Sufism - under attack

Sufism under attack

Column by ASHFAQ REHMANI
Email: pasrurmedia@hotmail.com

The Data Darbar complex that has, for centuries, stood at the heart of Lahore has never known anything like it. The suicide bombers who struck Thursday night stole at least 40 lives. They also stole the sense of calm that is the hallmark of Sufi shrines and which hang everywhere at Punjab's biggest shrine as thousands of devotees gathered for traditional Thursday night ceremonies intended to pay tribute to a man who played a crucial role in the spread of Islam in the region. It is not easy to say what chain of violence the dastardly suicide attacks are linked to. They could be the latest in the sequence of blasts at Sufi shrines that have taken place across Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa since 2008. They could also be a part of the strikes by 'morality squads' that have struck cafes, theatres, the red-light area and most recently CD shops in Lahore. Or they could be a continuation of terrorist attacks that have targeted people at random in so many public places. But in some ways at least this is academic. The fact is that such attacks aim to alter the way of life followed by people and eradicate the message of harmony which is the hallmark of the Sufi philosophy. Dear readers, Political, social and economic progress in human life depends upon the activities of dedicated persons guided by leaders of exceptional qualities. The ushering in of the greatest movement in history i.e. ‘Islam’ was possible and its success assured because of the sterling character, the imperishable faith and unfailing resolve of its leader, Prophet Mohammed (saw), and his companions. Muslim society has the distinction of initiating another unique movement in history which remains unparalleled by its wide-spread character covering the two continents of Asia and Africa; by the remarkable success it achieved in having its objectives fulfilled; by the enormous number of selfless workers it produced for the propagation of its ideals; by the depth of influence it exercised; by the revolutionary fervor it aroused, and by the indelible marks it left not only on Muslim society but on the Christian, Hindu and Buddhist societies as well. It provided nourishment to such an extent that Muslims were able to withstand the Mongol catastrophe, fight it back with renewed vigor on religious plane and then to expand its horizons beyond the Sahara in Africa, across the Indus in India and over the oceans into Indonesia. This movement is known as “Sufism”.
The beginning of Sufi movement, its philosophy and the biographies of its leaders (saints) are too well-known, and dwelt upon at great length by a large number of scholars to be recapitulated here. Only those aspects which are relevant to the emergence of Pakistan are given here. An important point to bear in mind is that there would have been no Pakistan without the Sufi movement. Sufism is a discipline, a system of education that facilitates the journey of self-knowledge, a journey which enables the individual to discover his stable reality, and ultimately the reality of religion.
The attack on the Data Darbar in Lahore on the night of July 2 reminds us of the monsters that reside within us. They are not, as some among us will tell us, from outside our borders but come from within. They have been nurtured over the years by successive governments and by our military establishments, initially to use against whom we saw as our enemies but now they are out of everyone’s control and wreaking havoc on the country, tearing its fabric and society apart, bit by bit. Dedicated to Hazrat Data Ganj Baksh who died 966 years ago, the attack on the shrine left at least 42 people dead. While the extremists managed to execute their plans what they will never succeed in eradicating is the deep sense of sadness that has come with the attacks. The people of Lahore, and indeed millions across the country, hold a deep sense of emotional and spiritual attachment to Data Ganj Baksh and the other Sufi saints who spread their mystical, peaceful brand of Islam across the subcontinent. The bombings mark a devastating attempt to destroy this version of religion, with its gentle poetry, love for humanity and message of acceptance and replace it with the far more brutal brand of religion that orthodox forces have, markedly since the 1980s, attempted to forcibly impose in the country. And Data Darbar is not a place where hedonistic heathens gather to engage in Dionysian orgies but a refuge for those living on society’s edge such as runaways and the very impoverished.
Attack on Data Darbar, actually attack on Sufism, the bombings have shaken Lahore. We wonder if they will be enough to make the Punjab government re-think its strategy on militancy and develop a plan of action directed against it. Fewer and fewer people believe the claim from the PML-N that the Taliban or other forces affiliated to them do not exist in the province. They have a stronghold within it and are capable of striking at the very core of its capital city shattering the lives of all with an affinity to Sufism. The provincial government must accept blame for the fact that they are able to do so, that no attempt has been made so far to tackle extremist groups operating in the Punjab. Had this happened, we would not have seen what we did on the night of July 2.Over 1400 years ago the Prophet of Islam declared: “Whoever cognizes the true self has cognized God.” In Islam, the true self, or the “I,” is equated with the Divine. This is why Islam proclaims the Oneness of Existence --- la ilaha-illa’llah --- or, “there is no other but God.” This is the true human dignity granted to humans - that there is no separation between him and God. As stated in the Holy Qur’an (50:16), “I am closer to you than your jugular vein. “Submission to Knowledge. Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) gave directives as to how one can cognize one’s true self. To attain this state, one must submit to God. It is through submission to the knowledge that one’s actions will be founded upon knowledge and wisdom and not on ignorance, superstition, or blind faith. Unfortunately, many believe that to submit means you are subservient to someone. This is false as it is blind faith and therefore not worthy of the dignity of the human being as ordained by God. Whenever we compare the structure of the solar system with the structure and organization of the atomic structure, we observe that they all submit to an innate knowledge and are governed by the laws of existence. So too is the human being who is able to cognize the “I,” the source of the innate knowledge within. This is the state of total freedom and love that has been amplified in the writings of the Sufi masters. The words of Amir-al Mo’menin Ali, the guiding light for humanity, attest to this genuine and sacred goal. Pakistan and Sufism are inter-related, inter-woven and inseparable from each other. If Pakistan’s beginning is traced back to the conquest of this sub-continent by Muslims armies, as is erroneously done, then the whole sub-continent should have become Pakistan since Muslim arms were successful throughout the area. But Pakistan emerged only in those territories where Sufism met with success. Pakistan, therefore, can be described as the fruit of Sufi movement. “Pre-eminent among these problems relating to the life of the Muslim community in all regions since the twelfth century”, writes Professor Gibb “is the activity and influence of the Sufi sheikhs and orders. It was into the Sufi movement that the life blood of the community flowed ever more strongly. No adequate history of Islam can be written until it, with all its causes and effects, has been studied patiently and with scholarly integrity, in no region, moreover, is this study more fundamental or more urgently required than in that of Islam in Indian subcontinent”. He further says: “From the 13th century A.D. Sufism increasingly attracted the creative social and intellectual energies within the community, to become the bearer or instrument of a social or Cultural Revolution.”
In its early stages Sufism was an individual affair confined to intellectuals and spiritualists with hardly any appeal to the masses. But with the passage of time it acquired new dimensions and began to deal with the mundane aspects of life as well. Its beginning, popularity and propagation have been attributed to many causes among which may be mentioned: To free religious thought from the rigidity imposed by the ulema;
To emphasis in the Islamic teachings the element of God’s love and mercy for His creation rather than His wrath and retribution; to practice what one professes and not merely indulge in slogans and soliloquies; to stress the essence of faith rather than mere observance of formalities; to move away towards rural areas from the evil and debilitation effects of wealth, monarchy and bureaucracy concentrated in big cities; to demolish the edifice of false values based on pelf and power and restore morality to its proper place in the niche of Muslim society; to combat the fissiparous tendencies and centrifugal forces which were spreading their tentacles in the Muslim world; to discourage parochial feelings and eliminate racial pride which had assumed primary importance in Muslim thinking relegating the ideal of brotherhood to a secondary place etc. These factors which gave birth to organized Sufism were indeed serious ailments which had afflicted Muslim society for some time and had assumed menacing proportions by the 12th century A.D. It was easily discernible that Muslim political structure was crumbling and its entire moral and social fabric facing extinction. The most redeeming feature of this dark and dismal period was that this challenge was successfully met by the Muslim society from its own resources and from its own inherent strength by employing its own moral and intellectual weapons. The answer to this grave challenge was the sufi movement. Sufism gave a new lease of life to the Muslims, provided them with a bright vision, opened up fresh vistas for them, and guided them towards unexplored horizons. It was a glorious and splendid performance, unparalleled and unsurpassed in human history.
Hundreds of devoted workers left their hearths and homes spread out over unknown regions hazarding strange climes and conditions with hardly any material resources to aid and assist them. Poverty and privation stalked their efforts while distance and inaccessibility stood in their way. But undaunted and undeterred they marched forward demolishing the distances, breaking the barriers, conquering the climes. And lo! They succeeded. What was the secret of their success? They had both strength of character and courage of conviction, were selfless and devoted to a cause. The character of Sufi movement was such that if did not require official patronage or military protection. It succeeded without both in a number of countries such as Malaya, Indonesia and East and West Africa. The same is true of their work in Pakistan. In fact, power was a hindrance rather than a help to the progress of Sufi mission. This is amply borne out by the fact that Sufis achieved least success near the seats of power in the sub-continent and had greater appeal where they had to fall upon their own moral and spiritual resources in which they were not wanting. By adopting an attitude of river-like generosity, sun-like affection and earth-like hospitality, the Sufis struck at the very roots of casteism and religious exclusiveness and paved the way for large-scale conversions to Islam.

