International Sufi Caravan chief & Haji Ali Dargah Trust Advisor Mufti Manzur Ziyaee recently spoke about the importance of the fasting month of Ramzan.
In an interview to Brighter Kashmir Editor-in-Chief Farooq Wani, Mufti Manzur Ziyaee said Ramzan is a period and time when the faithful pray for peace across the country and in society, promotion of love and universal goodwill, besides inculcating a spirit of sacrifice and remembrance of kith and kin.
He also said that it is a month when the faithful are asked to devote themselves to prayer and keeping Allah (The Almighty) in their thoughts.
“It is essential for people from all walks of life to observe and maintain a balance in their actions, whether by word of mouth, in their thoughts, or physically, ensuring that no one suffers,” he said.
With regard to drugs menace afflicting the lives of youth in Kashmir, Mufti Manzur Ziyaee said, “The Quran has consistently advocated that people should avoid drugs or drug abuse. It has also placed a responsibility on elders in general and parents in particular to keep an eye on what their children are doing or are involved with, to keep them safe and protect them from social evils.”
“My message to youngsters is, don’t spoil your lives and your future by getting addicted to drugs. If you want to save yourselves from such evils, you have to tread the tough path towards the Almighty, spiritual masters and elders, learn from them, to distinguish between right and wrong.”
“When you respect your elders, success will automatically come to you. If you respect to your elders and shower "Shafqat" (affection, kindness and compassion) on those younger to you, nothing untoward can harm you,” he said.
When asked about the importance of Mumbai’s famous Haji Ali Dargah, Mufti Manzur Ziyaee said, “The basic message and mission of Sufism is that of promoting peace and universal brotherhood among all. All of our Sufi spiritual masters, be it Khwaja Syed Muhammad Nizamuddin Auliya (a.k.a.Hazrat Nizamuddin or Mahbub-e-Ilahi), Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti (a.k.a. Garib Nawaz [Friend of the Poor]), etc., they all followed and preached this message and insisted that it be done without force.”
As to what was the connection between Sufism and Kashmir, Mufti Manzur Ziyaee described Kashmir as “Jannat-e-Nishan” (Paradise on Earth), adding that this region was the fount of “Tasawwuf”, a mystical way of purifying the heart and achieving eternal peace and happiness.
“This common message of promoting eternal peace and happiness can be found in the teachings of all of our spiritual masters here in India as well as in other parts of the world,” he said, adding that Kashmir’s Sheikh Rahmatullah also practiced and promoted this.
“The faithful and righteous spend most of their lives in search of "Wasila or Tawassul", or seeking closeness to God through righteous acts of worship,” he said, adding that there was a need to understand Kashmir as well as Kashmiriyat.
When Mr. Wani informed that over the past decade the present Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has experienced monumental change, transforming from decades of uncertainty, civilian strife and terrorism to socio-economic stability, development and administrative efficiency, Mufti Manzur Ziyaee said this is a welcome development and must be sustained.
“Kashmir has always been successful and is so even today, in spite of the troubling times it has faced. If we just look at the fruit industry in that region, we see that harvested fruit is being transported to cold storage points that are efficiently run and managed. These fruits are then transported across India and exported abroad,” he said.
He further said Kashmir is no longer what it was before. The road network is better, the hospitals are better run, and if Kashmir can achieve progress like this, the rest of the country too will achieve similar, if not better results.
“Every Kashmiri must put aside his differences and work for the unity of the community, the region and the country. Conflict and socio-economic upheaval never deliver desired outcomes and avoided at all costs. Where there is peace and harmony, there is success and achievement,” he concluded.