Sufism Is The Very Kernel Of Islam
The recent bombing by an IS supporter of the renowned Sufi shrine Sehwan Sharif in Pakistan, killing 72 innocent people and injuring 150, is a sign that Sufi Islam is increasingly at the receiving end of religious fundamentalism. The rigid and puritanical Sunni Islam never approved of Sufism because the former finds the latter to be closer to Vedantic and Upanishadic thought (refer to John Baldock's Essence of Rumi). But to quote the English scholar of Arabicand Quranicstudies, Hamilton Gibb, "Thanks to Sufism, Islam is stillalive." The so-called heretics and apostatesmurtad and munkir-e-zaat in Arabicperpetuated the pristine essence of Islam and Upanishadic teachings of Hinduism. Sufism is where the most sublime manifestation of Islam finds its foothold. 'Mee namaaz-o-masjid un-al-ustawaar/ Nee shua'ast roza yaghzaar /Dil-makeen aiqane-khuda/Unsiyat al-munzir har soo kahzaar.'(I've gone beyond namaaz, Five-time Islamic prayers and mosque/I don't even give importance to roza, Islamicfast/My heart is a home to God/ Ijust know how to spread love in all directions.) Hakim Sanai's Pahalavi quatrain illustrates Sufiana love. (Contrary to the general view that Central Asian mystics wrote in Persian, they penned their mystic verses either in archaic Persian, Pahalavi, or in Dari, the Afghan variant of Persian.) The completely non-ritualistic Sufism has been at loggerheads with organised Islam right from its inception 1,400 years ago in the Arab peninsula. Persian mystic MansoorAl-Hallaj was excoriated in the 10th century for his Upanishadic proclamation: An-al-Haq'-similar to the Sanskrit Aham Brahmasmi' (Iam God/ the Absolute/Infinite Reality). Even Jalaluddin Rumi unwittingly invited the ire of fundamentalists of his time and his putative master Attar was called a 'zahmeen' (Persian for a rabid atheist and enemy of God)! "All are in my embrace/Regardless of country, religion and race," said Hafiz Shirazi nearly a millennium ago. Sufism doesn't prescribe a fixed pattern of worship. It's not even rigidly and unyieldingly monotheistic, the fundamental parameter of being a Muslim. Many Sufis never went for Haj (Islamicpilgrimage). Fariduddin Attar, the first atheistic Sufi,wrote, "Polytheists, monotheists, atheists,fire and idol worshippers, all are in my fold/The only condition is to have a heart of gold." Though Sufis belonged to an inexorably rigid monotheisticreligion, Islam, like the other two desert Semitic faiths, namely Christianity and Judaism, Islamic Sufism borrowed heavily from Eastern religions like Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. Sufis were moved by U nishadic exuberance and expansivThey were also influenced by early monotheistic Hinduism. When Jarthat "Choon nist viqarat/Toha binzikarat"-Don'tfight/ All could beone is reminded of the Syadvaada Anekantvaada (pluralism) of JainWhen Khaqani says, "Tareefat avim," Buddha's "Compassion is thecomes to mind. This syncretism ofis its kernel and herein lies its univeappealwhich hardcore Islam finds incongruous with its illiberal intertion of Islam and Quranic teachingtime, that the message of Sufism godisseminated everywhere and fundtalists understood the universalityteachings and their all-encompassiJust because early Hinduism positive shadow over Sufism, themust not be on the radar of Islamifundamentalism. To quote RabindrTagore, "The world needs a mystiuniversal and inclusive love, not texclusive love of a faithful."
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Sumit Paul and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Sumit Paul and Speaking Tree ,Times of India
Sufism Is The Very Kernel Of Islam
The recent bombing by an IS supporter of the renowned Sufi shrine Sehwan Sharif in Pakistan, killing 72 innocent people and injuring 150, is a sign that Sufi Islam is increasingly at the receiving end of religious fundamentalism. The rigid and puritanical Sunni Islam never approved of Sufism because the former finds the latter to be closer to Vedantic and Upanishadic thought (refer to John Baldock's Essence of Rumi). But to quote the English scholar of Arabicand Quranicstudies, Hamilton Gibb, "Thanks to Sufism, Islam is stillalive." The so-called heretics and apostatesmurtad and munkir-e-zaat in Arabicperpetuated the pristine essence of Islam and Upanishadic teachings of Hinduism. Sufism is where the most sublime manifestation of Islam finds its foothold. 'Mee namaaz-o-masjid un-al-ustawaar/ Nee shua'ast roza yaghzaar /Dil-makeen aiqane-khuda/Unsiyat al-munzir har soo kahzaar.'(I've gone beyond namaaz, Five-time Islamic prayers and mosque/I don't even give importance to roza, Islamicfast/My heart is a home to God/ Ijust know how to spread love in all directions.) Hakim Sanai's Pahalavi quatrain illustrates Sufiana love. (Contrary to the general view that Central Asian mystics wrote in Persian, they penned their mystic verses either in archaic Persian, Pahalavi, or in Dari, the Afghan variant of Persian.) The completely non-ritualistic Sufism has been at loggerheads with organised Islam right from its inception 1,400 years ago in the Arab peninsula. Persian mystic MansoorAl-Hallaj was excoriated in the 10th century for his Upanishadic proclamation: An-al-Haq'-similar to the Sanskrit Aham Brahmasmi' (Iam God/ the Absolute/Infinite Reality). Even Jalaluddin Rumi unwittingly invited the ire of fundamentalists of his time and his putative master Attar was called a 'zahmeen' (Persian for a rabid atheist and enemy of God)! "All are in my embrace/Regardless of country, religion and race," said Hafiz Shirazi nearly a millennium ago. Sufism doesn't prescribe a fixed pattern of worship. It's not even rigidly and unyieldingly monotheistic, the fundamental parameter of being a Muslim. Many Sufis never went for Haj (Islamicpilgrimage). Fariduddin Attar, the first atheistic Sufi,wrote, "Polytheists, monotheists, atheists,fire and idol worshippers, all are in my fold/The only condition is to have a heart of gold." Though Sufis belonged to an inexorably rigid monotheisticreligion, Islam, like the other two desert Semitic faiths, namely Christianity and Judaism, Islamic Sufism borrowed heavily from Eastern religions like Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. Sufis were moved by U nishadic exuberance and expansivThey were also influenced by early monotheistic Hinduism. When Jarthat "Choon nist viqarat/Toha binzikarat"-Don'tfight/ All could beone is reminded of the Syadvaada Anekantvaada (pluralism) of JainWhen Khaqani says, "Tareefat avim," Buddha's "Compassion is thecomes to mind. This syncretism ofis its kernel and herein lies its univeappealwhich hardcore Islam finds incongruous with its illiberal intertion of Islam and Quranic teachingtime, that the message of Sufism godisseminated everywhere and fundtalists understood the universalityteachings and their all-encompassiJust because early Hinduism positive shadow over Sufism, themust not be on the radar of Islamifundamentalism. To quote RabindrTagore, "The world needs a mystiuniversal and inclusive love, not texclusive love of a faithful."
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Sumit Paul and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Sumit Paul and Speaking Tree ,Times of India