Sufism in Punjab

Punjabi poetry has its own charm. Its language is more archaic than Hindi or Urdu; its
imagery is drawn from country life and simple crafts. One might make a comparison
with the Provencal poetry of Southern France. Provencal also is more old-fashioned
than French; its poetry belongs to the countryside, to the farm, and tiny market town,
and is instinct with a simplicity and sincerity that is rare in the more classical
language. Panjabi poetry sings mainly of Love and God. By the Sufis these two
themes are interwoven, as is explained in the Introduction.

They begin with the second of the fifteenth century and end with the nineteenth. In
this period of some four centuries we find half a dozen famous saints beginning with
Farid, twelfth in spiritual succession from Shakar Ganj of Pak Patan, and leading on
to several others not so well known. The greatest of them all was Bullhe Shah (1650-
1758).

By a judicious selection of extracts, carefully transliterated and rendered in a literal

but pleasing translation, the author brings out the main characteristics of each poet in
turn, both as regards verse and style and as regards the doctrine or mystery he
teaches. They vary from the orthodox, with a strong spiritual urge towards mysticism,
to the lees orthodox and to those who so far transcend the barriers between sects and
creeds that they can hardly be designated by the conventional man-made labels.

The history of the Punjab during these four centuries has seen many storms and also
peaceful interludes. These vicissitudes are reflected in the Sufi poets though faintly.
Yet for the comprehension of the period an understanding of this religious
development is of great importance.

In Punjabi poetry the Beloved is a man and the Lover who seeks him is a woman. So
in the Sufi sense Heer is the soul that seeks and Ranjha represents the Divine
Beloved.
Introduction

1) THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF SUFIISM OUTSIDE INDIA

No account of Punjabi Sufism, its poets and poetry, will be complete without a short
sketch of the origin and development of Sufism outside India. Punjabi Sufism,
evidently, is a branch of the great Sufi movement which originated in Arabia, during
the second century A.H. (A.D. 800). It differs a good deal, however, in details, from
the original, being subjected to many modifications under the influence of Hindu
religious and philosophic thought. Before following up the evolution and the final
trend of Sufi thought in the Punjab, it is necessary to review briefly the outstanding
features of this Islamic sect as it developed outside India.

Sufism was born soon after the death of the Prophet and ‘proceeded on orthodox
lines. It’s adepts had ascetic tendencies, led hard lives, practicing the tenets of the
Quran to the very letter. But this asceticism soon passed into mysticism, and before
the end of the second century A.H. (A.D. 815), these ascetics began to be known to
the people as Sufis. The name was given to them because they wore woolen
garments. The term, labisa’l-suf, which formerly meant ‘he clad himself in wool’, and
was applied to a person who renounced the world and became an ascetic,
henceforward signified that he became a Sufi.

The early mysticism was essentially a product of Islam, and originated as a

consequence of the Islamic conception of God which failed to satisfy many persons
possessing spiritual tendencies. The two striking factors in the early mysticism, as
Goldziher has stated were an exaggerated consciousness of sin and an overwhelming
dread of divine retribution. They feared God more than they loved Him and submitted
unreservedly to His Will. But in the beginning of the second century A.H (A.D 815)
the Sufi thought began to develop under the influence of Greek philosophy of
Ashrakian and Dionysius. Christianity, itself enveloped by Neo-Platonist
speculations, exercised a great influence in monastic organizations. The latest school
of Sufiism which felt Persian and Indian influences and incorporated different glosses

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of Buddhism with its creed came in the forefront.

2) THE SUFIS IN INDIA

After the Muslim conquest of northern India, the Sufis began to pour into the country.
This was the only peaceful, friendly and tolerant element of Islam. The Islam
promulgated by the sword 1 and by aggressive ‘ulama and qazis could not impress
the Hindus who abhorred it. But the Islam represented by the Sufis appealed to them.
Almost all the willing conversions were no doubt the result of Sufi preaching.

