The greatest mystery in the universe is the invisible mother Earth revolving around its master, the glorious Sun. The planet Earth alone is blessed with life and Man stands at the apex in the evolution of life. The life on Earth evolved from water, a chemical compound of oxygen and hydrogen, the elixir for life. First to arise were protozoan from plasma, the basic ingredient of life. After billions of years have evolved the modern Man having passed through various stages of stone age, fire age, iron and copper age and then evolving from the dark period to the period of learning, the renaissance; the industrial revolution and thus reaching the nuclear age. Man has reached out of the grip of gravitational pull and landed on its satellite Moon and then has proceeded towards its closest planet Mars.
Man is waiting for return of Mahatma, Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed (sas) to redeem humanity from all sins, so that he can regain peace and tranquility.
Man’s intelligence and discovery of his own self has resulted in the development of Science and Technology for the betterment of humanity. However, Man has had to pay for the cost of this development in his moral and spiritual degradation and in destruction of nature and fauna besides global warming. Man has turned into his own enemy with discovery of destructive weapons, wars and by causing pollution, smog and destructive elements in nature. Family and community life is fast disintegrating with dissolution of joint families, divorces and live in relationships resulting in illegitimacy coupled by growing stress and strain in daily living. Pathos and melancholy is enveloping the soul and robbing Man of peace and happiness, solace and tranquility. Man is waiting for return of Mahatma, Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed (sas) to redeem humanity from all sins, so that he can regain peace and tranquility.
The Nature shouldn’t turn truant and avenge for its destruction and for meddling in its makeup and originality. The Oceans shouldn’t catch fire as it happened when deliberately Saddam Hussein burnt the oil wells in Iraq and left a trail of destruction. Tsunamis shouldn’t occur to destroy the nuclear plants. Volcanoes shouldn’t arise to spew the burnt ashes on the populace. Storms, tempests, cyclones and tornadoes shouldn’t turn out to be destructive leaving man in dismay, despondency and askance. There shouldn’t be Bhopal gas tragedy or Chernobyl nuclear plant leaking for elimination of man, humanity and nature.
How do we retain the peace, hope and bliss in humanity and environment? How do we bring back humanity on one platform? How do we unite hearts with love and affection? Tyranny, terror, fundamentalism is beckoning Man back to barbarism as in Iraq and Syria. Hindutava is gaining ground in India. Talibans are ranging in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Consumerism, materialism and sexual revolution are ranging in USA and western countries. Wealth, opulence, comforts and pleasure seeking has opened flood gates of destruction in the social living of man. Alcoholism, drug abuse, sexual perversion, breakdown of family lives has become common throughout the world. How should Man regain his sublime nature and how should godliness return to him?
Man might have betrayed God by abandoning Him but innate goodness in man cannot betray him. How should it gain ground? Man has been enemy of himself from time immemorial. Recent history is reminder of first and second world wars. Blood is shed on the basis of nationality, race, color and religion. Millions of Jews were sent to gas chambers by wicked and cruel Nazis. Partition of India led to butchery of millions of people, so also on the birth of Bangladesh. Thousands and thousands are killed in wars, communal clashes and in the breakup of countries. Man has been warring against Man. At the same time the compassion of Man has been overwhelming. There have been Albert Schweitzer, M.K. Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and scores of noble souls to save humanity from the brink of disaster, destruction and drowning in the ocean of woes.
In our present times, crime against humanity and individual crimes are continuing despite rise in educational and intellectual level and progress in societies. Barbaric acts in civilized societies are daily happenings. Rape including child rape, human trafficking, drug abuse and umpteen crimes are commonly heard. The combined effort of humanity to humanize and culture Man and to bring in godliness is failing time and again. How to restore faith, confidence, hope, gentleness and culture in every nook and corner of the world is the concern of all. Everyone’s hope is to end economic, social, political and religious exploitation. Can an utopia be created? A heaven on Mother Earth! Can an elixir be found for deadly diseases like AIDS, cancer, sexually transmittable diseases, diabetics and scores of incurable diseases? Can wars cease and peace prevail? Can fear of unknown be driven away? Can the planet Mother Earth be saved from nuclear destruction, environmental and ecological imbalance? Can Man be saved from destruction and all societies made to live in peace and harmony sans exploitation of all sorts?
The greatest challenge in the Indian polity is erosion of public faith in the political leadership due to massive and unprecedented corruption in public life. The next challenge is the laws delays and failure of the justice delivery system in rendering quick, easy and accessible judgments. There is an enormous lack of faith in the religious institutions and religious leaders due to moral degradation. Human ingenuity has adopted umpteen ways to siphon off public money besides non-payment of public debts leading to enormous loss to financial institutions. Due to maladministration billions of rupees have been lost in public undertakings. Several billions are spent for Defense and Armed forces at the cost of agriculture and irrigation. There is a huge decline in the moral character of Indian polity and Indian citizens in general. The common helpless man on the street wonders when these ills would end.
