History · Ch 6 — Bhakti–Sufi Traditions — Changes in Religious Beliefs and Devotional Texts
The Growth of Sufism
The Growth of Sufism
The Growth of Sufism
Sufism emerged in the early centuries of Islam as a reaction by a group of religious-minded people, called sufis, against the growing materialism of the Caliphate — both as a religious and a political institution. These sufis were critical of the dogmatic definitions and the scholastic methods used by theologians to interpret the Qur’an and the sunna (traditions of the Prophet). Instead, they emphasised seeking salvation through intense devotion and love for God by following His commands and by following the example of the Prophet Muhammad, whom they regarded as a perfect human being. The sufis sought an interpretation of the Qur’an based on their personal experience.
Khanqahs and Silsilas
By the eleventh century, Sufism had evolved into a well-developed movement with a body of literature on Quranic studies and sufi practices. Institutionally, the sufis began to organise communities around the hospice or khanqah (a Persian term). This hospice was controlled by a teaching master known as the shaikh (in Arabic), pir or murshid (in Persian). The master enrolled disciples called murids and appointed a successor known as the khalifa. He established rules for spiritual conduct and interaction between inmates as well as between laypersons and the master.
Around the twelfth century, sufi silsilas began to crystallise in different parts of the Islamic world. The word silsila literally means a chain, signifying a continuous link between master and disciple, stretching as an unbroken spiritual genealogy to the Prophet Muhammad. It was through this channel that spiritual power and blessings were transmitted to devotees. Special rituals of initiation were developed: initiates took an oath of allegiance, wore a patched garment, and shaved their hair.
When the shaikh died, his tomb-shrine — called a dargah (a Persian term meaning court) — became the centre of devotion for his followers. This encouraged the practice of pilgrimage or ziyarat to his grave, particularly on his death anniversary or urs (meaning marriage, signifying the union of his soul with God). People believed that in death saints were united with God and were thus closer to Him than when living. They sought the saint’s blessings to attain material and spiritual benefits. Thus evolved the cult of the shaikh revered as a wali.
Sufism and tasawwuf
Sufism is an English word coined in the nineteenth century. The word used for Sufism in Islamic texts is tasawwuf. Historians have understood this term in several ways:
- Some scholars derive it from suf, meaning wool, referring to the coarse woollen clothes worn by sufis.
- Others derive it from safa, meaning purity.
- It may also have been derived from suffa, the platform outside the Prophet’s mosque where a group of close followers assembled to learn about the faith.
Names of silsilas …
Sufism and tasawwuf. Sufism is an English word coined in the nineteenth century. The word used for Sufism in Islamic texts is tasawwuf. Historians have understood this term in several ways. According to some scholars it is derived from suf, meaning wool, referring to the coarse woollen clothes worn by sufis. Others derive it from safa, meaning purity. It may also have been derived from suffa, the platform outside the Prophet …