When we hear the Saudis have demolished holy sites and made them into toilets and parking lots, its usually difficult for some people to truly understand or feel emotion. The connection that wahabi-influenced Western Muslims have to, say, the Hazrati Khadijas (R) old house and the Prophet’s (S) birthplace is shaky at best.
However, few places are mentioned as often in childrens tales as the Cave of Hira at Jabl al-Nur (Mountain of Light). Even these people with confused ideologies find their hearts drawn to the stories of the cave. What would it be like to see that cave, pray where the Prophet (S) first received Quran?
Recently family members have come back from Umrah and took some pictures of the situation of the cave.
First we see the standard Bidaa/Innovation disclaimer one would expect from the Wahabi’s who control and are ‘guardians’ of the holy places. Not many people make the trip up the mountain, especially after reading this warning. Only two men traveled up alone to see these sights, they encountered no rush of littering people. Much of this seems to have been sitting there for months or years.
Of course, this means they will give little care to maintaining this place, its all “Bidaa” to them.
Once you are finally up the mountain, the path immediately before the seating place of the Prophet (S):
Its difficult to compare this to times in the past when entire contingents were paid by the government/people to keep places such as this in spectacular condition.
Climb up through these boulders to see where the Prophet (S) would sit and meditate:
This is the view of the area, the large rock in the center may have served as the Prophet’s (S) chair:
Supposedly before construction one could look outwards to see the Kabaah from here, yet its difficult to get past the view of the garbage:
The entire area is littered with not only actual garbage but also graffiti, visitors will often pray here:
The mountain side
Interesting snippet of an article about the Wahabis work on Islamic sacred sites:
Dr Irfan al-Alawi, historian, founder and former executive director of the Islamic Heritage Research Foundation, who is one of the most vocal opponents of the destruction of the Haramayn and their environs, says that last year the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs distributed a pamphlet in the Masjid-e Nabawi calling for the demolition of the green dome. Endorsed by Abdul-Aziz al-Sheykh, the kingdom’s current grand mufti, the pamphlet brazenly declared: “The green dome shall be demolished and the three graves [where the Prophet, Abu Bakr and Umar are laid to rest] flattened in the Prophet’s Mosque.” The groundwork for such sacrilegious statements was prepared by another prominent Saudi scholar, the late Muhammad ibn al-Uthaymeen, who for 35 years delivered khutbas in the Masjid al-Haram. “We hope one day we’ll be able to destroy the green dome of the Prophet Muhammed [saws],” he said, in a recording provided by Dr Alawi.
Dr Alawi estimates that 300 historic sites have been destroyed or are scheduled for destruction. An old house that had belonged to Umm al-Mu’mineen Khadijah al-Kubra (ra) was recently razed to make room for a public toilet facility, among other things. The birthplace of the Messenger (saw) in Makkah was first turned into a library and named “Maktabat Makka al-Mukarrama”, and is now being turned into a parking lot. While libraries are important, the plan was not based on the Wahhabis’ desire for learning but on their determination to destroy all vestiges of Islam’s heritage. The few remaining historical sites in Makkah can be counted on one hand and will probably not survive much past the next Hajj, according to Dr Alawi. “It is incredible how little respect is paid to the House of Allah [in Makkah].”
An ATM (cash-dispensing machine) has opened on the site where the ancient mosque named after the first khalifah, Abu-Bakr Siddiq (ra), once stood. The sites of the historic battles at Uhud and Badr have become parking lots. The graves of Amir Hamza (ra) and the other shuhada of Uhud have suffered even greater indignity: garbage litters the site and the Wahhabis expressly forbid any identification-markers on them, again under the spurious excuse that this would lead to shirk. The 1,200-year-old mosque and tomb of Sayyid Imam al-Uraidhi ibn Ja‘far al-Sadiq, four miles from Masjid-e Nabawi in Madinah, was destroyed by dynamite and flattened on August 13, 2002. Imam al-Uraidhi was ninth in line from the Prophet (saw).
http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/52814
When trying to understand the connection between Mureed and Sheykh, the story of Uways al Karani (R) is a key which will open up understanding, especially in these days where students are often seperated by their teacher in many physical ways.
In the example of Uwaysal Karani (R) we find also the power of spiritually connecting to the teacher, which is possible even over vast distances.
