Sufi Mujahidin
بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
This is an article by Brother Khuram
Zaman on Sufi mujahidin.
More often than not, the term “Sufi”
invokes images of twirling dervishes lost in ecstasy, strange people who engage
in exotic practices that seem antithetical to Islamic legal traditions, or
apolitical mystics fixated in meditation.
In addition to the misconception that Sufism is inherently heterodox,
perhaps the greatest misconception is that it is passive and apathetic towards jihad.
In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. First and foremost, it is necessary to
establish the orthodoxy of Sufism by pointing out the sheer number of eminent
scholars who have been Sufi. As taken
from Imam Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Miswri (r.a.) from “Reliance of the
Traveller”, we have the following from the various madzahib. The translation was by Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim
Keller.
Amongst the Hanafi ‘ulama, we have Imam ‘Ali al-Qari (q.s.), Imam ‘Abd al-Ghaffar an-Nablusi (q.s.), Imam Ahmad as-Sirhindi (q.s.),
and Shah Wali’ullah (q.s.). From the Maliki, the following ’ulama were Sufi: Shaykh ibn ‘Atha’illah
as-Sakandari (q.s.) and Imam ibn
‘Ajibah (q.s.). However, Imam Taj ad-Din as-Subki (r.a.)
concluded that Shaykh ibn ‘Atha’illah (q.s.)
was more Shafi’i. The Hanbali had Imam ‘Abd
ar-Rahman ibn al-Jawzy (q.s.), Shaykh
‘Abd al-Karim Jili (q.s.) who was the
great-grandson of Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (q.s.), and Imam ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (q.s.). Shaykh Abdal-Hakim
Murad also mentioned this in his article, “Islamic Spirituality: The Forgotten
Revolution”. Shaykh Muhyi ad-Din ibn ‘Arabi
(q.s.) was of the Zhahiri madzhab.
The Shafi’i madzhab too, had a
plethora of Sufis as some of its most prestigious scholars: Imam Abu al-Qasim
al-Junayd (q.s.), Imam Hakim at-Tirmidzi
(q.s.), Shaykh Abu ‘Ali ad-Daqqaq (q.s.), Shaykh Abu ‘Abd ar-Rahman as-Sulami
(q.s.), Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (q.s.), Imam ‘Abd al-Wahhab ash-Sha’rani
(q.s.), Imam Abu al-Qasim al-Qushayri
(q.s.), Imam ‘Izz ibn ‘Abd as-Salam (q.s.) who in addition to his outstanding
works in Islamic law, he is also known for his harshness with Muslim rulers who
did not fight against the Crusaders vigorously, Imam an-Nawawi (q.s.), and Imam as-Suyuthi (q.s.).
It should also be noted that even Imam Muhammad
Hayyat as-Sindi (r.a.), the hadits teacher of Muhammad ibn ‘Abd
al-Wahhab (q.s.) who introduced him
to the works of ibn Taymiyyah (r.a.),
was from the Naqshbandi thariqa’. There is much debate over whether or not Shaykh
ibn Taymiyyah (r.a.) was a Sufi of
the Qadiri Order. Interestingly enough,
the great Indian scholar and Sufi, Shah Wali’ullah ad-Dihlawi (q.s.), was a student of another great
Sufi scholar, Imam Ibrahim al-Kurrani (q.s.),
who happened to also be the teacher of Imam Muhammad Hayyat as-Sindi (r.a.) and Shaykh Yusuf (q.s.) who later lead a jihad against the Dutch in Indonesia. Aside from the select few of Sufi scholars
that were briefly mentioned above, there are countless others who have not been
mentioned. Although it does not give the
subject justice, it should be clear that the roots of Sufism have always had
its roots firmly entrenched in orthodoxy.
The second greatest misconception that
people, including non-Muslims, have of Sufism is that it is flaccid in
participating in issues pertaining to social justice and engaging in jihad.
