{"id":3857,"date":"2026-08-03T07:37:33","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T07:37:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alfaqr.net\/en\/?p=3857"},"modified":"2026-08-03T07:38:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T07:38:05","slug":"the-role-of-the-sufis-in-promoting-the-thought-of-imam-husayn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alfaqr.net\/en\/the-role-of-the-sufis-in-promoting-the-thought-of-imam-husayn\/","title":{"rendered":"The Role of the Sufis in Promoting the Thought of Im\u0101m Husayn"},"content":{"rendered":"

Author: Dr Laeeq Ahmed<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Thought of Husayn (R.A.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The thought of Husayn (R.A.) rests on a single foundational principle: that truth itself is power, while Yaz\u012bdiyyat is the delusion that power itself constitutes truth. The accursed Yaz\u012bd corrupted politics, wealth, and morality alike. Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.), by contrast, breathed new life to justice, piety, and self-sacrifice. Yaz\u012bd preserved his throne yet died in history. Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.) lost his head yet attained eternal life. Every person in this world who stands with truth and against falsehood subscribes, knowingly or not, to the thought of Imam Husayn (R.A.). Those, however, whose hearts and minds have been corroded by worldly attachment, by the nafs and Satan, and by vain desire, to the point that they descend into tyranny, oppression, and the violation of rights, are the followers of Yaz\u012bd.<\/p>\n

The Promotion of the Thought of Husayn (R.A.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Sufis of the Ummah of the Exalted Prophet (\ufdfa) made the essence of the thought of Husayn (R.A.) as their guiding light. Through their monasteries (kh\u0101nq\u0101hs<\/em>), the Sufis spread the message of peace, humanity, and truthfulness, a message whose foundation was laid by the grandson of the Exalted Prophet (\ufdfa) upon the scorching plains of Karbal\u0101. This community of the sincere and the God-fearing planned, in an atmosphere of peace and through the very tone and manner of Husayn (R.A.), to free hearts and minds from prejudice, hatred, and every form of moral corruption. And when they stepped onto the battlefield itself, they shattered the malicious designs of their enemies through the sword of Husayn (R.A.) and the onslaught of truth.<\/p>\n

Yaz\u012bd was, is, and will forever remain a symbol of barbarity, tyranny, and betrayal. Imam Husayn (R.A.), by contrast, proved himself to be the very embodiment of truth, humanity, patience, and trustworthiness. The true lesson of Karbal\u0101 lies in the transformation of what victory and defeat actually mean. Here, the oppressor, despite all his bloodshed, was utterly erased, while the oppressed, through his devotion to truth, remained alive and radiant. Yaz\u012bd had brought about political, economic, religious, and moral corruption in society, and to erase that corruption, the family of the Exalted Prophet (\ufdfa) offered the sacrifice of their lives. It was with this same thought of Husayn that the Sufis taught the equality instead of worshiping the political power. The role of the Sufi masters in promoting the thought of Imam Husayn (R.A.) has continued to transmit this eternal truth from generation to generation. Let us turn to the windows of history to understand how the knights of the field of Tasawwuf<\/em> adopted the way of the knights of the battlefield of Karbal\u0101, and through their words and deeds, promoted and propagated the thought of Imam Husayn (R.A.).<\/p>\n

The Character of the Sufis, Adorned with the Thought of Husayn (R.A.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the history of Islam, after the noble community of the companions (R.A.), the role played by the successors (T\u0101bi’\u012bn<\/em>) and \u00a0successors of successors (Tab\u0101’ al-T\u0101bi’\u012bn<\/em>), the scholars and spiritual masters, the jurists, the scholars of Had\u012bth<\/em>, and the people of Sufism, in preserving the Divine message and transmitting it to new generations, has been of the most vital importance. The just system, the rejection of tyranny, and the restoration of human dignity, whose banner Imam Husayn (R.A.) raised upon the battlefield of Karbal\u0101, were carried by the Sufis from the kh\u0101nq\u0101hs<\/em> to the most marginalised sections of society. These sanctified souls offered not only spiritual training, but also presented the economic and political system of Islam as a shield against the tyranny of monarchical rule.<\/p>\n

The Thoughts of Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.) and D\u0101t\u0101 ‘Al\u012b Hujw\u012br\u012b (R.A.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hazrat Sayyid ‘Al\u012b ibn ‘Uthm\u0101n Hujw\u012br\u012b, known as D\u0101t\u0101 Ganj Bakhsh (R.A.) (d. 465 AH), is, both by lineage and by intellectual conviction, a beloved descendent of the household of the Ahal Al-Bayt and a great standard-bearer of the thought of Imam Husayn (R.A.). His chain of descent reaches Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.) through eight generations, and the influence of this lineage is visible throughout his life, his piety, and his propagation of religion. The just system and the supremacy of truth that Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.) demonstrated practically upon the battlefield of Karbal\u0101 were given lasting form in the Indian Subcontinent through D\u0101t\u0101 Ganj Bakhsh’s (R.A.) scholarly writings, including famous book Kashf al-Ma\u1e25j\u016bb<\/em>, and through his own practical conduct. Every aspect of his discourse exudes the flowers of Divine pleasure and the reform of belief and action, and this fragrance is, in truth, the very scent of the garden of Imam Husayn (R.A.), which dispelled the influence of monarchical rule and lit, within hearts, the candle of passionate love for the Exalted Prophet (\ufdfa), reverence and love for the Ahal Al-Bayt al-A\u1e6dh\u0101r, and the freedom of faith. Just as Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.) gave preference to the preservation of principle over the trappings of outward power, so too Sayyid ‘Al\u012b Hujw\u012br\u012b (R.A.) made self-respect, humility, and noble character, rather than the conventional cloaks and mere outward symbols of the Sufis, the very foundation of Sufism. He counsels mystics to avoid the company of the worldly person, one whose heart has been filled with attachment to the material world, and this is, in truth, a reflection of that very independence of Imam Husayn (R.A.) which refuses to bow before any tyrant or material power.<\/p>\n