It is interesting to note here that the key of Uwaysal Karani’s (R) example is closeness and attachment to the Prophet (S), not attempts at independence and de-emphasis.
It is with emphasis on the teacher and love for the teacher he never met which gave Uwaysal Karani (R) his particularly high status.
One chapter of Sahih Muslim is dedicated to the hadith of Uwaysal Karani (R)
So my advice to you is stick to your own guide like Uwaysal Karani (R), who loved his guide deeply from afar.
–
‘Umar bin Khattab reported: I heard Allah’s Messenger (S.A.W.) as saying: Worthy amongst the successors would be a person who would be called Uways. He would have his mother (living with him) and he would have (a small) sign of leprosy. Ask him to beg pardon for you (from Allah). [Saheeh Muslim, Book 31, Number 6171]
His name was Uways, he was known as Uways al-Qarani because he lived in a village called “Qaran” in Yemen. Uways bin ‘Amir al Muradi al-Qarani (Radia-Allahu’anhu) was a very pious and noble person. Although his life was insignificant from a worldly point of view, he is renowned and honored amongst all Muslims, Sufis in particular, for his piety, practice of zuhd (asceticism) , as well as a deep love and affection for the Beloved Messenger of Allah (Salla’llahu’ alayhi was salaam). It is said that he spent all his hours in solitude, fasting, night vigil and salat (prayers). Uways al-Qarani was presented the blessed cloak of Rasulullah (S.A.W.) on the Holy Prophet’s instruction. It is preserved in Istanbul, Turkey. He had embraced Islam while the Beloved Prophet was still alive. He naturally had a very strong desire to see the Prophet but since his mother was very old and she needed his constant care and attention, he could not visit the Beloved of Allah. As a reward of his service to his mother, he was treated as a Sahabi (Companion of Prophet) by the Prophet even though he could not see him personally. His name entered the list of Sahaba only because of his strong intention to see the Allah’s Beloved Messenger. When Uways al-Qarani received a message about the Beloved Prophet, that he had lost a tooth in the battle of “Uhud”, Uways pulled one of his own teeth out (because of his love towards the Beloved Prophet).
Once the Companions asked the Beloved Prophet: “Has Uways Qarani ever visited you? The Beloved Prophet replied: “No, He never watched me physically, but spiritually he met me.”
He had asked his mother’s permission to visit Allah’s Most Beloved Messenger Salla Allahu ta’ala ‘alayhi wa Sallam, and she said: “You have my permission to go, see him once, and come straight back. If the Messenger Salla Allahu ta’ala ‘alayhi wa Sallam is at home, you may meet with him; if not, come straight back here.” Uways made a journey of three months on foot, from the Yemen to Madinah the Illuminated. When he reached Rasulullah Salla Allahu ta’ala ‘alayhi wa Sallam’s house, he knocked on the door and Hadrat Aisha Radi allahu Anha, wife of the Chosen Prophet and Mother of the Believers opened the door. She told him that Rasulullah Salla Allahu ta’ala ‘alayhi wa Sallam was in the Masjid.
Uways Radi allahu Anhu remembered his promise to his mother and replied: “Please convey my salaams to my Beloved Rasulullah Salla Allahu ta’ala ‘alayhi wa Sallam. Kindly inform him that Uways came from the Yemen, did not find him at home, and is returning to the Yemen, since he does not have permission from his mother to meet him in the mosque.”
When the Rasul Salla Allahu ta’ala ‘alayhi wa Sallam came home from the mosque, he found the radiance of Uways in his house. Hadrat Aisha Radi allahu Anha told him what had happened, and conveyed Uways’s salutations. His blessed eyes looked towards Yemen and the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta’ala ‘alayhi wa Sallam said: “The fragrance of our friend is reaching us.” The noble Companions asked: “If Uways is your friend, why did he not stay to see you?” Rasulullah Salla Allahu ta’ala ‘alayhi wa Sallam replied: “He complied with a promise given to his mother and he is serving her.”
The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta’ala ‘alayhi wa Sallam said “Uways will come back to Madinah the Illuminated, to meet me, but we will not meet physically, for I shall then be united with my Lord ”
Rasulullah Salla Allahu ta’ala ‘alayhi wa Sallam said that when Uways Radi allahu Anhu came back to Madinah he was to be given his cloak, and asked to pray for the Community of Muhammad Salla Allahu ta’ala ‘alayhi wa Sallam. He also mentioned that a light was visible on one of Uways’s hands.
