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Title of the study

Role of Sufism in bringing communal harmony;


A Case study of Dargah Sharif Ajmer, Rajsthan India.
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Contents
1. Introduction .............................................................................................. 3 What is Sufism: ..................................................................................... 3 History in India ..................................................................................... 3 Social responsibilities of Sufism: ........................................................ 5 Communal harmony ............................................................................ 5 SOCIAL INTEGRATION AND COMMUNAL HARMONY IN INDIA ..................................................................................................... 8 Cases of Conflict: .................................................................................. 9 2. Literature Review .................................................................................. 10 Objectives of the study....................................................................... 10 3. Research Methodology ......................................................................... 11 Research Design .................................................................................. 11 Sampling .............................................................................................. 11 Method of data collection .................................................................. 11 Tool of data collection ........................................................................ 11 4. References ............................................................................................... 12

Introduction
What is Sufism:
According to scholars: Murray Titus-Sufism is an attitude of mind and heart towards god and problem of life. Sufism is one of the most dynamic and interesting dimension of Islamic religious and cultural expression. Sufism: mysticism or Sufism (called tasawwuf in Islam), is the basic of all religions. The term Sufi is coined from SUFFA (purity). The word Sufi (suf) in Arabic means wool. Right from the times of the prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) and his companions there were persons who had discarded all worldly enjoyments and pleasures because of their sincerity and devotion in prayers and in following the command of god .they were simple living and used to wear wool i.e. Suf and were called as Sufi. Sufism is thus a path where salvation is obtained by continuously remembering and worshipping god. Concentration in Sufism achieved either as a god gift or by spiritual practices to remember god in every breath. This requires purity, the purity of body and soul which helps in developing the concentration. This increase his efficiency, concentration and aptitude ( scientifically also proven if a man keeps his hand ,face and feet ,takes regular

baths and wear clean clothes with no dirt he/she feels fresh and mentally cool. Theory of Sufism: The best way of approaching to god is the love with his creatures; this approach recognises service to humanity.

History in India
Sufism was inherent in Islam and these internal forces within Islam cannot be isolated from the external factors .Sufi believes that Prophet Muhammad (sa) was a Sufi throughout his life. The practice of Sufism requires a strong relationship of teacher (master) with student (disciple) whoever is a teacher is a guide. He takes care of his disciples in every matter. After 3

prophet Muhammad (sa) the first caliph (disciple) hazrat abu-bakr siddique (632-39 A.D)taught the Sufis to renounce all their material goods for Islam and voluntarily adopt poverty. The second caliph hazrat umar farooq (634-644 A.D) was a model of simplicity always wore a gown with patches .the third caliph hazrat usman ghani(644-56 A.D) was the best example in resignation during crisis. The fourth caliph hazrat ali (656-61 A.D) was a model for Sufis thus hazrat ali regarded by Sufis as their leader or teacher in both theory and practice of Sufism .new centres of Muslim culture came to existence where Sufism also reached its heights. Some of the most prominent Sufis of different places before khwaja moinuddin chishty :Hasan basri 642-728 A.D ,rabia basri of basra ,shaqiq, bayazid bistani of khurasan, juned, shibli and sheikh abdul qadar jeelani of Baghdad (Iraq).Zun Nunof Egypt Onset of Sufism in India: Sufism or Islamic Mysticism came to India with Sufi Saints with the spread of Islam from the Middle Eastern countries during the 11th and 12th Centuries A.D. It was by the overpowering spell and charm of their magnetic personality, spiritual powers and exemplary conduct that they won the hearts of millions of people of India and thus laid the foundation of Islamic Mysticism in this country. The word Islam means peace and submission. In its religious sense it denotes submission to the will of God and in its secular sense the establishment of peace. Sufi Saints preached love among all classes of people. The lives of these humble and peaceful Sufi saints, who brought nothing with them except the name of Almighty Allah and the message of universal love, were exclusively dedicated to the cause of religious and spiritual enlightenment of the suffering humanity. As such they were naturally loved and respected by all classes and ranks of people from a peasant to a prince. They made India their home, lived here and gloriously passed away in the service of mankind.

Hazrat khwaja moinuddin chishty: love towards all malice towards none Hazrat khwaja moinuddin chishty came to Ajmer in 1190 A.D i.e. during the last decade of 12th century Quote of hazrat moinuddin in Persian: yagaana boodano yakta shudan ze chashm amoz ki har do chasma juda-o juda name nigarand means learn from the eyes the way to develop unity and oneness the two eyes appear different but their vision is one.

