Sectarian Slugfest between the Barelwis and Chishtis is a Great Disservice to the Universal Message of Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz R.A.
By Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi, New Age Islam
07 February 2023
We must love and respect all human beings as Ashraf-ul-Makhluqat
(the best of creations) regardless of their faith and creed. They are all
equally the best creations of the One Almighty Creator— Hz. Khwaja Gharib Nawaz
Moinuddin Chishti R.A
...
India has been the land of both Hindu/Buddhist
mystics and Sufi saints as a centre of ‘universal spirituality’. Indian Sufism
is anchored in universal humanism, egalitarian values of brotherhood, peace and
pluralism, and thus it remains the bedrock of the composite Indian culture with
the common good (Khair) and goodwill (Khair-khwahi) as its
foundational principles. The core teachings of Indian Sufi saints are based on
pluralistic traditions that are in sync with the notion of ‘unity in
diversity’. Thus, they preached a multicultural, vibrant, progressive, and
pluralistic Islamic tradition, which was the key reason behind its popularity
in the land of Vedic spirituality.
Along with the Chishti tradition, numerous
Sufi silsilas (orders) like Naqshbandiyya, Suhrawardiyya,
and Quadriyah were propagated by the Sufi saints in India. The major and
most prominent Sufi Orders were born outside the Indian sub-continent. However,
they gained maximum momentum only in India with the Qadiriyya, Chishtiyya,
Naqshbandiyya, and Suhrawardiyya emanating from Central Asia.
Within these Sufi Orders, numerous Indian-origin silsilas and various
new branches of Sufism sprang up in different parts of India. They were
propounded and systematized by the Indian Muslim Mystics who were imbued with
the local culture, indigenous spiritual traditions, and vernacular religious
ethos. For instance—Silsilah Madariyya, Qalandariyya, Shattariyya,
Safawiyya, and Naqshbandiyya-Mujaddidiyya are some of those Sufi Orders
which emerged organically within the Indian-origin Sufism.
Notably, Ajmer Sharif is the prime Sufi shrine in
India with its anniversary (Urs) being one of the largest spiritual
congregations in the world. The 811th Urs of Ajmer Sharif recently
concluded. On this occasion, followers of all faith traditions flocked to the
shrine of the 11th-century Sufi mystic who founded the Chishti Sufi
order in India — Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, popularly known as Gharib
Nawaz (benefactor of the poor). The annual occasion of Urs is observed
to mark the death anniversary of the departed Sufi soul. But historically, the Urs
of Ajmer Sharif has been seen as a congregation of followers of all religions
who participate in the shrine visitation with equal veneration.
The annual Urs tradition in Ajmer Sharif
began in 1236 when Gharib Nawaz, after praying in seclusion for six continuous
days, met his Lord and thus achieved divine salvation. For Sufi Mystics like
Khwaja Gharib Nawaz, death was their spiritual wedding; the divine union and
therefore their lovers and followers have always celebrated it. Since then the
annual Urs has been observed for six days as an occasion for spreading Khwaja’s
core messages: love for all, hatred for none, social amity, communal harmony,
and spiritual synergy. In fact, the Urs celebrations like the one in
Ajmer Sharif greatly contribute to the strengthening of the mystical
foundations on which the country’s composite culture rests. They reveal how
different religions and cultures in India coexisted, exchanged, and accepted
each other’s universal values in order to formulate a composite society.
In contemporary India, the multi-faceted Chishti
Sufi tradition reflects an essentially pluralistic and composite culture that
connects the people of this country beyond barriers. The most positive aspect
of the shrine-based Chishti Sufism’s appeal in India is its inherent
openness, wide embrace, tolerance, and its accommodating nature. Chishti
Indian Sufi masters right from Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz Moinuddin Hasan Chishti
of Ajmer Sharif to Delhi’s Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki and Mahbub-e-ilahi
Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia to Chiragh-e-Dehli Khwaja Nasiruddin
Chiragh Dehvli; all these prominent proponents of the Chishti Silsilah
left an everlasting and magnetic impact on the social fabric of the country.
However, one regrets that the true spirit of Chishti
Sufi culture and tradition in the country is at stake. It has been reduced to
only occasional shrine visits, spiritual consultation, or observance of
particular routine rituals and festivals. Today’s Khadims, Pirs,
and Fakirs seem to have done away with their effort to keep alive the
Sufism-inspired mystical culture. Though they still engage in their ritualistic
and occupational activities in the mazar such as Chadar Poshi and
Gul Poshi for visitors, they seem to have lost their practical impact.
At Ajmer Sharif, it appears that the Khadims outnumber even the visitors
sometimes.
