Sufis and Sufism in India X-rayed Rajeshkumar Gambhava Sufism is the bastard child born out of the intellectual rape of the Iranian literati by Islam. ± Dr. Ali Sina -----------------------------------------Introduction: India has always been a land of diversity. Secularism and peaceful co-existence is not a concept in this land, it is a way of life, and t he credit for this goes to the understandi ng of our great Vedic ancestors, who were men of great letters and mighty spirit. Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, Bahais all have found home and safe shelter in this great country and mingled with Aryans (Hindus) ± the original inhabitants of this ancient country. However, the only exception to these immigrants was the Muslims, who did not come here to adapt t hemselves to the local culture and live in peace and har mony. They had only one aim -- to subdue the native populations and flutter the flag of Islam through the length and breadth of this once great nation. Islam smeared the face of this country with a paint so horrific that the colour still refuses to wither out. While there is no denying the fact that Islam was spread in India mostly by the threat and use sword, there is another aspect of Islamic proselytization, which is ignored. This face is that of Sufism (Islamic Mysticis m) and the Sufis (Islamic Mystics). How Sufis m came into being: Sufi literally means a person clad in woolen cloth. They were so called because they dressed themselves in this way, said to be the way of Muhammad the P rophet and his companions. It is propagated that Sufis believed in attaining God by meditation, fasts and singing his praises to achieve a state of ecstasy just like Hindu Saints. However, the fact is that Sufis m that was created during the 8th and 9th century A.D. was a reaction against the unenlightened, impersonal and draconian nature of Islam. It was then that many Persian thinkers, dis mayed with the inhumane nature of Islam, tried to refor m it by searching for deeper mystical meanings in apparently violent and brutal verse of the Quran. What the Sufis did was a crime of foolishness. They taught a different religion but fearing rejection, they claimed it to be the inner message of Islam. Sufis claim that Sufis m is the kernel of Islam while the Sharia is its outer shell. The truth is the opposite. The kernel and core of Islam is the Quran, which is poison of mind and spirit. Sufis m is only a gloss that masks it. In the words of Dr Ali Sina: ³The Sufis could not refor m Islam or make it more humane. All they did is to conceal its ugliness and thus make it even more dangerous trap for the unwitting victims´. Sufis m is a borrowed ideology and invented by the ingenious but hopelessly sycophant bootlicking Persians who did not have the temerity and the insight to denounce Islam as an idiotic cult of a crazed man and reject it in its entirety as an stupid cult but instead sheepishly tried to reinterpret this graceless doctrine of ignorance, dress it with rationality and sugarcoat it with alien un-Islamic philosophies taken from all kinds of sources such as Hinduism, Zoroastrian, Christian, Jewish and even Buddhist to make it toothsome to their own refined mystical palate. In fact, the Sufi doctrine is foreign to Islam. It had partially its foundation in segments of Quranic verses like Alif Laam Raa. Nobody except Muhammad the Prophet and his invention called Allah has been able to know the meaning of these incomprehensible words until today. The Sufis of the early Islam took advantage of the obscure nature of segments of verses like this and alluded that there must be ³hidden meaning´ to these. Subsequently, they extended this ³hidden meaning´ to all the verses ± including those which explicitly calls for the killing the infidels under clearly defined conditions. As nonsensical as it may sound, the same Sufis went on to claim that all Quranic verses have six different meanings. Think about the stupidity here: They even could not attribute a single meaning to µ Alif Laam Raa¶ ± how do they know there are five other meanings? And such notion they had propagated defying the fact that Allah has repeatedly affirmed in no less than a dozen verses that the Quran¶s message is clear and written in simple language so that everybody can understand it easily ± including by the people of Muhammad's time, who were definitely much less intelligent than the people of