Read the following passage and answer the question:
By the eleventh century, Sufism evolved into a well-developed movement with a body of literature on Quranic studies and Sufi practices. Institutionally, the sufis began to organise communities around the hospice or Khanqah controlled by a teaching master known as shaikh. He enrolled disciples and appointed a successor. He established rules for spiritual conduct and interaction between inmates as well as between laypersons and the master. Sufi silsilas began to crystallise in different parts of the Islamic world around the twelfth century.
Which of the following rituals were developed in Sufism that disciples took during initiation?
(A) An oath of allegiance.
(B) Wearing a patched garment.
(C) Pilgrimage to the master’s grave.
(D) Shaving of the head.
(E) Drinking of the holy water.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → (A), (B), (D) Only
(A) An oath of allegiance. Correct. In the special rituals of initiation, the initiates took an oath of allegiance to the master.
(B) Wearing a patched garment. Correct. The initiates also wore a patched garment.
(C) Pilgrimage to the master’s grave. Incorrect. Pilgrimage (ziyarat) to the grave of the shaikh grew up after the shaikh died, when his tomb-shrine (dargah) became the centre of devotion for his followers. It was a practice of devotion, not a ritual of initiation.
(D) Shaving of the head. Correct. The initiates shaved their hair as part of the initiation.
(E) Drinking of the holy water. Incorrect. The rituals of initiation were the oath, the patched garment and the shaving of the hair; drinking holy water was not one of them.
NCERT (2026-27): “6.1 Khanqahs and silsilas … 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. Special rituals of initiation were developed in which initiates took an oath of allegiance, wore a patched garment, and shaved their hair. When the shaikh died, his tomb-shrine (dargah, a Persian term meaning court) became the centre of devotion for his followers. This encouraged the practice of pilgrimage or ziyarat to his grave, particularly on his death anniversary or urs (or marriage, signifying the union of his soul with God).…” |