The Thoughts of Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.) and Im\u0101m Ghaz\u0101l\u012b (R.A.) (d. 505 AH)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u1e24ujjat al-Isl\u0101m Im\u0101m Ab\u016b \u1e24\u0101mid Mu\u1e25ammad al-Ghaz\u0101l\u012b’s (R.A.) scholarly and reformist movement is, in essence, the intellectual continuation of this very thought of Imam Husayn (R.A), whose purpose was to harmonise the outward spirit of Shar\u012b’at with inward purity and moral values. The purification of the lower self (nafs<\/em>) and the moral revolution that Im\u0101m Ghaz\u0101l\u012b (R.A.) emphasised in his masterpiece, I\u1e25y\u0101’ ‘Ul\u016bm al-D\u012bn<\/em>, has its source in that very Husayn\u012byyat which prefers the sacrifice of life for the sake of truth over bowing before falsehood. For Im\u0101m Ghaz\u0101l\u012b (R.A.), religion is not merely a matter of juristic hairsplitting; rather, it is the very title of that inward purity which cleanses the human being of the influences of monarchical rule and Yaz\u012bdiyyat and raises him to the lofty station of servitude to the Sustainer. In the face of the dry rational dominance of Greek philosophy, he lit the candle of that “passionate love for the Divine” and “steadfastness” which was the distinguishing mark of Imam Husayn (R.A). Im\u0101m Ghaz\u0101l\u012b’s (R.A.) position regarding the killers of Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.) and regarding Yaz\u012bd is grounded in the very perfection of his piety and justice. In condemning Yaz\u012bd’s conduct, he made clear that the killing of Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.) was an act of pure and unmitigated tyranny, one that made a wicked attempt to pour poison into the very throat of intellectual freedom. In contrast to the modern-day apologists for Yaz\u012bd, Im\u0101m Ghaz\u0101l\u012b (R.A.) declared the battle of Karbal\u0101 to be not a political conflict but the eternal standard of truth and falsehood. The reality is that the “counsel of Ghaz\u0101l\u012b” is, in truth, that very scholarly elaboration of the “philosophy of Husayn” which teaches the Ummah to speak the word of truth before a tyrannical ruler and to maintain balance between Shar\u012b’at and Sufism.<\/p>\n

The Thoughts of Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.) and<\/strong> Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani<\/strong> (R.A.) (d. 561 AH)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Honourable ‘Abd al-Q\u0101dir J\u012bl\u0101n\u012b’s (R.A.) lineage reaches, on his father’s side, the grandson of the Prophet the Caliph of Islam Sayyidun\u0101 Hazrat Im\u0101m Hasan (R.A.), and on his mother’s side, Sayyid al-Shuhad\u0101’ Im\u0101m ‘\u0100l\u012b Maq\u0101m Hazrat Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.), making him both a Hasan\u012b and a Husayn\u012b Sayyid. He undertook the complete spiritual training of the Ummah, reviving within it the thought of Husayn both intellectually and in its practical dimension. In the light of the blessed example of Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.), he made the supremacy of truth and the purification of the lower self (nafs<\/em>) his mission. He built a scholarly stronghold from which intellectual resistance was generated against false doctrines and tyrannical rulers. Historians say that Shaykh ‘Abd al-Q\u0101dir J\u012bl\u0101n\u012b (R.A.), through seminaries (madrasahs<\/em>) and monasteries (kh\u0101nq\u0101hs<\/em>), led a comprehensive reformist movement that dispelled the influence of monarchical rule and revived the freedom of faith, which is precisely the very spirit of Imam Husayn (R.A.).[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

One of the fundamental dimensions of the thought of Imam Husayn (R.A.) is independence from worldly need and the speaking of the word of truth before a tyrannical ruler. When the caliphs and sultans of the time appeared before Shaykh ‘Abd al-Q\u0101dir J\u012bl\u0101n\u012b (R.A.) in their full worldly grandeur and pomp, his conduct toward them was that of a compassionate counsellor, yet an exceedingly courageous reformer. Im\u0101m al-Sha\u1e6dnawf\u012b writes in Bahjat al-Asr\u0101r<\/em> that when Caliph al-Mustanjid Bill\u0101h presented him with sacks of gold coins, Honourable ‘Abd al-Q\u0101dir J\u012bl\u0101n\u012b (R.A.) squeezed them in his hand and made the blood of the oppressed drip from them. This episode is, in truth, a symbol of the very thought of Imam Husayn (R.A.) that spirituality can never be nourished by the wealth of tyranny.[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

The seminary (madrasah<\/em>) that Shaykh ‘Abd al-Q\u0101dir J\u012bl\u0101n\u012b (R.A.) founded in Baghdad was, alongside being a centre of jurisprudence and Had\u012bth<\/em>, the very first stepping stone toward the eventual victories of \u1e24i\u1e6d\u1e6d\u012bn and Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem). The scholars trained at this madrasah reformed the beliefs of the common people, and when the time came, they themselves became warriors of freedom who confronted falsehood directly on the battlefield. The chapter of Sultan \u1e62al\u0101\u1e25 al-D\u012bn al-Ayy\u016bb\u012b’s Islamic conquests is a radiant page of world history, yet very few people are aware of its inward causes. The reality is that the army which raised the banner of victory in the battle for Bayt al-Maqdis was, in its majority, composed of the trained students and disciples of the madrasah of Shaykh ‘Abd al-Q\u0101dir J\u012bl\u0101n\u012b (R.A.). These rank-breaking warriors were not merely possessed of military skill; they had reached such a degree of nightly devotion and piety that it seemed as though an entire kh\u0101nq\u0101h<\/em> had descended onto the field of battle. Historical evidence confirms that more than half of the Ayyubi’s army consisted of graduates of the madrasah of Ghawth al-A’\u1e93am, while the remaining ranks included those trained at Im\u0101m Ghaz\u0101l\u012b’s Madrasah al-Ni\u1e93\u0101miyyah. Furthermore, the Sultan’s trusted confidant and chief advisor, Im\u0101m Ibn Qud\u0101mah al-Maqdis\u012b al-\u1e24anbal\u012b, was himself an eminent jurist and scholar of Had\u012bth, a direct student and spiritual deputy of Honourable Ghawth-e-P\u0101k (R.A.). Alongside him, his brother-in-law, Im\u0101m ‘Abd al-Ghan\u012b al-Maqdis\u012b al-\u1e24anbal\u012b, was likewise connected to that same spiritual and scholarly lineage.<\/p>\n