our time. Despite the fact that except Prophet Mohammad, the sainthood in Islam has been a debatable issue, Sufism of various orders in the name of their founder saints has become a universal aspect of Islam. Sufis are known as Islamic spiritualists and the Muslims (and superstitious Hindus) commonly view them as intermediaries between God and individuals. Sufis m: Spiritual or Politics? It is awfully propagated that Sufis m is full of spiritualism and could be a very effective means of promoting 'Hindu-Muslim unity' and social harmony, while the fact is otherwise. Contrary to the spiritual mission of Sufis m, the cult was primarily introduced in India for spread of Islam with a view to helping the Muslim rulers for political domination. Sufis are considered as messengers of god who believed in peace, harmony and nonviolence. But contrary to this belief, we read many evidences of Sufis using all measures t o convert Hindus to Islam. From stipends, grants, higher official posts, life threat, pardoning of life to brutal killings were main tools for them. A close examination of the history of Islamic proselytization activities (Islamization) in India proves that Sufis m through its missionary activities complemented the conversion of Hindus to Islam. Sufis m, on one hand supported the Muslim invaders and Sultans in their political activities and reckless killings of the Hindus on the other hand, influenced the gullible Hindus through their drama of spiritualis m and mysticism. Kashmir is a typical example of Islamization both by sword and by the Sufis. Amongst the Sultans who used force to Islamize Kashmir the most notorious is Sikandar Butshikan (1389-1431). About this Sultan, Kalhan in his ³Rajtarangini´ says: ³The Sultan forgetting all his royal duties took pleasure day and night in destroying idols. He destroyed idols of Martand, Vishnu, Ishan, Chakravarty and Tripureshwar´. But this is just a small tip of iceberg. The real credit of Islamizing Kashmir goes to Sufis. Sikandar was a passing phase having lived only 42 years. Conversion by Sufis was a continuous process almost imperceptible which lasted for centuries. Sikandar¶s conversions were caused by utter terror. Sufis created conditions where Hindus voluntarily came to them and got converted. These sufis did not object to the genocide of the Hindus and enslaving and selling their children and women by the cruel Muslim invaders. Almost all Sufi masters wer e silent spectators of to the murderous mayhems and reckless plunder of temples and by the marauding hordes across the subcontinent. They did not object to senseless mass killings of the Hindus and destruction of Hindu temples. Anwar Shaikh in Islam, Sex and Violence says: ³Since Islam declared India a Darul-Harb and the Indians as Kafirs i.e. the enemies of Allah, the foreign [Muslim] rulers also maximized the dosage of faith to the proselytes for quickening the process of turning them against their own motherland and brethren. To perfect this art of traitor --manufacturing, these monarchs secured the services of Sufis m for proselytis m. « These Sufi saints, who founded the Mystical Orders known as Qadriya, Chishtiya, Naqshbandiya, Suharwardiya, etc., and acted as spiritual patrons of the royal courts, were also foreigners, who came to India for perpetuating the rule of their countrymen in the guise of "Islamic Mysticism," which has no real foundation in the Koran and hadith´. By and large, the mystic Islamic saints enjoyed the royal favour and support of cruel Muslim rulers and gave moral support to the atrocious Muslim invaders and looked the other way to ignore the growing social conflict. They also guided the State in political affairs with their experience of regular interaction with common people. These sufis worked not only as the spies of Islamic imperialis m but also as deceivers of gullible Hindu masses. The Sufis either in their lifetime or their tombs after death became a symbol of supernatural power with metaphysical features ascribed to them under the guidelines of Quran and Sunnah. The disciples of Sufis adopted the path of peace or even armed jehad for Shariatisation of the whole world as a mission of holy duty. According to well-known historian, Dr. K. S. Lal, ³Hand in hand with the proselytizing efforts of the rulers was the work of Sufis and Maulvis. From the time of Muhammad bin Tughdaq (1326 -1351) to that Akbar (1556-1605), Bengal had