Everything about Ahmad Sirhindi totally explained
Shaykh Ahmad al-Farooqi Sirhindi (~1564–1624) commonly renowned as
Mujaddid Alf Sani was an
Indian Islamic scholar and prominent member of the
Naqshbandi Sufi order. He is regarded as having rejuvenated Islam, due to which he's commonly called "
Mujadid Alf Thani", meaning "reviver of the second millennium", referring to the Islamic tradition of
Mujaddid. He is said to have had considerable and long lasting influence in India, and to have given "to Indian Islam the rigid and
conservative stamp it bears today."
Numerous
Naqshbandi suborders, such the
Mujaddidi, the
Khalidi and the
Haqqani sub-orders, trace their spiritual lineage through Shaykh Sirhindi, referring to themselves as "Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi". Sirhindi's shrine is located in Sirhind, India and is referred to as "Rauza Sharif".
Early Education
Ahmad Sirhindi was born on the day of 'Ashura, the 10th of Muharram in the year 971 H., in the village of
Sirhind near the city of
Lahore in present-day
India. He received his knowledge and education through his father and through many
shaikhs in his time. He made progress in three
tariqats:
Suhrawardiyya,
Qadiriyya, and
Chistiyya. He was given permission to train followers in all three tariqats at the age of 17 years. He was busy in spreading the teachings of these tariqats and in guiding his followers, yet he felt that something was missing in himself and he was continuously searching for it. He felt an interest in the
Naqshbandi Sufi Order, because he could see by means of the secrets of the other three tariqats that it was the best and highest. His spiritual progress eventually brought him to the presence of the Ghawth and
Qutb of his time, ash-Shaikh Muhammad al-Baqi, who had been sent from
Samarqand to India by the order of his shaikh, Muhammad al-Amkanaki. He took the Naqshbandi Order from the shaikh and stayed with him for two months and some days, until Sayyidina Muhammad al-Baqi opened to his heart the secret of this tariqat and gave him authorization to train his
murids in the Order.
Sirhindi's World view
Ahmad Sirhindi's preaching and revival was a reaction to the tolerant and
liberal policies of
Mughal emperor Akbar—who went as far as to abolishing
jizya tax on
non-Muslims—which he abhorred. He denounced Akbar's policy of
sulkh i kul (peace with all religion), and
Akbar's reign as one where "the sun of guidance was hidden behind the veil of error." Opposing mutual respect in religion, he wrote that "one who respects the kafirs dishonours the Muslims" and that it was important to humiliate non-Muslims. Sirhindi believed that "what is outside the path shown by the prophet (
Sharia) is forbidden." To Ahmad Sirhindi, the more orthodox Emperor
Jahangir was the true "king of islam."
Sirhindi's worldview focused on the idea that
ontologically, the prophethood is far greater than closeness with God. He believed that
Sufi ideas which centered around spiritual growth beyond the material world, while exhibiting key concepts, fell short of encompassing
Islam as a whole. Sirhindi, still accepting and using these ideas of
wilayat, or closeness with God, focused on a much more human understanding and reality by focusing on following the
sunnah of
Muhammad and his companions. His influence went so far as implementing jurisprudence in the Islamic world by emphasizing the
Shariah and
fiqh, integrating both into Indian Muslim government and society. This was accomplished through his 536 letters collectively entitled
Collected Letters or
Maktubat, to the
Mughal rulers conveying his ideas.
Criticism
Ahmed Sirhindi has been criticised by
Koenraad Elst for influencing the Mughals of his day to stop their leniency towards
non-Muslims which had been a unique part of Akbar's policy. Sirhindi restored Muslim superiority and domination over non-Muslims with strict implemention of traditional
Shari'a policies.
Sayings
Works
His works are his letters written to many of his contemporaries known as
Maktubaat.
Besides writing several books, Sirhindi addressed many letters to several powerful courtiers in the reign of Akbar and Jahangir. His
MaktiibCtt-i-Imdm RabbanT have been collected and published in three volumes. According to Professor S.A.A. Rizvi, "Shariat can be fostered through the sword" was the slogan he raised for his contemporaries.
After
Guru Arjan Dev had been tortured and done to death by Emperor Jahangir, Sirhindi wrote that
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