History is a testament that not only is Sufism not opposed to jihad, but rather, Sufis have been
amongst the foremost leaders of jihad. Even the early Sufis were known for their
fervent desire for engaging jihad and
seeking martyrdom. For example, Shaykh Abu Ishaq Ibrahim
ibn Adham (q.s.), was an early Sufi
ascetic who was born into a life luxury which he abandoned in order to study
the Sacred Sciences and later fought in jihad
against the Byzantines. In fact, the
very roots of the Sufi zawiyah, a
type of lodge, has its roots in the ribath. The ribath
is a type of fortress that was often built along the ever-expanding Islamic
frontier. At these fortresses, Sufi shuyukh adapted their teachings of
outward jihad in order to teach their disciples the science of inner jihad.
This was taken by Brother Abdallah Schleifer’s paper, “Jihad &
Traditional Islamic Consciousness.”
During the Crusades, Sufis also
participated in popular resistance against the Franks. The Battle of Mansura in Egypt included
participants of the likes of Shaykh Abu Hasan ash-Shadzili (q.s.), Shaykh Ibrahim Dassuwki (q.s.), and Shaykh al-Qannawwi (q.s.).
When Sultan al-Kamil of Egypt began negotiating with the Franks during
the Fourth Crusade, Shaykh Muhyi ad-Din ibn ‘Arabi (q.s.) scolded him by saying, “You have no pride and Islam will not
recognise the likes of you. Stand up and
fight or we shall fight you as we fight them.”
Even Imam al-Ghazali (q.s.) castigated the Mamluk Sultans for
failing to carry on the fight by giving them a similarly pernicious warning, “Either
take up your sword for the sake of Allah and the rescue of your brothers in
Islam, or step down from the leadership of Muslims so their rights can be
championed by other than you.” This is
found in Shaykh Muhammad Said ash-Shinnawy’s, “Sufism: A Call & an
Education.”
Egyptian resistance during the Seventh
Crusade was lead by Shaykh Ahmad al-Badawi (q.s.)
of the Rifa’i thariqa’. Shaykh Najm ad-Din Kubra (q.s.), the founder of the Kubrawiyyah
thariqa’, died in the defense of
Khwarazm from the Mongol hordes. Even
from within the Ottoman Empire, Sufis mobilised the masses in jihad, often lead rebellions against the
rulers, assisted in the accession of the Sultan, and some even served as
chaplains to the warrior class known as the Janissaries.
During the era of colonialism, Sufis
lead resistance movements across the ummah
against imperialism and its purveyors. In
the Caucasus, the Russians faced stiff resistance coming primarily from the
Naqshbandi and Qadiri thariqa’. Mulla Muhammad al-Ghazi al-Kamrawi (q.s.) fought against the Russians when Russia
declared itself the protector for the Christians in Khurjistan and annexed
portions of Safavid Persia in 1800. Mulla
Muhammad (q.s.) was the Shaykh of the
Naqshbandi thariqa’ and hundreds of
thousands of his muridun fought against
the Russians until he died. Leadership
was then transferred to al-‘Amir Hamzah al-Khanzaji (q.s.) but within a year, he was martyred as well.
The famous Imam Shamil ad-Daghistani (q.s.) then became the ‘amir of the jihad and fought the Russians for twenty-seven consecutive years. Interestingly enough, Imam Shamil (q.s.) met Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir
al-Jaza’iri (q.s.), another Sufi who
was fighting over 3,000 miles away, in 1828, while on haj where they exchanged information about guerilla warfare. After his surrender, rebellions were carried
on by the muridun of the Qadiri
order. In 1864, the Russians killed over
4,000 Qadiri muridun alone along with
many other innocent civilians. This is
found in Brother Kerim Fenari’s article, “The Jihad of Imam Shamyl.” The Naqshbandi and Qadiri joined forces and
rebelled in 1865, 1877, 1878 and all throughout the 1890s. During the Soviet Revolution, the Muslims
were lead by Shaykh Uzun Haji (q.s.). Stalin ultimately dealt with the “Chechen
problem” by forcibly relocating the entire population into concentration camps.
