BY KHURSHEED DAR
For a divine mission, Allah selects and blessed only those who are capable of bearing the brunt of such a holy and difficult task. We see this selection in the case of Khawja Mouin-ud-Din Chesti Alhi Rehma and his noble spiritual successors. All of them descend from noble blood of the “Fonder Of Islam”. Likewise Hazrat Ama sb RA too was a divine selection Of Rub e Jaleel.
“Qalandar e zaman” Hazrat Ama sb RA was the great wali kamil of his age. The people of the area who are still alive are well aware of the living conditions, perfections, blessings and miracles of this towering mystical power bestowed on him by Rub e Jaleel. His father’s name was Abdul Rahim Hijam son of Abdul Sabur Hijam. Due to the general ignorance and simplicity of that time, the date of birth could not be determined accurately. Accurate and authentic record of his birth year is not available. It is said that this iconic mystic was born in 1906 at Yaroo Langate in district Kupwara.He was from a well off family
His father used to work as a barber in addition to zamindari . Economically the family was very sound. Hazrat Ama Sahib RA was only the brother among a few sisters, so he was brought up with a full-fledged song. In addition to teaching the Qur’an, his father taught “Gulistan and Bostan” to his young son.. He was adorned with the usual education up to the seventh grade. Ama Sahib RA was a man of noble character from his childhood. After giving up school life, Ama sb RA started doing housework. He was very much intreseted to work as a barbar and feeding cattle Meanwhile, his father passed away. This affected Hazrat Um sb RA very much. Sahib’s marriage was solemnized with a virtuous woman of Ganai Hammam Baramulla. Ama Sab RA was completely stuck in domestic life. After some time, a daughter was born to him. Soon his daughter and wife died. Apparently, the world of Ama Sahib RA was ruined. But this sudden calamity proved to be a blessing for him. In this way, Allah Almighty dedicated Hazrat Ama sb RA to Himself. As Allah had dedicated Hazrat Sheikh Nooruddin Wali RA for Himself. Now Ama Sahib RA hated the world. Thus two years passed. Then it increased further. From this situation his simple father began to worry . And started to look for his treatment. First Ama Sahib RA was kept in black cells. Handcuffs were put on his feet. He was treated by physicians and doctors. But …. no avail.
All doctors labelled him hopless and helpless patient.One day the spiritual mentor of Hazrat Ama sbs father Hazrat Shams-ud-Din Pandali RA came to the house of Haji Mukhta Lone at the neighboring village of Wadipura, as soon as his father heard this news, He took him to him. Hazrat Shams ud Din Pandali RA told his father to leave Ama Sahib RA on the mercy of Rub e Jaleel.. But the father took Ama Sahib RA to famous and high ranked “dervish” of Baramulla. The “darvish” realized his spiritual greatness and said that this child should be left at the mercy of Allah or else the whole village would be destroyed. Then his father left Ama Sahib RA at the mercy of Allah. His father then left to interfare in his “Qalandarana” personality. In this way Hazrat Ama sb started his mystical journey in a “khazri” style .
Getting rid of his father and family chains, this mystical skylark mediated day and night under the canopy of spiritual sky . He always wore an old torn and long-sleeved kurta . His “Qalandari ‘and his “kamaal”,bestowed on him by Rub e Jaleel appeared in Handwara, where he was chained by the police on the basis of a burglary. The late Haji Abdul Rahim Banday informed the police that he was innocent .The police officer went inside the lock up to untie his chains.The officer felt astonished to see all the chains broken.
Millions of devotees benefited from him.Hazrat Ama sahib RA stayed in Sangrama in Rafihabad and Sopore areas for a long time. It is said that once in the afternoon he went to Lolab through Kundi. Meditated on the lofty snowcaped mountains and dense forests for months. He used to stay hungry and thirsty for many months. In the first period he used to eat by himself but in the last period he stopped eating and drinking with his own hands. However, he used to eat with the hands of others. Despite wearing a kurta, no one even saw his knee. His body used to be fragrant. He often lived in solitude at the spiritual hilltop “Divnal” and koh i watayeen. He was so familiar with the situations by the grace of Allah that once a woman came to his “darbaar”. He was was sleeping.She waited for a long time. She was disappointed. She handed over three eggs to the cook. The cook accidentally ate two eggs. When Qalandar woke up, the cook offered one egg to Qalandar threw the egg out of the window and said in sour words, “Where there are two eggs, there is a third One.” the cook was ashamed and he repented. In spite of his perfection of spirituality, he was the founder of “Jahan-e-Bani” and “Jahan-e-Beni”. He passed away on December 30, 1968, at the age of 62.He was burried in the compound of the masjid sharief at Yaroo Langate.High ranked police officers loved and revered Hazrat Ama sb RA and participated in his nimaz e Jinazah.
Innumerable marricales are attributed with this towering mystical personality:
It is said that a man had some aquatic land on the bank of Nala Mawar. One year, Ama Sahib RA instructed this landlord to sow maize crop. But he sowed Shali(paddy).Soon there was a flood in nalah Mawar.The flood washed away his paddy seeds and he sowed maize in his land. A man in my village did not have any male offspring. He was upset. Ama Sahib RA had two apples in his hand. So much so that this hopeless and helpless man came to Ama Sahib. Ama Sahib gave him an apple. Giving it to him, he said, “Take it, Mohammad. Time has passed. A son has been born to him. Today he is known as Master Ghulam Mohammad wani.”
A very big businessman from Culcutta came to Srinagar and stayed with Abdul Majeed Lone Wadipora,the then S P of J&K police. He was accompanied by a seven year old dumb son. This businessman expressed his dumbness to Majeed Sahib. The SP sahib suggested him to take Ali Mohammad Sheikh´s party ,Singer, and go to Ama Sahib’s “darbaar” . The merchant did the same. And Ali Mohammad Sheikh started singing in Ama Sahib’s blessed darbaar. Ama Sahib was listening to the song . Ali Mohammad Sheikh sang while singing.
(Na Roozi habab na rooz shabab)
Ama Sahib RA immediately stood up, grabbed the boy by the collar and said, “Tell me who will live forever .” The boy replied, “Allah,the most merciful,the most compassionate , then the dumb man began to speak.” It is said that one day The Jehlem was in flood.This high ranked sufi saint jumped into the Jehlem near cement bridge ,Baramula and came out of the flood in perfect safety.
The home of this great “wali Kamil” still exists at his birth place, Yaroo langate.The place were this wali kamil of Rub e Jaleel used to sit and mediate still exists there.
Innumerable wishing rags of different textile fibre are there.
The blessed house of this “wali Kalim” is crumbling .I have seen lovers of” Auliya e kiram” praying there. Even today hundreds of devotees through out the length and bredith of the valley visit the resting place of hazrat Ama sahib RA. The Shrine is in a pitable condition.There are cracks on the walls.The shrine needs repairment .There is also a a free kitchen feeding the visitors and devotees.Gh Mohammad Hajam sb,a simple and noble man, a close kin of this “wali Kamil “manages the things and performs the duty of a Caretaker of the Shrine of Hazrat Ama sb RA.I am moved by his humble nature.
The wooden Sufi shrines, and artifacts in the Sufi shrines of Kashmir are decaying fast as there is no proper mechanism for their preservation and conservation.
There are many shrines, completely abandoned, having no care-takers even. Such shrines are under severe threat.
Khursheed Dar is a Sufi scholar and can be reached at Khursheed.dar33@gmail.com .