According to contemporary historians, N\u016br al-D\u012bn Zang\u012b maintained close ties with the masters of the Q\u0101dir\u012b order and implemented the reformist charter brought by Ghawth al-A’\u1e93am (R.A.) throughout his realm. The conquest of Bayt al-Maqdis was not merely a military success; it was the victory of this very thought of Imam Husayn (R.A.), which rejected expedient compromise and taught the Ummah to stand firm for the sake of truth. Shaykh ‘Abd al-Q\u0101dir J\u012bl\u0101n\u012b (R.A.) granted the Ummah that self-respecting spiritual-excellence (faqr-e-ghay\u016br<\/em>) which, after centuries of stolen freedom, restored that freedom once again as the destiny of Muslims.[3]<\/a><\/p>\n

His blessed writings, including Al-Fat\u1e25 al-Rabb\u0101n\u012b<\/em>, Fut\u016b\u1e25 al-Ghayb<\/em>, and Sirr al-Asr\u0101r Shar\u012bf<\/em>, are all a prelude to the teachings of truth, and they are the very wellspring of the knowledge and recognition (ma’rifat<\/em>) of Honourable Imam Husayn (R.A.).<\/p>\n

The Thoughts of Honourable Husayn (R.A.) and Honourable Mu’\u012bn al-D\u012bn Chisht\u012b (R.A.) (d. 633 AH)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Among the earliest standard bearers of the thought of Imam Husayn (R.A.) upon the soil of Indo-Pak Subcontinent, the blessed name of Hazrat Khw\u0101jah Mu’\u012bn al-D\u012bn Chisht\u012b Ajmer\u012b (R.A.) stands at the very forefront. When he arrived in Ajmer in 1166 CE, the society there was bound in chains of class division and the practice of untouchability. Following the example of Im\u0101m ‘\u0100l\u012b Maq\u0101m (R.A.), he embraced the oppressed classes and introduced them to the just system of Islam. The capture of R\u0101y Pithaur\u0101 and the end of his tyrannical rule, brought about through his prayer, was, in essence, the practical interpretation of that very principle of Imam Husayn (R.A.): “Truth has arrived, and falsehood has vanished.”<\/p>\n

The Thoughts of Imam Husayn (R.A.) and Hazrat Bah\u0101’ al-D\u012bn Zakariyy\u0101 Mult\u0101n\u012b (R.A.) (d. 661 AH)<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the region of Multan and Sindh, Hazrat Bah\u0101’ al-D\u012bn Zakariyy\u0101 Mult\u0101n\u012b (R.A.) not only uprooted misguided sects such as the Qar\u0101mi\u1e6dah but also laid the foundation of a prosperous Islamic society through agriculture, trade, and the construction of canals. His political insight likewise carried the discernment of Imam Husayn (R.A.). When the Mongols laid siege to Multan, he paid a substantial sum from his own pocket to prevent the shedding of human blood. He proved that a true friend of Allah becomes a shield for the protection of the lives and property of the people when the moment demands it.<\/p>\n

The Thoughts of Imam Husayn (R.A.) and Baba Far\u012bd al-D\u012bn Ganj Shakar (R.A.) (d. 664 AH)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The great elder of the Chisht\u012b order, Baba Far\u012bd al-D\u012bn Ganj Shakar (R.A.), made Pakpattan (Ajodhan) the centre of the spiritual beneficence of Imam Husayn (R.A.). His life was the very model of that spiritual excellence (faqr<\/em>) of Imam Husayn (R.A.) which rejects material grandeur and glory with contempt. When Sultan N\u0101\u1e63ir al-D\u012bn Ma\u1e25m\u016bd offered him a land grant and cash, he refused it, proving that the Sufi is not a flatterer of monarchical power but a herald of truth. Through his character and his love of humanity, the great tribes of Punjab took refuge in the just system of Islam, which was itself a continuation of the very fragrance of the thought of Imam Husayn (R.A.).<\/p>\n

The Thoughts of Imam Husayn (R.A.) and Mawl\u0101n\u0101 R\u016bm\u012b (R.A.) (d. 672 AH)<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the Sufi thought of Mawl\u0101n\u0101 Jal\u0101l al-D\u012bn R\u016bm\u012b (R.A.), the battle of Karbal\u0101 is a great allegory for the journey of the spirit and a metaphor for the continuous struggle against the evil self (nafs amm\u0101rah<\/em>). For R\u016bm\u012b, the cloak of the mystic (dervish<\/em>) is, in essence, a collection of those very noble lineages that spring from the threshold of the Im\u0101ms of the Ahal Al-Bayt. Mawl\u0101n\u0101 R\u016bm\u012b (R.A.) emphasises this reality that whoever is connected to his thought and message cannot be independent of the example of Imam Hassan (R.A.) and Imam Husayn (R.A.).<\/p>\n