Dr. David Damrel mentioned this in his
paper, “The Religious Roots of Conflict: Russia & Chechnya.”
In the Indian subcontinent, Sufis and
Sufi orders played a considerable role in active military and intellectual
resistance against the British. The
Sufis participated in resistance prior to the famous Mutiny of 1857 when the
followers of Shah Wali’ullah (q.s.),
under the leadership of his son Shah ‘Abd al-’Aziz (r.a.) began
initiating jihad. In a fatwa,
Shah ‘Abd al-’Aziz (r.a.) proclaimed India
to be Dar al-Harb. He declared jihad, stating, “Our country has been enslaved. To struggle for independence and put an end
to the slavery is our duty.” This is
mentioned in Mawlana Muhammad Burhanuddin Qasmi’s paper, “Darul Uloom Deoband.” He was succeeded in his struggles by Sayyid
Ahmad Baralwi (q.s.) who founded the Thariqa’ al-Muhammadi and was eventually
defeated by the Sikhs of Punjab. Both
Sufi and non-Sufi scholars alike participated actively in the Mutiny of 1857. When the rebellion was finally extinguished,
over 50,000 ‘ulama were dead. This was detailed in Dr. Ira Lapidus’ “A
History of Islamic Societies.” After the
failure of the Mutiny of 1857, resistance to colonialism by the ‘ulama re-invented itself in the form of
the Deoband movement which established a plethora of madaris all across India that taught the sacred sciences derived
from the Qur’an, hadits, law, along
with logic, kalam, science, and
Sufism of the Jisti Order. Information
on this is found in Dr. David Emmanuel Singh’s, “The Independent Madrasas
of India: Dar al-‘Ulum, Deoband & Nadvat al- ‘Ulama”
The Tablighi
Jama’at grew out of the Deobandi movement through Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas al-Khandalwi
(q.s.) who was also a member of the Jisty
Order through the Swabiri branch. The
focus of this movement was a return to the correct understanding of Islam based
on the Qur’an and hadits, adhering to
the injunctions of the shari’ah, with
an astute focus on worship. There is
greater detail of this in Dr. Barbara Medcalf’s “‘Traditionalist’ Islamic
Activism: Deoband, Tablighis, and Talibs.”
Even in Indonesia, the Qadiri Order
provided leadership in the already widespread resistance to Dutch imperialism
in the 1840s and 1850s. This is found in
greater detail in Dr. Ira Lapidus’ “A History of Islamic Societies.” By far, one of the most active areas of Sufi
resistance occurred in Africa. Resistance
by Sufis against imperialism began almost as soon as Europeans endeavoured at
colonising the Muslim lands. In Morocco,
the Shadzili thariqa’ was the
forefront opponent of the Portuguese in the 15th century, the most
notable of the Sufis being Imam al-Jazuli (q.s.). This is explained in Brother Abdallah
Schleifer’s “Jihad & Traditional Islamic Consciousness.” Shaykh ‘Utsman Dan Fudyu (q.s.) was a Maliki scholar of the Qadiri
Order who vigorously spoke out against the innovations that had become dominant
in his time, particularly the mixing of Islamic and pagan beliefs. He eventually performed hijrah, established an Islamic state, and engaged in jihad to unite the region under the shari’ah.