The greatest resurgence and revolution India had seen was the clamor for Independence from British rule under the leadership of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. It was not just political uprising but reformation of Hindu and Indian life. M.K. Gandhi succeeded in removal of draconian caste system and brought in reforms in Indian social life. His principles of non-violence, Ahimsa and Swadeshi movements took the country by storm. His impeccable character, moral uprightness, sense of equality influenced the whole world. Martin Luther King in USA and Nelson Mandela in South Africa followed his footsteps. His principles, philosophy and thinking came to be known as Gandhisim. His love and practice for Truth and its experimentation were phenomenal and unique. Can India see again the resurgence of Gandhism under new leadership?
India is the land of Spirituality, wherein many religions have originated and thrived. Although Indians are highly superstitious with deep belief in myths, mythologies and astrology yet they are neither bigots nor deeply fundamentalists. They have co-existed with other religions with harmony and peace. Great many saints, yogis and gurus have risen and thrived. Sufism has spread throughout the length and breadth of the country. In recent past great savants have strengthened the faith of people in spiritualism like Shirdi Saibaba, Satya Sai baba, and Shankaracharya. In recent time yoga teachers Sri Ramdev, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has revived yoga teaching among the masses. On one hand we see moral degradation and erosion of public faith due to high level of corruption and fanaticism taking roots, yet on the other hand we also see the spiritualism and yoga taking roots and flourishing in the country. There are hundreds of pilgrimage centers in the country with millions gathering in Kumbha mela, Rishikesh, Haridwar; on the banks of Ganges, Ajmer, Sabirmala and Tirupati. There are festivals galore among all the religious communities bringing joy and happiness among the citizens. Thus, we find India a land of contradictions. On the one hand people are deeply spiritual and dogmatic and on the other hand they are highly materialistic, taboo ridden as well as superstitious. The social order is also breaking up with crime on women and children rising. How are we to make people rationalistic besides strengthening the society to high level of social and spiritual consciousness?
Can India again herald a new age of peace and harmony to the entire humanity and how? How to strengthen the moral and spiritual fabric of the Nation?
Sufis and their teachings
Man is a social animal prone to thinking, innovation, creativity, and inquisitiveness and intrinsically constructive in nature. Man has been in existing on the planet earth from millions of years either have evolved from apes or having been believed to have been created by God, the Supreme Creator of the universe in his own image. The belief of man which dawned on him from antiquity is that God when after creating beauty and love desired to place it in man, so that this creature can marvel on his creation and man be a vicegerent on the earth. The further belief is that all that God has created has been made subservient to man. So that man can achieve perfection in his living and manners with sound thinking and right actions, right intentions so that he can live in peace with all the creations and achieve heaven on earth itself, without destruction, evil dominating and demon having control on men and matters.
It is man’s further belief that divinity dwells in him which nurtures compassion, humility, sincerity, sublimity, graciousness, dignity and all finer elements of man. Man has also realized that there is enormous influence on him of negativity which is destructive in nature robbing peace, solace and tranquility in him. He has also found his innate nature of goodness and evil both trying to claim ascendancy with each other. It is to the good fortune of man that many charismatic, magnetic personalities arose time and again in mankind, who have elevated his status and helped him to overcome his weakness and capture and captivate the evil whenever it stole the thunder and achieved supremacy. These enlightened personalities have always left their foot print and mark on the march of time for humanity to follow their footsteps to achieve eternal peace (as-sakina), happiness, joy, ecstasy and tranquility.
The pursuit of higher learning and to maintain composure, equilibrium has been the endeavor of man. He cultivates it and nurtures it in his progeny and creates groups, societies to retain the higher ideals and practice it to attain peace in life.
The eternal desire of man to reach higher consciousness and to feel the Divine and get absorbed in His light has ever been from his creation and more so as is believed from the time he lost the paradise. The Divine has guided man and from the guidance sprung in his heart love, beauty graciousness, compassion, mercy and many more such qualities which are divine in nature. Those among the mankind who perfected their inner self, polished their mirror of their heart from all the impurities came to be specifically referred as divine persons and they achieved a niche in the mankind. They were the Prophets, Seers, Saints, Sufis, Mystics, Yogis and men of perfection. Their lives were glorious and glowing example for humanity to follow. Their teachings were an eternal guide and lamp to enlighten the dark path ways of life. They gave moral codes, instructions, left behind their living examples and taught ways and means to enlighten man to achieve peace, tranquility, graciousness, spirituality and divinity. From among their basic teachings were the recognition of all embracing, Omniscient, Omnipotent Being referred in various tongues as God, Eshwara and Allah. The fundamental teaching is God, Eshwara or Allah is all Merciful, Beneficent, full of Love, Graciousness, Kindness and ever Forgiving. At the same time besides guiding man, would take account of man’s deeds; awarding or punishing or forgiving and granting clemency.
The further teaching is that man should fully surrender to that Great being and subject himself to His laws, moral code, be ever prayful, charitable, thankful, fully relying on Him. Be patient during adversary and despondency and never give up hope and always fear Him and of the consequences of evil actions and deeds.
After the advent of Islam, the teachings of Prophet Mohammed (Pbuh) and the commands of the Holy Quran were interpreted in various ways thus bringing divisions and sectarian conflicts in the religion. Those followers who stayed away from the hum drum of life, from the strife and wars and political developments and devoted their whole life in perfecting and polishing their being, lived in pursuit of knowledge and for seeking the Grace of the Divine Being came to be known, as time passed, as Sufis, those who wore wool and lived an ascetic life and lived in search of truth. They humbled themselves before the Great Being by total surrender, seeking knowledge and wisdom and passing it on to their followers and disciples. They lived in monasteries, away from the hub and rub of the societies. They, with their refined living, graciousness, simplicity and humility achieved saint- hood. Their prayers for the needy and those who sought help were answered. They started their own schools of thought to pass on their teachings in the light of ‘Sunna’ i, e the canonical and religious law as laid down by Holy Quran and sayings of holy Prophet (Pbuh). They wrote extensively and their prose and poetry caught the imagination of the learned and common man. Their foremost teaching was humanism and love. To unite man kind in bondage so that society can be stable and mankind can achieve peace and happiness. Some Sufi masters were far ahead of their times. Sufism is an absolutely peaceful and totally non-violent movement to awaken the soul to greater grandeur through simple living and practicing lofty ideals; through meditation, Zikr’ (incantation), Sama (singing of holy hymns) and other Sufi practices, doing charitable activities and uniting the hearts of the mankind.
Since Sufi teachings are universal in its nature, it can act as a universal binding force. People of all religions and races visit the Sufi mausoleums to seek their blessings and prayers. Sufis have been blessing to mankind.
Sufism was introduced in India before the advent of Muslim rule by Khwaja Moinuddin Chisty at Ajmer, Rajasthan. He is known as ‘Garib un Nawaz,’ succor of the poor. For the last eight centuries, his tomb and mausoleum is attracting millions and all sections of people. The Sufis have been doing enormous work in uniting the hearts of Indians in every nook and corner of India and in South East Asia and to spread peace and brotherhood. Eminent sages, saints among Sufis have been spreading the message of love. Their influence has been enormous in the lives of common man in India. In every town and city the living and past Saints among the Sufis are venerated by all sections of Indian populace. Their hymns, poetry and lyrics are song every day. Guru Nanakji founded Sikhism on the faith and belief of Sufis like Baba Fareed. The holy book of Sikhs comprises majority of poetry of Baba Fareed and other Sufis.
Urdu language is as a result of influence of Sufism. The ‘gazal’ pattern of poetry, ‘qawwalies’ and lyrics are adopted in Hindi movies and sung by the Indian populace. The Sufis adopted ‘Unani’ medicine, by natural resources for healing the sick and is quite popular in India.
Thus, Sufis and Sufism have been having enormous influence in uniting the people of India of diverse cultures and in creating syncretic culture. The mausoleums of Sufis have become sacred space for millions of Indians. Sufis are a boon to the humanity for their love, affection and deeds of eternal goodness. Shirdi Saibaba united Hindus and Muslims. His ‘Samadi’ is visited by millions and he is considered as an ‘avatar’ by millions of Hindu followers and as a Muslim fakir and Saint by millions of Muslim followers. The influence of Sant Kabir, Meera bai, Shankaracharya, Madhavachary, Ramanujam, and other Sants, Yogis and Saints of India has been having tremendous influence in uniting all sections of Indians without distinction of caste, creed and religion. The Sufis, Yogis, Sants and Saints of all denominations of all religions are great hope for our country. They are the unifying forces in these troubled times.
The aim of the founders of IIWC has been lofty and true. Among the many aims, the important one is to unite the mankind by true education which broadens the mind to embrace universal ideas so as to enable man to purify his heart to achieve universal brotherhood.
In order to realize this aim, a syllables and a curriculum has to be prepared and a course charted. Books on these lines have to be written for the purpose of teaching to the students at various levels-primary, secondary and college levels.
The State education system needs to be pressurized to include these subjects as part of the curriculum in the schools and colleges.
The IIWC should start courses and hold classes in a systematic way at various levels to further their aims. A good beginning will lead to achieve the aims and objectives of the IIWC.
All unitary efforts to unite all Unifying Forces in our Diverse Culture should be brought together by holding joint seminars and activities to defeat the divisive forces in our society.