Mawl\u0101n\u0101 R\u016bm\u012b (R.A.) regards the station of love as the highest ascent of passionate love and the ultimate destination. In his view, the true lover is one who, freed from the fear of death, dances upon the field of annihilation, for the martyr never fears death; rather, he is the seeker of eternal life. In the D\u012bw\u0101n-e-Shams-e-Tabr\u012bz\u012b<\/em>, he shakes the people of formal religiosity and piety, declaring that if they remain confined within the walls of mere outward worship and expedient compromise, they will never grasp the reality of Karbal\u0101, where truth is brought to life through the offering of one’s own life. Mawl\u0101n\u0101 R\u016bm\u012b (R.A.) says:<\/p>\n

\u06a9\u0627\u06cc\u0646 \u0634\u06be\u06cc\u062f\u0627\u0646 \u0632 \u0645\u0631\u06af \u0646\u0634\u06a9\u06cc\u0628\u0646\u062f<\/p>\n

\u0639\u0627\u0634\u0642\u0627\u0646\u0646\u062f \u0628\u0631\u0641\u0646\u0627 \u0628\u0648\u062f\u0646<\/p>\n

\u0634\u0634\u06c1 \u0645\u06cc \u06af\u06cc\u0631 \u0648 \u0631\u0648\u0632 \u0639\u0627\u0634\u0648\u0631\u0627<\/p>\n

\u062a\u0648 \u0646\u062a\u0627\u0646\u06cc \u0628\u06c1 \u06a9\u0631\u0628\u0644\u0627 \u0628\u0648\u062f\u0646<\/p>\n

“These martyrs are not troubled by death, for they are lovers of being annihilated. Come to your senses and understand that on the day of judgement Ashura, it is not within everyone’s capacity to truly become a man of Karbal\u0101.”<\/p>\n

The Thoughts of Husayn (R.A.) and Hazrat Ni\u1e93\u0101m al-D\u012bn Awliy\u0101’ (R.A.) (d. 725 AH)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hazrat Ni\u1e93\u0101m al-D\u012bn Awliy\u0101’ (R.A.), settled in Delhi, spread a network for the propagation of Islam that brought spiritual benefit to humanity from Bengal to the Deccan. The intellectual insight of his successor, Hazrat Na\u1e63\u012br al-D\u012bn Chir\u0101gh-e-Dehl\u012b (R.A.), was such that when a minister of state asked him about worship, he replied that the minister’s worship lay in fulfilling the needs of the needy. That is, alongside adherence to obligatory duties and acts of worship, fulfilling the needs of the needy is itself a great act of worship, for service to the creation of Allah Almighty is the very spirit of the purified Divine Islamic law (shar\u012b’at<\/em>) and the means of attaining Divine pleasure. This is precisely the thought that Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.) taught: that religion is not merely the rosary and supplication, but the safeguarding of human rights and the fulfilment of social responsibility.<\/p>\n

The Thoughts of Husayn (R.A.) and Sultan-ul-Arifeen Sultan Bahoo (R.A.) (d. 1102 AH)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sultan-ul-Arifeen Sultan Bahoo (R.A.) belongs to the Aw\u0101n tribe, who are the helpers, supporters, and devoted servants of the S\u0101d\u0101t. In the teachings of Sultan Bahoo (R.A.), the blessed person of Im\u0101m ‘\u0100l\u012b Maq\u0101m Honourable Husayn ibn ‘Al\u012b (R.A.) is the very standard against which the truthfulness of knowledge and action is measured. In his view, religion means standing firm for the sake of truth and offering the sacrifice of one’s own life. He expresses this profound philosophy in his spiritual poetry, declaring that if religion had resided in mere outward knowledge, the radiant head of Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.) would never have been raised upon a spear. In his view, the sacrifice of Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.) in the presence of eighteen thousand scholars proves that true knowledge is that which grants the courage to give up everything for the pleasure of Allah. Sultan-ul-Arifeen Sultan Bahoo (R.A.) says:<\/p>\n

\u062c\u06d2 \u06a9\u0631 \u062f\u06cc\u0646 \u0639\u0644\u0645 \u0648\u0686 \u06c1\u0648\u0646\u062f\u0627 \u062a\u0627\u06ba \u0633\u0631 \u0646\u06cc\u0632\u06d2 \u06a9\u06cc\u0648\u06ba \u0686\u0691\u06be\u062f\u06d2 \u06be\u0648 \u064f<\/p>\n

\u0627\u0679\u06be\u0627\u0631\u06c1 \u06c1\u0632\u0627\u0631 \u062c\u0648 \u0639\u0627\u0644\u0645 \u0627\u0653\u06c1\u0627 \u0627\u0648\u06c1 \u0627\u06af\u06d2 \u062d\u0633\u06cc\u0646\u0611 \u062f\u06d2 \u0645\u0631\u062f\u06d2 \u06be\u0648 \u064f<\/p>\n

\u062c\u06d2 \u06a9\u062c\u06be \u0645\u0644\u0627\u062d\u0638\u06c1 \u0633\u0631\u0648\u0631(\ufdfa) \u062f\u0627 \u06a9\u0631\u062f\u06d2 \u062a\u0627\u06ba \u062e\u06cc\u0645\u06d2 \u062a\u0645\u0628\u0648 \u06a9\u06cc\u0648\u06ba \u0633\u0691\u062f\u06d2 \u06be\u0648<\/p>\n

\u062c\u06cc\u06a9\u0631 \u0645\u0646\u062f\u06d2 \u0628\u06cc\u0639\u062a \u0631\u0633\u0648\u0644\u06cc \u062a\u0627\u06ba \u067e\u0627\u0646\u06cc \u06a9\u06cc\u0648\u06ba \u0628\u0646\u062f \u06a9\u0631\u062f\u06d2 \u06be\u0648<\/p>\n

