Political Ambitions Turn Sufis into Militants As Is Evident From the Behaviour of the Sufi Groups and Individuals of Middle East and Indian Subcontinent
By S.
Arshad, New Age Islam
26 October
2021
Mumtaz
Qadri and Abbasi Siddiquee Are the Modern Face of Militant Sufism
Main
Points:
1. Sufis are
known for tolerance, peace and harmony
2. In 21st
century, Islamic nationalism had impact on Sufism
3. During 2003
and 2006, some Sufi militant organizations came into being.
4. Naqshbandi
Army of Iraq was a Sufi militant organization during 2003-2006
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Mumtaz Qadri
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Sufis are
known for their tolerant and pluralist behaviour all over the world. They
preach peace, non-violence, tolerance, peaceful co-existence. They have an
all-embracing outlook towards the society. Religion to them is a means for
attaining spiritual enlightenment. They renounce the worldly luxuries and are immersed
in the remembrance of God through their waking hours. Even during sleep, their
heart remains awake.
Contrary to
the common belief, the Sufis of the middle ages did not spend all their life in
monasteries though they spend most of their time in Zikr (remembrance).
They wandered across continents in quest of knowledge and only after acquiring
sufficient knowledge of Islam, they settled in some city and preached religion.
Since in those days religious schools or centres of education were few and far
between, the Sufis travelled long distances in search of a murshid who would
satiate their hunger for knowledge and thirst for spiritual enlightenment.
Almost all of the Sufis travelled the initial part of their life in quest of a
murshid-e-kamil (a perfect teacher) and for centres of religious education.
For
example, the famous Sufi, Hussayn bin Mansur Hallaj who was killed for
proclaiming that he was the Truth and that Ma fi jubbati illallah (God is in my
cloak) was born in Fars but travelled to Basra, Makkah and India for gaining
knowledge and for performing mandatory religious rituals.
The
greatest Indian Sufi, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti who is also known as Khwaja
Gharib Nawaz also travelled far and wide for education and spiritual
attainment. He was born in Sistan (a region spread from Iran and Afghanistan)
and travelled to Bukhara and Samarkand to study Islam and travelled to Iraq,
Lahore and Delhi before finally settling in Ajmer.
Another Sufi
Bahram Bukhari Saqqa who was a earlier a commander in the army of the Mughal
Emperor Humayun also travelled to Iran, Iraq, Najd, Makkah, Madina after
leaving Humayun’s army and then came back to India. He lived in Agra and then
travelled to Bengal and died in Bardhhaman. He assumed the title Saqqa
(water-carrier) because he would carry a water sack on his shoulder and offer
water to the thirsty. He was free of worldly desires and had devoted his life
for preaching Deen and offer water to the thirsty.
Yet another
Sufi of the subcontinent Ali Hujweri was born in Ghazni but lived in Iraq
before settling in Lahore.
The great
Indian Sufi Khawaja Nizamuddin Aulia was born ini Badyaun in India but
travelled to Pak Pattan in Pakistan to acquire spiritual training from Baba
Farid. He then came back to India and settled in Delhi.
All these Sufis
preached love, tolerance, service to mankind and promoted harmony in the
society. They brought the people of different religions and cultures together
and contributed to the formation of the multicultural secular fabric of India.
These Sufis
practiced the injunctions of the Quran ‘Seeru Fil Ardh” (travel in the
land) for expanding their intellectual horizons, for preaching peaceful message
of Islam and for acquiring religious and spiritual education.
After
spending a great part of their life in acquiring knowledge and spiritual
insight, they settled in their monasteries and served the common people.
Abbas Siddiqui later released a video on Facebook and demanded strict
punishment to those who attacked Durga Puja Pandals in Bangladesh. (File photo)
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In the 21th
century, the Sufis and their monasteries became the target of militant and
extremist ideological sects within Islam because they thought Sufis and their
monasteries and Dargahs promoted un-Islamic beliefs and shirk (setting up
partners with God). The militant and extremist groups attacked the Dargahs and
those Muslims visiting the Dargahs.
However,
under the influence of politics and Islamic nationalism in the 20th and 21st
century, Sufism also underwent ideological changes. Political ambitions made
seats of Sufism centres of political manipulation. Islamic nationalism also
influenced Sufism and some violent Sufi sects came into being under political
influence. Rafid Fadhil Ali in his
article Sufi Insurgent Groups in Iraq writes that a number of Sufi militant
groups had came into existence during anti-US insurgency in Iraq between 2003
and 2006. Some of the Sufi militant groups are:
The Sufi
Squadron of Sheikh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (2005)
Katibat
al-Sheikh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilanin Al-Jihadia (The Jihadi Battalion of Sheikh Abd
al-Qadir al-Jilani) (August 2006.)
