Sufism In Kashmir

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Dotted with low-lying valleys here and there, this irregular mountainous area of Kashmir, lies between 32 degrees 17 minutes North to 36 degrees 58 minutes North Latitude and 73 deg. 26 min. East to 80 deg. 30 min. East Longitude. In latitude the entire area corresponds to Peshawur (Pakistan), Baghdad and Damascus, Fez (Morocco) and South Carolina (North America). The state is mostly mountainous with an area of 86,023 square miles. From north to south it extends over 400 miles (640 km.)and from east to west 300 miles (480 km.) All along the history, it has remained an independent country till Akbar’s conquest in 1586 AD. Till 1947 Jammu & Kashmir was the largest princely state of undivided India. The State of Jammu & Kashmir is bounded on the …show more content…

Abdul Qaiyum Rafiqi about various orders of Sufism in Kashmir and ‘Sufis of Kashmir’ by Mohammad Ishaq Khan quoting authentic biographical sketches of hundreds of the contemplative and spiritual masters who profoundly shaped the Kashmiri society during the 14th and 19th centuries- in alphabetical order makes an interesting reading for the student of the subject. The later stresses that Sufism’s historical achievement in Kashmir lay in furnishing the sheet-anchor which would not simply hold the Kashmiri Muslim community fast to the shrines, but more importantly to the fundamentals of Islam. The remarkable unity of purpose and action displayed by the Sufis as embodiments of inner and social stability is not simply a spiritual, but more than that, a historical legacy bequeathed by them to …show more content…

1st Century Hijri / 7th Century AD :
According to a chronicle in Sharda script preserved in Archives Dapartment of J&K Govt. two companions (Sahabis) of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) visited Kashmir in the Prophet’s time (in 7th century AD) itself and Raja Bala Dutt (586-617 AD) was so impressed that he gave up his royal grandeur and adopted simplicity and fixed one tenth (ushur) of his revenue for the distribution among poor and the needy. The two Sahabis are reported to have proceeded then to China along the Silk-route.
There is sufficient evidence that in the 97 AH an Arab Muslim, Hameem by name, was among the first visitors who belonged to the Arab race. It was a matter of chance, as the Arabs won a decisive victory in the Sindh. Raja Dahir’s son ran away and found shelter with the then ruler of Kashmir and received an estate. The fugitive prince had an Arab Muslim with him namely Hameem, who was allowed to settle in a part of Srinagar, which was known as Malchamar.
Since Muslims spread in different corners of the world with their religious fervour many were brought under the fold of Islam. At places Muslims had to undergo conquests, but in Kashmir no force was used, instead there remained influx of traders, sufis, scholars and tourists, who attracted people towards Islam by their piety and superiority of

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