Question

This excerpt from a Sufi text describes the proceedings at Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya’s hospice in 1313: I (the author, Amir Hasan Sijzi) had the good fortune of kissing his (Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya’s) feet … At this time a local ruler had sent him the deed of ownership to two gardens and much land, along with the provisions and tools for their maintenance. The ruler had also made it clear that he was relinquishing all his rights to both the gardens and land. The master … had not accepted that gift. Instead, he had lamented: “What have I to do with gardens and fields and lands? … None of … our spiritual masters had engaged in such activity.” Then he told an appropriate story: “… Sultan Ghiyasuddin, who at that time was still known as Ulugh Khan, came to visit Shaikh Fariduddin (and) offered some money and ownership deeds for four villages to the Shaikh, the money being for the benefit of the dervishes (sufis), and the land for his use. Smiling, Shaikh al Islam (Fariduddin) said: ‘Give me the money. I will dispense it to the dervishes. But as for those land deeds, keep them. There are many who long for them. Give them away to such persons.’”

What aspects of the relationship between the Sufis and the state do you think are best illustrated in this account? What does the account tell us about the modes of communication between the Shaikh and his disciples?

Answer 1

1. This account illustrates a relationship of deliberate financial independence and moral distance that the Sufis maintained from political rulers.
   1. Rejection of Property: Sufis rejected state-owned property, such as gardens and lands, to avoid becoming entangled in worldly administrative duties.
   2. Preserving Spiritual Lineage: The masters strictly followed the traditions of their predecessors, who avoided accumulation of permanent wealth.
   3. Conditional Acceptance: While they rejected permanent land assets, they conditionally accepted immediate cash gifts purely to distribute them instantly to poor dervishes.
   4. Moral Superiority: By mocking land ownership as something intended for those who “long for them,” the Sufis projected themselves as spiritually superior to worldly kings.
2. The text reveals that communication within the hospice (khanqah) was highly interactive, oral, and pedagogical.
   1. Use of Parables: The Shaikh taught moral values by narrating appropriate historical stories and anecdotes about past spiritual masters.
   2. Direct Assembly: Disciples gathered physically at the feet of the master to listen directly to his discourses and everyday conversations.
   3. Recording of Teachings: Disciples attentively listened to these interactions and later compiled them into formal biographical texts or malfuzat (uttered words).