Tag: sufism in india

A. Islam

 Sufism is defined as the inner mystical dimension of Islam. Practitioners of Sufism, referred to as Sufis congregations formed around a grand master referred to as a mawla who traces a direct chain of teachers back to the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. These orders meet for spiritual sessions in meeting places known as zawiyas.

Nizam-ud-din Auliya was one of the most famous Sufi Saints also known as Hazrat Nizam-ud-din. He adopted Yogic breathing exercises so much so that Yogis called him 'Perfect' or 'Sidh'. His Dargah is located in Delhi. It was constructed by Muhammad Bin Tughlaq.

Abul Faizal is considered to be one of the most important Persian scholar and poet in the Medieval Indian History. He was a literary expert who even translated Sankskrit langauge works into Persian. He was appreciated by Akbar and even given the royal poet's position in his court. Thus, he was not a Sufi saint associated with mystical works. 

Pirs were the spiritual guides and philosophers of Sufism. Pir is generally a term used to highlight the respect for these Sufi saints. In Sufism, a Pir is the teacher to the student(s) who have decided to take the path of Sufi ideology. These Sufi saints played an important role in spreading the philosophy of Islam.  

Sants gave the message of equality to people. They taught humanity. They preached that people should live together in harmony, unity and love. Their work resulted in social awakening. They taught how to live in the face of foreign invasions.

Chisti order was the earliest Sufi order to arrive in India. It was introduced by the Moinuddin Chishti in Lahore (Punjab) and Ajmer in the middle of the 12th century CE. He was eighth in the line of succession from the founder of the Chishti Order

By the eleventh century Sufism evolved into a well developed movement with a body of literature on Quranic studies and sufi practices in India.

Amir Khusrao was a Sufi musician, poet, and scholar from South Asia.  He wrote poetry primarily in Urdu, but also in Hindi. He is also called the "father of Urdu literature". His contribution to the development of the ghazal was significant.

Sufis such as Baba Farid composed verses in the Punjabi language, which were incorporated in the Guru Granth Sahib.