During Hadrat Umar Radi allahu Anhu’s Caliphate, a number of Yemeni’s visited Madinah the Illuminated and Hadrat Ali and Hadrat Umar Radi allahu Anhu ajmain approached them and enquired about the Saint, Uways Radi allahu Anhu, from the village of Qaran. The Yemenis said they knew of no such saint, but they did point out that a camelherd from that village, who seldom mixed with other people, preferring to spend his time in worship, alone among the camels. Hadrat Ali and Hadrat Umar Radi allahu Anhu ajmain then approached Hadrat Uways Radi allahu Anhu, greeted him, conveyed the greetings of the Messenger Salla Allahu ta’ala ‘alayhi wa Sallam, and presented him with his blessed cloak. But he was reluctant to accept. “Surely there is some mistake!” he exclaimed, in his desire to hide himself. Seeing the light upon his hand, however, they cried: “You are the saint described to us by Allah’s MessengerSalla Allahu ta’ala ‘alayhi wa Sallam, for he told us about the light on your hand.” They also reported to him the wish of the blessed MessengerSalla Allahu ta’ala ‘alayhi wa Sallam that he should pray for the Community of Muhammad.
Hadrat Uways Radi allahu Anhu rubbed the blessed cloak over his face and eyes and kissed it. Then he asked to be left alone. When he was alone he held the cloak and began to pray: “0 Allah this cloak is the cloak of Your beloved Messenger. He has presented it to me, but I refuse to wear it unless You pardon the Community of Muhammad Salla Allahu ta’ala ‘alayhi wa Sallam.” He then repeated his prayer in exactly the same words. As he was about to repeat his prayer a third time, Hadrat Ali and Hadrat Umar Radi allahu Anhu ajmain came beside him. He cried: “Oh, you came too soon! Upon my first supplication, Allah granted me forgiveness for one third of the Community; on my second, He forgave two-thirds of the Community. In my third request I was pleading for pardon for the entire Community of Muhammad – then you came along!”
As with people in every age, the Yemenis were unaware of the presence in their midst of such a saint, whose prayers were accepted. They imagined him to be an ordinary camelherd. The Friends of Allah, do not seek fame, and as such hide themselves away from other people.
-
The only stop on our trip to Cyprus was a short stop in Istanbul. We got our visa’s and exited.
Of course, we are the only ones wearing turbans within JFK and Istanbul. We are asked a lot of questions, some sincere, some with suspiciousness.
It is expensive to taxi all the way to our first stop, Eyup Sultan’s Tomb and Masjid. Eyup (Ayub) Sultan (R)was the Sahabi who first housed the Prophet (S) in Madinah. If one recalls the story told in the Sirat un Nabi, the Ansar were all eager and disputing with regards to who should have the honor of keeping the Prophet (S) at their homes.
The Prophet (S) ordered a camel (corrected) to roam and where it shall stop that would be the home where the Prophet (S) would stay. That was Eyup Sultan’s home.
A musjid was built around his tomb in 1458, one of the first constructions after the Ottomans conquered Istanbul.
Taking the metro system and then onto an extremely overcrowded bus we arrive.
We enjoy the wudu at Eyup Sultan’s after a long flight with less than acceptable water conditions and rude (at least to people wearing Turbans) stewardesses.
Entering the Tomb is amazing… people are everywhere, it is very crowded. The feeling of sincerity is deep, most people coming here are locals… this is not a common ‘tourist’ destination. It is very heavy, it is really amazing to be in the presence of a Sahabi.
Words fail.
Eyup Sultan’s Tomb
I suppose because we are wearing turbans people with special problems and very difficult situations approach us to pray for them. Who am I to pray for them? If you don’t believe in intercession, such experiences make its absolute necessity to be clear. I make the intention, for the sake of our Sheykh, to help ease their burden inshaAllah.
We recite fatiha and greet the great Sahabi.
Many other people asked to be buried near Eyup Sultan, including very good servants to the Sultans.