\u067e\u0631 \u0635\u0627\u062f\u0642 \u062f\u06cc\u0646 \u062a\u0646\u06c1\u0627\u06ba \u062f\u06d2 \u0628\u0627\u06be\u0648 \u064f\u0612 \u062c\u0648 \u0633\u0631 \u0642\u0631\u0628\u0627\u0646\u06cc \u06a9\u0631\u062f\u06d2 \u06be\u0648<\/p>\n

“Had Divine Religion (Deen<\/em>) been in knowledge, why would the heads have been hanged high on spears, Hoo<\/p>\n

Eighteen thousand scholars were there; they would have laid down their lives for Hussain (R.A.), Hoo<\/p>\n

Had they had any respect for the Exalted Prophet (\ufdfa), they would not have burnt camps, Hoo<\/p>\n

Had they accepted the pledge to the Apostle (\ufdfa), water would not have been refused, Hoo<\/p>\n

Only those were truthful in their faith Bahoo, who sacrificed their heads, Hoo.”<\/p>\n

Honourable Sultan Bahoo (R.A.) holds these corrupt scholars (‘ulam\u0101’-e-s\u016b<\/em>‘) to account throughout his poetry (Aby\u0101t<\/em>), those who attached themselves to the Yaz\u012bd\u012b courts and made religion a means of their own livelihood and worldly privilege. His allusions clearly point toward those scholars who abandoned their adherence to the family (‘itrat<\/em>) of the Prophet (\ufdfa) out of greed for wealth and material gain. He says that knowledge employed merely to please kings and rulers can never become a spring of goodness; rather, it gives birth only to sectarianism and hatred. He compares such scholars to curdled milk from which no butter can ever be extracted.<\/p>\n

\u067e\u064e\u0691\u06be \u067e\u064e\u0691\u06be \u0639\u0650\u0644\u0645 \u0645\u064e\u0644\u0648\u06a9 \u0631\u064e\u062c\u06be\u0627\u0648\u0646 \u06a9\u06cc\u0627 \u06c1\u0648\u06cc\u0627 \u0627\u064f\u0633 \u067e\u064e\u0691\u06be\u06cc\u0627\u06ba \u06be\u0648<\/p>\n

\u06c1\u0631\u06af\u0650\u0632 \u0645\u06a9\u06be\u0646 \u0645\u064f\u0648\u0644 \u0646\u06c1 \u0622\u0648\u06d2 \u067e\u06be\u064e\u0679\u06d2 \u062f\u064f\u0648\u062f\u06be \u062f\u06d2 \u06a9\u064e\u0691\u06be\u06cc\u0627\u06ba \u06be\u0648<\/p>\n

\u201cSome seek knowledge to satisfy the rulers, what is the use of this scholarship – Hoo,<\/p>\n

Butter can\u2019t be acquired out of milk turned sour \u2013 Hoo\u201d<\/p>\n

He further says that the true object of these worldly scholars is not the recognition (ma’rifat<\/em>) of Allah Almighty but rather fees and offerings.<\/p>\n

\u062c\u0650\u062a\u06be\u06d2 \u0648\u06cc\u06a9\u06be\u0646 \u0686\u0646\u06af\u0627 \u0686\u0648\u06a9\u06be\u0627 \u0627\u064f\u062a\u06be\u06d2 \u067e\u0691\u06be\u0646 \u06a9\u0644\u0627\u0645 \u0633\u0648\u0627\u0626\u06cc \u06be\u0648<\/p>\n

\u201cWhenever they see good foods prolong their sermon and recite more \u2013 Hoo\u201d<\/p>\n

In the view of Sultan Bahoo (R.A.), love and reverence for the noble S\u0101d\u0101t is an inseparable part of faith and the sole path to attaining the recognition (ma’rifat<\/em>) of Allah Almighty. He writes explicitly in his book N\u016br al-Hud\u0101<\/em> that an enemy of the S\u0101d\u0101t is, in truth, an enemy of the noble Prophet (\ufdfa) and of Allah Almighty, while a friend of the S\u0101d\u0101t is destined for Paradise and a true follower of the Prophetic Sunnah. In his view, whoever denies the family of the Prophet (\ufdfa) and the descendants of Honourable ‘Al\u012b (R.A.) and Honourable F\u0101\u1e6dimah (R.A.) may spend his entire life shattering his head against the stone of spiritual exercise (faqr<\/em>), yet he will never attain the recognition of Allah Almighty. Sultan Bahoo (R.A.) writes in N\u016br al-Hud\u0101<\/em>:<\/p>\n

\u062f\u0634\u0645\u0646\u0650 \u0633\u0627\u062f\u0627\u062a \u062f\u0634\u0645\u0646\u0650 \u0645\u0635\u0637\u0641\u0670\u06cc\u0670\u0610<\/p>\n

\u06c1\u0631 \u06a9\u06c1 \u062f\u0634\u0645\u0646 \u0645\u0635\u0637\u0641\u0670\u06cc\u0670\u0610 \u062f\u0634\u0645\u0646 \u062e\u062f\u0627<\/p>\n

“The enemy of the S\u0101d\u0101t is the enemy of Exalted Prophet (\ufdfa), and the enemy of Exalted Prophet (\ufdfa) is the enemy of Allah Almighty.”<\/p>\n

\u062f\u0634\u0645\u0646\u0650 \u0633\u06cc\u0651\u062f \u0628\u0648\u062f \u0627\u06c1\u0644 \u0627\u0632 \u0628\u0644\u0634\u062a<\/p>\n

\u062f\u0648\u0633\u062a \u062f\u0627\u0631\u0650 \u0633\u06cc\u0651\u062f\u0627\u06ba \u0627\u06c1\u0644 \u0627\u0632 \u0628\u06c1\u0634\u062a<\/p>\n

