The Reflection of Shaikh-ul Aalam’s Style on Kashmiri Sufi Poetry Prof. Basher Bashir Translated By Saltanat Farooq

The Kashmiri sufi poetry is, undoubtedly, the marked identification of our unique cultural style. In the entire realm of our sufi poetry, not only the collective Kashmiri psyche stands reflected but it also mirrors the sorrows, joys, dreams, desires, aspirations and sentiments of the common Kashmiris. This kind of poetry, which has been developing for the last two hundred years, succeeded in establishing its distinctive style and text. The Kashmiri sufi poetry reached to its artistic excellence during the times, when, from a political perspective, the region was experiencing its worst type of coercion and vandalism. The age witnessed a marked distance between the poet and the society. The only domain, where the Kashmiri poets found comfort and solace was in the premises of divine circle. The cardinal principle
underlying this relationship was the firm faith in divinity or invisible force.
From the standpoint of text and technique, the poetry which entails in its bosom the concept of sacred and absolute, through the Islamic doctrines, reflects in true sense the essence of the sufi poetry. People with the limited knowledge often feel handicap in determining the boundaries of this
creative realm. Amid intermingling of various civilizations and religious beliefs, and their impact on Islamic sufi doctrines, often put the reader in trouble in demarcating the line of difference between the general mysticism and the sufism, purely as a muslim philosophy. This is the reason, why scholars on the basis of dry rationality find themselves divided into the two diametrically opposite schools, wherein, one school treats this type of poetry autonomous of any established manifesto and to the other, its inherent nucleus only seems as sheer poetic expression. As a humble student of mysticism, I have also no hesitation in asserting that only that kind of poetry can be called Sufi poetry, which falls fit in the
frame-work of sufi doctrines of Islamic thought. From this point of view, there is every possibility for an argument, which asks, more genuinely whether Shah Gafoor, Shams Faqir, Samad Mir, Ahad Zargar and the other poets of this school, whose poetry abounds in references to Hindu Shastras and allied non-Islamic metaphors, can be treated outside the realm of sufi poetry. The argument further needs explanation whether, other languages, which contain appreciable amount of mystic themes, do also possess a good amount of such mystic metaphors or expressions. Though, this hardly coincides with any core theme, but, there is every possibility that it may help us to militate against the hidden shades of their topic.
In the light of Shaikh-ul Aalam’s poetry, the same argument strikes the understanding of the researcher whether Shaikh-ul Alam’s poetry in the form of Shruks is in consonance with the Islamic principle of unity of God, Tawhid or we find something more beyond this domain.True, the shruks of Shaikh-ul Aalam reflect the nucleus of indigenous philosophy known in vernacular as Reshism or Reshut. On the other hand, almost all scholars and the historians are in total agreement that after Shaikh-ul Aalam,
Reshut emerged as an indigenous branch of sufism in Kashmir. On the basis of this agreed notion, Shaikh-ul Aalam has every claim to be acknowledged as a sufi poet. If it is not so, then we have to rediscover, whether the themes expressed by the Shaikh through the poetic medium are absolutely
different from the sufi themes expressed by other prominent Kashmiri sufi poets. After serious comparative study, I have come to the conclusion that mysticism constitutes the inherent devotional nucleus of Islam and no poetry can claim to be acknowledged as sufi poetry, if it is devoid of the concept of unity of God (Tawhid) and the Prophethood (Risalah). In the light of this assertion, the argument can be putforth that only those themes and experiences can form the subject matter of sufi poetry, which exclusively revolve round the sacred themes and in no way contradict or negate the fundamental Islamic principles. From apparent and complex sacred shades, though sufi poetry appears to be more comprehensive, divergent and symbolic than Shaikh-ul Aalam’s poetry, but, it, in no way militates against the basic themes, expressed by Shaikh-ul Aalam in his poetic compositions. Exercising utter caution, the sum total of the argument in question makes us to believe that as in the
philosophy of Imam Ghazali, the entire corpse of Islamic mysticpoetry stands well reflected and legitimized, so on the philosophical level, Kashmiri sufi poetry receives people’s
recognition, through the poetic medium of Shaikh Nur-ud- Din Reshi. The role which Imam Ghazali played towards the dissemination of Islamic philosophy and its devotional aspects across the globe, through his writings, Shaikh played the same role in Kashmir, by using Kashmiri language as a
medium of expression for his felt experiences. Here I, take the privilege to refer to a very significant point that Shaikh-ul Aalam’s poetic merit and his thematic construct, is, in no way less significant from any universally acknowledged creative personality. The fault rests with we people as we have failed to assess or examine or evaluate his multifaceted creative genius. This is the reason; we could not disseminate the
inherent creative worth of Shaikh-ul Aalam’s personality across the boundaries and borders.
Bereft of wisdom and scholarship, some critics in haste began even to hold that Shaikh-ul Aalam’s philosophy is altogether different from what had already been conveyed by Amir Kabir Mir Syed Ali Hamadani, and subsequently by his followers during their sojourn in Kashmir. This is the reason, why our sufi poets, disregard of their affiliations with various sufi silsilas, have applauded the piety, devotion,
patience of Shaikh-ul Aalam along with other sufi saints. Not only this, they have even recognised the Shaikh as a model at an intellectual level, given the wide matrix of his thematic variables. One of our celebrated sufi poets Shams Faqir pays his tribute to the Shaikh as under:

Shaikh Saeb yeli woot manz Tcharas;
Kaeshir Chi piyaran deedaras
Shamas Saeb chu aamut Sawaeliye
Yawun kout gowm baeliye
When Shaikh Sahab selected his final abode at Tsrar
Kashmiris earnestly waited for his glimpse
Shams has come, here with his requests
I have spent my entire span of life in waste
While paying tribute to Lal, poet Shamas does not loose sight of Shaikh-ul Aalam’s glory and greatness.
Wopdesh karni gaye Nundreshanas;
Rindaw dopuhus aeni irfan
Tchepe tchepiras gindun Shah e Hamadanas
Zaan milnaw Bhagwaanas saet
She (Lal Ded) went to deliver her spiritual guidance to Nund
Seekers of love dubbed it a state of spiritual enlightenment
She played hide and seek with the king of Hamadan
The core objective of the seeker is the communion with the God
In the same style, yet another Kashmiri sufi poet Nyama Saeb attempts to elude Shaikh-ul Aalam as Shaikh ul Alam bod Alamdar
Jay tem retnam manz bag Tsrar
Pad waen Nyaman gos Biryan
Walai wyes tsharon mashouk jaan
Shaikh-ul Aalam the great torch bearer
He selected his abode at Tsrar
Nyama, lost in oblivion while giving expression to his thoughts
Oh, friend, let you accompany me to seek the glimpse of my beloved.
It will not be out of context to refer to an old literary form Pad which, has been used by Nyama Saeb to be in circulation even before Shaikh-ul Aalam. In one of my papers “Kaeshiris manz ibtidaye Adbi Sinfae”, published in “Anhaar”, for the year 2013-2014, I had quoted Dr. Mahfooza Jan who while assessing the life and contributions of Nyama Saeb asserts that in his poetry, we particularly find, deep under
currents of love and devotion for Shaikh Nur-ud Din Noorani and Hazrat Sultan-ul Arifeen. This is evident from couple of Manqib written in their memory. In addition to this, the deep sense of emotional attachment towards these celebrated personalities does get reflected like the bubbling waters of
spring. Quoting Nyama Saeb’s piece of poetry, Dr. Mehfooza, further elucidates her assertion as under:
Shaikh-ul Aalam’s name always remains on the lips of every Kashmiri, in such a manner, as if to
act as an invisible support in people’s perception. His name possesses a magnetic attraction for every
Kashmiri and in the real sense has emerged as the hero of masses on the canvas of their memory.
Yus gatsi Bumzoo, Tsrar, Muqam
Tas peth Dozukhun naar haraam
Jantas ninamoo gare garay
Hoore me nuenam churi dil
Whosoever visits Bomzoo, Tsrar and Muqam
The fire of hell will not damage him
He will ever always enjoy the pleasant moments in heavens
My lover has bewitched my heart and enslaved my soul
Another famous Kashmiri poet, Sotch Kral, pens down his love for Shaikh in the following verse:
Tsrar choan darbar kya shoobewuneye;
Daed tal waetith layay naad
Yendri Sotch Kral chu sadaa karwuniye;
Pantch haethi wuhiri naaw nonueye draw
Your audience at Tsrar is in full bloom
Reaching at your doorstep, I would call for your help
From Yendr Sotch Kral is recalling You
History seldom erases the impression of celebrated personalities from human memory

Posh Phelmo waeri te Baghas
Lagi bulbul aerif zaagas
Yendri gazala wun Sotch Kralan
woath lalo pyaro Rupwan
The flowers have grown in full bloom in the gardens around
In a bulbul’s guise, I would wait for his arrival
At Yendr Sotch Kral is reciting a Ghazal
Follow me my fellow being, let us wait at Rupawan for Shaikh
The way we come across references of reverence regarding Shaikh-ul Alam in the poems of Kashmiri sufi
poets, suggests their deep respect, love and devotion for the saint poet. The reflection of this impact stands reflected advertently or inadvertently in the entire literary corpse of the 18th and 19th century sufi poets. The metaphoric or the symbolic clime, discovered by Shaikh ul Alam has often been referred to directly or indirectly, or at times constitute as the background for different famous poems of our prominent sufi poets. Most specifically, a couple of Kashmiri sufi poets have gathered inferences from Shaikh’s famous symbolic poem entitled Gongalnama. In the poem, the Shaikh uses agrarian
metaphor to explain various secrets and stages of mystic discourse. Influenced by Shaikh ul Aalam, our sufi poets employ the same metaphors to communicate their feelings.
The following verses are given here under as evidence:
Luki haenzi laagne moh bar chaw;
Yus kari gongul sui kari kraw
Madh was Sotch Krali tsakh dae traw;
Naw dar aab tie aab dar naw
Sotch Kral
Never glorify the deeds of others
One who ploughs, expects harvest in autumn
Shun prejudice, oh, Sotch Kral, get rid of anger and hate
The boat and the sea are complimentary to each other
Sont yeli aaw tie wuth near waani;
lolik daand heth waaye sa zameen
Hum yuth ne naerith gatsi albane;
And roz saatha chui ganeemath
Shams Faqir

With the dawn of spring, peasants are required to soften the agricultural holdings
With the apparatus of love, you start ploughing the field
Beware, lest the peg gets loosened of your plough
Remain aside; don’t let even a moment go waste.
The above stated verses of Shams Faqir are also designed in consonance with the symbolic style of Shaikh-ul Aalam as adopted in Gongalnama
Yem ti Gongul no kor Sonte kaalas;
tem tem doer lun khaam
Hosh kartai latiye
Waza Mahmood
He who fails to sow in the spring
He experiences unripe harvest
My friend be sensible enough to avoid any misfortune.
Kar te Gongul gudhe due aalai;
Dard baelis Bar to maalai
Harde jamah karto Khalastai;
Kael waasil gatsh aslas tie
Ahmed Rah
Before you sow seeds, soften the land
Help to grow the seeds of love
Pile, harvest the fields during autumn
Tomorrow, have a communion with the Lord.
Aziz Behrari also articulates his experience by following Shaikh’s metaphoric style:
Hosh kar ziraatas dohas te raatas,
Yuth ne maari muqdam tie
Panine ghare nai laagenai naeri,
Chand kus de tawaan
Tehsil pethe yeli haesil mangnai,
maamlas lagi lam lamtai
Pate bronthe dikh nazar,
deshak sath guzar daftar anzraan

Be vigilant day and night on the farm,
lest the muqdam tortures you
If you fail to produce from your field,
who will pay your debt back?
When the revenue officials demand,
from you the state’s share
The suit thus follows will leave you pamper;
the disposal of the case will consume your entire life span.
Seldom, any reasonable researcher shall dare to dispute that the verses cited above does in no way reflect the essence of Shaikh’s following verses:
Dume dum beem bar Shakdaaras tie;
duh duh laagnai wutchnai draw
Yas patch barsaa chakdaaras tie;
yus kari gongul sui kari craw
Sarkaer ajlek piyade yinastie;
purkaar wuthes maeli kormut haaw
Harkar gatchit soorui wanenas tie;
yus kari gongul sui kari kraw
Be always afraid of Thy watcher;
He continues to watch your produce and the field.
Have full faith in your landlord;
Who sows seeds in spring, shall reap the harvest
When the officials from the heavens will come to you with the warrant of death;
Every bit you have done shall be reported to him,
You will be interrogated for your doings;
Whosoever sows, shall reap the harvest
Be it Aziz Behrari’s poem “Kanz Ruh” or Sotch Kral’s “Amri- Khuda Maen To”, all these poems seem to be the Xerox copies of Shaikh ul Alam’s Gongal Nama. There is so close a commonality of idea and expression, between the two that a reader stands puzzled to judge the difference between the two
in terms of thematic and stylistic unanimity. It would not be proper to term this unanimity as an exercise of plagiarism but the examples of this kind of repetition is often seen in Kashmiri Sufi Poetry from its very inception.

Habib-ullah Nowshehri’s very few poems have been traced till now and we find this type of commonality even in his few poems as well. For instance:
Wuth wani gatchaw Baghdaad paanas
Waanas gatchwuw phaalaw deth
Lets us move to Baghdad, o, grocer
Let, you and I keep the shop locked
The refrain of the verse, seems to be the true echo of Shaikh ul Alam’s understated couplet:
Kya karizi marnas, marne ken wakaanan
Gow Kaman jaanan changer karith
Poen zan tchemith gow nawen baanan
Gaye waen waanan phaalaw dith
You cannot escape death, nor can you veil its incoming
It has reduced to dust countless beautiful youth
It dried up like water in newly baked earthen pots
Shopkeepers have since closed their shops.
In spoken Kashmiri, a couple of Shaikh’s metaphoric expressions have assumed proverbial significance and those are being referred to, commonly in day to day spoken language. It is not confined within the ambit of only spoken language but our Sufi poetry abounds on such references too.
One of the verses of Shaikh ul Alam runs as under:
Traem, toor, pick daen akki tokki
Traemi batte, tooris suen te pick daen thuke
Big copper plate, deep copper bowl & spitting pot belong to the same metal.
But food is being served in big copper plate, vegetables in deep copper bowl and spitting pot is meant for spitting

Samad Mir, yet another Sufi poet has used the same phraseology in one of his couplets as under:

Toor, tasht, pick daen thur aek kraalan;
ande roz phande phande zaalan ma
Khor tshun zaehidan zuhdeken jaalan;
kour katchi raaz haenz sapdya zahn
Bowl, copper basin and spitting bowl have been crafted by the same potter,
Keep distance, lest, the fire not damage us
The seeker has made inroads in the complex corners of quest
How come an ordinary bird would become a goose
Karam Buland belongs to the early batch of Sufi poets, whose, very few verses have reached to us. He too stands to be influenced by Shaikh ul Aalam’s style and diction.
Grate phaeri tshle tshlye;
Oat naeri mali talai
Grate meyane rainze lo;
Gulan manz waen di maeyo

The grind stone moves with much discomfort
The flour will burst out of its fringes
My grind stone is just like a polished stone
Oh, fellow, you search for your friend in a garden
In an effort to make the study under question precise, we would like to focus only on those important themes, which often find expression in Shaikh-ul Aalam’s poetry. Alongside Shaikh’s verses, we would also quote verses from other Sufi poets which contain glaring impact of Shaikh’s distinctive
style. ‘ Lol’ or love constitutes the major theme of Shaikh ul Alam’s poetry. Here we quote a few verses of the Saint poet; wherein ‘Lol’, forms the prominent theme:
Aashaq sui yus ashq saeth dazai
A true lover is he who burns in love’s fire
Ashq chui kun shur maaji marun
Feeling Divine passion is the agony of a dead child’s mother
Tchalun chui vezmal te tratie
To display patience is no less than experiencing the wrath of lightening and thunder

Momin Sahab’s poetic experiment reflects the same essence:
Thate cha ashqani tchanji daruniye;
ratshi ratchi matshi maaz khuniye low
Panuni khoon gatsi tresh kani chuniye;
Sui gatsi tchaangi zaaluniye low
Tem ke gaashe gatsi yaar preznuniye;
Ratshi rathi matshi maaz khuniye low
It’s not easy to stand safe against the onslaught of love
It is just like tasting flesh of one’s own muscles
It is to drink one’s own blood, instead of water
You ought to lit the lamps from your own blood
The illumination then caused be used to search your lover
It is just like tasting the flesh of your own muscles.
The argument can further be advanced in a way that these verses referred above contain the impact of Lala’s verse as well:
Dama dam korumas daman haaly;
Prezlum deep te naneyam zaat
Andrum prakash nebar tshutum;
Gate rotum te kaermas thap
Repeatedly, I kept the breath locked inside
With the illumination of truth, I realized the self
Then, I delivered out, the light I experienced
I held him tight in the realm of darkness
Leaving aside the creative quality, but from quantity point of view, the order be given as under: Shaikh ul Alam; Lal Ded; Momin Sahab.
The phrase or metaphor ‘Nothingness’ has been so often used by Kashmiri Sufi poets in tune with Lal and Shaikh’s creative style; with brevity, I, would like to quote a few verses of Sotch Kral:
Kehnai ous, kehtam ous;
kehnas maaniha chu kya
Kehnai mani wanun kous;
paanai ous bai bahanai

Out of nothingness, culminates the essence of being
Nothingness, undoubtedly, breeds some meaning
Nothingness is par beyond the borders of ambiguity
He is the lord; I owe my existence to Him.
In the same manner, human ego constitutes the major theme of Shaikh-ul Aalam’s poetry and the verses which revolve round such themes have been found the best specimen of his creative genius:
Nafs chui made hous te haankal tchate
Your ego is just like a mad elephant, about to unchain itself
Nafsan karenam zadal tshai
My ego has reduced me to the thatch with holes inside
Nafsi mourus wai
Atchit roodum gate
Athe hai yeham hai
Kartal tshnehas hatai

Oh! my ego consumed me to the point of annihilation
It had captured me unnoticingly
If I succeed in catching hold of him
I would cut his throat with my cleaver
Nafsi miyane tcheeriv agow
Ditchmai daggo pholham ne zahn
Oh, myself, the gnarl of apricot tree
You never crack even after a strong trouncing (of axe and hammer)
For the sake of face value, we, here quote poetic verses of other Sufi poets, which apparently contain a same thematic commonality:
Nafsas saet chui khaas nafsae;
Ruhas te jismas milwan chai

Ashqas husnas kunaye kaan chui;
Raaz haenz manz chui jaami jamas
Shamas Faqir
Associated with you is eternal self as well
There is close association between soul and the body
The seeker and the beloved suffer the same magnitude of pain
The glimpse of Swan king is visible in the mirror of Universe (Jami Jam)
Ruhas te nafsas duen chui jung;
Ruh chus dapan kehn moh mang
Nafsaeniyat chai fakhta rang;
ranga rang pane chu berang
Rahim Saeb
There is a constant conflict between soul and ego
The soul forbids it from a demanding
The ego, is full of colourful attraction
Amid colourful surrounding, Lord appears colourless
The verses given above of some Sufi poets may arouse certain queries among serious readers and scholars and to satiate their quest, the following verse of Shaikh-ul Aalam is given here under for argument:
Nafsas moh van baddai;
Nafsas saet soda chui
Nafs panun ratun hadaye;
Nafs preznith Khuda chui
Don’t curse the ego all times
You have entered into a bargaining with it
Always keep yourself under control
Understanding self is sure to lead you in communion with the God
Nafs chui mashouk ratith thawun
Buthi tati chui warzun wawae

