Sufi

SUFISM
Sufism is a less noticed form of Islam practiced

worldwide. It is said to have originated after the Islamic
conquest of Syria where the Muslim holy men adopted
a lot of practices from Christian hermits (this can be
seen from the fact that the word “suf” means wool
which was previously worn by the Christian hermits in
the region). Even today in the Christian site of St Naire,
Muslims, Christians and Jews pray together by using
the intermediary of Virgin Mary to reach God.
With the rise of radical Islamist movements in the
modern world like the Sunni Al Qaeda and the Shia
Hezbollah, Islam as a whole has started to be associated
as a religion breeding and supporting terror and
violence. Sufism on the other hand depicts a side of
Islam that people across the globe often do not get to
see on popular media.
In Sufism the main emphasis is on preaching love.
Using love rather than fear and terror to spread the
message of God, Sufism is an extremely different form
of Islam compared to what is preached by the extremist
wings. Sufism is open to all regardless of their religion
and utilizes music to reach closer to God. The music
adopted by the Sufis varies from place to place and Sufi
music around the world often incorporates local
traditions. Sufis believe that it is not necessary for one
to reach God by praying in mosques. According to Sufi
philosophy, God is accessible to each and every one in
their hearts irrespective of the faith they practice. The
most noticeable feature of Sufism is the fact that they
have common origins and adopt the practices of other
religions as well. Traditions such as that of repeating
the names of Allah over and over again can be traced
from Christianity. The Whirling dervishes of Sufis pray
in a unique manner by whirling round and round, in
what they believe is the universal prayer. Even here the
music, the Sama traces its origin to Ottoman classical
traditions. The practice is said to have originated when
Rumi whirled to the sound of hammers in a
metalworker’s bazar.
The ritual involves four parts where the Sufis are
represented moving towards God, with God and then
the third part where they are in God (this part
symbolizes ecstasy). The final part represents the Sufis
coming back.
Unfortunately in 1925, Kamal Attaturk banned Sufism
in Turkey. He ordered the closure of Sufi meeting
places, intending to restrict Sufism to being a mere
tourist attraction. This ban has forced many Sufis to go
underground and engage in their practices in secret.
Although there is no mortal danger to Sufis in Turkey,
there is still a hesitancy among the people to declare
oneself as Sufi openly.
One of the central themes of Sufism is to create unity.
Rumi has stressed on this time and again. He once
wrote that Sufis do not come to divide but to unite. He
also said that humans often look at things cross eyed
and see things as separate, but when we look at them
the right way they are all the same thing. It is for this
reason that all are welcome to join Sufi ceremonies and
practices regardless of religion or gender.
Sufism has been modernized as well as can be seen in
in the Mercan Dede’s form of Whirling Dervishes
which utilizes the whirling tradition along with
electronic beats. Another face of modern Sufism was
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, a Pakistani singer who was
famous around the globe for the Sufi influence in his
music.
However, Sufism has always been viewed with
hostility by the orthodox sections of Islam. Especially
with the rise radical Islam in the states Pakistan,
Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq, Sufis are often viewed as
heretics and those who stray away from the path of
God. On the other hand, it is believed that this view is
mostly out of fear of losing power to the Sufis, who
preach the message of love that hard-line Islamists view
Sufism as a threat. Unlike the radical form of sharia
preached by the radical schools of Islam in Saudi
funded madrasas, Sufism emphasizes that God is
accessible to everyone in their hearts. This attitude
greatly displeases groups like the Taliban, ISIS etc who
wish to impose an extremely harsh form of sharia as
understood by them. These groups preach an absolute
hate for those they believe to be Kafirs and wrongdoers
and do not take kindly to the Sufi teachings of unity and
love. Sufi practices such as music and beliefs like the
existence of different paths to reach God has also led to
the orthodox section viewing them as wrongdoers. The
feelings of these radicals has now materialized in the
form of attacks on Sufis and Sufi shrines. Various
attacks have been carried by terrorists in Pakistan, the
Al shabab in Somalia and clampdowns by the IRGC
(Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps) in Iran.
In the contemporary world, Sufism may act as a bridge
between rival extremist groups like those in India
(Radical Islam and Radical Hinduism). It may also help
combat the spread of radical Islam which uses the threat
of force rather than love to spread its message, employs
harsh punishments and is marked by subversion of other
communities and women. With emphasis on unity
between religions and adoption of local traditions,
Sufism, as a whole, could also help spread the message
of unity across the globe and also bring us closer to
establishing an egalitarian society.
-Abhimanyu Singh Class 12 F

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SUFISM

Sufism is a less noticed form of Islam practiced

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