Question

Who were Sufis?

Answer 1

Hint: Sufism is also known as Tasawwuf. Sometimes it is also perceived as Islamic mysticism and involves various doctrines, rituals and spiritual practices.

Complete answer: Sufism is a school of practice that revolves around the spiritual search for God. It does not focus on materialism, instead, it condemns it. The emphasis is purely on the love and devotion towards the ultimate one-God. There are multiple schools of thoughts, some of which go back to the time of Prophet Muhammad. ‘Sufis’ are the people who practice Sufism. They are considered as the practitioners of Sufism. There is a contention that the word Sufism is derived from ‘suf’. Suf means ‘one who wears wool’. Another debate is whether or not ‘safa’ can be used as the original word. ‘Safa’ means purity. Sufi orders can be classified into two broad categories. There were the ‘Bashara’ who obeyed Islamic laws. On the other hand, there were ‘Beshara’ who were more liberal. The most famous and eminent Sufi saints in India were Mirza Muhammed Baig Chishti Qalandari Hyderabadi, Salim Chishti, Muhammad Nizamuddin Auliya, Syed Mohammad Baba Tajuddin etc. Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti popularised music recitations called Sama whereas Mullah Mohammad Mahd was very from in opposed orthodox Muslims.

Note: Islam came to India in the 7th century CE when it came in contact with the merchants from Saudi Arabia. These merchants traded with the western coastal regions of India. However, it gained prominence only in the 10th and 11th centuries when the Delhi Sultanate established its rule.