The Contributions of Sufism in Promoting Religious Harmony in Bangladesh

Abstract

Sufism in Bangladesh is directly connected to the faith, history and culture of Bangladeshi Muslims. Sufis contributed by reducing religious hatred, fanaticism and fundamentalism of any kind among the people of Bangladesh. It has social and economic impacts as well on the people. The paper investigates the influence of Sufism in promoting religious harmony in Bangladesh from 11 th to 20 th century. It also focuses on the evolution of Sufism in Bangladesh and the history of famous Sufis who were involved in establishing coexistence and peaceful societies there. This study is an attempt to find a way to unite all people of different religions and movements in the world.

Full text

Journal of Usuluddin 45 (2) 2017: 105-121
105
The Contributions of Sufism in Promoting
Religious Harmony in Bangladesh
Abdullah Al Masud
International Islamic University Malaysia, masudwrcdu@yahoo.com
Md. Faruk Abdullah (Corresponding author)
Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, farukabdullah@unisza.edu.my
Md. Ruhul Amin
Asian University of Bangladesh, ruh1987@yahoo.com
Abstract
Sufism in Bangladesh is directly connected to the faith, history and
culture of Bangladeshi Muslims. Sufis contributed by reducing religious
hatred, fanaticism and fundamentalism of any kind among the people of
Bangladesh. It has social and economic impacts as well on the people.
The paper investigates the influence of Sufism in promoting religious
harmony in Bangladesh from 11th to 20th century. It also focuses on the
evolution of Sufism in Bangladesh and the history of famous Sufis who
were involved in establishing co-existence and peaceful societies there.
This study is an attempt to find a way to unite all people of different
religions and movements in the world.
Keywords: Sufism, Bangladeshi Sufis, Bangladesh, religious harmony
Introduction
Sufism is a Muslim philosophy, which teaches personal and
mystical worship and union with God. It was formulated in
opposition to the formal, legalistic Islamic theology of the 9th
century. It is indefinable; it is a way of life. If it was ritual, one
could learn it by practicing the rituals. If it was mere learning, one
could acquire it by studying. To be a true human being, free from
all bondage and honest with the Almighty, is being a Sufi. Sufism
is known in the Muslim world as Islamic mysticism. The Sufi
saints mere involved in the spread of Islam in Bengal in many
ways. Through their religious and missionary zeal, exemplary
character and humanitarian activities, they greatly influenced the
mind of the masses and attracted them to the faith of Islam. The
khanqahs
1
of the Sufis were centers of spiritual, humanitarian and
1
The Persian word ḵhānaqāh, literally means a dwelling place. Technically, it
refers to an Islamic institution for spiritual retreat and character reformation,
principally reserved for Sufis to meet, reside, study, and assemble and pray
together as a group.

Masud, Abdullah and Amin, The Contributions of Sufism
106
intellectual activities and they had a significant role in promoting
religious harmony in the country.
2
Bangladesh is located in the South Asia. It is bordering with
India and Myanmar. India surrounds Bangladesh by the north, east
and west while Myanmar borders with Bangladesh by the
southeast and southern coastline on the Bay of Bengal. It has an
area of 147,570 square kilometers with 150 million people as of
2008.
3
Historically, Bangladesh used to be called ―Bengal‖.
Bengal was under the Muslim rule from 13th century to the capture
of the British in the middle of the 18th century.
4
Though the Bengal
area was undergone some changes from time to time but the scope
of this study is the current geographical area of Bangladesh.
History of Sufism in Bangladesh
The advent of Sufism in Bengal may go back to the mid-eleventh
century with the arrival of Muslim and Sufi preachers. For the next
six centuries, learned Sufis and saints continued to arrive in
Bengal from Arabia, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Khurasan, Central Asia
and Northern India.
5
Sufism in Bengal was a continuation of Sufism in Northern
India. The relation between the Sufis of Northern India and the
saints of Bengal was extremely intimate. The creed of the Sufis of
Bengal was the same as the creed of the Northern India Sufis.
According to Sufi historian Mohammad Enamul Haq, towards the
end of the 12th century, Bengal had been admitting a regular and
incessant influx of Sufis from Northern India and this flow did not
abate until after the close of the 11th century. During the 16th and
2
Kelly Pemberton, ―Women pirs, saintly succession, and spiritual guidance in
South Asian sufism‖, The Muslim World, vol. 96, (January) 2006, pp. 61-87;
Peter J. Bertocci, ―A Sufi movement in Bangladesh: the Maijbhandari tariqa
and its followers‖, Contributions to Indian Sociology, vol. 40, no. 1, 2006, pp.
1-28; Abdullah AI-Ahsan, ―Spread of Islam in pre-Mughal Bengal,‖
Intellectual Discourse, vol. 2, no. 1, 1994, pp. 41-55.
3
Islam Md. Rafiqul, ―Islam in Bangladeshi Society,‖ South Asian Cultural
Studies, vol. 2, no. 2, 2009, p. 3.
4
Muhammad Mohar Ali, History of the Muslim Bengal, vol-IB (Riyadh: Imam
Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, 1985), 1-26.
5
Dewan Nurul Hussain Choudhury, ed. Amader Sufiaye Kiram (A collection of
the Life-sketch of the Sufis). (Dhaka: Islamic Foundation Bangladesh, 2004),
39.