Your self is your beloved, catch hold of him
Forth coming are devastating winds
Rehman Dar and Wahab Khar are counted among the two prominent Kashmiri Sufi poets. We have not till now, quoted any of their verses to substantiate our argument. The most creative specimen of Rehman Dar’s Sufi poetry stands reflected in ‘Muqam Hairat’. As a Sufi, only one predominant shade of poet’s cemented belief in divine, makes it fit to suit the given frame of reference.
Naseeb daran naad dith niwaan;
Benaseeb tati haeraan
Aqal aayem taemi shai pherith;
zaye kathe lajem gatchnay
Taamath boozum su Rabul aalameen;
Khael chune kaensi trawaan
The most fortunate are bless showered upon
The unfortunate find themselves astray
Wisdom failed there at all and
I lost my power of decision
Then I was told that he is the Supreme creator
Who never leaves anyone unfed (from his grace)
Though we come across multiple of verses from Shaikh-ul Aalam’s poetry on the subject cited above, yet, for the sake of clarity, we quote here these verses:
Dayen yu lekhue laanani ghare;
Te kuni choani tcher moh
Dekki haye gehakh kaeni khangrai;
Dekuk kuni choani tcherimo
What destiny has stored for you
There will be not even an iota of addition or loss to it
What if you rub your forehead with a sharp edged stone?
What is destined to you, it will reach to you unhindered
Kehntchan duetukh auri aalaw;
Kehnchaw rachai naalai veth

Kehntchan mas cheth aech laji taalaw;
Kehntchan papiyh gaye haalaw khet
Some are blessed inborn
While some attempted to drunk dry the entire veth
Some drank madly and fell into a trance
While some lost to locusts their ripe corn
Here, Samad Mir’s following verse suits fit to the theme under debate:
Yus yeti awlaye phouli;
Tas aasi gur, gound te naaw
Tati cha diwaan anni khali;
Kehu kalli kar theraaw
One who is born with riches
He will be enjoying power, status and fame
There the fortunes are not distributed randomly
Oh my impatient self, have a bit patience.
Rehman Dar versifies the mortality of the world and God’s mercy as under:
Mei tchanjum souri samsaar;
Wutchum ne kanh wafaadaar
Walaikin akh Khuda yaar;
Wutchum ne kanh wafaadaar
I searched for Lord in every corner of the planet
I found none trustworthy
Except God, I found none my well wisher
I found none trustworthy except God
And Shaikh-ul Aalam had already articulated the same idea earlier as under:
Sui aus tie sui aasi
Sui sui karizeha zuwo
Sui saeri andeshe kaasi
Haa zuwo paayas peti

He (God) is ever live, He (Lord) is time abounding and eternal
One should yearn for him only
He is powerful enough to erase your doubts
Oh, self, awake from deep slumber
After reading the quoted verses of Rehman Dar, one feels that while sticking to his own distinct style, he emerges as the true inheritor of the creative realm, the edifice of which had already been laid by Shaikh-ul Aalam .
Sare kenh sapdumne sar gasht lagimo
Baw saere be wan kas
Even betting everything, I could not found passage that would lead me to him
Whom I will enquire from, his address in this ocean of silence
Lalech kader laal shenah zaane
Haal baewze ne malbaabas
The value of a pearl knows a jeweller only
Never reveal your heart to a world centric clerk
See how Shaikh-ul Aalam, articulates the likewise felt experience
Lalech kader dungal zaanaye
Poush kaw zaanaye soeth peth wath
Shamhech kader pompur zaanaye
Match kya zaanaye pomper gath
The value of a pearl only a professional diver knows
How would an animal know the way to the river bank
The worth of the candle only the moth knows
How a fly would know the pleasure of moth’s revolving round the
candle
Wahab Khar has also used in Shaikh-ul Aalam’s style and kind, the same metaphors and symbols. Here are some examples:

Pomper sund gath mech kaw zaanaye;
Az roz sanay ha madno
Anis sheesh howe kya wutche roye;
Zaris guftaaruk kya aarizoye
Kash teer layun unn kya zaanaye;
Az roz sanay ha madno
It is beyond fly’s comprehension to understand the meaning ofmoth’s moving round the candle
Oh, my beloved, have a rendezvous with me tonight
It is foolish to show mirror to a blind
The deaf never yearns for any one’s speech
The blind is unaware of the speed of an arrow
Oh, my beloved; have a rendezvous with me tonight.
Akh tuler biyakh chaye matchi;
Zaat panin chane tshaye roozan
Tuler aasaan match reach raechi;
Zoone patchi saeli dal jaan
The fly and bee have nothing in common
It is too difficult to conceal one’s origin
The bee is seen always loaded with honey
It is pleasing to have a round of Dal during full moonlight
Samad Mir uses the same phraseology:
Maech kya maani bozi pomper daalan;
And roz phandi phandi zaalan maa
It is useless for a fly to attach meaning to moth’s dance around the candle
Be distant away from fire, lest it consumes us by fraud
Possessing the same tone and tenor, the following verses of
Shaikh-ul Aalam said long eras before reveal the same essence
Raen kya kari Satte gaz pootchai;
Keha kari nasty ratche rong
Gaen kya kari tesbhi ratche;
Kya karaye toh matchaye prang

The head cover carries no meaning for wicked women
The nose ring is useless for noseless woman
For a prostitute, the tasbih is meaningless
For an ordinary wandering women balcony carries no weight
‘Shesh Rang’ is a monumental poem of Rehman Dar. Some people believe that the poems, under this title constitute separate poetic form but the truth is that other poets have also produced poems under the title of Shesh Rang. Among these poets, Wahab Khar is prominent. The following stanza of
Wahab Khar’s ‘Shesh Rang’, falls very close to the tone of Shaikh-ul Aalam.
Khabri raste paano qabri meyani cheno
Daer n ate barri ha
Nakir o munkir hisaabas yenamo
Kya chai khabri ha
Oh ignorant Self, my grave is devoid
Of any window and door
The informers will interrogate me about all my actions
Oh, Listener—you can’t conceive the pain of the moment
On hearing these verses, the reader’s mind is sure to have caught sight of Shaikh-ul Aalam’s following Shruks as well.
Nakir te munkar jawaabas wasan;
Parbat tchasan hoshaw saeti
Shoobe wanis paanas pather thaasan;
Baetch te pothar mo watchun saete
Kunsi zanis teti aawusan;
Lasan paaye tati maris katti
Bukri peth yeli kafan kaasan;
Sarf te gunsae wutchan saete
The two informers will ask queries
The mountains shall fall by wailing
The bubbling youth will be dashed to ground
Neither your spouse nor your offshoots will
Come to your help
Alone I will be interrogated
How come the body would with stand there
No sooner the coffin will be unshrouded from the face
The snakes and vipers will fall on their prey

In the following stanza of Rehman Dar, without any substitute, we come across the direct impact of Shaikh’s metaphoric expression.
Dodh iblees takh logum dooras;
Mehentas soor sapnui
Tan chum waswaas gomut paeda;
Shivas bae ausus yaar.
With the denial from Iblees, there ended a period of my life
The hard labour was reduced to dust
From the very moment, a doubt overpowered me
I was once a faithful devotee of Shiv
The said stanza diverts our attention to yet another shade, to which we already referred at the very outset of the paper. That shade is an abundant reference of Brahmanic Shastras in Kashmiri Sufi Poetry. Such style of expression, we find very oftenly in Shah Gafoor, Samad Mir, Ahad Zargar, Wahab
Khar, Shams Faqir etc. For example Shah Gafoor’s this verse:
Basher traewith easher gaarun;
Easheras saet roz sapdak sew
Easher sapdun gow sharer maarun;
Daar naye daarun su ham su
Don’t invoke for any other aid except God
If you seek Lord’s favour, you will be counted among the blessed
The annihilation of self means communion with the Lord
With deep faith and devotion, the seeker comes near to God.
The initiation of this poetic tradition though begins with Shaikh-ul Aalam, yet it was continued by latter day Sufi poets. Having close association with Shaikh’s saintly personality, the kind of poetry as such, bought a greater degree of legitimacy. Had Shaikh not laid the foundation of this kind of poetry, there was every possibility that the latter day Sufi poets could have met the public wrath.

Now the question that arises is; what justification, this sort of poetry had before Shaikh-ul Aalam. To my knowledge, Shaikh-ul Aalam’s this style and unique mode of expression seldom militates against the fundamental Islamic doctrines and the cultural setting approved by Islam. Instead, it provides a credible background for its propagation and promotion. Here with brevity and modesty, I refer a few episodes from Shaikh-ul Aalam’s religious career.
To make Islamic message more popular and tangible among the illiterate masses, Shaikh-ul Aalam’s interaction with the Brahman priests is of marked significance, particularly Shaikh’s dialogue with Bum Saed and Tuli Pandit proved very fruitful towards the process of Islamic acculturation. The
dialogue between Bum Saed and Shaikh-ul Aalam is worth mentioning, wherein Shaikh ul Alam, by using Brahmanic idioms convinces Bum Saed to enter the ambit of Islam. Before entering into the fold of Islam, Bum Saed seeks clarification from Shaikh on certain culture related issues. For example
Kusu push te kusu pashani;
Kamu kosam lagas puzai
Kaw karith Terath zal chaewizas;
Kaw Easher nendri Wuze
What kind of animals I, shall offer to the Lord
What kind of flowers shall I adore his Idol With?
To whom shall I spray the sacred water of Tirths
When Lord shall awake from sleep
From the above dialogue, it is evident that Bum Saed seeks to follow the traditional way to offer prayers. Shaikh responds Bum Saed’s queries in a language which appears more tangible to the Brahman Saint.
Patchi push te patchi pushaeni
Bawik kosam lagus poozai
Shesh gagane tarith Zal chaewizas
Tchupe Easher nendri wuzay

The deep faith and devotion out merit all sacrificial animals
The recurring chanting of his name is an un-matching prayer
The visions of heavens is enough to purify the soul
The silence is the best tool to awaken the Lord
Bum Saed, being familiar with the tone and tenor of this kind of spoken language, which Shaikh-ul Aalam used while conversing with him, easily understood the underlying objective of the saint. The conversation between the two, reflects the intellectual dimension of the subject involved. Coming down to the level of unlettered people, Shaikh-ul Aalam uses different modes of Speech—Arabic, Persian linguistic expressions against the Islamic and regional cultural setting. This distinctive mode of expression, on the one side, makes people aware of the fundamental concepts of Islam and on the other hand, the regional linguistic background, enables him to make people feel attached with the soil.
Naman bale gulah karetaw
Haji Kaba guzaertaw jue
Fambe kaayas silah paertaw
Laegith neertaw Arjun Dev
From the place of your prostration fly so high
Perform Haj and allied rituals
Adorn your tender body in arms
March ahead as Arjuna of Mahabharata
On the one hand the saint poet emphasizes upon the importance of offering regular prayers and performing necessary Islamic element of Haj, but on the other hand, he uses metaphors, which have nothing to do with the Muslim culture. But, indeed, the given metaphors are familiar with the people, whom, Shaikh-ul Aalam is addressing to. Well the saint could have easily used the name of the Muslim
Warriors like Hazrat Ali, Hazrat Umar or Hazrat Imam Hussain(RA) in place of Arjuna. But, the prime motive of Shaikh appears to make the new converts feel comfortable within their own traditional cultural border. The same principle applies; when Shaikh-ul Aalam, instead of using the expression like Zikr, generally uses the phrase “Su Hum Su” a phrase opted from Hindu Shastra, lest the new converts get a
feeling of cultural aggression or linguistic onslaught. This sort of linguistic shift or adjustment or conjunction became in the coming days, the representative medium of Kashmiri Composite Culture.
Without extending the discussion further, let us focus on those shades, which constitute the major themes of Shaikh-ul Aalam’s poetic expression. One of the major themes of Saint Poet is ‘Death’. The fear of Death and regarding its inevitability; there are scores of verses, we find in Shaikh-ul Aalam’s poetic anthology.
For example:
Mout chui seh tie kotu tchel zay
Khel manz kaddi tchrith kath
Moutich sherbet chen ros ne belzay
Suli kon gayukh tchenith kath
The grip of Death is the Lion’s trap
It can take your hold among countless
There is no escape, from drinking the cup of Death
Why couldn’t you realize it earlier
Sotch Kral articulates the same feeling in the following verse:
Khatith bae rozous maleqel moutas;
Tchatith taalaw aam
Haa ratith nuenas khatith be draw so;
Tchena yaad rudui kehn
I attempted to conceal myself from the catch of Death
Yet it caught hold of me, breaking out the ceiling of house
After, he took me along, I felt ashamed of my doings
Oh, myself—Amid worldly attractions you forgot everything
Regarding the mortality of the life, see how Shaikh personifies the destruction caused of Death through effective illustrations and imagery.
Khaanan haenden yiman robkhaanan
Jaanan dapaan apaer gatch

Sondri wutchmakh har wakh naawaan
Chimrew saethen duwaan latch
Teth jaaye wutchum az kapas bawaan
Nasri, me wutch te tchi wutchi ne gatch
Those majestic mansions of the nobility,
Where the passage of elite, was only granted
Pretty dams engaged to amuse them without fail
With their long robes, cleansed the dust
The very site, is now used for cotton plantation
I saw, Nasr Baba, now you go and witness the same
Following the footsteps of Shaikh-ul Aalam; Nyama Sahab versifies the same idea as under:
Range mandoren, rob khanan mout karan wujaeriye
Marg chu tithay warge walaan
Maenz kadaan baazaeriye
Garay drayos chande chunne
Banne keh baazaeriye
Pate brunthui nazar diwaan
Rayemai dardil saeriye
The death destroys illuminated mansions and majestic structures
The death divorces you from riches and fame
Penniless, I left home to tread in the lanes of destiny
I found none around me; even my bosom friends had given me
unceremonious farewell
Youth and ageing is yet another cherished theme of Shaikh-ulAalam. It is evident that in the light of these diverse stages of life, the reaction of human behaviour towards these realities stands reflected in almost all the creative languages of the world. Whether, it is the result of my scholarly handicap or
the truth stands as it is, the dynamics of Shaikh-ul Aalam’s expression in dealing with such sensitive and heart piercingthemes, has until now remained un-matching.
Though some Sufi poets have borrowed the very metaphors,used by Shaikh-ul Aalam, to verify their poetic experiences but they have not reached to that level of creative excellence, which had been reached by the saint poet Shaikh-ul Aalam:
See for example, Shams Faqir’s these verses:
Aaw soraan mei lakchaarow;
Hange zuzran wolnam naal
Waqt sooryum waen kut laaroo
Marai yaaro rozi armaan
The youth has started fading
Sickness has overpowered me
The age has turned me gray, how painful it is
My friend, you would wail over my death
If we set to find examples from Kashmiri Sufi Poetry, we would come across scores of verses, which contain the direct influence of Shaikh-ul Aalam’s phraseology and metaphoric expression. Without giving further extension to the topic, let us limit our discussion by advancing only a few examples
from Kashmiri Sufi Poets, which provides credence to our argument:
Aem kuneran kyah duet jalaaw;
Tas kuensae kya chu naaw
Prezi manz razi paan khajeum;
Mot mashouk yaad peyum
The essence of his oneness abounds all
By which name, the one is known to
From Oblivion, I attempted to catch hold of a connector
I cried earnestly for my beloved for help

Kaenz paewes yud tarakh fandai;
Zahn te now tchales gandigeye
Wandaye raavi haantchi karni saeti;
Tchandnas baneya Divdar

Even if you add candy to some rotten liquid
The dirt will ever remain there
Nothing beyond frustration you would achieve
The sandal will never turn a Divdaar
Fiqri henzi razi gatsi lamuniye;
Zikri saet labhan Shah
Kunzi te kulphas war gatsi duniye;
Harmokh sui non hai draw.
One must always chant his name
By regular remembrance, one can find the Lord
By twisting the key into lock
In all the directions, the Lord stands reflected
Dohas te raatas tchen chune saatas;
Nooras te hoori wanwaan
The planet holds no rest, And the revolution goes uninterrupted
The fairies always sing the appreciation of Lord
Nasiyat karizeni nasli shaitaanas;
Tale kaen zaenzen aasi maa khaam
Maurifat kya kare napaak baanas;
Tas nadaanas kar tchale tshai
It is useless to talk wisdom to dunce
The rustic appeals none
The love doesn’t clean the dirty bowl
I wish the veil not to blur universe
Shams Faqir
Few verses of Wahab Khar are given here for reference:
Saeri che pranaan nabkaaras;
Gash daaras ne haal

Kor mei yawunan anaeri gotte hai;
Kodd ye bazaar mei haawun
Aem athray kornam dutti dutti hay;
Yeam nati hai maaras paan
I painted my youth pomegranate red
I carried it to market for evaluation
The moth reduced me to rags
If my beloved never turns, I would be left with no option but to kill myself
Yawun meyane gul e anaaro;
Che rombul gule te shoobe wun mathai
Yem yali daznai dozakhe ni naaro;
Adh kya kari adh kot gatchai
Shaikh-ul Aalam
My youth is full of life like a pomegranate flower
With embellished muscles and a pair of delicate hands
When these will be burnt in the Hell’s fire
Then what shall I do, Where shall I move
Wande sheen kenenas roodum ne baw;
Naaw gayem nearith bathe tal yam
Rahim tati rachzen yeti atchdaam;
Wesiye zahn tenaye tamana dram
Gone are the days, when I used to sell winters snow for high bucks
The moment my boat’s anchor unfastened from bank
Oh, God; Save Rahim from snakes and reptiles of grave
Oh, my friend, my desires never came to an end
Yet another verse of Rahim Sahab seeks our attention
Mane buz reshaw and roode wanine
Haye laet darmaane yaar antan
The secret of Life, understood, took the Reshis to jungles
Oh, my mate, kindly arrange a meeting with my beloved
Quite akin to this verse, let us conclude this write-up by
referring the following verse of Shaikh-ul Aalam;

Poshe maten yeman abdalan;
Khush qaliman buzikh manye
Gosh ratikh peth sangathan;
Yeman lalan moul kus zanai
The blessed enjoy the mercy of God
If you succeed in understanding the essence of Revealed verses
Your self will enjoy the high position in heaven
Its not simple to be grasped by every sundry.

