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C h a p t e r - VI
r e v o l u t i o n on t h e I n d i a n s o i l . Much b e f o r e t h e establish-
ment of M u s l i m - r u l e , s a i n t s of v a r i o u s m y s t i c o r d e r s es-
t a b l i s h e d t h e i r khanqahs i n d i f f e r e n t p a r t s of t h e c o u n t r y .
The Hindu s o c i e t y a t t h a t t i m e was c a s t e - r i d d e n , o v e r em-
p h a s i z i n g i d e a of p h y s i c a l c o n t a m i n a t i o n was p r e v a l e n t ,
n o n - c a s t e p e o p l e were d e n i e d t h e a m e n i t i e s of c i v i c life
and t h e y w e r e n o t a l l o w e d t o s t a y i n s i d e t h e c i t y after
sun-set.
The M u s l i m - m y s t i c s w i t h t h e i r c a t h o l i c i t y of
t h o u g h t r e c e i v e d a l l t y p e s o f p e o p l e w i t h e q u a l l o v e and
affection, "niere was no s o c i a l d i s c r i m i n a t i o n and d i s t i n c -
t i o n in t h e i r khanqahs; all people lived, a t e and s l e p t
together. F o r t h e n , b e i n g on good temms w i t h t h e Hindus
was a m o r a l n e e d r a t h e r than a s o c i a l or p o l i t i c a l consi-
deration, Khwaja Muinuddin C h i s h t i i s r e p o r t e d ^ t o h a v e
d e c l a r e d t h a t t h e q u a l i t i e s n e c e s s a r y f o r e n d e a r i n g a man
t o God f o l l o w i n g a t t r i b u t e s a r e essential:
1, S i y a r - u l A u l i y a , p , 46.
, . . 204
i-T - - I - I- l'( ^204)
2. Fawa'ld-ul Fuad, p . 18 2.
3. He i s c a l l e d i
205
(205)
...206
(206)
. . . 207
(207)
..208
(208)
society and r e l i g i o n .
In the mystical philosophy of Khwaja Nasir
' Andalib and Mir Dard a matter of special i n t e r e s t for
the h i s t o r i a n of r e l i g i o n i s t h e i r allusion to Hindu
philosophy and Yoga, Nasir 'Andalib discusses Yoga
p r a c t i c e s in d e t a i l , ^ i c h he considers to be a ranark-
able achievement but they are of course much i n f e r i o r to
t h e esqperiences the pious-Muslims can reach through
meditation and by attaching himself completely to the
Prophet. 14 S t i l l he maintains t h a t :
• - ^ - - ( • < I - ( ^
...209
(209)
15. I b i d . , I I , p . 902.
16. I b i d . , I I , p . 901.
17. M a l k h a n a - 1 Dard, p . 146.
. . . 209
(209)
I n d i a n r a g and r a g n i s .
M i r z a Mazhar J a n - i J a n a n s t o o d f o r t h a s a champion
o f Hindu-Muslim u n i t y v a t h h i s c a t h o l i c i d e a s d u r i n g the
c l e a r l y and c a t e g o r i c a l l y e i u n c i a t e d h i s v i e w s . He h a d a
p a r t i c u l a r u n d e r s t a n d i n g a b o u t H i n d u s and H i n d u i s m . He
19
l i v e d i n a h o u s e b u i l t by h i s f r i e n d , L a l a Kewal Ram.
o f t e n d r o p p e d i n h i s h o u s e and a s k e d f o r d e l i c i o u s m e a l s . 20
...210
(210)
The a u t h o r of B i s h a r a t - i M a z h a r i y a h r e c o r d s an
a n e c d o t s %^ich i s t h e b e s t e x a m p l e of M i r z a M a z h a r ' s love
f o r h\amanity and l i b e r a l i t y o f h i s t h o u g h t . Ihe anecdote
i s the followingt
The c l a s s i c a l w o r k s on Hindu r e l i g i o n w e r e t r a n s -
...212
(212)
.,.213
(213)
i n d i c a t e s t h a t t h e r e l i g i o n was o r i g i n a l l y commendable b u t
o n l y t h e a b r o g a t i o n of J e w i s h and C h r i s t i a n f a i t h s . The
t h e e x i s t e n c e o f t h e P r o p h e t s and t h e r e v e a l e d b o o k s i n
(and t h e r e i s n o t a n a t i o n b u t a warner h a t h
p a s s e d among t h e m ) ,# 25 and
76
(and f o r e v e r y n a t i o n t h e r e i s a m a s s e n g e r )
•The s a c r e d b o o k s o f t h e H i n d u s g i v e an a c c o i m t
of t h e i r P r o p h e t s , and t h e i r t r a d i t i o n s i n d i c a t e t h a t the
P r o p h e t s were b o t h p e r f e c t and g r e a t . Therefore, the univer-
s a l D i v i n e Mercy d i d n o t i g n o r e t h e i n t e r e s t s o f t h e p e o p l e
o f such a v a s t c o u n t r y . Before t h e a d v a a t o f t h e l a s t of
the Prophets i , e , , Muhammad, a l l n a t i o n s w e r e s e n t 'warners',
each o n e b e i n g e x p e c t e d t o o b e y o n l y t h e t e a c h i n g s of h i s own
