The way of the Sufi

Shahid Malik:

Far from any imported ideas of pacifism, the key to ending conflict and promoting tolerance lies in an often overlooked local tradition

The threat of transnational terrorism has created a climate of fear and a sense of helplessness around the world. The complexities of means adopted by terror groups have exposed the inadequacies of security forces, moral philosophers, psychologists and theologians alike.

In the recent years, where  the dominant image of Islam in the minds of many Westerners has been one loaded with violence and shrouded with fear, there has been a renewed interest in Sufism/mysticism and its ability to dim the fury of radical Islam around the world. Ideologically inclined to appreciate the spiritual values of life, the Sufis and mystics made a tremendous contribution in evolving a synthesis of ideas against the arbitrary formalism of religion down the ages. Because of this, in a more contemporary scenario, where religion is often used as a fuel for the engines of war, an attempt has also been made to assess whether the powerful Sufi resurgence, in a direct response to literalism and spiritual bankruptcy of fundamentalist Islam, has a role to play in the complex geopolitical games of our times.

For centuries, many of the world’s Muslims were, in one way or another, practitioners of Sufism, a spiritualism that centers on the mystical connection between the individual and the divine. Sufism’s ethos was egalitarian, charitable and friendly. It blended with local cultures and cemented Islam’s place from North Africa to the Indian subcontinent.

Some analysts think that historical legacy can still be exploited. A 2007 report by the Rand Corp., a U.S. think tank, advised Western governments to “harness” Sufism, saying its adherents were “natural allies of the West.” Along similar lines, the Algerian government announced in July that it would promote the nation’s Sufi heritage on radio and television in a bid to check the powerful influence of Salafism, a more extreme strain of Islam that is followed by al-Qaeda-backed militants waging a war against the country’s autocratic state.

But can Sufism really bend terrorist swords into plowshares? The answer is yes because mysticism strives for direct connection with the supreme reality and nature, and bonds of harmony with humankind through self-purification, spirituality and contemplation. With this connectivity to the nature, environment and humanity, it offers a variety of formations and colours around the world. Sufism offers streams of philosophical, ritualistic, literary and artistic forms. Rarely explored, these common themes can be used for establishing strong alliances between world religions and sectarian divides as well. These attributes also define an ethical framework for humanity to comprehend aspects of morality and human character.

Although mysticism, in all religious traditions, strives for coexistence with others but Sufism, especially in Islam, served as a connection between religious, ethnic and cultural identities. It involved common people with their message of tolerance and love for God and humans.

Sufis in the sub-continental context are known for providing a common venue for people of all religions and ethnicities. Sufi shrines are still highly popular among the believers of Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian and other faiths. Although the institution never challenged feudalism directly, it created a parallel institution that provided an alternate route to the established social order based on the hegemony of the prevailing feudal system and the ruling aristocracy. Sufism also evolved into an institution that became a source of psychological catharsis to the poor and needy who sought refuge from their sufferings in Khanqahs and Sufi shrines. In the times of war, political chaos, social disorder and political oppression, people approached Sufis for their advice and assistance. Despite its religious orientation, however, the most significant impact the institution left in the region was creating a society based on communal harmony in a highly diverse region culturally, ethnically and socially. It was because of this institution that South Asian lived peacefully and collaboratively for centuries.

All mystic traditions tried to comprehend divinity, universe, and life from personal, subjective and individual perspectives. Hence, speaking especially in the context of South Asia, Sufism can provide a conceptual framework for grassroots movements working for equity, gender equality and communal harmony. And generally, though the potential of mysticism as a dynamic ideology in the contemporary world should not be exaggerated, it would not be wrong to assess the potential of Sufism in providing a common platform to world religions for reducing unnecessary religious animosities and tensions given the significant role Sufism historically played in promoting tolerance, peace and harmony.

The writer is an Islamabad-based journalist.