Despite
Years Of Turmoil Sufism
Still Holds Sway In Doda
By Renu Bhran &
Syed Junaid Hashmi
06 July, 2007
Countercurrents.org
"When I Come To Love, I Am Ashamed Of All That I have Ever Said
Love"
Sufism (tasawwuf) a spiritual
philosophy of Islam, the essence of which is to establish a direct relationship
with Allah by purifying the soul has been flourishing among the hills
of district Doda since long. Regarded as most backward district of the
country, Doda has traditionally been a place where religion has dominated
the discourse and knitted people of different faiths together. One may
argue that massacres created fissures between communities and subsequent
creation of Village Defence Committees (VDC's) widened the gulf yet
one has to agree that secularism continues to blossom.
Ask people in district Doda,
they would tell you that being an area where Sufism has been thriving
from centuries, possibility of communities getting engaged in religious,
regional, racist and gender conflicts are meager. Despite changing times,
Sufism continues to enjoy supremacy in district Doda. Historical manuscripts
written mostly in Persian maintain that Sufism flourished in district
Doda during the 15 century when Sufi saints from various parts in India
started reaching reached Doda.
However, tasawwuf gained
prominence with the arrival of Hazrat Shah Mohammed Farid-ud-Din Baghdadi
(RA) and his two sons Hazrat Shah Asrar-ud-din (RA) and Hazrat Shah
Akhyar-ud-din (RA) during the 17th century. These revered saints propagated
Islam and value based education among the people of all religions, castes
and creeds. Researchers maintain that before Hazrat Shah Mohammed Farid-ud-Din
Baghdadi (RA) arrived in district Doda, the region had already been
visited by some other great Sufi saints which included Hazrat Shah Hamdan
(RA), Sheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani (RA) and Hazrat Zain-ul-deen Rishi
(RA).
These revered saints taught
people basics of Islam and pleaded with them to come out of the darkness
of illiteracy and ritualism. These revered saints propagated love and
brotherhood. They taught tawhid or monotheism, i.e. oneness of Allah,
asked people to follow teachings of Holy quran and the Hadith. Historical
manuscripts are witness to the fact that Sufis were able to convert
large numbers of people to Islam by preaching the essence of Islam and
Sufism. They taught love, brotherhood and equality.
Many of these Sufi preachers
who came to district Doda and propagated Islam have a earned a distinct
place for themselves across the world. Their tombs are still respected
as holy places, with people from all walks of life visiting and praying
for earthly prosperity and spiritual salvation. Legends about the miracles
performed by the Sufi saints, who are believed to have been possession
of miraculous powers, continue to be a part of social set-up in district
Doda.
Interestingly one can watch names of different Sufi saints inscribed
on the bodies of buses, trucks, matadors and private cars to ensure
safe journeys. Of the many revered saints, Sheikh Zain-ud-din (RA) needs
a special mention. Born in a royal family of Kishtwar, he was the disciple
of highly revered saint Sheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani (RA). According to
a popular legend, when Sheikh Zain-ud-din (RA) was a child, he fell
severely ill. When the chances of his recovery started thinning, his
mother began crying bitterly and started praying to the almighty to
save his son.
It is believed that a man,
who is believed to have been an angel, appeared before the mother of
the boy. He asked her about her grief. Mother of Sheikh Zain-ud-din
(RA) narrated the entire story and asked him, if he could help her.
The man promised to help the aggrieved mother but he kept a stipulation
that if her son recovers well in time, she along with her son would
start propagating teachings of Islam.
She agreed and promised to
do the same. The man left but not before telling her not to forget her
promise. But when he recovered, his mother forgot the promise she had
made with that man. When the condition started deteriorating, she began
remembering her promise. Caught in a dilemma, she reached Kashmir. With
the help few people, she reached to the place where Sheikh Noor-ud-din
Noorani (RA) had been living.
When she saw him, she was
stunned to find that he was the same man with whom she had made a promise.
It is believed that she pleaded with the revered saint to forgive her
for having forgotten her promise. Sheikh Sahib forgave her and she along
with her son began preaching Islam. This is how Sheikh Zain-ud-din (RA)
entered Islam and began propagating it among people of different faiths.
He became a disciple of Hazrat
Sheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani (RA) who sent him to Ashmuqam, a village
located in Anantnag district of South Kashmir. He began teaching Islamic
tenants to the people in that area. Soon his name gained prominence
all over the state and people started visiting him from various parts
of Jammu and Kashmir. The other Sufi saint who is highly revered across
the state is Hazrat Syed Farid-uddin-Qadri (RA) popularly known as Shah
Saheb. His shrine is located in the midst of kishtwar town.
