With reference to the religious history of medieval India, the Sufi mystics were known to pursue which of the following practices? 1. Meditation and control of breath. 2. Severe ascetic exercises in a lonely place. 3. Recitation of holy songs to arouse a state of ecstasy in their audience. Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
UPSC CSE Pre. 2012
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: 1, 2 and 3
Option d is the correct answer.
The Sufis were mystics who called for liberalism in Islam. They emphasised on an egalitarian society based on universal love.
Statement 1 is correct. Muraqabah is Sufi meditation. Through muraqabah a person watches over their (spiritual) heart and gains insight into the heart's relation with its creator and its own surroundings.
Statement 2 is correct. Sufi mysticism endeavored to produce a personal experience of the divine through mystic and ascetic discipline.
Statement 3 is correct. Sufism, as the mystical dimension of Islam, preaches peace, tolerance and pluralism, while encouraging music as a way of deepening one's relationship with the Creator.