By Khursheed Dar
For a divine mission, Allah selects and blessed only those who are capable of bearing the brunt of such a holy and difficult task. We see this selection in the case of Khawja Mouin-ud-Din Chesti Alhi Rehma and his noble spiritual successors. All of them descend from noble blood of the “Founder Of Islam”. Likewise Hazrat Moulana Mohammad Amin Owaisi, RA too was a divine selection Of “Rub-e-Jaleel”.
Qalandar e zaman” Hazrat Moulana Mohammad Amin Owaisi RA was the great wali-e- kamil of his age. The people of the area who are still alive are well aware of the living conditions, perfections, blessings and miracles of this towering mystical power bestowed on him by “ Rub-e-Jaleel “. Due to the general ignorance and simplicity of that time, the date of birth could not be determined accurately. It is assumed that this iconic mystic was born around 1900 AD at Surgan(Drawa) near Sharda in Kishan Ganga valley.This iconic Owaisi mystic was associated with the Owaisi silsila or tradition of sufism .His resting place at Kasheera Kupwara is a trumph of faith,Atiqad and centre of “hanfiyat’.
Kasheera village is located in Kupwara.It is situated 2km away from Kupwara town.
Hazrat Mohammad Amin Owasi RA, according to the popular belief, was a steadfast Sufi and was associated with the Owasi Silsila Of Sufism.The Owaisi tradition is attributed to the devotees of the Medinian messenger, the blessed Yamenite,Hazrat Owais Qarni RA.In the idoms of”al tasawuf’,the Owaisi attribution is attributed to the disciples of abstinence without any visible meeting,and the one establishing the attribution visits via a dream or in state of meditation. The Owaisi Silsila or tradition was raised to its pinnacle of popularity in Kashmir by Hazrat Moulana Molvi Mohammad Amin,Qutub ul Aftab,Owsai,Qadri,Qalandari RA.His first disciple Raja Sakhi Wilayet Khan has written his name as Hazrat Moulana Molvi Mohammad Amin,Qutub ul Aftab,Owsai,Qadri,Qalandari RA in his book “Manazil-e-Faqur” The same is displayed on the sign board of the holy shrine at Kasheera, Kupwara.It is said that Raja Sakhi Wilayet Khan was a Christian who embraced Islam at the hands of Hazrat Mohammad Amin Owaisi Sahib RA and became his first disciple.
This iconic mystic lost his father in his childhood. He had two brothers and a mother.
As a teenagar, Hazrat Mohammad Amin Owasi distinguished himself as a scholar, a debater, and a versatile and prolific sufi saint and spiritual teacher. But he increasingly was drawn to the inner life of the mystic.
He had a great desire to study and read. But his mother and his brothers did not have any means to support him. At an early age as an orphan and without any means, he travelled to the Punjab and admitted himself in one of the several Orphanages and also attended the open classes conducted by the men of learning in and around where he lived. He studied the Quran learnt the Arabic and the Persian, and got himself familiar with the literature of Hadith. Then he went to other “Dar-Ul-Ulooms” of time and mastered the Islamic sciences at a very young age.Soon he went to Amroha, as if following his destiny’ where Hazrat Syed Noor-Ul-Zaman Shah was the principal of the famous school .Hazrat Mohammad Amin Owasi RA got admission in the school, and as soon as he heard Hazrat Zaman Shah speaking in a manner as if both the outer and the inner lights of the Knowledge of the Quran were focused in his heart, he felt as if a lightening fell on him and his whole being began to shine like a candle .Hazrat Syed Noor u Zaman Shah RA was the great sufi scholar . Soon a close bond developed between the two. Where ever his teacher went he accompanied him. He obeyed his newly found master and guide, and soon become one of his best students. His teacher loved him much.
