in their
khanqah
praying, meditating and teaching new pupils, became an
important feature of the practical facet of Islam. Soon the
khanqahs
became
affiliated with one or the other order, and acquired a more precisely defined
ritual and ideology.The documents of initiation (
ijaza or khilafat nama
) began
to be used in establishing a chain of transmission, which made it easier to
disseminate the teachings while preserving their distinct flavour. The
political upheavals shifted the centres of power, leading to a massive
movement of scholars and mystics, who followed the rulers and their armies
in search of patronage and new opportunities. The Sufis definitely were at
the forefront of any new venture, as is illustrated by the history of the
Chishti order in India.
Sufism and Ibn al ‘Arabi
Besides the organizational changes, which led to the formation of definite
Sufi orders centred around a spiritual master, therewas yet another important
factor which gave a distinct shape to the discourse of Sufism. This was the
philosophy of Ibn al ‘Arabi, a great Sufi and philosopher, whose ideas forever
changed the landscape of Sufi thought.
Ibn al‘Arabi (d.1240) was born in Spain but spent more than half of his life
in the Near East. He died in Damascus. He was a great mystic and was known
as
al-shaykh al-akbar
. His teachings proved to be very influential and gave
form to later Sufism. Among those who were influenced by his teachings
were Jalauddin Rumi, although his commentators include Maulana Abdur
Rahman Jami of Herat (1414-1492) and alsoAbdul Karimof Khwarizm (1365-
1428). He is credited with developing the doctrine of
wahdat al wujud
. This
concept came to play a great role in subsequent Sufism and was prevalent in
India, where all the orders except the Naqshbandis (especially after Ahmad
Sirhindi’s [d. 1604] attack on the thought of Ibn ‘Arabi followed it).
Th e Fo rma t i v e P e r i od 58
