With reference to the religious history of medieval India, the Sufi mystics were known to pursue which of the following practices?
- 1.Meditation and control of breath.
- 2.Severe ascetic exercises in a lonely place.
- 3.Recitation of holy songs to arouse a state of ecstasy in their audience.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Sufis practised zikr with breath control and meditation, took to asceticism, and used sama' (mystical music) to evoke ecstasy, so all three are correct.
- ✓ 1. Zikr involved counting breaths and meditation.
- ✓ 2. Many Sufis turned to asceticism and mysticism.
- ✓ 3. Qawwali and sama' were used to evoke divine ecstasy.
Remember · Sufi practices: zikr with breath control, asceticism, sama' for ecstasy.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part II, Ch 2 (practise this chapter) · Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part II, Ch 2 (practise this chapter) · Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part II, Ch 2 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part II, Chapter 2 “The threads of breath should be counted one by one, oh sister.”
- NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part II, Chapter 2 “In the early centuries of Islam a group of religious- minded people called sufis turned to asceticism and mysticism”
- NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part II, Chapter 2 “including mystical chants performed by specially trained musicians or qawwals to evoke divine ecstasy.”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2012, General Studies Paper I. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 24 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·
