| Urdu Section | |
| 02 Nov 2010, NewAgeIslam.Com |
The tradition of the discipline of peeri-mureedi known as guru-shishya parampara was existent among the Hindus in the Kashmir valley before the arrival of Islam and still exists among them. After the arrival of Islam the system of beyat(allegiance) came into existence and the work of imparting spiritual guidance and training also began. With time, this system spread in the vicinity of the valley. This is the reason why the presence of peers, walis, dervishes and fakirs is known in every village in Kashmir whose abodes were the centres of attraction for the masses irrespective of religion, caste or creed and today their monasteries and mausoleums have become the cause of attraction to the common people. These places are promoters of brotherhood, unity and harmony that are great blessings rather unexpected gifts in this age of disbelief. -- Prof. Md Asadullah Wani
| Ganj-e-Marfat: A study | |
By Prof. Md Asadullah Wani Kashmir has been a home to rishis, saints, sadhus, pirs, dervishes and God-loving people since ancient times which is why Kashmir is also known as Rishi-wad or Pir-wad. Countless rishis, walis, ulema and saints like Kashyap rishi and Hriday Rishi have been here who although would be absorbed in the love of God every moment of their being and despite their abhorance of the affairs of the world, had contact with the general people in one way or the other. BY virtue of this contact with the masses, a discipline of peeri-mureedi (spiritual guide and the disciple) came into existence and the work of preaching and propagation started. With the changing times, the circumstances also changed but the discipline of peeri –mureedi in terms of spiritual guidance and discourse did not change. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the institution of peeri-mureedihas rather turned into a lucrative business in modern times as in the garb of peeri-mureedi, the fake peers and sadhushave expanded this institution on international level and have set up agents and centres of business in many countries. One major and important reason behind this development is that the man in this developed world of science and technology is totally devoid of religion, spiritualism and divine knowledge. He is suffering from mental disintegration and a discontented heart due to his hankering after the objects of luxury. The belief and faith of the modern man is very weak. He wants to fulfil his wishes and expectations at any cost. He yearns for peace of mind and content of the heart for which he is ready to do anything. Therefore, being of weak faith, he does the rounds of the dens of the rishis, munis, peers, fakirs, dervishes, astrologers and soothsayers and seeks talisman, threads and various other similar objects in order to fulfil his wishes. In some cases, the tantric does not even hesitate to make them offer the sacrifice of innocent children for the fulfilment of their wishes. But it is only one side of the picture which is very horrific, despicable and unpleasant. The other side of the picture is positive, optimistic, very pleasant and pregnant with spiriutual values that leads to divine knowledge, self-purification, spiritual training and is associated with the affairs of the world and hereafter. It is a matter only between the peer and the mureed (the spiritual guide and the disciple), between the seeker and the sought after, the teacher and the pupil, the guide and the traveller and the mystic and the guru. The people on this journey have to tread very carefully, rather have to take every step on the instructions of their spiritual guide or murshid and have to pass through very difficult tests during the spiritual journey. Sometimes, the traveller has to wait for the instruction of his guide on a particular stage for a very long period. During this period, the murshid keeps him constantly under his training and observation and appoints him to the next stage once he deems him fit for it. However, sometimes many seekers of the truth lose the way and are lost in the wilderness. In such a difficult situation, only the guidance and the preachings of the peer or murshid can come to their rescue. Therefore, in this regard there are no better charter of guidance than the Quran, Hadith and the holy life and practices of the Prophet (PBUH). But the spiritual leaders of the deen, the walis who devoted their lives to the purpose of giving spiritual guidance and training to people, gave birth to spiritual orders after their names to enable their disciples to achieve spiritual knowledge and divine guidance. Later the sufi orders were known as Karoya, Qadria, Naqshbandia, Suherwardia, Chishtiya, Mujaddidi, Sarhindi, Warsi etc. These sufis and peers also laid down some rules and regulations for the training of their disciples as well as seekers of divine knowledge which were published in book form later and assumed the status of guiding principles for the disciples belonging to the particular order. Such books are based on the verses of the Quran, exegeses, hadiths, various incidents from the Islamic history, the lives and character of sahaba, the experiences, observations and discourses ofwalis and verses of sufi poets which quench the thirst of the seekers of the divine knowledge. In this regard, I would like to name two books which are of great importance in terms of mysticism and marfat (divine knowledge). One of them is Fawaidul Fawad based on the discourses of Hadhrat Nizamuddin Auliya and the second one is Kashful Mahjoub based on the discourses of Hadhrat Sheikh Ali Hajweri Data Ganjbakhsh. The study of these books is enlightening to the seekers of the truth. The tradition of the discipline of peeri-mureedi known as guru-shishya parampara was existent among the Hindus in the Kashmir valley before the arrival of Islam and still exists among them. After the arrival of Islam the system ofbeyat(allegiance) came into existence and the work of imparting spiritual guidance and training also began. With time, this system spread in the vicinity of the valley. This is the reason why the presence of peers, walis, dervishes andfakirs is known in every village in Kashmir whose abodes were the centres of