By: Prof.Bashir Ahmad Dar
Hazrat Shiekh Akmal- ud- Din Mirza Muhammad Kamil Beigh Khan Badakhshi holds a unique position in the religious and spiritual history of Medieval Kashmir. Mirza’s ancestors were the descendants of Sultan Khawaja Ahamd Yesvi, the fifteenth offspring of Hazrat Imam Aezam (R.A). His grandfather Malik Muhammad Khan migrated from Tashqand to Badakhshan. That explains the word Badakshi being suffixed to his name. Mirza beautifully describes this in a Persian couplet as under:
Boud jad i jadam zi Turkistan
Kwaja Ahmed jad i jad mun daan
It was during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar that Malik Muammad Khan moved down to Delhi. He was highly educated besides possessing the qualities of a veteran military commander. Considering his merit, Akbar, appointed him in the royal services as a Mansabdar granting him the title of Mohammad Quli Khan. He was posted as the governor of Subah Kashmir from 999 to 1010 Hijra (1590 to 1601 A.D) around five years after the conquest of Kashmir by Akbar. He settled in Kashmir, died in Srinagar and is buried at Zahid Pora in the vicinity of Sangin Darwaza, outside the wall of the Naagar Nagar fort presently known as Qalai (the wall of the fort).
Muhammad Quli Khan’s son Mirza Adil Beg Khan also choose Kashmir as his abode. Adil was highly esteemed in Shah Jahan’s court who granted him the title of ‘Amir-ul Umra’. The youngest son of Adil Khan was born in 1644 A.D (1056 Hijri). Shah Jehan happened to be in Kashmir at that time and the Mughal monarch named the baby as Kamil Beg Khan. He was named so as the maternal grandfather of the new born had died and Shah Jahan wished to console the mother of the baby.
On his auspicious birth, Emperor Shah Jahan granted the Jagir of Lalla Zar, yielding a revenue of ten thousand rupees annually. He studied along with Daru Shikoh and Aurangzeb. Education of Mirza was then entrusted to a learned scholar, Allma Abul Fath Kallu Kalashpuri. He was just less than eight years’ old when once his guardian, who happened to be a disciple of Khawaja Habibullah Attar, was carrying Mirza on his shoulders and he caught the attention of Khawaja Habib ul Lah Attar (R.A).
The Sufi enquired about the name of the child. On hearing his name, the Sufi foretold that the child would be his spiritual son (would receive spiritual knowledge from him) and would add to his fame. His status will prove true to his name. Rescinding all royal privileges, the young Mirza became a disciple of Khawaja Habibullah Nowsheri (R.A) at a tender age of twelve years.
In his social life he followed the Sunnah at every step. He devoted a period of thirteen years learning at the feet of his Murshid and on his instructions moved to India for three years as a part of his spiritual journey. Receiving the directive from his spiritual guide, he returned to Kashmir and had the privilege to remain in his blessed company till he breathed his last. Khawaja granted him the Khilafat and instructions in the Kubrawi Silsilah besides the title of Akmal ud din. Mirza Akmaluddin received the instructions in other Silsilahas (orders) too. Mir Muhammad Lahori bestowed him with the Ijazah in Qadriya, whereas he is related to Suharwardiya Order through Khawja Masood Pampori RA. As such he is referred as Jami ul Salasil (one who has received instruction in all or most of the silsilahas or Sufi Orders)
The contemporary chroniclers report that Mirza Akmal-ud din held unique position in the Sufistic circles. A mere glance of his would turn the ignorant to the depth of Maurfat (mystic knowledge). His sayings would attract those with spiritual craving. Once while passing through the Royal fort (Naagar Nagar, the administrative headquarters built by Akbar for Kashmir Subah-present day adjoining areas of Hazrat Makhdoom Sahib R.A.) he had the chance to see a good-looking lady near the Sangeen Darwaza, selling fruit at her shop. He enquired about the woman. She was named Jummi. Whenever Mirza passed that way, he would halt for a while there. In a Persian verse he has expressed that the shop of Jummi has turned to be like the congregational Masjid. Shortly after that a new Masjid was erected there, which included the shop of the lady too. And Jummi turned to mysticism due to the blessings of the Sufi, expressing her experiences in verse in Kashmiri. Her verses have been preserved in the Maqamat i “Iraq” and “Nowroz I Sabah” of music.
Despite being a revered mystic, Mirza would strictly adhere to the tenets of Shariah and would ensure his disciples and the followers follow the Islamic code in letter and spirit. To quote him:
Silsilah begusal we Khuda mejo
Ta numainda rahat az her so.
(Do not depend solely on being attached to a Sufi silsilah(order) and strive to find the path to Allah, till you’ll be shown the (true) path all around you).
To pursue the path of Tariaqat,(path followed by the Sufis) Mirza advises the followers adhere to the Salah (prayers) and Zikr, and to him, no one can claim to tread this path without these conditions. He expresses his experience that his Murshid instructed him to observe Azkar( plural of Zikr), Nawafil, Wazaif,(repetition of the Quran or a portion from it or certain prayers instructed by the guide) Soum (Fasting).
Mirza and his predecessors were on the one hand the leaders of spiritual domain and Eternal Enlightment, on the other they have shone on the literary sky too. The sole object in penning down these priceless writings was to guide the seekers to the True Path and to lead them from darkness of ignorance to spiritual light.
The greatest Contribution of the Sufi writer, Mirza Akmal is ‘Bahrul Irfan’ (the Ocean of knowledge) Comprising of four volumes consisting of 80,000 couplets on the analogy of the Masnavi of Moulana Jalal ud Din Rumi (R.A). It is said to have been composed around 1110 Hijra. He says that he wished to write a masnavi and he saw Khawaja Farid ud din Attar (R.A) with a book in his hand. Akmal (R.A) asked him about the book and the Attar (R.A) replied that this was his Bahrul Irfan, reciting five couplets from it. As he woke up, he found the five recited couplets well memorized.
During the course of compiling the masnavi, Akmal (R.A) says he saw Moulan Jalal ud din Rumi (R.A) and Farid ud din Attar (R.A) instructing to compile the masnavi. He further says that he experienced wajd as the two introduced themselves to him. As he recovered, he recited the following verse:
Az muridani Shiekh Attaram
Istianant az Moulvi Darm
(He is a murid of Sheikh Attar (R.A) and he solicited aid from Moulana Rumi (R.A).
Abdul Wahab Nuri,the disciple of Mirza Akmal ud din(RA) views the Behrul Irfan as under:
Behrul Irfan nihad aen ra naam
faiz baksh hama che khas we che aam
(Behrul Irfan is fruitful for all privileged as well as commoners) Elucidating it Nuri writes that the pious ones(Aamilan) receive instruction or get educated and imbibe manners from it while those treading the path of Eternal love find their physical form(wajud) getting lost(Fana) or to put it in simple words they reach the stage where their physical form gets subdued by their spiritual existence. As per his estimation it enables the gnostics or advanced mystics to have the audience ( hazur ) of the blessed gathering wherein the great Sufis possess all-inclusive witnessing of Allah (Bazm i Shahud).
The first three parts(called Daftar) of the Masnavi have already been published and it is heartening to note that despite many odds the fourth and the last one has been published just in the previous year (2022) by the reputed socio-religious personality and Sajada Nisheen of Dargah i Akmalia Dr. Muqtasid Ahmad Kamli. This is indeed the greatest homage a Sufi follower can offer to this great Sufi in this materialistic age. However considering the fact that the number of readers of Persian is decreasing day by day, it is imperative to arrange its urdu translation .
The Mathnavi is a compendium of pious and pure ideology and golden thoughts. It not only guides in the mystic sphere but provides with noble principles for leading a worldly life. The way both these things have been portrayed, it is bound to have its impact on head and heart of the reader. The experiences of the spiritual world have been expressed in lucid and eloquent manner that the reader is swayed by it.
Critics value the Bahrul Irfan as a unique masterpiece in the malfuz literature. Considering the theme, it conveys, Bahrul Irfan compares fairly with the masnavi of Moulana Jala ud din Rumi and it is placed next to the later mentioned masnavi. The source of these two rivers (masnavi of Moulana Jala ud din Rumi and Bahrul Irfan) is the same and the fresh waters serve as nectar for the seekers of Eternal Truth. The issues and the secrets of the path to mystic cosmos are dealt with in the book in a nice way. While the traditional masnavis generally narrate a particular story in verse, the Bahrul Irfan describes the tips, dos and do nots necessary to tread the path to Eternal Truth.
Hast azein noor jumlai anwar
liek taari be sad hazar anwar
kasrati wahdat ast azan wahid
kard az einsaan shuhud aan sahid
Noor be noor noor kei daard
juz khuda sheik kei dard
The crux of this poem which stands as introductory note to this masnavi is that the fountainhead of this universe is the noor or eternal Light of Allah. Everything owes its existance to the existence of its creator. In another verse Mirza Kamil (RA) says, “if you are not in a position to remove the hurdles or veils towards that noor or eternal Light, how can one find a way to that Light”.
Kase ra ki fazl khuda yaar shud
shab o roz haq ra parastar shud
(It is only with the grace of Allah that one during day and night is able to pursue the path of Allah)
Besides, a Qasdia Mukhbirul Asrar, comprising of three hundred couplets , some other books too are attributed to the Sufi. It has been written in verse in the form of a Qasida comprising of two hundred and seventy nine verses. A commentary (shara) on this Qasida has been done by Mir Sayyid Muhtarm Lahori Naqashbandi who was a descendant of Mir Muhammad Hamdani(R.A). Akmal ud din has also composed some odes in Kashmiri. The chief features of Akmal’s poetry are that his examples, similes, metaphors, stories and references are indigenous. He left for heavenly abode in 1718 A.D.(1131 Hijri) and was laid to rest in Gulnath Pora Hawal Srinagar where a tomb has been constructed. Thousands throng his eternal abode to seek his blessing round the year.
Akmaluddin yaqeen hamen dard
Mazhabsh wahdat ast we yaktaie
(Akaml ud din is of the firm belief that he follows the religion of wahdat or that every creature in this universe owes its existence to the creator and that though one may observe the different forms but the origin of all is one.
The author is a retired principal in the education department and is currently associated with the Haqani Memorial Trust. bashirahmaddar2012@gmail.com
