BY KHURSHEED DAR
Kashmir is famous for Sufism and it is a place known as “Pirwaer”, the alcove of Saints. A huge number of Sufis travelled to Kashmir with the message of Islam and converted the local population to Islam. The Sufi saints who came to Kashmir from Middle East with the message of Islam are revered in Jammu Kashmir by all the people irrespective of religion. It is this love for the saints that people of the state have built great artistic shrines dedicated to their beloved saints. The shrines have become important religious and festival center in the entire state. Sufi shrines are found in almost every part of the state. The Sufi shrines in Kashmir are a great architectural treasure. Some shrines are centuries old. Kashmiris pour all their love and devotion in maintaining and beautifying them. There is a Holy place, big or small, almost in every village and town of the Valley. A number of sufi shrines are still unidentified and unattended.Visiting the sufi shrines and writing research prospectives is my hobby.
There are a number of sufi shrines in Kupwara district. The most prominent among them was Hazrat Baba Abdullah Gazi RA.He was a very big authority on mysticism .It is said that he received the spiritual training and knowledge from the great spiritual teacher of the time namely Baba Naseeb-Ud- Din Gazi RA. His original name was Mubarak Abdullah RA, but he became popular by other names like- Arif Billlah, Baba Abdullah Guzaryali, and Mastana Baba.He had a number of disciples. He travelled throughout the length and breadth of valley to propagate the message of truth. It was during his travels that he spent twelve years at Lar in Ganderbal district.He was very much concerned with the wellbeing of the people.
He not only played an praiseworthy role in the prorogation of Islam but also developed various human habitations, villages, built hundreds of Masjids, minor bridges/ culverts, bathrooms, orchards. Inns (Musafir Khanas). It is said that he built an apricot orchard in Lolab Kupwara. Mohammad Din Fouq in his book “Shababi- Kashmir” mentions these accomplishments of this iconic mystic. Another renowned historian of Kashmir Ghulam Hassan Khahihami too mentioned the same in his book “ Tareekh-i-Hassan”. According to the historical records, Hazrat Abdullah Guzriyali RA was more concerned towards the social works. He used to motivate and engage the people in social works. He had a galaxy of disciples. Almost four hundred disciples remain accompanied by him. Shah Sahab RA built as many as 370 Masjids in the entire J&K description of which is available in the historical book- “Aqwami Kashmir” written by Mohammad Din Fouq
Hazrat Baba Abdullah RA received his earlier education under the guidance of Hazrat Shah Sahab RA.According to the various historical accounts, Shah Sahab RA was born in the middle of the tenth Hijri as per the Islamic lunar calendar in a noble family at the Pargana Walur. When we try to trace the geographical location of that particular Pargana, it includes areas like Sadrikut, Ajas Bandipora, Watlab, and Sopore. His father’s name was Hussain Baba Qureshi RA. He was a saintly person.
To learn the fibre of spiritual knowledge, he started his search for a spiritual master far and wide and finally, he met Baba Naseeb Din Gazi RA, took allegiance on his hand as mentioned by the well-known historian namely Peer Hassan Shah Khahama in his book “Tawareeki- Hassan”
His spiritual lineage goes like this – Hazrat Mohammad (PBUH), Hazrat Ali RA, Hazrat Khaja Hassan Basri RA, Khaja Habibi Ujmi RA, Sheik Marouf Karni, Sheikh Seri Sakti RA, Sheikh Junaid Bagdadi RA, Sheikh Mumshad Deniyari RA, Sheikh Ahmad Asood Diniyari RA, Sheikh Abdullah Umiya RA, Sheikh Zui-Ul Din Suharwardi RA, Sheikh Shaib- Ul- Din RA, Sheikh Baha-Ul- Din Zakaria Multani RA, Sheikh Sadru-Ul Din Arif RA, Ab- Ul- Fataha Shah RukinRA, Syed Jalal-Ul -Din Bukhari, Syed Nasir- Ul – Din Bukhari RA, Mukdum Syed Abid Kabir RA, Mukdoom Abu- Al-Fatha Sani RA, Mukdoom Abull- Al-Qasim Mahmood RA, Makdoom Syed Mohammed RA, Syed Makdoom Anand Kabir Sani RA, Mukdoom Syed Abdul- Al- Wahab Dahilyee RA, Makdoom Syed Jalal- Ul – Din Bukhari RA, Makdoom Sheik Hamza Kahmiri RA, Allama Baba Dawood Khakhi RA, Abul- Ul- Fuqra Baba Naseeb Din Gazi RA, Arif Billah Hazrat Shah Baba Abdullah Gazi Guzaryali RA. He deemed an honor to be the first disciple of Baba Naseeb- Ud-Din Gazi RA.
His parents persuaded him to marry with a pious girl residing in the neighborhood. As soon as they initiated the processes, he categorically refused to join himself with the matrimonial bond. Instead, he suggested his parents to persuade his younger brother Shah Yousuf RA to go for that marriage. He predicted that the marriage between those two noble souls would prove a blessing. Later, his prediction came true; the couple gave birth to a baby boy who adopted the same spiritual path and got famous by name Hazrat Shah Musa RA.Impressed by his personal life and his contribution towards society the then Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb allotted him a large piece of land (Jageer) in Muzafarabade (PAK). Because he had no worldly yearning, he built a very beautiful Masjid there and donated the whole area in favor of the Masjid. Baba Musa RA, Baba Mahdi Suharwardi Kubrawi RA, Baba Qutbu-Ul- Alm Lal Shahab, Srinagar were a few of his prominent disciples who retained the legacy of his Murshid. It is worth to mention here that one of his disciples was known by the name- Muzaffar, who later established the habitation which is presently known as Muzafarabad.
As per the Islamic/lunar calendar, he left this mortal world in the month of Muhramul Haram 1117 A.H. His shrine is located within the premises of cemetery known as Mazar-Shrife, Guzriyal.Guzriyal is at a distance of 25 kmts from Kupwara.
Khursheed Dar is a sufi scholar of North Kashmir and can be reached at Khursheed.dar33@gmail.com.