al-Haj ‘Umar Thal (q.s.) was a Tijani shaykh
from northern Senegal who fought jihad
against both the French and pagans of Guinea, Senegal, and Mali. After performing his second pilgrimage, he
traveled across various cities in Africa starting in Cairo and eventually
coming to Sokoto, Nigeria, where he studied with Muhammad Bello (q.s.), the son of Shaykh ‘Utsman Dan Fudyu
(q.s.), in the field of military
sciences and administration. Upon his
return to his homeland, he fought mainly against the pagans of Karta and Segu. Shaykh ‘Umar (q.s.) was a staunch advocate of the shari’ah and after one victory against the polytheists; he
destroyed the idols of the pagans with his own hands using an iron mace. al-Haj Muhammad al-Ahrash (q.s.) from Morocco, a Darqawi Sufi, organised a group
comprised of Tunisians and Moroccans in 1799 to fight against the French during
their invasion of Egypt. Sayyid Muhammad
‘Abdullah as-Sumali (q.s.) was a
Shafi’i scholar and member of the Swalihiyyah
thariqa’, which he utilised
effectively as a military force for over twenty years against the British and
Italians in Somalia. He once said in a
speech, “Unbelieving men of religion have assaulted our country from their
remote homelands. They wish to corrupt
our religion, to force us to accept Christianity, supported by the armed force
of their governments, their weapons, their numbers. You have your faith in God, your arms and
your determination. Do not be frightened
by their soldiers or armies: God is mightier than they …”
Perhaps one of the most famous Sufi mujahidin was Imam ‘Abd al-Qadir
al-Jaza’iri (q.s.), who was elected
an ‘amir at the age of twenty-five
and personally lead the mujahidin against
the French invasion of Algeria in 1830. He
was part of the Qadiri Order and authored al-Mawaqif,
which is a three volume Sufi manual. Dr.
Itzchak Weismann wrote about him in “God & the Perfect Man in the
Experience of ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jaza’iri.”
Shaykh Ma’ al-‘Aynayn al-Qalqami (q.s.)
of Mauritania was also a Qadiri Sufi who made a personal alliance with the
Sharifian dynasty of Morocco to engage in jihad
against the French which resulted in the death of several of his sons. In Libya, members of the Sanusi thariqa’ lead a coalition against the
French and Italians. In the Middle East,
with the Ottoman Empire in disarray, several prominent Sufi scholars carried
the banner of jihad against European
occupation.
Shaykh ‘Ali ad-Daqar (q.s.) was a Shafi’i scholar and shaykh of the Tijani thariqa’ who founded al-Jami’iyyah al-Ghurra’,
an academy of more than eleven separate schools of the sacred sciences. Along with Shaykh Badr al-Din al-Hasani (q.s.), he traveled the Syrian
countryside during the French occupation and instructed the people of the
villages of the obligatory nature of jihad
against the imperialists. Shaykh Hashim
al-Khathib (q.s.) was a Shafi’i
scholar of the Qadiri thariqa’ who also
urged the Muslims to wage jihad against the French. Shaykh Muhammad Sa’id al-Burhani (q.s.) was a Hanafi scholar and Sufi of
the Naqshbandi Order who fought against the French during their occupation of Syria
that began in 1920. Sufi resistance has
not withered away and is still active in many parts of the ummah. For example, during
the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Sufi thariqa’
played a pivotal role in evicting the Communists. Many prominent leaders of the resistance were
Sufis such Sayyid Ahmad al-Jilani (q.s.),
the head of the Qadiri Order. He once
held the position of Chief of Justice amongst the mujahidin. Two previous
presidents of Afghanistan, Sebghatullah Mojaddedi and Burhanuddin Rabbani, are
of the Naqshbandi order. Dan Alexe wrote
about this in “Sufi Brotherhoods Reemerge after the Fall of the Taliban,”
February 1st, 2002 on Radio Free Europe. The founder and the leader of the Taliban,
Mulla Muhammad ‘Umar, is allegedly a Naqshbandi as well. Even today, in Iraq a resistance group was
recently formed in April 2005 known as the “Jihad
Sufi Squadrons of Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani” in order to fight against the
American occupation.
It should be self evident by now that
Sufis are not passive, apolitical mystics but have often formed the core
intellectual and military elite in propagating Islamic revivals all across the ummah. The article should not be misconstrued as
being a comprehensive study of the role that Sufis have played in da’wah, the revival of the sacred
sciences, and jihad, but rather, it
is intended to be merely a brief introduction to a voluminous study. May Allah (s.w.t.) Raise up a leader from amongst us who will fight the fitnah of our day and unite our ummah. Amin.
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