Sahar-ul-Nisa Haroon
In Kashmir a large number of great Sufis have lived and now we have shrines dedicated to them thronged by hundreds of thousands; Kashmir is Peer Waer, a land of saints. This paradise on earth is bestowed not only with the beauty of nature but also with religious wealth.
The Sufi tradition has played a great role in the lives of people living in this region ringed by lofty snow-clad mountains. The earliest known Sufi in Kashmir was a thirteenth Century Suhrawardi saint from Turkistan, Syed Sharfuddin Abdur Rahman, fondly remembered as Bulbul Shah.
After him the next to enter Kashmir was a fourteen century Iranian Kubrawi Saint Mir Syed Ali Hamdani, popularly known as Amir-i-Kabir and Baani-e-Mussalmani or the founder of Islam in Kashmir. He also spread the Kubrawi Sufi order in the valley. The progression goes on and on giving rise to Sufism in Kashmir.
In Kashmir, Islam gained ground as thousands of ‘low caste’ Hindus and Buddhists began converting, in search of liberation from shackles of the caste system. However a melange of Islam and local traditions in medieval Kashmir was the Muslim Rishi movement, the only indigenous Sufi order in Kashmir.
The Sufi movement has spanned several continents and cultures over a millennium started first by the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, peace be upon Him. Sufi philosophy is universal in nature; they believe that it is possible to draw closer to God and more fully embrace the Divine presence in this life itself. The chief aim of all Sufis is to seek the pleasure of God by working to restore within them the primordial state of Fitrah, described in Qur’an.
According to Sufis all of it is undertaken by the single motivation of love of God.
‘Science’
Sufism is the science of the states of the lower self (the ego) and the way of purifying it of its reprehensible traits while adorning it instead with what is praiseworthy, whether or not this process of cleansing and purifying the heart is in time rewarded by esoteric knowledge of God.
Sufism has basically two types of laws; an inner and outer law. The inner consist of rules about repentance from sin, the purging of contemptible qualities and evil traits of character, and adorning it with virtues. The outer law comprises rules pertaining to worship, transactions, marriage, judicial rulings, and criminal law. In short outer laws are concerned with actions while the inner laws pertain to human heart.
To enter this process of Sufism one has to begin with the search for a teacher. Sufism is the transmission of the Divine light from the teacher’s heart to that of the student, rather than of worldly knowledge which is transmitted from mouth to ear and that allows the adept to progress. Sufism cannot be learned through books.
‘Altruistic endeavours’
Sufism as a whole is primarily concerned with direct personal experience and as such has sometimes been compared to other non-Islamic forms of mysticism (e.g. as in the books of Syed Hossain Nasr). Spirituality is “something which is related with the spirit and soul and caring for things which are related to them”. It is the limitless appetite of man for praise. It is believed that spirituality can exist without religion because every human has its own methods of conquest. It is the biggest source of self-confidence.
Spiritual life has a higher meaning and purpose beyond the mere fulfillment of physical, social and psychological needs. It is the reflection of individual’s inner resources. It is an inner state of personality and has an existence extending beyond the normal life. Pleasing God is the main motive of spiritual life and God can be pleased by altruistic love for His mankind. He is pleased when an individual lives life according to His laws. These laws bring ‘Unity of God in the Unity of man and religion is one simple way to gain it.
According to Qur’an “whosoever surrenders himself to Allah, and performs good deed, then he has taken hold of the most trustworthy and the surest hand-grip, and to Allah return all… (The Qur’an 31:22). “O scion of Bharata’s clan! Seek refuge in Him making a total surrender of your being-body, mind and soul. By His grace you shall attain to supreme peace and everlasting abode. (Srimad-Bhagvad Gita 18:62). Spirituality is basically a transformation and surrender.
‘Process’
The spiritual transformation process involves three steps: 1) Hitting bottom 2) Contrition and 3) Surrender. Hitting bottom means the experiences of an ultimate low point and the recognition of personal inability to control one’s problem. When an individual feels regret out of sorrow for the present situation and desire for a new way is known as contrition. Surrender is the admission of powerlessness followed by action of yielding personal will to God’s will. At the heart of spirituality is surrender. It is the point where spirituality merges with the Sufism; both aim at surrender to God.
In Kashmir it is a common practice to visit shrines of the Sufis for spirituality and spiritual healing. People believe that visiting shrines give them immense pleasure of spiritual joy. It enhances their relation with God by conveying the message through the holy souls of these Sufis. People believe well-being can be attained through spirituality. It is the self-surrender to the Divine which brings them out of the shackles of worries and enhances their well-being. Not only elderly but youngsters in Kashmir mainly believe that spirituality is positively correlated with health.
Sufi shrines are not bound by religion as these shrines are visited by people of different religion, aiming to meet the Divine and to surrender their self to humanity. People visit these shrines in order to purify their souls.
Besides the cultural heritage these shrines beautify the souls of people in Kashmir.
(The author is a scholar at Aligarh Muslim University, views are personal)
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