Abstract The Sufis or Mystics were the propagators of love, affection, mercy, brotherhood, fraternity and harmony all over the world at any time of the era. We can see such great personalities in every nook and corner of the world. If the Bagdad and Ajmeer were the centers of some Sufis others were from different parts of the world. Despite their regional, seasonal, social and any other differences, they were the carriers of peace and harmony. The accounts of the introduction of Islam and Sufism are shrouded in myths and legends, especially the accounts of great saints like Jalalud- Din Tabrizi , shah Jalal Mujarrad , Ghiyasud - Din Aulia and Azan Faqir have to be based only on pious legends and local iraditions. Assam witnessed a lot Sufis, such as Jalalud- Din Tabrizi , shah Jalal Mujarrad , Ghiyasud - Din Aulia and Azan Faqir who were the symbols of social harmony and peace and tranquility in pluralist Assam. Ajan Fakir is a familiar name all over Assam. Though a Muslim saint, he is known among and respected by both the Hindus as well as the Muslims of Assam. His unique contribution is the composition of devotional songs in Assamese language known as Jikirs. The Jikirs continue to be sung by Assamese Muslims till date. The Guwahati Station of All India Radio also regularly broadcasts Jikirs sung by well-known singers. It is not unlikely that the Muslim saint was influenced by the tradition and the style of Naam composed by the Vaishnava saint Mahapurush Shrimanta Sankardev. It is supposed that Ajan Fakir alias Hazrat Miran Shah along with his brother Hazrat Nabi Shah came from Baghdad to India in spiritual pursuit. They first spent considerable time at the dargah of Hazrat Moinuddin Chisti at Ajmer and then at the dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia at Delhi. As per latest researches, their association with these two Sufi centers had abiding influence on them. On the whole, this paper attempts to describe the main characteristics of Sufism and also attempts to throw some light on the life and teachings of the saints of Assam in general and that of Ajan Fakir in particular.

1. The Sufistic (Mystic) Role for the Social Harmony in Pluralistic
Assam with special Reference to Azan Fakheer and Ghiyasud Din
Aulia
Abstract
The Sufis or Mystics were the propagators of love, affection, mercy,
brotherhood, fraternity and harmony all over the world at any time of the
era. We can see such great personalities in every nook and corner of the
world. If the Bagdad and Ajmeer were the centers of some Sufis others were
from different parts of the world. Despite their regional, seasonal, social and
any other differences, they were the carriers of peace and harmony. The
accounts of the introduction of Islam and Sufism are shrouded in
myths and legends, especially the accounts of great saints like Jalalud- Din
Tabrizi , shah Jalal Mujarrad , Ghiyasud - Din Aulia and Azan Faqir
have to be based only on pious legends and local iraditions. Assam
witnessed a lot Sufis, such as Jalalud- Din Tabrizi , shah Jalal Mujarrad ,
Ghiyasud - Din Aulia and Azan Faqir who were the symbols of social
harmony and peace and tranquility in pluralist Assam. Ajan Fakir is a
familiar name all over Assam. Though a Muslim saint, he is known among
and respected by both the Hindus as well as the Muslims of Assam. His
unique contribution is the composition of devotional songs in Assamese
language known as Jikirs. The Jikirs continue to be sung by Assamese
Muslims till date. The Guwahati Station of All India Radio also regularly
broadcasts Jikirs sung by well-known singers. It is not unlikely that the
Muslim saint was influencedby the tradition and the style of Naam composed
by the Vaishnava saint Mahapurush Shrimanta Sankardev.
It is supposed that Ajan Fakir alias Hazrat Miran Shah along with his
brother Hazrat Nabi Shah came from Baghdad to India in spiritual pursuit.
They first spent considerable time at the dargah of Hazrat Moinuddin Chisti
at Ajmer and then at the dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia at Delhi. As per
latest researches, their association with these two Sufi centers had abiding
influence on them.

