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Poetry was a strong literary tradition among the Pre-Islamic Arabs which they cherished even after their acceptance of Islam. The Arabs were unlettered people who could not read or write therefore their tribal pride, history and proverbs were all memorized and preserved in fluent and eloquent poetry. The fluency and eloquence was a highly significant factor for the memorization of their traditions and transmission to descendants. The tribes considered their eloquent literary figures as national heroes, it is said that eloquence was so esteemed that 2 tribes would go to war over a saying of a literary figure and then be reconciled by the words of another. 

Poetry was at its peak in the Arabian Peninsula when the Quran was revealed. The Quran addressed the Arabs in the most eloquent, fluent and poetic form, it challenged first the literary figures of the Arabian Peninsula: (Al Quran 2:23) "If you doubt what We have sent down on our servant, produce a Surah like it." - Amazed at the book's language stunned many great poets of the time resulting in many of them accepting Islam. Labid ibn Rabiah, the best poet in the Arabian peninsula, accepted Islam after hearing the Quran to the extent that in his amazement he stopped uttering his own verses. With the rise of Islam and expansion of its territories that took place during the rule of immediate successors of Prophet ﷺ , the Arabs did not excel in literary efforts in other subjects because they had emerged from the Bedouin lifestyle in which the use of pen was very nominal, their society followed the oral tradition. The poetry in which they cherished was mainly transmitted orally and through memory. This trend continued among the Arabs during the rule of Umayyad’s which lasted till mid of 8th Century CE before the Abbasids took over and the use of pen and literary efforts in other subjects became more popular. 

The fact of the matter why early Arabs cherished poetry and felt pride in was due to the purity and strength of their language. In an authentic narration Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is reported to have said "...I have been given words which are concise but comprehensive in meaning..."[1] i.e. the Quran in Arabic language, which contains comprehensive meanings within very few words, sometimes even a single word, which is not the case with other common languages. In other languages one has to employ many words to express something comprehensive. This fact can be understood better when one tries to delve deeper in to the history of the Arabic tongue. Alvin Sylvester Zerbe in his book named "Antiquity of Hebrew Writing and Literature" mentions a fact about Arabic language from a research: "North Arabia is a geographical centre of the race. It is much more likely to have peopled the surrounding highlands than to have been peopled from them. The Arabic language is upon the whole nearest the primitive Semitic speech, as it by far the oldest and purest of all living tongues [though its literature is by no means the oldest] and its speakers in Arabia belong to the oldest and purest of race.....We assume that the Northern Semites - Bablylonians, Aramaeans, Canaanites - lived long together apart from the Arabs, who tended always to the center of the desert"[2] Zerbe's point is discernible when one attempts to study the history of Arabs and Arabic language in the Arabian peninsula. The Arabs that inhabited the desert region of the peninsula remained isolated from other civilized cultures of the region, such as the Persians, Roman, Greek and other empires, for the longest because their land was barren, something which never attracted the civilized world. Since they remained isolated from the outside world, the non-Arab languages and culture did not influence the Arabic tongue causing it to remain pure and strong. It was mainly because of this the Arabs always felt pride in their language and poetry tradition against other regional cultures.  This explains why Allah ﷻ in His divine wisdom chose to reveal His final message in Arabic : (Al Quran 26:195) "..in the clear Arabic tongue." - in the dialect of Quraysh, Prophet Muhammad's tribe, whose roots go back centuries connecting them directly with Adnani tribes, the descendants of Prophet Ismail (Ishmael) (alaihis alaam) through his marriage with a woman of ancient Arabians. Arab linguists and researchers strongly believe that: “The Arabic language is like Adam, has no father, no mother! and as such is the mother of human languages.”[3] If that is the case then we can understand why it is claimed that Arabic is as old as humankind and why Allah ﷻ in His Divine Wisdom chose to reveal in classical Arabic. 

