The first Sufi

According to the concise Oxford English Dictionary, the meaning of the word "Suf” (rhyming with ‘move’) is "a rough coarse white wool” and "Sufi” is one who has wrapped around his body the rough coarse white wool, being a mystic, a mendicant, a Muslim ascetic. Pantheism is a doctrine that God is everything and everything is God — all pervading, omnipotent, omnipresent spirit ruling over all universes, self-born, eternal — one whose might and majesty is beyond human comprehension.

The translation into English by Edward Fitzgerald of the Rubiyat of Omar Khayam, originally written in Persian, is an example, love personified being the central theme of all Sufi writings. A few Sufi terms may be of interest: ‘Aashiq’ is the Sufi poet himself, ‘Maa­shooq’ is God Almighty. ‘Maikhana,’ a tavern or a wine-shop, may mean a ‘cup-bearer of wine’ – probably the officiating priest of the temple.

In retrospect, the Sufis were Zoroastrians who were recent converts to Islam in ancient Iran. Although they embraced the religion of the conquering Arabs, their hearts rejected the strict jurisprudence of the Islamic way. This emotional feeling gave vent to expression in poetic form. Goolistan and Boostan, the epic poems of Shaikh Saadi, are replete with Sufistic thoughts.

Hafiz of Shiraz, sings: "Agar aan Turkay Shirazi,/Beh dast araad, Dille-maaraa,/Beh Khalay Hinduish Bak­sham,/ Samarkund wu Bokharraa raa [If that lovely Turkish beauty/Comes to my heart/ for the black mole (on her cheek)/ I shall bestow upon her/(the kingdoms) of Samarkund and Bokhar­raa].”

A Parsi lady Persian teacher composed the following panegyric on Hafiz of Shiraz: "Agaar aan Turkay Shirazi/Beh dast araad Dille-maaraa/Beh Khalay-Hinduish Baksham/Dille-Jaanoe-Sir-o-Paa raa/Neh choon Hafiz kay Bakshide/Samarkund wu Bukharaa raa” [If that lovely Turkish beauty comes to my heart/for the black mole (on her cheek)/ I shall bestow upon her, my heart/ my soul, my head and my feet, unlike/(that) Hafiz, who bestowed upon her/ (the kingdoms) of Samarkund and Bokharraa].”

An unknown Sufi poet sang: "Muun toe shoodam,/Toe muun shoodie,/Muun Jaan shoodam, Toe Tun shoodie./Pes, cherra mee gooyad/muun deegar um,/Toe Deegaree” (I have become you,/You have become me,/ I have become soul,/ You have become body,/So, why do you say, ‘I am/the other’ – You are the other).”

In the Gathas, Asho Zarathushtra beseeches "Oh Ahura Mazda, when shall I see you, and when shall I receive the attraction of thy love for me?” This stanza appropriately proves that Asho Zarathushtra was the first Sufi among the coteries of Indo-Iranian prophethood.

ERUCH P. BULSARA

Karachi, Pakistan