2. On the whole, this paper attempts to describe the main characteristics of
Sufism and also attempts to throw some light on the life and teachings of the
saints of Assam in general and that of Ajan Fakir in particular.
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The State of Assam is located in the North East Comer of the
Indian Union between the Latitude 28° 181and 24° N, and the Longitude
89° 46' and97° 41 E . Assam is bounded on all sides by hilly offshoots
of Himalayan ranges and the mighty Brahmaputra River flows through it
from east to west to meet the Bay of Bengal. Like any other part of
India, the soil of Assam also did not lag behind in welcoming the Sufis It,
moreover, proved fertile for the seed of Sufism. They mostly came as
messengers of peace and social harmony, while some of them were especially
sent to this land by their spiritual guides with the particular intention of
preaching of Islam and its doctrines.
The Sufis or Mystics were the propagators of love, affection, mercy,
brotherhood, fraternity and harmony all over the world at any time of the era.
We can see such great personalities in every nook and corner of the world. If
the Bagdad and Ajmeer were the centers of some Sufis others were from
different parts of the world. Despite their regional, seasonal, social and any
other differences, they were the carriers of peace and harmony. The accounts
of the introduction of Islam and Sufism are shrouded in
myths and legends, especially the accounts of great saints like Jalalud- Din
Tabrizi , shah Jalal Mujarrad , Ghiyasud - Din Aulia and Azan Faqir have to
be based only on pious legends and local iraditions. Assam witnessed a lot
Sufis, such as Jalalud- Din Tabrizi , shah Jalal Mujarrad , Ghiyasud - Din
Aulia and Azan Faqir who were the symbols of social harmony and peace
and tranquility in pluralist Assam. Ajan Fakir is a familiar name all over
Assam. Though a Muslim saint, he is known among and respected by both
the Hindus as well as the Muslims of Assam. His unique contribution is the
composition of devotional songs in Assamese language known as Jikirs. The
Jikirs continue to be sung by Assamese Muslims till date. The Guwahati
Station of All India Radio also regularly broadcasts Jikirs sung by well-

3. known singers. It is not unlikely that the Muslim saint was influenced by the
tradition and the style of Naam composed by the Vaishnava saint
Mahapurush Shrimanta Sankardev.
It is supposed that Ajan Fakir alias Hazrat Miran Shah along with his
brother Hazrat Nabi Shah came from Baghdad to India in spiritual pursuit.
They first spent considerable time at the dargah of Hazrat Moinuddin Chisti
at Ajmer and then at the dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia at Delhi. As per
latest researches, their association with these two Sufi centers had abiding
influence on them.
Sufism or Tasawwuf or Islamic Mysticism (Arabic: ‫,)تصوف‬ is defined as
the inner mystical dimension of Islam. Practitioners of Sufism, referred to as
Sufis (ṣūfī) (/ˈsuːfi/; ّ‫ي‬ِ‫ف‬‫و‬ُ‫ص‬), often belong to different ṭuruq or "orders"—
congregations formed around a grand master referred to as a mawla who
traces a direct chain of teachers back to the Islamic
prophet, Muhammad. These orders meet for spiritual sessions (majalis) in
meeting places known as zawiyas, khanqahs, or tekke.Sufis strive
for ihsan (perfection of worship) as detailed in ahadith: "Ihsan is to worship
Allah as if you see Him; if you can't see Him, surely He sees you."
Rumi stated: "The Sufi is hanging on to Muhammad, like Abu Bakr." Sufis
regard Muhammad as al-Insān al-Kāmil, the primary perfect man who
exemplifies the morality of God. Sufis regard Muhammad as their leader and
prime spiritual guide.
All Sufi orders trace many of their original precepts
from Muhammad through his cousin and son-in-law Ali with the notable
exception of the Naqshbandi, who claim to trace their origins through the
first Rashid Caliph, Abu Bakr. Sufi orders largely follow one of the
four madhhabs (jurisprudent schools of thought) of Sunni Islam and maintain
a Sunni aqidah (creed).
Classical Sufis were characterised by their asceticism, especiallyby their
attachment to dhikr, the practice of repeating the names of God, often
performed after prayers. Sufism gained adherents among a number of
Muslims as a reaction against the worldliness of the early Umayyad
Caliphate (661–750).Sufis have spanned several continents and cultures over
a millennium, originally expressing their beliefs in Arabic before spreading

4. into Persian, Turkish, and Urdu among dozens of other languages. According
to William Chittick, "In a broad sense, Sufism can be describedas the
interiorization, and intensification of Islamic faith and practice."
Sufis: Two origins of the word sufi have been suggested. Commonly, the
lexical root of the word is traced to ṣafā (‫صفاء‬), which in Arabic means
"purity". Another origin is ṣūf (‫وف‬ُ‫ص‬), "wool" in Arabic, referring to the
simple cloaks the early Muslim ascetics wore. The two were combined by the
Sufi al-Rudhabari, who said, "The Sufi is the one who wears wool on top of
purity". Scholars generally agree that ṣūf or "wool" is probably the root word
of "Sufi." Others have suggested that the word comes from the term ahl aṣ-
ṣuffah ("the people of the bench"), who were a group of impoverished
companions of Muhammad who held regular gatherings of dhikr. These men
and women who sat at al-Masjid an-Nabawi are considered by some to be the
first Sufis. Al-Qushayri and Ibn Khaldun both rejected all possibilities other
than ṣūf on linguistic grounds.
Many religions have a mystical branch and Islam is no different – in Islam,
theSufis are the mystics. Named after the course wool garment worn by the
first Sufis, these mystics attempt to discipline both the mind and body in
order to directly experience God. Although, unlike mystics of other religions,
Sufis do not think they must withdraw from the world in order to find God.
For them, their struggle is one that takes place firmly in the “real” world.
Sufism began in the 7th Century as a movement to reform Islam. There were
some who felt that, with the expansion of the Islamic empire, the faith was
being diluted and was focused too much on material things. Sufis wanted to
refocus Islam on the internal struggle to become closer to God – the struggle
to be deserving of God’s love.
Characteristics of Sufism: Sufism was a reform movement with in Islam
and started as a reaction against Shia and Sunni conflicts. The two sects of
Islam community, they believed in one god; equality and brotherhood of all
with all religion. Sufis began to be organized into groups called Silsilas like
chisti, qadri etc which differ in their ideology but the essential core being the
same. Sufis fought against unislamic practices that crept into the religion

