Why Khwaja Hasan Nizami Celebrated Shri Krishna’s Birth as the "Dawn of Truth"!

By Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi, New Age Islam 26 August 2024 In The Present Age, When Divisive Politics Has Overtaken All Ideological Debates, It Is Important To Recall An Indo-Islamic Scholar Who Eulogies Shri Krishna As An Integral Part And Binding Factor Of Indian Civilisation Main Points: 1. Khwaja Hasan Nizami was a prominent Indian Muslim scholar, writer, historian, and a Chishti-Nizami spiritual master known for his rich contributions to Urdu literature. 2. Shri Krishna's birthday was the beacon of hope and light (Noor), Nizami writes in his book’s chapter on the birth of Shri Krishna "Dawn of the Truth" 3. Nizami refuted the claim of Arya Samaj writers like Lala Lajpat Rai that Sri Krishna is not an avtar or an originator of the Shrimad Bhagwad Gita. 4. Deeply-rooted Sufi mystical traditions in India have revered Shri Krishna as one of the Divine Messengers sent to the ancient nation of India. ---- (File Photo of Krishna Janamashthami) “Today is the arrival of that commander in chief, army general, and military leader of India, whose armies used to roam around victorious. He is the foremost leader and general of the Indian subcontinent. Today those eyes will open themselves, looking after the earth and the sky. He comforts Indians in private as well as in public, in happiness as well as in sorrows, during life as well as in death. Krishna is the leader of the adults and a beloved of the children.” The above is an excerpt from an Urdu book titled “Krishn Beeti” written by Khwaja Hasan Sani Nizami Dehlvi (1879-1955)—an Indian Chishti Sufi scholar who addressed various doctrinal issues of Hinduism in multiple Urdu publications. Nizami writes that there was darkness prevailing all around at the time of Shri Krishna's birth. After a long dark night, Krishna's birthday came as the beacon of hope and light (Noor), he avers in his book’s chapter on the birth of Shri Krishna titled "Dawn of the Truth" (Sachchai Ka Sawera). Khwaja Hasan Nizami was a prominent Indian Muslim scholar, writer, historian, and a Chishti-Nizami spiritual master known for his rich contributions to Urdu literature, especially for his work on the history of Delhi. Born in 1878 in Delhi, he was deeply engaged in documenting and preserving the cultural and historical heritage of the Indo-Islamic tradition, especially during the period of British rule in India. His Delhi writings often reflect his keen interest in the rich history and traditions of the Indian subcontinent, and therefore he is fondly remembered for his role in keeping the cultural memory of the country alive through his Urdu literature. His work is attached to immense importance and remains a valuable resource for historians and scholars interested in the history of Indian Islam and Sufism especially during the Mughal period. Through his above book which was later renamed “Krishn Katha” and “Krishn Jeewan”, Nizami refuted the claim of Arya Samaj writers like Lala Lajpat Rai that Sri Krishna is not an Avtar or divine incarnation and neither is he an originator of the Shrimad Bhagwad Gita. But at the same time, interestingly he also sought to counter Arya Samaj’s efforts to draw neo-Muslim populations back into the Hindu fold in the early 20th century. Thus, the Chishti Sufi scholar reinforced a mystical Muslim tradition in India which eulogized Shri Krishna as a Prophet/Paighambar. But his idea of venerating Shri Krishna as an avatar did not conflict with his belief of being a devotional and pious Muslim. This was an important and distinct aspect of his Sufism which he considered a moral and spiritual legacy of Indian Muslim mystics. Deeply-rooted Sufi mystical traditions in India have revered Shri Krishna as one of the Divine Messengers sent to the ancient nation of India. Authoritative Indian Sufi scholars including the Naqshbandi Master Mirza Mazhar Jaan-e-Jaan (1689-1781) and the 18th century Chishti Sufi poet Shah Turab Chishti have acknowledged it based on their Mukashfaat (spiritual meditations). Medieval Muslim historical accounts as old as Al-Bruni also stand testimony to this fact. According to the history of Hamdan Daylami (Chapter Al-Kaaf), there was a prophet in India whose colour was black and his name was Kahin (the saint). In more recent times, Indian Muslim freedom fighter and Islamic scholar and poet Maulana Syed Fazl-ul-Hasan Hasrat Mohani used to visit Vrindavan in Mathura before he performed Hajj in Makka. Thus, Khwaja Hasan Sani Nizami further solidified this deeply-seated and historically-rooted Muslim Mystical tradition in India; call it syncretic Sufism or 'Krishnite Muslim mysticism’. The tradition