Early life
He was born in a noble family in Hamadan. He traced his patrimony through his father, Syed Shahab Uddin, to Imam Zain-ul-Abedein and finally to Hazrat Ali. His mother, Syeda Fatimah, with seventeen links, reached the Prophet.
His date of birth is disputed. To some it is 12, Rajab-Ul-Marjab 714 Hijri (12 October 1314) and to others is 12, Rajab 713 (12 October 1313). The former date appears more probable.
Education
Sayyid Hamadani came from an educated family. He was intelligent and quick of mind, and read the Quran, under the care of his maternal uncle, Hazrat Ala-Uddin and from him too he took his lessons on various subjects, both outer and intrinsic for a period of thirteen years.
Spiritual Training
Hazrat Ala-Uddin, then, entrusted him to Sheikh Abul Bracket for spiritual training, and after his demise he proceeded to Sheikh Mahmud Mizdiqani, a renowned saint of the time. The saint put him to severe tests and thus removed pride and haughtiness from him and inculcated in him virtues of humility.
Order
He belonged to the Kubraviya Order and received the role of the spiritual heir from Sheikh Abul Miamin Najam Uddin Muhammad-bin-Mohammad Azani.
Travels
Syed Ali Hamadani was a prolific traveller in his times and travelled far and wide throughout the Muslim World. His teacher Mahmud Mizdiqani had said to him, "Travel about the world, meet the saints, draw benefits from them as much as you can." Consequently, he undertook the Haj thrice and traveled for twenty or twenty one years. During these journeys he saw the Islamic and other countries and met the holy men there.
To avoid persecution in his homeland at the hands of Timur, he moved to Kashmir with seven hundred followers, during the reign of King Shahab-Uddin. He had already sent two of his followers: Syed Taj Uddin Samnani and Mir Syed Hasan Samnani to take stock of the situation. The ruler of Kashmir became the follower of Mir Syed Hasan Samnani and because of the Kings concurrence he entered Kashmir with a large following. The King and heir apparent, Qutub Uddin, received him warmly. At that time the Kashmir ruler was on war with Firoz Tughlaq and because of his efforts the parties came to terms.
In Kashmir, Shah-e-Hamadan started to preach Islam in an organized manner. He and his followers helped set up a large number of mosques in every nook and corner of the valley, the most famous of them being the Khanqah-e-Muala on the banks of Jhelum River.
Shah Hamdan did not stay in the valley permanently but visited the valley on various occasions. The first time was during the reign of Sultan Shahab Uddin in 774 A.H he came, stayed for six months and left. The second time he visited was in 781 A.H. when Qutub Uddin was the ruler. This time he stayed for a year and tried to extend the Movement to every nook and corner of Kashmir, returning to Turkistan via Ladakh in 783 A.H. Third, he visited in 785, with the intention to stay for a longer period but had to return earlier owing to illness.
Illness and Death
On return from his third visit to Kashmir he reached Kunar via Pikhanli and was received as a royal guest. He fell ill there and died after five days on 6, Zil Haj 786 Hijri.
Compiler, Hasan, in the Tar-eekh-e-Hasan mentions the date of expiry in the Persian couplet, which means:
The great Syed Sirdar (Ali Hamadan) went to the paradise to take rest.
Hasan mentions the year of the death in this couplet.
He was buried at Kulob in Khatlan where people to this day gather in large numbers to pay their homage to him.
Shah Hamadan's efforts reached far and wide and benefited a large number of people. The number of his followers was large. A few to mention were: Noor Uddin Jafar Rustaq Bazari Badakhshi, Khawaja Ishaq Khatlani, Sheikh Qiwam Uddin Badakhshi, Mir Syed Husain Samnani, Mir Rukn Uddin, Syed Fakhar Uddin, Qutub-e-Amjad Syed Muhammad Qureshi, Syed Ahmad Qureshi, Syed Muhammad Aziz Ullah, Syed Muhammad murid, and Pir Muhammad Qadri etc.