5. such as racial prejudice,domination of conservative ulema,vulgar display of
wealth and court traditions like sizda,paibosa and nauroz. Sufis spread the
gospel of humanity and stood for peace and harmony
Sufi saints are divided into 12 sects namely SILSILAS; and each is led by a
mystic called PIR who lived along with his students MURIDS. PIR
nominates a successor or WALI to carry his work. Those who wished to join
the silsilas had to do some rituals.
5 essential characteristics of sufism-
1. Fana- Spiritual merger of devotee with Allah
2. Insan-e-kamil:-perfect human with all good virtues
3. Zikr-tauba:- remembrance of god all the time(zikr).
4. Wahadatul-wazudi:- one god for entire universe; unity of god and
being.
5. Sama:- spiritual dance and music to promote their concepts, though
music is unislamic.
Sufi saints played a major role in spreading harmony; peace and they
have benevolent attitude and their musical assemblies created an atmosphere
of interaction between hindus and muslims. Here we throw light towards the
life and contribution of both Azan Fakheer and Ghiyasud Din Aulia.
Azan fakheer: The Zikirs taught by Azan fakheer have played an important
role in social harmony, the assimilation and integration of the people of
Assam. Some of the Zikirs exhibit direct influence of Assam Vaishnavism
. Others are secular in tone. But all of them convey a spirit of religious
tolerance and communal harmony. Like Mahapurush SanKardeva ,
Ajan Pir was also one of the greatest integrators of the Indian people .
He married an Ahom woman of a high family and settled
at Gargaon, near modern sivasagar town. According to Syed Abdul Malik
he flourished in the middle of the seventeenth century from the reign of
Burha Raja pratap Singha (1603 -1641 AD) till the reign of Gadadhar Singha

6. (1681-1696A.D) Originally he spoke Arabic, but he learnt the
language of the land, mastered it completely and wrote his songs in
such a homely Assamese idiom that he became very popularamong all
sections of the people . In course of time ,his popularity incurred
Jealousy of a Muslim Official, Rupai Dadhara , who mis -represented
his teachings to the Ahom king and with the king’s approval he got the
eye -balls of the saint plucked out .Later on , however the king
realized the greatness of the saint and established him at Saraguri
Chapari near Sivasagar and constructed a monastery for him.
This place on the confluence of Dikhau and Brahmaputra rivers
has now become a holy place with Ajan Faquir’s Dargah where an annual
Urs is held. The above incident has been confirmed by two Assames
chronicles, namely, Deodhai Asam Buranji and an other, an un published
Assamese chronicle. 5 Ajan Faquir, Who aimed at propagating Islam in
Assam was probably highly inspired by the teachings of sankardeva
. The idea of one God and the concept of equal right of worship for
all as preached by Sankardeva created a very favorable atmosphere for the
saint. The Zikirs have much in common with the Vaishnavite music of
Assam both in their content and form and in their mode of singing . They
are generally sung in groups .with clapping of hands , often accompanied by
appropriate dances, usually in weddings and community feasts . Women also
sing but do not dance.
Ghiyasud -Din Aulia
The most famous saint of Hazo,about whose arrival in
Kamarupa { Assam) and his sepulcher at Hazo has always been the subject
of discussion and arguments, is Ghiyasud- Din Aulia . His birth place,
name, time , activities and place of death have always been
controversial . According to some belief it is said that his name
was Ghiyasud - Din Aulia and he entered Kamarupa with the invading army
of Sultan Ghiyasud -Din in 721 A.H. /1321 A.D. He first stayed in the
Garigaon area to the west of Gauhati, near the Gauhati University Campus
.But later on, he made the top of the Garudachal hill at Hazo ( on the north
bank of Brahmaputra ) his abode , Another tradition says that Hazrat
Ghiyasud -Din came to India from Arabia round about 642 A.H. /1244
A.D It is said that he came to Brahmaputra valley with there of his

