Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani

Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani (; CE) was a Sufi saint of the Kubrawiya order, who played an important role in the spread of Islam in the Kashmir Valley. He was born in Hamadan, Iran, and preached Islam in Central Asia and South Asia. He died in Swat on his way from Srinagar to Mecca and was buried in Khatlan, Tajikistan, in 1385 CE, aged 71–72. Hamadani was also addressed honorifically throughout his life as the ''Shāh-e-Hamadān'' ("King of Hamadan"), '' Amīr-i Kabīr'' ("the Great Commander"), and ''Ali Sani'' ("second Ali").

Early life

His title, ''Sayyid,'' indicates that he was a descendant of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, possibly from both sides of his family.

Hamadani spent his early years under the tutelage of Ala ad-Daula Simnani, a famous Kubrawiya saint from Semnan, Iran, the first of the Sufis to criticize the teachings of the School of Ibn `Arabī in general, and the concept of "oneness of being" (waḥdat al-wujūd) in particular. As a successor of Simnānī, Hamadānī was an heir to this debate, and Asrār al-Nuqṭah must be viewed in this context.

Travels

Sayyid Ali Hamadani travelled widely and preached Islam in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, China, Syria, Kashmir, and Turkestan.
The third visit of Sayyid Ali was caused by the third invasion of Persia by Timur in 1383, when he conquered Iraq and decided to oust the Alid Sayyids of Hamadan, who, until his time, had played an important part in local affairs. Sayyid Ali, therefore, left Hamadan with 700 Sayyids and set out towards Kashmir, where he expected to be safe from the wrath of Timur. He had already sent two of his followers, Syed Taj ad-din Semnani and Mir Syed Hasan Semnani, to take stock of the situation. Shib ad-Din became a follower of Mir Syed Hasan Semnani, and so Hamadani was welcomed in Kashmir by the king and his heir apparent Qutbu'd-Din Shah. At that time, the Kashmiri ruler, Qutub ad-Din Shah, was at war with Firuz Shah Tughlaq, the Sultan of Delhi, but Hamadani brokered a peace. Hamdani stayed in Kashmir for six months. After Sharaf-ad-Din Abdul Rehman Bulbul Shah, Hamadani was the second important Muslim to visit Kashmir. Hamadani went to Mecca and then returned to Kashmir in 1379/80 CE, during the reign of Qutub ad-Din, and spent a year spreading Islam in Kashmir before returning to Turkestan via Ladakh in 1381/82 CE. He returned to Kashmir for the third time in 1383/84 CE to stay for a longer period, but had to return earlier owing to illness. Hamadani died on his way back to Central Asia at a site close to the present-day town of Mansehra in North-West Pakistan. His body was carried by his disciples to Kulab, Tajikistan, where his shrine is located.

Influence

Historical Eidgah Srinagar is also known as Eidgah Shah-i-Hamdan. Hamadani started organized efforts to convert Kashmir to Islam. Hamadani is regarded as having brought various crafts and industries from Iran into India, notably carpet weaving; it is said that he brought 700 Sayyids with him to the country. The growth of the textile industry in Kashmir increased its demand for fine wool, which in turn meant that Kashmiri Muslim groups settled in Ladakh. The growth of the textile industry in Kashmir increased its demand for fine wool, which in turn meant that Kashmiri Muslim groups settled in Ladakh, bringing with them skills such as minting and literary writing.

Hamadani wrote a book on politics, governance, and social bhaviour, called the ''Zakhirat ul-Muluk''.

Works

One manuscript (Raza Library, Rampur, 764; copied 929/1523) contains eleven works ascribed to Hamadani (whose ''silsila'' runs to Naw'i Khabushani; the manuscript contains two documents associated with him).
* ''Risalah Nooriyah''
* ''Risalah Maktubaat''
* ''Dur Mu’rifati Surat wa Sirat-i-Insaan''
* ''Dur Haqaa’iki Tawbah''
* ''Hallil Nususi allal Fusus''
* ''Sharhi Qasidah Khamriyah Fariziyah''
* ''Risalatul Istalahaat''
* ''ilmul Qiyafah or Risalah-i qiyafah''
* ''Dah Qa’idah''
* ''Kitabul Mawdah Fil Qurba''
* ''Kitabus Sab’ina Fi Fadha’il Amiril Mu’minin''
* ''Arba’ina Amiriyah''
* ''Rawdhtul''
* ''Awraad-ul-Fatehah''
* ''Chehl Asraar'' (Forty Secrets)
* ''Zakhirat-ul-Muluk''
Syed Abdur-Rehman Hamdani, in his book ''Salar-e-Ajjam,'' lists 68 books and 23 pamphlets by Sayyid Ali Hamadani.

References

Bibliography

* John Renard 2005: ''Historical Dictionary of Sufism'' (Historical Dictionaries of Religions, Philosophies and Movements, 58),

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamadani, Mir Sayyid Ali
History of India
History of Kashmir
Persian philosophy
Iranian Sufis
Shafi'is
Iranian Shia scholars of Islam
14th-century Muslim scholars of Islam
1314 births
1384 deaths
Iranian Muslim mystics