Once his teacher,Hazrat Noor u Zaman Shah RA had to go to Delhi. Hazrat Mohammad Amin Owasi RA too accompanied him.Hazrat Noor-Ul-Zaman RA brought him to a renowned scholar. He said to Amin Sahab that he should spend some time with that scholar and complete what he had started to learn in Amroha.Hardly a week had passed, Amin Sahab could no longer bear separation from his mentor, left Delhi to return Amroha and join his beloved teacher. On his way to Amroha he stayed in a mosque, and there he felt as though a flood of Iove would burst through his heart. He was frightened. He took away his turban and tore it into several pieces, and tied them to hold together his head, his chest and his arms, and in that state started walking towards the home of his beloved teacher that was miles away. He boarded the train, and reached Amroha, and came to Shah Sahab’s house .Shah Sahab heard him quietly for some time, and then by raising his voice said to him:
“Go away into the forest nearby and seek solitude”
Obeying the command of his teacher, Hazrat Mohammad Amin Owasi RA started walking towards the forest and thus began his mystical journey. As his state of separation had been affected, with that his strength to bear hunger and physical exertion too was reduced. He also suffered with a certain degree of disquiet that his teacher,Shah Sahab ,did not even allow him to take rest after his ordeal and nor did he give him some food which he so badly needed. With such haziness of thought he entered into the forest. He found there a lonely grave; and a place fit for prayers and meditations. He somehow settled down, and started to concentrate on meditations. His body was tired, with no energy left. He now felt as if his days were numbered. He remembered vaguely the saying, “Die before you die!” Suddenly he became unconscious and left the consciousness of this world. A new world rose before him, or he rose in a new world. lt was a world full of light not blinding light, but light as the air and the atmosphere of that world. Everything therein was bright with divine light.In that Light” Alam-e-noorani” he saw Hazrat Owais Qarni RA and he saw the Apostle of God who said to him:
“Now you have reached the end of your journey, now your “wilayah” is perfect, go to your teacher and remain with him!.As he got up from unconscious state and re-entered the physical world, it was the late morning of the following day, he made haste to reach Hazrat Shah Sahab who welcomed him and made him to rest and eat light food first to accustom his body to function properly.
Amin Sahab never left the side of Shah sahab until he fell ill in 1342 H.Hazrat Mohammad Amin Owasi RA looked after him’ nursed him’ and sat beside him .One night Shah sahab called Amin sahib and said to him.
“Oh Kashmiri ! Take out your shirt:”
Amin Sahib took out his shirt.Then Shah Sahab took out his shirt and made Amin Sahab to wear it.Then he said to him:
”From this moment your outer and inner knowledge is completed, go out into the world, and spread the light that has been given to you”. His spiritual mentor left for heavenly abode on 28 Shawwal, Monday, 1342.
Hazrat Muhammad Amin Owasi RA decided to leave towards his native place, Sharda .On his way he passed through a village. There he met a man namely Arsalan Khan who requested Amin Sahib to stay in his house. When he entered his house, he came across a strange sight. A”dying “darvesh”was looking at the entrance of the house. As soon as he saw Amin Sahib, his face brightened. Amin Sahib sat down beside him. The ‘darvesh” said that he was waiting for him that he would perform his funeral prayer. Then he whispered something into Amin Sahib’s ear, and passed away.Arsalan Khan having seen this, fell on his knees and begged Hazrat Mohammad Amin Owasi RA to accepted him as his servant and disciple. Owasi Sahib RA said to Arsalan Khan,” What made you think that I am one of those “friends of Allah”who make disciples as they go along the way? I am just a child.But Arsalan Khan insisted and said that the” darvesh” who died had told him that unless another “darvesh” turned up in the village he would not die.Owasi Sahib RA took his hand into his. He gave him the oath of allegiance. Thus ,he became the first disciple of Mohammad Amin Owasi RA.
He used to offer 300 rakats of nafil salaah in 24 hours, used to fast every day, and spend the entire night in prayers.
