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. --------- URL: https://newageislam.com/the-war-within-islam/hazrat-khwaja-gharib-nawaz-barelwis-chishtis/d/129049 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism