THIS ABOVE ALL
Messiahs of peace
Khushwant Singh

Before Muslim armies invaded Sindh and northern India, Arab traders had brought Islam to the Malabar Coast, built mosques, married local women and made their homes in India. The word noplah, meaning son-in-law, is derived from them. Their presence was not resented by Malabaris. The story was different in the North. The invaders had to fight their way through Punjab, Delhi and beyond, and roused hostility of the populace, which castigated them as malechs (unclean), and refused to mingle with them. The invaders did not speak their language but Arabic, Turkish, Pushto or Persian.

Fortunately for them, with them came some families of ascetics, fleeing persecution in their homelands. They set up khangahs (abodes) away from palaces of rulers and mansions of the nobility (umrahs). They welcomed locals, learnt to speak their language and preached peace and love. They were known as Sufis from the soof, meaning wool because they wore clothes made of coarse wool against their skins. They were divided into different orders, of which 12 are clearly identifiable.

The most popular were Chistis (from Chist in Afghanistan). The most prominent amongst them were Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti of Ajmer (1236 AD) and Hazrat Nizamuddin of Delhi (1324 AD). The Chistis kept a respectable distance from the Sultans. They indulged in practices not approved by the orthodox ulema (scholars), who advised the rulers in matters of law and administration of justice.

In Sufi dargahs, qawwalis were performed, there were dances in ecstasy and langars (community kitchens) were organised, where the rich and the poor of all castes ate together. Sultans and umrahs often came to dargahs to pay homage. Sufis (except for the Suhrawardis) kept away from them. Even the Chistis avoided direct confrontation with the authorities.

A few quotations will convey the spirit which inspired them. Hasan of Basra (728 AD), who is said to have been the first Sufi in India, said: “The world is a snake. Smooth to touch but its venom is deadly.” Rabia (801 AD), known as the earliest woman Sufi, explained the purpose of prayer: “Oh my God, if I worship Thee for fear of hell, burn me in hell. And if I pray for seeking paradise, exclude me from it. But if I worship Thee for Thine own sake, then withhold not Thine eternal beauty.”

The saga of the Sufis makes fascinating reading. The latest edition is Dr Fatima Hussain’s The War that wasn’t: The Sufi & the Sultan (Munshiram Manoharlal). Dr Hussain is a product of Lady Sri Ram College and JN University. She is currently a professor in Delhi University. The book under review was her doctoral thesis. Like most academic works, it is packed with details and names of individuals which often impedes the flow of her narrative. Nevertheless, it is an important work of research which students of Hindu-Muslim relations through history will find invaluable.

Joy of giving

This is a truly amazing success story of a man of moderate means becoming a multi-millionaire, who generously gives away his earnings to propagate his faith. It is about Ishar Singh Bindra, born and brought up in a small town, Kallar, now in a western district of Pakistan. He was trained to be an engineer. He migrated to the US at the age of 59. He could not find a job as an engineer and turned into a small time dealer in readymade garments. He could not afford to rent a shop; so he bought kiosks in Flea Market of New York to sell his wares.

He felt he could do better in import-export business. And so he did. His business expanded up to $50 million a year. He and his family moved to a large mansion with a sizeable rose garden on Long Island. But that was not good enough for him. He wanted to spread knowledge of his faith in foreign lands. He donated $ 1 million to Hofascra University of New York to select an individual who had promoted inter-faith understanding in the world.

Two years ago the recipient was His Holiness the Dalai Lama. This year it was given to Rabbi Arthur Schneier. The Bindras have further decided to finance chairs in Sikh studies in different universities in the name of Kuljit Kaur, wife of IS Bindra. Ishar Singh is almost 90. The business and the charitable trusts are now being looked after by their eldest son TJ Bindra.

A significant advisory role has been played by Tarlochan Singh, Member of the Rajya Sabha. He is perhaps the only enlightened voice in the Sikhs today who keeps warning his community of the danger of listening to pig-headed bigots, who are worse than the Taliban among Muslims. He released a pictorial album of the Bindra family history, A Journey from Kallar to New York.

Golden silence

A woman goes to a doctor, beaten black and blue. Doctor: “What happened?” Woman: “Doctor, I don’t know what to do. Every time my husband comes home drunk, he beats me to pulp.” Doctor: “I have a real good medicine against that. When your husband comes home drunk, just take a glass of green tea and start swirling it in your mouth. Don’t drink it, just swirl it round and round.”

Two weeks later she comes back to the doctor and looks reborn and fresh again. Woman: “Doc, that was a brilliant idea. Every time my husband came home drunk, I gargled repeatedly with green tea and he never touched me.” Doctor: “You see how keeping your mouth shut is such a good idea.”

(Contributed by Vipin Buckshey, Delhi)