Article can be found in:-

‘ALAMDAR
A Journal of Kashmiri Society & Culture
Vol. IX 2016 No: 9

Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani (RA): Messenger of Love

Nund Rishi also known as Sheikh Noor ud-Din Noorani and popularly as Sheikh ul-Alam (RA) was the descendant of a Hindu Rajput family of Kishtawar, one of whose scions had migrated to Kashmir valley because of a family feud and settled down here for good. The Sheikh’s father accepted Islam at the hands of Yasman Reshi, son of Palasma Reshi and his Hindu name Salar Sanz was changed to Sheikh Salar. Once Sheikh Salar and his wife, Sadr Mouj, were attending upon their spiritual guide when the well-known mystic, Lal Arifa, walked that way with a bunch of flowers in her hand. Yasman got it from her and handed it to Sadr Mouj, praying at the same time for the birth of a pious son to her. Traditions say that when Sheikh Noor-ud-din (RA) was born he refused to suck milk from his mother’s breast. Lal Arifa once again appeared upon the scene and spoke to the new-born in a mystic language. “Thou wert not ashamed of being born, then how art Thou ashamed of sucking in the milk.” Thereupon the saint put her own breast into the child’s mouth and he avidly sucked it. When the Sheikh (RA) gained maturity, he found himself in a complex religious atmosphere. Islam had entered Kashmir valley long before his birth but the mode of life of the new entrants to its fold was not yet purely Islamic. No doubt, its simple teaching had a great appeal for people wearied of the futile metaphysical discussions and theological hair-spletting yet its spirit was not fully imbibed by the new converts.
In fact their life was a queer mixture of the new faith and the local religious traditions smacking of asceticism. The age-old tradition of reshism continued to inspire people even when they accepted Islam. The achievement of Mir Ali Hamdani (RA), who introduced Islam on a wide scale shortly before the birth of the Sheikh Noor-ud-din (RA) was yet to be consolidated. The Sheikh (RA) grew up in this complex religious atmosphere. Born with a religious temperament, his childhood and boyhood were characterized by extraordinary purity of mind and character. At the age of thirteen Sheikh Noor-ud-din (RA) was married to a lady, Zai Ded, who bore him two children, a daughter Zooni and a son Hayder. He (RA) was then apprenticed to a couple of traders, one after the other, There, he felt disgusted with the ways of the world. He lost interest in life as normally lived. He decided upon renunciation, retired to caves for meditation at the age of thirty. After spending about twelve years in renunciation, retiring to a cave in Kaymuh (in Kulgam, Kashmir Valley), for meditation, he returned to a life which Islam considers ideal in nature. He then started giving attention to his wife, Zai Ded and two children, Hayder and Zooni. He expressed his displeasure with his renunciation of the world in the following verses:
Nasar Baba Jangal gachum gayam khaemi
Doup ye chhe baed ibadat
Ye aes patus baed badnaemi sarea aes Karen kuni kath
But what he saw going on around him made him intensely sad, after a short period, he finally threw over the cloak of worldliness and divorced his wife. The reason behind this was not that he got fed up with normal life but it was actually because of his being unable to provide for his wife, children and mother sustenance as he would always remain engrossed in the thought of his creator and the other life. He thought it was quite un-Islamic to keep them without fulfilling their rights. His mother persuaded him, requested him, reminded him of her milk, and finally frightened him; the wife beseeched him with tearful eyes, but nothing worked with him.
Upon the demand of milk from his mother, Allah so willed that it flowed out of a stone. When the wife so insisted, he (RA) laid the baboon thorns on the floor of the cave and rested on them and asked his wife to do the same. She left her two children who were found dead on the following morning. On the death of the children, Zai Ded also renounced the world, and became a hermitess. Sadra Ded (mother), Zai Ded (wife), Hyder (son) and Zooni, the daughter of Sheikh Noor-ud-din are buried at Kaimuh (Kulgam) where there is now a famous shrine. Salar-ud-din’s turban is preserved at this shrine. Being removed of all marital connections he spend all his time to strengthen the spiritual powers.
Sheikh Noor-ud-din (RA) was never educated or trained at a seminary or a monastery but whatever he attained was the result of his sincere prayers, although he was not literate, yet he was a poet and a philosopher. Sheikh Noor-ud-din (RA) was a simple man,once when invited to a feast, He went in ragged dress, earlier than the appointed time. The servants, not recognizing him, would not permit him to enter, and he had to go back to take his food at home. When all had sat for the sumptuous dinner, the Sheikh was specially sent for. He came, this time in a flowing Chugha (cloak) and was given the seat of honour. But the Sheikh (RA) instead of partaking of the food stretched forth his sleeves and put them on to the plates. The people were astonished at the sight and asked him the reason. He replied, the feast was not really for Nur-ud-din (RA) but for the long sleeves. During his time, since Islam was still spreading in Kashmir, a multitude of self-styled mullahs had cropped up from the converted Brahmin moneylenders who used their newly acquired status in the Islamic state, to exploit the common people. Kashmir valley witnessed the worst type of religious persecution in the time of Sultan Sikander (1389-1413 A.C.) and his successor, Ali. Sheikh Noor-ud-din (RA) lived during this period when the identity of a true Kashmiri was at stake and in danger of being destroyed.

You have acquired knowledge for selfish ends, Your endeavour is to see each other fall, You consider yourself to be the favourites of the lord Here, But There not one per thousand can escape the doom.

After twelve years of meditation when he came out of the cave, he was a zealous missionary of his cult of purity, purity, love and and brotherhood. He (RA) believes in universal brotherhood. He calls upon the people, especially those who came from outside and Zealots among the new reverts, to live together in unison, so that Allah himself would rejoice. Kashmiri Hindus respect Sheikh Noor-ud-din (RA) in the same way as Kashmiri Muslims. Infact, He (RA) was a preacher as well as a social reformer. While believing that Nafs (lust) is the main hurdle in achieving righteous path, the Sheikh Noor-ud-din (RA) chose to be strictly vegetarian and did not touch any sumptuous dish. He lived on wild vegetables, wore ragged garments (Janda), strictly abstained from sex and had no earthly attachments. It is important to note that Sheikh Noor-ud-din (RA) did not ignore society altogether. He contacted all men of intelligence, power and character and impressed them with his spiritual powers, revelations, miracles, and discussions and won them by heart for the mission. Nund Reshi’s (RA) pithy saying ‘Food will last as long as forests last” is a clear indication of his innate foresight and intuitive knowledge. He uttered these words six centuries ago even before the present concept of ecological balance. He is believed to have pointed out that plants are living things which are born, grow and die in due course. He says: “Let us avoid harming plants in any way as far as possible. Let us not unnecessarily trample over green grass. For, each plant has a purpose in life and use for others.” He (RA) criticized the scholars, the mullahs and the religious preachers and warns them to give up playing the game of hypocrisy. He says, mere knowledge is misleading and fatal to an individual who does not translate it into action. You have acquired knowledge for selfish ends, Your endeavour is to see each other fall, You consider yourself to be the favourites of the lord Here, But There not one per thousand can escape the doom.
Sheikh Noor-ud-din’s (RA) life was filled with love and compassion for people of all religion and contempt of this world, other-worldiness and his life was based on purity of thoughts and action. He traveled village to village, preached his message against nifaq (hypocrisy), nafs (lust), hasad (jealousy), riya (show), hirs (greed) and akl-i-haram (unlawful eating). The Sheikh Noor-ud-din’s (RA) spiritual eminence and his humanistic philosophy made him the idol of the people of Kashmir. They flocked to him and some of them modeled their very lives on his pattern. Sheikh Noor-ud-din’s (RA) efforts reached far and wide and benefited a large number of people in Kashmir. The number of his followers was very large. Some of them were: Baba Bam-ud-Din (Bhuma Saad or Sahi), Baba Zain-ud-Din (Ziya Singh or Jaya Singh) etc. The details of the life of Sheikh-Ul-Alam (RA) are preserved in the Nur-nama written by Baba Nasib-ud-din Ghazi. He (RA) told one of his chief disciples, Baba Nasru, “He shall win the world who serves others.” Elsewhere, addressing Hindus and Muslims alike, he said: Oh Hindus and Muslims! How will you attain salvation if you don’t take good deeds with you? Prayers and ritual performances, if not accompanied by good deeds, not only do not please Allah, Rather, they condemn one to damnation in Hell. Sheikh Noor-ud-din (RA) had a very deep insight into the future and there are plenty of his verses which point to the future events that have proved correct. Nearly six hundred years ago, he wrote:
Bronth Kali Asan Tithee Keran\, Tung Tsunth Papan Tseran Seeth
Maje Koreh Ath Was Kerith Neram, Doh Deen Baran Gearan Seeth
(A time will come in the future, when Apples and Pears will ripen at the same time as apricots and mothers and daughters will move out , hand in hand, and will spend their days with strangers).
In an another verse, again telling the mullahs how exalted and sacred the holy Quran is (which they used to help their nefarious exploitation of the masses), he wrote:
Quran Paran Kono Moodukh, Quran Paran Goi No Soor
Quran Paran Zindeh Kot Roodukh, Quran Paran Dodh Mansoor
Quran Paran Be Gam Roodukh, Tamath Phoroi Akith Tsoor
(How are you still living after treating the holy Quran so lightly and reciting it without your heart in it? You may benefit in your worldly gains for a while, but, be ready now for the wrath of Allah).
Sheikh Noor-ud-din (RA) left this world at the age of 63,in the reign of Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin, popularly known as Budshah, a great king of Kashmir. The Sultan accompanied his bier alongwith thousands of people to the grave. The burial prayer of Sheikh Noor-ud-din (RA) were led by a great divine or Alim of the age, Makhdum Baba Usman Uchchap Ganai. Sheikh Noor-ud-Din is one of those outstanding personalities who had the greatest and most lasting influence on the culture of Kashmir. He (RA) had a multi-dimensional personality and left an impression on every aspect of Kashmiri life and culture. As a saint, a dedicated servant of the common man, a poet, a great caliber and above all as a messenger of love, purification and piety his achievement is unparalleled. Sheikh Noor-ud-din (RA) was the first Kashmiri saint who was given official recognition when Ata-ul-lah Khan (1223-1225 A.H), the Afghan Governor of Kashmir, issued coins in his name. This popular love and devotion continues unabated upto this day. The tomb of Sheikh Noor-ud-din (RA) at Charar Sharief, a small town perched on a dry bare hill, 20 miles south west of Srinagar, is visited by thousands of people-high and low, literate and illiterate, Muslims and non-Muslims to the present day. His poetry and his pithy and wise sayings have, to a large extent, determined the genius of the Kashmir language and are remembered by heart by the people. Sheikh Noor-ud-din (RA)’s message of kindness and selflessness needs to be emulated in every aspect of life and his legacy will continue to form the bedrock of our rich cultural and spiritual inheritance.

(The author a teacher at S K University of Agriculture Sciences & Technology- SKUAST Srinagar regularly contributes for the edit page of “Kashmir Horizon”. His views are personal)

Hazrat Sheikhul Aalam (RA), the most revered saint of Kashmir

Hazrat Sheikul Aalam Sheikh Nooruddin Noorani (RA), popularly known as Nund Reshi, is the most revered saint of Kashmir. He is known as Alamdar-e-Kashmir also. He travelled across the length and breadth of Kashmir. His Kalam-e-Mutabarka (sacred poetry) is unique in style, thought and narrative. It is mainly based on the Quran and Hadith and talks of universal brotherhood, love and compassion.
His shrine in Chrar-i-Sharief is perched on a dry bare hill on which has grown a well-developed town. People flock to his shrine irrespective of religion, sect or creed. In Kashmir, the first crop of hair of a child is generally cut off here. Nund Reshi’s verses are recited in mosques, at religious congregations, and many other occasions. His poetic collections, generally known as Noornamas, are to be found in almost every house in Kashmir.
The cultural, social, economic and moral life of Kashmir is well depicted in his Kalam. Dawat-u-Tabligh and Quran-u-Hadith are at the core of it. We are indebted to him for creating awareness through his poetry about forests, flora and fauna, ecological balance, and environment protection.
His poetry is extensively discussed in literary and scholarly circles in Kashmir and much research has been done on it. The Cultural Academy here has also a yeoman’s job in this direction. There is a Sheikhul Alam chair in Kashmir University also. His poetry (kalam) has greatly enriched the Kashmiri language.
Nund Reshi is the pride of Kashmir. His Kalam has made us aware of our language, purpose of life, our heritage and cultural and moral values. The verses contain such phraseology that the meaning is clear to us. Sheikhul Aalam was a great Mufassir-ul-Quran (interpreter of Quran), Muhaddis (Hadith knowing), a great biologist and environmentalist in an era when the world did not know much about ecology, environment and global warming.
Some terms and phrases often used in his poetry are reproduced here. Since many of the things, birds and animals flora and fauna mentioned in his poetry are not around us, the verses seem difficult to understand. Let us have some botanical garden or zoological park named after Sheikhul Aalam.
These terms are not exhaustive but only a few of them:
1. Tamin baan: When food was cooked (and is still cooked at some places) by placing earthen pots on burning firewood, the pots would get blackened.
2. Daan: A specially designed oven for cooking.
3. Gongul: It was a kind of inaugural function of the sowing season when on the first day of sowing, dry fruits and tehri was distributed.
4. Haar and Puh: Kashmiris had their own calender and these were two of the months.
5. Poonam Chandre: Full moon.
6. Yender: Spinning wheel which was very common in Kashmiri households.
7. Grek viz noon: A common Kashmiri phrase meaning ‘not doing work in its proper time’.
8. Putran sag te moolan droot: A common Kashmiri phrase relating to gardening or tree plantation.
9. Daff ta Rabab: These were musical instruments.
10. Wand fall: Specially prepared fodder for animal for winter.
11. Lasha: A special wood used for making torches.
12. Palna: A kind of saddle for the purpose of load only.
13. Pull Haru: A shoe made from straw.
14. Dabb: A mini balcony.
15. Toh: Husk
16. Gratta: A flour mill that was worked with water.
17. Haakh te Hand: A common Kashmiri vegetable.
We must be proud that such a great person lived in Kashmir and we must take inspiration from his Kalam and teachings.

—The writer is a retired telecom engineer. abdulrashidpeerzada@gmail.com

Shaikh Nuruddin and the Making of Syncretic Culture in Kashmir Dr. Sami ullah Rather

Abstract: Shaikh Nuruddin also known as Nund Rishi is one of the most distinguished
personalities Kashmir produced towards the end of 14th century. He is specially venerated as
Nund Rishi by Muslims and Sahazanand by Hindus of Kashmir.Linked inextricably to
Kashmir’s historical, cultural, social, religious and linguistic realms, his esteemed self-
occupies a central place in socio- cultural history of Kashmir. Heavily influenced by
contemporary Shaivite saint Lal Ded, teachings of Nuruddin cut across the barriers of caste,
colour, creed, and region. He championed the cause of equality of all creatures in the
kingdom of God and believed in complete harmony among different sections of the society.
Not only this, he condemned violence of all kinds and stressed on helping poor, to control
anger, to be kind towards all and condemnation of lust, greed and pride.He toured different
parts of the valley to disseminate his message to the unlettered folk and left an indelible
mark on them. Thus Nund Rishi’s thoughts about universal brotherhood, communal harmony,
social unity, value based social fabric, caste/ class less society laid the foundations of a
culture which has become the hallmark of Kashmir identity. The present paper therefore,
aimsat to bring to limelight the role of Nund Rishi in the making of a syncretic culture of
Kashmir.
Key words: Kashmir, Rishi, Culture, Humanism, Peace, Non Violence
Introduction:
Shaikh Nuruddin is the most beloved among the indigenous saints. Nuruddin from his early
childhood, possessed a keen sense to understand the gravity of socio-religious sensitivities.
Given the level of magnitude of crises geared by the forces of time and processes of history
during the 14thcentury in Kashmir, Shaikh Nuruddin, while examining objectively the
processes of change and response of Kashmiri society, evolved at a later stage a distinctive
socio-cultural behavior which with the passage of time became a bedrock of Kashmiri
composite cultural setting. Nund Rishi ardently focus on the variegated sufferings of rural
illiterate. By this way, Nund Rishi, amid great social crisis and tensions emerged as a true

champion of popular sentiment. By upholding the cause of downtrodden, the saint won
unprecedented recognition of the masses and people bestowed their love, reverence, and
support to this great mystic saint by christening him with the titles like Alamdaar-i- Kashmir.
Amid great social tensions and political instability, Nuruddin dedicated himself to the
task of reforming society and toured different parts of the Valley to disseminate his message
to the unlettered folk. Although it is difficult to say whether the Shaikh fully succeeded in
imparting his teachings in his lifetime, it can hardly be denied that for generations after his
death his teachings remained on the tip of every Kashmiris tongue. And it is chiefly for this
reason that he is remembered to this day, the greatest local teacher of Islam in Kashmir. So
indelible has been the influence of the Shaikh on Kashmiri society that both and Muslims
visit his shrine at Charari Sharif i
and turned the habitats of the Shaikh in several villages into
places of venerations.ii
He firmly believed in the equality of all creatures in the kingdom of God. Nuruddin’s
message was not confined to one race or one class, but addressed to mankind as a whole. He
belonged to the universe. He expressed his thought in the simple language of his people,
clothing his ideas with examples familiar from their experience. His verses therefore had an
immediate appeal to the unlettered masses.iii He calls upon the people to follow the path of
peace and harmony. He strongly pleads for tolerance, fellow feeling, love and affection
among all sections of the society.
We belong to the same parents,
Then why this difference?
Let Hindus and Muslims (together) worship God alone
We came to this world like partners.
We should have shared our joys and sorrows together.iv
Nuruddin’s teachings are deeply rooted in humanism and reciprocal love. The ethics
of non-violence advocated by Nuruddin aims at rendering positive good to human beings in
the hour of their adversity.v
Taking into consideration his emphasis on help to the poor and the
needy, mercy and kindness towards all and condemnation of lust (lobh), pride (ahankar) and
anger (Krodh), it can be safely said that the value system of non-violence as contained in
Nuruddin’s thought illustrates his richness and positive commitment to the traditions of non-
violence.vi

Nuruddin was severe in his condemnation of the Ulamaof contemporary society for
their deviations from practising the true spirit of the Shari’a in daily life. It was, in fact, the
‘Ulamas’ failure to bring exoteric (zahir) and esoteric (batin) aspects of religious life into a
harmonious, balanced relationship that determined Nuruddin’s attitude towards them. Their
malicious mind, arrogance, hypocrisy and pursuit of material gains at the cost of spiritual
benefits were so horrifying to him that he even urged his followers to seek the refuge of Allah
at the mere sight of an ‘alim’.vii
He criticised the caste system in very severe terms as is reflected from the following
verses:
“[By] displaying the caste in the world,
What will thou gain?
Into dust will turn the bones,
When the earth envelopes the body:
To utter disgrace will he come
Who, forgetting himself, jeers at others.”viii

Chrare shareef: final abode of sheikhulalam sheikh nooruddin noorani rahimahumullah

It is of no consequence of what parents a man is born since the origin of all mankind is the
same. Here man is asked to be ambitious of true honour and of the real glory and perfection
of his common origin:
Adam is the progenitor of the human race,
The Mother Eve has the same primordiality,
(So) from where have the ‘low-castes’ descended?
How can a ‘high born’ deride his own ancestry?ix
The contempt in which the common man was held by the Brahmans must have touched the
sensitive soul of Nuruddin. In order to tame the ferocity of their pride hechallenged the
concept of purity of the Brahman’s birth in terms of the tauhidic humanism and universalism.
It was a Muslim’s commitment to an ethic of action which was valued byNuruddin vis-a-vis
the unethical egocentrism of the Brahman:
One who harps proudly upon one’s caste,
Is bereft of reason and wisdom,
Here the good alone can claim noble descent;

In the Hereafter ‘caste’ will be extinct.x
Apart from the caste system, he lashed out at rich people who owned big houses, jewels,
horses, and elephants. They enjoyed musical concerts in their homes.However, Nuruddin is
pained to note that these rich people neglected their social responsibilities.
One amuses oneself by organising a musical concert,
Although aware, yet pretends innocence (about human sufferings),
(While) the other is being scourged,
(Has) God Himself willed it so?”‘xi
Conclusion:
Shaikh Nuruddin has greatly succeeded in portraying a positive message of life with a strong
practical approach for progress and development of mankind. There is hardly a verse of
Nuruddin which has not a social, cultural and topographical context. He criticised not only
any kind on inequality on the basis of caste, colour, creed or place of birth, but also lashed
out at religious elite of the society for their arrogance, falsehood, and materialism. He
championed the cause of peace and harmony at a time when society was torn apart by socio-
religious and political feuds and undoubtedly emerged as chief apostle of religious tolerance,
brotherhood, peace, harmony and non-violence.His sayings (Shruks) left such an indelible
mark that not only the contemporary common masses, Rishis, the theologians and
imamstransmitted the Shaikh’s verses ,but even today his sayings are on the tip of tongue of
every Kashmiri. It is therefore, not surprising that his poetical compositions have made him
immortal among the Kashmiri masses of all creeds.