Social responsibilities of Sufism:


Sufis world is a world of Peace and Harmony, Their Mission is always service to mankind and worship only for Almighty, they believe in Peace, Tolerance and Compassion. Hazrat Khawaja moiuddin chishty was one of the most renowned and revered Sufi saints of India, who is also known by his title of GHARIB NAWAZ. His holy shrine at Ajmer Sharif is a world-renowned spiritual centre. He had propagated the teachings of Islam and the teachings of real Sufism (Islamic Mysticism) to the people of the world. He spread the message of peace, love and tolerance to the mankind. The Holy Shrine of the Great Sufi Saint of India Hazrat Khawaja moinudin chishty has a magnetic power to attract the people in large number irrespective of faith and religion. The Shrine reflects the true Sufi traditions. This centre of spiritualism promotes world peace, universal brotherhood, communal harmony and tolerance. The marvellous teachings of Indian Sufi saints for peace and harmony have great relevance today. The Sufi Message of peace is universal and meant for the whole mankind. This message is not confined to any particular community, society or country but it extends to the whole world. In fact, peace and love have no limitations; it cannot be enclosed within the boundary walls of any particular community, society or country but it should cross all borders and barriers and must reach the whole mankind.

Communal harmony
The humanity that India represents today is a product of a civilization 12,000 years or more old. The spirit of tolerance and assimilation are the hallmarks of this civilization. Never has the question of communal harmony and social integration raised such a wide range of emotions as today. The gradual and painful change of each mans allegiance from his own ethnic group to a wider circle of the entire social milieu constitutes one of the great revolutions of our time. Fear, suspicion and hatred are the fuel which feed the flame of communal disharmony and conflict. Though the Indian masses would prefer harmony between various communities, it cannot be established through the accommodation separate but equal, nor through the submergence of minority culture into majority culture whatever that may be. The present milieu offers no lasting cure. Though some benefits result from political action, until hearts are changed there is, at best, the outward form of equality without the spirit. Lasting harmony between
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heterogeneous communities can only come through a r ecognition of the oneness of mankind , a realization that differences that divide us along ethnic and religious lines have no foundation. Just as there are no boundaries drawn on the earth to separate nations, distinctions of social, economic, ethnic and religious identity imposed by peoples are artificial; they have only benefited those with vested interests. On the other hand, naturally occurring diverse regions of the planet, or the country, such as mountain and plains, each have unique benefits. Amity between the communities in the country and absence of friction and tension among them is known as communal harmony. In countries like India, it is very important, being a Precondition to internal peace, which is essential for progress and development of the country. As we know, India has got multiplicity of religions and very nature of the culture is composite. But religion has never been a source of co between the communities in Indian society. Mutual tolerance and regards for other religions is an age-old tradition of the country. Still the vested interests has always been active to create disharmony be them. There was, however, not a single instance some years back where obstruction in religious performance has been a cause of communal. This phenomenon in the Indian context is politically motivated an always been engineered by vested interests. It was there at the foreign rule as well as in post independence era. Communal harmony as such is highly sensitive an issue and cannot be soft pedaled any more in view of our traditional value, com cultural heritage and secular character of our state. For the sake of maintaining communal harmony , Akbar the started a new religion Din-e-Iiahi. He made a Rajput lady his wife gave equal respect is Hindu religion. During the time of Bahadur Zafar, the last king of Mugal dynasty, a function, Foolwalon-ki-Sai: used to be organized regularly in Delhi, were people of both the religion worshipped in temples and mosques together. Founders of our constitution also underlined the need of co harmony and provided for equal rights to all Indians irrespective of caste, colour and creed. This had made

our democracy system stronger main problem is how to maintain communal harmony at administrative and social levels. There is lack of political consciousness armor, common people due to illiteracy. A house divided against itself cannot stand. This warning to India torn by internal war holds true for the nation today and for the world. Differences between nations are even greater than those between diverse religious groups in India. One of the essential responses to this challenging issue is the development of a long range program to eradicate every vestige of communal hatred and prejudice. Such a program necessarily involves the dissemination of factual information as one means of eliminating misconceptions and superstition as one means of eliminating misconceptions and superstitions about caste and religion, so that positive relationships with persons of other backgrounds may be established with confidence and ease. Every individual who desires to take part in the great task of promoting and establishing true communal harmony in India can do so by becoming well-informed about the findings of science in regard to caste and religious prejudice, by participating continually in the work of social integration, by helping to eradicate those general conditions in the Indian sub-continent that bring frustration and hardship to many groups of people, and by encouraging others to join him in these worthwhile endeavours. There is yet one other factor prerequisite to the success of any program designed to remove prejudice a source of motivation to bring about remedial action in spite of social resistance to change. It is extremely difficult to undertake the necessary actions which will change and develop both self and society. The enormous drag of human prejudice sometimes seems impossible to overcome. In this present age, religion must again support all efforts to solve the problems in this most challenging area of human growth. The bonds of love and unity among human beings and the rest of creation need replenishment, strengthening and renewal. The subtle harmony between people needs to be reaffirmed and nourished.
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SOCIAL INTEGRATION AND COMMUNAL HARMONY IN INDIA