attracted rebels, refugees, Sufi mashaikh, disgruntled nobles and adventures from North India. Professor K. R. Quanungo has noted that the conversion of Bengal was mainly the work of Barah -Auliyas. Prof. Abdul Karim has also referred to militant Sufi proselytization.'' ( Social History of Muslims in Bengal, pp. 136 -138) Sufis had accompanied the Muslim marauders in their conquest and brought Islam in contact with Hindu priests and saints. They were receptive to some of the local Hindu traditions may be for a tactical reason to entice the locals towards Islam but ensured that local norms are not accommodated against the watertight Islamic belief, dogma and practice of Quran, Hadith and Sharia which were the fountainheads of Sufism. Sufi saints commonly viewed as symbol of secularis m however, never opposed Jiziya (Tax imposed on non believers) levied on Hindus in Islamic India. Therefore, instead of advising the Muslim marauders against their inhuman deeds, the Sufis overlooked the plight of Hindu priests and saints, who were forced to flee and hide themselves. They praised Muslim invaders who killed millions of Hindus, plunder ed thousands of temples, raped countless mothers and sisters and sold Hindus in slave market of Kabul. The way Sufis' tombs emerged as a place of pilgrimage s uggests that the missionar y objective of the Islamic mystics was for mulated mainly for conversion and to establish the Perso-Arabian cultural domination in Indian subcontinent. Under the patronage of the State under Muslim rulers, the Sufi mystics allured Hindu subjects for adoption of Muslim identity and superiority of Islamic tradition. The establishment of Sufi orders in India coincided with the rising political power of Musli ms. According to Sita Ram Goel, ³So far as India is concerned, it is difficult to find a Sufi whos e consciousness harboured even a trace of any spirituality. By and large, the sufis that functioned in this country were the most fanatic and fundamentalist activists of Islamic imperialis m«´ (Hindu Temples ± What Happened to Them , Vol. 1) Passion to the essential spirituality of life was hardly found in any Muslim ruler or Prince except Dara Shikoh (1615-1659). He was perhaps the only sincere Muslim prince whose "effort was to find a common ground between Hindu and Muslim religious tho ught" (Islamic Mysticism in India by Nagendra Kumar Singh, Page 179). For this he was accused of heresy. In short, Sufism is a camouflaged and sugarcoated version of real Islam. It is just a façade. This so-called refor mist and non-violent version of Islam is not really that much different from extremist Islam. When push comes to shove, a Muslim is a Muslim and Islam is what Muhammad did in his life-time and taught in Quran. Sufis m in the Sultanate period in India: During the period of Sultanate in India, these mystics were supposed to guarantee the prosperity to Islamic kingdom. They were patronized by the state for spreading Islam among the non-believers with their acclaimed spiritual influences in the mass. The gift and land provided to the Islamic mystics were used for hospice and their tombs became a place of pilgrimage after their death. "No document attests to the peaceful preaching of the Sufis that most defenders of Isla m put forward today" (A History of Modern India, edited by Claude Markovitz, Anthen Press, 2002, Page 33). The attraction of the political and economic benefits that Islam offered seemed to have been the primary motivation for conversion, which particularly affected the middle strata of society. ³The numerous Sufi religious establishments in India were the major means of spreading Islam and adapting it to indigenous cultural tradition" ( Islamic Mysticism in India by Nagendra Kumar Singh, for mer Chair man, Islamic Research Foundation, Delhi). Various Sufi Orders: Of the various Sufi orders Muslims (and Hindus too!) follow in India, the impact of Chisti order is visible even in small villages of Indian subcontinent. Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti -- a disciple of Khwaja Abu Abdal Chisti, the propounder of this order -- introduced it in India. Born in Sijistan in eastern Persia in C.E. 1141, he came to India with the army of Shahabuddin Ghori in 1192 AD and selected Ajmer as his per manent abode since 1195. There also he lies buried after his death in 1236. He is known as Gharib Nawaz or Friend of the Poor and Nabi -ul-Hind or Prophet of India. He is regarded as a leading preacher of Sufis m among Sufis of India. His shrine became a place of pilgrimage with the support of Muslim rulers. It is said that Akbar used to have annual pilgrimage there. He believed that it was thanks to this Sufi¶s blessings that he got a son and the heir for the mughal throne, and thus began a fashion (superstition) among Indians for fulfilling wishes by offering prayer at his mazar. Whenever he [Akbar] wanted to celebrate some happy event or seek blessing for some great undertaking - which was quite often, he went on a pilgrimage to the dargah of Muinuddin Chishti, the foremost symbol of Islam¶s ceaseless war on Hindus and Hinduis m. Though people sing more about his miracles, very few are aware of the real stand of this Sufi. Stories have been exaggerated to show Khwaja as a mystic with high spiritual powers, but the truth is different. He is projected as an example of ³Sufi saintliness´ and ³secularis m´, tending to all needy persons irrespective of their faith. However, little is known (or told?) about the major role that he played in Islamization of India. The belief of Khwaja in shariat and his support to Muslim invader Muhammad Ghori for establishment of Islamic rule in India clearly outlines his inclination towards radical Islam. A very interesting excerpt as quoted in P M Currie¶s book µThe shrine and cult of Muinuddin Chishti of Ajmer ¶ exposes the true face of this µsecular friend of the poor¶: ³It is told that once when he went to perform the pilgrimage to the holy tomb of the Prophet Muhammad, one day from the inside of the pure and blessed tomb a cry came: µSend for Muinuddin¶. When Muinuddin came to the door, he stood there and he saw that presence speak to him. ³Muinuddin, you are the essence of my faith, but must go to Hindustan. There is a place called Ajmer, to which one of my sons (descendants) went for a holy war, and now he has become a martyr, and the place has passed again into the hands of infidels. By the grace of your footsteps there, once more shall Islam be made manifest, and the Kafirs be punished by God¶s wrath.¶¶ ³Accordingly, Muinuddin reached Ajmer in Hindustan. There he said: µPraise be to God, May he be exalted, for I have gained possession of the property of my brother. Although, at that time there were many temples of idols around the lake, when the Khwaja saw them, he said: µIf God and His Prophet so will, it will not be long before I raze to the ground thes e idol-temples.¶´ This is followed by tales of Khwaja coming over those Hindu deities and teachers who were strongly opposed to his settling down there. Amongst such people was a disgruntled employee of Rai Pithaura (as Prithvi Raj Chauhan was also known). It appears that shorn of miracles the story simply suggests that Khwaja came to India deter mined to eradicate idolatry and paganism and establish Islam in its place . He met with a lot of resistance from the local governor of Rai Pithaura besides resistance from Rai Pithaura himself. With the help of the immense treasure at his disposal and having converted many gullible Hindus to his faith, he became strong enough to invite Rai Pithaura to convert to Islam. Having failed to persua de him, Khwaja sent a message inviting Sultan Shahabuddin Ghori to attack India. Shahabuddin made unsuccessful invasions. Rai Pithaura always allowed him to go back unmolested after his defeat. Ultimately, however, he defeated Prithvi Raj Chauhan and kille d him´. The ³Siyar al-Arifin´ says about Khwaja Muinuddin: ³After Muinuddin arrived in India, ³Because of his sword, instead of idols and temples, there are Mosques, Mimbars and Mihrabs in the land of unbelief. In the land where the sayings of the idolater s were heard, there is now the sound of Allah-O-Akbar.