To get clearer picture of the natural preservation of classical Arabic and the Quran please also read: ​The Miracle of Classical Arabic in the Quran

References:
[1] Sahih Muslim 523 a - Sunnah.com 
[2] The antiquity of Hebrew writing and literature: Alvin Sylvester Zerbe - 1911 
[3] Khalil Khayat - Answers about Islamic Heritage and Arabic Language! - Expert in Islamic Studies and Arabic Culture on www.Quora.com - ​Why is the Arabic language so poor? It doesn't have the ‘p’ and ‘g’ sounds of the letters.

(Written on 8/21/20 - 2nd Muharram, 1442 - The post date does not reflect the actual date of this writing)

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Origin of the Hijri Calendar

Sometime in 638 CE, Abu Musa Ashari (r.a), the Governor of Basra wrote: "Amir-ul-Mominin, we receive instructions from you every now and then, but as the letters are undated, and some times the contents of the letters differ, it becomes difficult to ascertain as to which instructions are to be followed." That set Hazrat Umar (r.a) thinking. In the meantime, he received from Yemen a draft for some money which was encashable in Shaban. Hazrat Umar (r.a) thought that the practice of merely mentioning the month in such cases was defective for one could not be sure whether the month referred to was of the current or the following year. Hazrat Umar (r.a) convened an assembly to discuss the introduction of calendar.
Someone suggested that the Roman calendar should be adopted but the Roman calendar dated from too remote a year and was difficult. Some suggested the Persian calendar called ‘Mahroz’, that too was rejected. The general opinion was that instead of adopting foreign calendar, the Muslims should have a calendar of their own. This was agreed to, and the point next considered was from when should such year begin? Someone suggested that the year should begin from the date of birth of the Holy Prophet ﷺ. Some suggested that it should begin from the death of the Holy Prophet ﷺ. Hazrat Ali (r.a) suggested that it should begin from the date the Muslims did hijrah (migrated) from Makkah to Madinah. After discussion, Ali's suggestion was agreed to. The Holy Prophet ﷺ had done hijrah (migrated) in the month of Rabi-ul Awwal, when the pre-Islamic Arabic year had already passed two months and eight days. Next the question arose from which month should the new Islamic year start. Some suggested the sacred month of Rajab, others suggested sacred Ramadaan, yet others suggested Dhul Hijjah. Hazrat Usman (r.a) suggested that as in Arabia the year started with Muharram the new Islamic year should also start with Muharram. This suggestion was accepted. The date was accordingly pushed back by two months and eight days, and the new Hijri calendar began with the first day of Muharram in the year of migration rather than from the actual date of migration.

The Significance of Hijrah

​إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَٱلَّذِينَ هَاجَرُواْ وَجَٰهَدُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ يَرۡجُونَ رَحۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ
(Al Quran 2:218) As for those who believed and those who migrated and carried out struggle in the way of Allah, they hope for Allah’s mercy: and Allah is Forgiving, Very-Merciful.

In this ayah (verse) the term walladheena hajaru means "and those who migrated" in which the term hijrah means "migration for the sake of Allah", refers to the early Muslims, known as muhajirun or "emigrants", who left their homes in Makkah to seek refuge in Madinah (then called Yathrib) to escape persecution and be able to live according to the teachings of Islam. Despite the fact that hijrah was a physical journey undertaken by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companions, yet it does not deprive the term of its wider, spiritual meaning which is to abandon and leave everything that is contrary to what Allah has said and turn your heart towards Him with the intention to live a life of obedience to His commandments. ​As we begin the new Islamic Hijri year of 1442 A.H. the beginning of each new year reminds us of the wider meaning of hijrah or "migration" i.e. our opportunity to turn towards Allah ﷻ and submit to His guidance in the Quran and the Prophetic teachings so that we can hope for His mercy and forgiveness in this world and the hereafter. 

References:

1. www.Quran.com - English Translation Mufti Taqi Usmani
2. Muhammad Asad - Message of the Quran - Surah Al Baqara, Ayah (verse) 218, Note 203
3. Khalifa Umar bin al-Khattab - Islamic Actions and Social Mandates, Professor Masud-ul-Hasan - Islamic Publications, Lahore, Pakistan - http://www.alim.org/library/references/ContentSources?quicktabs_20=2#khalifa 

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​Is carrying difference of opinion the same as having divisions?

There is big difference between the 2. Allah ﷻ uses the term “Farraqoo - فَرَّقُو” in the Quran (such as 6:159) in reference to divisions and not “Ikhtilaaf - اختلاف” which means “Difference of opinion”. The former means divisions based on disagreements on fundamentals of Aqeedah (creed) such as the 5 pillars of Islam & 6 articles of Imaan (Islamic faith). While the latter term means difference of opinion based on practicing of the Aqeedah especially matters related to 5 pillars, which is not only permissible but in fact encouraged. ​This encouragement stems from the famous Prophetic hadith "Ikhtilafu Ummati Rahma” which means “Ikhtilaaf (difference of opinion) in my Ummah is a Rahma (mercy) of Allah.” [1](Prophetic hadith) All Muslims, regardless of which Madhab (school) they belong to, are in agreement on those 5 pillars & 6 articles. If any group of Muslims differ on any of the basic pillars or articles, only then they become a division and considered outside of Islam, as per consensus of Islamic scholars.

Prophet’s Advice to Companions on Exercising Opinion

The Prophet ﷺ advised his companions to use their own judgment for matters they come across in case of not finding a solution for it in the Quran and the Hadith/Sunnah. Such as the following conversation between Muadh ibn Jabal (r.a) and the Prophet:

“According to what will you judge?” asked the Prophet. “According to the Book of God,” replied Muadh. “And if you find nothing therein?” asked the Prophet ﷺ “According to the Sunnah of the Prophet of God.” replied Muadh (r.a) “And if you find nothing therein?” asked the Prophet ﷺ “Then I will exert myself (exercise ijtehad) to form my own judgement.” replied Muadh (r.a). The Prophet ﷺ was pleased with this reply and said: “Praise be to God Who has guided the messenger of the Prophet to that which pleases the Prophet.”[2] - Such judgments exercised by the companions based on their own knowledge, understanding of Deen (Islamic way of life) and personal insight, resulted in difference of opinions they had for matters they came across in case of no clear evidence in the Quran and hadith/sunnah.

​Background behind Madhabs and their Formation

With the spread of Islam, the companions were sent to different regions to instruct new Muslims about religion. The students of such teacher companions became experts in their teacher’s methodology and every famous Islamic city followed their methodology to practice Islam while simultaneously building on their expertise. This led towards the creation of Madhabs (school of thoughts) and development of Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence) within each school in different parts of the Muslim region. All schools accepted and respected each others methodology and science of practicing as long as it fell within the parameters of Quran and authentic hadith/sunnah without any breaches in the fundamentals of Islam (6 articles & 5 pillars). In fact in the case where their own thought would not provide an answer, the expert Islamic scholar (Mujtahid) would refer to other schools to seek an answer and would solve the matter. Hence one of the earliest pious Muslims and Caliph Umar Bin Abdul Aziz (r.a) said “It would not please me more if the Companions of Muhammad ﷺ did not differ among them, because had they not differed there would be no leeway (for us).”

