wahdat-al-woojood) is neo-Platonic and much influenced by Vedantism i.e., Advaita or non-duality. Ascetism, purification and love assist Sufis in finding the universal self. Tawhid (tawheed) or Divine unification is inexpressible and as log as he (Sufi) preserves his individuality, he cannot attain the full state of Tawhid. Tasawof (tasawof) is that God should make you de from yourself and make you live in Him. This is called Fana (fana)- the concept of annihilation in God and is essentially Indian. It involves

i) obliteration of attributes, or characteristics of your motives.
ii) obliteration of your pursuit after pleasure
iii) obliteration of consciousness of having attained the vision of God

This is similar to concept of Nirvana". Both terms imply the passing away of individual. But 'fana' is accompanied by 'baqa', (baqaa)-everlasting life in God. In this respect it is positive, and 'nirvana' is not purely negative, because the post 'nirvana' situation is neither existence nor non-existence. For Sufis, Reality or Haqiqa is inward vision of divine power. It is concerned with knowing the disposition of God. Contemplation of Him, witnessing and understanding the order He decreed. But Sharia' or law is concerned with observance of outward manifestation of religion, it regulates mankind in service of God, thus dealing with rites, devotion, ibaadat, duties However, the Sufis had charted a path for achieving their communion with God .The path was called Tariqa-Tariqat the mystic path. It was an ardous journey with risks and impediments. You had to journey through different spiritual stages

i) acceptance- Tawba (also called repentance of past, and v owing for good future)
ii) conversion- inabat
iii) renunciation- zuhd ( includes piousness), and
iv) trust in God- tawakul (it has a higher and lower degree)

As Sufism spread it became victim of Tariqat and in this esoterism it drifted from and came in conflict with Shariat-law. In the earlier stages there was strict discipline to curb charlatanism. But later it became legalistic system obsessed with authoritarianism. There were some executions of Sufis for Blasphemy and Mansur-I-Hallaj - the Iranian who said ' I am the truth', is a famous case.

From 12th century onwards, the Sufis formed orders-as chains of lineages, and were called 'silsilas'. Thus established a spiritual hierarchy. These orders absorbed the main features of earlier Sufi schools, but at the same time, relegating them into the background, they developed a new framework pf their own and sometimes there were marked differences between the practices of different orders. Some of the well-known orders were Soharwadis, Naqshbandees, and Chishtis. Each sect onward evolved its own framework of mystic practices under the guidance of its director called Sheikh/Pir/Murshid. Often the ideologies of different sects were irreconcilable. Sufis brought the institution of monasteries into prominence-called the Khanaqah (khaanaqaah), which was a Buddhist legacy. These Khanaqahs became important institutions for social and cultural interaction.

The influence of Buddhism, Vedantism (Advaita, non-duality), Saivites on Sufism is well known. The presence of Manchurian, and Sanskrit scholars in remote regions of Khorasan (Afghanistan) and central Asia, which were important centres of Sufism between 8th and 10th century, has been established. When Sufis came to India, the interaction between the two cultures was inevitable. From 11th century onwards contacts and conflicts between Sufis and Yogis became more frequent and meaningful.

the influences, such as Neo-Platonism, monastic tradition of Buddhism and Christianity, and Vedantic Yogic, were all Islamicized by these orders of Sufis. Sufis introduced a two way traffic-gave their best of Yogic practices i.e., the Sufi practice of pas-i-nafas- holding of breath is founded in Yogic Pranayama. Sufis infused a new vigour and force on Indian thinking on God. In this interaction, two sudden cults deserve special mention Kashmiri Shaivism and Shante Nath cult of Bengal.

The Rishi cult or order, which was the Kashmiri version o0f Sufism, was founded by Nund -Rishi, the most prominent saint of Kashmir in the beginning of 15th century. The cross fertilization of Sufi beliefs with those expressed by Lalla-(Lalla-Ded), the greater saint poet of Kashmir, through her verses led to the establishment of Rishi order. For Nund-Rishi, there could be no better source of inspiration than Lalla-Ded. For Lal-Ded, the Supreme Reality, Or Shiva underlies the changeless reality. He is external, all pervading, all-transcending and immanent. He is diffused throughout the universe in his transcendal state; beyond all universal manifestations. She was against rituals and priests, and believed in finding Him within. Nund Rishi an ardent devotee of God was against Mullahs and hypocrisy. He believed in the valid recognition of the reality of self-He who recognizes himself, recognizes God (saying of P.Mohammed). He believed in renunciation and simple living. He is known for his simple language, and constant effort to maintain harmony among different communities. However, his faith in fundamentals of Islam was unshakable, and the essential character of his cult remained Islamic.

