Sufism - GS questions based on daily current affairs

1)   Which of the following statement/s is/are correct regarding Sufi orders?

1) Most Sufi lineages were named after a founding figure.
2) The Chishti silsilah is named after its founder Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti.


a. Only 1
b. Only 2
c. Both 1 and 2
d. None of the above
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Only 1

Explanation:
The Chishti order was named after its place of origin, the town of Chisht in central Afghanistan.


2)   Which of the following statement/s is/are correct regarding Sufi silsilahs?

1) The Sufi orders were divided into two – Be-shari’a, those which followed the Islamic Law (shari’a) and Ba-shari’a, those who were not bound by it.
2) Qalandars, Madaris, Malangs, Haidaris, etc. were some of the Ba-shari‘a sufis.


a. Only 1
b. Only 2
c. Both 1 and 2
d. None of the above
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: None of the above

Explanation:
Some mystics initiated movements based on a radical interpretation of Sufi ideals. Many scorned the khanqah and took to mendicancy and observed celibacy. They ignored rituals and observed extreme forms of asceticism. They were known by different names – Qalandars, Madaris, Malangs, Haidaris, etc. Because of their deliberate defiance of the shari‘a they were often referred to as be-shari‘a, in contrast to the ba-shari‘a sufis who complied with it.


3)   Sufi orders are called silsilahs. They were led by a prominent mystic who lived along with his disciples in

a. Murshid
b. Hadis
c. Murid
d. Khanqah
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Khanqah

Explanation:
Khanqah is a building designed specifically for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood and is a place for spiritual retreat and character reformation. Khanqahs are very often found adjoined to dargahs (shrines of Sufi saints), mosques and madrasas (Islamic schools).


4)   Which of the following statement/s is/are correct regarding Sufi silsilahs?

1) The Chistis accepted the service of the state and some of them held important posts in the ecclesiastical.
2) The Suharwadis on the other hand preferred to keep aloof from the state politics and shunned the company of nobles and rulers.


a. Only 1
b. Only 2
c. Both 1 and 2
d. None of the above
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: None of the above

Explanation:
Chistis remained aloof and Suharwadis accepted the service of the state. However in their own ways both helped the rulers by creating climate of opinion in which people belonging to different sects and religions could live in peace and harmony.


5)   Which Sufi saint was called a ‘perfect’ or siddha by other yogis?

a. Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki
b. Nizamuddin Auliya
c. Shihabuddin Suhrawardi
d. Moinuddin Chisti
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Nizamuddin Auliya

Explanation:
He adopted yogic breathing exercises so much so that the other yogis called him siddha or ‘perfect’.


6)   Sufism stressed on

1) Fasting
2) Devotion
3) Service to humanity
4) Inner purity
5) Spirit of tolerance
6) Pir


a. Only 2, 3, 5 and 6
b. Only 2, 3, 4 and 5
c. Only 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
d. All of the above
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
Sufism stressed the elements of love and devotion as effective means of the realization of God. Sufis believed service to humanity was tantamount to service to God. In Sufism, self discipline was considered an essential condition to gain knowledge of God by sense of perception. While orthodox Muslims emphasize external conduct, the Sufis lay stress on inner purity. According to them one must have the guidance of a pir or guru, without which spiritual development is impossible. Sufism also inculcated a spirit of tolerance among its followers. Other ideas emphasized by Sufism are meditation, good actions, repentance for sins, performance of prayers and pilgrimages, fasting, charity and suppression of passions by ascetic practices.


7)   Which of the following are Sufi Saints in India?

1) Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki
2) Nizamuddin Auliya
3) Bahauddin Zakariya
4) Shihabuddin Suhrawardi


a. 1, 2 and 4
b. 2 and 4
c. 3 and 4
d. All of the above
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
The most famous of the Sufi saints of India was Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti, who settled in Ajmer which became the centre of his activities. Another well known Sufi saint was Bahauddin Zakariya who came under the influence of another famous mystic Shihabuddin Suhrawardi. His branch of Sufi saints was known as the Sufis of the Suhrawardi Order. Yet another famous Sufi saint of Chisti Order was Nizamuddin Auliya, who was a mighty spiritual force.


8)   The  first Sufi saint in India was

a. Nizamuddin Auliya
b. Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti
c. Shaikh Ismail
d. Shihabuddin Suhrawardi
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Shaikh Ismail

Explanation:
Sufism was a liberal reform movement within Islam. It had its origin in Persia and spread into India in the eleventh century. The first Sufi saint Shaikh Ismail of Lahore started preaching his ideas.