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Moinuddin Chishti dargah, Ajmer, India

Sufism in India played an instrumental role in spreading Islam in India.^[1] The Sufis belonged to different tariqas (orders) of Sufism. The most prominent tariqahs of India are the Shadhiliyya, Chishtiyyah, Naqshbandiyyah, Qadiriyyah, Suhrawardiyya, Ahmadiyya, and Muhammadiya orders. Of them the Chishti order is the most visible.^[2] Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti introduced the Chishtiyyah in India. He came to India from Afghanistan in 1192 AD and started living permanently in Ajmer in 1195. Centuries later, with the support of Mughal rulers, his shrine became a place of pilgrimage. Akbar would visit the shrine every year.^[1] In India, Sufi saints have emerged periodically to reshape the sacred in society.^[3] Although Sufi teachings convey the message of love and harmony, many movements, including the Wahhabi movement, arose against the developments in Sufism which appeared during the reign of Akbar.^[4]

[edit] History

In the 9th century when the ‘Abbasids were in decline, Sindh was slipping out of their clutches, India came to be known as a faraway land whose inhabitants were on par with those of Rūm and China. They were regarded as one of the most civilized communities outside of Islamic rule.^[5] By the time the ‘Abbasid Caliphate fell there were many orders that had sprung up across the Muslim world, founded by eminent Sufi scholars. They built khaniqahs or hospices which were the focal points for the spread of Islam and diffusion of Islamic teaching. Under each main center, sub-centers sprang up which owed their allegiance to the order. While the kings at that time used their political power, the Sufi saints exercised their spiritual power and had a greater hold on people.^[6][7] The orthodox ulema were generally critical of the Sufis, but in the history of Islam Sufis played a major role. They interpreted Islam in a liberal way and brought about large-scale conversions to Islam.^[8] The relations between Sufis and the rulers of Sindh were greatly influenced by the presence of the Suhrawardis, who enjoyed the favor of the Sindhi rulers. The Sufis in Sindh received a step-motherly treatment until the arrival of the Mughals in 1707.^[9].Sufi saints helped in the refinement and development of Indian languages and bridging the spiritual gap between the masses.^[10][11]

[edit] The Chishti Order

The Chishtiyyah originated in Chisht sharif Herat, Afghanistan but it took root in India^[12] whither it was brought by several Central Asian mystics (most notably Moinuddin Chishti and Bakhtiar Kaki.)The first of the Chishti saints was Abu Ishaq Shami Chishti (d. 329/940-41), whose shaykh was a well-known Sufi shaykh, Mimshad (or Memshadh, after al-Dhahabi in Tarikh al-islam) al-Dinawari (d. 299/911-12). Compative table of Sufi Biographies at the end of Introduction in his book titled Muslim Saints and Mystics, the author A. J. Arberry writes his name as Memshad-al-Dinawari and mentions that early sufi historians Abdur Rahman Sullami (d.412/1021)., Al-Qushayeri (d. 465/1072) and Fariduddin Attar( 1119 -1230 AD) have described Memshad-al-Dinawarias a great sufi master of Baghdad a desciple of Master Junaid Baghdadi. Hazrat Shoaib Firdowsi Shikhpurvi, a 15th century Indian sufi of Bihar describes him as Memshad Dinawari ممشاد ( کسر میم اول سکون میم دو م) دینوری(کسر دال فتح نون فتح واو کسر را) Through Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi, he followed the path of Sufyian suri (Thuri) and Serri Seqti in the line of Maaruf Karkhi, Dawood Taaei and Hazrat Imam AliReza .Khwaja Mamshad Ali Dainuri (Mimshad Dinavari ) was succeeded by Khwaja Abu Ishaq Shami who was deputed by the Shaikh to settle down at a place called Chisht in the neighbourhood of Herat. Shaikh Abu Ishaq Shami was the first Shaikh who was called Abu Ishaq Chisti . It is thus that a great Silsila Chishtiya came into existence. He was succeeded by Khwaja Abu Ahmad Abdal who was a dignitary of Chisht. through him and his successors including Khwaja Qutubuddin Mowdud Chishti this chain of Sufism connected Ajmer Sharif to Baghdad. During Mongol invasion in 1220 and Safavid attack in 1509 Ad many Chishti sufis migrated to Uch, Ajodhan, Bhakkar and Sehwan of Sindh. Wali Kirani Chishti is buried in Shal Quetta. During Moghul emperror Humayun reign, one Chishti sufi from Khwaja Qutubuddin Mowdud Chishti family , named Burhanuddin Bhakkari and his son Assadullah Kunj nashin Chishti migrated from Bakkar to Narhat Sheikhpura near Hisua at Nawada district of Gaya Bihar. The first four saints of the Chistiyyah order in India were Moinuddin Chishti (d. 1233 in Ajmer), Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki (d. 1236 in Delhi), Fariduddin Ganjshakar (d.1265 in Pakpattan now in Pakistan) and Nizamuddin Auliya (d.1335 in Delhi).^[2] During the reign of Muhammad bin Tughluq, who spread the Delhi Sultanate southward, the Chistiyyah order spread its roots all across India.^{[3] [13][14] [15] [16]}

