In the Shadow of Bloodshed, Kashmir’s Sufi Soul Endures

Today, you can hardly walk a few metres on any street in Kashmir without tripping over a grave of a Sufi mystic.

Like many Sufi saints, Saiyid Ali travelled widely and is said to have performed the pilgrimage to Mecca 12 times. 

(Photo: Aroop Mishra/The Quint)

On 29 April, a week after the cold-blooded massacre of 26 tourists in Kashmir’s Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, I stood in solemn reflection at the mausoleum of Hazrat Mir Saiyid Ali Hamadani in Kulob, Tajikistan.

Revered as the saint who brought Sufism to Kashmir, a visit to his resting place holds for a Kashmiri Muslim the same spiritual weight as a pilgrimage to Mecca.

Saiyid Ali, known in Kashmir as Shah-i-Hamadan (the Lord of Hamadan), was born in 1314 in the Persian town of Hamadan. He belonged to a noble family of Alawi Saiyids, claiming descent from the fourth Caliph, Ali.

As his father, a governor, took little interest in his education, his maternal uncle, a devout saint, took him under his wing. By age 12, Saiyid Ali had memorised the Quran and began his training in Sufism under a series of teachers.

A Saint Beyond Borders

Like many Sufi saints, Saiyid Ali travelled widely and is said to have performed the pilgrimage to Mecca 12 times. His most important journey, however, was his migration to Kashmir.

While some believe this move was due to Timur’s persecution of the Alawi Saiyids in Persia, there is little proof that Timur specifically targeted them. It is more likely that Saiyid Ali came to Kashmir because Muslim rule was still new and the region offered opportunities for spreading Islam.

Saiyid Ali first deputed his cousins, Saiyid Taju’d-Din and Saiyid Husain, to assess the religious environment of Kashmir. Their favourable reports encouraged him to move.

He arrived in Kashmir around 1372 CE during the reign of Sultan Qutub-ud-Din, accompanied by hundreds of followers, including theologians, calligraphers, weavers, architects, and artisans. They introduced Persian culture, Islamic jurisprudence, architecture, and handicrafts—particularly carpet weaving, papier-mâché, and shawl-making—which continue to define Kashmir’s cultural identity today.

Hamadani's approach was holistic. He did not seek to impose religion by force, but to win hearts through wisdom, art, and spiritual beauty. 

Winning Hearts, Not Wars

His spiritual teachings emphasised self-purification, remembrance of God (zikr), service to humanity, and the importance of earning one’s livelihood through honest work. He famously said, “Do not see with the eye of the head; see with the eye of the heart.” 

Saiyid Ali’s efforts to spread Islam in Kashmir are praised by both medieval and modern scholars, though none explain how he actually went about converting people.

One popular story, found in many sources, tells of a miracle he performed. In Srinagar, a famous Hindu ascetic, the Brahman of Kal-i-mandar, claimed he could fly. Saiyid Ali went to meet him, hoping to bring him into Islam. To impress the Saiyid, the Brahman rose into the air. In response, Saiyid Ali told his disciple, Saiyid Kabir, to teach the Brahman a lesson. Kabir ordered his shoes to chase and beat the Brahman until he came down. The shoes obeyed, and the miracle convinced the Brahman to convert to Islam, along with his followers.

Saiyid Ali’s impact on Kashmir was lasting. He travelled widely through the Valley with his disciples and placed his trusted followers in key towns—Pompur, Avantipura, and Vijabror, which were once major Hindu centres. These disciples established khangahs (spiritual lodges) that became important hubs for preaching and conversions.

The Philosopher-Saint

Saiyid Ali was a prolific writer. According to three of his biographers, he was the author of 170 works.

In Risala-i-Dah Qa’ida, he outlines three main spiritual paths to reach God. The highest spiritual state, according to Saiyid Ali, is riza—a deep, unwavering contentment with whatever destiny brings. When Sufis stop pursuing personal desires and fully surrender to God’s will, they receive divine grace, become illumined by His light, and transcend to the realm of pure divinity (lahut).

Saiyid Ali defines a true Sufi as one who endures suffering and hardship with serenity and patience, never complaining even in the face of calamities.

In his book Maqamat-i-Sufiyya, Saiyid Ali identifies good people as those who are compassionate; devoted to helping humanity; kind to all, even enemies; honest and loyal; pious and selfless; forgiving even when powerful; staying calm in anger; and putting others’ needs before one’s own.

