In Islam, Sufism means mysticism. It traces its roots to early Islamic history and can be described as the inward dimension of Islam. Sufism is not a sect of Islam but is rather an aspect of Islam. Practitioners of Sufism are known as Sufis. They belong to different orders that are headed by walis. They meet for spiritual sessions. Sufis strive to attain perfection in worship, which means worshipping Allah as if you see Him. They consider Muhammad as their ultimate spiritual guide.
Sufis have significantly shaped the history and thinking of Islam. They have greatly contributed to Islamic literature and have played a key role in spreading Islam to Africa, India, and the Far East. Here is an account of the life and work of one of the greatest Sufis who introduced Islam to Kashmir – Syed Bulbul Shah.
Syed Sharf-Ud-Din Abdul Rehman Shah, also known as Bulbul Shah, was a Turkistani Sufi from the 14th century. He belonged to the Suhrawardi order ‒ a Sunni order founded by the Sufi Diya al-din Abu ‘n-Najib as-Suhrawardi. This order was influential in forming a conservative ‘new piety’ and in regulating urban vocational and other groups.
Syed Bulbul Shah was mentored by Mir Syed Niymatullah. On his orders, Bulbul Shah took Islamic missionary movement to Kashmir. He got Rinchan, the King of Kashmir, to accept Islam, and that’s how this religion was brought to Kashmir.
Historians are divided over the native place of Bulbul Shah. While it is widely considered to be Turkistan (region in present-day Kazakhstan), some writers think he was a native of Tamkastan in ancient Iran, while some think he hailed from Baghdad.
Bulbul Shah is believed to have reached Kashmir with his friend Mullah Ahmad. Some claim that he entered Kashmir with one thousand refugees, while some are of the opinion that he came here in 1324 AD during the rule of Rinchan Shah. Influenced by Bulbul Shah, King Rinchan adopted Islam and thousands followed him.
King Rinchan got a monastery, a mosque, and many other buildings constructed for Bulbul Shah. There is a shrine to honour Bulbul Shah’s burial place on River Jhelum.
There is an interesting story about how Syed Sharf-Ud-Din Abdul Rehman Shah came to be called Bulbul Shah. Once he spotted a bulbul bird singing on a tree, and it suddenly flew toward the sky. Bulbul Shah flew after the bird, caught hold of it and the bird vanished. When asked about this incident, he said that the bird was his own soul. Since then, he came to be known as Bulbul Shah.
Another story about his miraculous powers goes like this. It was very cold in Kashmir and river Jhelum had frozen. There was no water to drink or use, knowing which, Bulbul Shah looked at the skies and called upon the sun to melt the frozen river. The sun came out, the snow melted, and the river started flowing again.
Syed Bulbul Shah, as he is also called, was the first known Muslim missionary in Kashmir. He was a great scholar, preacher, and theologian. He was the first Muslim Sufi saint from Central Asia to have come to Kashmir. He spent a lot of time praying, meditating, and traveling. He had given up on worldly pleasures and devoted his life to preaching Islam. He is said to have preached against superstitions and other non-scientific practices that prevailed in Kashmir at the time. People then were facing political instability, heavy taxes, and feudalism. It is said that they were highly impressed by the teachings of Bulbul Shah.
Syed Bulbul Shah died in 1326 AD. His grave and shrine are present in the Kashmir Valley. This Sufi saint will be revered by generations to come, for the positive impact that his teachings had on society.
