SHOWKAT AHMAD WANI
Allah proclaims the virtues and essence of a “Momin” in the Quran: “And those who recoil from the vilest sins and depravities; and who, when fury ignites within them, swiftly pardon” (23:27). Verily, they are the ones who quake with awe and dread before their Lord. They are steadfast in their faith in His Revelations, refusing to entwine partners with their Sovereign. They pour forth their wealth in Allah’s path with open hands, yet their hearts tremble, fearing their offerings might falter before their Lord’s judgment (lest they be cast aside). These souls race toward righteousness, amassing good deeds, and they outstrip all others in this sacred chase (23:57-61). The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) declared, “The world is a dungeon for the believer and a lavish Eden for the heedless” (Sahih Muslim 2956).
Humanity now reels beneath a torrent of crises, stripping away the divine raiment bestowed by God—once crowning us as the pinnacle of creation—only to embrace the base existence of a mere beast.
Present man exhausts his toil and talents chasing transitory cravings, crowning material riches as the supreme and solitary prize of life. For centuries, the relentless quest of all has been to carve out a blissful, solitary identity. Thus, we sought to bind our essence to the “Self” and the “Social”, yet both unions have plunged into an abyss of ruin. We dwell amidst a tempest of crises—the crisis of existence and the crisis of love and kinship. If joy hinges on “I,” then “We” becomes a hollow falsehood; if bliss resides in “We,” then “I” loses all true weight. To deny the pulse of “I” is a terror in its rawest form, while “We” stirs as a fragile, deceptive mirage. In truth, “I” and “We” diverge only faintly, each nesting within a single soul.
In our mystical tradition, there are those whose every fiber, from the first spark, is irresistibly drawn to the Absolute. They surrender the ephemeral treasures of their own self, dissolving into “Him” by spurning the ephemeral, subjective “I” to grasp the eternal “I.” Even now, rare souls embody the rapture of “Jazb—divine attraction—while clinging fiercely to the sacred rites and their unyielding core. Among them was Nasir Ahmad Sofi, a luminary from my native soil.
This is no mere elegy, no Amitow Ghosh crafting a tribute to Aga Shahid Ali after his passing. It is a keener, truer testament—a piercing glimpse into Nasir’s inner “anfoss”, a captivating study of the ultimate enigma, radiant with allure.
Nasir Ahmad Sofi resided in Kaloosa Bandipora until his earthly tenure concluded on May 10, 2024. For over two decades, we improved to an indelible camaraderie, an alliance of souls. His existence was imbued with a profound spiritual inclination, outwardly unassuming yet intricately woven with the threads of philosophical and metaphysical profundity.
Nasir Ahmad Sofi burned with an unrelenting passion for Rumi’s Fana, a fierce mystical creed that demands the ego’s obliteration in a torrid plunge into divine unity. An impassable ideological abyss tore us apart in our quest for transcendent truth. I stood as an indomitable adversary, wielding Iqbal’s Khudi—the ironclad doctrine of self-forging as the supreme conquest of human existence. Our convictions, like clashing titans, carved irreconcilable paths through the crucible of our resolute ideologies.
The audacious doctrine of Khudi (selfhood), presented by Allama Muhammad Iqbal, and the transcendent vision of Fana (annihilation), proclaimed by Jalaluddin Rumi, clash as titanic philosophical and spiritual edifices within Islamic thought. Anchored in the incandescent depths of Sufism and Islamic metaphysics, these luminaries carve irreconcilable paths. Iqbal’s Khudi exalts the indomitable self, a blazing force ascending toward divine sovereignty, while Rumi’s Fana demands the utter obliteration of ego, consumed in the rapturous inferno of the Divine. Their doctrines, though entwined in mystic heritage, ignite fiercely distinct revelations of the self’s core, its sacred bond with the Absolute, and the relentless odyssey to spiritual apotheosis.
Khudi is Iqbal’s cataclysmic doctrine of the self—a blazing, indomitable essence, a divine ember within the soul that surges toward transcendent self-mastery and cosmic dominion.
