Severe ascetic exercises in a lonely place

With reference to the religious history of medieval India, the Sufi mystics were known to pursue which of the following practices?

  1. Severe ascetic exercises in a lonely place
  2. Meditation and control of breath
  3. Recitation of holy songs to arouse a state of ecstasy in their audience

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

  1. 3 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 2 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3

Answer

The original Sufi were mystics - people who followed a pious form of Islam and who believed that a direct, personal experience of God could be achieved through meditation and self-discipline. Sufi mysticism endeavored to produce a personal experience of the divine through mystic and ascetic discipline.

The correct option is D.