Shahbaz Sharif follows Sufism

Shahbaz Sharif follows Sufism

Dr. Jassim Taqui

Following the decision of the Sharif brothers to execute Mumtaz Qadri, the Chief Minister of Punjab  Shahbaz Sharif (SS) started tweeting and posting statements in the Social Media according to which he would promote Sufism in Punjab. This is a tremendous change of  SS who ruled Punjab for over 30 years relying on the militant outfits including LeJ, SSP, ASWJ and even the Shiite Tehrik-e-Jafaria (renamed as Tehrik-e-Islami).

SS tended to even ignore LeT. In the process those militants enabled SS to tame all institutions of the state including police, judiciary, Election Commission, NAB, intelligence agencies and even political parties. SS turned to the media and purchased media houses and anchorpersons to mislead the people and cover his massive misuse of power. Ironically, what an anchorperson ears in one month today cannot be earned by a professional journalist who writes according to his conscious throughout his life.

 However, Pakistan had witnessed an unbelievable rise of Imran Khan-led PTI to challenge the Sharif brothers and the status quo. People, especially women, stood firmly behind PTI accusing the Sharif brothers of rigging the 2013 elections. In fact the 

Sharif brothers rigged all elections especially in Punjab.

However, one should give SS the benefit of the doubt on the basis of the notion let bygones be bygones. Still, SS is facing a tremendous challenge in his endeavor to follow Sufism. This can be illustrated by the following illustration of al-tariqua by the 

renowned Sufi Jalaludin Rumi:

What can I do, Muslims? I do not know myself.

I am no Christian, no Jew, no Magian, no Musulman.

Not of the East, not of the West. Not of the land, not of the sea.

Not of the Mine of Nature, not of the circling heavens,

Not of earth, not of water, not of air, not of fire;

Not of the throne, not of the ground, of existence, of being;

Not of India, China, Bulgaria, Saqseen;

Not of the kingdom of the Iraqs, or of Khorasan;

Not of this world or the next: of heaven or hell;

Not of Adam, Eve, the gardens of Paradise or Eden;

My place placeless, my trace traceless.

Neither body nor soul: all is the life of my Beloved.

I have put away duality: I have seen the Two worlds as one.

I desire One, I know One, I see One, I call One.

Can SS embrace al-tariqua by denying himself. Can he believe in Rumi’s famous doctrine, “You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop” ?