1300 in Aitikaaf at Dar-ul-Uloom Rahimiya

Ramadhan is the month of endless blessings that every practicing Muslim waits for with anxious eyes. We in our busy schedules, though, find it hard to perform our basic religious obligations.

Home away from home, Darul uloom Raheemiya Bandipora serves not only as missionary institution to train young folks in religious excellence but also a platform that gives this month of blessings a befitting farewell. Aitikaaf, the prayer of seclusion, is a tear rolling event to witness in this institution situated in north Kashmir.

The institution accommodates more than 1300 devotees this year, hosting and providing them free meals for ten days and above all revives the age old tradition of Khanqah system in the valley.

Khanqah is a place where a disciple sits in solitude under guidance of his mentor (Murshid) for his spiritual development.

For the last ten days of Ramadhan, Muslims mostly youngsters from across the state converge at Dar-ul-uloom Rahimiya to perform Aitikaaf for ten days under the guidance of their (Peer Murshid) Molvi Rehamtullah Mir Qasmi.

Aitikaaf is to stay in a particular place. However, in Islamic terminology it means to stay in a mosque for a particular time period (especially Ramadhan) — for worshiping Allah— while maintaining certain conditions.

It is preferred for the one who is making Aitikaaf to perform many supererogatory acts of worship and to occupy himself with prayers, reciting the Qur’an, glorifying and praising Allah, extolling His oneness and His greatness, asking His forgiveness, sending salutations on the Prophet, upon whom be peace, and supplicating Allah – that is, all actions that bring one closer to Allah.

One must stay inside the mosque for the entire period of Aitikaaf to be correct except for very important or unavoidable reasons.

Performing Aitikaaf away from their home serves two purposes to the disciples- to perform the worship in solitude away from home and getting some time to be around their mentor (Peer Murshid).

The day starts with Taleem (recitation of Hadith and its interpretation) followed by mid-day prayers (Zuhar). After the prayers the Mutakifeen (people performing Aitikaaf) do “zikr” (A practice in Sufism wherein people call name of Allah or Kalima loudly).

The disciples sit together on one side of the mosque and move their heads back and forth. “It is a physical action wherein in disciple calls the name of Allah repeatedly until seeker reaches divine presence. By this a seed of remembrance of Allah is planted and nourished by the water of praise,” said Molvi Fayaz Ahmad Shah, one of the managers of the event. “Zikr is like the fire of an ironsmith when iron turns red hot, he can mould iron in any form. Similarly zikr makes your heart fertile to be moulded for good. Zikr breaks once heart and brings a Muslim closer to Allah,” he added.

This act of Zikr is performed by only those people who have been allowed by their mentor to do the same. Others engage themselves in other forms of worship including reading Quran, offering Namaz etc.

Hours before the time for breaking the fast, Molvi Rehmatullah Mir delivers his sermon to the disciples and before breaking the fast, disciples raise their hands for prayers seeking forgiveness of their sins. With raising hands for the prayers, the four walls of the mosque reverberate with the cries and shrieks making the atmosphere charged-both spiritually and emotionally.

It takes four hours to complete Isha prayers and Tarawih. Three chapters of Quran are recited in Tarawih prayers.

Tarawih refers to extra prayers performed by Sunni Muslims at night in the Islamic month of Ramadhan.Tarawih prayers are prayed in pairs and can be prayed in at least 20 raka‘at.

Muslims believe it is customary to attempt a khatm “complete recitation” of the Quran. But in Rahimya, the Quran is recited thrice in a month as three chapters are recited every day thus completing one full recitation in ten days.

A break is taken after every 4 rak’ah. During this break, some people go to have ablution just to defeat the dizziness while others have water. A disciple gets up and recites Na’at (poems praising Prophet).

By the end of the prayers, the volunteers are ready with pre-dawn meals (sehri) and hence no one sleeps during the night. Soon after the dawn prayers (Fajr) people go for sleep and wake up before the noon.

Molvi Fayaz Ahmad Shah says the ten days are actually a training period for all the disciples who have ‘Bayah’ with their mentor Molvi Rehmatullah Qasmi. “Baiyah is to submit yourself—soul and body to your Murshid. One has to follow him in letter and spirit,” he said. “During these days they are trained who they should spend their actual life.”

He says the tradition of Khanqah was started in Valley five centuries ago by Shah-e-Hamdan (RA) and this is the revival of that tradition. He says for a physical disease, we have doctors who treat a patient similarly when one is spiritually ill he needs to have a Murshid (Peer) to treat him. “For physical illness, you have symptoms like headache etc but when you are spiritually ill you have symptoms like corruption, waywardness etc. While taking bribe you won’t feel a sense of guilt,” he added.

The organisers say the seminary has a separate kitchen for the guests and people donate separately to meet the expense of the guests. “We don’t use seminary funds for this purpose,” he added.

To host the huge number of guests, the youngsters of Bandipora volunteer themselves to serve the guests. “Serving food to so many people is a hectic task, but we have more than one hundred local volunteers make this job very easy,” Shah said.

Volunteers mostly college students, local businessmen and employees of the town reach the seminary in the evening and start preparing for Iftaar and then serve dinner. After completing dinner they start preparing Sehri (pre-dawn meals) and hence they don’t sleep even for a second for the night. The volunteers are relieved soon after the Fajr Namaz and they go back to their homes.

“We feel proud in serving the guests in this holy month. They are not only the guests of the seminary but for the whole town (Bandipora). It is our duty to make them feel comfortable during their stay. Allah will reward us,” said Junaid Ahmad, a volunteer.