attraction for the masses irrespective of religion, caste or creed and today their monasteries and mausoleums have become the cause of attraction to the common people. These places are promoters of brotherhood, unity and harmony that are great blessings rather unexpected gifts in this age of disbelief. If we study the system of peeri-mureedi in Kashmir, we shall find that Syed Abdur Rehman Bulbul was the first man to whom thousands of people paid allegiance accepting Islam. Syed Amir Kabir Mir Syed Ali Hamdani appeared in Kashmir with his seven hundred disciples and changed the hearts and minds of millions of people with divine influence ofZakhiratul Mulook, Chahal Asrar and Aurad-e-Fatiha. His writing a letter of guidance to Sheikhul Alam Nuruddin Noorani and development of the order of Sufism under the patronage of Sheikhul Alam is an important link in the chain of guide-disciple system. The discourses of Sheikhul Alam is known as a form of the Quran. Hadhrat Sheikh Hamza Makhdoom Anwar, his chief disciple Baba Dawood Khaki, Hadhrat Sheikh Bahauddin Naqshband, Hadhrat Baba Naseebuddin Ghazi and Syed Mir Mirak Shah Kashani are bright minarets of spiritual guidance that dazzle Kashmir with their lights even today. These are only a few names that I have mentioned as examples. In fact, relics of thousands of aulias whor are resting here are evident in every corner across the length and breadth of Kashmir. The institution of guide-disciple is still existent across Kashmir. Some people have inherited the order while the others have attained it through their constant practice and under the guidance and supervision of some Peer or spiritual guide who benfit the common people as well the disciples. At present the names of people like Haji Mir Hasan Hussain Sibla Shah Sirhindi Warsi are worth mention. He is a resident of Bichwada, Dal Gate Srinagar. The name of his residence is Ashiana Eram which is situated at Bichwada Chowk, Boulevard Road. His real name is Mir Ghulam Hussain Sibla and nickname is Mir Hussain. He was born in Kawda, Srinagar. His father’s name is Mir Mohammad Subhan Sibla and mother’s name is Alhaj Mukhtar Begum. He passed B.Sc from Government Amar Singh College, Srinagar and joined the circle of spiritual allegiance at the raw age of 16. His father Mir Mohammad Subhan Sibla paid allegiance to his father Mir Abdul Ghaffar Sibla who was the khalifa(deputy) to the Abdalof Mujaddidi (Sirhindi) order in Kashmir Hadhrat Ahmad Machami. Alhaj Mir Hasan Hussain Sibla was handed over by his father to Sufi of Chishti order Ali Mohammad Gulkar Chishti Qadri. Later, he paid allegiance to Faqir Abdul Rehman Qadri Warsi, Sheikh Faridul Hasan Sirhindi, Ahsan Suherwardi, Abdul Hamid Shah Warsi and Ghulam Mohammad Miskini Chishti and attained the status of caliphate after getting training from them. All these sufis were sufi Siblas virtual spiritual guides. Practically, he was conferred allegiance also by his father Mir Mohammad Subhan Sibla. In this way, Alhaj Mir Ghulam Hasan Hussain Sibla is associated with the Sirhindia Chishtia Qadria Suharwardia andWarsia order of mysticism. Presently he is the head of Anjuman-e-Ghulaman-e-Warsia, Srinagar and Markaz-e-Hindia-Warsia, Srinagar. Alhaj Mir Hasan Hussain Sibla is not only a sufi, dervish and fakir but also a writer and mystic poet who has composed hundreds of Kashmiri ghazals, manqabatsand qasaid for the guidance and reform of the seekers of divine knowledge. Hisghazals and mystic verses are regularly broadcast and telecast on the radio and the TV. Many singers have achieved popularity by singing his mystic songs in mehfils. Mir Hasan Hussain Sibla has got a number of disciples including non-Muslims in his circle of allegiance and the number has reached in thousands. His disciples hail not only from Kashmir but also from the other parts of India and abroad. The annual urs of Ahmad sahib is held at his residence on the 13the of Shaaban and the annual urs of Waris Pak is held on the 1st of the month of Safar apart from a concert of mystic music and langar (general servings of food) on the 13th and 29th of every month. Mir Ghulam Hasan Hussain has translated the book titled Merajul Ashiqeen by Hazrat Banda Gesu Daraz. The collection of his Kashmiri ghazals titled Aks-e-Sarmadi has been published. His other books are “The appearance of the Warisi order in Kashmir” and “Imamul Ashiquin”. Recently his new book titled “Ganj-e-Marfat” has been published. The book contains the nitty gritty of mysticism and spirituality for the training and guidance of his disciples and seekers of truth. The secrets contained in the book are those that have been presented by his predecessors in their discourses and magazines and have inspired and benefitted disciples and general seekers of truth. This book is very important with reference to Kashmiri sufi poets. In this regard Hazrat Sibla himself writes: “It was not necessary for me to compile ‘Ganj-e-Marfat’ as the sufis and walis have been writing on various topics of mysticism and Sufism and making people aware of the secrets of mysticism for the last twelve hundred years. The objective behind the compilation was to present the poetic creations of the Kashmiri sufi poets as well the discourses of the Kashmiri sufis uncovering the secrets of the different stages of mysticism. How successful I have been in this endeavour is for the people to decide.” Alhaj Mir Ghulam Hasan Hussain Sibla has given references of the verses of the sufis peots and writers like Khar, Rahim sahib, Shams Faqeer, Rahman Sahab, Wazah Mahmood, Nagma Sahab, Qadir Sahab and his father Mir Mohammad Subhan Sibla alias Lala Sahab with translation according to the context. All these poets have been associated withQadria, Chishtia, Suharwardia, Naqshbandia (Sirhindia) and Warsi orders. The compiler has also given references from the poetry of Urdu and Persian poets as and when deemed fit which have enhanced its importance and value. (To be concluded) Source: Sahafat, New Delhi URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamUrduSection_1.aspx?ArticleID=3614
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10:55 PM
Moderate Islamist here
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