RAS question
Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi, known as 'Mujaddid Alf-i-Sani' (Reformer of the Second Millennium), belonged to which Sufi order?
Correct answer: (D) Naqshbandi.
Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi, known as Mujaddid Alf-i-Sani, belonged to the Naqshbandi Sufi order.
Explanation
Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi (1564-1624) is linked to the Naqshbandi order because his decisive association was with Muhammad Baqi Billah, a Central Asian Naqshbandi shaykh. Sirhindi received permission to transmit the Naqshbandi lineage and was later recognised by most of Baqi Billah's disciples as his principal successor. This supports the standard RAS answer: he belonged to the Naqshbandi order. He also matters in medieval Indian history because he opposed Akbar's Din-i-Ilahi, argued for a return to orthodox Islam, and put forward Wahdat-ul-Shuhud against Wahdat-ul-Wujud. After his death, the Naqshbandiyya also became associated with his title, Mujaddid Alf-i-Sani, the renewer of the second millennium.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Chishti is wrong because, although Sirhindi had initiation in the Chishtiyya among other lineages, his turning point, teaching authority, and later reputation were tied to the Naqshbandi lineage.
- (B) Qadiri is wrong because Qadiriyya was only one of the lineages into which he was initiated, not the order through which he became Baqi Billah's principal successor.
- (C) Suhrawardi is wrong because Sirhindi's recognised Sufi role was in the Naqshbandi order, not the Suhrawardi order.
Concept
This tests the medieval Indian history theme of Sufi orders and their leading figures. It recurs in RAS because questions often link saints, doctrines, and orders to broader Mughal-era religious currents.