The Sufi disconnect

Short cut

It is embarrassing to hear many modern, educated Hindus and Muslims, who believe in syncretism in more ways than one, speak eloquently of the Sufis — the Islamic mystics — and their message of love and peace. There is the concomitant myth that Sufis are icons of India’s multi-religious, pluralist and secular heritage. It has now become an established norm that well-meaning Indian middle class staunchly believes in the oxymoronic juxtaposition of religion and secularism.
It was not surprising then that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at the World Sufi Conference, organised by the All India Ulama and Mashaikh Board (AIUMB), held forth on Islam’s message of peace, and how Islam as a religion negates violence and terrorism. The Prime Minister’s political appeal was that the followers of the Sufi traditions among Muslims should help fight Islamic terrorism.
While the PM was justified in making his limited political appeal, the history of the Sufis poses an intellectual challenge to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Modern Muslims have been trying to get away from the complex religious history of Islam. The attempt has been to keep the faith simple and rational. It meant that Muslims should go by the Quran and the Hadees or the oral traditions of Prophet Muhammad, the compilation of which followed rigorous methods of verification and validation. The construction of Hadees is indeed a glowing example of scientific historiography. However, the simplistic reading of Islam has facilitated the emergence of puritanical zealots, some of whom then slip into violence and terrorism. The ideas and arguments of Maulana Abul A’ala Maududi have been quite influential, and a small section of Muslims adhere to them, as represented by the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.
There are also the orthodox puritans as represented by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind.

    DNA

The Sufi disconnect

Short cut

It is embarrassing to hear many modern, educated Hindus and Muslims, who believe in syncretism in more ways than one, speak eloquently of the Sufis the Islamic mystics and their message of love and peace. There is the concomitant myth that Sufis are icons of Indias multi-religious, pluralist and secular heritage. It has now become an established norm that well-meaning Indian middle class staunchly believes in the oxymoronic juxtaposition of religion and secularism. It was not surprising then that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at the World Sufi Conference, organised by the All India Ulama and Mashaikh Board (AIUMB), held forth on Islams message of peace, and how Islam as a religion negates violence and terrorism. The Prime Ministers political appeal was that the followers of the Sufi traditions among Muslims should help fight Islamic terrorism. While the PM was justified in making his limited political appeal, the history of the Sufis poses an intellectual challenge to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Modern Muslims have been trying to get away from the complex religious history of Islam. The attempt has been to keep the faith simple and rational. It meant that Muslims should go by the Quran and the Hadees or the oral traditions of Prophet Muhammad, the compilation of which followed rigorous methods of verification and validation. The construction of Hadees is indeed a glowing example of scientific historiography. However, the simplistic reading of Islam has facilitated the emergence of puritanical zealots, some of whom then slip into violence and terrorism. The ideas and arguments of Maulana Abul Aala Maududi have been quite influential, and a small section of Muslims adhere to them, as represented by the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. There are also the orthodox puritans as represented by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind. DNA