Burhan Nazir
Srinagar, Aug 31 (KB): The legacy of Hamza Makhdoom, a famous Sufi mystic of the 16th century, remains an integral part of the spiritual and cultural life of Kashmir.
Referred to with much love as Makhdoom Sahib, his life and teachings inspire and shape the Islamic way of life in the region centuries after his death.
He was born about 1494 in the village of Tujjar near Sopore in the Baramulla district. Makhdoom Sahib belonged to the aristocratic Raina clan of Chandravanshi Rajputs. His parents, Usman Raina and Bibi Maryam, were committed to providing him with a comprehensive education.
Makhdoom Sahib studied first at the monastery of Shamsi Cha and then pursued higher learning in Islamic jurisprudence, philosophy, and mysticism at a madrasa founded by the famous scholar Ismail Kubrawi.
It was from Jalaluddin Bukhari that Makhdoom Sahib received the deepest influences in his spiritual life.
He plunged into an ascetic practice of Shariah and Sunnah and went on to become one of the foremost scholars and preachers in Kashmir.
His preachings focused on purifying Islamic practice, challenging superstitions among the locals, and calling for strict adherence to Islamic principles.
By that, he played a pioneering role in setting the majority of Kashmiris on the path of the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence.
His influence was not limited to the sphere of academia. Makhdoom Sahib played a major role in the construction of numerous mosques throughout Kashmir and helped give Islamic practice a stronghold and greater spread in these lands.
His way also paved the way for inculcation of the Rishi traditions into Sufism and integrating the local strains of spirituality along with Islam.
Some of his more well-known disciples were Sheikh Baba Dawood Khaki and Khawaja Hasan Qari who went on further to spread his teachings ahead.
Queller, Despite such influence and success of his reforms, Makhdoom Sahib continued to receive intense opposition. Sultan Ghazi Khan Chak, envious of Makhdoom Sahib’s rising popularity and influence, got him exiled out of the valley.
But this did not lessen his influence; his teachings kept ringing in the ears of his followers. Makhdoom Sahib died in 1576 at the ripe age of 82 years.
His body was taken to his khanqah at Koh-e-Maran commonly known as Hari Parbat in Srinagar where he was buried. This place became a focal point of his followers thereafter.
Fourteen years after his death, Emperor Akbar paid homage to the memory of Makhdoom Sahib by ordering a shrine built at his grave site. To this day, the shrine remains one of the biggest pilgrimage sites and attracts people from all over the region who seek to pay homage to his memory and draw inspiration from his example.
Even today, Makhdoom Sahib’s spiritual legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of the Kashmiris, guiding their way through their spiritual and cultural life. His life is a personification of spiritual reform and dedication to lifelong service for the sake of Islam in this region.— (KB)
