Srinagar: Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday stressed the need for reviving the teachings of Hazrat Amir Kabir Mir Syed Ali Hamdani (R. A.), saying these hold the key to many of the issues confronting humanity in the present day world.
Speaking at a seminar-Shah i Hamdan, the Chief Minister said the present day society which lives in a state of social recession and cultural crisis needs to go back to the teachings and philosophy of Hazrat Amir e Kabir (R.A.) to get back on the path of virtue, peace and progress.
Mehbooba Mufti paid rich tributes to Hazrat Amir e Kabir (R.A.) saying the whole of Jammu & Kashmir is highly indebted to this great saint for having trained the people in many sectors, besides spiritual awakening, in areas of art and craft for which the State has been acclaimed world over. “The respected saint gave us a model of humanity, tolerance devoid of violence, coupled with skill empowerment and social inclusion”, she said in her address.
The Chief Minister said she has been pleading the opening of all historic routes in the State through which the 14th century saint came to Jammu & Kashmir to spread his message of love, tolerance and empowerment. The idea, she said, is to relive the spirit of the teachings of the said saint which led to an era of enlightenment, empowerment and skill in the State.
Mehbooba Mufti said it was satisfying to note that despite the turmoil of past 30 years or so the local economy sustained predominantly because of handicraft sector which was introduced here by Hazrat Amir e Kabir (R.A.) and his companions. She said since then the State is acclaimed for its skill and workmanship world over and its people for their intelligence.
The Chief Minister appealed the Imams and ulema to come forward and help the younger generation by showing them the right path as practiced and preached by Hazrat Shah I Hamdan. She said unfortunately Muslim ummah around the world has been caught in a web of violence and it is utmost responsibility of the religious scholars to help the society from getting drifted on a wrong track. “You should debate that why the whole Muslim community is getting caught in violence and why are we leaving areas like education, public welfare and community service on which thrust has been laid in Islam and which is amply reflected in the philosophy of Hazrat Amir e Kabir (R.A.)”, she said in her address.
Mehbooba Mufti said one of the ways to practice the teachings of Amir e Kabir (R.A.) would be to restore the pride and respect in the society of religious scholars, Imams, custodians of shrines and preachers of divine knowledge. She said that she is well aware of the respect and command they ought to have in the society adding that the loss of respect for the religious scholars in the society has led to societal decay and erosion of social values in the system which ought to be reversed.
The Chief Minister complimented the Wakf Board for holding such a programme which she said would help in making more people aware about the teachings and philosophy of Hazrat Amir e Kabir (R.A.). She advised Wakf Board to organize more such programmes in other parts of the State as well.
The Chief Minister, on the occasion, honoured six best students from various schools who had participated in essay competition on the life and teachings of Hazrat Shah I Hamdan. She also honoured seven craftsmen who had done significant innovations in different trades and five Imams who have done pioneering work in spreading the message of Hazrat Amir e Kabir (R.A.).
Minister for Technical Education, Youth Services & Sports, Moulvi Imran Raza Ansari; renowned Islamic scholars, Mufti Rehmatullah Qasmi and Prof. Muhammad Tayyib Kamili also addressed the session and recalled the role and contribution of Hazrat Amir e Kabeer (R.A.) in the social, political and economic upliftment of the people in the State.
Vice Chairman, J&K Muslim Wakf Board, Nizamuddin Bhat on the occasion threw light on the objective of holding such a seminar.
Earlier, several leading scholars and historians presented their papers on varied aspects of the life and teachings of Hazrat Amir e Kabir (R.A.).