In India from time immemorial, people belonging to various religious faiths lived in harmony and peace. There are fundamental values and traditions in our culture that promote integration among different communities. This was helpful for the growth of a great civilization in the Indian sub-continent. It will be our endeavour as the citizens of this country to preserve the rich tradition of Social Harmony among diverse religious and ethnic groups and pass it over to the future generations. Even though communal tensions in India are well under control, there is no place for complacency as many internal and external forces are waiting with their ulterior motive sowing the seed sill-will. Human needs can be found as the same everywhere in the world if we look at it from biological and psychological perspectives. Irrespective of the geographic, linguistic or religious differences humans everywhere have common biological needs like hunger, thirst, sex etc; the satisfaction of which is essential for their survival. Similarly man has psychological needs like, need for recognition, need for companionship, need for security, need for prestige etc. the fulfilment of which is inevitable for maintaining sound mental health. Man cannot satisfy most of such needs through his own individual efforts. He requires the assistance of his fellow members of the group in this regard. That is why human beings are considered as social animals. A cooperative integrated society is most congenial for leading a healthy social life. Religion is one of the social institutions found in all human societies. It assists man to establish and maintain harmonious relationships with the supernatural forces that are believed to have direct influence in the fortunes of man. Moreover religion is one of the agents contributing to the integration of society. Religion provides we feeling among its members. Communalism has always been a problem in India due to the presence of many religious communities. During many periods throughout history, especially after the Delhi Sultanate, there have been clashes between members of different communities.
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Some have looked upon the failure of the Indian National Congress to form coalition ministries in 1937 as the turning point in relations between Hindus and Muslims in India. Others claim it was 1928, when the all parties conference rejected separate electorates whereas still others believe it was the formation of the Muslim league in 1906. However, major communal issues began with the advent of the British Raj in India and the British policy of divide and rule. Also, the uneven economic and cultural development of the different communities was an important factor in the rise of communalism. The foundation of the Muslim league and reactions of Hindu political organizations to their foundation forever cemented communal politics in India. The demand for Pakistan and collapse of the non-cooperation movement etched communalism in India. But during all these crisis situation there have been religious bindings and love for humanity through folks like Sufism which has evolved as a great survivor for the same and bringing harmony in the country.

Cases of Conflict:
Regionalism: though India is a second largest country in the world having different states with their different cultures. On the basis of these boundaries we have divided ourselves instead of being Indian we call ourselves by our region. For e.g. recently in Maharashtra people were not allowed from some parts of the country. Riots: after 1947 India got independence but till today there have been many riots in different parts of the country some of them were still being remembered and places are still disturbed Class conflict: India is a developing nation and we have all sects of people in the society we have mixed population i.e. rich and poor .on the basis of these differences we face imbalance in the country. Indo Pak relation

How Sufism have helped in resolving these conflicts Role of Sufism and Dargah in bringing communal harmony & its social responsibilities

Literature Review
Abstract of articles: THE 3rd INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE WITH FOCUS ON MYSTICISM and SPIRITUALITY IN ISLAM and INDIAN RELIGIONS.

ROLE OF KHWAJA MOINUDDIN CHISHTI,HIS SHRINE and

KHUDDAM IN

UNIFICATION and PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE OF THE PEOPLE IN THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT .

Objectives of the study


To understand the motivational factors for the visitors of the shrine of Ajmer Sharif Dargah To understand the religious faith and affiliations of the visitors of Ajmer Sharif Dargah To analyze the perspectives of the visitors of the Dargah for promoting communal harmony in India. To analyze the challenges faced by the visitors and the management of the shrine in terms of influx of the people. To recommend initiatives for better utilization of the religious shrines in terms of promoting communal harmony in the country. 10

Research Methodology
Research Design Descriptive research design Sampling Non probability Sampling
Quota and Convenient sampling Category of the respondents Businessman Bureaucrats Youth Religious leaders Simple size 25 25 25 25 Technique Convenient sampling Convenient sampling Convenient sampling Convenient sampling

Method of data collection: Interview Tool of data collection: Interview Schedule and Interview Guide

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References
1. JOHN and SUBHAN (1999) SUFISM its saints and shrines INDIGO BOOKS and COSMO PUBLICATION NEW DELHI.

2. SAIYID ATHAR ABBAS RIZVI(1978) A HISTORY OF SUFISM IN INDIA VOL-1 (early Sufism and its history in India) MUNSHIRAM MANOHARLAL NEW DELHI

3. W.D.BEGG (1979) HOLY BIOGRAPHY OF KHWAJA MUINUDIIN CHISHTI (a symbol of peace and love) 4. G.N KHAN PUBLICATION BOTSWANA (AFRICA)

5. Prof.A.M.A SHUSTERY (1999) THE MASTER PIECE OF SUFISM (early Sufis and their Sufism) ADAM PUBLISHERS and DISTRIBUTERS DELHI

6. P.M.CURRIE (1989) THE SHRINE AND CULT OF MUIN AL-DIN CHISHTI OF AJMER. OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS NEW DELHI

7. K.D.KHAN (2004) KHWAJA MOINDDIN CHISHTI (social and educational relevance) Sarup and sons NEW DELHI

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8. Prof.S.LIYAQAT.

.MOINI

(2004)

THE

CHISHTI

SHRINE

OF

AJMER

(pirs,pilgrims.practice)PUBLICATION SCHEME JAIPUR(RAJASTHAN)

9. http://www.studymode.com/essays/Communal-Voilence-In-India-

975830.html

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