References and End Notes

iR.K. Parmu, A History of Muslim Rule in Kashmir, Gulshan Books,1967 rep.2009,p.110
ii M.I.Khan, Kashmir’Transition to Islam, Manohar,New Delhi,1994,pp.104-105.
iii A.Q. Rafiqi, Sufism in Kashmir, Goodword Media, Sydney, 1976,p.188.
ivNur Nama: A Collection of the sayings of Shaikh Nuru’d- Din. Edited by M.Amin Kamil,
Sringar,1966,p.42.
v M.I. Khan, Kashmir’ Transition to Islam,p.122.
vi M.I. Khan, Kashmir’ Transition to Islam,p.123.
viiM.I. Khan, Kashmir’ Transition to Islam,pp.111-112.
viii B.N. Parimoo, Nund Rishi: Unity in Diversity, 1984, p.226.
ixKulliyat -i-Shaikh al-Alam, Compiled by Moti Lal Saqi, p.206.
xKulliyat -i-Shaikh al-Alam, p.86.
xiKulliyat -i-Shaikh al-Alam, p.181.

Author:-

Dr. Sami ullah Rather
Post-Doctoral Fellow at Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) New Delhi
Centre of Central Asian Studies (CCAS), University of Kashmir

Sheikh ul Alam’s Role in Eradication of Social Evils from Society~Dr Sumaya Firdous

Society either past, present or future is polluted by evil deeds of its respective population
and generation but at every crucial time many prophetic personalities arise for the upliftment of
society, who can relieve the society from all damages and frustrations. Many Movements arise,
like as Bhakti Movement of India, which produced devotional luminaries like Guru Nanak,
Kabir, Meera Bai, Baba Bulleh Shah, Namdev etc. Similarly in Kashmir the Rishi Movement
started for the betterment of society, Sheikh ul Alam laid its foundation, who first practiced
himself then he preached. He made poetry as a means of propagation of his thought/preaching.
His poetry belongs to classical Indian Literature and penetrated in our collective psyche and his
verses have become proverbs of common folk. It is high time to concentrate on his poetry and
follow his teachings in this modern and fragmented society as he has found the solution of all
social problems.

sheikhulalam shrine in snow at chrare sharief

Sheikh-ul-Alam and Rishi Movement
Sheikh Noor ud Din, commonly known as Sheikh ul Alam, Nund Rishi, Alamdar-eKashmir, Taj ul Awliya, (the crown of saints of Kashmir) whom Kashmiri Pundits call Shahzanand. (Khyuihami, 1954), was undoubtedly a blessed and true proponent of pure and virgin message of God, although of a Muslim affiliation this great saint of Northern India is
revered and respected by both Hindu and Muslim communities in a predominantly Muslim
society. Sheikh ul Alam owes the credit for laying the foundation of an indigenous order of in the
fifteenth century the Rishi order. He was born in a village called Qaimoh (some sixty kilometers
South-East of capital Srinagar) in 1377 C.E of a pious couple, Sheikh Salar ud Din and Sadra,
known for their piety God-fearing ways (Aafaqui, 1998). A born ascetic, Sheikh ul Alam busied
himself completely in meditation, remembrance of God, prayers and ascetic practices. In his late
teens, he chose a cave as his abode near his birthplace for all his practices and meditations. After
twelve years of retirement, Sheikh ul Alam adopted some disciples and undertook an extensive
tour of valley, living for long stints at different places and preaching his simple gospel of unworldliness, purity, piety, fear of God and love for humanity. He died in 1438 C.E at a place
called Rupawan, and Zain ul Abidin himself led the funeral prayers. He was buried at Charar-eSharief where his final resting place has become an object of pilgrimage for all Kashmiris
regardless of their religion, caste and creed.

The most dominant influence on Kashmir society and literature in terms of their religious
and cultural heritage has been of Sufism or Rishiyat. Rishism is an independent Sufi order of
Kashmir. The term Rishi is itself clearly a derivation from Sanskrit and Indian tradition, though
some medieval scholars have tried to show that it is derived from Persian word “Raish or Rish,
meaning feathers” (Rafiqui, 2003). Consequently, then, the Rishi Movement, in spite of its local
origins vis-à-vis its distinctive characteristics- extreme ascetic discipline, vegetarianism, celibacy

and non-violence began to be looked with favor by the standard-bearers of the Shari’ah and
Sunnah including the revered Sufis and hagiographers belonging to the Suharwardiya,
Kubrawiya and Naqshbandiya orders. So important was the Rishi Movement in the traditional
Kashmiri society that several of its unique social and religious characteristics were not regarded
as an alien. The strength of its social authority not only lay in its denunciation of the Brahmanic
notions of caste but, also, in the satisfaction that it gave to the spiritual instincts of the people in
the Hindu-Buddhist environment of the valley. It is pertinent to say that Rishism had struck
strong holds in Kashmir prior to the advent of Islam in the region. The anti-caste crusade was
most forcefully articulated by the founder of the Muslim Rishi order, Noor ud Din Noorani (Sufis
of Kashmir, 2011). It is clear that the beliefs of the Rishis were not incompatible with Islam. We
have not allowed a misconception to enter our minds that the Rishi Movement was somewhat
outside the pale of the so-called “orthodox” Islam. Liturgical development among the Rishis was
within the mainstream of Islam; in fact, the dhikr was immensely valued as early as the
foundation of the order by Sheikh ul Alam along the lines of Kubrawi, Suharwardi and
Naqshbandi traditions. Thus the Rishis proved to be the cultural mediations of the Islamic
tradition. They not only pulled down language barriers but also made the Islamic tradition more
comprehensible to the common folk in meaning rather than in outwardly syncretistic forms. It is
true that the Rishis retained elements from the traditional Hindu-Buddhist religious culture, but it
would be wrong to conclude on that reasoning that this development led to the growth of
syncretic religious sociology among Kashmiris. As a matter of fact, the evolution of the Shari’a
bound structure of thought and the concomitant enfeeblement of such elements as celibacy,
vegetarianism, extreme ascetic practices, and seclusion in caves is to be viewed as a natural
sequel to ‘the cult of saints.’ The fact is that the Rishis, while apparently accommodating local
Hindu-Buddhist practices to the Islamic framework, gradually paved the way for the assimilation
of the people in the Islamic identity. In the changed environment, traditional religious scheme of
thought was gradually abandoned, and no longer remained the basic frame of reference of the
people, as they were swept by the wave of Islamic acculturation. It is indeed hard to escape the
conclusion that the Rishis were largely responsible for influencing the environmental,
institutional and linguistic forms which ultimately created conditions for the never-ending
process of Islamization in both religious and social terms (Kashmir’s Transition to Islam, 2005).

sheikh nooruddin noorani shrien

Sheikh-ul-Alam as a Poet
Sheikh ul Alam is one of those distinguished philosophers, Sufi poets, preachers of
Kashmir’s history who have exercised the most tremendous influence on the life and literary
cultural of Kashmir. It is certainly no exaggeration to say that no one else has so far gained such
a universal popularity with the Kashmiri people including scholars as to become a household
name. Sheikh ul Alam is among the first to use creatively, Kashmiri language in which he has
incorporated many of his pithy and wise sayings and aphorisms. Such luminaries and beacons of
spiritual literary knowledge comprehend the whole gamut of life or at least the centre around
which life revolves, and if they happened to be artists, their art is always subservient to their
main table (Malik, 2013). The poetic ardor and accent of Sheikh ul Alam is vitally significant
and salutary in its effect. The articulation of the great work of Sheikh ul Alam has made the
linguistic and cultural mystery acceptable to us. He has been the only great among a few where
the imprint of his influence is so deep on Kashmir’s culture, literature, language that he becomes
an integral part of our identity. His whole life and work provides an opportunity for a discussion
on religious, social, moral poetry, its categorization, evaluation, admiration and impact with all

its facts and in all its manifestations. One of the renowned Kashmiri historians Ishaq Khan
illustriously says, “I must confess that no translator can reproduce the sublimity and
comprehensiveness of the words used by the Sheikh, which means so much in a single symbol.”
He further says “Sheikh did inherit wanderlust from the Buddhist and Hindu ascetics, but what is
remarkable about him is that even while practicing renunciations he did not keep himself aloof
from his contemporary faith. His composition in the popular Kashmiri dialect, particularly
addressed the peasants and artisans point to the plebeian character of his movement.”
Shouq says, “culture and literature like proteus, change with every slight stir in the socio
economic order and intellectual ambience and new advancement in science, yet there are certain
constants in both culture and literature of the community that are shaped and strengthened by the
contribution of some individuals who are remembered as the architects of the identity of that
community. Shah-e-Hamdan, Sheikh ul Alam, Bulbul Shah, Ghani Kashmiri and Iqbal are some
of the great minds whose impact on the identity of Kashmiri people cannot be ignored.”
Sheikh ul Alam was multidimensional personality as his verses do not simply share the
common traits; but he was an environmentalist, botanist (for example, in one of his verses he
said; Food is subservient to forests) as well as mystic. There is hardly a verse of Sheikh which
has not a social, moral, cultural and more importantly topographical context. He was determined
to mend the society from being worst to best. He toured too many places of Kashmir, even he
prescribed the names to some unknown villages, and he became successful in his mission of
spreading the teachings of Islam to common people through their mother tongue so that they
could understand the religion of Islam properly.
The thought content of his poetry may be divided into the following broad categories:
(a) Devotional poetry (b) Naat (c) Morality (d) Monotheism (e) Life after death (f) Ethical
Poetry (g) Religious (Islamic) Poetry (h) Love for the Humanity (i) Communal Harmony
(j) Lyricism (k) Descriptive (l) Satire and Sarcasm and (m) Mysticism. Being a saint,
most of his poetry revolves around the themes of love for his creator and devotion to Him
(Kashmir Mystic Thought, 2009).
Revolutionary poetry
Through his verses he protests against the evils of society and played an important
role of reconstructing the society. His verses concerning the end of human life should not
be described as an emotional expression of the fear of death; rather they seem to have
functioned as an effective medium of satire and social commentary on inequality,
injustice and repression in the masterly use of metaphor and allegory. Some of these
verses are worth quoting:
[By] displaying the caste in the world,
What will thou gain?
Into dust will turn the bones,
When the earth envelopes the body;
To utter disgrace will he come,
Who forgetting himself jeers at others.

SHEIKHULALAM main shrine inside kashmir

Against social inequality
From the view point of social history, Noor-ud-Din’s description of the social inequalities
existing in the contemporary society is important. Apart from the caste system, his criticism of
the rich people is also rooted in the social ethics of the Quran. He regarded hunger as the most
degrading of diversities. The exploitation and sufferings of the weak at the hands of the strong is
evidenced by his verses (Kashmir’s Transition to Islam, 2005). The rich people busy themselves
in the enjoyment and forget their responsibilities towards society, to help the poor and needy
people and uplift the society. He says:
One amuses oneself by organizing in a musical concert,
Although aware, yet pretends innocence (about human sufferings),
(While) the other is being scourged,
(Has) God Himself willed it so?
The motive behind his writing poetry was to expose the evils of society which rooted in
the society, and his determination to uplift the poor community in the society. He wanted that
they should live their life with honor and respect; they should not under estimate themselves by
having the tag of Poverty, as our beloved Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) said that He (S.A.W) felt
proud of poverty. Sheikh ul Alam under these verses encourages the poor people by saying:
Poverty is a shield against Hell,
Poverty is the virtue of Prophets,
Poverty is the wealth of this and the next world,
Poverty is sweet and fragrant,
One who is steadfast in the path of Poverty,
So will be honored here and the Hereafter.
So, poverty is not any stain of being ashamed or curse but it is a blessing and the path
which leads to Paradise. He described the injustice, inequality and social disorder in that way
that a sensitive person hardly stop his tears. In one of his longer poems ‘God has nothing to do
with all this’ he reveals:
There are people who have hoarded enormous quantity of food grains.
Food grains of various tastes and colors.
There are people who long for a morsel of food.
Their infants wail and weep of hunger.
This state of affairs is manmade and man created

God has nothing to do with all this.
We can compare this poem with Jane Taylor’s poem ‘Poverty’:
I saw an old cottage of clay,
And only of mud was the floor;
It was all falling into decay,
And the snow drifted in at the door.
Yet there a poor family dwelt,
In a hovel so dismal and rude;
And though gnawing hunger they felt,
They had not a morsel of food.
The children were crying for bread…

Thus Sheikh ul Alam used his poetry as a tool to revolutionize the society, he advises rich
people to be generous, to give sadqah to poor people that will not lessen their income but
doubles it and which is the best way to live in peace here and hereafter. Comparable to
Kabir’s verse: “if a sparrow quenches its thirst from a brook, the volume of water will not
decrease!” Kabir says, by donating in charity; your coffers will not become empty.

ALAMDARE KASHMIR SHEIKHULALAM SHRINE CLICKED BY IMAD CLICKS

Sheikh ul Alam addressed to people:
Be delighted to feed the poor and needy around thee.
Such costs wilt not incur a loss to thy income and trade.
Be sure! Thou hast to accost thy account in jot and dot.
Why of thy behaviors wilt thou display on resurrection day.
In ballast wilt be nothing but achievements conciliatory.
Let not volatile thy excellence in negligence but default.
0 ye the Hindu brethren in trait and custom my trio neophytes.
Be not devoured with twits but to attain knowledge and faith.
Inculcation of values of modesty
The other evil which dominates the whole society and make it hollow and dark is its
administration. How can nation develop when its administration is under the thumb of
corruptive and ignorant politicians? In one of his verses, he beautifully and sarcastically

presents the realistic picture of ignorant and selfish politicians who enjoy the power and
debunk the wise ones who are competent to organize the administration. He writes:
Hollow hoots while solids art mum and low.
Stammered be a parakeet while lyric the crow.
Aerial is a populous while shoots budded bow.
Phoenix is confined to woods while kite wilt runs the show.
Against caste system
During the time of the poet Hindu society had already faced devastation due to caste
discrimination. Some Ulemas who were fond of worldly pleasures and official privileges also
felt the indirect influence of this local malaise and started an undercurrent division of Muslim
society on such basis. The Sheikh came out vehemently against such social evils. He stressed
his viewpoint by elucidation of Islamic conceptual environments:
The Aazar who carved idols all his life,
Gave birth the son Abraham.
He broke those idols into pieces,
And fought the Holy war against evil.
Built Ka’ba with his own hands.
Royal is the descent of Quraish dynasty
Stone hearted was its condemned son Abu Lahab.
His own nephew was the last among the Prophets
Abu Jehal (father of ignorance) died a dog’s death,
Who expelled his own nephew from Mecca.
Momentary is the base of this universe,
But immortal are the deeds in His name.
The nearest does boast of his descent,
Alas! He has neither wit nor wisdom.
It has already been stated that the confrontation to which some interested elements tried to
expose the two communities during the time of Sheikh posed a potential threat to our values. It
required timely interventation of some prophetic persuation. Hence the Sheikh with the miracle
of his sweet verse averted the crisis and laid a permanent basis of religion harmony;
Ice, snow, the glacier,

All the three are water.
Two children from the same parents,
The Muslims and the Hindus.
Why this gulf of hatred between the two?
Be pleased with thy servants, of my Lord (Kashmir Mystic Thought, 2009)
Against Mullahs and Brahmans
Sheikh ul Alam’s main target was to reveal the real face of fake Mullahs. He advises to
beware of those fake Mullahs who wear the mask of being pious, and take the advantage of
their fake identity. He not only ridicules the Mullahs but Brahmin as well;
These talkative Mullahs,
With long dyed beared,
Deceitful is their sweet speech,
They are author-minded liars.

Mullahs have become merchants of mosques,
The Pandit steals the idols from the temple.
One among thousands of them may deserve salvation,
Others are all the disciples of Satan.
Mullah is found of beef and mutton,
Dubs vegetable as rejected grass,
Reluctantly swallows sweet cakes,
Warns followers: “Beware; of mosques – Jins dwell therein.
In this quatrain Mullahs, Sheikhs and Sufis are collectively exposed:
The Mullah is happy with gifts and feasts,
The Sheikhs are mad after greed and lust,
The Sufis are happy to cheat others,
Their one time diet is three seers of mutton, a mound of rice.

Similarly Pandit is ridiculed in this couplet:
The old and infirm Pandit shall search,
A virgin girl his wife.
Might be on his pyre,
But will never prefer a widow as his partner
Then who is real and worthy Mullah in Sheikhs perception, it is only Maulana Rumi:
Else! Seek refuge of God in seeing a Mullah.
Apparently gaudy but malignant at heart art the Mullahs.
Pulpits did they attend to deliver sermons- emotive.
Debatable be none but Maulana Rumi in scholastic rank.
Oceans abysmal in knowledge – great did He traverse.
Thus fused He the psyche – candid with pulsative beats.
Denunciation of Materialism
The society should be built on such values which broadly respect the rights of fellow
creatures. There are certain ills as the cause root for deterioration of the society and so greatly
fatal for humanity. In this selected list the truth is considered the foundation of the edifice of
morality and falsehood is dubbed as the destroyer of a value based society. The lust for worldly
pleasures is declared a root cause of individual strife and national confrontations. Sheikh ul Alam
stresses the condemnation of the greed, lust, anger and jealousy which destroy the society;
Without the aid of a sailor, I did sale my ship,
By suppression of greed, jealousy, arrogance,
Lust, pride and anger,
Then I realized what I am.
U crave to embrace lustly wives of others,
What madness!
U cannot purchase for any price,
(The commodity which you thus put on auction).
Oh! Fool why you go to give thy rare diamond,
In exchange of broken pieces of a glass.

