SUFISM Flashcards
By the 11th century Sufism evolved into a well developed movement. Give two examples. By the eleventh century,
Sufism evolved into a well developed movement in the following ways:
• It developed a body of literature on Quranic studies and Sufi practices.
• The Sufis began to organise communities around the hospice or Khanqah and it was controlled by a teaching master known as Shaikh, Pir or Murshid.
Explain the meaning of Sufi Silsila.
- Sufi Silsila began to flourish in different parts of Islamic world around the 12th century.
2, The literal meaning of Silsila was a chain, signifying a continuous link between master and disciple. - It stretched as an unbroken spiritual lineage to the prophet Muhammad.
- It was through this channel that spiritual power and blessings were transmitted to devotees.
- Special rituals for initiation were followed, e.g. taking an oath of allegiance, wearing a patched garment and shaving the hair.
Why do thousands of devotees visit dargahs of Muslim saint?
- Pilgrimage, called Ziyarat to the tombs of Sufi saints is very common all over the Muslim world.
- For more than seven centuries people of various creeds, classes and social backgrounds have travelled to the dargahs of the five great chisthi saints and expressed their devotions.
- This practice is an occasion for seeking the sufi’s spiritual grace (barakat).
Explain the features of Islamic religion which contributed to its spread through the sub-continent.
The development of Islam was not restricted to ruling aristocrats, actually it spread far and wide, through the sub-continent, amongst various social strata i.e. peasants, artisans, warriors, merchants, etc.
All those who adopted Islam accepted the five pillars of this religion. These are:
1. There is one God, Allah and Prophet Muhammad is his messenger (Shahada).
2. Offering prayers five times a day (namaz/salat).
3. Giving alms (Zakat).
4. Fasting during the month of Ramzan (Sawm).
5. Performing the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj)
The universal features were often overlaid with diversities in practice derived from affiliations (Sunni, Shia) and local customary practices to convert from different social backgrounds. For example, Arab Muslim traders adopted local customs such, as matriliny and matrilocal residence. There was also difference in the architecture of mosque due to the change of regions.
Mention any two universal architectural features of Mosque.
Mosque is regarded as the basis of Islamic religious life. It has an open compound and pillars on all sides. The roof stands on all these pillars. In the middle of the compound, there is a pond, which is artificially made. Here, devotees can take bath or wash themselves before offering Namaz.
Some special architectural features of Mosque are:
• Mosque has orientation towards Mecca. It makes evident in the placement of the milirab (prayer niche) and the minbar (pulpit).
• Mosque blends a universal faith with local traditions. In Kerala, we find the shikhara like roof and in Bangladesh, we find dome like roof. In Kashmir we find the Shah Hamadan mosque which is the best example of Kashmiri wooden architecture, decorated with paper mache.
Identify the relationship between the Sufis and the state from the eighth to the eighteenth century.
- A major feature of the Chishti tradition was austerity, including maintaining a distance from worldly power.
- However, this was by no mean a situation of absolute isolation from political power.
- The sufis accepted unsolicited grants and donations from the political elites. The Sultans in turn set up charitable trusts (auqaf) as endowments for hospices and granted tax-free land (inam).
- The Chishtis accepted donations in cash and kind. Rather than accumulate donations, they preferred to use these fully on immediate requirements such as food, clothes, living quarters and ritual necessities (such as sama). All this enhanced the moral authority of the shaikhs, which in turn attracted people from all walks of life.
- Further, their piety and scholarship, and people’s belief in their miraculous powers made sufis popular among the masses, whose support kings wished to secure.
- Kings did not simply need to demonstrate their association with sufis; they also required legitimation from them. When the Turks set up the Delhi Sultanate, they resisted the insistence of the ulama on imposing shari’a as state law because they anticipated opposition from their subjects, the majority of whom were non-Muslims.
- The Sultans wanted their tombs to be in the vicinity of sufi shrines and hospices.
However, there were instances of conflict between the Sultans and the sufis. To assert their authority, both expected that certain rituals be performed such as prostration and kissing of the feet. Occasionally the sufi shaikh was addressed with high-sounding titles. For example, the disciples of Nizamuddin Auliya addressed him as Sultan-ul-Mashaikh (literally, Sultan amongst Shaikhs).
Other sufis such as the Suhrawardi under the Delhi Sultans and the Naqshbandi under the Mughals were also associated with the state. However, the modes of their association were not the same as those of the Chishtis. In some cases, sufis accepted courtly offices.
A Church in Khambat:
This is an excerpt from a farman (imperial order) issued by Akbar in 1598. Whereas it reached our eminent and holy notice that the padris (fathers) of the Holy Society of Jesus wish to build a house of prayer (Church) in the city of Kambayat (Khambat, in Gujarat); therefore an exalted mandate… is being issued… that the dignitaries of the city of Kambayat should in no case stand in their way but should allow them to build a Church so that they may engage themselves in their own worship. It is necessary that the order of the Emperor should be obeyed in every way.
1. What did the padris want to do?
2. How did Akbar ensure that their desire was fulfilled?
3. Who guided the Muslim rulers?
4. How was the situation complicated in the sub-continent, and how did the rulers adapt to this situation?
- The padris (fathers) of the Holy Society of Jesus wanted to build a house of prayer i.e. church in the city of Khambat, in Gujarat.
- Akbar issued an exalted mandate. It contained that the dignitaries of the city of Khambat should not create any hindrance to the making of churches. But they should allow the padris to build a church, so that they would follow their own religion.
3.Theoretically, Muslim rulers were to be guided by the ulama. The ulaina were expected to ensure that they ruled according to the Shari’a. - The situation in the sub-continent became complicated, as there were enough population outside Islam. So the category of Zimmi meaning protected was developed by the Muslim rulers for Jews, Christians, Hindus and other non-Muslims who lived under Muslim leadership.
They all had to pay a tax called ‘Jizya’ and gained the right to be protected by the Muslim leaders. In India, Mughal rulers regarded themselves as emperor of not just Muslims but of all peoples. Several Mughal rulers like Akbar and Aurangzeb gave land endowments and granted tax exemption to other, religious institutions and expressed respect and devotion towards non-Muslim religious leaders.
