| Awaken Bharata |
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| Books By David Frawley |
| SUFIS AND MILITANCE | |
| It
is true that some Islamic rulers opposed certain Sufis. Sometimes
they supported one Sufi group against another in their vying for
political power and influence. Some rulers while trying to favor the
orthodox ulama would accept their criticism of the Sufis. But these
were only episodes of conflict in a much greater alliance, like the
struggles between generals in the same armies.
Conservative Sufis in India culminated in well known Sufis like Ahmad Sirhindi (Mujaddid) of the Naqshbandi order (1564-1634) and his followers, Shaikh Waliullah of the same order (17031762) and his followers, who are perhaps the two most influential Sufi thinkers in India during recent centuries. Both Sirhindi and Waliullah insisted upon the oppression of Hindus and destruction of Hindu temples, yet also promoted various forms of Sufi mysticism. Sirhindi felt himself to be the reviver of Islam, a title called Mujaddid, for its second millennia, or he almost made himself into a new prophet. Shaikh Waliullah had similar ideas in his time. Many Hindus are inclined to believe that Sufis generally allied themselves with the tolerant Mughal emperor Akbar (reign 1556-1605) and later opposed the intolerant Aurangzeb (reign 1658-1707). This is another Hindu fantasy that Sufis such as Sirhindi clearly contradict. Sirhindi was opposed to Akbar for being too liberal in his views and tolerating Hindus. "The Mujaddid presumed that Akbar was an enemy of Islam, although the same charge did not apply to the whole of Jehangir's reign (1605-1627)." |
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