Question

What is built on the tombs of Sufi saints?
a. mosque
b. temples
c. dargah
d. palaces

Answer 1

Hint: The practitioners of Sufism are called Sufis. Sufism is the inward dimension of Islam. It is characterized by the values, ritual practices, institutions and doctrines which began very early in the Islamic history.

Complete Step by Step Answer: The Sufis have often belonged to a different turuq or orders i.e. congregations formed around a grand master who is referred to as a wali, the one who traces a direct chain of successive teachers back to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. These congregations meet for spiritual sessions in meeting places known as zawiyah, khanqahs, etc.
Sufis often visit shrines for religious visits or pilgrimages known as ziyarat. These shrines are called dargahs. The Dargahs have eating and meeting rooms and hostels called khanqah or hospices. Mosques, meeting rooms, Islamic religious schools known as Madrassas, residences and other buildings for other community purposes.
Let us look at the given alternatives.
Option a- Mosque is a place for prayers for Muslims. They are mostly used for communal prayers on Fridays. But they are not built on tombs of Sufi Saints. This is a wrong answer.
Option b- Temples are places for worship and other spiritual activities. They can be any building for religious activities except for specific buildings like mosques, churches, etc. Thus, this is the wrong option.
Option c- Dargahs are built on the tombs of the Sufi saints. These become places of pilgrimages to where people of any faiths can visit. So, it is the correct option.
Option d- Palaces are residences usually of kings or people having high ranking dignitary such as bishop or archbishop. Hence, this is an incorrect answer.
Therefore, the correct option is ‘c’.

Note: Dargah is derived from a Persian word meaning portal or threshold. Dargahs or Sufi shrines are known by different definitions in different countries like in South Africa, dargahs are shrines in the Durban area where there is a strong Indian presence. In South Asia, dargahs are used to describe the site of festivals held in honor of the deceased saint on his death anniversary.