“The enemy of the S\u0101d\u0101t belongs to Hell, and the friend of the S\u0101d\u0101t belongs to Paradise.”<\/p>\n

At another point he writes:<\/p>\n

\u062f\u0634\u0645\u0646\u0650 \u0633\u06cc\u0651\u062f \u0628\u0648\u062f \u0627\u06c1\u0644 \u0627\u0632 \u062e\u0628\u06cc\u062b<\/p>\n

\u062f\u0648\u0633\u062a \u062f\u0627\u0631\u0650 \u0633\u06cc\u0651\u062f \u0627\u06ba \u0627\u06c1\u0644 \u0627\u0632 \u062d\u062f\u06cc\u062b<\/p>\n

“The enemy of the S\u0101d\u0101t is wicked, and the friend of the S\u0101d\u0101t is a follower of the Sunnah.”<\/p>\n

Sultan-ul-Arifeen Sultan Bahoo (R.A.) declares the noble S\u0101d\u0101t to be the inheritors of the honour and distinction bestowed upon them by the Divine court, and he describes enmity toward them as nothing other than the worship of one’s own vain desire. His entire life and his entire body of poetry testify that he regarded the S\u0101d\u0101t as the very illumination of the Exalted Prophet (\ufdfa) and the coolness of the eyes of Honourable Sayyidah F\u0101\u1e6dimah (R.A.) and Honourable ‘Al\u012b (R.A.). His deep attachment to the thought of Imam Husayn (R.A.) is evident in these verses:<\/p>\n

\u062f\u0648\u0633\u062a \u062f\u0627\u0631\u0645 \u0633\u06cc\u0651\u062f\u0627\u06ba \u0646\u0648\u0631\u0650 \u0646\u0628\u06cc\u0610<\/p>\n

\u0646\u0648\u0631 \u062f\u06cc\u062f\u06c1\u0654 \u0641\u0627\u0637\u0645\u06c1 \u062d\u0636\u0631\u062a \u0639\u0644\u06cc<\/p>\n

“I hold love for the S\u0101d\u0101t, for they are the illumination of the Prophet (\ufdfa), and the very light of the eyes of Honourable ‘Al\u012b (R.A.) and Honourable F\u0101\u1e6dimah al-Zahr\u0101’ (R.A.).”<\/p>\n

\u0633\u06cc\u0651\u062f\u0627\u06ba \u0631\u0627 \u0639\u0632\u0651\u062a \u0648 \u0634\u0631\u0641 \u0627\u0632 \u062e\u062f\u0627<\/p>\n

\u062f\u0634\u0645\u0646\u0650 \u0633\u06cc\u0651\u062f \u0628\u0648\u062f \u0627\u06c1\u0644 \u0627\u0632 \u06c1\u0648\u0627<\/p>\n

“Honour and distinction have been bestowed upon the S\u0101d\u0101t by the Divine court; only one given over to vain desire, that is, lacking in true faith, can be an enemy of the S\u0101d\u0101t.”<\/p>\n

In contrast to the Yaz\u012bd\u012b scholars, Honourable Sultan Bahoo (R.A.), walking in the footsteps of Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.), propagated this universal awareness of truth, sincerity, and sacrifice, an awareness that can never be held captive by expedience or material greed.<\/p>\n

In summary, Sultan Bahoo authored approximately one hundred and forty works, and a study of all those that survive and are available today makes it clear, as plain as daylight, that he truly fulfilled his duty in promoting the thought of Imam Husayn (R.A.).<\/p>\n

The Thoughts of Imam Husayn (R.A.) and Sh\u0101h ‘Abd al-La\u1e6d\u012bf Bhi\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101’\u012b (R.A.) (d. 1165 AH)<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the Sufi poetry of Sh\u0101h ‘Abd al-La\u1e6d\u012bf Bhi\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101’\u012b (R.A.), the incident of Karbal\u0101 reflects the eternal clash between truth and falsehood and the philosophy of submission to the Divine will. Sh\u0101h devoted an entire chapter (sur<\/em>), named ” the battlefield” (Kai\u1e0d\u0101ro<\/em>), to the courage and steadfastness of the martyrs of Karbal\u0101 and Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.). In his view, the new moon of Mu\u1e25arram al-\u1e24ar\u0101m brings to the princes of the S\u0101d\u0101t the message of welcoming that great trial whose outcome had already been decided, from the Day of Pre-eternity. Sh\u0101h describes the resolve of these princes thus:<\/p>\n

\u068f\u067a\u0648 \u0645\u062d\u0631\u064e\u0651\u0645 \u0645\u0627\u06be\u060c \u067f\u0626\u0648 \u0633\u0646\u06aa\u0648 \u0634\u06be\u0632\u0627\u062f\u0646 \u06fe\u060c<\/em><\/p>\n

\u0684\u0627\u06bb\u064a \u06be\u064a\u0640\u06aa \ufdf2\u064f\u060c \u067e\u0627\u06bb \u0648\u06bb\u0646\u062f\u064a\u0648\u0646 \u062c\u0648 \u06aa\u0631\u064a<\/em><\/p>\n

“When the month of Mu\u1e25arram arrived, restlessness stirred within the hearts of the princes, and they knew that whatever Allah Almighty wills, that alone shall come to pass.”<\/p>\n

In his view, this battlefield was, in truth, a field of passionate love, where the lions of the S\u0101d\u0101t, despite hunger, thirst, and the betrayal of the people of K\u016bfah, placed the pleasure of Allah above all else. Sh\u0101h says that Mu\u1e25arram returns each year, but those chieftains of Mad\u012bnah never returned, for whose Makkah and Mad\u012bnah remain in mourning to this very day. In “Sur Kai\u1e0d\u0101ro,” Sh\u0101h ‘Abd al-La\u1e6d\u012bf Bhi\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101’\u012b (R.A.) describes, with tremendous force, the courage of the S\u0101d\u0101t and their unmatched valour before the Yaz\u012bd\u012b army. In his view, the arrival of the Ahal Al-Bayt upon the battlefield of Karbal\u0101 was like lions emerging from their den to challenge falsehood. When the S\u0101d\u0101t pitched their tents at Karbal\u0101, they did not turn their backs upon seeing the gleam of swords; rather, they accepted the unalterable decree of destiny with a smile. Sh\u0101h depicts this scene thus:<\/p>\n