The impact of the interaction could be discerned in the works of the Bhakts or the proponents of Bhakti movement. Ramanuja (In the year 1017 AD, Ramanuja was born in the village of Perumbudur, about twenty-five miles west of Madras and left the world in 1137) preached that individual human soul is not identical with supreme, but a fragment of it, dependent on Supreme Being. It has a separate identity, but both possessed reality. This was kind of qualified dualism. Kabir, the great Bhakti poet was absorbed in his quest for Supreme, concerned with religious differences between Hindus and Muslims and sick of false notions of superiority of religions, anti-Brahmin and against rituals. His main concern was good action and was absorbed in Tawhid (literary meaning is monotheism but its larger meaning follows) i.e., in a state of self effacement. According to him. Man’s spirit blends with infinity. His password was Soham-I am He.

The role of both medieval mysticism and Sufism in the history of Indian culture is often exaggerated.

Sufis generally lived on the margin of society, except in Kashmir, where Nund-Rishi had a wider appeal and popularity with the masses. The orthodox religious schools showed no signs of being Deviantly affected by this intrusion. However the influence of Sufism was not short lived. It has to be remembered that while orthodox sections moved in different spheres, the Sufis and Hindu saints remained unconcerned. The Sufis carried on a process of interaction and its impact was felt in the cultural fields. Khanaqahs, the Sufi monasteries, had deep social, political, and cultural influences. The ‘Urs’ or annual celebrations-in Khanaqahs developed into significant cultural institutions. Sufism introduced a wide range of symbolism, which became an indispensable part of Persian poetry. The mystic poetry written in Hindi added a new dimension to the cultural scene. The Hindi Sufi poets rebelled against all forms of religious orthodoxy, formalism, falsehood and hypocrisy, and introduced a new world of spiritual bliss. Sufism or the Sufi movement has left its mark on the panorama of Indian culture.

