ISLAM

Islam is an Arabic word and signifie peace.It means fear of God in the conduct of worldy life,living a virtuous life as enjoyed by God and His Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him and on his progeny). As a religion Islam stands for complete submission to the will of God, who is the Absolute Being, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, the Creator and the Sustainer of the universe. “There  is no God but Allah-the Almighty, Muhammad is His Prophet”. God has no equal, no parallel, no partner. He is not begotten or nor does he beget. Everything in the universe depends on him. When he wants to create anything, he says”be” and it’becomes’, that is, comes into being. Man is bestowed with reason. He has a high place in this world. Man is the vice-regent of God on earth. In his day today life he is guided by Divine Revealation—The Holy Quran and Hadith—the Sayings of Prophet Mohammad(p.b-u.h). Everything is sub-ordinated to him for constructive and creative purposes, and for the welfare of human being.

Though the actual process of spread of Islam started after the establishment of Muslim  Rule in Kashmir,in 1339 A.D., there are refrence to the presence of Muslims in the valley even prior to that. It is said that in the valley two emissaries of the Prophet Mohammad (p.b.u.h) met Raja Venadutta of Kashmir, whose life under-went a great change after meeting them. The Raja did not live on state exchequer, but lived a life of a commoner and contributed in converting some locals to Islam. We have a refrence to Vajarditya Bappiyaka, the younger son and the second successor of Mukhtapida(754-761 A.D.), selling many men to Mleehes the term  used for Muslim. Harsha (1089-1101 A.D.), the Raja of Kashmir had a Muhammadan troop leader in his service. These soldiers engaged themselves in propogating the virtues of Islam through out the length and breadth of the empire and succeeded in converting many local people to Islam. Macro Polo also refers the presence of Muslim in Kashmir about 1277 A.C. The conversion to Islam of Dard tribes around the Indus basin had already made great progress about two countries before Rinchana 1339 A.D., the first Muslim ruler of Kashmir. The Bombas living on the right bank of the river Jehlum below Srinagar Claim their descent from the Banu-Umeyya.

The activities of these Muslims were, however confined to certain localities, but the enmass conversion took place with the defeat of Lakesman Deva at the hands of Turuska. i.e. Turk named Kajjala in 1286 A.D. which resulted in the arrival of Muslim saints in large numbers from central Asia among whom Bulbul Shah figured prominent as he succeeded in converting Rinchna,of Kashmir to Islam.

In 1339 A.D., when Shahmir, a Muslim of Central Asia became the king of Kashmir, the way was prepared for Muslim missionaries to preach Islamic teachings to the masses and they did not lose this opportunity in order to achieve their noble aim. This historic mission was under taken by  great religious scholar and saints who hailed from Central Asia. Though, the people of Kashmir had adopted Islam, yet they were deeply attached to their ancient customs and practices.

 Hazrat Mir Sayyid Ali Hamdani deputed Sayyid Tej-ud-Din and Sayyid Hussain Simnani to survey the field for propogation of Islam in Kashmir. They spent their lives in preaching the tenets of Islam.Hazrat Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadan popularly known in Kashmir as Shah Hamdan visited the valley three times and brought with him seven hundred Sayyids from Central Asia. These Sayyids were stationed at different places where they opened hospices and preached Islam. According to Sir Mohammad Iqbal “Hazrat Mir Sayyid Hamdan’s intelligence and spiritual power increased conversation of the people to Islam. He had debates with leading Hindu saints who were wonder struck by the spiritual powers and embraced Islam along with their followers”.  He succeeded in converting thousands of inhabitants of  the valley to Islam by his exemplary moral and intellectual powers. 

Hazrat Shah Hamdan was a great writer too. He is the author of about forty books written in Perian and Arabic. He wrote the famous book Zakhirat-ul-Muluk for the guidance of the ruler as well as for the people in general.