Against Hypocrisy
The other cause of destruction of society is hypocrisy which has been condemned by all
preachers, activitists. Sheikh also condemns both hypocrite and the pretender. He says;
Though hast deceived none but yourself
Pretended as if a priest though hast opened,
A shop (for medication of souls),
Carrying rosary in thy hand,
Did hide knife under thy long sleeves to kill others.
Pretended a falcon soaring in high heaven,
Alas! Though hast deceived none but thyself.
Adorning the veranda of carved,
Projected out of the edifice of delicacy.
Though hast grown fat by the sumptuous diet.
Sooner like the fuel though will be put to flames.
Alas! Though has deceived none but thyself.
Sheikh-ul-Alam on Education
He laid great emphasis on education and learning particularly the knowledge of theology without
which no seeker of the ways of God could understand the commands of shriat, fiqh and tariqat.
Side by side he insisted upon putting all in practice which has been learnt. He said
Who has the courage and guts to lighten up a lamp against this wind storm?
And will fuel the lamp with his knowledge and faith,
Will abandon the false message and look after the true one,
All the knowledge is alif, laam and meem (Quran).
Sheikh ul Alam shows us how to live life free from evils and corruption, and these
principles are mostly based on the teachings of Islam because his poetry revolves round the
circle of Quran and Hadith. The principles of lifestyle according to Sheikh are as under;

Realize though art in confrontation with contradictions,
Beware though art sandwiched between contradictions and conflicts.
While thinking (about thy goal) the goal has become farther,
The bride of destination has fallen in oblivion of darkness.
Impossible ids to defend the acquisitions of sins there,
Beware though art sandwiched between contradictions and conflicts.
Those who sneak opportunities to grab rights of others,
They shall never achieve success.
Alas! Useless is their birth on this earth.
Beware though art sandwiched between contradictions and conflicts.
(Successful are those) who confine to their own rights,
Who strictly protect their own rights.
And shall treat usurpation of,
The rights of others strictly forbidden,
And those who adhere to truth,
They only are liberated from conflicts.
Beware though art sandwiched between contradictions and conflicts.
They who feed hungry, respect the others,
Readily take upon themselves the misfortune of the needy,
They alone are brave and valiant lions,
Beware though art sandwiched between contradictions and conflicts
Sheikh ul Alam’s poetry is full of warnings, and advises us how to eradicate these evils
from being particular to general. Now, it is up to us how much advantage we shall take from his
valuable poetry as he proved himself to be our real guide to develop our personality. Although
his poetry is written in seventeenth century but it is applicable to our present society, if we
follow the rules of Sheikh, which are completely based on Islamic teachings, our all problems
will be solved without any toil but unfortunately we ignorantly abhor them. The teachings of
Sheikh are based on love, equality, communal harmony and honesty which can eradicate all evils
and will be replaced by love and peace.

SHRINE OF SHEIKHULALAM SHEIKH NOORUDDIN NOORANI KASHMIRI AT CHRARE SHARIEF BUDGAM:CLICKED BY IMAD

Works Cited:
Aafaqui, Assadullah. Taleemat-i-Sheikh-ul-Alam. Vol. I. Delhi: Mekaf Printers, 1970-98. Print.
Gowhar, G.N. Kashmir Mystic Thought. Srinagar: Gulshan Books, 2009. Print.
Khan, Mohammad Ishaq. Kashmir’s Transition to Islam. Srinagar: Gulshan Books, 2005. Print.
Khan, Mohammad Ishaq. Sufis of Kashmir. Srinagar: Gulshan Books, 2011. Print.
Khuihami, Ghulam Hassan. Taarikh-e-Hassan. Srinagar: Research and publ. Dept,. Jammu and
Kashmir, 1954. Print
Malik, G.R. Kashmiri Culture and Literature. Srinagar: jaykay Books, 2013. Print.
Rafiqui, Abdul Qayoom. Sufism in Kashmir (Fourteenth to the Sixteenth century). Sydney:
Australia Goodword Media, 2003. Print.

ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN “THE CRITERION:AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL IN ENGLISH”

BY

Sumaya Firdous
Ph.D. Scholar
B.P.S Mahila Vishwavidhyalaya,
Khanpur Kalan
Sonepat Haryana (India)

SUFI SAINT AND POET JINAB SAMAD MIR SHAIB NAMALHAL DISTRICT BUDGAM FROM 1894 TO 1959

Samad mir shrine

Samad Mir  (1894-1959), known for his outstanding work Akanandun (The Only Son), continued the Sufi-mystic tradition in Kashmiri poetry in the 20th century. Samad Mir has used the folk tale of Akanandun to give expression to his own mystical ideas and present a synthesis between Tassavuf (sufism) and Trika (Shaivism). He has translated spiritual experience into poerty.
.
Kashmiri Literature has a history of at least 2,500 years, dating back to the glory days of Sanskrit.
The use of the Kashmiri language began with the poet Lalleshvari or Lal Ded (14th century), who wrote mystical verses. Another mystic of her time equally revered in Kashmir and popularly known as Nunda Reshi wrote powerful poetry like his senior Lal Ded. Later, came Habba Khatun (16th century) with her lol style. Other major names are Rupa Bhavani (1621-1721), Arnimal (d. 1800), Mahmud Gami (1765-1855), Rasul Mir (d. 1870), Paramananda(1791-1864), Maqbool Shah Kralawari (1820-1976). Also the Sufi poets like Shamas Fakir, Wahab Khar, Soch Kral, Samad Mir, and Ahad Zargar. Among modern poets are Ghulam Ahmad Mahjur (1885-1952), Abdul Ahad Azad (1903-1948), and Zinda Kaul (1884-1965).
During 1950s, a number of well educated youth turned to Kashmiri writing, both poetry and prose, and enriched modern Kashmiri writing by leaps and bounds. Among these writers are Dinanath Nadim (1916-1988), Rahman Rahi, Muzaffar Aazim, Ghulam Nabi Firaq, Amin Kamil (1923-) , Ali Mohd Lone, Akhtar Mohiuddin and Sarvanand Kaul ‘Premi’. Some later day writers are Hari Krishan Kaul, Majrooh Rashid, Rattanlal Shant, Hirdhey Kaul Bharti, Nazir Jahangir, Moti Lal Kemmu.
Traditional events are still popular and as in the other parts of Kashmir, poetry is highly appreciated. The art of storytelling, both entertaining and educational, considered a way for the transmission of moral teachings, is valued and a rich oral literature is still alive today.
The main language of Kashmir is Kashmiri. It is said that it is a mixed language and the greater part of its vocabulary is of Indian origin and it is allied to that of Sanskritic-Indo-Aryan languages of Northern India.
Kashmiri poetry begins with the works of great mystic poetess Lalleshwari of 14th century. These sayings are the gems of Kashmiri poetry and true knowledge of yoga. These are deep and sublime. She held a key to many mystic truths. The following stanza illustrates her deep mystic thought:
“So my lamp of knowledge afar,
Fanned by slow breath from the throat of me.
They, my bright soul to my self revealed.
Winnowed I abroad my inner light.
And with darkness around me sealed,
Did I garner truth and hold Him tight.”
(Translated by Sir Richard Temple)
Lal Ded thinks dissolution of ‘self’ (Aham) essential for Realization. According to her, Sadhaka has to reach that mental attitude where there is no difference between ‘Him’ and ‘self’. She says one who considers his own self and others alike ends the distinction between ‘I’ and ‘you’, who treats days and nights alike, who is above sorrows and pleasures, can only realize God in his own self. According to her, differentiation between the human soul and Divine-self was Zero. Lal Ded is the first woman mystic to preach medieval mysticism in Kashmiri poetry. She used metaphors, riddles and other mediums for her expression.
Like Lal Ded, another mystic poet of Kashmiri language is Nunda Rishi, who is known as Sheikh Nur-ud-Din alias Sahajanand.  He has given much importance to yogic practice- breath control for communion with God. Nunda Rishi favoured good action which is the secret of happiness in the world. He preached a disciplined life like this:
Desire is like the knotted wood of the forest
It cannot be made into planks, beams or into cradles;
He who cut and telled it,
Will burn it into ashes.
He considered rosary as a snake and favoured true worship:
Do not go to Sheikh and Priest and Mullah;
Do not feed the cattle or Arkh or leaves;
Do not shut thyself up in mosques or forests;
Enter thine own body with breath controlled in communion with God.
Samad Mir, a wonderful Sufi mystic poet of our beloved soil Kashmir lived in 20th century bequeathed heavenly verses and new approaches of mystic path and divine love. His verses are poetized in great rhythm, meter, deep connotation and knowledge about human behavior, existence of life and divine love. Samad Mir continued the Sufi mystical tradition in Kashmiri poetry in the 20th century.
Almost every poet of Kashmir has used Arabic and Persian dialect in their poetry, writers of the soil are influenced by Persian and Arabic poets but Samad Mir is the first Sufi mystic poet of Kashmir who utilized Sanskrit and Hindi words in his poetry in marvelous manner, it appears he had deep knowledge, cognition and grip on the both languages. Samad Mir had never went to school and was totally illiterate but his poetry is a clean combination of Islamic Sufism, while going through his poetry even well knowing person of Sanskrit and Hindi language could not spot any kind of error, it is pretty evident that even being an illiterate Samad Mir was a man of towering ability having immense knowledge and wisdom.
Alim Gaw Alim-e-Ludni
Tchalim Shakh Aam Badni
Porum Na Kaseh Nish Toosh
Karis Aarasteh Yaari
Knowledge is, knowledge of Deity
Doubt I left when I saw my Mursheed
I did not bow for the sake of knowledge
But my beloved (Mursheed) blessed me
Sammad Mir was born at Narwara Srinagar in the year 1894 and at the age of 65 he died in the year 1959. His Aastaan-i-Aaliya is situated at Agar, nearby village of Nambalhaar. Samad Mir belonged to a Sufi family, originally they were the residents of Nambalhar (Budgam) his father Khaliq Mir was also a Sufi poet who migrated from village Nambalhar to Narwara Srinagar at young age in search of earnings. He started working in a saw mill and eventually got married; he had three sons namely Samad Mir, Rahim Mir and Muhammad Mir. Till the age of maturity of Samad Mir, the whole family rested at Narwara but at the age of twenties Samad Mir decided to return back to Nambalhar whereas the Rahim Mir stayed at Narwara and unfortunately the third brother Muhammad Mir died very young about his twenties.
Samad Mir had two sons Gh. Rasool Mir and Gull Mohd Mir (also known as Aasi, died 8 September 1980) and one daughter Rehti. In the beginning Samad Mir started working as a labour with carpenters and masons but later join his parental job of timber sawing (Aari Kash).
Samad Mir used to visit various places in connection with work, once he went to Wagur, a village in Budgam where he met Habib Najar. When Samad Mir noticed that Habib Najar is influenced by Sufism, he started conversations with him because Sufism was also running in the blood of Samad Mir. After having discussions Samad Mir was very much impressed by Habib Najar so he decided to follow his directives. This way Samad Mir became the disciple of Habib Najar.
After the death of Habib Najar Samad Mir felt he is in need of more consciousness which could end his thirst, so he started search for another Mursheed and came in contact with Khaliq Najar of Batamaloo Srinagar with whom permission he initiated to write and poetized his first verses.
Veseh Kaar Mushkil Baar Gub Goom
Vet Raw Wun Peyoom
Gulaleh Panas Kaaleh Rang Goom
Vat Raw Wun Peyoom
Oh! My friend burden of work is weighty
But I had to endure
My rosy body turned into dark
But I had to endure
After the death of Khaliq Najar, Mir was shocked and suddenly stopped to write poetry, Mir did not wrote any verse for next 13 years but still was very eager to acquire more knowledge. At last he came under the influence of Faqir Ramzan Dar at Anchidora Anantnag Kashmir who pulled out the fire of his chest and ordered Mir to transform this fire into writing poetry so he started to pen down poetry again after a long time which ended till Mir breathed last.
It is not out of place to mention that Faqir Ramzan Dar is a revered and well known Sufi saint of a historical village Anchidora. From early times Sufi Saints from other places of Kashmir love to live their lives here because it a place where so many great Sufi saints used to meditate in divine love; it is a famous village for having the burial place of numerous Sufi saints. Faqir Ramzan Dar was the resident of village Anchidora and acquired fame because of his Karamaat’s, he has shown so many mystic powers during his life, people from far away villages used to give their presence to have a glimpse of spiritual master Faqir Ramzan Dar. His tomb is housed at Anchidora where hundreds of devotees give their presence. A Karamaat of Faqir Ramzan Dar is very famous throughout area which was also shown by his disciple Samad Mir.
After the demise of Faqir Ramzan Dar and Samad Mir both families remained in close touch and maintained good relation with each other. Samad Mir’s family used to visit the grandson of Faqir Ramzan Dar namely Mohammad Shaban Dar, a well known Sufi figure and poet, who looked after the Aastaan-i-Aaliya and the present structure has been built under his supervision. Mohammad Shaban Dar left this world in 2008. Samad Mir’s son Gull Muhammad Mir also known as Aasi with his disciples used to visit their father’s Mursheed. After his death Samad Mir’s elder son Ghulam Rasool Mir still continued to bestow his presence. Khalifa’s of the order of Samad Mir till date continue to visit the Mazar Sharief and family of their Mursheed Faqir Ramzan Dar.
It is in place to mention here that I belong to the family too and Faqir Ramzan Dar is my grand grandfather, Samad Mir’s family never quitted to offer their presence in our home also. At the time of Urs Pak of Faqir Ramzan Dar thousands of devotees from different walks of life visit in turnstile numbers.
When we go through the writings of different poets of Kashmir, we come to know that most of the poets have similar thoughts but variation in presentation. But Samad Mir being the best of bests has written absolutely different concepts. When we read a complete poem it seems to be poetized on Tasawwuf while other side tells the story of this world and living being. In early years of his poetry he was criticized for writing different style of poetry but time expresses the significance, gradually Samad Mir’s poetry attained everyone’s attention and people started to study him and today everyone knows that Samad Mir is a famous, reputed and eminent poet of Kashmir, who did not practiced the previous forms but defined his own versatile thoughts.
Ya Gasseh Guddeh Keh Panas Sanun
Nateh Bale Banun Apziyoor
Nakhoon Setie Aasmaan Khanun
Toteh Ma whatless Toor
Mir Sund Seer Gasseh Gairun Sanun
Yem Devi Abrah Moor
One should understand his own self first
Or to become a liar who perceived naught speaks more
It is as difficult as to make hole in the sky with nails
Still cannot be accomplished
Mir’s secret shall be empathized by general masses
Who restraint his inner self desires
In these above mentioned lines Samad Mir wants people to know his secrets, his scarifies of material wants in the path of love, one should experience how difficult is to outlive in the path of beloved that is why Mir says, “Mir’s secret shall be empathized by general masses”, so that they become known about the condition of Mir.
He did not penned only about mystical deeds, worldly concern things etc. Samad Mir has written numerous poems on Prophets, Wali’s and Sufi Saints of Islam. A beautiful poem composed about Hazrat Adam (ASWS) in which he delineates how did Allah SWT created this entire universe started from the very creation of Hazrat Adam ASWS. In the grand honor, respect and admiration of Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasalam he has poetized so many poems magnificently and has revealed the best state of bliss for being in mediation of Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasalam. These Naat-e-Sharief are the best work done, Samad Mir has brought life to his words written in the nobility of Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasalam. His art of defining is thoroughly unique and beyond any comparison; he has used words such beautifully that reader’s heart melts within seconds. It seems that Samad Mir has burned his blood till late hours of night while writing these endearing, heart winning and mesmerizing lines.
Kad Choonei Wuchh Meh Bala, Ya Muhammad Mustafa (SAW)
Had-o-Lahad Arsh-e-Aala, Ya Muhammad Mustafa (SAW)
Naam-i-Paak Choon Heun Tchu Dushwaar, Nishi Bo Aataar Ga’s-ha
Sad Hazaar Bar Ziev Bo Chal-ha, Ya Muhammad Mustafa (SAW)
I saw you most eminent, Ya Muhammad Mustafa (SAW)
You are beyond the bounds of skies and eternity, Ya Muhammad Mustafa (SAW)
I must go to perfume seller, before reciting you Noble Name,
Thousands of times I shall rinse my tongue, Ya Muhammad Mustafa (SAW)
Har Saba Durood-o-Salwaat Tchen Ma Kar Aikh Chuh Ti Saath
Paneh Sozaan Haq Talla, Ya Muhammad Mustafa (SAW)
In every breath keep reciting Durood and Salaam
Never halt for a fleeting moment
Allah (SWT) with his angels invoke blessings and greetings on You
Ya Muhammad Mustafa (SAW)
These above mentioned lines of Samad Mir get acknowledgment from the Holy Quran also, in Sura Al- Ahzaab Ayat- 56, Allah (SWT) says:
Surely Allah and (all) His angels invoke blessings and greetings on the Holy Prophet [blessings and peace be upon him]. O Believers! You (also) invoke blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation of peace abundantly (and fervently).
Samad Mir’s time was unlike than other Sufi poets who lived before him. Earlier Sufi masters or poets most of the time used to remain in meditation, Mehfil-e-Samma or in debates & discussions with their disciples. But time had altered various kinds of inventions took place and it was the time when radio was introduced in the valley Kashmir.
Once Samad Mir was invited by his disciple Mohd Yousuf Parata (worked at Radio Kashmir Srinagar) to be the part of a multilingual literary function (Mushaira), great philosophers, writers and poets of the time were also present in the function. Everyone was waiting for the start all of a sudden it was shocking for the seated people when they saw a man on the stage wearing Feran (Kashmiri outfit garment) with a villager cap on the head. They were astonished while seeing an illiterate man holding the mike to present the programme. The function was multilingual so Kashmiri as well as Urdu writer and poets were present to recite their best Kalaams.
The function was at its zenith when Samad Mir had turn to recite his Kalaam, Samad Mir made everyone speechless when he presented a new style of writing and recited a newest poem written in both Urdu & Kashmiri language, the poem was greatly honored by the critics of the time as well as by the youngsters present in the function. The poem experienced outstanding fame in the entire valley, till date the immortal lines of the poem are memorized by almost every Kashmiri on tip of the tongue.
Padh Padh Ke Gaya Pather, Likh Likh Ke Gaya Chhur
Jiss Padney Sey Sahib Miley Who Padna Hai Aur
By studying one turns to stone and by writing got crashed
By which Deity came to know, that Knowledge is different
The most popular and accepted image of Samad Mir having mike infront is also captured in the same function of Radio Kashmir Srinagar held at Shalimaar garden Srinagar.
Present time Khalifas of Samad Mir’s chain Gh. Nabi Hundoo of Buhri Kadal, Bashir Ahmad Beigh of Safa Kadal and Gh. Rasool Mir elder son of Samad Mir oftenly visits our home. Once having conversation with Gh. Rasool Mir about his father. He said that when Samad Mir started writing poetry frequently and any thought strikes his mind, being illiterate he used to call me (Gh. Rasool Mir) and asked to write down. According to Gh. Rasool Mir, at that time he was a youngster and was not as capable to write down complete words correctly sometimes he missed words and sometimes entire lines. When his father Samad Mir used to ask him another day to recite the lines he wrote, it was almost impossible for him to read his own written words which were roughly and wrongly written which results most of the Kalaam of Samad Mir was lost in the roughly lines of his son. An inhabitant of Wagur village namely Ali Shah (known as Ali Saab) also used to write Samad Mir’s poetry.
A huge collection of his writing was written and memorized by his disciples who used to recite their Mursheed’s Kalaam in functions or in Mehfil-e-Samma. One more name, his contribution cannot be ignored, one of the best singers of Kashmir, king of Chakri (type of traditional song) Ghulam Ahmad Sofi, he remained bonded with Samad Mir for a pretty long time and has sung so many Kalaams in presence of Samad Mir in various functions.
Sag-e-Ashaaf Kahaff Laag Jaananas
Tag yeye Godeh Kaas Panas Tchai
Rag-e-Nistar Dith Lageh Har Taanas
Tag yeye Godeh Kaas Panas Tchai
Be faithful to your beloved as dog of Ashaaf Kahaff
If you can do, eliminate your shadow first
(Shadow makes you two; alter it in oneness because deity is One)
Prick anywhere in vein causes pain in entire body
If you can do, eliminate your shadow first
John Keats says that poetry gets entire fame which is poetized about ones desires, difficulties and painfulness. From hundreds of years a folk tale known as AKANANDUN (The only Son) is being dramatized as well as poetized by so many writers, artists and poets.  AKANANDUN is a story having anguish, sufferings, distress and wishes which magnetizes everyone’s intention. From decades Akanandun has been remembered and has won people’s heart residing in every corner of the valley Kashmir.
AKANANDUN (The only Son) has been written by many poets in their own style viz. Bahadur Ganie in 15th century, Ramzan Bhat in 19th century, Tara Chand (Bismil Kashmiri) in 20th century , Samad Mir and Abdul Ahad Zargar.
Besides usual poems Samad Mir is well known throughout Kashmir for his stupendous work Akanandun, he has used the folk tale of Akanandun to bestow manifestation to his own mystical thoughts. Samad Mir’s Akanandun has been penned in fourteen parts and all the characters are Hindus.
Saneh Truva Sheth Bay Chu Sheytaji Yeh Saal (1346 Hijri)
Kan Thavith Man Previth Wun Meh Haal
Akanandun Tie Hareh Suna Maal Tchuie Ishar
Jugee Galib Peer Talib Kuorr Ti Maar
This is 1346 Hijri I wrote the folk tale Akanandun
Listen carefully the story I tell is heart touching
Akanandun and his parents are just symbolic characters
Jugee (saint) is dominant, sisters are disciples
Samad Mir says that the characters in the story like AKANANDUN his father King HARNAAM, mother SUNMAAL, JUGGEE, SEVEN SISTERS etc. are just symbolic, actually he wants to express his deep thoughts about the actual relation between Mursheed and his disciple, how a disciple should forget and bury his own self for the love of his guide (Mursheed) which is also an imperative stage in Tmasawwuff called FANNA-FI-SHEIKH.

