By: Bashir Ahmad Dar
Sheikh Nuruddin Norani (RA) has been known for over the past six centuries as the Alamdar-i- Kashmir and Sheikh-ul- Alam. Hardly any saint has commanded such reverence, devotion and regard as this illustrious spiritual preceptor. He is quoted by the scholars in their books and speeches, the Sufis and sages in their discourses, and the common man refers to his Shrukhs (verses) and sayings in daily routine work. The popularity, attachment and devotion to the Sufi may be gauged from the fact that every village and town, hamlet and settlement is said to have been visited by Sheikh Nuruddin and the reverend Sheikh had coined some saying about the places. This is yet to be explored how far these sayings attributed to this great saint have actually been uttered by the saint. However Sheikh Nuruddin himself confirms in one of his verses having visited most parts of the valley.
I traversed the valley of Kashmir
None invited me to his house;
I had the rags to clad
The people considered it too tricky.
Yet another dimension of the relationship and reverence of Kashmiris with this great Sufi is that many shades of their common life are influenced by his personality. While constructing a new house, many people make it a point that it should have front side towards Chrare- Sharief, the place where the saint is buried.
The well off agriculturists would engage a servant for assistance in cultivating their fields and would usually get paid in by a portion of the agriculture produce. The servant was known as “Talbe Mohnev” (Requisitioned person). He was to be disengaged or would leave the house of his master on the Urs of Sheikhul Alam (RA). In case the master needed his services beyond that day, he was to be paid some extra grain, thus highlighting the Urs day of the Sufi as being the formal departure time of the agricultural servants in the valley.
Moreover the traditional Khadims or those maintaining the shrine of this saint were assigned to the different areas of the valley. They would visit different areas or villages in the harvesting or post-harvesting period and would collect the agricultural produce from their followers. This person commonly known as Rishi would bring the traditional Teng hech (the dried pears) besides the Sherini and would distribute among the people as Tabruk. These followers of the great Sufi while visiting the shrine would offer some gifts like grain, a roosters or something else to this very person (Rishi) and would stay at his house, who would arrange their meals.
In recent years there has been an attempt by the scholars and researchers to explore the various dimensions of the verses of this great saint – poet. Sheikh Nuruddin was utterly engrossed in the religious and spiritual pursuits and he had discarded the entire mundane world. As such whatever Sheikh has versified is basically his experiences about the religious and mystic cosmos. However it is interesting to note that these verses also point to the social and scientific realities and laws. An instance in this regard is the verse
Haz Rasoolus (SAW) Kasek zaji
‘Zaji’ is a Kashmiri word for the web. The scholars today point that the Allah enabled prophet Muhammad (SAW) to have access to the Universal web of Almighty making it easy for him to perform his noble mission. Likewise another verse
Ase chunis thaen thaen te bertis gober
(Light weight things make noise while the heavy ones have density)
The verse is referred to by the present day researchers pointing to the Law of Density.
The verses of the Alamdar serve to the modern day historian as a great source for reconstructing social history of this place. Thus we get the reference of flora and fauna, agricultural tools and implements, variety of seeds and crops cultivated, agricultural operations, dress, diet, socio-economic and environmental conditions. It may be added here that many of the things the Sheikh has referred to have become almost extinct and it is only with the help of the Shurkh (Shalukh) of this great Sufi that we are able to visualise the medieval socio- economic history of Kashmir.
The concern for the environment is one of the important issues dealt in the verses of this great Rishi. The Rishis and Sufis relapsed into solitude for meditation and the surroundings seemed to them reflecting Nature. Besides these sages and seers visualised the significance of preserving the environment and possessed the foresight to depict the holocaust of pillaging the environment. Besides the famous quote of ‘Ann posh Teli Yeli Wan Poshi’, Sheikh Nuruddin in a verse castigates a weaver for having his shuttle near a beehive which perturbed the honeybees. Interestingly in a satirical style this great environmentalist cajoles the weaver for having ‘Shravun’ (summer) as his name which to Sheikh appeared ‘Poh’ (winter). In another verse Sheikh stresses that forests without trees (Yarav rustus wanus) are of no avail.
The saint who had least interest in the mundane affairs has even something to offer to those who look for humour and wit in his verses. The following verses are a point in the case :
‘What can one do with a nut who has no teeth’
How can one strike a bow having no arms;
Does it behove to adorn a dog with golden ornaments
Of what avail is a fine-looking lady to a blind one ;
The modern researchers and scholars deserve a pat for their attempts to introduce to the world the multi dimensions of the personality and the verses of the Sufi who is already introduced in every household as the great spiritual leader. Mention may be made here of Dr Bashr Bashir, Assad ullah Afaqi , Gulam Nabi Gowhar and the like who have strived utmost to present the verses of the Nuruddin (RA) having multi dimensions.
Radio Kashmir Srinagar also deserve appreciation for airing programmes about Sheikh-ul-Alam on innovative topics and enabling the common folk to have access to the multifaceted and multi dimensions of these verses. The Sheikh-ul-Alam centre for Multi-Disciplinary Approach or Markazi Noor (Sheikhul Alam Chair) established at the University of Kashmir has also contributed much in presenting the verses of Alamdar and his contribution to the culture of Kashmir.
Having said this, it may be kept in mind that the dimensions which the present day scholar strives to look for in the verses of the Flag-Bearer of Kashmir may not have been the real purpose of the poet in coining those verses. He may have used it purely for religious or spiritual motives. But the greatness of this great saint lies in the fact that today these verses reflect the multi dimensions –religious, spiritual, social, educational, agricultural, mathematical, historical, environmental and technological!
The author can be reached at @bashirahmaddar2012@gmail.com
