Sufism, Universality and Human Values: the power of tawhid in contemporary world

Abstract

M. Ilyas Khan1 Faisal Hassan2

It is the message, not the man, which is important to the Sufis.

-Idries Shah

Sufism has its origins in the MENA region and has travelled to distant lands, holding aloft the
mast of tawhid, safeguarding the human values, celebrating the dignity of human life. Sufism has
put forward the spiritual thoughts of different civilizations which existed across the history of
mankind and has kept acquainting people with the life and message of Holy Prophet Mohammed
(PBUH). Since spirituality addresses universality and pluralism, Sufism being the spiritual
approach of Islam, subscribes to the basic tenets of faith, suggests achieving inner freedom,
spiritual elevation, and a sense of greater wholeness for attaining better proximity with the
almighty. Sufism envisions tawhid as the pathway which passes through different religions and
connects people professing them, maintaining that everyone has to arrive at same destination. In
the beautiful imagery of human values, Sufism maintains that human beings must learn affection
from the Sun, generosity from river and the hospitality from earth, because they benefit everyone
alike, without discrimination and distinction. Sufi saints reflected the need for universality for
peaceful mutual co-existence and proposed to think beyond the beliefs, practices and precepts of
religions of the world, in order to achieve the strongest unison with the Almighty. Sufism places
humanity to the fore and allows people with space to have idea exchange, harnessing the
capacity to inspire human solidarity for protecting human values. It further instills the confidence
in people for responding to the contemporary challenges of a materialist global life by their
spiritual enlightenment and establishes that deeply ecumenical spirituality can by large
popularize global peace culture in the contemporary world. This paper looks through the idea of
universality in light of Sufism and proposes that tawhid is the answer to the religious epiphanies
of people in the contemporary world.

Key words: Sufism, Human Values, Tawhid, Spirituality, Co-existence

1
Professor, Department of Psychology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India

2
Research Scholar, Department of Psychology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India