Development of Sufiism in the Panjab

In the beginning, the Sufis In northern India were preachers and often joined hands
with the rulers to establish their power and to convert the people to Islam. Their
patience, tolerance and friendly spirit brought them followers from the lower grades
of the Hindus, unfortunately neglected by the higher classes. To this class of Sufis
belonged Faridu’ddin Ganj-i-Shakar, ‘All Makhdum Hujwiri, and many others. But,
later on, many Sufis gave up missionary work and devoted themselves to the study of
different religious systems and philosophies of the country. Mia Mir, Prince Dara
Shikoh and Abu’l- Fazl and Fayzi belonged to this category of Sufis; they began to
question the superiority of their own religion or to deny its authority. Mia Mir is said
to have helped Guru Har Govind many a time and to have sent him a woman, related
to the Qazi of Lahore, who liked the Guru’s doctrines and had wanted to become a
Sikh.

Sufiism underwent another considerable change towards the end of the seventeenth
century. The intolerance of Aurangzeb and of his adherents had so much affected the
spiritually and the intellectually minded amongst the Sufis that they were driven
towards Hinduism more than before. Hindu Vedantic thought overpowered their
beliefs. Bhagvatism influenced their ideas, and it was a surprising fact that in the
Panjab, the stronghold of Islam, Mussulman mystics held the view that save God
there was no reality; all else, therefore, became illusion or the Hindu maya.

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The doctrine of transmigration and reincarnation was soon adopted and was
afterwards supplemented by the theory of karma. Again Muhammad, who remained
the perfect model of Man for the Sufis of other countries, was not necessarily the
ideal of the Panjabi Sufis. The philosophically-minded sometimes ignored him, at
other times allotted to him the same place as they gave to the prophets of other
religions. For the orthodox and popular Sufis he nevertheless remained somewhat
higher than the other prophets, but not in the same way as before. He became the hero
of their poetry as Krishna is the hero of the Bhagavata-lore. The condemnation of
idols, which had not been very vehement even in the sixteenth century, ceased
altogether now. Muhammadan mystics accepted them as another way of adoring the
Universal Lord. The Sufis often abstained from eating meat and practiced the
doctrine of ahimsa by loving all life, animal and human.

The Qur’an, which could not be dispensed with and was held in great veneration by
the early Sufis, was now placed on the same level with the Vedas and the Puranas.
Last but not the least, it should be mentioned here that the principle of religious
tolerance was advocated by many mystics who denounced fanaticism and admitted
freedom of religious beliefs.

List of Sufi Saints and their contributions.

Name of Sufi Saints Contribution

Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti 1. Introduced Chishti order in India

2. Popularised music recitations called Sama

(Mehboob-i-ilahi)

3. Keep aloof from royal court.

Sheikh Shihabuddin Suhrawardi 1. Accepted royal Service

2. Introduced Suhrawardi order in India

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 3. Wrote the Awarif ul-Maarif, or "The
Knowledge of the Spiritually Learned"

Sheikh Nizamat Ullah 1. Preaches fundamentals of Islam

2. Introduced Qadri order in India

Khwaja Pir Mohammad 1. Introduced Naqshbandi order in India

2. Orthodox Sect Mujaddid opposed Shia,

philosophy of Wahadat-ul-Shahdud

3. Wrote ‘Red-i-Khafid’

Sheikh Sarfudin Yahya 1. Branch of Suhrawardi

2. Popularized Firdausi order in India

3. Hewas a disciple of Khwaja Nizamuddin

Firdausi

Miyan Bayazid Ansari (Pir Roshan) 1. Wrote the bookKhai-ul-Byan

2. Introduced Rashaniya order during Akbar’s

reign

Mullah Mohammad Mahdi 1. Opposed orthodox Muslims

2. Introduced Mahadawi order in India

Nuruddin Noorani (Wali) 1. Opposed orthodox Muslims

2. Introduced Risi order in India

Abu Wali Qalander 1. Wandering monks were called Darveshes

2. Introduced Qalandaria order in India

Abdullah Shattari 1. Introduced Shattari order in India during Lodhi

Dynasty

2. Tansen was the follower of this order

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 3. Claimed direct contact with God

Sufism is a path of selfless experiencing and actualization of the truth. The Sufi thought,
syncretic values, literature, education, and entertainment that has created an enduring
impact on the presence of Islam in contemporary India. Sufi Saints became popular
because they preached Indo-Muslim devotional music traditions in local dialects. In the
above list of Sufi Saints and their contribution will enhance the general knowledge of the
readers.

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References:

https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/list-of-sufi-saints-and-their-contribution-
1510126815-1

http://amandeep.50webs.com/punjab/sufi.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sufi_saints

https://www.iuscanada.com/journal/archives/2001/j0301p32.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Punjabi_Sufi_saints

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