After Hazrat Shah Hamdan, his missionary activities were continued by his disciples and his son Hazrat Mir Mohammad Hamadani. Apart from converting a large number of people to Islam, he succeeded in converting Suhabhata, Chief Minister and Commander-in-Chief of Sultan Sikender whom he named Saif-ud-Din. In order to establish close relations with the Kashmiris, he married the daughter of Saif-ud-Din.

Sultan Sikender was much impressed by Hazrat Mir Mohammad Hamdani. In accordance with his advice, the Sultan banned drinking, gambling, dancing and playing of musical instruments. He established the office of Shiekh-ul-Islam whose function was to see that the Islamic law was properly enforced. The practice of Sati was prohibited. Khokha and Hatmal tribes of the territory between Baramulla and Khola adopted Islam during the reign of Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin and were granted jagirs. The Sayyids who were already inbued with Suffism of the home land, stimulated the tendency of  mysticism for which Vedanta and Buddhism had prepared the ground. Mysticism had proved to be  the bed rock of all spiritual orders in almost many schools of thoughts. Muslim mysticism saturated this trend with new vigour and purpose, with the result that the collective behaviour of Kashmiris had been moulded on a distinct pattern down from Lal-Ded (mystic) to this day, a unique phenomenon having very  few parallels in the history of the Muslim world.

The tradition of religious tolerance, catholic outlook and a new sense of fraternity, all engendered by these mystics, was continuously carried further by Saint-poets of Kashmiri language namely by Lal-Ded, Nund Rishi etc.

Hazrat Shiekh Noor-ud-Din Wali, Noorani, meaning,one who was enlightened, was born at Qaimoh in Kulgam tehsil in 1377 A.D. He is also known as Shaikh-ul-Alam and Nund Rishi. His ancestors were Hindu Rajas of Kishtwar and his father adopted Islam at the hands of Sayyid Hussain Samnani.

 In his very childhood Nund Rishi gave proof of his saintly nature. He held himself aloof from the daily affairs of the family and though apprenticed in several trades showed no inclination for any of them. Finally,he gave up the world and lived in a cave for twelve years practicing penances which reduced him almost to a Skelton. His fame as a Saint and the glory of his spiritual attainments traveled far and wide attracting to him a great number of followers. His daily diet was one cup of milk which was latter reduced to water. He had close contacts with Hazrat Shah Hamdan and his son Hazrat Mir Mohammad Hamadani and they together worked for the rapid and peaceful propagation of Islam in the valley. He had a team of workers with him, prominentamong whom were his four disciples Bab Nasir-ud-Din, Baba Bam-ud-Din, Bab Zain-ud-Din and Baba Latif-ud-Din. 

 Shiekh Noor-ud-Din was the founder of the Rishi cult of suffism in Kashmir. He was staunch monotheist and a true and devout Muslim who believed in Shariat and denounced the hypocrisy of Mullahs as well as the Pantheistic beliefs of the self-styled Sufis of his Time. He abstained from all worldly pleasures, lived a very simple and pure life. He dedicated his spiritual and intellectual energies for the spiritual emancipation of his followers. He did not renounce the world, but directed his powers to purity the stale atmosphere polluted by Unislamic beliefs and practice of Mullahs and half-converts.Shiekh Noor-ud-Din acquired enormous influence over the people of Kashmir and when he passed away at an advanced age, Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin himself was the Chief mourner at his funeral. His death occurred in 1438 A.D. during the reign of Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin and was buried in Charar-i-Sharief. The Shrine of  the Shiekh in Charar-i-Sharief-a place in the lap of Pirpanjal forests is held in great veneration and is visited by thousands of Kashmiris belonging to all communities. The Shiekh was a poet par excellence.

He expressed his ideas and feelings in a form of verse which is apt, spontaneous and touching. His verses which have been preserved and are known as ‘Rishi Nama’ and Noor-Nama, are mainly devoted to the confirmation of belief in the unity of  Allah, submission to his will, and living simple and chase and pious life. He  admonishes the Mullas for their hypocrisy and exploitation of simple minded people. He exhorted his followers to perform good actions which would ensure them happiness in this world, as well as, in the life to come. According to him a man should lead disciplined life and none should fall  a pray to worldly desires. He constantly advised his followers to  seek good company and shun the bad one.