Journal of Usuluddin 45 (2) 2017: 105-121
107
17thcenturies, Sufism in Bengal, along with Sufism in India, was in
a metamorphic stage.
6
After the observation of Sufi‘s entrance into Bengal,
Muhammad Enamul Haq divided the Sufi history in Bengal into
the following periods:
7
o Early period (12th to the 14th centuries)
o Middle period (15th to the 17th centuries)
o Last period (18th to the 19th centuries)
The early period was when the spread of Islam in Bengal took
place from Northern India. All of the Sufis of this age belonged to
the order of Suharwardi and Chishti Sufis of Northern India. They
preferred contemplation, meditation and inspection to action by
being militant propagators of Islam. It was a time for the
propagation of Islam and Sufis were busy with the rapid expansion
of their faith among the masses of Bengal. Bernard argues that
Islam spread in Bengal in large numbers of individual conversions.
The Sufis were mostly influenced by local conditions and
traditions and were amalgamated by them. It is very likely that the
ideas, beliefs and practices of the local people of Bengal in the
field of religion began to find a place in Sufism then.
8
The middle period was the period of steady consolidation of
Muslim thought and gradual accommodation of local influence in
Bengal. The independent Sultans of Bengal gave ample and
generous opportunities to the Sufis to settle down permanently in
various parts of the country and to come in close contact with the
people. Involvement of Bengali Sufis in the politics of the country
was another feature of this age. They also influenced the Sultans to
make any decision for the country. Most of the independent
Sultans of Bengal were the disciples of one of the Sufis. Some of
the Sultans had their family pirs. Such spiritual connections of the
Bengali Sufis with the political head of the country gave them
unique opportunities to involve themselves in the political affairs
of the country.
9
6
Muhammad Enamul Haq, A history of Sufism in Bengal (Dhaka: Asiatic
Society of Bengal, 1975), 2.
7
Muhammad Enamul Haq, A history of Sufism in Bengal, 154-158.
8
Bernard Hours, Islam and development in Bangladesh, trans. S.M. Imamul
Haq (Dhaka: Centre for Social Studies, 1995), 10.
9
Abdullah Al-Ahsan, ―Spread of Islam in pre-Mughal Bengal,‖ pp. 41-55.

Masud, Abdullah and Amin, The Contributions of Sufism
108
The last period was the period of decay, perish and corrosion
and of moral and spiritual degradation of the Bengal Sufis. The
whole religious life of Bengal Muslims was mostly affected by the
environment under which they were living during that age. The
practice of „pir-muridi‟ (making disciples by the pirs) was much
highlighted during this period that the whole mystics‘ creed of the
Sufis had to give way to it. Muslims began to believe that
initiation to a pir is absolutely binding and obligatory (fard) on
them; such a belief gradually gave birth to polytheistic devotion
and attachment in the minds of the people and they began to give
votive offerings and donations of huge amounts of money or
materials to pirs dead or alive. Graves of departed Sufis and saints
turned out to be the places of worship with offerings of flowers,
vermillion and other objects that normally appeared in Hindu
ceremonies or „pujas‟. Such a deviation and difference form of
„pir-muridi‟ in the Sufism of Bengal developed because of the
influence of a terrible figure, which was then prevalent and
widespread among the Hindus of Bengal.
10
Hundreds of Sufis and preachers arrived in Bengal at
different times from Central Asia through Northern India. Many of
them were credited with the spread of Islam in Bengal. Bengal
proved to be a fertile soil for Sufism to flourish. Several new
systematic orders developed on the basis of the teachings of some
of the distinguished Bengal Sufis. Thus Sufism played a
significant role in the spread of Islam and development of the
Muslim society in Bengal.
Among the prominent Sufis who came to Bengal during the
11th to 15th centuries were Shah Sultan Rumi (arrived in Bengal in
1053) and lived in Mymensingh, Shaikh Sharfuddin Abu Tawama
(d. 1210) in Sonargaon, Shah Jalal Tabrizi (d. 1244) in Sylhet,
Shaikh Fariduddin Shakkarganj (1173–1266) in Faridpur,
Makhdum Shah Daulah Shahid (1291) in Pabna, Jafar Khan
(1290-1295) in Hughli Pandua, Shah Makhdum Ruposh (d. 1313)
in Rajshahi, Shah Sultan Balkhi (d. 1343) in Bogra, Shah Jalal
Yameni (1271- 1347) in Sylhet, Shaikh Alaul Haq (d. 1384) in
10
See: Brannon Ingram, ―Sufis, scholars and scapegoats: Rashid Ahmad
Gangohi (d. 1905) and the Deobandi critique of sufism,‖ vol. 99, July 2009,
pp. 278-501; Kelly Pemberton, ―Women pirs, saintly succession, and spiritual
guidance,‖ 81.

Journal of Usuluddin 45 (2) 2017: 105-121
109
Gaur Pandua, Khan Jahan Ali (d. 1459) in Khulna and Ismail
Khan Ghazi (d. 1474) in Sylhet.
However, we cannot accurately determine many of the dates
in connection with the lives of Bengali as well as non-Bengali
Sufis. The conclusions we have arrived at here are generally based
on a few materials including the history, traditions, inscriptions
and general impressions. They may not always be very conclusive
and satisfactory. Secondly, the influence of every prominent Sufi
of Bengal seemed to transcend the limits of his own age. They
were isolated, furiously and vigorously working for their own lives
and those under their responsibility. Thirdly, the activities of the
Sufis of Bengal were mostly of more local character then a general
one. The places of their settlement were the field of their activities.
Contribution of Sufism to Promote Elements of Religious
Harmony in Bangladesh
The real influence of the Sufi in Bengal began to be felt from the
very beginning of the 13th century when it was still active and
visible in terms of beliefs, practices, songs, traditions, creeds and
minds of the people of Bengal. The activities of the Sufis were not
only confined to the four walls of their khanqah but they also
played an important role in the spread of Islam and applied great
influence in the people‘s mind as well as in the society. There was
no village and town of Bengal where Sufis did not come and settle
down. The Sufis of Bengal were renowned for their simplicity of
life, strength of character, devotion to faith and peaceful pursuits.
Most of the Sufis of Northern India and other foreign
countries first turned their attention to Bengal. There are a few
causes that helped generate success in the Sufi mission in
Bengal:
11
a) The first cause for Sufis‘ success in Bengal was because of
their indomitable zeal, uncommon piety as well as very simple and
pious life. They cut all kinds of worldly bonds and avoided
comfort and pleasure. They dedicated their lives for the cause of
Islam and for the service of humanity.
b) The liberal and openhanded patronage, permanent
settlement of Muslim rule by the Sultans helped Sufis to succeed
in Bengal.
11
Haq, A history of Sufism in Bengal, 260-266.

Masud, Abdullah and Amin, The Contributions of Sufism
110
c) The religious and social conditions of the country were in
their favour which helped them to propagate their faith. At the
beginning of Sufis, Buddhism and Hinduism were the two
prominent religions of Bengal but their moral and ethical
degradation were at their zenith. The society was full of distinction
among people but Islam offered them a golden opportunity to raise
their social status. In this way, the Sufis became very successful.
The Sufis laid the foundation of communal harmony and
peace. They established equality of status, love and brotherhood to
the masses and taught people how to respect each other's religion,
feelings and practices. Thus, Sufism became an influential factor
in the society and the contributions of the Sufis for the betterment
of society demand a careful and proper assessment. The influence
of the Sufis to the expansion of Muslim society in Bengal may be
considered under the following sub-topics.
1. Noble Characteristics of Sufis
Social justice, the ideals of equality and brotherhood of Sufis
attracted the Buddhists and lower caste Hindus. Sufis greatly
influenced the mind of the masses and attracted them to the faith
of Islam by their religious and missionary zeal, exemplary
character and humanitarian activities. The khanqahs of the Sufis
which were established in every nook and corner of Bengal were
great centers of humanitarian and intellectual activities and they
had a significant role in the development of the Muslim society in
this country. Islam offered higher social status in Bengal. Arnold
writes:
It is in Bengal, however, that the Muhammadan missionaries
in India have achieved their greatest success, as far as
numbers are concerned...and in places where low caste
Hindus and outcaste most abound...But in Bengal the Muslim
missionaries were welcomed with open arms by the
aborigines and the low caste on the very outskirts of
Hinduism, despised and condemned by their proud Aryan
rules.
12
The famous Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta (d. 1377)
personally met Shah Jalal in 1345 and spent three days as Shah
12
T.W. Arnold, The Preaching of Islam (Lahore: Kashmiuri Bazar, 1961), 280-
282.

