Spiritual and Moral Aspects

Through the ‘Khanqahi’ system of training, Shah-e-Hamadan adorned his disciples with the ornaments of piety and perseverance. He guided them not only to the deepest realms of spirituality but also motivated them to take an active part in social reform. He encouraged the existing Sufis of Kashmir to come out of self-imposed seclusion and introduced them to a new mode of preaching. He made them to realize their social responsibilities and motivated them to serve humanity in general. It is the result of these efforts that later on the great souls like Alamdar I Kashmir Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani (RA) and Sultan-ul-Aarifeen Sheikh Hamzah Makhdoom (RA) were born in this part of the world and made immense contribution for the propagation of Islamic values.
He took a keen interest in the construction of mosques and Khanqahs and appointed Imams to provide Quranic education to the people. His comrades were blessed with diverse qualities, they were mystics, preachers, jurists, calligraphers, physicians etc. He made best use of their skills for the transformation of Kashmiri society. Through his efforts both religious and worldly education was provided in the seminaries. Before his arrival, the Kashmiri society had become a hotbed of evils. He played an important role in the eradication of adultery, gambling, alcoholism and other crimes through his da'wah activism. He not only urged the people to abstain from these crimes but also persuaded the ruling class to enact strict laws to curb them. Seeing this reformation, a large number of non-Muslims were so impressed that they showed their willingness to embrace Islam.

Economic and Cultural Aspects

Under no circumstances can a person or society be oblivious of financial and economic concerns. In times of scarcity, hunger and poverty, the devotion to the religion also remains defective. Shah-e-Hamadan was well aware of this fact. He believed that Islam can make its roots strong only when the economic and financial problems of the people are fully addressed. He not only preached austerity but also showed ways to earn ‘halal’ (i.e., permissible) provision. He paid special attention towards the development of industry and other handicrafts and offered a solution to unemployment and poverty. Despite his spiritual position, like a common man, he would earn his living by making hats with his own hands. He motivated his disciples to be self-sufficient by earning ‘halal’ provisions and wrote a treatise “Ma’ash ul Salikeen” for this purpose. Shahi Hamadan emerged as 'the revivalist of economy’. He motivated the rulers like Shahabuddin to facilitate trade and made efforts for economic stability. He advised the traders not to sell things at high prices. By conducting trade in accordance with Islamic principles, he created a new trend of selling and buying. The landlords were asked to distribute lands among the tenants so that there is no exploitation and economic inequality in the society. He introduced the Islamic system of charity in the form of 'ushr' and 'zakat' so that the poor and the needy could be supported.
Describing the features of the economic revolution carried out by Shah i Hamdan, Dr Shamsuddin Ahmad writes:
"It was an intellectual training and a mental revolution that Shah i Hamdan brought in Kashmir. Since this task was accompanied with divine support, it remained safe from decline. Shah-e-Hamadan and his comrades were skilled in various arts related to the affairs of life. They were architects, physicians, traders, agriculturists, engineers, poet, writers, calligraphers and craftsmen. They were highly trained in worldly and spiritual affairs were fully loaded with the capabilities to fix the gaps or shortcomings while calling people towards Islam. However, they were scholars first and then the professionals and due to their abilities, the people of Kashmir were drawn towards them."
Shahi Hamadan made a great impact on the cultural level. Through his efforts, Persian language and literature gained a new impetus. People were familiarised with the rich heritage of Persian literature. High standards of Sufi poetry became accessible to the people and it had a tremendous effect on the local languages. Kashmiri language and diction got enriched with Persian words (it's deep influence can easily be seen even today) and it was released from the dominance of Sanskrit and became more inclusive.


Da'wah Aspect

In Islam, ‘Da'wah’ means to call people towards the way of Allah and it is an obligation laid on every Muslim to do ‘dawah’ work. There can be different means and methods of da'wah, every verbal and practical effort to call people to the way of Allah is called "da'wah". From this point of view, the life of Shah-e-Hamadan seems to be a perfect example of sincere and peaceful Da'wah because for this cause he devoted his entire life. He carried out the work of da'wah according to the methodology taught by the Holy Qur'an. With his enlightened character and high morals, he guided all the sections of the society especially the wandering ascetics, sorcerers and other transgressors and turned their hearts towards Islam. There was no contradiction in his words and actions, he himself was the perfect example of what he taught. Compassion was the basic element of his teachings so he never resorted to any kind of coercion and compulsion. The people were so impressed by his way of preaching that they entered Islam in large groups. There was no place for extremism, terrorism and military confrontation in his Sufi doctrine and history bears witness that Sufi's have always been tolerant, apolitical and the most respectful to the other faiths. He presented Islam on aesthetical, spiritual and moral levels and abstained from teaching dry religiosity. He made a good use of 'Hikmah' i.e. wisdom in preaching which is an essential part of Quranic Da'wah. He resorted to a unique way of preaching called 'Tabligh bil Mithl' which keeps in view the similarities found in various faiths and is mindful of the mental and psychological level of the people invited towards Islam. With his magnanimous and magnetic personality, Shah-e-Hamadan was able to attract all kinds of people and their doubts were dispelled by his benevolent gaze. (Concluded)

Writer is Senior Lecturer in School Education Department

Email:------- imtiyazaafreen@gmail.com