What follows is more than an overview of the subject will be offered. However, while doing so, it is intended that readers will get) an insight into the current and historical apex of Sufism in Australia and the) enough tools to conduct additional study for those who will be inspired to investigate this fascinating, but often neglected section of Australian history.
The Makassans
The alliance between Makassan fishermen from Indonesia as well as Indonesian fishermen and Indigenous inhabitants of Northern Australia is one of the first sustained, long-lasting interactions among Muslims in the Middle East and Australia. The excursions in Australian waters, including Macassar fishermen seeking the trepang (beche of mer) started around the 16th century and continued to the point that South Australian customs effectively outlawed their travels in 1906.1,2 The annual trips in the north east of Arnhem Land, that ran from December through April "left deep impressions on the culture and language of the north's shores."3 In these visits, the exchange of culture took place and some Makassans were involved in Aboriginal ceremonies, feasts and liaisons4, and Aboriginal people experimenting with aspects of Islam.5 In the end, it is interesting to determine the type of Islam was introduced to Northern Australia.
To understand how Islam that was introduced in Northern Australia by the Makassans and the Makassans, it is helpful to look at the predominant and popular patterns that were involved in the spread and growth that accompanied the development and spread of Islam within Indonesia. Local kingdoms in South Sulawesi, from where most of the Makassan fishermen came from, adopted Islam at the beginning of the 17th century 6 and its spread across Indonesia and the rest of Indonesia due to the Sufis. 7 The role played by Sufism in the spread in the spread of Islam within Indonesia is believed by some to be an ongoing influence. 8 Given the time period in the time that Islam spread across Indonesia and the first accounts of how Makassans came to be into Australia It is likely it is possible that Indigenous Australians were witness to these changes in religion through visiting fishermen. It is possible that these early and ongoing interactions with Muslims with Australia were directly linked with, or in some way influenced by Sufism.
The extent to the extent to Sufism was practiced among the Makassan fishermen is a subject that requires further study. Although some scholars have pointed out that some Indigenous peoples, like Yolngu, for instance Yolngu were not a part of Islam It is fascinating to consider that they did incorporate the linguistic, cultural and religious aspects in their individual cosmologies. 9 Aboriginal ceremony words, like ' Oooo-a-hal-la' and ' A-ha-la' have been reported to include pleas to God that is in heaven and have the phonetic resemblance of the Allah. In addition, there is a phonetic resemblance between the Indigenous ritual phrase'si'li-la-mo'ha-mo ha-mosil-li-li' sallallahu alai Muhammad (peace be on Muhammad) and 'rabin-a-la la-ha ma-hama and rabbana lakal Hamd (Our Lord God, be all praise).10 Although these phonetic similarities may have been a result of regular interactions with the Makassans as well as the practice of their prayers however it could also be the case due to the powerful influences from Sufism over the Indonesian archipelago that some of these phonetic resemblances resulted from the observation of gatherings to commemorate Allah (dhikr) in the northern shores of Australia. It would be fascinating to see if future research into the world of the Indigenous people in North Australia included an awareness of Islamic cosmology as well as the subtleties of Sufism to help identify what components of Sufism were carried by those of the Makassans on their way to Australian shores.
The Cameleers
Another initial, long-lasting engagement among Muslims and Australia was a multi-cultural group which has come to be referred to as the Cameleers. Around 2000 to 4000 Cameleers came to Australia between the years 1860 and 1920, 11-12 initially to care for the camels being imported. Many drivers were from different provinces that later became Pakistan including Baluchistan, Punjab, the Sindh province, as well as the Northwest Frontier Province and the protectorate Kingdom of Afghanistan, 13 and other parts from India and what would later be Bangladesh. These areas all have long-standing traditions of Sufism. Many scholars who study the Cameleers have suggested connections between Cameleers and Sufism but they don't have specific evidence for connection. Because the colonial power of the time were much more concerned with the camels than the ones who tended their plight, much of what could offer valuable insights into the practices of Sufism in the Cameleers was gone.
There are hints of Sufism in the Cameleers are found in the newspaper reports, if the reports are read with a clear appreciation of Islamic and Sufic orthopraxy. For example the 1902 report in a newspaper about the conditions in Afghan camps is documented, apart from the fact that it is a generally dirty place "owing due to camels that are kept around," a "new terror in the form of corborrees, or whateverthey call their ear-splitting evening performances," which are distinguished by "the the howls and wailing of men wearing the bandage pants, who build themselves to an ear beyond the concert pitch."14 When read with a clear appreciation of Sufi practice, it's likely that it is the earliest, if certainly not the firstrecorded recordings of an Sufi assembly (dhikr) located in Australia.