Journal of Usuluddin 45 (2) 2017: 105-121
111
Jalal‘s guest in his mountain cave near Sylhet town. He states that
the Shaikh was one of the great saints and one of the unique
personalities. He had to his credit miracles (karāmat) well known
to the public as well as great deeds, and he was a man of hoary
age. The inhabitants of these mountains had embraced Islam at his
hands, and for this reason he stayed amidst them.
13
Makhdum Jahaniyan Jahangasht (1308-1384) was a famous
Sufi, who was gentle, humble, kind and noble towards
people.
14
Abu Bakr Siddiqui (1846-1939), a prominent figure and
founder of the "Order of Furfura Sharif", led a simple and
generous life. He was bountiful, just, kind, merciful and had a
noble character. He was well-like by the masses irrespective of
class or religion because of his religiosity, sacrifice and dutiful
manner.
15
Shah Sultan Rumi attracted many people to him by the
performance of various miraculous deeds, piety, noble character,
kindness, love and goodness.
16
Abdul Hai Siddiqui (1903-1977),
the eldest son of Abu Bakr Siddiqui emphasized on people not to
commit cruelty. In every congregation he advised his followers
about the negative aspects of quarrelling. He also said, quarrelling
destroys the community and its harmony.
17
He believed in
reconciliation and called the national leader for unity. He often
said:
Remember freedom and humanity is separate but where there
is no freedom, there is no humanity. Without humanity
freedom is worthless. Don‘t appropriate yourself, gain
humanity. What is the difference between inhumanity and
beasts? Visible decoration is nothing if there is no humanity
in you.
18
2. Role to Establish a Welfare State
Sufis played a vital role in establishing a welfare state in Bengal
where justice, equality and human status were uphold. The Sufis
13
Ibn Battuta, The Rehla of Ibn Battuta, trans. Mahdi Husain (Baroda: Oriental
Institute, 1953), 238–39.
14
Chawdhuri Shamsur Rahman, Sufi Dorsan (Dhaka: Dibboprokash, 2010), 110.
15
Abdullah Mamun Arif al-Mannan, Furfurar Etihas (Dhaka: Eshayat-e-Islam
Kutubkhana, 2005), 13.
16
Haq, A history of Sufism in Bengal, 209.
17
Al-Mannan, FurfurarEtihas, 139.
18
Hazrat Abdul Hai Siddiqui (Dhaka: Eshayat-e-Islam Kutubkhana, 1981), 100.

Masud, Abdullah and Amin, The Contributions of Sufism
112
influenced and impressed on the kings of the region and soon they
converted to Islam. Shah Jalal (1271-1347) and his followers
cooperated with the Muslim forces of Sikander Ghazi in fighting
against the tyrant King Gaur Gavinda and establishing Muslim
rule in that part of the country (in 1303). It is believed that Khan
Jahan Ali (d.1459) added the territories of Jessore, Khulna and
Barisal to the Muslim Sultanate, where he established a welfare
state for its subjects irrespective of religion, class and caste. The
Sufis also advised the kings on religious matters.
19
To prevent
political policy from diverting, and to lead it on the religious path,
they made many efforts. They added a moral force as well as
contributed to consolidating and saving the state in times of crisis.
Hazrat Nur Qutb Alam (d. 1415) saved the Muslim
sovereignty in Bengal when Raja Kans tried to follow the policy
of persecuting the Muslims and establishing the tyrannical state in
the country after the death of Sultan Ghiyathuddin Azam Shah
(1390–1411). Some of the Sufis also stood as champions of the
Islamic policy in the administration of Muslim states. Shaikh
Abdul Haqq (d. 1384) advised Sultan Ghisyatddin Azam Shah to
use Islamic policy in the affairs of the state. King Laksmanasena
(1178-1206), impressed by Shaikh Jalaluddin Tabrizi‘s
humanitarian activities and miraculous power, gave him some land
and permission to build a mosque. Shaikh set up a ‗khanqah‟
which later turned into a centre of learning. He played a
pioneering role in imparting knowledge throughout Bangladesh.
However, there were good relations between kings and the Sufis.
Bengal‘s Sufis and sultans, then, were fatefully connected by ties
of mutual attraction and repulsion generally when they were first
establishing themselves politically, and especially when launching
new dynasties.
3. Spread Teachings for both Muslims and non-Muslims
From the beginning of Sufism in Bengal, the Sufis built
institutions to spread Islamic teaching and paid their attention
towards educating the people.
20
They built mosques, schools and
khanqahs, which had classes for all education purposes. In this
19
Abdul Karim, Social History of the Muslim in Bengal (Dhaka: Jatiya Sahitta
Prakash, 2007), 154.
20
Karim, Social History of the Muslim in Bengal, 160.

