Shamas Faqir

Shamas Faqir(شمس فقیر in Kashmiri) is one of the most famous Sufi poet of Kashmir. Several poems of Shamas Faqir are on the theme of the mystic's quest for the primal cause of this universe. A striking feature of Shamas Faqir's poems is the diction: using largely the Kashmiri idiom current in his time, he also employs words from Persian, Arabic and Sanskrit. He can bend language to his needs, blending harmoniously words from diverse sources together - an achievement creative in a high degree

Name and Birth

He was born Mohammad Sidiq Bhat in Chinkral Mohalla, Habba Kadal neighborhood of Srinagar, Kashmir in 1843.

Early life

Having been born in a poor family, it is said that he never received any formal education. He however did become an apprentice of Niama Saeb another famous Sufi poet of Kashmir. He became a disciple of many Sufi Saints, among them were Souch Maliar, Abdul Rehman of Burzalla, Atiq-Ullah of Gulab Bagh, Mohammad Jammal and Rasool Saeb.

Sufi Affiliations

Shamas Faqir belonged to the Qadiriyya silsila of Sufism. At age 25 he left for Amritsar, in Indian Punjab where he became a disciple of another Sufi Saint. After his return from Amritsar he decided to live in Anantnag, Kashmir, where he got married. He came back to his ancestral home in Srinagar for some time. He then meditated for six months in a cave at Qazi Bagh in Budgam district of Kashmir.After his meditation, he decided to live iReligion &n Krishpore.

Death

From the poems of Shamas Faqir it is evident that he was a devoted Muslim and well acquainted with teachings of Holy Quran and life of Prophet Mohammed.(The poem 'Merajnama' that follows recounts the story of the Prophet's spiritual journey to the abode of God.)

I Shamas Faqir died in 1901. He is buried at Krishpore,Khan Saheb,BudgamKashmir. Shamas Faqir had two sons and a daughter.^[1]

References