Budgam, Nov 16: The third volume of the ‘Alchemy of Light’ – an English and Urdu translation of the verses of Hazrat Shiekh Noor-ud-Din Noorani (RA) was released on Wednesday at the revered Sufi saint’s shrine here. The book contains some rarest of the rare verses of the saint which were unexplored till now.
For this purpose, Markaz Adab Wa Saqafat held an impressive function near sanctum sanctorum of the Sufi saint at Charari Sharief which was attended by a galaxy of prominent writers, research scholars, poets, religious luminaries and people from cross sections of society.
The function was presided over by noted scholar and Head Markazi Noor, Shiekh-ul-Alam Chair, Kashmir University, Prof G N Khaki. Prominent writers Dr Gh Nabi Haleem, President Adbi Markaz Kamraz, Mohd.Amin Bhat and Advocate Ab Rashid Hanjura shared the presidium.
The proceedings started with the recitation of holy Qur’anic verses by Mirwaiz Khankah Jamia, Chrari Sharief, Molvi Amir Ud Din Waiz. SSP Budgam Tahir Saleem, Chairman Life school, Charari Sharief Nazrul Islam, Editor Brighter Kashmir Farooq Ahmad Wani, General Secretary Adbi Markaz Kamraz, Shabnam Tilgami and Movi Bashir Ahmad also attended the function.
While welcoming the guests, the author of the book Ghulam Nabi Adfar dwelt in detail on the main objective of the publication. “Multilingual phraseology used in Sheikh-ul-Alam’s poetry was a highly loaded text with complex Saniskrit, Persian, Arabic and Kashmiri words that could not be assimilated easily, so the book series ‘Alchemy of Light’ comprising translation of each verse of Hazrat Shiekh Noor Ud Din Wali into Urdu and English languages is expected to go a long way to decipher various unexplored facets of the life of this most prominent Sufi saint, which have hitherto remained concealed in the mist of fiction and tell tales,” he said.
Adfar said the present volume, which is the collection of verses of Islamic jurisprudence, contains “rarest of the rare” verses. “The first volume of the series of ‘Alchemy of Light’ was released in 2011 and the second volume in 2013. I hope these books would facilitate budding students, research scholars, writers and preachers in understanding the real essence of the poetry of Shiekh Noor Ud Din (RA),” he said.
Prof Khaki in his presidential address said, “Sheikh Noor Ud Din Noorani (RA) is a unique legend of Kashmir, unmatched for centuries, who transformed the ideology, culture and tradition of this land. Sheikh ul Alam (RA) used poetry as a vehicle to spread the word of Allah among common masses in their own language and tone.”
In his remarks, M Amin Bhat said the poetry of Hazrat Shiekh ul Alam (RA) is vividly tinted with the admonitions, suggestions, instructions and good tidings derived from the holy Quran and Ahadith
Prof Haleem said Shiekh Noor ud Din Wali (RA) was one of the most revered and beloved Sufi saints ever lived in Kashmir who used his poetry as a vehicle to spread the word of Allah among common masses like it was done by Maulana Rumi (RA).
Ali Ahsan presented thought provoking research paper on the publication ‘Alchemy of Light’. General Secretary Inayat Gul conducted the proceedings of the function in a befitting manner.