It is human nature to differ. All humanity is not black and white and therefore the entire Islamic world cannot be exact same. An event recorded from the life of Imam Malik bin Anas - founder of the Maliki Madhab - is worth mentioning that explains why all Muslims cannot be the same:

Abbassid Caliph al-Mansur, after hearing Malik's answers to certain important questions, said: "I have resolved to give the order that your writings be copied and disseminated to every Muslim region on earth, so that they be put in practice exclusively of any other rulings. They will leave aside innovations and keep only this knowledge. For I consider that the source of knowledge is the narrative tradition of Medina and the knowledge of its scholars." To this, Malik is said to have replied: "Commander of the Believers, do not! For people have already heard different positions, heard hadith, and related narrations. Every group has taken whatever came to them and put it into practice, conforming to it while other people differed. To take them away from what they have been professing will cause a disaster. Therefore, leave people with whatever school they follow and whatever the people of each country chose for themselves.” [3]

References:

[1] Ikhtilaf (differences) among the Madhhabs in Islam - Dr. G. Fouad Haddad - 
http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/misc/ikhtilaf.htm 
[2] STORIES OF THE COMPANIONS, Mu’adh Ibn Jabal (RA) - https://hadithoftheday.com/muadh-ibn-jabal/ 
[3] Malik ibn Anas - Difference of Opinion. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malik_ibn_Anas#Differences_of_opinion 

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ​ said: "words of wisdom are a believer’s property, wherever he or she finds it, they have every right to it."


When Abbasids came in to power in 8th Century CE, they moved the capital from Damascus to Baghdad where the major scientific revolution took place under the rule of Khalifa Harun Al Rashid when he developed the major center of learning called Dar Al Hikmah – House of Wisdom, whose foundation was laid down by his predecessor Khalifa al-Mansur. The center conducted a major translation project where all old Greek, Indian, Persian texts related to subjects like mathematics, philosophy, astronomy, medicine underwent translation in to Arabic. The project resulted in a major scientific and educational revolution in the Islamic world that impacted the entire globe in the upcoming years. The project also attracted a keen interest of the Islamic scholars. Its important to note that the Quran and prophetic hadith encourage inquiring in to nature. Studying our world and the universe is highly encouraged because the Creator is known through His creation and as the Quran says:

                إِنَّ فِي خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱخۡتِلَٰفِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّأُوْلِي ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ

(Al Quran 3:190) Surely, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are signs for the people of wisdom

However, what is important to note that the Dar Al Hikmah (House of Wisdom) in Baghdad was actually a forerunner of the early pre-Abbasid literary developments that had initiated during Sassanian Empire under Khusrow I (Chosroes) Anushirvan (CE 531 - 579) and later of Umayyad’s under Khalifa Muawiya ibn Abu Sufyan I (CE 661–680). Even though the early translation projects were not as great in their strength and did not produce an intellectual and scientific revolution as that of the time of Abbasids, yet their influence may have played significant part in laying foundation for it.

Academy of Gondeshapur in Sassanian Empire

The Sassanian King Khosrow Anushirvan was also called the philosopher king because of his love for philosophy and knowledge. Due to his patronage for knowledge he accepted refugees coming from the Eastern Roman Empire when Emperor Justinian closed the neo-Platonist schools in Athens in 529 CE. He praised the good and useful traditions and learning of the Romans, Greek and Indian and acceded that even though they do not belong to his culture yet they should be adopted due to their usefulness and benefit for the society. With court scholars like Paul the Persian, a theologian and philosopher, the King supported the effort to translate works of Plato and Aristotle as well as requested the Indian courts to provide philosophers and men of knowledge for further research and development. The Academy of Gondeshapur was the center of learning during Khosrow’s time. Future Muslim graduates of the center - during early Arab Muslim and Umayyad rule - in addition to Islamic luminaries from rest of the empire became part of the Abbasid scientific revolution in Baghdad.

Bayt Al Hikmah of Damascus

​After Academy of Gondeshapur there was also translation efforts done under Umayyad’s during the rule of famous Khalifa Muawiyah I. He started to gather a collection of books in Damascus. He then formed a library that was referred to as "Bayt al-Hikma". Books written in Greek, Latin, and Persian in the fields of medicine, alchemy, physics, mathematics, astrology and other disciplines were collected and translated by Muslim scholars at that time. Additionally Persian and Christians translators were hired for translating texts in to Arabic, as the Arabs were not yet well versed in the usage of pen. Even though this was an effort at a much lower scale than the future project by Abbasids in Baghdad, it may have formed the basis and methodology for the upcoming scientific revolution.

Dar Al Hikmah (House of Wisdom) of the Abbasid

​The Academy of Gondeshapur under Anushirvan Khosrow I and the smaller Baytal Hikmah in Damascus did not flourish due to the fact that their support was only limited to those who initiated them. Moreover, their successors did not show the same interest in developing further. As mentioned earlier that during Umayyad rule the main focus was Islamic sciences rather than worldly sciences because preaching was the necessity of the time due to conversions among non-Arab populations. Even though successors of Khosrow and Muawiya did not attempt to cease these research houses, yet they never paid serious attention to their development. Serious attention with political and economic support were one of the key factors that made the House of Wisdom in Baghdad the center of educational revolution in the world that ultimately found its way in to the Madrassah’s of Islamic Spain in Cordoba and became the basis of eventual European Renaissance and modern scientific revolution. From Caliph al-Mansur (CE 754 – 775), Al Rashid (CE 786 – 809) to Al-Ma'mun (CE 813 – 833) and under his successors namely Al-Mu'tasim (CE 833 – 842) and Al-Wathiq (CE 842 – 847) there was a continuous support and personal interest by these Abbasid rulers in to the subjects being researched. The impact of such continuous support and interest in to knowledge by the rulers was bound to reflect in the nation, which produced scholars in various fields. The habits of the influential, elite and its intelligentsia reflect upon a nation because common people follow habits of the influential and if the habits are good then they are bound to show its results in a nation, a Quranic fact:

​وَإِذَآ أَرَدۡنَآ أَن نُّهۡلِكَ قَرۡيَةً أَمَرۡنَا مُتۡرَفِيهَا فَفَسَقُواْ فِيهَا فَحَقَّ عَلَيۡهَا ٱلۡقَوۡلُ فَدَمَّرۡنَٰهَا تَدۡمِيرٗا

(Al Quran 17:16) And when We intend to destroy a nation, We command its affluent (political, renown persons and intellectual elite) to obey Allah ﷻ but they defiantly disobey therein (become corrupt); so the word comes into effect upon it (the nation)…

Likewise if the affluent are wise and just and promote healthy habits then the people reflect their actions and the society flourishes in those actions thus they are saved from divine punishment. Scientific research was the focal point of the rulership and intelligentsia therefore it was spread from the capital of the empire, Baghdad, to all other regions of the Muslim world and then Western Europe. 

Importance of Islam in Educational Revolution 

A very important point to note is that as per Islamic teachings, gaining knowledge of worldly sciences is praiseworthy and is not condemned in any way or form. A false notion prevalent among the modern secular academia today is that "religion is against science". This saying may be true for other religions - due to corruption of their texts and man made influences resulting in permanent misinterpretations of their teachings - but not of Islam. It is also quite amazing to notice that these great minds with their free-thinking in the House of Wisdom brought one of the most important scientific revolution in human history, yet none of them supported or propagated atheism as is the unfortunate case of modern science. Allah ﷻ or God - Who created humans and endowed them with exceptional attribute of knowledge - was the center of all learning. Learning was means of expressing gratefulness to Him for this wonderful attribute which generated humility in the hearts & minds of these scientists unlike the proud scientists of today who question the existence of their Creator.

                                  أَوَلَمۡ يَرَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ أَنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰهُ مِن نُّطۡفَةٖ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٞ مُّبِينٞ
                              وَضَرَبَ لَنَا مَثَلٗا وَنَسِيَ خَلۡقَهُۥۖ قَالَ مَن يُحۡيِ ٱلۡعِظَٰمَ وَهِيَ رَمِيمٞ
                                      قُلۡ يُحۡيِيهَا ٱلَّذِيٓ أَنشَأَهَآ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٖۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ خَلۡقٍ عَلِيمٌ
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​(Al Quran 36:77 - 79) IS MAN, then, not aware that it is We who create him out of a [mere] drop of sperm - whereupon, lo! he shows himself endowed with the power to think and to argue? And [now] he [argues about Us, and] thinks of Us in terms of comparison, and is oblivious of how he himself was created! [And so] he says, "Who could give life to bones that have crumbled to dust?" Say: "He who brought them into being in the first instance will give them life [once again], seeing that He has full knowledge of every act of creation.”

