Sufism in South Asia: Impact on Fourteenth Century Muslim Society

Sufism has both a bright and seamy side. Most writers on Sufism focus on its positive aspects, ignoring largely or altogether the negative ones. None have dealt with Sufism as it manifested itself in history, in the social context, in the day-to-day life of the common people. Dr. Riazul Islam’s work presents both sides of the picture: its singular achievement in strengthening moral fibre as well as its ruinous consequences in cultivating credulousness and superstition among the ignorant and the semiliterate. In particular, it discusses the working of Sufism in history. It traces the rise and evolution of Sufism in the early centuries, and concentrates on its impact on Muslim society in fourteenth century India. The end-product of long years of scholarship and reflection, this pioneering work provides new insights into the working of Sufism in the South Asian context. Written in a lucid style, it is addressed to both the specialist and the general reader.