Sufism

Baba Farid, or Baba Sheikh Farid, or Khwaja Farīduddīn Mas’ūd Ganjshakar was a Sufi preacher and one of the most significant saints in Punjab during the 12th century. It won’t be wrong to call him the first poet of the Punjabi language because of his inspiring and life related poetry, the sacred book of Sikhs, ‘Shri Guru Granth Sahib’, has a lot of Baba Farid’s work. Though he was Muslim, but he was respected by Hindus as well. Baba Farid  was  born  in the month of Ramzan in 1173 CE at Kothewal village, Punjab (now in Pakistan). Early in his life the title of 'Shakar Ganj' (treasury of Sugar) was added to his name; there is a legend behind this. As a young boy  Baba Farid  was asked to offer daily prayers by his mother. On asking about what he’d get after saying his prayers, Baba Farid’s mother replied that she will give him sugar once he’s done. Baba Farid’s mother used to hide sugar under his prayer mat and after the completion of his prayers; she used...

Madariyya The Madariyya are members of a Sufi order (tariqa) popular in North India, especially in Uttar Pradesh, the Mewat region, Bihar and Bengal, as well as in Nepal and Bangladesh. Known for its syncretic aspects, lack of emphasis on external religious practice and focus on internal dhikr, it was initiated by the Sufi saint 'Sayed Badiuddin Zinda Shah Madar' (d. 1434 CE), called "Qutb-ul-Madar", and is centered on his shrine (dargah) at Makanpur, Kanpur district, Uttar Pradesh. Qutb-ul-Madar Chishtiyya The Chishtiyya order emerged from Central Asia and Persia. The first saint was Abu Ishaq Shami (d. 940–41) establishing the Chishti order in Chisht-i-Sharif within Afghanistan Furthermore, Chishtiyya took root with the notable saint Moinuddin Chishti (d. 1236) who championed the order within India, making it one of the largest orders in India today. Scholars also mentioned that he had been a part-time disciple of Abu N...

Sufism  had left a prevailing  impact  on religious, cultural, and social life in South Asia.The mystical form of Islam was introduced by  Sufi  saints.  Sufi scholars traveling from all over continental Asia were instrumental and influential in the social, economic, and philosophic development of India. Besides preaching in major cities and centers of intellectual thought, Sufis reached out to poor and marginalized rural communities and preached in local dialects such as Urdu, Sindhi, Panjabi versus Persian, Turkish, and Arabic. Sufism  emerged as a "moral and comprehensive socio-religious force" that even influenced other religious traditions such as Hinduism., Their  traditions of devotional practices and modest living attracted all people. Their teachings of humanity, love for God and Prophet continue to be surrounded by mystical tales and folk songs today.  Sufis were firm in abstaining from religious and communal conflict and striv...

It is generally believed that Sufism is derived from two Arabic words i.e. ‘Saf’ and ‘Suf. The word ‘Saf means a carpet. Since the Sufis meditated upon God on a carpet, Sufism took its birth i.e. pure people who meditated on a carpet. The word ‘Sufi’ derives its name from another Arabic word ‘Suf which means wool. The Muslim saints who wore garments of coarse wool began to be called Sufi saints. The first epoch of Sufism is said to have begun in the seventh century A.D. Sufism entered India in the 12th century with Muslim invaders and became popular in the 13th century.

 Sufism, mystical Islamic  belief  and practice in which Muslims seek to find the truth of divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of God.             Baha-ud-Din Naqshband (1318-1389) of Turkestan  founded  Naqshbandi order of Sufism . Khwaja Razi-ud-Din Muhammad Baqi Billah whose tomb is in Delhi, introduced the Naqshbandi order in India.       Sufism : Into the Mystic. ... As a consequence, many people were left asking  what exactly Sufism  was and questioning its relationship with mainstream Islam. Though  Sufism  is often defined as the 'mystical' dimension of Islam, this is perhaps an oversimplification.                      According to a study in 2015, Islam has 1.8 billion adherents, making up about 24.1% of the  world  population. Most Muslims are either of two denominations: Sunni (80–90%, ...