What is a Khanqah?

Kahnqah is a Persian word which originally means "a dining table or the place where Kings eat". In Islamic tradition it was applied to the houses established by Emirs (local rulers) and Sultans for charitable purposes and to benefit the society. These were established specifically with the purpose to house and accommodate Muslim mystics and wanderers called sufis, who arrived to their lands, by providing them food and education. The source of income for these special institutions was usually associated with a waqf (endowments) which received large sums of charitable money that Muslims donated fi sabi lillah (in the way of Allah) due to the great reward and blessing of such acts in the sight of Allah ﷻ.

These khanqahs had special rooms for performing salaah (5 times prayers), listening to lectures by sheikhs (teachers) and spiritual activities such as performing dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and muraqaba (meditation). The khanqah, a house for Sufis, was in fact a school for the masses, for those who devoted themselves to a life of asceticism and austerity, and it attracted people from all backgrounds: students, artisans, craftsmen and traders, government and military officials. The sufis and their shuyookhs (teachers) played a primary role in assisting individuals in reforming the self (nafs or ego) to assist them in enjoining good and forbidding evil in the society. To sum up, the khanqah in Islam was something like a place of knowledge and worship that played an important religious, social and cultural role in the life of a Muslim society from the beginning.

The Khanqah Structure

The khanqahs did not only play a role in reformation of the individuals but also included sections focused on teaching fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and Hadith (prophetic teachings) and carried library of books on various sciences. Khanqahs were very often found adjoined to dargahs (shrines of Sufi saints), still found throughout the Muslims world. These saints were the Imams and played a very active spiritual role in that particular khanqah, or the society in which the khanqah was established, and the dergah would serve as remembrance of his legacy and teachings after their passing away. It is recorded that there were many types of employment in the khanqah, such as the Shaykh and Imam of the khanqah, supervisor of its waqf (endowment), teachers of fiqh (jurisprudence), assistance teachers, pharmacists, librarians, keeper of attendance records, muezzin (giver of call to prayers), supervisor of the kitchen, cook, caretaker of the wooden chest in which Quran copies were kept, doorkeepers, and so on. The established waqfs (endowments) were primary source of salary for these associated professionals that served in the khanqah. The in-charge of waqf made sure that the salary was appropriate to how well off each employed person was and his position in the society. This salary was in addition to the rewards they received such as groceries: vegetables, rice, milk, honey, sweets and so on, as well as clothing, soap and other provisions that were distributed to them in abundance.

Primary Role of Khanqah

In many instances the madrassahs, official schools of religious and rational learning in the Islamic world, were attached to these khanqahs with the purpose to assist the students of textual knowledge to also gain knowledge of the self (nafs or ego) by teachings them how to struggle against it. Such as after conquest of Jerusalem, Sultan Salahuddin, who increased the building of khanqahs throughout Egypt and Syria, build madrassahs and khanqahs side by side. Nearby Church of Resurrection, he build a school of Shafi scholars of jurisprudence and a khanqah for sufis. After his conquest of Acre, he converted the house of the Hospitallers, half in to khanqah and half for the students of Islamic sciences.

