Inwardly the Same

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If Sai Baba was a Sufi saint, one may ask, how is it that he has been so readily

interpreted and embraced by the Hindu community? Deccani Sufism with its

poet-saints has similarities with the strong devotional heritage of the Bhakthi

movement of Central India. Echoing the devotional goal of God-realization of

both the Sufis and the bhakthas which the former call ma’rifa and the latter

brahmavilasa. Sai Baba said, "reaching God is the aim". Although the

eleventh-century Muslim scholar, Alberuni, visiting India declared, ‘ The

Hindus entirely differ from us in every respect’, at the mystic and devotional

bhakthi level there is a fundamental similarity of thought and practice, and

indeed they share the same goal to have a direct experience of God. Their inner

experiences tally closely, although externally they may appear very different -

in their customs, languages, rituals and appearance. In climbing to the top of

spiritual mountain, it can be said that

the Sufis take a direct structured route with formal way-stations, where as the

bhakthas take a more informal, gentler path, but both eventually reaching the

summit. Once a bhaktha is able to transcend the boundaries of his formal

religion he enters into a state common to all mystics. The Sufi goes beyond the

Muslim law (shar’at) and is preoccupied with the way to enable him to experience

(tariqat) the ultimate reality (ma’rifa). The poet saints were also intent on

proclaiming through their poetic outpourings how to reach God-realization,

placing great stress on saying the name of God (namasmarana), a practice which

the Sufis also embrace (dhikr). Essentially they are no different. (From

"Unravelling the Enigma, Shirdi Sai Baba in the Light of Sufism" by Marianne

Warren)

source:saibaba.org

Arun Reddy Nukala

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