Stages in the Mystical life of Shaikh-ul- AalamR.A-Shuja Assad

Abstract:
Mysticism in Islam is named “Sufism” or in Arabic it is called “Tasawwaf”. Some trace its
etymology to Greeks and others to Turkey but Sufism and Tasawwaf is akin to Islam. The word
„initiate‟ serves to indicate that in order to embark on the spiritual path, a special rite of
initiation is an indispensible prerequisite. It is known as „Biat‟ or surrender to the Peer.
Presently, there is a wide agreement that Sufism is the animated spirit of Islamic tradition and its
origin is in the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet (SAW).1
Mysticism is a concept of spirituality that makes its appearance, as an inward dimension
and attempts to separate the mystical element from the religion, which is its outward support. It
is a spiritual path that stands on two dimensions. The two dimensions are exoterism and
esoterism. Both enjoy a relationship that is independent and also dependent. The relationship is
described by Nicholson as the outward religion, known in Islam as „Sharia‟ and inner truth may
be likened to „Haqiqa‟. Thus the mystical or „initiatic‟ path (tariqa) may lead from outward
observance to inner conviction, from belief to vision, from potency to act2.
Keywords: Sufism; Tasawwaf; Mysticism; Islam.
Introduction:
Shaikh Noor ud Din, commonly known as Shaikh ul Aalam, Nund Rishi, Alamdar-eKashmir, Taj ul Awliya, (the crown of saints of Kashmir) whom Kashmiri Pundits call
Shahzanand3, was undoubtedly a blessed and true proponent of pure and virgin message of God,
although of a Muslim affiliation this great saint of Northern India is revered and respected by
both Hindu and Muslim communities in a predominantly Muslim society. Shaikh ul Alam owes

the credit for laying the foundation of an indigenous order of in the fifteenth century the Rishi
order. He was born in a village called Qaimoh (some sixty kilometers South-East of capital
Srinagar) in 779/1378 A.D of a pious couple, Shaikh Salar ud Din and Sadra, known for their
piety God-fearing ways4. A born ascetic, Shaikh ul Aalam busied himself completely in
meditation, remembrance of God, prayers and ascetic practices. In his late teens, he chose a cave
as his abode near his birthplace for all his practices and meditations. After twelve years of
retirement, Shaikh ul Aalam adopted some disciples and undertook an extensive tour of valley,
living for long stints at different places and preaching his simple gospel of un-worldliness,
purity, piety, fear of God and love for humanity. He died in 1438 A.D at a place called Rupawan,
and Zain ul Abidin himself led the funeral prayers. He was buried at Charar-e-Sharief where his
final resting place has become an object of pilgrimage for all Kashmiris regardless of their
religion, caste and creed.
The most dominant influence on Kashmir society and literature in terms of their
religious and cultural heritage has been of Sufism or Rishiyat. Rishism is an
independent Sufi order of Kashmir. The term Rishi is itself clearly a derivation from
Sanskrit and Indian tradition, though some medieval scholars have tried to show that it
is derived from Persian word “Raish or Rish, meaning feathers5”. Consequently, then,
the Rishi Movement, in spite of its local origins vis-à-vis its distinctive characteristicsextreme ascetic discipline, vegetarianism, celibacy and non-violence began to be
looked with favor by the standard-bearers of the Shari’ah and Sunnah including the
revered Sufis and hagiographers belonging to the Suharwardiya, Kubrawiya and
Naqshbandiya orders. So important was the Rishi Movement in the traditional Kashmiri
society that several of its unique social and religious characteristics were not regarded
as an alien. The strength of its social authority not only lay in its denunciation of the
Brahmanic notions of caste but, also, in the satisfaction that it gave to the spiritual
instincts of the people in the Hindu-Buddhist environment of the valley. It is pertinent to
say that Rishism had struck strong holds in Kashmir prior to the advent of Islam in the
region. The anti-caste crusade was most forcefully articulated by the founder of the
Muslim Rishi order, Noor ud Din Noorani6.
Shaikh Noor ud din‟s mystical career falls in to three main stages: the first is
that of an orphan struggling to eke out his mundane existence. The second is that of an
ascetic who withdraws himself from worldly affairs in order to know the religious truth
and in the third and final stage he gives up the life of a reculse to advocate ethics of a
dynamic and positive nature.
First Stage :
In his first stage, some unfortunate circumstances seem to have moulded Noor
ud din‟s outlook towards affairs during the earlier phase of his religious career. He
became an orphan at an early age; besides, the death of Lal Ded and Sayyid Husain
Simnani deprived the young Noor ud din of their spiritual care. The Sanz family seems
to have lived in abject poverty after the death of Shaikh Salar, as is evidenced by the
thefts committed by Noor ud din‟s brothers in order to survive. Noor ud din is also
reported to have been asked by his two brothetrs, Shesh and Kundar, to help in a
burglary but he did not come up to their expectations since he showed an abhorrence

for the life of a thief. When he entered a village hut in order to commit a theft he „„came
out empty handed” and ran away after throwing his own blanket over the povertystricken inmates of the house. On another occasion he was asked by his brothers to
take care of a cow they had stolen. While driving the cow he heard a dog bark, Wow,
Wow. Suddenly Noor ud din was overcome with a sense of guilt. Wow means „sow‟ in
Kashmir. Thinking that the dog was reminding him that what he sowed in this world
would be reaped by him in the hereafter. He let loose the cow;
The dog is calling from the courtyard,
My brothers pay heed to (what he says)
He who sows here shall reap there
The dog is urging Sow, or Sow7.
Another interesting anecdote regarding the Shaikh‟s early life is narrated by him in a
verse. He was sent to learn the craft of weaving by his mother, but he couldnot become an
apprentice since the tools of the weaver inspired his muse:
One instrument holds my rapt attention.
The other teaches me renounce the world;
The paddle points down to the grave;
This is the craft to which my parents have apprenticed me8.
A conversation between the Shaikh and the weaver recorded in the hagiological
literature is worthy of notice. The Shaikh is reported to have been dissatisfied with the
commonplace answer of the weaver when asked to explain the movement of the shuttle „„through
the tangle of threads.” In the weavers explaination that the cloth was woven because of the to and
fro movement of the thread through the shuttle, the Shaikh found an inner meaning. His
explanation was that the movement of the shuttle was symbolic of two doors of the world, the
one through which we enter (birth) and the other through which we leave (death). The shuttle
thus resembles man who carrying the thread of his destiny, tosses to and fro in this world, and
departs when the thread is exhausted9.
The other –worldliness of the Shaikh did not permit him to learn the weavers craft. This is
why he deprecated the importance of living in the world.
„„Why did I not listen to Death, the friend,
Who can propitiate him, the great Destroyer?
Few are my pieties but piled up the sins;
Little have I gained by my birth in the world 10.

IInd Stage:
The Shaikh retired to a cave at Qaimoh, the place of his birth. He gave various excuses to
his mother when she insisted on his returning home. He talks about the insolent riches of the
world, human desires, anger and ego, which preoccupy the human mind. He draws lured pictures
of the day of judgement and hell to impress upon his mother the futility of paddling one‟s own
canoe in the material world:
This life is a hollow bubble;
We are just a drop in its vast ocean,
An ass like me is unable to bear its brunt,
Having deserted home, why should I care to live11?
Noor ud din himself expounds as to why he took to the jungle early in life, in the true spirit
of the rishis:
In the pursuit of mundane affairs my desires became limitless;
So I retired to the jungle, early in life,
May the Lord saturate the Rishi‟s mind with longing for thee;
For I remember with gratitude how kind Thou art12.
Noor ud din‟s decision to lead an ascetic‟s life which marks the beginning of the second stage in
his religious career seems to have been voluntary. It was influenced by his craving for seeking
the truth.
The path of renunciation followed by the rishis preceding him and their extreme ascetic habits
must have also played an important part in shaping his outlook on worldly life. It is unlikely that
the penance in the cave was undertaken at the command of any saint.
The company of saints I did not keep,
Till right moment and youth slipped by‟
Wrongly did I attach (myself) to the world;
Have the play and let‟s go home13.
Having thus secluded himself in the cave in the manner of the rishis, the Shaikh combined
the daunting series of recitations of God‟s name with extremes of asceticism, self mortification,
long fasts, and sexual abstinence. In order to discipline his soul, he followed extreme ascetic
practices to free himself from his sensual self. The Shaikh subsisted on wild vegetables and did
not touch meat.The ethics of asceticism finds a systematic exposition in the conversations which

the Shaikh had with his mother and wife in the cave. The doctrine of negation of the wordly life
is emphasized when his mother urges him to return home:
Mother donot pester me;
Nund has already buried himself,
Mother the world is mortal;
Therefore, I have retired to the cave14.
Reacting to his mother‟s insistence on his taking enough food, the Shaikh remarks:
How can (good) food satiate (my spiritual thirst), mother?
Give it to a dog or a Brahaman
Can‟t I crush my ego?
Having renounced home, why should I care to live15.
And when His wife, Zia Ded implores her Husband to give up the path of renunciation, the
Shaikh says;
Zia, have love for the next world;
Groping in the dark will lead you nowhere16.
Most of the verses composed by the Shaikh in the cave bear an endelible mark of Saivite
philosophy. According to Sivadaita or the Trika philosophy of Kashmir, the atman, meaning the
true and innermost self, is present everywhere and is in every being. It “is a changeless reality of
the nature of a purely experiencing principle, as distinguished from whatever may assume the
form of either the experience or the means of experience17.”
Third Stage:
In the prime of his youth the socio-cultural tradition represented by Noor ud din was purely
mystical rather than of this world. His conception of the universe and things around him was
such as could have led to a separation of himself from these phenomena. The self-image of man,
according to such a view, was that of a quasi-divine being whose only aim was to attain a
mystical union with God. The crystallization of such a process began when Noor ud din came in
contact with Sayyid Muhammmad Hamadani R.A, who is reputed to have played an important
role in the spread of Islamic teachings in Kashmir along with a number of his disciples.The
Sayyid became the spiritual preceptor of the Shaikh when the later was in his early 30‟s is
attested to not only by documentary evidence, but also by a new trend in his thought. It will
suffice to say that from now on, the mystic Noor ud din addressed himself to the task of
reforming society by becoming a conscious missionary. After meeting Sayyid Muhammmad
HamadaniR.A, Shaikh changed his philosophy of life completely and no more followed seclusion
in the cave. In addition to his routine activities, he became a preacher and a social reformer and

toured almost all parts of valley to spread the message of universal truth and brotherhood. Infact
it was his association with the Kubrawi Sufis that lead to a great change in his thought.
Thus, after spending twelve years in the cave, the Shaikh realised that physical seclusion
associated with asceticism, however useful it may be in the inculcation of self-discipline, does
not make up its essence. Rather, it lies in emulating the example of the Prophet Muhammad
(SAW):
There are jackals and monkeys in the forests;
The caves are infested with rats;
Those who offer prayers five times a day to wash off the dirt of their heart;
Those who lead a family life, they are privileged.
A dutiful House holder will be crowned (with success on the day of judgement);
The messenger of Allah (Muhammmad ) led a marital life and won the Divine grace18.
Social obligations towards children, the wife and other members of a family thus appear
in the Shaikh‟s thought as the most important manifestations of the religious duties enshrined in
the Shariah of Muhammad (SAW). His denunciation of his own wanderings in the jungles during
his early days points to the cardinal feature of his thought that basic social obligations are not to
be neglected even after a complete surrender to divine obligations. While addressing his disciple,
Nasr Baba, the Shaikh recollects an earlier time of spiritual ebb and flow, when his love was not
perfect, and how he sought to assuage his anguish by retiring to the cave;
Nasr Baba, it did not behove me to retire to the jungle,
I thought it was a supreme act of worship;
Lo: it was an ignominy;
But the truth was revealed only after instrospection19.
After meeting Sayyid Muhammmad Hamadani R.A, Shaikh was not opposed to the world and its
social system but rather moved within the social order so qualitatively informing his personal
relations with men as to enter into the contentment of God. True, he was indifferent to political
institutions, but even so his greatest achievement lay in ennobling the conduct of the reigning
Sultan, Zain-ul-Abidin, who richly deserved the title of the „Great King‟ or Badshah . It is
remarkable that when Badshah first sought the guidance of the Shaikh, he was advised to make
sustained efforts for administering justice in his kingdom20.
CITATIONS
1. Rafiqi, Sufism in Kashmir. Gulshan Publishers, Srinagar, p-24.
2. Stoddart and Nicholson, Vol. 1, Sufism, Adam Publishers, Delhi-6, p.1-4
3. Khuihami, Ghulam Hassan. Taarikh-e-Hassan. Srinagar: Research and publ. Dept,.
Jammu and Kashmir, 1954. Print

4. Aafaqui, Assadullah. Taleemat-i-Sheikh-ul-Alam. Vol. I. Delhi: Mekaf Printers, 1970-98.
Print.
5. Rafiqui, Abdul Qayoom. Sufism in Kashmir (Fourteenth to the Sixteenth century).
Sydney: Australia Goodword Media, 2003. Print.
6. Khan, Mohammad Ishaq. Sufis of Kashmir. Srinagar: Gulshan Books, 2011. Print. Khan,
7. Khan, Mohammad Ishaq. Kashmir‟s Transition to Islam. Srinagar: Gulshan Books, 2005.
P-98.
8. Parimoo B.N. Nund Rishi: Unity in Diversity, p-34.
9. Khan, Mohammad Ishaq. Kashmir‟s Transition to Islam. Srinagar: Gulshan Books, 2005.
P-99.
10. Parimoo B.N . Nund Rishi: Unity in Diversity, p-144.
11. Parimoo B.N . Nund Rishi: Unity in Diversity, p.53-544.
12. Khan, Mohammad Ishaq. Kashmir‟s Transition to Islam. Srinagar: Gulshan Books, 2005.
Pp-99.
13. Khan, Mohammad Ishaq. Kashmir‟s Transition to Islam. Srinagar: Gulshan Books, 2005.
p-100.
14. Ajir, Ghulam Muhammad. “Rishiyat Ki Nafsiyati Tawil,” Rishiyat, p-116.
15. Khan, Mohammad Ishaq. Kashmir‟s Transition to Islam. Srinagar: Gulshan Books, 2005.
P-102.
16. Khan, Mohammad Ishaq. Kashmir‟s Transition to Islam. Srinagar: Gulshan Books, 2005.
P-102.
17. Chatterji, J.C, Kashmir Shaivism, p-43.
18. Aafaqui, Assadullah. Taleemat-i-Sheikh-ul-Alam. Vol. I. Delhi: Mekaf Printers, 1970-98.
P-167 .
19. Khan, Mohammad Ishaq. Kashmir‟s Transition to Islam. Srinagar: Gulshan Books, 2005.
P-134.
20. Khan, Mohammad Ishaq. Kashmir‟s Transition to Islam. Srinagar: Gulshan Books, 2005.
P-134.

Spiritual Poetry of Kashmir-Dr.Mahjabeen Akhter

Abstract:
The Valley of Kashmir has been an bode of different cultures and
civilizations. Many famous religious currents like Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam
have played a prominent role in shaping the socio-cultural fabric of Kashmir
Valley. It has been a home of famous saints, Pirs and Rishis and is commonly
known as ‘Resh vir’ such as abode of Rishis. Given this background, it is no wonder
that Kashmir Valley has produced famous and rich spiritual or devotional poetry
produce d by famous mystic poets. The present paper is based on the spiritual
poetry of Kashmir. It’s origin and it’s influence in the life of Kashmiris have also
been taken into consideration.

.

Introduction:
Spiritual poetry of Kashmir is also known as ‘devotional poetry’. In the
Indian tradition, the term to denote devotion is ‘bhakti’ derived from a Sanskrit
verbal root bhaj-which bears two primary connotations that may take us closer to
a definition of devotion.
Dictionary definitions will be of little use in explaining the essence of the
term, though all attempts to describe devotion throw in expressions relating to
emotionality, spirituality and religiousness. Devotion is at times identified with
intense love then again with prayer and religious worship and else with passionate
attachment. Devotion is not itself prayer or worship, but it is the invigorative
quality of devotion that makes religious pursuits meaningful.