As is famously said that knowledge is power hence it has the potential to create pride in the one who carries it and increases it, thus these khanqahs and their sufis played a significant role in reforming the self of these students of knowledge, to generate humility in their character, which is so that they make proper use of knowledge when they become active in the society. One of the many definitions of the term "sufi - صوفي" is said to come from the Arabic term "safa or صفاء" meaning "purity". The purpose of these special institutions was to assist students and professionals from all walks of life, purify their own self which is one of the primary purposes of practicing Islam. The science of this knowledge and its practice is popularly called tasawwuf in Islamic tradition, which means "Islamic Spirituality" synonymous with a Westernized term sufism. Abu Muhammad Al Jurayri (r.a), the disciple and successor of Junayd Al Baghdadi (830–910 CE), the famous sufi of Baghdad, sums up best the definition of tasawwuf : "It means assuming every sublime moral character trait and giving up every lowly one." - and this was the primary purpose of these khanqahs.

What famously attracted individuals towards these khaqahs was also the emotional factors that impact our religious way of life and strengthen faith. Religion and emotions are inseparable. The sufis and their shuyookhs (teachers) employed emotional factors to attract and impact visitors by their easy going attitude and softness as compared to strict conservative Islamic scholars, shunning duniya (materialism), their emotional style of lecturing, and obviously and most importantly, dhikr (remembrance) of Allah ﷻ that generates an ecstatic experience within the performers, the primary source of inner tranquility for human lives (Al Quran 13:28).

Khanqahs and the Ruling Establishment

The khanqahs also played a very important role in helping the ruling authorities to establish order in the society and struggle against elements that caused anarchy and divisions. They also actively assisted the Sultans fight enemies that attacked the Muslim lands. It is famously highlighted by historians that both groups: Islamic scholars and Sufis, accompanied Sultan Salahuddin during his campaigns and conquests. Ibn Khallikan and Ibn Al Wardi state that scholars and sufis were present and active in Sultans conquests in Egypt and Syria. It is also recorded that Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Constantinople had a large number of Sufis and after his decision to make the city a center of learning and culture he ordered construction of zaviyes (zawiyyah in Arabic) a term used in Turkish for khanqahs. This practice of establishing these centers was inherited by Ottomans from the Seljuks who had established them throughout the Anatolian region before the Ottomans.

Hence emotional and spiritual factors played a very important role in the education process for the well being and development of the Islamic culture and society, and the khanqah were centers within small and large towns and cities throughout the Islamic world where sufis kept this process active. At this point it is also important to mention that much of the traditional purpose of dergahs (sufi shrines) and khanqahs has been lost today to something called piri muridi, where pir meaning spiritual mentors and murid meaning disciples. Sadly, pirs have become concerned with increasing their disciples, ritualism and fame of their sufi orders instead of education and reformation of their following. Additionally the modern Muslim rulers have also abandoned the traditional support for khanqas and sufis and personal interest and supervision of these institutes that was carried by their predecessors.

وَٱصۡبِرۡ نَفۡسَكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلۡغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلۡعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجۡهَهُۥۖ وَلَا تَعۡدُ عَيۡنَاكَ عَنۡهُمۡ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۖ وَلَا تُطِعۡ مَنۡ أَغۡفَلۡنَا قَلۡبَهُۥ عَن ذِكۡرِنَا وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَىٰهُ وَكَانَ أَمۡرُهُۥ فُرُطٗا

And keep yourself (O Believer) patiently with those who call on their Lord (who remember their Lord with glorification, praising in prayers, and other righteous deeds) morning and afternoon, seeking His Face; and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our Remembrance, and who follows his own lusts, abandoning all that is good and true. (Al Quran 18:28)


References:
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1. Salah ad-Deen al-Ayubi, Volume Two, The Establishment of the Ayubid State, Sufi Khanqahs, Dr. Ali M. Sallabi, International Islamic Publishing House.
2. Defining "Sufi - صوفي", Introduction to Islamic Tasawwuf, Tasawwuf - Islamic Spirituality, Zaid Shah, Rizqan Kareem - The Most Excellent Sustenance.
3. Encyclopedia of the OTTOMAN empire - Gabor Agoston Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. Bruce Masters Wesleyan University, Connecticut