During one of his journeys to Kashmir, he was passing through Bahrampora , Sopore where a man near namely Abdul Karim Zargar met him and took him to his house .He was a goldsmith , there were many people in his house. The hall was richly decorated, and there was an elevated and well-decorated bed .The host insisted that Amin Sahib should sit on that elevated seat and he would sit at his feet. After food and as the guests settled down, Abdul Karim Zargar presented to Amin Sahib an offering of some sweets and a woollen shawl, and requested to make him his servant and disciple. Amin Sahib accepted him, taught him several levels of gnosis leading ultimately to the apprehension of the “Divine Essence.”After leaving Abdul Karim, Hazrat Mohammad Amin Owasi Amin RA travelled to several places in the region, reunited with his family, and settled down in Kasheera Kupwara Kashmir. He had land and was now prosperous. Free from the worries of the world he could devote himself to the cause for which he was selected by Allah.
He had many other disciples who had reached great levels of self-realization through his tutelage .Mention will be made of Akram Haigami,a wellknown sufi saint and poet too was his disciple. Hazrat Mohammad Amin Owasi performed two Hajs.One with his spiritual mentor ,Hazrat Zaman Shah sahib and the second in 1960-61 AD.He was married with a virtuous lady namely “Zewer Jan “and had four daughters and six sons from her.The eldest son Amin-Ud-Din sahab is acting” Sajadah Nasheen” of the holy shrine.Billions of thanks to his Youngest son,Basihir-Ud-Din Owaisi Sahib,a retired principal, for providing me valuable information. We are very fortunate to live in era where such great personalities exist. They are very humble and nice people.
Basihir-Ud-Din Owaisi Sahib,retired principal, narrated an interesting incident which I want to include in my column. “A rich and highly educated woman namely Miss Hogon from Houston, USA had a strange dream. In her dream, she reached a village that was in the middle of the jungles and there she met a pious man. The woman went in search of this village and reached Delhi and met the then prime minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Miss Hogon requested Pandith Jawahar Lal Nehru that she had come to India to visit the forest villages. The woman first visited Shimla. Then she arrived in Kashmir and rented a houseboat in Dal Lake owned by Abrahim Wangro. One day, seeing Miss Hogon upset, Abrahim Wangroo asked her the reason. Miss Hogon narrated the whole dream to him. Abrahim Wangro had a friend namely Raja Sakhi Wilayat Khan. He asked Sakhi Wilayat Khan to help them and to show them the place and that pious man. Sakhi Wilayat Khan took them to Kasheera,Kupwara. As soon as Miss Hagen saw Hazrat Mohammad Amin Owaisi Sahib, she fainted. She identified, what she had in dream?Then Hazrat Moulana Mohammad Amin Owaisi RA instructed her to go for “chila” of 41 days at Kasheera,Kupwara.She was very impressed by the mystical powers of Hazrat Moulana Mohammad Amin Owaisi Sahib. She pleaded Hazrat Amin sahib to come to North America with her. But Amin Sahib told her that he had been instructed by his spiritual mentors to stay at Kasheera,Kupwara.
A number of miracles are attributed with this iconic mystic which cannot be put in the words. This great sufi saint left for heavenly abode on 17 March 1969 in 17 Zilhaj 1388H. ‘We are of Allah and unto Allah we return”.
He was like a star guiding so many. He may be considered as a Perfect Wali who created a large following, not just a crowd but highly disciplined and enlightened group to bring the people on the right path.Even today many true seekers are guided by his followers. Apart from this any seeker who visits the Shrine gets guided by them.
The Urs pak of this great Wali-e-Kamil of Owaisi silsilah is celebrated on 17th June every year. People from all walks through out the length and breadth of Kashmir throng to the holy shrine at Kasheera,Kupwara and spent there one night in meditations and prayers. The holy shrine at Kasheera, Kupwara is a trump of faith and Atiqad and centre of’ Hanfiyat”in Kupwara.
To sum, the teachings of sufi saints of Kashmir presented a harmonious, tolerant and affectionate face of Kashmiri Sufism based on the principles of oneness and religious humanism, which laid foundations for a secular Kashmiri society.
Khursheed Dar is a sufi scholar and can be reached at Khursheed.dar33@gmail.com