Other artifacts are present, such as the footprint of the Prophet (S). It is difficult to see in photographs due to the fact that it is encased in glass.
We pray Asr and Maghrib at Eyup Sultan Masjid which is very beautiful. This is the ceiling:
There is a small spiral staircase which takes allows me to take a better picture of the front scene:
People take great honor in holding up the thick mat which covers the entrance to allow people to enter or exit.
More to come, inshaAllah.
The Naksibendi way is about working on the ego. But what does that mean? Working on the ego means doing things you don’t like to do, or hearing things which you might not want to hear about ourselves. Working on the ego involves submitting it, truly, in the Islamic understanding, as Islam is submission.
As the child submits to the parent in order to improve and learn, so does the real servant of Allah submit to his teacher.
Contrary to this traditional approach, today’s common understanding of the religion (especially suitable for liberal Islamic reformers and puritans) is that ‘submission’ implies a direct two-way relationship with God. This is a submission which involves conceding only to a self-created construct understood as ‘God’. Unfortunately, this approach suffers from the fatal flaw in that it presupposes that we have a exact understanding of what God wants from us. In this matter there have been innumerable levels of confusion, terrorists have found their own understanding, and ungrounded spiritual ‘seekers’ have found completely different understanding.
Within the spectrum of these groups we also find the legal ‘experts’ of Islam who attempt to find out (worldly) how God wants us to behave, and here too we have wide ranges of expression. From the modern to the ancient and from the extremely liberal to the conservative, everyone has found their place and laid their stake in ‘Islam’.
The one thing in common between these experts is that they have understood Islamic Law (Shariat) as being the bulk of Islam itself. Most of the work they do now is spending time trying to ‘clarify’ legal realities for the personal and the public sphere. Many have spent their lives in trying to fit Shariat into some sort of modern political system or movement. For them Islam is no longer submission of the nafs, but submission of the body to the letter of a law that they themselves have interpreted and deemed ‘authentic’. Ensuring that our wills are legally sanctioned, that our business contracts are legally sound, that our food is certified, that courts settle disputes with Islamic legal precedence, and that our worship fits into some authentic teaching from the Messenger (Salallahu’alaiheewassalam).
These are all noble goals, when they are executed with Hikmat (wisdom) and with permission stemming from those ‘in authority’ amongst us, the Awliyaullah. On the other hand, the same goals, when sought in complete disconnection of spiritual authority lead to darkness and despair. Without the spiritual authority powering the engine of the law, we find movements destroying Buddhist temples and eliminating musical expression. We find movements looking to kill apostates and divorcing converts from their husbands. In the absence of traditional spiritual authority, we find that what is called ‘Shariat’ becomes a doorway to hypocrisy, and what is meant as a protection for us becomes an opening for tyranny.
Spiritual authority is also something which is not obtained by memorization or degrees from institutions. Unlike knowledge of legal matters, it is not something sought after, but rather given and bestowed. It is with the teachings of traditional Islam, and by that very definition, the Sufi tariqats, that Shariat finds meaning, balance, and moderation. It with spirituality that wisdom comes to determine where a people need to be in the various levels and applications of the Law. Is the Muslim community more like the early Muslims of Makkah to be treated softly towards understanding the belief and faith in One God, or are we more like the established community of Madinah? The development of a law without the wisdom behind understanding a character-focused, fluid, and spiritual approach towards religion, is what leads us to a pseudo legalistic ego found in many ‘scholars’ of today.
In a recent article, it was suggested by some of these same pseudo legal experts that they deal with traditional Sufi’s as mistaken children:
Ultimately, the point of any spiritual training is its efficacy, by the grace of God, in producing a godly soul, even if the spiritual adept believes in some false ideas – as long as the religion is not undermined and people of piety are produced, then why are we to argue over such matters – Andrew Booso
The message within this statement is truly an insight into the pseudo-legalistic ego. From the perspective of these ‘experts’ it is now possible to be a pious, spiritually trained Muslim, with a godly soul and exist with an ‘undermined’ religion. It is within this framework that the Isnad (the chain of transmission) and the authority to judge ‘authenticity’ becomes all of Islam, and anything which does not conform to this standard is something that is patently a ‘false idea’.
This, I believe, is representative of a leftover inferiority complex coming from an environment of textually altered and spiritually unprotected religions.