respective Prophet, After t h e a d v e n t of oxir P r o p h e t , \iAio was
s e n t to a l l mankind, h i s r e l i g i o n i , e , , Islam superseded all
p r e v i o u s o n e s , from t h e e a s t t o t h e w e s t . U n t i l t h e day of
...214
(214)
...215
(215)
t h e y were m e d i t a t i n g o n . Owing t o t h e s p i r i t u a l a s p e c t of
this relationship, t h e y p r a y e d t o them f o r f u l f i l m e n t of
t h e i r n e e d s i n t h i s w o r l d and t h e n e x t . This p r a c t i c e r e -
sembled m y s t i c - m e d i t a t i o n ( '^[/- ) with t h e focus of his
s p i r i t u a l master ((^-^^) i n t h e mind, the only difference
b e i n g t h a t t h e m y s t i c s d i d n o t make a p h y s i c a l representa-
tion. This p r a c t i c e differed, however, from t h e pagon Arab
belief t h a t i d o l s t h e m s e l v e s were powerful, potent and
effective. The A r a b s h a d c o n s i d e r e d t h e i r i d o l s a s the
l o r d s o f h e a v e n and e a r t h , \i^ich were s h e e r p o l y t h e i s m . The
Hindu c u s t o m o f p r o s t r a t i o n was a form o f g r e e t i n g and was
n o t i n t e n d e d a s an a c t o f i d o l w o r s h i p ; i t was i d e n t i c a l to
t h e t r a d i t i o n a l p r o s t r a t i o n made t o p a r e n t s o r t e a c h e r s b y
t h e Muslims i n t h e p l a c e o f g r e e t i n g . The H i n d u s c a l l e d it
o f t h e s o u l was n o t i t s e l f i n f i d e l i t y o r p o l y t h e i s m . * 27
f u l l of f i r e . I n t h e raid o f t h a t f i r e h e saw K r i s h n a w h i l e
...216
(216)
' t h a t t h e a n c i e n t s a g e s may n o t b e a c c u s e d o f
infidelity u n l e s s i t was s u p p o r t e d by t h e r e l i g i o u s law
(Shari'ah). According to Q u r ' a n i c injxinction warners had
b e e n s e n t t o e v e r y p a r t of t h e w o r l d . I t is possible that
Rama C h a n d r a and K r i s h n a w e r e P r o p h e t s . M i r z a Mazhar c l a i m -
ed t h a t Rama C h a n d r a f l o x i r i s h e d a t a t i m e \Aien p e o p l e p o s s -
e s s e d i n c r e d i b l e p h y s i c a l power and l o n g e r span of life
and h e n c e Rama C h a n d r a was a b l e t o gxiide p e o p l e on t h e p a t h
of ascetic exercises ( v—O-^), K r i s h a n was b o r n l o n g after
Rama C h a n d r a when p e o p l e w e r e s h o r t s t a t u r e d and p o s s e s s e d
l e s s p h y s i c a l power and t h e r e f o r e K r i s h n a c h o s e t o l e a d t h e
p e o p l e a l o n g t h e p a t h o f l o v e and e c s t a c y ( ^-r'-^^), Krishna's
e x c e s s i v e i n d u l g e n c e i n m u s i c and d a n c e i s a p r o o f t h a t h e
p r e f e r r e d ecstacy to a s c e t i c exercises. The f i r e , \Aiich
came i n t h e dream was f i r e o f l o v e and a s K r i s h n a s a n k e d i n -
to i t , h i m s e l f b e i n g i n t h e m i d d l e o f f i r e i n d i c a t e d h i s ex-
c e s s i v e involvement with ecstacy. On t h e o t h e r h a n d Rama
C h a n d r a f o l l o w e d t h e p a t h of e s c e t i c e x e r c i s e s , was t h e r e -
28
f o r e a t t h e edge of t h e f i r e ,
H a j i Muhammad A f z a l became e x t r e r a e l y p l e a s e d by
29. Ibid.
..217
(217)
...218
(218)
as a testimony.
Shah 'Abdul ' A z i z ' s views regarding the r e l i g i o u s
l e a d e r s of the Hindus are also sympathetic. We hear In h i s
malfuz t h a t a Hindu, Uttam Chand, had converted to Islam
and was h i s d i s c i p l e . 32 He considered Krishna a protege of
God {d:>),^^
...219
(219)
of t h e o p i n i o n t h a t t h e P r i n c e of K ^ i l w a s t u , i,e.,Gautam
m e n c l a t t i r e of Z u l k i f l ,
i t can be s a i d t h a t ' k i f l ' i s t h e
35
Arabieised form o f T c a p i l * . Z u l k i f l o r Z u l k ^ i l means
Among t h e n w d e m s c h o l a r s o f I n d o - P a k i s t a n sxib-
continent. S h a i k h Muhammad I k r a m , P r o f e s s o r K.A, Nizami 38
39
and A z i z Ahmad h a v e come u n d e r t h e i n f l u e n c e o f M i r z a
Mazhar J a n - i J a n e i n ' s v i e w s .
a s q u o t e d b y M a n a z i r Ahsan G i l a n i i n An-Nabi-ul
Khatim, p , 3 ,
...220