Reviewing the existing Cameleer documentation is another option to find evidence of Sufism in the Cameleer documents, however caution and nuance are required. As an example, Stevens states the fact that "only 1 Afghan in Australia has been documented to be a member of Sufism," citing "one named 'Soofi Abdul Karam' [who] worked with camels in the north of WA,"15 however there are certain discrepancies in the details of the documents relied on.16 Another instance is that of the Adelaide herbalist MohametAllum (d. 1964). Stevens says the following " from the evidence of Mohamet Allum's background and his life's activities in Australia It appears that he may be at least inclined toward the Sufi faith." 17 Although a formal connection of Allum as well as the Sufi or order ( tariqa) could be possible, more evidence is required to prove the claim.
The most convincing evidence of Sufism among the Cameleers is an incredibly short written manuscript discovered among the Cameleer artifacts in the historical Broken Hill Mosque. 18 Written in 1322AH/1901CE by Ahmed al-Qadiri to Ahmed Akbar Khan al-Afghani. This manuscript includes his genealogies ( nasab) and spiritual chain ( silsila) Both of which go back to Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir alJilani, signify membership in the Qadiriya Sufi order. Alongside this family tree (nasab) and the spiritual chain (Silsila) the manuscript also includes an hadith Qudsi that contains two transmission chains (sanad) as well as a license (ijaza) and a the spiritual activity (wird) as well as several honorific titles given to Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir alJilani, and the names members of the family of Shaykh 'Abd al Qadir al-Jilani. Since the documents that are currently in use by the Cameleers are reviewed with the understanding Islamic as well as Sufi orthopraxy It is likely that a greater understanding of the widespread of Sufism within the Cameleers will emerge.
20th Century Australia and Beyond
Through in the early 20th century Australian newspaper publications showed greater understanding of essential terms that refer to Sufism. Many of the newspapers in Australia have since the 1820's, utilized Dervish and, as of the 1850's, Sufi or Sufism. For example in an article published in the newspaper of 1833, it compares the Quakers to "the whooping dervishes of the Moslems which they overtake in fanaticism"19 and the newspaper article of 1865 refers to "the total rejection and abstention of everything except the Spirit and the recurrence of its visits that create the kind of Christian Sufism that is characteristic of the Quaker."20 Then, in 1903 the newspaper reported that "Babism is the most fundamental of the many schools of Sufism."21 Although we might doubt the authenticity of these accounts, these instances suggest that some knowledge of Sufism was present among the literate populace of Australia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries or at more acquaintance with Sufism than other religions.
Since 1915, and through a significant portion in the latter half of 20th Century there was a change in the way Sufism was discussed within Australian newspapers. This could be seen to be considered a response to the arrival in 1915 of Inayat Khan (d. 1927) into North America and Europe. A Australian newspaper in 1915 wrote in 1915 that " Inayat Khan has arrived in the West to explain the principles of the Sufi philosophical thought" and subtly encroaches his philosophy by saying that " Sufism is based on the broad concept that there is a universal brotherhood between men," 22, highlighting the "universal" concepts at the expense of an Islamised practice. It is not clear if the interest of the day was in Sufism in general or Inayat Khan's specific philosophy.
The change in reporting was visible to be seen in Australia in 1933, with Friedrich von Frankenberg (d. 1950) declaring his appointment as "representative to the Sufi movement, and authorized to confer on candidates who have been approved with the initial degree for initiation to Sufism." Sufi Order of Australia."23 A newspaper article from 1934 declared the fact that Frankenberg was "a avid adherent in Sufism,"24 and, later on the successor of his Francis Brabazon (d. 1984) was identified in 1950 as one who "promulgated and administered Sufism throughout Australia."25
The accounts of the members of Inayat Khan's movement are some of the earliest explicit as well as explicit mentions of a specific kind of Sufism in Australia through Australian newspapers. The reactionary and somewhat resentful response of traditionalist advocates in Sufism was to invent the tautological name "Islamic Sufism." This response was aimed at highlighting the Islamic foundation for Sufi practice and thinking but at the expense of admitting that there was an Islamic Sufism. 26 The publication of review articles of Australian papers in the years 1934 about Sirdar Ikbal Shah's Islamic Sufismcan be thought of as an answer to the rise and spreading of Universal Sufism. 27
The second decade in the 20th century particularly from the latter part of the 1970s onwards saw an increase in traditional Sufi orders establishing connections with Australia. Today , nearly all of the major Sufi orders can be found across different regions of Australia. Certain orders have established formal Sufi centers for the dissemination of the doctrines, while other Sufi orders, specifically those who's Shaykhs reside outside Australia hold gatherings every time the senior members of their order come to Australia. The variety of teaching methods as well as the retention of the old-fashioned message illustrates the ways in which Sufism has evolved within an increasingly Eurocentric society, without losing aspects of the spiritual path. Certain of the members from this Sufi orders are better recognized than others, with greater visibility even though their relationship to Sufism is not widely known or well-known. Another important Sufis who resided in Australia are not known to everyone, excluding a small few.
An attempt to capture the Sufi revival that is currently taking place in Australia is a huge and, ultimately, unfinished job as all one of the main Sufi orders has its distinct histories of development and their arrival in Australian shores. To provide an insight into the growth of Sufism Australia it will be possible to see two notable Sufi Shaykhs will be shown.