´ Many Hindus have been misled, mostly by their own so-called µsecular¶ scholars, to cherish the fond belief that the Sufis were spiritual seekers, and that unlike the Mullahs, they loved Hindu religious lore and liked their Hindu neighbours. The Chishtiya Sufis in particular have been chosen for such fulsome praise. But the gullible Hindus hardly know that the Sufi µsaints¶ which travelled to India after the advent of Muinuddin Chishti were departments of the imperialist establishment of Islam. None of these sups looked kindly at the Hindus. Four Islamic mystics from Afghanistan namely Moinuddin (d. 1233 in Ajmer), Qutubuddin (d. 1236 in Delhi), Nizamuddin (d.1335 in Delhi) and Fariduddin (d.1265 in Pattan now in Pakistan) accompanied the Islamic invaders in India. All of them were from the Chistiya order of Islamic mysticis m. Radiating from Delhi under Nizamuddin, the Chistiya spread its roots all across India. The famous Sufi Shine at Ajmer Sharif in Rajasthan and Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi belong to this order. Suharawardy order of Sufism was founded by Shahabuddin Suharawardy of Baghdad and introduced in India by hi s disciple Bahauddin Zakariya of Multan. It became popular in Bengal Qadiri order was founded by Abdul Qadir, whose tomb is at Baghdad. Its influence is extensively among the Muslims of south India. Bahauddin Naqshband (1318 -1389) of Turkistan founded Naqshbandi order of Sufism. It insisted on rigid adherence to Shariat and nurturing love for the prophet. This order established its hold in India under the patronage of Mogul rulers, as its founder was their ancestral 'Pir' (Spiritual guide). "The conquest of India by Babur in 1526 gave considerable impetus to the Naqshbandiya order" ( History of Sufism in India by Saiyied Athar Abbas Rizvi, Volume 2, 1992, Page 180) Its disciples remained loyal to the throne because of the common Turk origin. With the royal patronage of most of the Mogul rulers, Naqshbandi order served the cause for revival of Islam in its pristine form. Khwaja Mohammad Baqi Billah Berang whose tomb is in Delhi introduced Naqshbandi order in India. Sufi Thinkers: The Sharia-guided mystic influence of Sufis produced the Muslim thinkers like Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi, Shah Wali Ullah, Sayed Ahmad Barelavi, Karamat Ali, Sir Sayed Ahmad Khan, Allama Iqbal and Maulana Maududi. They used the mystic philosophy befitting to the political necessities of the time for revival of political supremacy of Islam. Of them, Sirhindi and Wali Ullah politicized the mystic ideology for political domination of Islam. They were projected as Islamic reformists for purifying Islam from any extraneous influences. They conveyed the political aspect of Islam to Muslim masses so aggressively that it created a per manent imprint on their psyche. The mission of Shaikh Sirhindi popularly known as Mujaddid was to purify Islam from the influence of Akbar with a view to counteri ng his policy of "the Hindu wielding the sword of Islam" and "Peace with all". Unhappy with the regime of Emperor Akbar for withdrawal of Jejia tax imposed on the Hindus, Sirhindi made frantic effort to purge Islam of all extraneous influences. He viewed Hindu mystics like Guru Nanak and Sant Kabir despicable, as they did not follow Sharia. Sirhindi condemned the reign of Akbar for his 'broadmindedness' and policy of 'peace with all'. He strongly criticized freedom of worship granted to the Hindus. µHate-Hindu syndrome¶ was so deep in him that "death of Akbar (1605) filled Shaikh Ahmad with hopes that the pristine purity of Islam would be implanted in India" ( A History Sufism in India by Saiyed Athar Abbas Rizvi, Volume 2, 1992, Page 204) With his strong contempt against Shias and the Hindus, Sirhind wrote several letters to the nobles in the court of Jahangir for guiding the emperor on the path of Shariat, and for removal of Kafirs (Shias and Hindus) from the administration. He was dead against any honourable status of Hindus in Islamic government. Sirhind wanted the religious freedom enjoyed by the Hindus during Akbar regime to be curbed. Enraged with his too much interference in administration, Jahangir imprisoned him in Gwalior (A History of Sufism in India by Saiyed Athar Abbas Rizvi, Vol. II, 1972, Page 178) but released him after one year. Despite this anti-Hindu tirade of Sirhindi, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in 1919 eulogized the role of Mujaddid (Sirhind). He once wrote: "The honor of Islam lies in insulting kufr and kafirs. One who respects the kafirs dishonors the Muslims... The real purpose of levying jiziya on them is to humiliate them to such an extent that they may not be able to dress well and to live in grandeur. They should constantly remain terrified and trembling. It is intended to hold them under contempt and to uphold the honor and might of Islam." ( The Story of Islamic Imperialism in India by Sita Ram Goel) Shah Wali Ullah, a prominent Muslim thinker of eighteenth century who shaped the destiny of Indian Muslims was also a