Iqbal’s Khudi commands the forging of an invincible, singular self, a titanic creative force unleashed through unrelenting self-awareness, adamantine discipline, and ferocious action. It scorns petty egoism, exalting instead the apotheosis of one’s sacred destiny.
Anchored in Iqbal’s audacious refuge of Islamic truth, Khudi springs from the Quranic mandate of human sovereignty, duty, and the exalted mantle of God’s viceroys (khalifa) on Earth. Fused with the searing intellect of Nietzsche and Bergson, Iqbal transmogrifies their thought into an unyielding Islamic crucible. It summons the creation of an unbreakable, sovereign self, fused with divine purpose, to drive the universe’s ascent through fearless creativity, unstoppable action, and relentless moral conquest.
Rumi’s Fana signifies the profound obliteration of the ego in the divine presence, a mystical surrender where the self dissolves to unite with the Supreme. It embodies the complete relinquishment of individuality, an ecstatic annihilation where the self merges wholly with the Divine Essence, transcending all personal boundaries. Rooted in Sufi mysticism, Rumi’s Fana draws from Quranic principles of divine return and Prophetic traditions of spiritual cleansing, echoing the radical self-dissolution championed by Sufi luminaries like Al-Hallaj and Attar in their pursuit of divine love. Its ultimate aim is Baqa, the eternal subsistence in God, where the ego’s annihilation ushers in a perpetual state of divine unity, immersed in boundless love and ultimate truth.
Nasir Amad Sofi, a transcendent archetype of piety, sculpted his existence in unwavering fidelity to the Quran and Sunnah, embodying the sublime virtues of taqwa (God-consciousness), tasawwuf (spiritual transcendence), zuhd (worldly renunciation), and fana (self-annihilation in Allah). His life was a radiant beacon, illuminating the path of divine communion, emancipation from material fetters, and relentless pursuit of the eternal Hereafter. Let us traverse the sanctified journey of Sofi’s life through these four pillars, each a testament to his resolute adherence to divine edicts.
Taqwa was the bedrock of Sofi’s soul, an unyielding fortress of righteousness. The Quran thunders:
“O you who believe, fear Allah with the fear due to Him, and do not die except in a state of submission to Him.” [Al-Imran: 102]
Sofi lived in perpetual awe of Allah’s omniscience, his every deed saturated with divine mindfulness. He not only eschewed sin but recoiled from the faintest shadow of ambiguity. His taqwa blazed in his unassailable integrity, scrupulous trustworthiness, and boundless compassion. He disciplined his tongue, veiled his gaze, and fortified his heart, ever cognizant of Allah’s vigilant gaze. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) proclaimed:
“Taqwa resides here,” gesturing to his heart. [Sahih Muslim]
This divine fear armed Sofi with indomitable fortitude, enabling him to confront tribulations with stoic patience and fervent gratitude. He surrendered his will to Allah’s decree, anchoring every choice in the immutable laws of Shariah.
Tasawwuf was Sofi’s sacred crucible, where he forged an ineffable bond with the Divine. Far beyond rote rituals, he embraced tasawwuf as the alchemy of heart purification and the quest for Allah’s love. The Quran decrees:
“Those who strive in Our cause—We will surely guide them to Our paths.” [Al-Ankabut: 69]
Sofi waged an unrelenting jihad against his baser self, deeming it the paramount struggle. Through ceaseless dhikr (divine remembrance), profound meditation, and soul-stirring Quranic recitation, he bathed his heart in celestial light. In the hallowed stillness of the night’s final hours, he stood in Tahajjud, beseeching forgiveness for his frailties. The Prophet (peace be upon him) declared:
“The most exalted means of nearing Allah is the Tahajjud prayer.” [Sahih Bukhari]
Sofi’s tasawwuf unshackled him from worldly chains, enthroning Allah’s love as the sovereign of his soul. Guided by his spiritual mentor, he pursued tazkiya (soul purification), vigilantly purging his heart of hubris, envy, and rancour with every breath.
