Introduction

• The Sufi Movement (Sufism) in India has been critically is a dramatic movement that is highly connected to socio-religious area. Unorthodox Muslim saints were the pioneer.
• The word ‘sufi’ is derived from ‘suf’, which means wool in Arabic, referring to the simple cloaks the early Muslim ascetics wore. It also means ‘purity’, and thus can be understood as the one who wears wool on top of purity.
• Sufi Cult or Sufism is a mystical form of Islam, a school of practice that focuses on the spiritual search for God and shuns materialism. It is a form of Islamic mysticism which stresses asceticism. 
• The Sufis were regarded as people who kept their heart pure and who sought to communicate with God though their ascetic practices. The terms Sufi, Wali, Darvesh, and Faqir are used interchangeably for Muslim saints who attempted to achieve development of their intuitive faculties through ascetic exercises, contemplation, renunciation, and self-denial.
• God, man, and the relation of love between God and man, is fundamental to Sufism. The ideas of ruh (soul), qurbat (divine proximity), and hulul (infusion of the divine spirit), Ishq (divine love), and Fana (self-annihilation) are central to the theory of Sufism. Sufism thus represents the inward or esoteric, mystical side of Islam.
• The Sufi saints, transcending all religious and communal distinctions, worked for promoting the interest of humanity at large. The Sufis regarded God as the supreme beauty, and believed that one must admire him, take delight in his thought, and concentrate his attention on him only. They believed that God is Mashuq and Sufis are the Ashiqs.
• Sufism stressed the elements of love and devotion as effective means of the realisation of God. Love of God meant the love of humanity, and hence they believed that service to humanity was tantamount to service to God. In Sufism, self-discipline was considered an essential condition to gain the knowledge of god by sense of perception. While orthodox Muslims emphasise external conduct, the Sufis lay stress on inner purity. Other ideas emphasised by Sufism are meditation, good actions, repentance for sins, performance of prayers and pilgrimages, fasting, charity, and suppression of passions by ascetic practices.
• Islam entered India in the 7th century CE in the form of merchants from Saudi Arabia who traded with the western coastal regions of India. After that in the north, the religion entered Multan and Sind when the regions were captured by Muhammad Bin Qasim in the 8th century CE.
• Sufism or mysticism emerged in the 8th century, and the early known Sufis were Rabia al-Adawiya, Al-Junaid, and Bayazid Bastami. However, it evolved into a well-developed movement by the end of the 11th century during the reign of the Delhi Sultanate.
  • Al Hujwiri, who established himself in north India, was buried in Lahore and regarded as the oldest Sufi in the sub-continent.
• There were two broad Sufi orders:
  • Bashara – Those who obeyed Islamic laws. The Beshara was also called ‘mast kalandar’. They comprised wandering monks who were also called Baba. They did not leave any written accounts.
  • Beshara – Those who were more liberal.
• By the 12th century, the Sufis were organised in Silsilahs (i.e., orders, which basically represented an unbreakable chain between the Pir, the teacher, and the murids, the disciples). The four most popular Silsilahs among these were the Chistis, Suhrawardis, Qadiriyahs, and Naqshbandis.
• Sufis stress on the importance of following the path directed by the Sufi pir, which thus enables one to establish a direct communion with the divine. The khanqah (the hospice) was the centre of activities of the various Sufi orders. The khanqah was led by the shaikh, pir, or murshid (teacher), who lived with his murids (disciples). In due course of time, the khanqahs emerged as important centres of learning and preaching.
  • When the pir died, his dargah, i.e., the tomb or shrine, became a centre for his disciples and followers. The murid (disciple) passes through maqamat (various stages) in this process of experiencing communion with the divine.
  • Many Sufis enjoyed the sama or musical congregation in their khanqahs. In fact, qawwali developed during this period only. The ziyarat or pilgrimage to the tombs of the Sufi saints soon emerged as an important form of ritual pilgrimage.
  • Most of the Sufis believed in the performance of miracles. Almost all pirs were associated with the miracles performed by them.