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HIS POEMS	On the mosaic of Indian culture, Sufism left its mark and got absorbed in the ocean of the Indian ethos. Sufism the Indian Muslim mystic tradition developed in Mesopotamia, Arabia, Iran and Afghanistan. In the 8th century AD, a set of peons Muslims appeared with strange manners, coarse clothes, living in jungle caves and isolated places. These people, the Sufis, believed in a practical way of life without any philosophy but faith in submission, humility, eclectism, ascetism, detachment and complete reliance upon god. the term Sufi originated here; the three possible origins are: 1. from the word suf-wool, Sufis put on coarse woolen 2. sufia-wisdom 3. sufa-purity by 12th century AD Sufism had become a universal aspect of Islamic social life and promoted the interests of the humanity at large. The contact of Muslims with Greeks, Indians and Iranian philosophers, and encounters of Islam with Judaism, Christianity and Buddhism left a great impact on the mind of Muslim thinkers. Sufism, a psycho-historic phenomenon that developed the esoteric side of Islam had similarities with other mystic disciplines. The two defining features of Sufism were transdence and immanence. A fully developed mystical experience involves the apprehensions of a life time of an ultimate, non-sensuous unity in all things, a one-ness tow which neither the sense nor the reason can penetrate .It entirely transcends our sensory-intellectual experience, and is not necessarily a religious experience. The experiences of all mystics, Hindu, Jew, Christian or Muslim involve an intuitive or spiritual awareness of God, which transcends empirical experience. Reality is indescribable and so expressed in symbols, and the best medium for that is poetry. The concept of unity of Being (wahdat-al-woojood) is neo-Platonic and much influenced by Vedantism i.e., Advaita or non-duality. Ascetism, purification and love assist Sufis in finding the universal self. Tawhid (tawheed) or Divine unification is inexpressible and as log as he (Sufi) preserves his individuality, he cannot attain the full state of Tawhid. Tasawof (tasawof) is that God should make you de from yourself and make you live in Him. This is called Fana (fana)- the concept of annihilation in God and is essentially Indian. It involves i) obliteration of attributes, or characteristics of your motives. ii) obliteration of your pursuit after pleasure iii) obliteration of consciousness of having attained the vision of God This is similar to concept of Nirvana". Both terms imply the passing away of individual. But 'fana' is accompanied by 'baqa', (baqaa)-everlasting life in God. In this respect it is positive, and 'nirvana' is not purely negative, because the post 'nirvana' situation is neither existence nor non-existence. For Sufis, Reality or Haqiqa is inward vision of divine power. It is concerned with knowing the disposition of God. Contemplation of Him, witnessing and understanding the order He decreed. But Sharia' or law is concerned with observance of outward manifestation of religion, it regulates mankind in service of God, thus dealing with rites, devotion, ibaadat, duties However, the Sufis had charted a path for achieving their communion with God .The path was called Tariqa-Tariqat the mystic path. It was an ardous journey with risks and impediments. You had to journey through different spiritual stages i) acceptance- Tawba (also called repentance of past, and v owing for good future) ii) conversion- inabat iii) renunciation- zuhd ( includes piousness), and iv) trust in God- tawakul (it has a higher and lower degree) As Sufism spread it became victim of Tariqat and in this esoterism it drifted from and came in conflict with Shariat-law. In the earlier stages there was strict discipline to curb charlatanism. But later it became legalistic system obsessed with authoritarianism. There were some executions of Sufis for Blasphemy and Mansur-I-Hallaj - the Iranian who said ' I am the truth', is a famous case. From 12th century onwards, the Sufis formed orders-as chains of lineages, and were called 'silsilas'. Thus established a spiritual hierarchy. These orders absorbed the main features of earlier Sufi schools, but at the same time, relegating them into the background, they developed a new framework pf their own and sometimes there were marked differences between the practices of different orders. Some of the well-known orders were Soharwadis, Naqshbandees, and Chishtis. Each sect onward evolved its own framework of mystic practices under the guidance of its director called Sheikh/Pir/Murshid. Often the ideologies of different sects were irreconcilable. Sufis brought the institution of monasteries into prominence-called the Khanaqah (khaanaqaah), which was a Buddhist legacy. These Khanaqahs became important institutions for social and cultural interaction. The influence of Buddhism, Vedantism (Advaita, non-duality), Saivites on Sufism is well known. The presence of Manchurian, and Sanskrit scholars in remote regions of Khorasan (Afghanistan) and central Asia, which were important centres of Sufism between 8th and 10th century, has been established. When Sufis came to India, the interaction between the two cultures was inevitable. From 11th century onwards contacts and conflicts between Sufis and Yogis became more frequent and meaningful. the influences, such as Neo-Platonism, monastic tradition of Buddhism and Christianity, and Vedantic Yogic, were all Islamicized by these orders of Sufis. Sufis introduced a two way traffic-gave their best of Yogic practices i.e., the Sufi practice of pas-i-nafas- holding of breath is founded in Yogic Pranayama. Sufis infused a new vigour and force on Indian thinking on God. In this interaction, two sudden cults deserve special mention Kashmiri Shaivism and Shante Nath cult of Bengal. The Rishi cult or order, which was the Kashmiri version o0f Sufism, was founded by Nund -Rishi, the most prominent saint of Kashmir in the beginning of 15th century. The cross fertilization of Sufi beliefs with those expressed by Lalla-(Lalla-Ded), the greater saint poet of Kashmir, through her verses led to the establishment of Rishi order. For Nund-Rishi, there could be no better source of inspiration than Lalla-Ded. For Lal-Ded, the Supreme Reality, Or Shiva underlies the changeless reality. He is external, all pervading, all-transcending and immanent. He is diffused throughout the universe in his transcendal state; beyond all universal manifestations. She was against rituals and priests, and believed in finding Him within. Nund Rishi an ardent devotee of God was against Mullahs and hypocrisy. He believed in the valid recognition of the reality of self-He who recognizes himself, recognizes God (saying of P.Mohammed). He believed in renunciation and simple living. He is known for his simple language, and constant effort to maintain harmony among different communities. However, his faith in fundamentals of Islam was unshakable, and the essential character of his cult remained Islamic. The impact of the interaction could be discerned in the works of the Bhakts or the proponents of Bhakti movement. Ramanuja (In the year 1017 AD, Ramanuja was born in the village of Perumbudur, about twenty-five miles west of Madras and left the world in 1137) preached that individual human soul is not identical with supreme, but a fragment of it, dependent on Supreme Being. It has a separate identity, but both possessed reality. This was kind of qualified dualism. Kabir, the great Bhakti poet was absorbed in his quest for Supreme, concerned with religious differences between Hindus and Muslims and sick of false notions of superiority of religions, anti-Brahmin and against rituals. His main concern was good action and was absorbed in Tawhid (literary meaning is monotheism but its larger meaning follows) i.e., in a state of self effacement. According to him. Man’s spirit blends with infinity. His password was Soham-I am He. The role of both medieval mysticism and Sufism in the history of Indian culture is often exaggerated. Sufis generally lived on the margin of society, except in Kashmir, where Nund-Rishi had a wider appeal and popularity with the masses. The orthodox religious schools showed no signs of being Deviantly affected by this intrusion. However the influence of Sufism was not short lived. It has to be remembered that while orthodox sections moved in different spheres, the Sufis and Hindu saints remained unconcerned. The Sufis carried on a process of interaction and its impact was felt in the cultural fields. Khanaqahs, the Sufi monasteries, had deep social, political, and cultural influences. The ‘Urs’ or annual celebrations-in Khanaqahs developed into significant cultural institutions. Sufism introduced a wide range of symbolism, which became an indispensable part of Persian poetry. The mystic poetry written in Hindi added a new dimension to the cultural scene. The Hindi Sufi poets rebelled against all forms of religious orthodoxy, formalism, falsehood and hypocrisy, and introduced a new world of spiritual bliss. Sufism or the Sufi movement has left its mark on the panorama of Indian culture.
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