Yet, Islam is a religion of effortless protection on our part:
“Lo! We, even We, reveal the Reminder, and lo! We verily are its Guardian” (15:9)
It is the mental complex focused on purification, developed deep within their developing Muslim psyche, which drives many of our converted and born-Muslim scholars with excessive exposure to such religions and Western ideologies, to spend their entire lives with a deep focus on the sciences of textual authenticity instead of the sciences of character development and faith.
In the Sahih it is related that the Prophet (Sallalahu’alaiheewassalam) said, “I do not fear whether you will become polytheists after I die. I fear that you, because of worldly interests, will kill one another and thus be destroyed like ancient tribes.” The Prophet (Salallahu’alaiheewassalam) did not fear us worshipping the wrong God in the wrong way, but that we would be too attached to this world. He (Sallalahu’alaiheewassalam) feared lack of character and spiritual development, which is part of the attachment to the dunya. Today’s scholars attachement to dunya is represented by a focus on ‘authenticity’, a focus on very earthly paper and people.
This is the fundamental departure of the legalistic ego from that of the traditional understanding of Islam, which has accepted Uwaysi transmission of spiritual knowledge for centuries. It is the modern day legalistic scholar who has trouble accepting spiritual transmission of knowledge, or the existence of any knowledge which was not completely documented. Such knowledge does not even have room to exist within an accepted, but different, ‘opinion’: it simply does not exist. For them, any faith in it, is faith in a mistake.
Without documented proof of physical transmission the spiritual knowledge of the saints is treated like a freak sideshow or a collection of fairy tales. For purposes of determining the letter of the law, certainly the Awliya do not apply their wisdom in changing the laws of the books, rather we find that they change the law of practice. Umar (R) suspended the Hadd punishment, by which authority did he do so? Did he deny the law existed? No. He applied wisdom in its applications. Similarly, the Awliya are not using this form of knowledge in order to change the Shariat, but they are using it to give meaning, context, subtlety and life to it.
When speaking of spiritual knowledge and transmission, if the modern day existence of a cell phone isn’t sufficient to explain ‘wireless transmission’, the many hadith about seeing the Prophet (Sallaahu’alaiheewassalam) in a dream (does he remain silent?), and the Hadith relating the Karamat of Umar (R) should be sufficient proof for the transmission of knowledge:
‘Umar sent an army and he put at the head of them a man called Sariyah. While ‘Umar was delivering the khutbah he began to cry out, ‘Sariyah, the mountain!’ three times. Then later the messenger of the army came and he asked ‘Umar, ‘Amir al-Muminin, we were being defeated and in that situation we heard a voice crying out, “Sariyah, the mountain!” three times. We put the mountain to our rear, and then Allah defeated them.’ Someone said to ‘Umar, ‘You cried out with those words.’ That mountain, where Sariyah was, is close to Nahawand in the land of the non-Arabs. – as-Suyuti
The Quran addresses these types of legalistic people in the example of Musa (AS), far below his stature they are. In the journey’s he subdued his ego to that of Khizr (AS), yet reacted with a few outbursts before he was left. It is with reading the story of Khizr (AS) that we find the true reason and what knowledge Khizr (AS) had about his actions. Being taught knowledge directly from the Divine Presence gave Khizr (AS) the ammunition to take drastic actions which contravened Musa’s (AS) Torah, yet he did it with wisdom and permission.
BismillahirRahmanirRaheem
“How canst thou bear with that whereof thou canst not compass any knowledge? ” (18:68)
The reality is that this legal process which exists outside of spiritual authority, is in fact ego-worship, the antithesis of ego submission. It assumes that the fundamental truth lies in between lines of text and our interpretation. This futile search for God within legal disputes darkens the soul and has only really ended in fruitless wheel-spinning of the collective Muslim Ummah. It is this textual understanding of Islam which has caused people to lose sight of the fundamental goal, dying with faith and seeking to cleanse the ego of bad characteristics.
Is this really what the Prophet (Sallalahua’aliheewassalam) brought? Were his khutbas and sohbets about such legal realities as drawing up contracts and this and that? Yes, maybe, to some extent. But the far greater part of the Prophet’s (Salallahu’alaiheewassalams) message was about improving character. When he (Sallalahu’alaiheewassalam) was calling people to Allah at the beginning, did he do it with a corpus of law in his hands, or was it with faith? The goal was taking the worst of people in Jahiliyya and making them *better people*, removing evil characteristics within themselves. Not making them into pseudo-lawyers.
