Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Dr Moulvi Muhammad Umar Farooq has paid rich tributes to Sultan-ul-Aarifeen Hazrat Sheikh Hamzah Makhdoom Kashmiri (RA), one of Kashmir’s most revered saints and spiritual reformers, on the occasion of his Urs, recalling his profound and lasting contribution to the religious and spiritual life of the Valley.
In his remarks, the Mirwaiz said Hazrat Makhdoom Sahib devoted his entire life to guiding people towards Allah and to promoting piety, compassion, humility, good character and service to humanity, values that continue to resonate in Kashmir’s collective religious consciousness centuries after his passing. He said the saint’s teachings went beyond individual spiritual development, extending to the building of a just, compassionate and morally upright society, with particular emphasis on care for the weak and the needy.
The Mirwaiz noted that the enduring reverence shown to Hazrat Makhdoom Sahib, generations after his death, is itself a testament to the depth and lasting impact of his spiritual and reformative mission. Hazrat Sheikh Hamzah Makhdoom, revered as Sultan-ul-Aarifeen, remains among the most venerated Sufi figures in Kashmir’s religious history, with his shrine continuing to draw devotees from across the Valley on his annual Urs and throughout the year.
Urging people to draw guidance from the saint’s legacy, the Mirwaiz said the most meaningful tribute that could be paid to him would be to actually follow his teachings in daily life, a message he said carries particular weight today, at a time when society continues to face growing moral and social challenges. He framed the Urs not merely as a commemorative occasion but as an opportunity for reflection on the values of tolerance, humility and service that defined the saint’s life and work.
The Mirwaiz’s remarks come as part of a wider tradition in Kashmir of marking the Urs of revered Sufi saints with public commemorations, religious gatherings and calls for renewed commitment to the values these figures espoused. Sufi shrines and their associated Urs observances continue to occupy a central place in Kashmir’s religious and cultural calendar, serving as important sites of both devotion and communal gathering across the Valley.
The tribute reflects the continuing relevance accorded to Kashmir’s Sufi heritage in contemporary religious discourse, with community and religious leaders regularly invoking the teachings of saints such as Hazrat Makhdoom Sahib as a moral compass for present day society.