Journal of Usuluddin 45 (2) 2017: 105-121
113
way their teachings reached the masses in the area. There were
many schools (known as madrasah) to teach elementary
education. The khanqahs became centres of preaching about Islam
and learning. These institutions received great reputation as seats
of learning. During the reign of Sultan Nasir al-Din Mahmud Shah
(1442-1459), Khan Jahan Ali built mosques and academic centers
in the Khalifatabad region i.e. Southern Bengal and they played
significant role in the spread of Islam and distribution of learning
in southern Bengal. However, most of the khanqhas became
learning centers for both Muslim and non-Muslims.
21
4. Participation in Humanitarian Activities
Most of the Sufis of Bengal attracted the people through their
humanitarian activities. Makhdum Shaikh, Jalal al-Din Tabrizi and
Akhi Sirajuddin Usman (d. 1357) were influential and great
figures, who had charismatic characters to convince people.
22
It is
said that they established “Langar Khanah”
23
which became a
centre for humanitarian activities and provided food for the unfed
poor, beggars and travelers. Both Muslims and non-Muslims
respected them as their ‗khanqah‟ became the center of inspiration
for worldly and spiritually.
24
The Siyar al-„Arifin, a Sufi biography written around (1530-
1536) shows that Jalal al-Din Tabrizi left around 1228 for
Baghdad and traveled to India and, not finding a warm welcome in
the court of Delhi, eventually moved on to Lakhnauti, then the
remote provincial capital of Bengal.
25
The record showed that
when he went to Bengal, all the population there came to him and
became his disciples. There he built a hospice and a public
kitchen, and bought several gardens and lands as an endowment
for the kitchen. There was also a river port called Deva Mahal.
Today [i.e., 1530–36], his holy tomb is located at the very site of
21
Imtiaz Ahmed, Sufis & Sufism: A Closer Look at the Journey of Sufis to
Bangladesh (Singapore: Middle East Institute, 2010), 20.
22
H. Blochmann, Contribution to the Geography and History of Bengal
(Kolkata: Asiatic Society, 2003), 52; Choudhury, Amader Sufiaye Kiram, 131.
23
Langar Khana is a free public kitchen where meal is cooked and distributed to
the poor without any discrimination.
24
Golam Saklayen, Bangladeser Sufi-shadhok (Dhaka: Islamic Foundation
Bangladesh, 1982), 182.
25
Maulana Jamali, Siyar al-‟Arifin (Delhi: Matba‗a Rizvi, 1893), 164–169.

Masud, Abdullah and Amin, The Contributions of Sufism
114
that temple, and half the income of that port is dedicated to the
upkeep of the public kitchen there.
26
Makhdum Shaikh Jalal al-Din Tabrizi‘s speeches on love,
forgiveness, sacrifice, justice toward humanity, unity and affection
inspired the oppressed people. Makhdum Jahaniyan Jahangasht
(1308-1384) received some presents and sums of money from the
king which Makhdum only accepted to help the poor and needy.
Makhdum spend all of that wealth as alms and charity. It is said
that Shah Alauddin Alaul Huq (d. 1398) spent a large sum of
money in feeding the pupils, beggars and wanderers. He also
provided the poor, travelers and students with food and lodging.
27
Abu Bakr Siddiqui (1846-1939) founded many charitable
institutes, orphanages and free health centers. He was also a great
educationist who realized it is only through education that he can
free the society of all evils and so he founded several madrashas,
schools and learning centers. According to al-Mannan, he did not
only do meditation but also thought about and did the work for
men and country. He did humanitarian work for the people
untiringly. His son Abdul Qahhar Siddiqui (1940-2006) was
involved in many social and charitable works and had patronized
many learning centers. He was also very generous and could never
see people in pain; he did lots for the oppressed and poor. He fed
the servants and served them when they became sick. He was so
kind to animals and would save even an ant from drowning in
water. He showed kindness to orphans. As a person he was also
simple.
28
5. Respect Towards Non-Muslims
At the advent of Islam, Bengal was predominantly a Hindu-
Buddhist country and the Brahmins enjoyed certain superiority
over all others, both politically and socially. Their oppression
remained through the caste rule and other discriminatory social
rules, over the sudras, lower class Hindus and even the Buddhists.
The sudras and other lower class people had no access to religious
book or places of worship. When Hindu-Buddhist enmity was very
much present in the society, the advent of Islam by the Sufis gave
26
Maulana Jamali, Siyar al-‟Arifin, 171.
27
Abdul Karim, Social History of the Muslim in Bengal, 128.
28
Al-Mannan, Furfurar Etihas, 361.