Sufi of Naqshbandi order. His contempt against the Hindus was identical to Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi. The rise of two Hindu rebellious groups namely Marathas and Jats against the Muslim rulers in 1750s stirred the mystic spirit of Wali Ullah and he invited Ahmad Shah Abdali, the Afghan ruler, to invade India to save the Muslims from the subjugation of Hindus. While formulating the outlines of his mystical ideology, he transfor med the Islamic mysticism into a theo-political concept for supremacy of Islam. His ideology had no scope to accommodate any order of non -Islamic mysticism, which he regarded unhealthy. Carving out a new path for Sufis m he became an active Islamist with a sole objective for resurgent Sunni political power in Delhi. (A History of Sufism in India, Vol. II, Rizvi, Page 259). Wali Ullah infused new vigour in practice of Naqshbandi Sufi order. He synthesized the disciplines of the three major Sufi orders namely Qadari, Chisti and Naqshbandi with a view to unite the Muslim society against the Hindus. Like Shaikh Ahmad Sirhind, he was also against the presence of Hindu employees in the administration of Muslim rulers as he viewed it harmful to the purity of Islam. His attempt was to purify Islam from the s piritual influence of Hinduis m. He was the main guiding source for Muslims after the decline of Islamic rule in Indian subcontinent. Contrary to the commonly viewed Sufi tradition, he was not open to the spiritual tradition of local Hindus in any form. H is main spiritual concern if any was for revival of Islamic India. Sayed Ahmad Barelavi, a disciple of Abd al Aziz, (the son of Shah Wali Ullah) continued the tradition of Waliullah and launched armed jehad against the non -Muslims but was killed in the battle of Balkot against Sikh leader Ranjit Singh. Karamat Ali, a disciple of Sayed Ahmad Barelavi further developed the ideology for purifying Islam from the influences of Hindu custom and tradition. Sufi during British Rule in India: Sufi movement became inactive with the decline of Muslim power in India. With the failure of armed resistance against the British and Sikh- Hindu combined, the followers of hard line Sufis m were forced to adjust with the ground reality of non-Muslim occupation of Indian subcontinent but did not reconcile with it. The failure of Sepoy mutiny and consolidation of British power in Indian subcontinent was a further jolt on the radical Islamists, but all the Islamic revivalist movements like Deoband, Aligarh and Pakistan drew their inspirations from the µanti-Hindu syndrome¶ of Sufi saints like Sirhind and Shah Wali Ullah. Khilafat movement and subsequent Pakistan movement were the result of the jehadi interpretation of Wali Ullah brand of Sufi -jehad against the political domin ation of nonbelievers. The resistance of Muslims against the British and subsequently against the Indian National Congress was due to deep and hard line influence of Shah Wali Ullah over them. Before the failure of 1857 Sepoy mutiny, Sir Sayed Ahmad Khan was a follower of the neo-Sufi cult of Shah Waliullah. Syed Ahmad Khan gradually distanced himself from Shah Wali Ullah. But firmly rooted in the Indian Islamic mysticism, he was deeply pained with the plight of Muslims after the collapse of Sepoy mutin y of 1857. He therefore took up the challenge of modern education and transformed the revolutionary mystic ideology of Shah Wali Ullah for revitalisation of Islamic glory through western education. Had he distanced himself from Wali Ullah, he would not have initiated the µtwo-nation theory¶ on the line of this Sufi Islamist to promote the movement of Muslim separatism through his Aligarh Movement. Sir Sayed¶s philosophy was a synthesis of progressive and orthodox Islam. On one hand he favoured modern education on European pattern and on the other he supported Islamic orthodoxy for superior religious identity of Muslims. His Aligarh movement was a strategic but a hidden alliance of the Muslims with British under latter's sovereignty to revive the supremacy of Muslims. His excluvist belief of Muslims' superiority was based on the mystic ideology of Wali Ullah. It was against the unity of Indian society. According to Allama Iqbal, Wali Ullah was the first Muslim to feel the urge for rethinking the whole system of Islam without in any way breaking away from its past. In fact, Wali Ullah recommended religiously approved jehad against unbelievers (non -Muslims ) but rejected the commonly viewed difference between lesser jehad and greater jehad. Iqbal was a known follower of Islamic mysticis m of Qadiriya order. He synthesized the ideology of Wali Ullah and the modern view on Islam of Sir Sayed Ahmad Khan. Applying modern philosophy in his intellectual study of Sufis m, he gradually turned to an anti -Sufi philosopher. Iqbal appealed to Muslim youth to cast off the Sufi noose from their neck. For Iqbal, Sufis m was contrary to the purity of Arabic faith in its original version. His rejection of Sufis m was influenced by Wahhabi movement of Saudi Arabia, which was more concerned with Islamic power following the decline of Muslim power in eighteenth century. Conclusion Sufis m in India has commonly been viewed as a secular attempt for eternal quest of the soul for its direct experience of the ultimate Super power. For centuries the Hindus accepted Sufi shrines as symbol of communal harmony. A large number of them have been offering prayers in Sufi shrines without any reservation, but this liberal gesture has not been reciprocated Muslims. The basic belief of mystic movements is said to be unity of God. Unity of God denotes social unity and universal brotherhood. But these political mystics not only divided the society on the basis of religion but their doctrine created an undying Hindu -Muslim conflict in the region. The spirit of mysticis m is to resolve any problem confronting the society. But Sufi movement failed to resolve Hindu-Muslim dilemma in Indian society. The concept of Tawhid (Unity in God), which is said to be the real for mulation of Sufis m, suggests that Islamic mysticis m has no difference with the for mulations of other non-Islamic faiths about the oneness of God. On this basis Sufism became popular in India during the period of Muslim rule. But when the Sufis supported the Muslims in their political conflict with the Hindus and played important role in conversion of Hindus to Islam, it gave birth to politicisation of religion, which generated communal tension between the two major religious communities. Had Sufis m as commonly been viewed as an attempt to ada pt Islam in Hindu tradition, the philosophy of two-nation theory would not have emerged. Actually, Sufis m widened the gap of mistrust between the two major religious communities of South Asia ± Hindus and Muslims. Contrary to the common perception that S ufis m tried to unify the Hindu-Musli m spirituality for a communal harmony, the political Islamists of Sufi background accelerated the process of Muslim separatis m in Indian subcontinent. Their movements were the by products of Sufi tradition of Islam. They were basically in favour of the political power of Islam. Hindus in this country have been misled into believing that these Sufis were spiritual seekers like Indian sages and seers. These savages have been presented as saints by cunning Hindu politicians, ignorant Bollywood actors, careless cricketers and so-called secular (that is, anti-India) media. Let¶s have a glimpse: On the night of 10th May 1995 , Sheikh Nuruddin¶s mausoleum known as ³Charare Sharif´ was burnt down, very interesting, by Muslim terrorists. The Indian Press described it as ³the sacred Dargah of Sufi Saint Nuruddin Nurani´ ( India Today), ³Symbol of Secularism, a most valuable symbol of cultural identity´ ( Frontline) and ³Adobe of Rishis´ (The Economic Times) without having any idea of the person¶s historical facts. It is imperative to note that amongst the Sufis who played a major role in converting Hindus of Kashmir to Islam Sheikh Nuruddin popularly known as ³Rishi Nur´ holds a very high place. His way of conversion was through deceit. Such is the story of Sufis m that is considered as the epitome of µsecular fabric¶ of this nation. This is a short history of the love that Sufis had for the native Indians. With the advent of Wahabis m in India, more and mo re Muslims are abandoning the practice of going to the tombs of these Sufis and offering Fatiha to them. However, the funding to these shrines continues as foolish Hindus visit these tombs. In fact, many of these tombs in India get more Hindu visitors than Muslim visitors. Needless to say large amounts of money are doled out by the gullible non -believers at these tombs. What exactly this money goes on to fund is anybody¶s guess. However all I can say here is that: Viva Hindus keep it up!