Liberal policy of Sultan Zain-ul-Abidib and his successors gave rise to reaction among some sections of the Muslims, who desired discouragements of Islamic practices. Mir Shams-ud-Din Iraqi took advantage of the prevailing confusion among the converts. He was a staunch Shia and belonged to this school of thought. He with the help of his disciples succeeded in converting the people to Shiaism. This was not liked by the ruler of the time, Sultan Mohammad Shah. Having found the atmosphere hostile, he left the valley and took shelter in Baltistan. During the  reign of Sultan Fateh Shah, he came back to the valley and was granted Jagirs. Though, he succeeded in converting Chaka to his doctrine, yet on the whole, the respose from the people to his doctrine was poor. He died and was buried in Kashmir. Shia Muslims of Kashmir hold his grave in great veneration.

Occupation of Kashmir by Mughals gave further stimulus to the spread of Islam in Kashmir. Some leading men like Raja Jaya Singh, Raja of Kishtwar together with his followers adopted Islam at the hands of Sayyid Shah Farid-ud-din Qadri of Baghdad. Shah Farid-ud-Din spent his life at Kishtwar and is buried there. Stary cases of conversion to Islam have been going on solely on the basis of conviction. There is no evidence that conversion or temptation was used for such conversion. Islam has attracted its followers from all communities, countries throughout the world. It is universal religion and possess universal appeal.

Such has been, in brief the history of the spread of Islam in Kashmir. On the whole, the spread of Islam was  generally peaceful because it was not introduced into the valley by conquerors, rather it was introduced by saints, scholars and rishis, and its success was due to their piety, purity and simplicity. The half-mark of the religious beliefs of the valley has been, respect for all schools of thought resulting in emergencies of a dynamic composite culture.

Inspite of conversions to Islam, the majority of  Muslims in Kashmir continued with some unislamic practices which they had inherited from their ancestors. Not only these religious practices but even some of their beliefs were repugnant to the basic principles of Islam. Saint worship and gave worship, totally forbidden by Holy Quran and Prophet Mohammad (p.b.u.h) had become such a common practice that only a such great muslim scholars as Dr. Sir Mohammad Iqbal but also Christan scholars, travelers and Missionaries had taken a serious note of it. Dr S.M.Iqbal had lamented on such practices in a Persian verse which means,”Kashmiris have from their centuries of slavery and subjugation learned the habit of grave worship. The  carved stone on the grave has replaced the Idol’. In order to put an end to all  the unislamic innovative practices and beliefs which were and are repugnant to Islam and to purify the thoughts and beliefs which were and are repugnant to Islam  and to purify the thoughts and beliefs of Kashmiri Muslims and inorder to make them  conformed to the basic teachings of the Quran and the traditions of Prophet Mohammad (p.b.u.h). a  strong and vigourous reformist movement led by Moulana Mohammad anwar Shopiyani and Molvi Syed Hassan Shah of Srinagar was started during the reign of Maharaj ranbir singh and Maharaja Pratap Singh towards the close of 19^th century. This movement met with strong opposition from both the British  Government, as well as, from the Mullahs. The British opposed it because they associated it with the general awakening of Muslim Ummah in Saudi Arabia and Egypt and reviva of Islam. It was termed as Wahabi Movement. The Mullahs opposed it because it struck at their vested interests as they were exploiting the simple minded Muslims in the name of religion.

Inspite of tremendous opposition, the reformist movement under the name of Jammu and Kashmir Ahali Hadis Conference (affiliated with the all India Ahali Hadis Conference) has to a large extent achieved its goal. It has created an awareness among the Muslims and awakened them to the need of  reverting back to the original Islam as contained in the Quran and Hadis, as well as the need to revive the pristine glory of Islam.