Historical records maintain
that Syed Muhammad Farid-uddin Bagdadi (RA) was born in the family of
Syed Mustafa, a descendant of Sheikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jilani (RA) of
Baghdad, in the year 1689. Although historians have a conflict over
the date of birth of Shah Sahab (RA) but according to noted writer,
scholar and intellectual Wali Mohammed Aseer (Kishtwari), when shah
sahib came to kishtwar in the year 1664, he was 75 year old. "After
completion of his studies, he set out on an extensive tour, offered
pilgrimage at Mecca. During the pilgrimage, he met Sheikh Jalal Uddin
Al-Maghribi (RA) in Mecca and Sheikh Mohi-uddin-Qadri (RA) in Egypt,"
added Aseer.
He maintained that thereafter
Shah Sahib (RA) reached Sindh where from he traveled towards Agra. "From
Agra, Shah Sahib (RA) reached Kishtwar in 1664 which was being ruled
by Raja Jai Singh, when he reached kishtwar, he was accompanied by his
followers namely Dervish Muhammad, Shah Abdal, Syed Baha Uddin Saani
and Yar Muhammad," added the noted litterateur.
According to "Focus
on Jammu and Kashmir" written by Aseer Kishtwari, Shah Sahib (RA)
began propagating Islam. The book says that Shah Sahib built a monastery
and busied whole heartily in the service and propagation of Islam. After
the death of Raja Jai Singh, his son Kirat Singh succeeded him, who
embraced Islam and assumed name of Saadat-yar Khan. Seeing their king
turning to Islam, a large number of his subjects followed their King
and turned to Islam.
According to a popular legend, Shah Sahib reached Kishtwar via Deeng-batal.
At Deeng-batal, daughter of the landlord was greatly impressed by the
piety of the sage and married him and assumed the name Roshan-dil. Shah
Sahib (RA) stayed there for seven days. He consummate his marriage for
the third time with the daughter of Shah Noor Ali, a convert who was
at that time a lumberdar of village Nagri of Doda town. Shah Sahib (RA)
gave her the name Mai Malahat.
From there he traveled went to Bhandar-kot and thereafter reached Kishtwar.
According to a popular legend, when a blind man came and prayed for
the eyesight. Shah Sahib told him that it is nice to pray both for eye-sight
and subjugation. Legend says that Shah Sahib touched his face with his
hand and the man not only received the eyesight but insight also. It
is also believed that once upon a time, when the king approached him
for stopping the earthquake, he prayed to the almighty and the earthquake
subsided.
Shah Sahib had three children.
Syed Anwar Uddin who died at an age of two and a half years; Syed Akhyar-ud-din
(RA) and Syed Asrar-uddin (RA) were saints bestowed with revelations
and miracles. Syed Asrar-uddin was a born saint and exhibited wondrous
revelations at an early age which his father Shah Sahib (RA) did not
approve of.
One day he gave him bowls
full of water and asked him to drink water form it. The son declined.
He reiterated by saying "This is your father's order". Hazrat
Asrar-uddin (RA) held the cup, covered his head with a sheet and drank
it. He died soon after. Popular legends and findings of various researchers
including Wali Mohammed Aseer approve of the fact that it was during
the course of burial of Hazrat Shah Asrar-uddin (RA)
His other son Hazrat Akhyar-uddin
proceeded to Gurdaspur, under the orders of his father to be admitted
as a follower by Syed Badar-Uddin Sa'mani. He returned to Kashmir after
the death of his father and stayed at the Shrine of Sultan-Ul-Arifeen
Sheikh Hamza (RA) for seven years and died there.
His Shrine stands in the
center of Kishtwar town Syed Asrar-uddin's tomb is on the other side
of the town facing Chowgan. Syed Akhyar-uddin (RA) has been buried in
the outer adjoining room of the Shrine. These Sufis and saints have
left yet their shrines continue to hold a significant place in the hearts
of the people. These shrines have kept the spirit communal harmony alive.
Shah Sahib used to say "The true seeker should tread the highway
of love fearlessly and patiently."
"If one cannot drink up the entire ocean One can drink to one's
limit"
Writers are working journalists, presently associated with jammu and
kashmir's reputed newspaper "The Kashmir Times". They can
be contacted at [email protected]
and [email protected]
respectively.
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