[edit] The Shadhiliyyaorder

Shadhilyya was founded by Imam Nooruddeen Abu Al HAsan ALi Ash Sadhili Razi. It was brought to India by Sheikh Aboobakkar Miskeen sahib Razi.. of Kayalpattinam and Sheikh Meer Ahmad Ibrahim Razi.. of madurai in Tamilnadu. there are more than 70 branches of Shadhiliyya and in India Fassiyatush Shadhiliyya is the most practised shazuli sufi order.

[edit] The Shattārīya order

The origin of this order is attributed to ‘Abdullāh al-Shattār (died 1415),^[17] who flourished in Jaunpur, India.^[18] There after he shifted to Mandu which then became the center of the Shattariya order. The order was popularised in Bengal by Qazan Shattari.^[19] The most important saint of this order was Shaikh Muhammad Ghaus,^[20][21] the author of many books on Sufism. The order was later carried to Iran, Turkey, and Indonesia.^[22]

[edit] The Suhrawardi order

The first of the Suhrawardi saints was Hazrat Zeyauddin AbulNajib Abdul Qaher Suhrawardi (490-563AH) The Suhrawardiyyah order was started by his nephew and disciple Omar Abu HafsShahab al-Din Suhrawardi of Baghdad and brought to India by Baha-ud-din Zakariya of Multan. Shahab al-Din Yahya Suhrawardi was a scholar of logic and Islam who was murdered in Aleppo Syria and famous as Maqtool Sheikh-e- Eshraq ^[23].Both Suhrawardia and Chishtiya sufi chains join Master Junaid through Memshad-al-Dinawari as following steps : Hazrat Karimuddin ‘Alvi Mimshad Dinavarià Hazrat Ahmad Asvad (Siah) Dinavari à Hazrat Mohammad bin Abdullah Al-Maaruf Amooiyeh à Hazrat Wajhuddin Abu Hafsà Hazrat Zeyauddin AbulNajib Abdul Qaher Suhrawardi (490-563AH)à Hazrat Najmuddin Kobra à Hazrat Saifuddin Bakherzi à Hazrat Badruddin Samarqandi Firdousià Hazrat Ruknuddin Firdousià Hazrat Najibuddin Firdousi à Makhdumulmulk Sheikh Sharfuddin ibn Yahya Maneri^[24] Besides Hazrat Wajhuddin Abu Hafs, Hazrat Zeyauddin AbulNajib Abdul Qaher Suhrawardi had achieved khilafat from Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani too; hence Suhrawardiyyah tariqah got mixed with Quaderi and later on all sufis of Firdousi order continued both the orders. The Suhrawardiyyah tariqah achieved popularity in Bengal particularly.^{[4] [25] [26] [27]} The Suhrawardiyyah tariqah achieved popularity in Bengal particularly.^[5].

[edit] Qadiri order

The Qadiri order was founded by Abdul-Qadir Gilani, whose tomb is in Baghdad. It is popular among the Muslims of South India.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] The Naqshbandi order

The origin of this order can be traced back to Khwaja Ya‘qub Yusuf al-Hamadani (b. 1140), who lived in Central Asia.^[28] It was later organised by Baha’uddin Naqshband (1318-1389) of Turkestan. Baha’uddin is widely referred to as the founder of the Naqshbandi tariqah. Khwaja Muhammad al-Baqi Billah Berang, whose tomb is in Delhi, introduced the Naqshbandi order to India. The essence of this order was insistence on strict adherence to the shari‘ah and nurturance of love for the Prophet. It was patronized by the Mughal rulers, as its founder was their ancestral ^[29] pīr (spiritual guide). "The conquest of India by Babur in 1526 gave considerable impetus to the Naqshbandiyya order".^[6] Its disciples remained loyal to the throne because of their common Turkic origin. With the royal patronage of most of the Mughal rulers, the Naqshbandi order brought about the revival of Islam. The Naqshbandis earned their living by designing patterns printed on cloth.^[28]

[edit] Impact of Sufism

Hindus and Hinduism was deeply influenced by the Sufi saints. ^[30]

[edit] See also

• List of Sufi Saints of South Asia
• Islam in Pakistan
• Islam in Bangladesh
• Islam in India
• Sufi Saints of Aurangabad

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• www.neda-e-islam.org
• List of Sufi saints