Which one of the following terms is associated with the practice of Sufism?
- (a)Jizya
- (b)Ijma
- (c)Muqaddam
- (d)Murid
Correct — D, Murid. In Sufism a murid is a disciple or initiate who submits to the spiritual guidance of a pir or murshid (master) on the path (tariqa) towards God. This master-disciple bond, sealed by an oath of allegiance (bai'at), is central to every Sufi order, so 'murid' is the term tied to Sufi practice.
- (a)Jizya — Jizya was a tax levied on non-Muslims under Islamic rule — a fiscal term, not a Sufi one.
- (b)Ijma — Ijma is the consensus of Islamic jurists, a source of Sharia law; it belongs to jurisprudence (fiqh), not to Sufi practice.
- (c)Muqaddam — A muqaddam was a village headman or local revenue official in the medieval administrative system, unrelated to Sufism.
Sufism is the mystical, devotional dimension of Islam, organised into orders (silsilas) such as the Chishti, Suhrawardi, Qadiri and Naqshbandi. A Sufi master (pir/murshid) initiates disciples (murids) and teaches them at a hospice (khanqah).
Three of the four terms come from taxation, law and administration; only 'murid' is drawn from the master-disciple vocabulary that defines Sufi practice.
- A murid is a Sufi disciple guided by a pir or murshid, the bond sealed by bai'at (oath).
- Sufi orders are called silsilas; the hospice where a Sufi teaches is a khanqah.
- Practices include zikr (remembrance of God) and sama (devotional music, notably in the Chishti order).
- Jizya (tax), ijma (juristic consensus) and muqaddam (headman) are non-Sufi terms.
- Mixing Sufi vocabulary with legal or administrative terms such as ijma or muqaddam.
- Assuming any Islamic term is 'Sufi' — jizya is fiscal and ijma is juristic.
Asked as 'which term is associated with Sufism' among a mix of legal, fiscal and administrative terms.
With reference to the religious history of medieval India, the Sufi mystics were known to pursue which of the following practices? 1. Meditation and control of breath 2. Severe ascetic exercises in a lonely place 3. Recitation of holy songs to arouse a state of ecstasy
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer(d) 1, 2 and 3
Same concept — the practices and vocabulary of Sufism. There the focus is on zikr, chilla and sama; here it is the master-disciple term murid that marks out Sufi practice.
- practice — not a real PYQ
In Sufism, the hospice or lodge where a master taught his disciples was called a
- (a)Khanqah
- (b)Madrasa
- (c)Sarai
- (d)Maqbara
Answer(a) Khanqah — the Sufi teaching hospice.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The devotional music assembly especially associated with the Chishti Sufi order is
- (a)Sama (qawwali)
- (b)Ijma
- (c)Zabt
- (d)Iqta
Answer(a) Sama (qawwali) — sung to arouse a state of spiritual ecstasy.