More Manifestations of the Marginalization
Wing Leung describes a marginal person as “…one who does not belong. . . . [T]he marginal man…[dwells] at the margin of two cultures and two societies…[and possesses] a marginal mentality…[with its] unresolved identity crises.”
This marginalization of immigrants and specifically South Asians reflects itself in a few ways, some are internal and some external. One obvious and humorous representation of this duality is how the standard dress code at a South Asian Valima (post wedding party) is the very Western suit and tie, while traditional Shalwar Kameez is acceptable only at the wedding itself. This duality is a physical example of the same irrational self-hatred that many South Asians have of their culture and tradition.
The religious South Asians have inherited the Arabization complex, being proud in wearing their Keffiyeh and thobes. While the non-religious South Asians have inherited the Western complex, being proud in the overt sexualization of Bollywood movies and being satisfied with each and every encroaching Western footprint on their culture.
What is clear is that South Asians have been marginalizing their own historical legacy of Islamic spirituality and arts for some time.
The Wahabi/Salafi movement, and the creation of ideologies spawned from it, have only furthered the Arabization, forcing people to choose between Islam and their own culture. The number of anti-cultural movements such as that of Jamaat e Islami (and its offshoots) have all but eliminated the Qawalli, the beautiful Naat, the notoriously complex and enchanting poetry, and the tradition of sending Salaams to the Prophet (Salalalahu’alaiheewassalam) in unison after gathering. In the West these aspects of South Asian tradition are virtually non-existant.
Another manifestation of the marginalization is the rise of a circle of speakers which is distinctly non-Eastern. Today we see crowds of all-generation immigrant Muslims who are standing in line in the cold to listen to speakers who share their faith but not an ounce of their heritage and culture. This is absolutely monumental achievement in one sense, but it is also something that is not safe from all criticism. The one immediate question is: Why is nearly every speaker on Islam in the West a convert or a card carrying member of the Arabized Al-Madinah University ideology?
At a recent Islam in the West symposium held in New Jersey, while the key organizers were South Asian, there was really no hint towards their cultural influence in the art booths, in the music presented on stage, in the food being eaten, or in the clothes being sold. Islam in the West was largely empty of the multicultural ideal of the American promise in the first place. Islam in the West was, for the South Asian attendee, all about showing off how white or black we had become (while staying Muslim).
Other manifestations are extremely evident in second generation youth. They have to do with the humorous routes the youth take towards dealing with “Uncles”, making fun of speech, dress, and politics. South Asians have already dealt with the socially accepted profiling of their profession and accents by non-Muslims in shows like the Simpsons and numerous roles of cab drivers in films and TV. At the same time, South Asians youth have joined in the chorus, producing excellent clips such as an Al-Maghrib skit insulting the intelligence and religious knowledge of those with South Asian accents [link here]. The general idea of most Arabization movements, such as that which is coming from al-Maghrib Institute, is the empowerment of the youth and the targeted striking in the cracks between them and their past.
It is clear when the tradition of Sufism has in itself become marginalized that there is very little needed in terms of additional examples. This is the tradition of grounded Islamic spirituality which brought large numbers of South Asians into Islam in the first place, and it is largely unknown to today’s second-generation youth. In fact, it is now largely considered a reprehensible innovation by most American Muslims. There is no better example of self-hatred or ignorance of South Asian culture and faith than the fact that the children proclaim their fathers as the ultimate sinners: Mushriks.
South Asian Muslims are shockingly unaware of huge characters in their own history. Even amongst the circles of so-called “traditionalists,” one finds a reprehensible dearth of information about the South Asian contribution to the preservation of Islam. While one may understand that the Wahhabi project is fundamentally against the mere mention of the great Sufi saints of India, it is curious that institutions that I have deep respect for speak little of the history of Islam in South Asia. While such circles will literally go to China to find knowledge, as seen with the recent infatuation with Haji Nooruddin, they literally fly over India when talking about Muslim history. Thus, the rich tapestry woven by the Mughal Empire, as well as the deep roots sown by the Sufi saints, as well as the Ulema, in India, are totally forgotten. Indeed, this lack of mention seems to imply that South Asia has no contribution to Islam; a grave misconception.
