THE
ELEMENTS
OF SUFISM
(Excerpts Only)
By:
Shaykh
Fadhlalla Haeri
Chapter
12
Sufism in Modern Times
During
the eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the major
Sufi movements in Africa and Asia were often connected to mainstream
Islamic movements. The Sufis were the elite of their societies, and
often led the reform movements or opposition to oppression and
foreign or colonial domination. Thus, for example, they were deeply
involved in political movements such as the uprisings in Morocco and
Algeria against the French, and the rebuilding of society and
Islamic governance in Libya, which was carried out largely by
members of the Sanusi Order. In northern Nigeria, Shaykh Uthman dan
Fodio (d. 1817), a member of the Qadiri Order, led the religious war
against the Habe rulers who had failed to govern according to the
Islamic Law, which had led to the imposition of arbitrary taxes,
general corruption, oppression and the dwindling of Islamic morality
both at the popular and at the courtly levels. Further eastwards,
Shaykh Muhammad Ahmad al-Mahdi (d. 1885), a member of the Tsemani
Order, successfully opposed attempts at British colonial rule in
Sudan. Similar phenomena occurred in the East as well. For example,
the Naqshbandi Sufis and Shah Wali'ullah challenged the British
colonial power in India.
Thus
the Sufis were in action in many countries during the colonial era,
opposing the colonial dismantling of Islamic governance and
attempting to revive and sustain original Islam. They often formed
or were at the heart of strong social groupings, and had great
followings in many parts of the world. What kept many of these
movements coherent and strong was the fact that during the
nineteenth century people were not mobile, and the control or
ownership of land, together with the influence of long-established
cultural traditions, played an important role in the stability of
society. However during the twentieth century, the situation began
to change radically and rapidly.
...
...
It
is important that we do not confuse the spiritual qualities of an
individual with outer events. Imam Ali, the master of all Sufis, had
only war on his hands during his years as the leader of the Muslim
community. Outer events can sometimes confuse the onlooker and
conceal the light of such beings.
As
for the state of Sufism in the West in the more recent past, we
observe in conclusion that many of the groups that had accepted
Sufism in order to benefit from some of its disciplines, doctrines,
practices or experiences have begun to disintegrate. These groups of
the 'new age' movement which embraced a number of ideas derived from
Sufism are breaking apart because their way of life is not in
harmony with the mainstream of original Islam, and accordingly they
do not have the outer protection which is necessary to protect and
ensure the safety of the inner movement. Thus during the last few
decades of this century, we observe that most Sufi movements in the
West have either been strengthened by holding on to the outer
practices of Islam, or weakened and degenerated by not doing so.