On the other hand, the puritanical Sufi-Sunni and Barelvi
ulema, who call themselves ‘Reformist Sufis’ have denounced the
custodians of the Ajmer Dargah calling them Badmazhab (heretics)
and Gumrah (misguided) and Rafzis (extremist Shias). More
bluntly, in the annual Urs-e-Aala Hazrat in Bareilly a few years ago,
they asked Sunni (aka Barelwi) Muslims to boycott the shrine visitations
of Ajmer Sharif. In a sharp rebuttal, the custodians of the Sufi shrine known
as ‘Khuddam-e-Khwaja’ took a hard stance on the Barelwi clergy
coming to the shrine during the Urs of Khwaja Gharib Nawaz
(R.A). As a result, a sectarian slugfest erupted at the Dargah Ajmer
Sharif in which members of the two groups— the Barelvi and the Khuddam—
engaged in a scuffle.
The background of this recent feud is that the Dargah's
administration raised objections to the reading of certain verses by some of
the Barelvi visitors at Ajmer Sharif. According to the reports, they
were reading their own verses in praise of the Prophet (pbuh) which were
objected to by the Khadims. This resulted in both groups coming at
loggerheads at the Dargah. The feud turned violent after some Barelvi
visitors allegedly indulged in sloganeering and chanting “Basti Basti, Qaria
Qaria Taj us-Sharia, Taj us-Shariah” (meaning: In every nook and corner
of the country, Taj us-Shariah Mufti Akhtar Raza Khan Barelwi is
followed). The Khudam who objected to this said that traditionally only
one Salam “Ya Nabi Salaam Alaika” is being recited in the Dargah,
and as per the norms, no other Salam can be recited. But the members of the Barelwi
sect started reciting their own Salam to the extent of chanting "Taj
us-Sharia" in place of remembering and invoking Khwaja Gharib Nawaz
(R.A.). This resulted in the manhandling of the Barelwi visitors by the Khadims.
However, a member of the Dargah Committee said that the slogan raised by
the Barelvis was wrong, but the beating by the Khadims was even
worse. It shouldn't have happened at the shrine of Khawaja Gharib Nawaz who has
given a strong message of peace and harmony. On this issue, the political
leader of Bareilly, Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, said that the greatest enemies
of the Holy Prophet are those who go there and shout such slogans and refuse to
recite the unanimously accepted salutation. Aala Hazrat Maulana Ahmad Raza Khan
Barelwi himself entered the Dargah of Gharib Nawaz's door
like a servant. Emperors go there like slaves. It was obligatory to be polite
and respectful there. Even speaking in a loud voice is considered impolite at
Ajmer Sharif. Thus, Maulana Tauqeer Raza, himself a Barelvi
leader, has expressed his displeasure with this behavior of some Barelvi
visitors. As of now, the Ajmer feud has been disposed of, but in all
likelihood, the sectarian slugfest does not seem to die down soon in the
future. The profound sectarianism among Muslims which was confined to Shia-Sunni
and Barelvi-Deobandi is now escalating into the slugfests between
the Chishti Sufis and the devout Barelvis.
In his earlier statement, Ajmer Dargah’s Khadim
Syed Sarwar Chishti said that Barelwiyat (the Barelwi creed)
is not Sufism and that it is another offshoot of religious extremism. “Their
job is just to pass Fatwas against one another”. He argued that Sufism
is a service to people who celebrate their faiths and maintain communal
harmony. Khwaja Gharib Nawaz's humane compassion for and reconciliation with
all (Sulh-e-Kul) is a glaring example. “But their (Barelwi Ulema’s)
stances do not stand for the teachings of the Sufi saint”, he averred. In a
stern counter-attack, the Barelwi clergy have accused the Ajmer Khadims
of making objectionable remarks against Aala Hazrat and thus have disassociated
themselves from them declaring them ‘heretics’ and 'deviants'.
This feud in Ajmer Sharif clearly shows that the
true spirit of Sufism is in constant decline, and is facing a systematic attack
by none other than the false claimants of Sufism or pseudo-Sufis. It is a grim
situation that calls for serious deliberation on part of the Indian Muslims.
Sectarian slugfests like this aim at disparaging moderate Indian Islam by
purging Sufism of its universal, peaceful, and egalitarian values. All
sincerely Sufi-minded scholars of Islam in India must brainstorm this. They
must reclaim the message and legacy of Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (R.A) from
the clutches of both sectarian Barelwis and rapacious Khadims.
..
Regular Columnist with
Newageislam.com, Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi is an Indo-Islamic scholar and
English-Arabic-Urdu writer. He has graduated from a leading Islamic seminary in
India, and acquired Diploma in Qur'anic sciences and a Certificate in Uloom ul
Hadith from Al-Azhar Institute of Islamic Studies. He has also participated in
the 3-year “Madrasa Discourses” program initiated by the University of Notre
Dame, USA. Presently, he is pursuing his PhD in Jamia Millia Islamia, New
Delhi.
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