Islam in India has been a dynamic force since it arrived into the Subcontinent. While Muhammad bin Qasim first brought Islam militarily, it was the Sufis who spread Islam in India. Richard Eaton, a leading scholar on conversion to Islam in South Asia, states in his book “The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier,” that the traditional theories of Islam being spread by (a) the sword, (b) an egalitarian ideal, (c) social pressure, and (d) power center, are not viable. He states instead that Islam was spread by groups of Sufis who mixed with farming peasants who tended the land for their Mughal “zamindars.” (Link to book). These seeds led to the rise of some of the greatest scholarship seen in the history of Islam, as well as a deep spirituality.
One of the great saints of India who is never mentioned today, even amongst the traditionalists, is Sheykh Ali Hujweri (QaddasAllahu Sirruhu), who is buried in Lahore. Lovingly known as Data Ganjbaksh by South Asians, he wrote the first book in Sufism in Farsi, “Kashful Mahjub,” the Unveiling of the Hidden. Within this book, he addresses some of the most contentious issues of Sufism, including Fana and Baqaa. Within the book, he also argues for a deep orthodoxy to counter the rife Hinduism around him. Sheykh Ali Hujweri’s book was an immense contribution to the corpus of Sufi texts, and much of South Asia became Muslim at his hands.
Another spiritual sage, Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (Q.S.), the founder of the Chishti Tariqat, was from India. Chishtiyya is one of the four major Tariqats of the world, with Qadiriyya, Naqshbandiyya, and Shadhiliyya. Upon his entrance to India, Khwaja Muinuddin stayed at the tomb of Sheykh Ali Hujweri for two weeks to seek permission to spread Islam to India. Before leaving the tomb, he proclaimed,
“Ganj Bakhsh-e faiz-e aalam, mazhar-e Nur-i Khuda
Naqisaan ra pir-e kaamil, kaamilaan ra rahnuma”
meaning
” Ganj Bakhsh is a manifestation of the Light of God for the people
A perfect guide unto the imperfect ones and a guide unto the perfect ones”
Khwaja Muinuddin spread Islam in the town of Ajmer and elsewhere, and he was known for his patronage of the poor. One of his greatest strengths was his ability to draw from the native Hindu culture and appeal to the non-believers in their own terms. Indeed, the Chishti Tariqa is noted for taking the musical forms of the Indian raga and Islamicizing it into Qawwali, in order to appeal to the native population.
And how can we speak of India without mentioning the Eminent Saint, Imam Rabbani, also known as Sheykh Ahmed Sirhindi. He was deeply involved in the politics of the region, and helped to free Islam of the innovations of false Sufism. Additionally, he wrote extensively on deep spiritual issues, such as the difference between Wahadat al-Wujud and Wahdat al-Shuhud. His work was to free Tasawwuf of the Biddat that it had become rife with. Additionally, he used his influence to help the Mughal Emperors to practice Islam correctly in the region. His work Maktubat is one of the most amazing texts of Fiqh, Shariat, Haqiqat, and Tasawwuf written in the history of Islam. Indeed, most scholars see him as the Mujaddid of his century.
When all this and more is missing from the culture of first generation Muslims, what are we expecting from the second generation? Whats clear is that South Asians have taken a turn towards the Arab, and are seeking to erase the past and join the ranks of Egypt, Syria, Morocco and others states who long ago embraced a continued Arabization. There seems to be a wealth of spiritual knowledge and artisitic accomplishment which has been, for far too long, locked up in the cage of the South Asian inferiority complex. While numerous efforts are underway in bringing various pieces of Arabic literature and tradition into the West, nothing is being done to represent this slowly forgotten segment of Islamic culture.
It is clear that American Islam, like the South Asian Muslim, is heading down a direct path of forced Arabization, and this is a tragic fate due to the irresponsibility and intellectual subordination of Muslim organizations, immigrant Muslims, and South Asian Muslims in general.
(continued with: Wahabi Arabic Hegemony and the Andalusian Ideal)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (1,020.3KB)
the truth on 
m.a.kidwai,CME/IND.RLY.(retd.) on 
