Book: Islam in Kashmir: A Study of Prominent Sufis and Rishis
Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander
The spread of Islam in Kashmir by the Sufis has been discussed by various scholars, academics and writers, but the lesser known aspects of various Sufi orders, role of Sufism in promoting pluralistic culture in Kashmir, Sufism as a channel of Inter-Faith Dialogue, lessons which Kashmiri Sufism has for the world to make it a peaceful place to dwell; such serious, and sensitive academic studies of Kashmir Sufism are rare, and even neglected. The book under review tries to fill this void.
Prof Hamid Naseem Rafiabadi has penned down yet another well researched book depicting these lesser known aspects of Sufism. The book is divided into twelve chapters each depicting a certain aspect of Sufi-Islam. Most of the papers have been contributed by Prof. Rafiabadi but some papers have been penned down by other scholars too. Prof. Rafiabadi has depicted that there is a historical confusion over the visits of Mir Syed Ali Hamdani to Kashmir. He has further elucidated that the performance of miracles was not a part of the activities of a Sufi.
The influence of Islam also resulted in development of a unique Rishi philosophy which was an amalgamation of Islamic, Hinduistic and Buddhistic impacts. The Sufism in Kashmir further developed a unique indigenous aspect of its own known as Rishism which then spread through the poetry of Shaikh Nooruddin Noorani, and works of his successor rishis. Prof Rafiabadi deliberates upon the reconciliation of Sufism with Islam as the great work of Imam Ghazzali of whom Prof. Rafiabadi is a firm spiritual disciple. In the first chapter the role of Sufis belonging to Suharwardi, Naqashbandi and Qadri orders has been elucidated, about whom little academic work has been carried out. Then he talks about the amalgamation of Sufism with other religious teachings and local culture which gave birth to Rishism, whose greatest manifestation is in the personality of Shaikh Noorudin Noorani, but the causes of decline of Rishism aren’t discussed by the learned author.
The contribution of Syed Ali Hamadani to Kashmiri society is immense. He not only brought a social revolution by preaching the tenets of Islamic Social Justice, Fraternity, Love and Equality but also wrote a political treatise Zakhiratul Maluk for guidance of kings. He also ushered an Economic revolution by introducing new arts and crafts in Kashmir which even today form the backbone of Kashmiri native industry and because of which the valley is famed all over the world. Rafiabadi has well depicted these changes in “Syed Ali Hamadani-The Architect of Islamic Identity in Kashmir”.
The paper “The Life and Career of Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani” by Mehraj Dar lucidly explains the characteristics and travels of Sayyid Hamadani. Prof. Rafiabadi in his other paper has written about “The Spiritual Legacy of Awrad i Fatihya of Syed Ali Hamdani”, that is recited daily after dawn prayers in most of the mosques in the Valley. Dr Naseem Gul Dar has contributed a brief paper titled “Risaalah Zikriyyah Sagiyriyyah Arabiyyah of Sayyid Ali Hamdani”.
The next important article of Prof. Rafiabadi is titled, “Sheikh Nooruddin-A Kashmiri Defender of Mansur Al Hallaj” that tries to bring a reconciliation, and depicts impact of Mansur Al Hallaj on Shaikh Nooruddin’s poetry when he writes on this delicate and controversial subject: “Nooruddin has made Mansur a symbolic character in his poetry and I think that Nooruddin is the only Muslim poet and mystic who has made Mansur a subject of his several deliberations and has given him representative status so far as the Gnostic love is concerned”(P-148-149). Prof’s writing about these vital issues in the chapter thrills the reader.
The title of Dr Nazir Ahmad Zargar’s paper is “Sheikh ul Alam and his Sufi Perspective”, wherein he tries to distinguish between Rishi movement and Bakhti movement. He analyzes the reasons about indifferent attitude of Kashmiris towards Tawhidic essence. Then Zargar digresses from the topic when he begins to compare Awrad e Fathiyya with Sheikh ul Alam’s poetry. Zargar fails to bring out the conclusions about Sheikh ul Alam’s Sufi perspectives, instead he deals with history of Sufism, and fundamentals of Islam.
“Poet: The Visionary Sheikh Noor U Din Wali” is the title of Abdul Rashid Afaque’s paper who has is credited with translating Sheikh ul Alam’s poetry into English too. According to Afaque, “The Sheikh was not only a sufi-saint but also a religious reformer. Right from the first Shaloka up to ‘the End’, the reader does not find any trace of escapism in the poetry of the Sheikh. After his encounter with Mir Mohammad Hamadani the Sheikh had worn off the robes of asceticism and became a sane Muslim, a firm believer and a vehement preacher of Islam” (P-215). Sheikh ul Alam stood against caste, use of religion as a tool of exploitation, but Afaque digresses from the theme when he writes about the six theories of knowledge because the paper is in no way dealing with the epistemology of Knowledge. The last paper of the book by Prof. Rafiabadi is titled, “The enduring Legacy of Sheikh Nooruddin Noorani”, in which Prof. Rafiabdi has critically analyzed the recent scholarship on Shiekh ul Alam.
The essence of syncretic culture of Sufism and Rishism runs throughout the book and it is an important addition to the lesser known aspects of the culture which still is a distinguishing mark of Kashmiri identity.
Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander is Writer-Activist based in Srinagar, Kashmir and can be reached at sikandarmushtaq@gmail.com