Zuhd suffused Sofi’s life with a resolute disdain for transient worldly gains. He perceived wealth, fame, and pleasures as fleeting mirages, fixing his gaze on the eternal horizon of the Hereafter. The Quran admonishes:
“The life of this world is but the enjoyment of delusion.” [Al-Imran: 185]
Sofi embraced an austere existence, scorning the accumulation of riches and the pursuit of decadence. He pared his needs to the barest minimum, channelling his resources into Allah’s path with unstinting generosity. The Prophet’s (peace be upon him) life of ascetic nobility was his lodestar, a model of unparalleled simplicity. The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught:
“Zuhd is not to forbid the permissible, but to place greater trust in what lies in Allah’s hands than in your own.” [Tirmidhi]
Sofi’s zuhd was a bulwark against avarice and greed. He epitomized selflessness, deriving profound fulfilment in uplifting others, his heart untainted by the ephemeral seductions of this world.
The philosophy of fana crowned Sofi’s spiritual odyssey, where he dissolved his very being into the ocean of Allah’s will. The Quran commands:
“Say, ‘My prayer, my sacrifice, my life, and my death are for Allah, Lord of all worlds.’” [Al-An’am: 162]
Sofi enshrined this verse as his life’s credo. He obliterated ego, pride, and selfhood, prostrating his soul before Allah’s sovereign decree. His fana exalted him to a realm where he embraced every divine dispensation—be it bliss or affliction, prosperity or adversity—with serene submission. The Prophet (peace be upon him) affirmed:
“Whoever lives for Allah, Allah becomes his sufficiency.” [Sahih Bukhari]
This philosophy of annihilation emancipated Sofi from worldly shackles, endowing his heart with celestial tranquillity. He knew his true destiny lay in attaining Allah’s pleasure and the everlasting bliss of Paradise
Sofi’s life was a majestic tapestry, interwoven with the resplendent threads of taqwa, tasawwuf, zuhd, and fana. Guided by the luminous Quran and Sunnah, he transformed every moment into an act of worship, a relentless pursuit of divine favour. His legacy endures as a towering exemplar, illuminating how one may dwell in this fleeting world while anchoring the soul in eternity. Sofi’s life proclaims that ultimate triumph lies in unyielding devotion to Allah, a heart cleansed of impurity, renunciation of worldly vanities, and the sublime dissolution of self in the Divine.
“Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him.” [Al-Ma’ida: 119]
Thus was Sofi’s sanctified existence—a luminous paradigm for every believer yearning for divine proximity.
In gloom profound, where quiet reigns, My soul for Sofi fiercely yearns. A year estranged, the anguish surges, For love so pure, now lost to urges.
Your mirth resounds within my core, A priceless gem, I failed to store. Though distance severs, my heart’s outcry, In every line, my love defies.
Thy parting cast the lanes of joy to shade,
Where laughter waned and sorrow claimed the dark.
The stars that once had sung of light and peace
Now shiver cold and tremble in the void.
The morning wind, now heavy-laden, sighs,
And bears the breath of death upon its wings.
The rising sun, no longer soft with gold,
Now lifts its crown in flames that burn the sky.
The rain descends in solitary grief,
And every drop resounds with loss and woe.
When misery unchains its iron weight,
I writhe within the fire of joy and pain.
I bid my weary eyes to close in dream,
That I might see thee near, if only there.
But sorrow’s watchful sentinels remain,
And guard the gates that keep me far from thee.
The storm within my gaze returns to me,
And leads me back to halls of endless dusk.
The fortress waits in silence, cold and vast,
Where echoes call thy name and fade unheard.
When winter’s breath beats soft upon the door,
Or winds disturb the heavy-curtained gloom,
A flicker stirs, as if thou standest near,
Yet only air and silence fill the space.
Then all the walls lean inward, waiting still,
The marble hushed, attuned to welcome thee.
But thou, unseen, unbidden, dost not come,
Nor tread upon the stones that call thy name.
Author can be mailed at Shauqwani77@gmail.com
