Zeeshan Rasool Khan
A great Sunni scholar, Sufi, preacher, writer, journalist, and visionary leader, Allama Syed Qasim Shah Bukhari (1910–2000) is one of the most renowned religious personalities of our valley. Even after decades of his death, he stands out as peerless in all facets.
When we look around, particularly at present-day scholars, we certainly miss him. After deliberating on the present scenario, we realize how desperately we need a man like Bukhari. He wasn’t only a religious figure who disseminated knowledge; he played a multidimensional role. He was simultaneously a spiritual guide, leader, tutor, preacher, writer, journalist with political acumen, and above all, a pioneer of unity.
A Poisoned Discourse :
Our social media remains flooded with controversial material where clerics spew venom against one another. We find clerics rejecting others’ opinions by breaking the barriers of decency. They don’t exercise the right to disagree but mock others, belittle them, and reduce them to nothing.
All of this has left the ummah divided. Consequently, contributing to religious affairs is unthinkable for Generation Z. Would anyone really want to be exposed to such toxicity day in and day out?
Bukhari’s Graceful Dissent :
Bukhari, too, had disagreements, which he expressed with an intellectual demeanor. History is testimony; he disagreed with the famous Ahl-e-Hadith scholar Maulana Gh. Nabi Mubarak Sahib but always upheld esteem. He wrote pamphlets filled with knowledge to criticize conflicting ideas, unlike the new breed of writers who use phrases like ‘phir molvi ka wuzu toot gaya’, ‘Barelvi zehen ka postmortem’, etc. His extant writings are a testament to his pristine discipline of thought and expression.
Bridging Sectarian Divides :
Despite being an adherent of Imam-e-Azam Abu Hanifa (R.A.) and the Hanafi school of thought, he valued other sects as well. Maulana Showkat Hussain Keng writes in Seerat Bukhari that Bukhari routinely participated in every annual ‘Imam Hussain (A.S.)’ conference held at Khanqah Sopore as an olive branch toward sectarian unity. Maulana Keng writes that it was only after a venomous speech made by a cleric that he later refrained from attending.
Bukhari taught students irrespective of their caste, creed, and sect. He had the privilege of having students from all sects and never discriminated among them.
A Lesson from the Bukhari :
Maulana Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, while highlighting the etiquettes of Bukhari, said: “Once I went to meet my mentor. As I stepped into his lawn, I found a queue of clerics coming out. From their outlook, I recognized them to be from Jamaat Ahl-e-Hadith. After the meeting, I mustered the courage to ask Bukhari, ‘Hazrat, what were they doing here?’ Maulana said; Bukhari responded that knowledge knows no boundaries; we must share it with everyone who comes with desire and a clean slate. Plus, reverence for each other is what makes us human.”
Restoring Equilibrium :
Today, when literacy is on the rise while reverence is taking a dip, we need scholars like Bukhari to maintain the equilibrium. Present-day clerics, orators, and scholars need to learn from predecessors like Bukhari; only then will their efforts bear fruit in the long run. Otherwise, they will always bemoan the unscrupulousness of society. They can be among the ‘heirs of the Prophets’ and not among the ‘worst under the sky’ by following beacons of sincerity like Syed Muhammad Qasim Shah Bukhari
Zeeshan Rasool Khan is a Columnist and Independent researcher