Saiyid Ali Hamadani saw governance as a sacred duty rooted in Islamic ethics, not personal power. In Zakhirat al-Muluk and Risala-i-Maktubat, he urged rulers to embody justice, humility, and compassion, uphold divine law, and serve the people.

He stressed moral reform over ambition and warned against tyranny. He laid out ten principles of ethical rule, including accountability, mercy, wise judgment, and caring for the poor—envisioning the ruler as God’s deputy, accountable to the Divine.

Hamadani’s Political Disappointment

Though deeply pious, Saiyid Ali was somewhat disconnected from political realities. Following the strict Shafi‘i school of Islamic law, he advocated that Muslim rulers enforce the “Covenant of Umar,” a set of twenty restrictive rules originally attributed to the second Caliph and meant for non-Muslim subjects.

These rules barred non-Muslims from building or repairing places of worship, imitating Muslim customs, carrying weapons, or residing near Muslims, and required them to display deference and hospitality toward Muslims. He asserted that violations of these terms could justify severe punishments, including death and confiscation of property. 

Saiyid Ali’s hardline views on non-Muslims were difficult to impose in a pluralistic society like Kashmir, and he reportedly left disheartened when Sultan Qutbuddin refused to implement his vision. With most of his subjects and government officials Hindus, Sultan Qutbuddin adopted their ways and even participated in their religious festivals to maintain peace and harmony in his kingdom.

Sayid Ali Hamadani passed away in Kolob, Tajikistan, in 1384 while returning from a pilgrimage to Mecca. His influence in Kashmir grew largely through his devoted followers who stayed behind and spread his teachings—enriching them with messages of religious tolerance and communal harmony.

From Shah-i-Hamadan to Nund Rishi

Over the centuries, Kashmir has been inundated with Sufi saints. Today, you can hardly walk a hundred metres on any street without tripping over a grave or two of a Sufi mystic.

While Shah-e-Hamadan sowed the seeds of Sufi thought in Kashmir, it was Sheikh Noor-ud-din Wali, popularly known as Nund Rishi, who cultivated a uniquely Kashmiri spiritual movement—the Rishi order. He was deeply influenced by Lal Ded, the Shaivite mystic-poetess whose verses often critiqued hollow rituals and emphasised experiential truth.

While Shah-e-Hamadan sowed the seeds of Sufi thought in Kashmir, it was Sheikh Noor-ud-din Wali, popularly known as Nund Rishi, who cultivated a uniquely Kashmiri spiritual movement—the Rishi order. He was deeply influenced by Lal Ded, the Shaivite mystic-poetess whose verses often critiqued hollow rituals and emphasised experiential truth.

Nund Rishi absorbed Sufi teachings and blended them with local traditions. The Rishi order, with its emphasis on self-discipline (zuhd), service to others (khidmat), and religious harmony, became the spiritual backbone of Kashmir. It was non-sectarian in spirit, drawing both Muslims and Hindus into its fold.

One of the most revered Sufi saints of Kashmir was Sheikh Hamza Makhdoom (1505–1576) who combined the asceticism of the Rishis with the spiritual discipline of Persian Sufism, advocating for ethical conduct, charity, and humility.

His shrine, the Makhdoom Sahib, is perched on Hari Parbat hill in Srinagar, overlooking the Dal Lake. A site of deep spiritual significance and a beacon of peace, it is visited by people of all faiths. Indira Gandhi, India’s former prime minister, during her visits to Srinagar would first visit the shrine before starting her official engagements. 

The Mystics Who Whisper Still

In a region fraught with decades of conflict, social polarisation, and cultural erosion, the relevance of Sufism has only grown stronger. The inclusive message of the saints—who transcended religious boundaries and preached universal human values—stands in stark contrast to rising sectarianism and rigid orthodoxy.

Sufism teaches that peace cannot be imposed from outside; it must emerge from within. It offers not just a path to God, but a framework for coexistence. In a time when the Valley cries for healing, the gentle voices of its mystics whisper a message of hope:

“Do not raise your sword in God’s name—raise your soul.”

But is anyone listening?

(Akhil Bakshi, an author and explorer, is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and Explorers Club USA, and Editor of ‘Indian Mountaineer’. He is also the founder of Bharatiya Yuva Shakti, an organisation that ensures good leadership at the village level. He tweets @AkhilBakshi1. This is an opinion piece, and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)