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Sufism got widespread in India. It was adopted by many people. It also influenced many of them.
The impacts of Sufism was that the common people got enchanted by the simple ascetic life style of the saints. Their humanism and unique nature pleased them. People of all creeds, caste, and religion, educational and financial levels were drawn towards them.
It neutralized the Hindu-Muslim tension in society. Their belief in equality led them to protest against caste domination, consumption of alcohol, gambling and slavery.
The Sufi saints actually Indianized Islam as they lived and preached in India. Moreover, Sufi khanqahs were centers of moral life.
Devotional songs were composed there in Urdu and Hindi. Sufi music and dance were considered as manifestation of complete submission to Allah.
In the rural agricultural background of human life, Sufism became a vehicle of spiritual and cultural upliftment of people.
It had its impact on aspects of life such as:
- Development of Literature and Poems.
- Stressed the importance of ‘fana’ or annihilation in seeking God and believed in Unity of Existence was the ultimate truth.
- Active role in politics and Indian religion.
- The Subcontinent Sufi orders embraced local traditions from ascetics belonging to other religions. Inter religious dialogues were held.
The most remarkable feature of the medieval and contemporary period of Indian History was the emergence of various schools of thoughts. Sufism played a twin role in both spreading love towards almighty and spreading the message of truth. The Sufi saints played an important role in the contemporary Indian society. The Arabian trade influenced them to settle in the coastal parts of India. Due to their preaching and profess, there were many religious, social and political changes that had taken place. Therefore Sufism had a great impact in contemporary India.
EXAMPLES OF IMPACT OF SUFISM IN INDIA
EXAMPLES OF IMPACT OF SUFISM IN INDIA
- The contacts and conflicts between sufis and yogis became more frequent and meaningful. The various branches of qalandars and sufis of the Rifa’iyya order, confined mainly to Turkey, Syria and Egypt, were significantly influenced by wandering yogis.
- The topics discussed at the jama’at-khana gatherings of Baba Farid were of great interest to visiting Siddhas whose beliefs were founded on Hatha Yoga, based on asanas (postures) and pranayama (breathing techniques) derived from older Sanskrit texts.
- Al-Biruni, unquestionably a profound authority on comparative religions, noted sufi parallels in the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, which he himself translated into Arabic.
- Regarding the sufi doctrine of love as being a total obsession with God, al-Biruni quotes interesting parallels from the Bhagavad Gita.
- From the thirteenth century onwards Hindu mystical songs were recited at Sama’ gatherings and many of the most talented musicians were newly converted Muslims. For instance, Shaikh Ahmad from Naharwala in Gujarat, gave expert renditions of Hindawi ragas.
- The recitation of Hindawi music at sama was popular at all sufi centres, particularly those some distance from Delhi.
- More than a hundred slokas are ascribed to Baba Farid in the Guru Garanth, compiled by the fifth Sikh Guru, Arjan, in 1604. Some scholars assert they were composed by Baba Farid himself but the language indicates they were the work of his successors who may have rewritten some of Baba Farid’s original Slokas into a more intelligible Multani. Some of these slokas are even ascribed to Kabir.
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