Udaipur killers' Sufi connection: A look at how this brand of Islam has changed

The matter of gruesome murders of Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur and Umesh Kohle in Amravati has not even cooled down yet, and a controversial video from Ajmer has added fuel to fire in which Salman Chisti, a Khadim of the Ajmer Sharif dargah, is talking about giving away his house to anyone who beheads Nupur Sharma. The world-famous Sufi shrine in Rajasthan is again in the news for all the wrong reasons. According to a report by News18, the duo in Kanhaiya Lal murder – Riyaz Akhtari and Ghosh Mohammad – were also planning to go to Ajmer Sharif after killing the tailor in Udaipur. Their alleged Sufi connection does not end with just that, early investigation has revealed that the two radicalised Islamists belong to the Sufi-Barelvi sect of Sunni Islam and have close links to the Pakistan-based extremist religious group Dawaat-e-Islami. What is Sufism? According to an article on Tony Blair Institute of Global Change, Sufism may be best described as Islamic mysticism or asceticism. While there are other suggested origins of the term Sufi, the word is largely believed to stem from the Arabic word suf, which refers to the wool that was traditionally worn by mystics and ascetics, the word also symbolises purity and sacredness. The Sufi Mysticism is associated with the liberal interpretation of the Quran called Tarikat. Shariat is the conservative interpretation of the Quran. It is believed that Haq (God) and Khalaq (Soul) are the same. According to Britannica, it consists of a variety of mystical paths that are designed to ascertain the nature of humanity and of God and to facilitate the experience of the presence of divine love and wisdom in the world. The Sufis have been further responsible for a large-scale missionary activity all over the world, which still continues. Sufis have elaborated the image of the Prophet Muhammad and have thus largely influenced Muslim piety by their Muhammad-mysticism. Sufi vocabulary is important in Persian and other literatures related to it, such as Turkish, Urdu, Sindhi, Pashto, and Punjabi. Through the poetry of these literatures, mystical ideas spread widely among the Muslims. One of the most famous Sufi poets is the popular 13th century Persian Islamic scholar, theologian, and mystic, Jalal al-Din Rumi, whose works continue to be translated and sold extensively within and beyond the Muslim world. Sufism in India Sufism gained prominence in India in the 10th and 11th centuries during the reign of the Delhi Sultanate. Since it synthesises a variety of ideas and pratices from Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism in India it has developed into a gentle, syncretic sect of Islam that has a pan-denominational following. Unlike the more hardline Islamic traditions, Sufism has vouced for Hindu-Muslim unity and cultural synthesis in India and has been opposed to religious orthodoxy. In India, Sufism adopted many native Indian concepts such as yogic postures, music and dance. It has found adherents among both Muslims and Hindus in India. The Sufi silsila (orders) are largely divided into two: Ba-shara those who follow the Islamic law; and Be-shara those who are not bound by Islamic law. The four most popular Silsilas in India were the Chistis, Suhrawardis, Qadiriyyas and Naqshbandis. Some of the important Sufis of the Chisti order are : Farid-ud-din Ganj-i-Shakar – also known as Baba Farid, Nizamuddin Auliya, Muin-ud din Chisti and Muhammad Banda Nawaz. Some of the most famous Sufi shrines of Hazrat Nizamuddin at Delhi, Salim Chisti at Fatehpur Sikri and Muin-ud din Chisti at Ajmer belong to the saints of the Chisti order. How has this softest version of Islam become a part of the latest extremism? During early investigation of the Kanhaiya Lal murder case, it was revealed that the two radicalised Islamists belong to the Sufi-Barelvi sect of Sunni Islam. The Barelvi sect originally followed Sufi mysticism with an emphasis on a spiritual connection to God. The Barelvi movement is named after the 19th-century founder Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi. Its origins can be traced to Uttar Pradesh’s town of Bareilly. It is followed by a large population of Muslims across South Asia and is characterised by a reverence for saints and veneration of the Prophet Muhammad, which often inscribes miracles to the prophet and other holy figures in Islam, including the Sufis. Given its Sufi influences, and inspiration from Indic religions, cultures, and practices, Barelvi Islam has often been described as a more inclusive brand of the religion, according to a report in The Diplomat. In Pakistan, the Barelvi groups were reduced to the fringes in the 1980s and were dubbed the “softer version of Islam”, often compared to the militant Deobandi Islam, which follows strict Islamic rituals. The Taliban and the Islamic State targeted the followers of Sufi Barelvi Islam for their devotion to Sufi saints, which they think is polytheistic – worshipping more than one god. Explained: The Sufi-Barelvi sect linked to the Udaipur killing and the other brands of extremist Islam Over the years, the sect has turned radical, especially in Pakistan. It has made blasphemy against the religion a rallying cry and is of the belief that there is only one punishment for it and that is death. In India, while the sect’s influence is growing, it has largely stayed out of politics. Ittehad-e-Millat Council, a regional party in Uttar Pradesh formed by Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi’s great-grandson Tauqeer Raza Khan, has remained a fringe organisation. However, Khan has been booked for remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2020 and has been involved in clashes with the rival Sufi factions in UP, reports The Diplomat. Rallies and billboards demanding that those guilty of blasphemy be beheaded do come up in India from time to time and can be linked to the sect. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.