Journal of Usuluddin 45 (2) 2017: 105-121
115
the sudras their importance in both the political and social life of
the country. There was no distraction between a brahmin and a
sudra, a Hindu and a Buddhist.
29
The Muslims came in contact
with the local people in various ways. Centuries of contact
between the Hindus and the Muslims had profoundly influenced
both, so that the social and religious life of the Muslims
profoundly influenced Hinduism.
30
Ibn Battuta described co-
existence of Hindu-Muslin in the period of Shah Jalal and
distinguished people from the agrarian society of the Surma plains
below the hills of Sylhet, a society and clearly identified as
Hindu.
31
Bengal Muslims were deeply influenced by local customs,
Hindus and Muslims shared in each other‘s festivals. The Muslims
brought with them their food habits, culinary, arts and dress, but
they had to adjust these to the local climate.
32
Abdul Qahhar Siddiqui referred to his father‘s attitude
towards non-Muslims:
My father said that the moonlight and sunshine are available
for all. The wind blows for all irrespective of rich, poor,
nation, religion and caste. Is God distributing these for men
more or less? Are the crops and fish distributed more or less
for Muslims and non-Muslims? If Allah treats all the same,
why does your heart rend? O people! Remember that, I treat
the Hindus, Buddhists and other non-Muslims how my Allah
treats them. He would treat non-Muslims like the Sunnah of
the Prophet. That is why most of the non-Muslims respected
and rendered him. They went to Hazrat before the beginning
of any new work. He never showed the harsh character
towards them. So after hearing his lectures many converted to
Islam.
33
29
Abdul Karim, Social History of the Muslim in Bengal, 204.
30
Sirajul Islam, ed. Banglapedia (National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh),
(Dhaka: Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, 2003), 5:312.
31
―The inhabitants of Habanq [near Habiganj] are infidels under protection
(dhimma) from whom half of the crops which they produce is taken.‖ Ibn
Battuta, The Rehla of Ibn Battuta, 241.
32
M. Murshid Tazeen, The Sacred and the secular Muslim Discourses (1871-
1977) (Calcutta: Oxford University press, 1995), 32.
33
Al-Mannan, FurfurarEtihas, 487.

Masud, Abdullah and Amin, The Contributions of Sufism
116
Nisaruddin Ahmed (1872-1952) was one of the influential
persons to preach Islam in the Indian sub-continent, especially in
the southern part of Bengal. His area was mostly inhabited by
Hindus but there is no single evidence of any conflict between
them and the Muslims. He came forward to help new-Muslims
during their destitute time. His magnanimity, humanity, sympathy
and compassion towards others are the uniqueness of his character.
He treated all people the same way.
However, the principles of equality and brotherhood of man
expressed by Islam came as a revolutionary force to the caste-
ridden and Brahman dominated Hindu society. Muslims did not
have to distinguish themselves between the high and low castes of
the Hindus and all of them were on equal footing with respect to
employment and education. Non-brahman Hindus acquired
respectable positions in society through education, state,
employment and literary activities patronized by the Muslim
rulers. In simple terms, there was freedom for the Hindus and they
welcomed Islam as their saviour from the brahman oppression.
Islam influenced deeply the local religious and local systems. The
most important influence of Islam in Bengal is to diminish the
superiority of the brahmins.
34
6. Open-hearted Approaches
In general, Sufism helps to form bridges between Muslims and
other religious communities and promote a spirit of humanism.
The Sufis helped reinforce ties between the Hindus and Muslims
in Bangladesh, when Muslims regarded Hindus to be heretics and
Hindus regarded Muslims to be untouchables, just like the lower
caste Hindus. Abdul Karim states, ―The Sufis reveal two important
facts. First, people thought that they were endowed with
superhuman power, and secondly, their Khanqahs were open to
all poor, destitute, mendicants and wanderers.‖
35
In Bangladesh,
early Sufi teachers were influenced by the language and cultural
thoughts of Hinduism and Buddhism and often expressed Islamic
concepts in similar terms. The Sufis also helped in maintaining
peaceful and healthy relations between people of diverse religions
34
Muhammad Mohar Ali, History of the Muslim Bengal, Vol-IB (Riyadh: Imam
Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, 1985), 805.
35
Abdul Karim, Social History of the Muslim in Bengal, 149.