Shaykh Abdullah Sirr Dan al-Jamal
Shaykh Abdullah Sirr Dan al-Jamal (d. 2000) was born to an wealthy Scottish family. He received the highest quality in English educational opportunities. 28 From his earliest years, he demonstrated extraordinary skill across a variety of fields. After demonstrating a proficiency in the world, Shaykh Abdullah extended his naturally spiritual nature by engaging in the deep and ardent studying of Sufism. He was ordained into the order of Naqshbandi Sufi Order in Turkey in 1964. He later became an official Shaykh belonging to the Naqshbandi Sufi Order.
As a child and a student within and educated in the West, Shaykh Abdullah had an unique perspective on the ways that Sufism could reach the souls of those who are conditioned to cultivate the Western mind. Shaykh Abdullah said that the aim that is the goal of Sufi Shaykh was to help the human race " to experience and be aware of the reality of life that is pulsing at the same time but also at the core and throughout the entirety of creation." 29 He was a teacher in public London with weekly lectures through the 1970s, and for a significant portion of the 1980s. Then, he making the move towards Northern Tasmania, Australia, and teaching in private. 30 His lectures and advice were usually targeted at Westerners and this is how Shaykh Abdullah has contributed significantly to the growth of Sufism, both in the UK as well as Australia.
Shaykh Abdullah also made a significant contribution to the community he lived in. In addition to his work in the field and teaching of Sufism, Shaykh Abdullah was one of the founding members of the School of Fine Furniture in Launceston and designed and produced fine furniture as well as the founder and the managing director at the Waverley Murray Grey Stud, that exhibited and sold premium cattle across Australia and other countries, among other things. Shaykh Abdullah also shared a deep love for his Mevlevi Sufi Order, founded by Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi. Under the direction of Sheikh Abdullah in 1983, sheikh Abdul Aziz entered Mevlevi Sufi Order. With the consent of the hereditary leader of Mevlevis Hz. Jelaluddin the M. Baqir Chelebi who was the 22nd generation descendant direct descendant Hazreti Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, was given the authority to create Mevlevi Order of Australia. Mevlevi Order of Australia in Melbourne in the year 1986. 31 Sheikh Abdullah was in Australia when He was reunited by his God in September of 2000. He is burial at the foot of Northern Tasmania.
Murshid F. A. Ali ElSenossi
Murishid F. A. Ali ElSenossi is a Shaykh of the Burhaniyya-Dasuqqiyya-Shadhiliyya Sufi Order and Spiritual Director of the Almiraj Sufi and Islamic Study Centre.32 After coming to Australia from Libya in the early 1970s, Murshid Ali established the Almiraj Sufi and Islamic Study Centre in 1983 in Perth. Apart from being a destination for people seeking knowledge to learn about Sufi knowledge and knowledge, it also was an early Sufi bookstore in Australia. When Murshid Ali relocated to the southern part of Tasmania in the year 1990, the Centre and bookshop moved too and opened first at the Margate train, and later Hobart. In 2012 , the bookshop moved into Broken Hill, New South Wales and has since become the biggest bookshop of comparative spirituality in the southern hemisphere.
The first Australian Sufi journal, The Treasure is edited by Murshid Ali since 1998. Murshid Ali has given numerous public talks throughout Australia to a wide range of audiences. He has taught at the Sufi Centre in its various locations, as well as weekly sessions for the Study Group taking place every Friday afternoon as a way for guests and members alike to learn more about the deeper wisdom of Tasawwuf.. A few of the talks for public viewing are accessible via YouTube and a large portion of the sermons on Fridays are accessible on Soundcloud.. One of the objectives of the Centre is " to introduce Islam as a whole to the wider community." 33 The Centre has hosted a variety of research groups, school groups as well as university groups throughout time to present different aspects of teaching to the interested public. 34
Murshid Ali has representatives across the globe, in countries such as Canada, Indonesia, and Mauritania, amongst others, following the pan-Islamic, transnational model that saw a great expansion of the Burhaniyya Sufi order under the guidance of Shaykh Muhammad Uthman 'Abd al-Burhani,35 as well as representatives across most of the major cities in Australia, making the Burhaniyya-Dasuqqiyya-Shadhiliyya Sufi Order at once both a global and a very Australian Sufi Order.
Conclusion
Studying the historical background of Sufism in Australia is a relatively new field. There are some truths to the notion that constructing " a traditional narrative the history of Sufism in Australia is a difficult task," 36 it's not a totally naive or ineffective endeavor. There is a need for more research in this field as it becomes easier as researchers bring fresh documents to light and reconsider previous assumptions about the documents that are available. 37 Research like this poses several issues, including finding the material and understanding the different language versions available (including oral and written histories). To date the most difficult task has been to look at these documents from an Islamic lens, in order to unravel colonial assumptions and misperceptions, and discover the possible remnants from the early history of Sufism in Australia. This overview is intended to illustrate that there are many ways for people who wish to learn more about this rich subject that contains both contemporary and historical areas waiting to be explored.
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