Jaysh Rijal
al-Tariqa al-Naqshbandia (the Men of the Army of al-Naqshbandia Order” (JRTN)
(2006,)
All these Sufi
militant groups had come into existence with the purpose of fighting the US
occupation and at some occasions they also fought along with Al Qaida.
Fadhil Ali
writes:
“After
the fall of the Baathist regime in April 2003 and the development of a
large-scale Sunni insurgency, none of the leading Sufi groups called for
violence during the first years of the occupation. Sufis watched the insurgency
being dominated by their historical opponents, the Salafis. Militant groups
affiliated to al-Qaeda have attacked Sufis and their sacred places—including
the demolition of tombs of Sufi saints—but on one remarkable occasion Sufis and
Salafis fought together in the battles for Fallujah in 2004. The insurgents
were under the leadership of Sheikh Abdullah al-Janabi, who is an adherent of a
minor Sufi order called al-Nabhania. Al-Janabi was the head of the Mujahideen
Shura Council, which controlled the Sunni city until December 2004. The Council
was an umbrella organization of Salafi, Sufi and Baathi groups.”
The JRTN or
the Naqshbandi Army aimed at re-establishing the Baath government. Therefore,
it is evident that some Sufi sects of Iraq got involved in political process of
the country and thus justified violence.
Fadhil Ali
further writes:
“On the same day as the hanging of Saddam
Hussein on December 30, 2006, Jaysh Rijal al-Tariqa al-Naqshbandia (the Men of
the Army of al-Naqshbandia Order” (JRTN) announced their formation. The JRTN is
clearly the most organized of the three aforementioned groups. In a sign
typical of Baathist and Arab nationalism—but one that contradicts the
pan-ethnic nature of Sufism—the main page of the JRTN’s website is headed by a
map of the Arab homeland of 22 countries stretching from the Middle East to
North Africa. The terminology used on the website also indicates that the JRTN
is a Baathist-dominated organization that reflects a growing trend within the
party towards Islamism since the early 1990s.”
This
provided the US with the opportunity to malign Sufism on which the
anti-militancy Muslim masses took pride and used Sufism as a shield against
Islam. The US tried to paint the entire Sufi arena black and started
campaigning against Sufism describing it a new threat to the world. In a news
report in web magazine npr, US Brigadier General Craig Nixon had been quoted as
saying:
"There's clearly a different ideology
between al-Qaida and Jaysh al-Naqshbandi," said Nixon. "We've seen
some local-level tactical commingling of the pipe-swingers, if you will, but
the Jaysh al-Naqshbandi is clearly a nationalist element with a view to go back
to the former Baath leadership."
According
to the report, “The group was founded by an ex-Iraqi army non-commissioned
officer named Abdurahman Naqshbandi, who hails from the Lake Hamrin area of
northeastern Diyala province — now one of the few pockets in Iraq where the
insurgency has resisted U.S. and Iraqi control. Solid information about the
group is elusive, but Brig. Gen. Craig Nixon says it started with a call for
jihad against America in 2003.”
Though
these Sufi militant groups are not heard of now, which gives relief to the
lovers of Sufism but in India and Pakistan we see some fringe Sufi elements who
show aggression and violent behaviour which is anathema to the teachings of
great Sufis of Islam.
For
example, a self-proclaimed Sufi of the Qadiriya order, Mumtaz Qadri killed a
politician for demanding repeal of the blasphemy laws of Pakistan. He was
sentenced to death by the court of law and his grave has been turned into a
revered place. Thus his Dargah has become a symbol of aggressive Sufism.
In India, a self-proclaimed Sufi of Bengal,
Abbas Siddiquee issues hate speeches against the majority community now and
then. He recently said he would slit the throat of those who desecrate the
Quran. He is the Pirzada of the Dargah of a Sufi saint at Furfura Sharif.
The
corruption of Sufis has come as fallout of politicization of Sufi centres.
These centres serve as power bases for the politically ambitious Sufis who want
to climb the power ladder with the help of their status as Sufis. This trend of
aggressive Sufism will not augur well for the Muslims of the subcontinent and
will also tarnish the image of Islam in the world. Therefore, such ambitious,
imprudent and opportunistic Sufis should not be allowed to sit in the Dargahs
of Sufis.
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References:
1. Sufi
Insurgent Groups in Iraq
Publication:
Terrorism Monitor Volume: 6 Issue: 2
By:
Rafid Fadhil Ali
January
25, 2008 09:58 PM Age: 14 years
2. U.S.
Sees New Threat In Iraq From Sufi Sect
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105507397
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S.
Arshad is a columnist with NewAgeIslam.com.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-society/sufi-middle-east-indian-militants-political/d/125647
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