The Indian Sufi Principle of Sulh-e-Kul (mutual reconciliation)! Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi

Sufism is often contemplated as mystical form of religion. While shunning materialism, it emphasises on the practice of self-introspection and search of God through enlightenment of one’s inner-self (the Soul). This practice of inner enlightenment liberates one from the worldly belongings and inculcates in him ‘purity’ and ‘Sacredness’ until the indifferences between the God and Soul vanishes away. In Qur’anic terminology, it is called rabbaniya, and in Hadith ihsan or suluk and tasawwuf or tariqat in South Asia.

Tariqat is seen in parallel to Shari’at, and is the basic doctrine behind the phenomenon of all Sufi orders and institutions. Shar’iah lays emphasis on the legal codes and religious conduct in daily life. However, Tariqat is essentially a ‘spiritual path towards eternal salvation’. Therefore, Sufi Orders such as Chishtiya have exercised a commanding influence on the development of secular and pluralistic culture in religiously diverse countries like India. They cherished tolerance and diversity as something exogenously given, which disapproves of extremism of all forms.

In today’s troubled India, where political space has been hijacked by extremist ideologies squeezing the space for secularism and religious tolerance hence opening up societal cleavages and taking us back to dark ages. In order to secure the ‘secular space’, Sufi Orders offer an alternative. The universal Sufi thoughts such as Wahdatul Wajud (Unity of Existence) and Sulh-e-Kul (mutual reconciliation), history bears witness, have always sought to create a unified platform shunning religious, sectional and sectarian differences. Thus, the classical Sufism has emphasized on the principle of living and cherishing the diversity of all adherents who have entered its fold.

In Indian context, Sufi Islam has upheld the principle of mutual respect between religions. Stephen Sulayman Schwartz, an American author and follower of the Bektashi Sufi order internationally known as a ‘serious student of Islam and its mysticism’ writes:

“Networks established by early Sufi saints in India demonstrated their fidelity to the Islamic concept of peace between differing systems of belief” (Schwartz, 2017).

Sufi Islam is one of the notions, inherited from Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. It is believed that Prophet (PBUH) was first Sufi, then the Prophet. He never got annoyed for any personal affairs and forgave all the personal sufferings inflicted upon him by his arch enemies. Historically, Sufi conceptions such as Sulh-e-Kul (Reconciliation with All) enabled Muslims to have retained serene relations with other religions in India. Such beliefs would be envisioned as a way forward to universal harmony and the common good, only when they are translated into current practice.

Globally, Sufism has been perceived as a ‘way of life’ rather than a sect of Islam. In Indian context, it has been wedging the sectional gaps between different communities with its emphasis on Khidmat-e-Khalq (serving the mankind) and spiritual self-struggle (jihad bil-Nafs). This has proved phenomenal. An adherence to cultural syntheses provided strong basis for Hindu-Muslim unity upon which the entire edifice of the country was based.

Though Sufism recognizes fundamental disagreements between theological schools such as Sunnis and Shia’as, it believes that these could be assuaged through mutual understanding. In the current Indian political atmosphere, all the religious traditions, particularly of Hindu-Muslims, need to reconsider the principle of Sulh-e-Kul (mutual reconciliation) and Mushtaraka Aqdar (shared values) so the democratic sphere functions smoothly and the socio-cultural harmony is retained and upheld.