Journal of Usuluddin 45 (2) 2017: 105-121
117
in the country. They enriched the literature and music of several
languages. Sufism also was a step forward in the direction of
women's empowerment. There is no restriction in a durgah or Sufi
shrine, where men and women worship alongside each other.
36
Some prominent Sufis whose peaceful mission and
humanitarian activities played an effective role in this land, where
all people were able to enjoy divine bliss, peace of mind, security
of life, honour and property and freedom of religious observance.
Shah Makhdum Rupos (d. 1313) won the hearts of the local people
through his noble character and excellent manners that thousands
of people would gather around him every day and embrace Islam.
Whoever had come to him were charmed by his passion. Newly
converted-Muslims were so respectful and devoted towards him
that they did not want to return to their homes after they had gone
to his khanqah. Sometimes they settled beside his khanqah but he
would tell them to return to their families.
37
7. Influence to Communal Harmony
Communal harmony had spread among the people of Bangladesh
because of the spread of Sufis‘ spiritual thoughts. The aim of the
Sufis was not merely to spread Islam, but also to spread spiritual
values in society. As a result, these Sufis had become a bridge in
achieving co-ordination between Hindu and Islamic religions and
cultures. Because of the arrival of the Sufis, the sweetness of
Arabic and Persian languages also blended into Bengali language.
Islamic traditions entered Hindu culture. The Life style, customs
and clothing of the new Muslim class however, remained the
same.
The death anniversary of the Sufis began to be celebrated in
the form of „ursh‟
38
. As a result, such celebration became the
platform of emotional unity of both Hindu-Muslim societies.
36
Alyson Callan, ―Female saints and the practice of Islam in Sylhet,
Bangladesh,‖ American Ethnologist, vol. 35, no. 3, 2008, pp. 396-412.
37
Choudhury, Amader Sufiaye Kiram, 70.
38
Ursh is a fair and gathering of the Sufi disciples, where they remember their
murshid and perform various activities designed by khanqah.

Masud, Abdullah and Amin, The Contributions of Sufism
118
Under „ursh‟ Sufi music and songs and „kawalis‟
39
became the
attractions of both societies.
40
Such goodwill appeared in social contacts, flourished more in
religious places of faith. A large number of the Hindu society
could be seen offering coconuts or flowers with faith on the
shrines and mosques of Sufi saints. Thus, the communal goodwill
and unity cultivated in religious faith and social, cultural, food,
lifestyle and clothing domains among the people of Bengal were
the contributions of Sufi saints. However, people were mostly
influenced by these saints for their openness towards people of
other religions and helped to establish a society with religious
harmony.
Conclusion
From the above discussion we can say that Sufism has played a
vital role in promoting religious harmony in Bangladesh. The
Sufis educated the new Muslims in religious principles, helped the
poor and needy, attracted the local people, converted them into
Islam and occupied a respectful position in the socio-religious life
of Bengal. The Sufis penetrated a new spirit of tolerance,
brotherhood, equality, and universal love in this country so that the
masses accepted Islam while Hinduism was deeply affected as
visible in reforming the brahmin society. All people irrespective of
caste, creed, race, sex and religion loved the Sufis. They taught
people about humanity, human relations based on judicial equality
and the importance, greatness and comprehensiveness of Sufism.
It helped the people to be clear and clean and their heart became
sacred, filled with divine love. That is why human beings and
humanity occupy principal place in Sufism. The spiritual power
and noble character of the Sufis won the hearts of the local people.
Actually, the „khanqahs‟ of the Sufis were the centres of
reconciliation of Hindus and Muslims.
39
Qawwali is an energetic and divisional music performance of Sufis that aims
to lead listeners to a state of religious ecstasy — to a spiritual union with
Allah (God).
40
Peter J. Bertocci, ―A Sufi movement in Bangladesh: the Maijbhandari Tariqa
and its followers‖, pp. 1-28.