\u06aa\u0631\u0628\u0644\u0627 \u062c\u064a \u067e\u0699 \u06fe\u060c \u0645\u0631\u06aa\u064a \u0627\u064f\u0680\u0627 \u0645\u064a\u0631<\/em><\/p>\n

\u0648\u0699\u0647\u064a \u0648\u064a\u0631\u0646 \u0633\u0627\u0645\u06be\u0627\u0646\u060c \u062a\u06a9\u0627 \u06be\u0646\u064a\u0627\u0626\u0648\u0646 \u062a\u064a\u0631<\/em><\/p>\n

\u06be\u0626\u064a \u0627\u064a\u0621\u064e \u062a\u0642\u062f\u064a\u0631\u060c \u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0627\u0645\u0627\u0645\u0646 \u0633\u064a\u0646<\/em><\/p>\n

“On the battlefield of Karbal\u0101, those devoted to truth stood with smiling courage. They fought firmly against their enemies and loosed swift arrows. This very destiny had been bound to the Im\u0101ms from the very beginning.”<\/p>\n

Hazrat Makhd\u016bm Jah\u0101niy\u0101n (R.A.) and Shaykh Rukn al-D\u012bn (R.A.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hazrat Shaykh Rukn al-D\u012bn’s (R.A.) barefoot journey into the court of Sultan Mu\u1e25ammad ibn Tughlaq, undertaken to save the people of Multan from his wrath, recalls precisely that audacious courage which was the very hallmark of Karbal\u0101. Similarly, Hazrat Makhd\u016bm Jah\u0101niy\u0101n’s (R.A.) act of handing F\u012br\u016bz Sh\u0101h Tughlaq a list of the people’s needs stands as proof that the Sufis always represented the interests of the common people before kings, compelling political power to be used in the service of humanity.<\/p>\n

The Thoughts of Imam Husayn (R.A.) and Allama Muhammad Iqbal (R.A.) (d. 1357 AH)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The foundational axis of \u1e24ak\u012bm al-Ummat Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s (R.A.) thought is movement, fervour, and continuous evolution. In Iqbal’s view, the perfection of human life lies in becoming the hand and arm of the Creator in the fulfilment of cosmic purposes, and this is possible only when the human being takes his stand against falsehood for the revival of the universal values of truth and righteousness. In Iqbal’s view, the true spirit of Islam lies hidden in the performance of “Rasm-e-Shab\u012br\u012b,” (the way of Imam Husayn) an eternal way of life. Iqbal does not describe the battle of Karbal\u0101 as any mere political or family conflict; for him, it has become the title of the eternal contest between reason and passionate love. In his view, Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.) is the “Im\u0101m of lovers,” who fulfilled the demands of Divine passionate love in contrast to expedient and self-interested reason. While reason remains preoccupied with its own benefit and survival, passionate love creates new life through its trials and sacrifices. Iqbal says that the entire edifice of Islam is built upon this very passionate love of Imam Husayn (R.A.), which separated truth from falsehood for all eternity.<\/p>\n

\u0639\u0642\u0644 \u0645\u06cc \u06af\u0648\u06cc\u062f \u06a9\u06c1 \u062e\u0648\u062f \u0631\u0627 \u067e\u06cc\u0634 \u06a9\u0646<\/p>\n

\u0639\u0634\u0642 \u06af\u0648\u06cc\u062f \u0627\u0645\u062a\u062d\u0627\u0646 \u062e\u0648\u06cc\u0634 \u06a9\u0646<\/p>\n

\u0622\u0646 \u0627\u0645\u0627\u0645\u0650 \u0639\u0627\u0634\u0642\u0627\u0646 \u067e\u0648\u0631 \u0628\u062a\u0648\u0644<\/p>\n

\u0633\u0631\u0648 \u0622\u0632\u0627\u062f\u06d2 \u0632 \u0628\u0633\u062a\u0627\u0646\u0650 \u0631\u0633\u0648\u0644<\/p>\n

\u0633\u0631\u062e \u0631\u0648 \u0639\u0634\u0642 \u063a\u06cc\u0648\u0631 \u0627\u0632 \u062e\u0648\u0646 \u0627\u0648<\/p>\n

\u0634\u0648\u062e\u06cc \u0627\u06cc\u0646 \u0645\u0635\u0631\u0639 \u0627\u0632 \u0645\u0636\u0645\u0648\u0646 \u0627\u0648<\/p>\n

“Reason says: secure yourself first. But passionate love says: put yourself to the test. That Im\u0101m of lovers, the precious son of Bat\u016bl, was the free and upright cypress of the garden of the Messenger (\ufdfa). Self-respecting passionate love was made radiant by his blood, and the very vivacity of this verse springs from his own theme.”<\/p>\n

In Iqbal’s view, the station of Shab\u012br is the detailed fulfilment of that very condensed dream once seen by Hazrat Ibr\u0101h\u012bm (A.S.) and Hazrat Ism\u0101’\u012bl (A.S.), the dream which the Glorious Qur’an described as the “supreme sacrifice” (dhab\u1e25-e-‘a\u1e93\u012bm<\/em>). Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.) nourished, with his own blood, that very tree of Islam which had been withered by the poison of monarchical rule and tyranny. In Iqbal’s view, Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.) was the guardian of those values of the Rightly Guided Caliphate whose connection with the Glorious Qur’an had been severed. The call (takbir<\/em>) of Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.) not only awakened the slumbering Ummah<\/em> of that age but also opened, for all the world to come, a new chapter of freedom and liberty.<\/p>\n