Descendants
His descendants are known as Hamadani , Khatlani Sayyids and they trace their lineage to Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin through Sayyid Ali Hamadani. Among them is Sayyid Qamar Abbas Al-Hamadani Al-A'raji who has authored two works, one of which relates to the ancestry of Hamadani Sayyids. One is 'Ansab Sadaat Al-Hussaini' or 'The Genealogy of Hussaini Sayyids' and 'Kitab Al-Mashjar Min Awlaad Hussain Al-Asghar' or 'The Ancestral Family Tree of The Progeny of Hussain Al-Asghar" which specifically deals with the descendants of Sayyid Ali Hamadani.[5][6][7][8]
Influence on Kashmiri culture
Shah-e-Hamadan has been on the principal historical figures who have shaped the culture of Kashmir. His influence on arts and culture and the economy of the valley cannot be overstated. Among the seven hundred followers who accompanied him to Kashmir, were men of arts and crafts who flourished in the valley. They popularized Shawl-making, carpet-manufacturing, cloth-weaving, pottery and calligraphy. Allama Iqbal admits that because of Shah Hamadan the wonderful arts and crafts turned Kashmir into a mini Iran and brought about a revolution in the thinking process of the people. The skills and know-how he brought to Kashmir gave rise to an industry which is world famous even now as the home of Cashmere shawls. The many vocations he introduced in the valley have provided a livelihood to the artisans of Kasmir for centuries.
Shah Hamadan was a Multi-dimensional personality. He was a social reformer besides being a preacher. He brought substantial reforms in the lives of ordinary Kashmiris, getting rid of practices like black magic and Sati. He made Islamic teachings known to the people in Kashmir, improved their beliefs, made efforts for the building of their character and laid down a fool-proof system for the propagation of the Islam. He introduced the Central Asian architecture in the valley and when fused with the Kashmiri architecture, gave rise to a new style. The most famous example of this is the Khanqah-e-Mualla, the monastery dedicated to him in Kashmir. This building, which contains the room where he stayed on his first visit to the valley, is a beautiful model of wooden architecture of Kashmir, with engravings on walls. Friday prayers are said there where hundreds gather to pray. The sacred relics include the Prophet's flag, the pillar of the Prophet's tent, and Shah Hamadan's walking stick. Non Muslims are not allowed to enter his Khanqah which was earlier a temple of the Hindu goddess Kali.Even today the wall of the khanqah facing the river has vermillion smeared on it by the local Kashmiri Pandits.
Some of his descendants still live in kashmir.
His position with respect to Hindus
[9] Before Shah-i-Hamadan left Kashmir he ordered the then king Sultan Qutubudin to impose the following sanctions on non-Muslims:
The Hindus will not construct any new temples under the rule of Muslims.
They will not repair old temples fallen into ruins.
They will respect Muslims.
They will not dress like Muslims.
They will not ride a horse with saddle and bridle.
They will not put on a ring on their fingers.
They will not carry swords or bows and arrows.
They will not adopt Muslim names.
They will not harbour spies or act as spies.
If any relation of theirs wants to embrace Islam, they will not oppose it.
If a Muslim comes to attend a Hindu meeting he will be respectfully received.
They will receive Muslim travelers into their houses & provide them hospitality.
They will not prevent Muslim travelers from staying in their temples & shrines.
They will not mourn their dead loudly.
They will not buy Muslim slaves.
They will not build houses in neighbourhood of Muslims.
They will not sell intoxicating drinks.
They will not carry their dead near the grave-yards of Muslims.
They will not openly practice their customs and usages among Muslims.
They will not give up their traditional dress so that they can be distinguished from Muslims.
In the end, the fiat in the form of an advice dictated if any Hindu dares to flout any of the conditions, he should be first looted and then possession of his body is a slave is legally permitted (as recorded in his book Zakhiratul- Mulk).The idea of this persecution of Hindus was to create a coercive environment for them and force them to convert to Islam.
Though Sultan Qutubudin did not follow the advice but later his son Sultan Sikandar followed the advice under the influence of Ali Hamdani's son Mohd. Hamdani. It is then that a wholesale destruction of temples was carried out and forcible conversions were made on a mass scale. Popular legend even today after 650 years says that only 11 Kashmiri Pandit homes were left in Kashmir. The teachings of Hamdani have continued in the political Islam propagated by the Islamists of today in Kashmir.
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