The Spiritual Abuse among Sufis
By Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander, New Age Islam
25 July 2022
Sufism Is Derived From the Islamic Concept of Ihsaan
Main Points:
1.
Many Sufi sects
operate as cults
2.
The grey areas of
abuse and sexploitation by many Sufis is under reported
3.
Sufism too is not a
monolith, and there are hierarchies and structures that divide people
4.
Instead of being
rational Sufis tend to render their disciples blind with superstitions
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Sufism is an important school of thought among Muslims. The
Muslims who focus more on the purification of their soul from the baser
instincts of self are quite attracted to it. There are numerous reasons about
the development of Sufism among Muslims and for some it was because the
fighting against the monarchial tyrant rulers had proved futile, so
concentration was emphasized more on the inner purification of Muslims that
would render them as better and pious Muslims who will find salvation in the
Hereafter. For most Sufis, associating with kings and rich elite was abhorrent.
Few Sufis certainly did try to influence politics and courts but it certainly
was not for their own benefit or availing perks but just to secure the cause of
Islam. Some kings who were openly violating Islamic injunctions needed to be
purged or dethroned so that was the reason for their involvement in politics.
Also Sufism certainly is derived from the Islamic concept of Ihsaan. It
entails that a believer should always be conscious of the presence of the
Divine. The highest form of Ihsaan is to be experienced through prayers
where the praying Muslim is supposed to feel that he is witnessing God and vice
versa. But if this state is difficult to attain then it must be kept in mind
that God is watching him. So this omnipresent eye of God definitely renders
Sufi conscious of the God keeping tally on all activities. This omnipresence is
regularly reinforced through Dhikr. The spiritual aspect of Islam is best
manifested through Sufism.
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Over the centuries, Sufism developed many indigenous
practices, some derived from Islam and others due to influence of local
traditions and other religions. Sufism for many of its ideologues appears to be
something as parallel to Islam. Islam was constructed as violent and Sufism as
pacifist. Further both of them were constructed in the popular media and
culture as monolith. Although Sufism has various strands, schools of thought
and philosophies and some are violent too, because Sufis were Islamic scholars
too so they understood the nuances and complexities of various injunctions.
Over the centuries, Sufism developed its own politics that added ammunition to
the arsenal of its critics. The patronage of Sufism and Sufis by various
violent states tarnished the image of Sufism in the eyes of common masses. Also
various people with criminal and corrupt past began to appropriate Sufism to
hide their evil practices behind the cloak of Sufism. Hence Sufism was rendered
suspicious like Islam because that is what is reflected in the practices of
Muslims. If Muslims are indulging in corruption, violence, terrorism and
casteism then certainly for non-Muslims and many Muslims it will be Islam that
will be held accountable for not Muslims alone particularly if they proclaim
that they are acting in the name of Islam. Similar is the case with Sufism.
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Without falling prey to the academic jargon about Sufism,
many aspects that are problematic and unIslamic are least talked and criticized
about Sufism. One fact that Sufis like Shias, take huge pride in claiming
descent from Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Most of their family trees run up to the
Prophet (pbuh). Although the Quran has put an end to this discourse about being
descendant of Prophet (pbuh) by observing that he is father of no male (Al
Quran 33:40). But Sufi masters take pride in such a relationship, whereas
belonging to a certain family is not a ticket to Paradise. Every Muslim is
supposed to strive for his/her own salvation. Otherwise it will be following
the Jews and Christians of Prophetic times who believed that they are the
inheritors of Paradise (Al Quran 5:18). So taking pride in a family lineage and
boasting about it is detestable in the eyes of God. God forgives anything but
he does not forgive arrogance. So a person even with a pride as small as a
mustard seed in his/her heart will not enter paradise. So Sufis should take
note of this shortcoming.
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Even in India, Sufis and scholars like Maulana Abul Hasan
Ali Nadwi (Ali Miyan) took pride in staking claim about belonging to the family
of Syed Ahmad Shaheed, the founder of the Mujahideen movement in India. Ali
Miya’s biography of Syed Ahmad Shaheed and his own autobiography running into
multiple volumes makes it stark clear that he took pride in being descendant of
Syed Ahmad Shaheed’s family, although for some that was not the case and Ali
Miya just tried to appropriate the same.
Then we have the coercive and controlling behavior of Sufi
Murshid or Pir who wants people to become his disciples not students, Murids
not Muslims. The disciples are supposed to blindly follow the Sufi master
without questioning something that Prophet Moses was supposed to do as he met Khizr.
This blind following does not have a basis in Islam, even Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) was not blindly followed by the first generation of Muslims known as
Suhaba or companions of the Prophet. This surrender to God has been replaced by
Pir in most Sufi Silsilas. Also questioning is abhorred, as he is supposed to
be the embodiment of all knowledge and spiritual prowess. So anyone who dares
to question, is shunted out and declared unfit for further training.
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Also Read: Spiritual Proximity with Allah through Remembrance
and Acceptance is Sufism
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Along with spiritual abuse, there can be physical or sexual
abuse of boys, girls and women in a Sufi order. Many Sufi orders have
retrograded to personality cults, so the disciples function in an institutional
manner. They intermarry and are involved in various projects. With power, fame
and money the sexual exploits of the Sufi cults get brushed under the carpet.
If anyone dares to speak up they are thrown out and even declared as apostates.
Few years back a petty criminal adorned the garb of Sufism,
started a cult and the Kashmiri masses respected him and attend to his sermons
particularly in the Sufi and Rishi shrines of Kashmir valley. He was known to
his followers as Gulzar Pir. Later it came to the fore that Gulzar Pir was
involved in the sexual exploitation of his female students and disciples. When
this sexploitation scandal got exposed he was arrested and later on released as
the witnesses failed to prove a case against him. Now he is back in business of
sermonizing and people do follow and listen to him. So the curious case of
Gulzar Pir depicts that Sufi cult like any other cult is run on blind emotions
and obedience. Hence they want to have followers who are mute, deaf and blind.
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The construction of Sufism as something based on love only
needs a further probe because there are internecine tussles among Pirs
belonging to different Silsilas. They may not talk to others for decades
and indulge in Takfir too. Then hatred is transferred among disciples and they
hate each other. The tussles among Pirs and Murshids are as true
as between mullahs and Maulvis. This too is an overlooked aspect about Sufism.
So it certainly points out the fact that the Murshid who claims to be involved
in the Tazkiya e Nafs of disciples is himself in need of purification to
help him overcome the vices like anger, greed and Takfir. I am aware about the
tussle between Sufi cults one who revere Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as the
greatest and other one who uphold Owais Qarni (R.A) as being the greatest lover
of God, exaggerating his stature to that and beyond Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
So next time someone tries to paint Sufism as something
parallel to Islam, stop and portray some grey areas too. This article is not
meant to demean the role and contribution of Sufism as Sufism has helped Islam
to spread, connect Muslims to God, taught humans to love each other and
immensely helped societies develop better. But these dark and grey areas that
crept within Sufism need to be identified too and that is the motive of this
article.
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A New Age Islam columnist, M.H.A. Sikander is
Writer-Activist based in Srinagar, Kashmir
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-society/spiritual-abuse-sufis/d/127561
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