It is devotion, an immense sense of living devotion concealed in the
innermost layer of the musical reality. It is a devotion coupled with readiness for
complete self-sacrifice, a devotion that reaches out beyond even the conception
of self only to lead the devoted soul to full mergence with the cosmic stream of
love. It is likewise true that devotion constitutes the quintessence of spirituality
which is again the fundament of religiousness, but the intensity of devotion
exceeds by far the depth of spiritual perception and resulting concerns of
religiosity.
The devotional poetry or poetry of faith are equally related a “Aqeedat”
meaning “Faith” has been derived from Arabic language .Its literal meaning implies
“a fact accepted as truth and preserved in heart with love and respect”.
Discussion:
The devotional poetry of Kashmir was originated with the spread of
Islam in Kashmir. The Persian language entered Kashmir along with its culture. This
laid its impact on Kashmiri language and culture to the extent, giving rise to a
cultural revolution and made Kashmir little Iran. All the prevailing art, skills of
Persian language entered the Kashmiri art and literature which included all forms
of spiritual poetries.
In devotional poetry faith is seen as an important topic, hand in hand
joined with sacred secret in Kashmiri poetry from the beginning. The basic subject
of the poetry of faith is the expression of love for God, Prophet (s.a.w), the
beloved personality in religion and spirituality, with a wish to take it as a source
and improve the life after death, to avert the evils, sorrows and sadness, to serve
as a prayer getting their wishes fulfilled. The devotional poetry or poetry of faith
are actually part of religious and spiritual poetry. Its range is similar to that of love
poetry. Among the forms of poetry, only religious poetry which by virtue of the
experience through the creation of tongue has paved a way for building
similarities of worshipping objects. 1

The spiritual poetry of Kashmir was nourished by the saint poets of
Kashmir. Today this poetry has rich value in the life of Kashmiris. This poetry is
recited on different occasions and festivals according to their religion and faith.
There are different forms of spiritual or devotional poetries of Kashmir as Hamud
(admiration and a praise for God), Munajat, Naat , Manqabat, Marsi, are the
different forms of the poetry of faith. The major part of Kashmiri poetry consists of
the poetry of faith and religion.
Hamud(admiration or praise of Lord:
Hamud is an Arabic word means -worthy notes, praise and admire the
lord of the universe and offer thanks to almighty Allah.
The Hamud according to the convention of literature, determine it as a
poem or verse which expresses the various and innumerable characteristics of
God as a creater without any peer,equal or partner.
Sham-ul-Rehman Farooqi writes in “Darsi Balagat”, Hamud is the poem or
verse in which the praise and admiration of Almighty is narrated, with the poetic
to pray through manifold admirable qualities.2
Nishat Ansari admires the definition of Hamud in “partaw Journal”, any
verse from with rhythmic and poetic account expressing a praise, admiration and
pray, is known as Hamud. Hamud in literal sense means praise in honor of the
creator alone i.e., God’s grandeur, Greatness, loneliness, might supremacy and
exaltedness. It also includes to pray Him, offer gratitude and thanks to God who
bestows life and sources to live.3
After a keen search of facts in the history of global literature it is obvious
that the beginning of writing Hamud comes from Arabic language and the first
Hamud writing poets are Kus Bin Saed-ul-Ayari and Umro Bin Maed Yakrub
although they lived in the age of ignorance, yet they believed in God whose love
made them write Hamdia poetry

The art of writing Hamdia poetry become popular when the heavenly book,
the “Holy Quran” descended in which God mentioned the first chapter with
Hamud, known as “Sura Hamud”. This caused the Muslim poets divert their
attention towards Hamud.
This poetry was first introduced in Kashmir by Sheikh-ul-Alam a saint poet
of Kashmir in his Sheikh Shruik- Faith formulated facts of religious saints. Sheikhul-Alam has versified the laudable qualities and characteristics of God with a
melodious attractive and unique way of praise e.g;
Khudai chuh akoei naw chis lachah
Zikri rous akh kachah mo
Womberi vanden akaie bachah
Rizke rous akh mechah mo. 4
i.e., God is one with names billion
Bowing, praising and praying whom everyone
He is eternal without a Peer
Sends food to all before the set of Sun.
Munajat Poetry(Suppoication Poetry):
Munajat poetry is also known as supplication poetry. When a person gets
disappointment from all sources. At length , every heart tolerate the burden when
it goes heavy, when the artist fails fighting against such mental and external
oppression, when a person does not meet to respond by seeking assistance from
the persons of rule and authority. He turns to nature, God, and a supreme power
or in other words he cries before a supreme power in order to get satisfaction.
This cry is an expression. In other words, this cry is known as Munajat-(prayer)
when uttered and expressed by a poet. Munajat is found, in all the works of global

art and literature in one way or the other. There are the best works, documents,
written in Persian, Arabic, and Urdu languages and the Kashmiri literature is not
behind in this aspect.
The history of Munajat in Kashmiri art and literature is old enough. The
foundation of Munajat in Kashmiri literature was laid by Lal Ded (a saint poetess of
Kashmir) and Sheikh-ul-Alam with their notable and renowned Munajat.
Around 1250 (Alhijra) the renowned saint poets such as; Wali-ul-Lah
Mutto, Kutub-ud-Din Waiz, Mehmood Gami, Mir Sana-ullah Krerie, Maqbool Shah
Kralawari, Mehjoor ,wrote Prayer and supplication in their songs, war, events etc.
The art of writing supplication poetry was blessed the worthy notes by the other
Kashmiri Muslim and non-Muslim poets.5
During the Chuck period in Kashmir. The anonymous writer of a heroic
poem, known as “AHKAMI ISLAM .”This poem contains many supplications and
prayers. It is said that Sultan Gazi Chack got it written. The teacher of Yousuf Shah
Chak known by the name of Mullah Ahmad Mehri- the king of poets written many
supplications.
Supplication writer Mehmood Gami was born on 1855 A.D his famous

prayer as:

Ya Elahi ker ijabat der duaa Rbigfir Zanoobi Kuluha. 6

i.e., Oh God grant acceptance to my prayer
and pardon all my sins.
The another famous supplication poetry written by the modern poet Ghulam
Ahmad Mehjoor which is the tip of the tong of every Kashmiri as;
Sahibo sath chehm may chaenie wath may
Aslech hawtum
Kouth kaleh rozeh bayzan zanhund mess

chawtum. 7
i.e., Oh GodThou are my support, show me the
right way
How long shall I be unknown, help me to
Drink wine of knowledge.
Natia Poetry:
The word Naat is derived from the Arabic language which is commonly
used for an applaud. It is also known as “Eulogy”. It implies a quality or a
characteristic, especially when you exaggerate a thing in its applause, only then
Eulogy is used. An applauder who narrated applause is known as Eulogist. It gives
us various meaningful spheres which are vast and vital.8
To determine the first and formost use of Eulogy in narrating the Qualities
of our beloved Prophet (s.a.w) is very difficult Sayed Rafi-ud-Din Ashfaq opines
that Hazrat Ali (a.s) expressed the formost Eulogy in honour of prophet of
Islam(s.a.w).
Apparently, the goal and determination of Eulogy seems simple. It is felt
that Eulogy is the name of applause and praise in honor of our beloved
Prophet(s.a.w) only. But a keen study of Eulogy Present in Urdu, Arabic and
Persian appraise as of the vital, vast and greatness of its topic. It is a fact that
applause is an essential topic Eulogy. So Naatia poetry (Eulogy poetry) is written
in honour of the pious features of Prophet Mohammad (s.a.w) with regard to his
noble ancestors, autobiography, character, honesty, with elevated and peerless
principles, morality and what not. This is recorded as first Eulogy document in
Arabic language.9
In addition to the applauses, significant qualities of our beloved Prophet
(s.a.w) Eulogy contains the topic with an expression of esteem, respect and

reverence on Thy(s.a.w) pious life, responsibility, Wars, miracles, qualities, lessons,
guidance, directives, assistance, humanity, kindness, manners , habits, activities,
interaction attitudes behaviour, personal incidents and events with consequent
details.
The other part gives an account of Your (s.a.w) pious life which include
Thy birth, look after nourishment, the events from Thy childhood to the
declaration of Thy Prophethood etc.
Sheikhul Alam is our first poet who wrote and founded poetry of applauds.

After Sheikhul Alam the skill of writing the sacred Eulogy in Kashmiri
literature flourished equally and the Kashmiri poet and singer offered their tribute
of love to it and thus pleasing the noble and pious heart of the Holy Prophet of
Islam(s.a.w). Be it Mirza Akmal-ud-Din khan Badakshi(r.a), Khawaja Habibullah
Nowshehri, Mehmood Gami, Peer Aziz –Ullah Hakani, Nazim, Nadim, Mir SanaUllah Krieri, Wali-ul-Lalh Mutto, all these have applauded the miracles,
achievements and qualities of the beloved Prophet(s.a.w) . Verses of the famous
Natia poetry of Abdul Ahad Nazim:
Royeh pak hao ya Rasoolulah
Mintha thaao ya Rasoolulah
Sayidul Mursaleen yikna sonoie
Lol aam chonai hao deedar.
i.e., Show Thy sacred face o’the Prophet of Allah
be obliged to our request, o’the Prophet of Allah
Thou are the leader and Head of all the Prophet

of God come to ours. 10
Manqabat Poetry:
Manqabat “an applause”is a praise in verse expressing the greatness of
some one. Manqabat is confined to imply the greatness and exalted status of
particular person like supplicative form and Eulogy. Manqabat is confined to
applaud and admire the greatnss of proper person. Manqabat is not divided into
subparts. Every Manqabat related to a particular personality is given the subject
essential as a topic at the top e.g., Manqabat Shahi Jeelan(a.s),Manqabat Shahi
Hamdan(r.a), Manqabat Hazrat Ali(a.s),Manqabat Sheikhul Alam(r.a) etc.
Dr.Margoob Banihali says, “the fundamental identity of a Manqabat is
hiddenin two things: The first one demands a writer to know all about the
spiritual,physical and practical aspects of life of the person, applauded and
admired in his Manqabat, with his complete knowledge and command. The
second one demands his responsibility in professing the firm faith upon “one-ness
of God” and Prophethood with supremacy in Prophet of Islam(s.a.w).”
According to Margoob Banihali,”the most scoring mighty natured
Manqabat in Kashmiri language has been said in honour of Hazrat Sayid Mohi-udDin Abdul Qadir Jeelani (r.a).” The poetic applauses in honour of Hazrat Amir Kabir
Sayed Ali Hamdani(r.a) comes the next and the third one stands in honour of
Hazrat Sheikh Hamza Mukhdoom (r.a). The Manqabat in honour of Hazrat Sheikh
Bahaw-ud-Din Nakash Band (r.a), is numbered the fourth and fifth one is related
to Sheikh Hamza Noor-ud-Din Noorani(r.a).
The most numbered Manqabat are written in honour of Hazrat Ali (a.s).
The relm of Kashmiri Manqabat is a treasure which can create great offices of
literature for the betterment of the world. This is the most important, attractive
and charming artful skill of Kashmiri literature.11
Manqabat poetry in Kashmiri literature initiated during 14th century A.D.
Sheikhul Alam wrote this way a Manqabat in honour of the Hazrat Fatima the

beloved daughter of Prophet of Islam and in honour of Hazrat owaes Qarni(a.s)
the famous companion of prophet of Islam.
There are also another famous poets who wrote Manqabats; like
Mehmood Gami, Abdul Ahad Nazim, Wahab Parray, Mehjoor, Fazil Kashmiri.
Although our Kashmiri poetry records the traces of its origin before Lal Ded
and Sheikhul Alam(r.a) with signs, samples and events, yet, it is not available
because of the ups and downs of the time. Although, her poetry does not present
any applausive verse. Yet the Shruik written by Sheikhul Alam (r.a) frequently
present Manqabat. He has diverted his keen attention towards Hamud, Eulogy and
applauses. He has admired the dignified and glorified status of Charyar (four
friends of Prophet Mohammad (s.a.w), Ali Bayat Athar( the family members of
Prophet (s.a.w),different saints and religious persons with firm faith love and
hope.
Marsi (Elegy):
In Greek, Latin, and English languages, a Marsia is known as (a) Elegy (b)
Elegeia (c) Elgy, All the three words imply: A Mournful, sorrowful or plaintive
poem especially a lament for the dead poetry or a poem written in Elegic metre. A
sad or mournful musical composition. Marsia is that part of a literature in which
the qualities and noble deeds of a hero are lamented upon after his pious death.
The main objective of a Marsia is to convey the message of hero’s character and
his noble deeds with all the worth applaudable expression to others as a lesson in
a positive way. Conventionally, a Marsia is that part of a literature in which the
exalted status, greatness, noble, deeds, kind nature and other qualities of a dead
personality or a martyr are lamented and mourned upon with a melancholic
expression.12
In other words , Marsia is a word related to Arabic language. It has been
derived from the word “RISSA” is that poetry which implies to glorify the qualities
and sacred deeds of a dead personality.

Zain-ul-Abidin writes: “RISSA” is that poetry in which the death of a dead
one is mourned upon, condolence of his relatives and friends is mentioned.
It can not be said how and when an Elegy was started as a verse form.
However, it is an admitable fact that the impact of sorrows, sadness and miseries
are obvious in human history from its very existence. The legends of Ramayina and
Mahabharta also present the mournful and sad events. The oldest history of
Kashmir “Raj Tarangini” also cite such several and mournful events in a versified
expression, which can be included in the realm of an Elegy. There are different
ways to express pain, suffering, sadness and distress. One method to expres
sadness is manual and physical mourning i.e. beating chest and head, puling hair
etc. This pattern of mourning passed on with the development and achieved the
name of an Elegy.
The Marsia poetry begin in Kaskhmiri literartue when Hazrat Amir kabir Mir
Sayed Ali Hamdani came for the first time to Kashmir in 766 Hijra, from Iran. This
was the period of Kashmir’s ruler Sultan Qutub-ud-Din, who was the father of
Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin (Budshah). He was fond of knowledge and a great lover of
Art and literature and his popularity thus brought scholars, teachers, Ulmas, poets,
artists, painters and men of spirit from Iran in a good number. Sadats were most
among them, who were God loving, pious, religious and kind. They visited Kashmir
in crowds together with their main aim to preach Islamic teaching and knowledge.
This was one aspect of their life. Other aspect was that they were true lovers of
the beloved Prophet of Islam (s.a.w) true at heat, lovers and devotee of
Prophet(s.a.w) Ahli Bait (family members and companions) and intimate friends of
the martyrs of Karbala.
This fact is known that the subject and title of Kashmiri Marsi (Elegy) is
basically the most tragic event of Karbala and Martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain
(a.s) and about thousands of Elegies have been composed on this subject in the
last seven hundred years. In addition, the Elegies written another topics, other
than the event of Karbala are a few and can not be countable.1 An Elegy is written

by Sham Bibi on the death of Hazrat Sheikhul Alam(r.a) and Maqbool Shah
Kralwari has written on some rulers, kind virtuous people. The fact is that such
Elegies are a few. The Elegies written on the most tragic and inhuman event of
Karbala, which remarks the most groanful Elegy till the end of the world.
The Elegies written in memory of the most tragic event of Karbala present
the painful moments whose impact move hearts and bring tears. These Elegies
mention the greatest sacrifice of Hazrat Imam Hussain(a.s), matchless martyrdom,
the sorrows and miseries of Karbala desert , the hunger and thirst of Ahli Bait (a.s)
battle field, bloodshed of innocent and the heart burnt scenes of fixed tents. On
the day of martyrdom (ashoora).
Conclusion:
It has been concluded that the spiritual poetry of Kashmir has a great
influence in the life of Kashmiris. It is a way to express their emotionality,
spirituality, religiousness, prayer and religious worship. The Kashmiri saint poets
nourished it by their blood. All the spiritual forms of poetry have a greater
importance in the life of kashmiris. This poetry is mostly recited on different
occasions, religious gatherings and festivals also. This also play a rich cultural
heritage in Kashmir. In this way, all the forms of spiritual poetry implies a fact
accepted as truth and preserved in heart with love and respect.
References
1.Kashur Ancyclopedia (Aqeedati Shairee), Cultural Academy, 2002, Vol-4, P-268.
2.Sham-u-Rehman, Darsi Balagat, Srinagar, 1988,P-214.
3.Ansari Nishat, (Hamdia Nazam No)Vide., Maqbool Sajid, Kahris Adbus Menz
Hamdia Shairee ( A study Dissertation for M.Phil), Kashmiri Department, University
of Kashmir, Srinagar, 2007,P-3.

4.Saqui Moti lal, Kulyat-e-Sheikh-ul-Alam, Cultural Academy, Srinagar, Feb., 1998,
Vol-I, P-9.
5.Ibid., P-8.
6.Munawar Naji, Kulyat-e-Mehmood Gami, Cultural Academy, Srinagar, 1992.
7.Mohammad Yousuf Teng, Kulyat-e-Mehjoor, Cultural, Academy, Sriangar, 2006,
P-2.
8.Majeet Dr.Riyaz, Naat Naqoosh Idarah Farooqi Urdu, Jan-1984, Vol-10, P-9.
9.Nazki Mir Ghulam (Naatia Adab)-Sheeraza, Sept, 1962, Cultural Academy ,
Srinagar, Vol-I, No-5, P-40.
10.Nazki Mir Ghulam Rasool, (Natia Adab) –Sheeraza, Sept, 1962, Cultuaral
Academy, Srinagar, Vol-I, No-5, P-40.
11.Anhar Naat, Maqbool Sajid,Srinagar, P-61.
12.Ansari Nishat, Kashur Marsi, Kashmiri Department, University of Kashmir,
1998, P-7.
13.Hashmi Manzoor, Hussaniyat,Sopore, Kahmir, 1994,P-83.

THE MESSAGE OF SOCIAL REFORMATION IN THE POETRY OF SHEIKH-UL- AALAM R.A -SHUJA ASSAD

Introduction: Shaikh Noor-Ud-Din R.A locally known by the name Shaikh-ul-AalamR.A was a
multidimensional personality as his verses do not simply share the common traits; but he was an
environmentalist, botanist (for example, in one of his verses he said; ‘‘Food is subservient to
forests’’) as well as mystic. There is hardly a verse of Sheikh which has not a social, moral,
cultural and more importantly topographical context. He was determined to mend the society
from being worst to best. He toured too many places of Kashmir, even he prescribed the names
to some unknown villages, and he became successful in his mission of spreading the teachings of
Islam to common people through their mother tongue so that they could understand the religion
of Islam properly. The thought content of his poetry may be divided into the following broad
categories: (a) Devotional poetry (b) Naat (c) Morality (d) Monotheism (e) Life after death (f)
Ethical Poetry (g) Religious (Islamic) Poetry (h) Love for the Humanity (i) Communal Harmony
(j) Lyricism (k) Descriptive (l) Satire and Sarcasm and (m) Mysticism. Being a saint, most of
his poetry revolves around them. Through his verses, he protests against the evils of society and
played an important role of reconstructing the society. His verses concerning the end of human
life should not be described as an emotional expression of the fear of death; rather they seem to
have functioned as an effective medium of satire and social commentary on inequality, injustice
and repression in the masterly use of metaphor and allegory.1
Against social inequality
From the view point of social history, Noor-ud-Din’s description of the social inequalities
existing in the contemporary society is important. Apart from the caste system, his criticism of
the rich people is also rooted in the social ethics of the Quran. He regarded hunger as the most
degrading of diversities. The exploitation and sufferings of the weak at the hands of the strong is
evidenced by his verses. The rich people busy themselves in the enjoyment and forget their
responsibilities towards society, to help the poor and needy people and uplift the society. He
says:
One amuses oneself by organizing in a musical concert,
Although aware, yet pretends innocence (about human sufferings),
(While) the other is being scourged,
(Has) God Himself willed it so? 2
Inculcation of values of modesty
The other evil which dominates the whole society and make it hollow and dark is its
administration. How can nation develop when its administration is under the thumb of
corruptive and ignorant politicians?