Journal of Usuluddin 45 (2) 2017: 105-121
119
References
Abdul Hai, Saiyed. Muslim Philosophy. Vol-1, Dhaka: Islamic
Foundation Bangladesh, 1989.
Abdul Karim. Social History of the Muslim in Bengal. (2nd ed.).
Dhaka, Jatiya Sahitta Prakash, 2007.
Abdullah al-Ahsan. ―Spread of Islam in pre-Mughal Bengal,‖
Intellectual Discourse, 1994.
Alam, Rashidul. Muslim Dorshoner Bhumika. 6th ed. Dhaka: Merit
Fair Prokashon, 2009.
Ali, Abdullah Yusuf. The Meaning of the Holy Qur‟an: Text,
Translation and Commentary. Kuala Lumpur: Islamic Book
Trust, Kuala Lumpur, 2009.
Ali, Muhammad Mohar. History of the Muslim Bengal. Vol-IB.
Riyadh: Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Dept.
of Culture and Publications, 1985.
Al-Mannan, Abdullah Mamun Arif. Furfurar Etihas. Dhaka:
Eshayat-e-Islam Kutubkhana, 2005.
Alyson Callan. ―Female Saints and the Practice of Islam in Sylhet,
Bangladesh,‖ American Ethnologist, vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 396-412.
Arnold, T.W. The Preaching of Islam. Lahore: Kashmiuri Bazar,
1961.
Blochmann, H. Contribution to the Geography and History of
Bengal. Kolkata: Asiatic Society, 2003.
Brannon Ingram. ―Sufis, scholars and scapegoats: Rashid Ahmad
Gangohi (d. 1905) and the Deobandi critique of sufism,‖ vol.
99, July, pp. 278-501.
Choudhury, Dewan Nurul Hussain. Ed. Amader Sufiaye Kiram, (A
collection of the Life-sketch of the Sufis). 2nd ed. Dhaka:
Islamic Foundation Bangladesh, 2004.
Editorial Board. Islam in Bangladesh through Ages. Dhaka: Islamic
Foundation Bangladesh, 1995.
Haq, Muhammad Enamul. A history of Sufism in Bengal. Dhaka:
Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1975.
Hasan, Syed Mahmudul. Islam. 2nd ed. Dhaka: Islamic Foundation
Bangladesh, 1980.
Hazrat Abdul Hai Siddiqui. Dhaka: Eshayat-e-Islam Kutubkhana,
1981.

Masud, Abdullah and Amin, The Contributions of Sufism
120
Hodgson, Marshall G.S. The Venture of Islam, Vol 1: The
Classical Age of Islam. Chicago and London: University of
Chicago Press, 1975.
Hours, Bernard. Islam and development in Bangladesh, trans. S.M.
Imamul Haq. Dhaka: Centre for Social Studies, 1995.
Ibn Battuta. The Rehla of Ibn Battuta. Trans. Mahdi Husain.
Baroda: Oriental Institute, 1953.
Imtiaz Ahmed. Sufis & Sufism: A Closer Look at the Journey of
Sufis to Bangladesh. Singapore: Middle East Institute, 2010.
Islam Md. Rafiqul. ―Islam in Bangladeshi Society,‖ South Asian
Cultural Studies, vol. 2, no. 2, p. 3-10.
Islam, Sirajul. Ed. Banglapedia (National Encyclopedia of
Bangladesh), Vol-5, Dhaka: Asiatic Society of Bangladesh,
2003.
Kabbani, Shaykh Muhammad Hisham. The Naqshbandi Sufi
Tradition Guidebook of Daily Practices and Devotions. Fenton:
Islamic Supreme Council of America (ISCA), 2004.
Kelly Pemberton. ―Women pirs, saintly succession, and spiritual
guidance in South Asian sufism‖, The Muslim World, vol. 96,
January, pp. 61-87.
Kishwar, Madhu. Ed. Seeking Religious Harmony: A peaceful
coexistence of religions requires more than tolerance, Hinduism
Today Magazine, 24/03/2009.
Lammense, S.J. Islam Beliefs and Institutions, Tr. E. Dension
Ross. London: Mithuen & Co. Ltd., 2004.
Maulana Jamali. Siyar al-„Ārifīn. Delhi: Matba‗ Rizvi, 1983.
Peter J. Bertocci. ―A Sufi movement in Bangladesh: the
Maijbhandari tariqa and its followers‖, Contributions to Indian
Sociology, vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 1-28.
Rahman, Chawdhuri Shamsur. Sufi Dorsan. Dhaka: Dibbo
prokash, 2010.
Rahman, Fazlur. Islam. (2nd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, 1979.
Reynold, A. Nicholson. Mystics of Islam. London: Routledge
Kegan Paul, 1914.
Saklayen, Golam. Bangladeser Sufi-shadhok (Lives and Activities
of the Saints of Bangladesh). Dhaka: Islamic Foundation
Bangladesh, 3rd edition, 1982.

Journal of Usuluddin 45 (2) 2017: 105-121
121
Sells, Michael. Ed. Early Islamic Mysticism: Sufi, Qur'an, Mi'raj,
Poetic and Theological Writings. New York: Paulist Press,
1996.
Tazeen, M. Murshid. The Secred and the Secular Muslim
Discourses (1871-1977). Calcutta: Oxford University press,
1995.
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology in English
Language Reference accessed via Oxford Reference Online,
2007.

Masud, Abdullah and Amin, The Contributions of Sufism
122