7. companions i.e Hazrat Jamal, Hazrat Shah Gadar and Sha Buzurg and lived
on the top of 750 feet high hill of Hazo till he breathed his last .We find
references in a land grant issued to the Hazo dargah by Shah Shuja ,. son of
the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, that Ghiyasud - Din Balwan was buried
on the hill of Garudachal and hence the tomb on the hill is related to
him . We learn from the Assam District Gazetteers (Kamrup . edited by
B.C. Allen that a mosque was built on the mountain by oneSultan Ghiyasud
- Din but before the completion of the mosquehe died and Buried there
within the enclosure of that mosque . we furtherknow from other accounts of
the same record that Sultan Ghiyasud - Din was killed in a war with
the Ahoms near Bishwanath Ghat and his body was brought to Hazo
and was buried there . Professor S.K. Bhuyan, a renowned scholar of
Assam , states that in1614 A.D. during the reign of Mughal Emperor
Jahangir { 1605-1627 A .D .) Mukarram Khan was a Faujdar of Koch Hazo
and had sent three Generals , Namely Syed Hakim , Abu Bakr and
Satyajit to invade Assam with a view to taking revenge of a merchant,
who was killedby the Ahom king as he was suspected to be
a spy. In thispunitive war Abu Bakr and his son Ghiyasud - Din lost
their lives. Ghiyasud -Din was buried at Hazo ( Powa Mecca). it is said
that he was a sufi of high order. Later on, his tomb came to be known as
powa Mecca dargah . The author further states that during the reign of
Hussain Shah ( 1494 -1511 A.D. Of Bengal , his son Danyal
Shah was appointed as the Faujdar of Hazo . After him a man , Ghiyasud -
Din By name , too the charge as faujdar.
Another reputed scholar of Assam Dr.Maidul Islam Borah says
that Sultan Ghiyasud - Din was the name of a saint, whose tomb is at Hazo .
The detailed account of his life is in obscurity .But a local tradition
says that he was a great saint and devoted his life to the
propagationof Islam in Kamrup . He built a mosque at the top of hill
at Hazo , near which he was buried . This place is held in great esteem and
considered sacred by the Muslims as a place of pilgrimage and his shrine is
called ' Powa Mecca, i. e, one- fourth of Mecca, Haliram Dhekiyal
Phukan’s Assam Buranji states that Masander Ghazi, Kalu
Dewan and Sultan Ghiyasud - Din are possibly other
generals of Hussain Shah . The latter is said to have built a mosque at
Hazo and was buried near i t . A section of people ascribes this tomb at

8. Hazo to Hazrat Jalaud- Din Tabrizi . There ts also a strong belief among
the Muslims of Kamrup that Hazrat Jalalud -Din Tabrizi stayed for
some time in Garigaon , Hazo and also perhaps on the top of Ucch
parbat in the east of Gauhwati . To the western side ofthe pre sent wireless
station , at Ucch parbat there is a black rock . it is said that it was
the seat of the saint . It ialso said that Kachari people pour milk on the
that rock, because it was the seat of a Muslim Gosain ( saint) who liked
milk only during his life time . We learn from the account of Ibn-e Batuta
that he visited an eminent saint, who stayed at the mount of Kamrup.
According to him the name of the saint was Jalalud - Din Tabrizi or
Jalalud- Din Shirazi. But Sir J. N. Sarkar informs us that the saint who
me Ibn-e Batuta visited actually was Shah Jalal of Sylhet which was
a part of Kamrup in those days . But according to the observation of
Blochman, Hazrat Jalalud -D in Tabrizi died in 1244 A.D. while
according to the statement of Dr, Enamul - Haque Jalalud - Din
Tabrizi passed away in 1225 A.D. As Shah Jalal Tabrizi flourished
nearly a hundred Years before the arrival of Ibn Batuta in Kamrup
any accounts of his meeting with Tabrizi proves invalid . He might have
visited Shah Jalal of Sylhet who according to Enamul Haque in the year
1346 A.D. and before the death of the saint Ibn Batuta visited Assam . To
conclude, we can say this much that due to the paucity and non -
availability of authentic records none can establish the real fact
concerning the tomb of Hazo Powa Mecca.
Conclusion: the Sufis were symbols of peace and harmony, they were
the messengers of the calm and traunquility through over the world and time
especially the two Sufis of Assam, namely, Azan Fakheer and Ghiyasud Din
Aulia