In one of his verses, he beautifully and sarcastically presents the realistic picture of ignorant and
selfish politicians who enjoy the power and debunk the wise ones who are competent to organize
the administration. He writes:
Hollow hoots while solids art mum and low.
Stammered be a parakeet while lyric the crow.
Aerial is a populous while shoots budded bow.
Phoenix is confined to woods while kite wilt runs the show.3
Against caste system
During the time of the poet Hindu society had already faced devastation due to caste
discrimination. Some Ulemas who were fond of worldly pleasures and official privileges also
felt the indirect influence of this local malaise and started an undercurrent division of Muslim
society on such basis. The Sheikh came out vehemently against such social evils. He stressed
his viewpoint by elucidation of Islamic conceptual environments:
The Aazar who carved idols all his life,
Gave birth the son Abraham.
He broke those idols into pieces,
And fought the Holy war against evil.
Built Ka’ba with his own hands.4
At another place he says:
By displaying the caste in the world,
What will thou gain?
Into dust will turn the bones,
When the earth envelopes the body;
To utter disgrace will he come,
Who forgetting himself jeers at others.5

Against Mullahs and Brahmans
Sheikh ul Alam’s main target was to reveal the real face of fake Mullahs. He advises to
beware of those fake Mullahs who wear the mask of being pious, and take the advantage of
their fake identity. He not only ridicules the Mullahs but Brahmin as well;
These talkative Mullahs,
With long dyed beared,
Deceitful is their sweet speech,
They are author-minded liars.6
Denunciation of Materialism
The society should be built on such values which broadly respect the rights of fellow creatures.
There are certain ills as the cause root for deterioration of the society and so greatly fatal for
humanity. In this selected list the truth is considered the foundation of the edifice of morality and
falsehood is dubbed as the destroyer of a value based society. The lust for worldly pleasures is
declared a root cause of individual strife and national confrontations. Sheikh ul Alam stresses the
condemnation of the greed, lust, anger and jealousy which destroy the society;
Without the aid of a sailor, I did sale my ship,
By suppression of greed, jealousy, arrogance,
Lust, pride and anger,
Then I realized what I am.
U crave to embrace lustly wives of others,
What madness!
U cannot purchase for any price,7
Against Hypocrisy
The other cause of destruction of society is hypocrisy which has been condemned by all
preachers, activitists. Sheikh also condemns both hypocrite and the pretender. He says;
Though hast deceived none but yourself
Pretended as if a priest though hast opened,
A shop (for medication of souls),

Carrying rosary in thy hand,
Did hide knife under thy long sleeves to kill others.8
Sheikh-ul-Alam on Education
He laid great emphasis on education and learning particularly the knowledge of theology without
which no seeker of the ways of God could understand the commands of shriat, fiqh and tariqat.
Side by side he insisted upon putting all in practice which has been learnt. He said:
Who has the courage and guts to lighten up a lamp against this wind storm?
And will fuel the lamp with his knowledge and faith,
Will abandon the false message and look after the true one,
All the knowledge is alif, laam and meem (Quran).9
Sheikh ul Alam’s poetry is full of warnings, and advises us how to eradicate these evils
from being particular to general. Now, it is up to us how much advantage we shall take from his
valuable poetry as he proved himself to be our real guide to develop our personality. Although
his poetry is written in seventeenth century but it is applicable to our present society, if we
follow the rules of Sheikh, which are completely based on Islamic teachings, our all problems
will be solved without any toil but unfortunately we ignorantly abhor them. The teachings of
Sheikh are based on love, equality, communal harmony and honesty which can eradicate all evils
and will be replaced by love and peace.
CITATIONS
1. Aafaqui, Assadullah. Taleemat-i-Sheikh-ul-Alam. Vol. I. Delhi: Mekaf Printers, 1970-98.
2. Gowhar, G.N. Kashmir Mystic Thought. Srinagar: Gulshan Books, 2009.
3. Khan, Mohammad Ishaq. Kashmir’s Transition to Islam. Srinagar: Gulshan Books, 2005.
4. Khan, Mohammad Ishaq. Sufis of Kashmir. Srinagar: Gulshan Books, 2011.
5. Khuihami, Ghulam Hassan. Taarikh-e-Hassan. Srinagar: Research and publ. Dept,.
Jammu and Kashmir, 1954.
6. Malik, G.R. Kashmiri Culture and Literature. Srinagar: jaykay Books, 2013.
7. Rafiqui, Abdul Qayoom. Sufism in Kashmir(Fourteenth to Sixteenth Century). Sydney:
Australia Goodword Media, 2003.
8. Gowhar, G.N. Kashmir Mystic Thought. Srinagar: Gulshan Books, 2009.
9. Wani, Mohammad Ashraf. Islam In Kashmir (Fourteenth to Sixteenth Century).Oriental
Publishing House Srinagar, Kashmir, 200

Mawlana rumi and kashmiri Sufi poets ~ by imran yousuf

Recognized as a genius theologian, a high-profile scholar, an influential versifier and the greatest mystical Sufi poet of Islam Moulana Muhammad Jalaluddin Rumi (RA) was born in Balkh, a small town in Afghanistan on September 30, 1207. In his childhood, his family moved before the arrival of Mongol army in Balkh and got permanently settled in Konya. Rumi spent most of his life in Turkey. He left for eternal abode on December 17, 1273. His last resting place is housed in Konya where a beautiful shrine has been constructed.

Rumi got trouble free initiation in the field of Islamic mysticism because of his father Baha Valad, who was a preacher and also taught Sufi doctrines to the people. However, the turning-point in Rumi’s life came in October, 1244, when he had first encounter with a mystifying wandering Sufi and a spiritual teacher called Shamsuddin of Tabriz in Konya. Rumi was in his thirties and Shams Tabriz was in late twenties or maybe thirty years older. After meeting Shams Tabriz, Rumi underwent a spiritual qualitative change and said, “What I had thought of before as God, I met today in a person”. Their Friendship is one of the greatest myster­ies. Shams Tabriz taught him the most philosophical levels of Sufism, transforming him from a pious religious scholar to a great mystic.

With the appearance of Shams Tabriz, Rumi got spiritually reborn and soon started writing his marvelous mystic work Mathnavi (Masnavi) consisting of 24,660 couplets in seven books at the age of 38. Rumi is said to have given precious forty-three years of his life in writing the Masnavi. He has brunt the oil of his veins through nights in its composition, Rumi reciting the verses from the depths of his heart and his friend Hasam copying it down and sometimes singing portions of the verse in his melodious voice. The Masnavi is full of profound philosophical mysteries, and is extremely important book in the study of Sufism. The Masnavi is so honored as the most consummate expression of Sufi mysticism that it is generally referred to as the Quran in Persian.

His other renowned work is “Divan-e Shams Tabriz” (the combined poems of Shams Tabriz). Divan-e- Shams is a masterwork of sapience, perception and eloquence.

O Shams-e-Tabrizi, you

Compassionately blend and renew

Eat and west through and through

And so we say, may it be so.

Beloved reached desired glow

And so we say, may it be so

All doubts towards faith did grow

And so we say, may it be so.

Translation Shahriar Shahriari

Rumi’s every jolted verse has a mystic connotation, a combination that is the universal language of the human soul that touches the depths of every emotion lying in any dead niche of the heart. Rumi’s title is Moulana (Moulana) which means the master. His one of the desired musical instruments was Nai (flute) and has penned a breathtaking poem about it. In Persian poems can be read or can be sung. Rumi said, music can be a form of ZIKR, remembering that there is no God but Allah (SWT), who is One which in Arabic is “La illahaillallah”.

Moulana Rumi is considered as the most important figure in the realm of Sufism and is the founder of Mawlevi Order of dervishes known as the Whirling Dervishes. He adopted and followed that God should be celebrated through poetry, song and dancing. In initial stages the sect used to remain veiled from general masses but today the disciples of Mawlevi order tour the world allowing audiences to witness the ceremony of their sacred dances and music.

Moulana Rumi is called as QUTB by Sufi’s and his writings have been attracting spiritual seekers from almost every religion, every nook of the world from hundreds of years. Rumi is one of the most read versifiers throughout world. He has been inspiration for mystic aspirants and his mystical poems have had a great influence on every reader and listener. Rumi’s few verses for questers of true love.

Come, come, whoever you are.

Wanderer, worshipper, lover of leaving.

It doesn’t matter.

Ours is not a caravan of despair.

Come, even if you have broken your vow

A hundred times.

Come, yet again, come, come.

(Discourse of Rumi ‘Fihi Ma Fihi by A.J. Arberry)

Moulana Rumi himself has said that great Love is silent. It is in silence that we shall come to comprehend the ultimate mystery of love that has no comparison. It is frequently said that Rumi had achieved the stage of a perfect master and as such he often dwelt in the spiritual realms that were seldom visited by others. He acquired heights that were attained by only a few before him or since.

The mastery of rhyme and rhythm is such that he often creates a new vocabulary, using the same old words, yet creating new feelings that are linked with them.

I’m not me, you’re not you, and you’re not me;

And yet I’m me, you’re you, and you are me.

Beauty of Khotan, I am this because of you:

Confused if I am you, or you are me.

(Rumi’s Qulyaat-e Shams-e Tabrizi)

Rumi was married twice; his first wife, Gowhar Khatun died young. She bore two children, Sultan Velad and Alladin. Second time Rumi got married with Kira Khatun and had two children also Muzaffer, a son, and Maleke, a daughter.

Thousands of followers of Rumi still believe that Rumi’s presence (baraka) still exists today, and still teaches, it is undoubtedly due to the extraordinary remarkable liveliness and vitality which is found in his every penned verse. Rumi’s every line is poetized in great rhythm, deep connotation and knowledge about human behavior, existence of life and divine love, his poetry has captured the hearts of spiritual seekers around the world because of its great profundity and beauty. His eternal verses sketch out the whole panorama of life, from human mourning and devotion.

It has been observed that scholars from different countries with different dialects when write or speak on any particular subject differ from one another. Every person gives his thoughts a special shape which varies from others in one or the other aspect. But the Sufi poets from any corner of the world with any language have almost similar ideas and thoughts about a particular subject.

Most Sufi poets of Kashmir have never been to school and it is quite impossible for a person without schooling to study the books written in any other language, but while going through the page of poetized writings of Kashmiri Sufi poets, we come across the oneness of thought process. It is surprising that these poets without formal education who cannot even read Moulana Rumi or any other poet still have oneness in intellection. It looks that Sufi poets living in any corner of the world are inter connected; divinity has bestowed them with mystical powers which enables them to remain connected. About this interconnection the great Sufi saints have described it as Elimal Yakeen and Aeinal Yakeen. Elimal Yakeen means knowledge borrowed from books and Aeinal Yakeen is practical observation of things.

Knowledge which comes from books is the accumulation of knowledge or skill that results from direct in writing or reading. While on the other hand the knowledge of divinity particularly that knowledge which comes with Sufi saints as revelations caused by divine rather than ordinary natural processes. The mystic Sufi saints experience this religious knowledge through whole life which cannot be changed. So the Sufis poets and saints whenever speak or write anything it does not diverge from one another whether the author belong to any country, creed, color or language.

Kashmir has been the birth place of many great spiritual writers, Sufi poets and Saints who have laid their eternal mark behind. Kashmiri Sufi poets are extremely influenced by various great Sufi saints and poets like Bayazid Bastami (RA), Mirza Bedil, Fazl Haq Khairbadi, Kabir, Moulana Rumi etc. The mystic chain of Sufi Poets in Kashmir started from 14^th century with the famous poetess Lal Ded (Lalleshwari), the grand mystic woman poet of Kashmir continues to inspire new generations of Kashmir from decades. Hazrat Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani RA (Nund Reshi) is the next legendary Sufi poet of vale after Lal Ded known in every corner. Nund Reshi is the founder of Sufi Order in the fifteenth century called the Reshi Order. There are also so many mystic poets like Habba Khatoon, Shamas Faqeer, Niama Saeb, Soch Kral, Wahab Khar etc. who were deeply merged in devotion of divinity. Nund Reshi commonly known as Alamdaar-e-Kashmir and Sheikh-ul-Alam was intensely inspired and influenced by Moulana Rumi which is quite visible in below mentioned couplet.

Mallai Denshhen Moulana-i-Rome

Nati Malleh Denshith Perzeh Istighfaar

Truly if you want to witness a priest, see Moulana Rumi

Or seek forgiveness when you come across any other priest.

In another poem Sheikh-ul-Alam has defined “NAFS”. In Quran, Allah (S.W.T.) has described at least three main types of the Nafs and these are in rank from the worse to better, Nafs al-Ammara Bissu (the Nafs that urges evil), Nafs al-Lawwama (the Nafs that Blames) and Nafs al-Mutmainna (the Nafs at Peace).

Nafs Ditnai Orai Meenith

Gatchkhaie Tcheenith Kerzineh Foot

Dum Div Haqas Lal Gatch Zeenith

Nati Tchuie Qul Naftchun Zaiqatul Mout

He sent you to this world with exact breaths

If you recognize, don’t slaughter it,

Breathe in truth and let yourself be enlightened

Or every living thing has to taste the cup of death.

Moulana Rumi has already versified NAFS in his own grand style for which he is famous in the poetic world.

Hew and move from your nafs
This nafs is like a chain
And you are the prisoner
Take a hatchet and make a hole in your prison cell
Once you brake the chain
All of you become like kings, and rulers.

Both poets have the same concept that human being is the best creation of All Mighty but is trussed by Nafs al-Ammara (appetite of earthly desires) which makes him greedy and leads towards evil temptations and eventually towards final destruction. Both poets want every living thing free of mortal desires which are going to end today or tomorrow.

Sufi poets from Kashmir have written poetry with similar concepts in their own words and style. While going through the verses of Moulana Rumi, it is quite visible that the love of Murhsid matters most for the disciple.

When every soul shall be gathered on that Doomsday

And faces pale from fear of reckoning,

I shall hold thy love in the palm of my hand,

And I will say, by this I am saved or damned.’

(Rumi’s Qulyaat-e Shams-e Tabrizi)

Shamas Faqeer, a revered 19^th century mystic Sufi poet of Kashmir says:

Tateh Karzem Payeh Meneh Peeroo

Yeteh Aasie Aam Que Khass

Shamas Faqeer Tarizan Taaroo

Maraie Yarroo Rozii Armaan

Hereafter Oh! My Murshid (Guide) support me

Where there shall be ordinary and the special,

Hold hand of Shamas Faqeer and board him across

Oh! My friend, I shall die, desires will linger wet.

Another Sufi poet “Mohammad Shaban Dar” says:

Peer Chum Shah-e-Jeelanie

Seeth Seethi TChum Har Aanie

Rehmatas Wamaed Waar “Shabanie”

Toor Kut Karto Saamanie

My Murshid is Shah-e-Jeelan

HE is with me in every fleeting moment,

“Shaban” is waiting for thy blessings

Do deeds for the hereafter.

Like Moulana Rumi every Sufi poet has given a special place to Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) the merciful of the merciful, the mercy to the whole creation because he projected sky-scraping level of ethics for humanity. Moulana Rumi was overwhelmingly devoted to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He had deep love and respect for Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) for His superior, praiseworthy, highly regarded and influential personality.

Rumi states in his Diwan:

The Sufi is hanging on to Prophet Muhammad PBUH, like Abu Bakr.

Make your intellect a sacrifice in the presence of Muhammad Mustafa S.A.W and say,

“God is adequate for me, since God is sufficient for rewarding me.

Rumi has also expressed Prophet Muhammad’s (P.B.U.H) light (Noor-i-Paak), as the light was the first creation of Allah which elucidating the entire creation of the cosmos.

The light of Muhammad is distributed in millions of pieces

And with that light the whole world was embraced

The Prophet is like the luminosity of that light.

When it strikes, all veils of agnosticism are worn out,

And thousands of monastics are influenced by Muhammad.

(Fundamentals of Rumi’s Thought: A Mevlevi Sufi Perspective by Şefik Can)

With same concept “Wahab Khaar” (a great Sufi poet of the vale) has penned verses, he also has witnessed that the whole universe is created from the NOOR of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon Him.

Awalie Noorun Partav Peov,

Ad Sooun Muhammad Paida Gaow

Sarmanz Pampoosh Fulwunn Draav,

Taaj Dar Sooun Mirajas Draav

Gath Karaie Kaabas Buooz Maenzaar,

Seith Heath Choor Yaar Haav Dedaar

Tcuh Kun Wahab Khaar Ba Vomeead Aaw,

Taaj Dar Sooun Mirajas Draav

First light which emerged and became existence is his Noor

With that light our beloved Prophet PBUH got birth

Blossomed like a lotus in lake,

Our Prophet PBUH ascent to meet ALLAH

Listen to my plea, I shall circumambulate the Kaaba,

With your blessed four friends, grant me a glimpse of your noble face

With hope lonely Wahab Khaar has come to you,

Our Prophet PBUH ascent to meet ALLAH

Moulana Rumi has bestowed his entire life for the path of love; he was profoundly attached to Allah and the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. He was a philosophic Poet bequeathed new approach of Sufism and Oneness of God. His love for divinity and Shamas was beyond the borders of limitations. A beautiful story of Rumi worthy to mention:

A man called “Allah” for whole night

Until his lips started to bleed

Then the Devil visit & said, “Hey! Mr. Gullible”

What is the fun of calling Allah all night

Ever you heard Allah saying, “Here I am”

You call HIM sincerely and in reply what

I shall let know you what. “Nothing”

All of a sudden the man felt damned and abandoned.

Demoralized, he threw himself on the ground

And fell into a deep sleep.

A dream strikes, he meets Hazrat Abraham,

Who asked,“Why are you regretting praising Allah”

The man replied, “I called and called

But Allah never replied, “Here I am”

Hazrat Abraham explicated, “Allah has said,

“Thyaddressing my name is My answer.

Thy yearning for Me is My message to thee.

All thy attempts to reach Me

Are in realism My attempts to reach thee.

Thy fear and worship is a best way to Me.

In the silence surrounding every call of “Allah”

Waits a thousand replies of “Here I am”

Rasool Mir, A dynamic, multidimensional and Romantic Sufi poet of Kashmir has praised the woman gestures like eyes, lips, black curled hair etc. in so many poems. He has used beautiful words in the honor of his beloved.

Zulf Kakul Zanjeer TCheie Kineh Zaal

Alif Sapdum Kad Choon Deeshith Daal

Saravih Shamshaad Himat-e-Aeliyeh Lo

Roosh Mi Roosh Ha Posh Maliyeh Lo

Is your curled hair chain or entanglement

I was bowed while looking grace as she stands,

You strength of will is supreme like cypress tree

Oh! My beloved (Poosh Maal) don’t be sulky.

Rumi about the dark hair of his beloved:

Look at her dark hair, her elegance as she stands.

Think of the sugariness of those ruby lips.

Your kiss for alms, I begged, for kindness sake.

She turned, laughed: Think what a profit you would make

Rumi had great influence on Kashmiri poets, it seems that Kashmiri Sufi poets have read and understood Rumi wholeheartedly and are exceedingly inspired. Many poets have used the similar thoughts as Rumi did and some poets have utterly written the same but in diverse language.

Rahim Sahab Sopori:

Seer-e-Pinha Tchuie Zeer-o-Bum

Thath Manz Basith TChie Zee Aalam

Wanyo Seer Gastchi Barham

Tchaneh Seeruk Tchum Kasam

All the secrets exist in Zeer-o-Bum (Music)

This is holding the existing of both worlds

If I tell you the truth, the universe shall be devastated

What I said is the truth I swear upon your Arcanum.

And Moulana Rumi’s original lines:

Seer-e-Pinha Ast Ander Zeer-o-Bum

Fash Agar Goyem Jahaan Barham Zanam

Don’t imagine Zeer-o-Bum (music) empty, it is full of mysteries

If I tell you the veracity, the universe shall be shattered.

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