Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi, also known as Mujadid Alf-e-Sani or the great reviver of the second Millennium was a Muslim scholar of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He emerged as a pivotal figure in the Mughal Empire during the reign of Akbar.
In a time when the Mughal ruler’s decree of infallibility and the creation of the eclectic religious doctrine known as Din-e-Ilahi challenged the established norms of Islam, Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi boldly stepped forward as a staunch defender of faith.
He dedicated his sincerity of purpose to purify Islam and to rid it of the accretions of Brahmanical Pantheism as well as the philosophy of Wahdat-ul Wujud i.e. Advaitwad.
His life and teachings not only questioned the theological foundations of Akbar’s vision but also served as a beacon of resistance against what he saw as a potential dilution of egalitarian Islamic faith in the face of elite imperial authority.
In this article, we delve into the life, ideas, and legacy of Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi, exploring his significant contributions to Islamic thought and his unwavering stance against the syncretic religious experiments of his time.
A Punjabi Hindi
Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi was born as Ahmad al-Faruqi al-Sirhindi on 26 May 1564 in the village of Sirhind, Punjab. In this sense, he was a Punjabi Hindi i.e. a Punjabi Indian.
After receiving most of his early education from his father, ‘Abd al-Ahad, his brother, Muhammad Sadiq, he moved to Sialkot where he learned logic, philosophy and theology and read advanced texts of tafsir and hadith under another scholar from Kashmir, Shaykh Yaqub Sarfi Kashmiri.
Oneness of appearance and oneness of being
Ahmad Sirhindi countered the Sufi-mystic notion of Wahdat al-Wujud (oneness of creator and creation) by propounding what he called Wahdat ash-Shuhud (oneness of appearance).
According to this doctrine, the experience of unity between God and creation is purely subjective and occurs only in the mind of the Sufi who has reached the state of Fana’ fi Allah (to forget about everything except Almighty Allah).
Sirhindi considered wahdat ash-shuhud to be superior to wahdat al-wujud (oneness of being), which he understood to be a preliminary step on the way to the Absolute Truth.
Hostility towards Shia
In his treatise under the title “Radd-e-Rawafiz“, Sirhindi argues:
“Since the Shia permit cursing Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and one of the chaste wives (of the Prophet), which in itself constitutes infidelity, it is incumbent upon the Muslim ruler, nay upon all people, in compliance with the command of the Omniscient King (Allah), to kill them and to oppress them in order to elevate the true religion. It is permissible to destroy their buildings and to seize their property and belongings.”
His challenge to Akbar’s Din-e-Ilahi
Islam is a religion based on supremacy of God and subordination and submission of all whether king or pauper to one God.
So when Mughal Emperor Akbar issued the Infallibility Decree in 1579 recognising him as the sole interpreter and final authority on matters of religion, it caused wide uproar amongst Islamic scholars.
Further, Akbar’s new religion Din-i-Ilahi which was allegedly inspired by Brahmanical diefication of rulers further exacerbated the already tensed relation between elite Muslim ruling class and poor Islamic scholars.
Akbar’s Din-e-Ilahi recognized no God or Prophets and the emperor was its chief exponent. It adherents were to submit not before God but the emperor by pledging him their absolute loyalty and devotion.
Further, it considered belief in Quran or any revealed scripture as “taqlid” (following authority blindly) or a low kind of morality, fit only for the uneducated and the illiterate.
As a result Sirhindi vehemently stood-up against Akbar’s evil plan by questioning the theological foundations his vision.
In his famous work, Ittiba-al-Nubuwwah, he quoted Imam Ghazali justifying the need for prophethood and explaining the inadequacies of human intellect.
Through verbal preaching, discussions and his maktubat (letters) addressed to important nobles and leaders of religious thought, he spread his message amongst the elites in particular.
He boldly opposed all plans to bring Islam and Hindu-Brahmanism together on the religious level, knowing that it would elevate the status of Brahmins in India and loosen the Muslim grip on the sources of imperial strength.
Because of these letters, and general atmosphere in the country, he contributed to the swing from Akbar’s heterodoxy to Aurangzeb’s vigorous orthodoxy instead of a return to Babur and Humayun’s policy of laissez faire.
Allama Muhammad Iqbal regarded him as the “Spiritual Guardian of the Muslims” of the Sub-continent and one whom God had alerted to the great perils inherent in the syncretism of Akbar.
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Hot-Cold relations with Mughals
According to Ahmad Sirhindi, the worst distorters of faith “are those who bear malice against the companions of Prophet Muhammad PBUH. God has called them Kafirs in the Quran”.
In a letter to his discple Sheikh Farid, the Mir Bakhshi of the Mughal empire, he said that showing respect to the distorters of faith (ahl-e-Bidʻah) amounted to destruction of Islam.
As a highly influential religious revivalist, Sirhindi opposed Akbar’s policy of religious tolerance.
Therefore, he validated the execution of Sikh Guru Arjan Dev by Akbar’s successor Jahangir because he had concerns about the spread of Sikhism in Punjab.
Sirhindi later wrote a letter to Mughal emperor Jehangir emphasizing that he is now correcting the wrong path taken by his father, emperor Akbar.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi left an indelible mark on the spiritual and theological landscape of his time.
His resolute defense of egalitarian Islamic beliefs against the backdrop of Akbar’s decree of infallibility and Din-e-Ilahi is still lauded by Islamic scholars of all streams.
His concept of wahdat ash-shuhud, emphasizing the subjective nature of the unity between God and creation, stood in stark contrast to the prevalent Sufi notion of Wahdat-ul Wujud.
Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi’s legacy endures not only as a symbol of resistance against dilution of religion by elite classes but also as a beacon that guided subsequent generations in safeguarding the integrity of Islam amidst the complexities of imperial rule.
His convictions and teachings remain an invaluable source of inspiration and reflection for those who seek to understand the intersection of faith, authority, and individual conscience in the rich tapestry of Islamic history.