\u0633\u0631 \u0627\u0628\u0631\u0627\u06c1\u06cc\u0645 \u0648 \u0627\u0633\u0645\u0639\u06cc\u0644 \u0628\u0648\u062f<\/p>\n

\u06cc\u0639\u0646\u06cc \u0622\u0646 \u0627\u062c\u0645\u0627\u0644 \u0631\u0627 \u062a\u0641\u0635\u06cc\u0644 \u0628\u0648\u062f<\/p>\n

\u0627\u0644\u0644\u06c1 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u06c1 \u0628\u0627\u0626\u06d2 \u0628\u0633\u0645 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u06c1 \u067e\u062f\u0631<\/p>\n

\u0645\u0639\u0646\u06cc \u0630\u0628\u062d\u0650 \u0639\u0638\u06cc\u0645 \u0622\u0645\u062f \u067e\u0633\u0631<\/p>\n

\u062f\u0631 \u0645\u06cc\u0627\u0646 \u0627\u0645\u062a \u0622\u06ba \u06a9\u06cc\u0648\u0627\u06ba \u062c\u0646\u0627\u0628<\/p>\n

\u06c1\u0645\u0686\u0648 \u062d\u0631\u0641\u0650 \u0642\u0644 \u06be\u0648 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u06c1 \u062f\u0631 \u06a9\u062a\u0627\u0628<\/p>\n

“He was the manifestation of the secret of Hazrat Ibr\u0101h\u012bm (A.S.) and Hazrat Ism\u0101’\u012bl (A.S.); that is to say, the reality contained in summary form was revealed through him in full detail. Glory be to Allah! The father was, as it were, the B\u0101 of Bismill\u0101h,<\/em> and the son became the complete embodiment of the meaning of the supreme sacrifice. Among the Ummah, that exalted personality stood like the verse Qul Huwa All\u0101h<\/em> within the Glorious Qur’an itself.”<\/p>\n

For Iqbal, spiritual-excellence (faqr<\/em>) has many degrees, but it is “Faqr-e-Shab\u012br\u012b<\/em>” that is the very elixir capable of transforming dust into gold within the human being. He invites the Muslims of the present age to step out of the inactivity and into the field of action, declaring this to be the very secret of eternal life. The mention of Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.) in Iqbal’s poetry serves to instil that firm resolve which never bows before any Pharaoh. His message is this: if the Ummah wishes to restore its lost credibility, it must once again bring freshness and vitality to the atmosphere of K\u016bfah and Sh\u0101m through the blood of Husayn (R.A.).<\/p>\n

\u0627\u06a9 \u0641\u0642\u0631 \u06c1\u06d2 \u0634\u0628\u06cc\u0631\u06cc\u060c \u0627\u0633 \u0641\u0642\u0631 \u0645\u06cc\u06ba \u06c1\u06d2 \u0645\u06cc\u0631\u06cc<\/p>\n

\u0645\u06cc\u0631\u0627\u062b\u0650 \u0645\u0633\u0644\u0645\u0627\u0646\u06cc\u060c \u0633\u0631\u0645\u0627\u06cc\u06c1\u0621 \u0634\u0628\u06cc\u0631\u06cc<\/p>\n

\u0646\u06a9\u0644 \u06a9\u0631 \u062e\u0627\u0646\u0642\u0627\u06c1\u0648\u06ba \u0633\u06d2 \u0627\u062f\u0627 \u06a9\u0631 \u0631\u0633\u0645\u0650 \u0634\u0628\u06cc\u0631\u06cc<\/p>\n

\u06a9\u06c1 \u0641\u0642\u0631\u0650 \u062e\u0627\u0646\u0642\u0627\u06c1\u06cc \u06c1\u06d2 \u0641\u0642\u0637 \u0627\u0646\u062f\u0648\u06c1 \u0648 \u062f\u0644\u06af\u06cc\u0631\u06cc<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n

The lives, the deeds, and the teachings of the eminent Sufis were, without any doubt, the practical promotion of the thought of Imam Husayn (R.A.), and they continue to teach the human being of today that same courage, bravery, truthfulness, and fearlessness which Sayyid al-Shuhad\u0101’, Sayyidun\u0101 Im\u0101m Husayn (R.A.) once taught the world. We pray in the court of Allah Almighty that He makes us true followers of Husayn. \u0100m\u012bn.<\/p>\n

This article was originally published in Urdu in the Monthly Mirrat ul Arifeen International Magazine. <\/em><\/p>\n

To cite the original article:<\/em><\/p>\n

Ahmed, Laeeq. \u201cThe Role of the Sufis in Promoting the Thought of Im\u0101m Husayn\u201d. <\/em>Mirrat-ul-Arifeen International, June 2026. Available at https:\/\/www.mirrat.com\/article\/121\/1767<\/a><\/p>\n

References:<\/strong><\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> H\u0101kadh\u0101 Zahar J\u012bl \u1e62al\u0101\u1e25 al-D\u012bn wa H\u0101kadh\u0101 ‘\u0100dat al-Quds<\/em>, Urdu translation: How the Generation of \u1e62al\u0101\u1e25 al-D\u012bn Ayy\u016bb\u012b Was Prepared. <\/em><\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Im\u0101m Ab\u016b al-\u1e24asan al-Sha\u1e6dnawf\u012b, Bahjat al-Asr\u0101r<\/em>, p. 171.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> T\u0101r\u012bkh-e-Da’wat o ‘Az\u012bmat<\/em>, Volume One, Account of Shaykh ‘Abd al-Q\u0101dir J\u012bl\u0101n\u012b (R.A.).<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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