is: Just like many nations and people, India too has been blessed with the holy Prophets and Apostles. Therefore, in all likelihood, the king and the Prince of Dwarka Shri Krishna may have been one of the holy prophets sent to the Indian subcontinent and thus their teachings and traditions and even birth anniversaries must be revered and respected by the Indian Muslims. Now contrast it with some self-styled Islamic preachers in the Indian subcontinent who preach a complete boycott of the Hindu festivals and disassociation with all their festivities. On the eve of every Hindu festival, some social media groups are afloat with misguiding messages such as “celebrating Holi/Diwali/Janmashtami is not allowed in Islam”. Recently, a Bangladeshi-origin hate preacher Maulana Sheikh Ahmedullah went to the extent of stating: “Close friendships with Hindus are against Islam”…..There should be no place in the heart of Islam’s followers for non-Muslim friends”. After 78 years of freedom from the cruel British clutches, it is not difficult to understand why an established Muslim scholar wrote a book in the Urdu language about a Hindu Avatar Shri Krishna. Nizami’s engagement with the devotional and spiritual aspects of Sanatan Dharma suggests a genuine willingness to foster Hindu-Muslim cooperation to embrace a national Indian identity based on mutual religious respect and tolerance. In today’s politically charged and vitiated atmosphere, Khwaja Hasan Nizami Sahib’s legacy to consolidate the common Hindu-Muslim civilization in India to fail the policy of "Divide and Rule" needs to be re-enlivened. A prominent Sufi scholar of the Chishti Order, popularly known as Musawwir-e-Fitrat (a natural artist and essayist) who authored seminal books on Sufism, he sought to dispel the miasma of misconceptions about the persona of Shri Krishna, particularly prevailing among Muslims. Significantly, he described Shri Krishna as a supreme leader who taught Indians the secrets of the spiritual and material worlds. Much like his contemporary Urdu poet Hafeez Jalandhri, Khwaja Hasan Nizami called Shri Krishna “Noor-e-Hindi” (the light of India). One of the substantial points that Khwaja Hasan Nizami makes in his book is that the life and teachings of Shri Krishna should not be learned from secondary sources or books written by Western scholars or European authors. Many misconceptions about Shri Krishna are either sheer Western propaganda or an outcome of misreading his life. For instance—accusing Shri Krishna of ‘nudity’ or slandering his polygamy was a Western ploy and a distorted narrative that the British colonialists wanted to spread to further their ends. Therefore, Khwaja Hasan Nizami, categorically states that such accusations made by the colonialists and their sympathizers were meant to buttress the claim that the native Indians had no civilization, which is frivolous and untenable. Thus, this is a glaring example of how a descendant of the Chishti-Nizami Sufi Order tried to de-colonize the narratives around the persona of Shri Krishna passionately as a devout Indo-Muslim scholar. He writes: “O Indians! Do not disrespect your nation in a bid to please foreigners, and give your predecessors their rightful place”. Thus, he also attaches paramount importance to the study of Hinduism, its culture, and civilization as an exercise in nation-building. In the present age, when divisive politics has overtaken all other ideological debates, it is important to recall an Islamic scholar who described Shri Krishna as an integral part and binding force of Indian Civilisation. In a nutshell, a Muslim must respect all religious figures, no matter what religion they belong to. Therefore, Khwaja Hasan Nizami emphasized that the teachings of Shri Krishna should be studied not from the books published by Western authors but from the people of India because these teachings are still alive in the hearts of Indians. Like Allama Iqbal, Nizami also compared India with Greek, Roman, and Egyptian civilizations to substantiate the point that Indian civilization was not inferior to any civilization at all. All this was a false propaganda of the colonial civilizations to create a feeling of inferiority among the Indians. -------- A Regular Columnist with Newageislam.com, Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi is an Indo-Islamic scholar, Sufi poet and English-Arabic-Urdu-Hindi writer with a background in a leading Sufi Islamic seminary in India. He is currently serving as Head of International Affairs at Voice for Peace & Justice, Jammu & Kashmir. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/khwaja-nizami-celebrated-shri-krishna-truth/d/133050 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