MAKHDOOM SAHIB
Makhdoom Saheb Shrine is towards the Southem side of Hari Parbat Hill in Srinagar. It is one of the most sacred shrines in Kashmir. This double storied, many pillared structure displays a remarkatble architectural style and is visited by people of all faiths. Famously known as Sultan-ul-Arifeen and Mahbub ul Alam, Sheikh Hamza Makhdoom was born in 1494 at Tujar, in the District of Baramulla. His father Usman Raina was a patron of learning and helped in the maintenance of the seminary of Sheikh Ismail Kubravi at Srinagar.
Sheikh Hamza obtained his early education at this seminary where Sheikh Fathu’llah, the son of Sheikh Isma’il, personanlly taught him for one year. He leant the Quran and its commentary from Maulana Darwesh of the sane institution. Under the direction of Maulana Lutfu’llah, who was a teacher at the Madrasatu’l-Daru’sh-Shifa, founded by Sultan Hassan Shah, he studied books on ‘Fiqh’ and some works of Syed Ali Hamdani. When Syed Jamal-ud-Din Bukhari arrived in Kashmir, Sheikh Hamza became his disciple and received initiation into the Suhrawardl order. Syed Jamal-ud-Din, before his departure from Kashmir, gave the Sheikh the silsila-nama and ijazat-nama, documents authorizing him to enroll desciples into Suhrawardi order. The Silsila was raised to its pinnacle of popularity by Sheikn Hamza Makhdoom.
According to the historical tradition, the place where the shrine of Sultan-ul-Arifeen is situated was first used by Syed Jalal-ud-Din Bukhari for prayer and as a resting place.The people of Kashmir have great reverence for the Saint and the Shrine attracts large number of devotees for the solution of their problems. Whenever there is a drought in Kashmir, devotees take vessels filled with water to the Shrine and pray for rainfall.
Later when Sultan-ul-Airfeen came to Srinagar from Tujar Sharief he also preferred the same place for prayers. He asked his disciple, Syed Khan who was also a mason to conruct a mosque there. The mosque still survives there and has four small adjacent rooms where the people perform Aeti-Kaaf. The inner sanctum has been decorated with grand chandeliers, exquisite woodwork, embroidered cloth coverings and marble work. In I576, Nagarnagar fort was built by Mughal Emperor Akbar, he ordered the construction of Shrine of Sultan-ul-Arifeen. In l606, the Mughal Governor Inayat-ullah Khan constructed a mosque which was named as Inayat mosque. This mosque was later extended and repaired by Afghan Governor, Atta Muhammad Khan.
