Sufism In Kashmir

💎Sufism in Kashmir can be recognized by its richest Sufi tradition in the whole Indian subcontinent known as the land of Sufi saints or Pir Vaer/Rishi Vaer. The Naqshbandi and Kubrawiyya Silsila are the earliest Sufi order in kashmir valley. The other Sufi orders include Qadri, Suhrawardy and Rishi order. According to European Foundation of South Asian Studies. The people of Kashmir,  converted to Islam due to the calmness of noble Sufis. Despite the religious differences between the Hindu Kashmiri pandits and Muslim Mullahs, the Sufis in Kashmir offered them an acceptable path of understanding life through peace, love and harmony which led to acceptance of Sufism in the valley.

Hazrat Bulbul Shah, actual name Sayyed Sharfuddin Abdul Rahmaan was a Suhrawardy fakir of 13th century who travelled from Turkistan to Kashmir. He is recognized as one of the soonest identified Sufi Saint of the Kashmir valley, the first Saint who brings Islam in Kashmir through Sufism.

Another important Sufi to visit Kashmir valley was Shah-e-Hamadan, actual name Mir Sayyad Ali Hamadani, who visited the valley along with his 700 followers, who established in different parts of Kashmir, propagating Islam and the doctrines of the Kubrawiyya Tariqa. The Muslim king Sultan Qutub-ud-Din established comfortable provisions for Shah-e-Hamadan and his pupils in his kingdom. Shah-e-Hamadan was a marvelous intellectual, considered to possess around 40000 conversions to Islam in the valley of Kashmir; owing to his eminent spiritual charism. He is remembered as ‘Amir-e Kabir’ (The preeminent chief) and ‘Bani-e- Musalmani’ (The Inaugurator of Islam in Kashmir).

Nund Rishi or Nuruddin Wali was a renowned Sufi Saint of Kashmir Valley. He is recognised as the founder of Rishi Sufi order. People regard Nund Rishi as Alamdar- E- Kashmir. He was born in a well-recognized Muslim household in Kulgam district of Kashmir in the year 1377 A.C. He spread the divine knowledge of Islam through his poetry known as Shrukhs. The shrine of Nuruddin Wali is a center of attraction of all the Kashmiri communities and a symbol of Sufism in Kashmir.

Adam was Father, Mother Eve Followed Him, Where did “lower castes” come from? How can the member of the same family ridicule one another?

— Nund Rishi

Nund Rishi and Lal Ded rejected the idol worshipping, caste system and the orthodox Brahmin practices; this had paved the way for the Hindus to adopt their more sympathetic Sufi philosophies contributing to their conversion to Islam under Sufi teachings. Kashmiri use the traditional Indian epithets such as Wali, Baba or Rishi to specify these Sufi saints.

How Sufism in Kashmir was tortured.

Sufism in Kashmir
Dastagir Sahib

Dastgeer Sahib, a 200-year-old shrine in Khanyar, was set on fire by Lashkar-e-Tayiba, a Deobandi-Wahhabi Terrorist Organisation which led to vast destruction of the shrine. The J&K cops arrested a Lashkar-e-Tayiba terror module involving 6 terrorist who were hired to blaze holy shrines, causing suspicion that they could have set the glorious Dastgeer Sahib shrine on fire by that particular arrangement. arrested  individuals comprising Faruq Ahmad Meer, who had crossed to Pakistan’s city Faisalabad in the beginning of 2012. The others caught were Zahoor aka Zubair, Barkat aka Aboo Talha, Aijaz Ahmad aka Imran, Abdoollah Daar aka Asad and Raoof Daar aka Rafeeq. With a prison of 6 individuals, police asserted to have collapsed three cases — burning of two mausoleums, comprising that of Baba Haniufuddin's shrine. Later, the Dastagir Sahib shrine was restored to its original glory.


Recent Innovatives Rejuvenating Sufism in Kahmir

Amit Shah had discussed the slaughter of Sufism in Kashmir in Parliament in July last year he said “Had one supported the Sufis, who whispered of Hindu Muslim harmony, I have recognised that individuals are interested Kashmiryat, an answer to this, on 15 March 2020 organization of All India Sufi Sajjada-nashin Council met Union home minister Amit Shah under the chairmanship of Sayyad Nasiruddin Chishti and implored him for a supervised government scheme to reach Sufism to every house in the Valley. few clerics were attired in saffron robes because, “the colour belongs to Hinduism was chosen by Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti (the benefactor of Sufi Islam in India and a principal leader of chishti Sufi order in India) around eight centuries ago”.

In September 2020, a 20 year girl named Badrunnisa Bhatt was in a broadcast for spreading Sufism through his paintings.

Chairman of Peoples Justice Front Aga Sayyad Abbas Rizvi in his appeal at the Bandipura region stressed the return to Sufism, humanism and pluralism as the alone path to gain everlasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Sufism had established the edifice of harmony and unanimity among Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir. In the last few decades, miscreants targeted Sufism to create divergence among people. The goal of our party is to unfurl the peaceful Sufism to usher in peace and unity among adherents of different religions in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. "

 -Sayyad Aga Abbas Rizvi

Sufi Festivals in Kashmir

Sufism in Kashmir
Dargah Hazratbal during Eid e Miladunnabi

                                               
Since most of the Muslim in Kashmir are traditional Sunni, they celebrate various Sufi festivals. This includes Eid Miladun-nabi, Gyarvi sharif, and various Urs Mehfils. Eid E Milad Un Nabi or Mawlid-an-Nabavi is the third major festival in kashmir after Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Azha. People from various parts of kashmir congregate in Hazrat Bal Shrine to celebrate Maulid and to get glimpses of the holy relic of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Various programmes include recitation of Durud Sharif, holy Quran, decoration of houses and streets, distribution of consecrated food, etc. Karwan e Islami a biggest Sunni Sufi organization of kashmir headed by Shaykh Ghulam Rasool Hami is famous for its Juloos e Eid Miladun-nabi in kashmir.

REFERENCES

"J&K: LeT module behind Dastageer Saheb shrine fire busted". Rediff. Retrieved 2020-09-29.

 Venugopal, Vasudha. "Need policy for Sufism in Jammu and Kashmir: Clerics to Amit Shah". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2020-09-29.

 "Return to Sufi practices is an only way to achieve peace in Jammu and Kashmir: Rizvi". The Rahnuma Daily. 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2020-10-02.

“POET: Shaykh Nuruddin Wali - A Shaykh Nuruddin.”www.poemhunter.com. Retrieved 2020-10-26.

 NOORANI, A. G. "Sufism in Kashmir". Frontline. Retrieved 2020-10-14.

"Thw Kashmir Composite Culture of Kashmir:  Communal Harmony and Sufism - Kashmiriyat". www.efsas.org. Retrieved 2020-10-14.

Snedden, Christopher (2015-09-15). Understanding Kashmiris and Kashmir. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-1-84904-622-0.

Srinagar November 21, Rouf A. Roshangar; November 21, 2018UPDATED:; Ist, 2018 10:44. “Kashmir observes Eid-i-Milad-un-Nabi amid tight security”. India Today.

Retrieved 2020-10-27. “Karwan-e- Islami organizes Miladunnabi Juloos from Shahid Ganj to Shadeepura”. Rising Kashmir. Retrieved 2020-10-27.

See Also