The concept of tolerance in the chishtī ṣūfī order

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to provide a critical analysis of the concept of tolerance (al-tasāmuḥ) in the Chishtī Ṣūfī Order, one of the main Ṣūfī orders within Islam. The notion of tolerance implies various connotations that are widely found. These inferences include love, mercy, compassion, co-existence, and openness. All Ṣūfī philosophers have discussed these principles in their books. In this study, I aim to clarify the meaning of the term ‘tolerance’, as well as to elucidate on the connotations implied by tolerance in the Chishtī Order. Special focus will be given in this research to certain books, teachings, didactic poems and utterances (malfuẓāt) of some of the most authoritative and prominent Chishtī Ṣūfī personalities, who exercised tolerance in their practices. This study will, more specifically, provide an exposition on Chishtī pioneers, who are synonymous to the expansion of Islam in South Africa. I will offer a comparison on the diverse views regarding tolerance and identify the dominant ideological trends in the available literature. This research is a descriptive, qualitative study, which will emphasise on the concept of tolerance in the Chishtī Order by means of a philosophical approach. The esoteric exegesis and commentaries on the holy Qur’ān and the Prophetic Sunnah will be analysed to offer a critical appraisal of the wisdom and insight of the Chishtī mystics. This thesis will focus on the inner cultivation of the virtue of tolerance from an Islamic mystical perspective. It is hoped that this thesis will assist the Muslim community in expressing appreciation for their heritage, as well as cause others to take cognisance of the need for tolerance today and the contributions of organisations operating in similar contexts that observe the Ṣūfī tradition.