Bear in mind that every entity created by the Founder is His kith and kin and do not hesitate to follow the course He instructed everyone to trail.
By Syed Urfi Bashir
The soil of this enriched land has been bestowed by Sages, preachers and saints of yore. The aura of this place called ‘ Peer Waer ‘ is mystical in texture. Our rich Sufi Culture is time and again marked by historians and Sufi writers. One such Saint who has contributed boundless for the upliftment of the human race is Syed Meerakh Shah Khasyani (R.A), popularly known as Faqeer – i- Milat of Kashmir.
Merakh Sahib belongs a Syed family from Saraf Kadal Srinagar. He was born on 6th September 1895. He unveiled a tendency of self-discipline and austerity from his early childhood. At the age of ten, it is said that Merakh Sahib was greatly enthralled by the following verses of Sheikh Saadi’s notable work Gulistan Boston: Gili khusbo Dar hamam rozae ,
Rasidaz Mehboobum bi dastam,
Bedo guftam ki mushki ae abiree,
Ki az boyae dilavae zaytomastum,
Jamalae Humneesheen darmann asar kard.
He was deeply moved by the profound meaning of the above-mentioned verses wherein, the poet has asked the soil wherefrom it has obtained such an aroma, such a fragrance that captivates senses, that mesmerizes the soul. In response a revelation narrates: indeed my existence is ordinary but my scent is because of the flowers, flowers that I was embedded with, flowers of whose distinctive perfume I absorbed. And the teacher elaborated the concept of flowers and explained the entomology and metaphoric connotation of Flower as devoutness, sincerity and dedications are admirable, it changed the entire topography of Merakh Sahib’s observation. This transformation made him a mystic icon of Kashmir.
It is on records that Hazrat Syed Fazulla Gardize (R.A) (whose shrine is in Lahore) passed the legacy on to his successor Abdul Qadir Lal ( Lal Sahib) and from him, it was passed to his follower Abdul Qadoos, who received a decree to pass this divine legacy to Syed Meerakh Shah Khasyani (R.A) who was an epitome of simplicity, truthfulness and honesty. His objective was to promote universal brotherhood and love aided with consideration for needy people irrespective of all formalities of life. With the passage of time, the Syed Meerakh Shah Khasyani (R.A) became a household name in Kashmir.
The contributions of Merakh Sahib to our society are immense. He not only brought a social revolution by preaching the tenets of Islamic justice, affection and oneness but also ushered in economic development. His successors Hazrat Faqeer Deen Mohammad Sahib (R.A) and Sajad -e – Nishan Faqeer Mohammad Dilawar Sahib carried forward Merakh Sahib’s teachings to the generations down the line. They not only established various educational organizations, Darul – Uloom, and Health care services but also structured touchstone shrine also known as Darbar Khasyanii ( situated at Shalimar) where people of all the sects throng throughout the year.
Faqeer-i- Milat’s teachings of divine spirituality, harmony, endurance and humanity resonated with the common people and still goes on. His notable anthology helps us in developing and improving the ethical, moral, spiritual and cultural order of the society that was published on 4 April 1994, under the title Jaam – e – irfaan .
Merakh Sahib was honoured to organise Milad – u – Nabi (SAW) gatherings in Kashmir. Merakh Sahib has undoubtedly taught us how to live creatively within the context of the universe described in the holy Quran. He passed away on 13 December 1971 (24th Shawal 1391)
Author is English teacher and a creative writer and can be mailed on syedurfi24@gmail.com.
