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Khanqahs and Silsilas

Sufi silsilas began to crystallize in different parts of the Islamic world around the twelfth century. The word silsila literally means a chain, signifying a continuous link between master and disciple, stretching as an unbroken spiritual genealogy to the Prophet Muhammad. It was through this channel that spiritual power and blessings were transmitted to devotees. When the shaikh died, his tomb-shrine (dargah) became the centre of devotion for his followers. This encouraged the practice of pilgrimage, to his grave, particularly on his death anniversary (or marriage, signifying the union of his soul with God). This was because people believed that in death saints were united with God, and were thus closer to Him than when living. People sought their blessings to attain material and spiritual benefits. Thus evolved the cult of the shaikh, revered as wali. Many scorned the Khanqah and took to mendicancy and observed celibacy. They ignored rituals and observed extreme forms of asceticism. There were known by different names-Qalanders, Madaris, Malangs, Haidaris, etc. because of their deliberate defiance of the shari'a, they were often referred to as be-shari'a, in contrast to the ba-shari'a sufis who complied with it. The khanqah was the centre of social life. We know about Shaikh Nizamuddin's hospice (c. fourteenth century) on the banks of the river Yamuna in Ghiyaspur, on the outskirts of what was then the city of Delhi.The earliest textual references to Khwaja Muinuddin's dargah date to the fourteenth century. It was evidently popular because of the austerity and piety of its Shaikh, the greatness of his spiritual successors, and the patronage of royal visitors. Muhammad bin Tughlaq (ruled, 1324-51) was the first Sultan to visit the shrine, but the earliest construction to house the tomb was funded in the late fifteenth century by Sultan Ghiyasuddin Khalji of Malwa. Since the shrine was located on the trade route linking Delhi and Gujarat, it attracted a lot of travellers. By the sixteenth century the shrine had become very popular; in fact it was the spirited singing of pilgrims bound for Ajmer that inspired Akbar to visit the tomb. 

In Sufism, the shaikh was revered as wali. What does the term 'wali' mean?

Friend of God

The correct answer is Option (3) → Friend of God

Wali (plural auliya) or friend of God was a sufi who claimed proximity to Allah, acquiring His Grace (barakat) to perform miracles (karamat).