Regarding attack on Darbar, What is all the more shocking is the attempt by these very forces to pass on the blame. The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), which has been responsible for much of the obscurantism that enwraps our country in a stifling shroud threatening to crush away life and joy from its soul, has blamed ‘anti-Islam’ forces. This is absurd. The militants behind such attacks are the product of our own failure to tackle extremism. We should be asking why groups like the JI, the Tablighi Jamaat, the JUI and others have been allowed so much space in which to operate. While they may claim otherwise, their words and actions do not exactly foster tolerance or a spirit of humanity among their members and if anything the primary signal that is given is of adhering to a faith that is not only the best there is, but also that other faiths are far worse and need to be looked down upon and ridiculed. Through their messages which seek to narrow Islam and its broad vision to a mere sliver and to distort its most fundamental ideas such forces have played a part in creating the environment in which extremism flourishes and militant groups put down roots. Rather than insinuating agents from across the border may be behind the bombings, as some officials have predictably done, we need to direct our energies towards taking on the JI and other groups that freely preach ideas directed against the Sufi vision and its notions of tolerance. The bombers who struck in quick succession at a time when the shrine was packed with worshippers as happens every Thursday night, quite clearly aimed to extract as heavy a toll of human life as possible. The attack is the worst seen so far in the series of bombings at shrines, and the first of its kind in Lahore. The terrorists who have moved into the country’s largest province have no morality and no conscience. They follow no code of religious belief, for none, least of all Islam, preaches murder and mayhem.
The shrine of Hazrat Data Ganj Buksh, with its gleaming minarets and vast courtyards, holds immense significance for millions of people. Many, each year, travel miles to visit it; others stop by regularly to seek spiritual guidance or merely mental peace. Even those who have never visited the shrine hold respect for the man in whose memory it stands. As such the attack on it has left behind a deep sense of shock. This may help dispel the doubts that still lead some to question if the militants are truly men of evil. We need greater unity in order to successfully tackle militancy. It is apparent too that we need greater effort to do so in Punjab. There is now no time left to lose. The groups operating within the province need to be tracked down and banned organizations prevented from functioning. The Punjab government must take the lead in chalking out a strategy to eradicate these groups. This is now the only means left to prevent our society from suffering still further destruction at the hands of bombers who are steadily destroying the foundations that hold it up.

Columnist
ASHFAQ REHMANI
[pasrurmedia@hotmail.com]
In Charge Editorial Page
Daily AFTAB