Hazrat Baba Bamuddin Rishi Prominent Kashmiri Saints of the Rishi Order

By Altamash Ali, New Age Islam 18 September 2025 Hazrat Baba Bamuddin Rishi, originally Bama Sadh, a Hindu priest, embraced Islam after spiritual discussions with Hazrat Nuruddin Nurani. Joining the Rishi order, he promoted simplicity, equality, and devotion, rejecting idol worship and caste discrimination. He established a Khanqah in Bamzu, guiding disciples and spreading unity across Kashmir. Main Points: 1. Hazrat Baba Bamuddin Rishi, originally Bama Sadh, was born into a Hindu Pandit family in Bamzu, Anantnag, and was a renowned priest of a temple with 360 idols 2. After a week-long spiritual discussion with Hazrat Nuruddin Nurani, he embraced Islam, joined the Rishi order, and was renamed Baba Bamuddin. 3. He promoted simplicity, humility, and equality, rejecting idol worship, caste discrimination, and attachment to wealth and power. 4. Hazrat Baba Bamuddin lived an austere life, reportedly sustaining himself on water and crushed stones, and avoided association with the wealthy and powerful. 5. He established a Khanqah in Bamzu, guided many disciples, and spread the Rishi movement’s teachings of unity and devotion across Kashmir. ----- Hazrat Baba Bamuddin Rishi was the first and foremost disciple of Hazrat Nuruddin Nurani and became the leader of the Muslim Rishis of Kashmir after his mentor's passing. Hazrat Baba Bamuddin Rishi was born into a Hindu Pandit priestly family in Bamzu village, near Mattan, in the present-day Anantnag Islamabad district of South Kashmir. His parents named him Bama Sadh or Bhima Sadhi. It is said that he was a renowned Hindu priest of a temple with three hundred and sixty idols, and he was credited with many supernatural feats. Once, when Hazrat Nuruddin Nurani visited Bamzu, the two met and engaged in a lengthy discussion on spiritual matters. Hazrat Nuruddin Nurani explained to Bama Sadh the folly of idol worship, saying, O brother! You worship stones, pour milk and ghee on them, and chant mantras for them, yet they do not respond to you. He said, "This is not the proper way to worship God, as God cannot be represented in the form of idols." He asked, why waste precious ghee by pouring it into the fire as an offering? He further said, "It would be better if you consumed the ghee yourself to gain strength for your body or gave it to the needy to earn merit." Rebuking him for his pride in being a Brahmin, he said, "Asking about someone's caste is a sign of ignorance, for one who discriminates based on caste is the lowest of all. O Brahmin! All humans share the same original parents, so how can you consider some high and others low?" He stated, "The Creator of all souls, Khaliq-e-Arwah, made all humans from a single drop of water. Though they appear different, their essence is the same, just as ice, steam, and water are made of the same substance but appear in different forms." It is said that after a week-long meeting, Bama Sadh was deeply influenced by Hazrat Nuruddin Nurani's teachings and character and requested to join the Rishi order and become his disciple. Hazrat Nuruddin Nurani then changed his name to Hazrat Baba Bamuddin and appointed him in charge of the Rishis' activities in the region. It is said that along with Bama Sadh, many other Pandits of the area also embraced Islam and joined the Rishi order. · Renounce the attachment to wealth and find joy in simplicity · Live as a Rishi, always singing the praises of God. · Abandon the worship of stones, keep Ram in your heart. · Live simply, offering salutations in every moment. · Sit in the Khanqah and calm your mind. · Follow the path of truth and become a servant of God. It is said that Hazrat Baba Bamuddin Rishi lived a life of utmost simplicity, and according to one Rishi legend, he sustained himself solely on water and crushed stones. Like other Muslim Rishis, Hazrat Baba Bamuddin Rishi stayed away from attachment to the wealthy and powerful. It is said that when Kashmir's king, Sultan Ali Shah, expressed a desire to meet him, Hazrat Baba Bamuddin Rishi agreed on the condition that the Sultan not come in his royal attire. The Sultan then visited the Khanqah disguised as a peasant. When the Sultan sought his advice, Baba replied that although he had shed his royal garments, his desire for wealth and power still lingered, rendering any advice ineffective. When the Sultan asked if he could do anything for Baba, he replied, "Do not visit me again, and do not mention my name in your court." After the Sultan left the Khanqah, Hazrat Baba Bamuddin Rishi threw the mat on which he had sat into the river. Hazrat Baba Bamuddin Rishi had many disciples whom he initiated into the Muslim Rishi movement. One of them was Hazrat Shamsuddin from Maru Vardwan village, who settled in a village in Kuthar Pargana after receiving training from him. It is said that he had reduced his body to a skeleton due to hunger. Hazrat Baba Hanifuddin Haider of Akhal and Hazrat Baba Rajbuddin Mir of Martand were two wealthy disciples of Hazrat Baba Bamuddin Rishi who renounced their worldly possessions upon joining the Rishi order. Baba Rajbuddin earned his livelihood by preparing copies of the Holy Quran. On another occasion, when Sultan Ali Shah came to meet him, Hazrat Baba Bamuddin asked the Sultan to shed his royal attire and come in simple clothing. After the meeting, he threw the mat on which the Sultan had sat into the river, signifying his complete detachment from worldly power and grandeur. Hazrat Baba Bamuddin Rishi spread his mentor's teachings across different parts of Kashmir. He established a Khanqah in Bamzu, where he provided spiritual guidance to people. His teachings were based on simplicity and humility. He taught his followers that all humans are children of the same God, and discriminating based on caste or religion is foolish. One of his famous teachings was: "All humans share the same original parents, so how can some be considered high and others low? ---- Altamash Ali is a Sufi writer and a student at IFTM University._ URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/hazrat-baba-bamuddin-rishi-kashmiri-saints/d/136880 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism