Khawaja Habibullah Nowshehri

Khawaja Habibullah Nowshehri
خواجہ حبیب الله نوشہری
Personal life
Bornc. 1555(963 AH)
Naushahr, Kashmir Sultanate (now Nowshera, Srinagar Jammu and Kashmir)
Diedc. 1617 (19 Dhu al-Hijjah 1027 AH)
Naushahr, Mughal Kashmir (now Nowshera, Srinagar Jammu and Kashmir)
Resting placeAastan Habibullah Nowshehri, Nowshera, Srinagar
34°07′47″N 74°48′16″E / 34.129704°N 74.804574°E / 34.129704; 74.804574
Parent
  • Shamsuddin Ganai (father)
Notable works
  • Rahat-ul-Quloon
  • Maqamat-e-Hazrat Ishan
  • Kun tu kanzan (naat)
Pen nameHubbi
Occupation
  • Shopkeeper
  • Poet
Main interests: Naat, Poetry, Sufism
Religious life
ReligionIslam
DenominationSunni
TariqaKubrawiya
Muslim leader
Influenced by

Khawaja Habibullah Ganai Nowshehri (Kashmiri: خواجہ حبیب الله گنائی نوشہری, c. 1555 – c. 1617), known by his pen name Hubbi, was a Kashmiri Sufi mystic, poet, and scholar active in medieval Kashmir Valley during the late Chak and early Mughal periods.[1][2] He is remembered for devotional poetry (including naʽat) and for his shrine (Aastan) in the Nowshera locality of Srinagar, where his annual urs is celebrated.[3][4]

Hagiographical traditions describe him as a disciple within Kubrawiya-Hamdani Sufi tradition in Kashmir and as one of the successors of Shaykh Yaqub Sarfi.[5]

Early life

Birth

Habibullah Nowshehri was born in the Nowshera locality of Srinagar, in 963 AH (c. 1555 CE). His father, Shamsuddin Ganai, was reportedly a local salt merchant,[6]

Education

According to Sufi Hagiographical sources, Habibullah had memorised the Quran at a young age and would assist in his father's shop while continuing religious studies. He later studied under Mulla Hasan Afaqi, where he acquired proficiency in Persian and Arabic and studied Hadith and Fiqh. Later he became a disciple of Mir Muhammad Khalifa, under whom, according to hagiographical sources, his spiritual training advanced significantly.[7] His later spiritual and poetic development is historically linked to the circle of Shaykh Yaqub Sarfi, as well as other contemporary Kashmiri scholars and Sufi masters.[8][9]

According to Historical accounts and Sufi hagiographical traditions, Mughal emperor Jahangir during his visit of Kashmir valley visited Nowshehri.[8][10][11]

Literary works

Nowshehri composed devotional poetry in the Kashmiri and Persian literary traditions. He adopted the pen name Hubbi, under which his verses circulated in oral and manuscript traditions. Several works are attributed to him in manuscript collections and later literary surveys, including:[12]

  • Tanbhiy al-Quloob (The Admonition of the Hearts): Persian verses on Tasawwuf (Sufism) and Irfan (spiritual gnosis).
  • Rahat al-Quloob (Comfort of Hearts)
  • Mirat al-Gayoob (Mirror of Unseen)
  • Risalat al-Insaf (Treatise of Justice): Arabic treatise
  • Maqamat-i-Eishan (The stations of the Master): A Biographical account in Persian rhyming couplets documenting the life, travels, and spiritual lineage of his master, Shaykh Yaqub Sarfi, written in 1011 AH (1602 CE).[13]
  • Diwan-i-Hubbi: containing Qasida, rubaiyat and qit'as. He is also known for devotional poetry and na'at compositions associated with Kashmiri Sufi traditions.[14]

Among these, the na'at commonly known by its refrain Kuntu Kanzan Avaye (or Yare gachav diwayae) is regarded as one of his most popular composition in Kashmir.[8]

Death and legacy

Habibullah Nowshehri died on 19 Dhu'l-Hijja 1027AH[15] (c. 1618 CE) or 1026 AH (c. 1617).[a][17][8] His death occurred during the bubonic and pneumonic plague epidemic that swept through Kashmir between 1616 and 1618.[18][b]

Shrine and Mosque

Shrine of Habibullah Nowshehri (left) and Masjid Hubbi (right)

Habibullah Nowshehri was laid to rest in Nowshera, Srinagar, where his Aastan (shrine) remains a site of annual urs observances.[19][20][21] Adjacent to the shrine is Masjid Hubbi, a mosque that was rebuilt in the early 1900s. A graveyard is also located towards the south, withing the shared premises of the mosque and the shrine.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Sufi Ghulam Muhyi-ud-Din, in Kashir, supported the date 1026 AH based on the chronogram Khwaja Habib-wal-Eishan. Although Tarikh-i-Hassan and Tarikh-i-Kabir recorded the year as 1027 AH, the chronogram reproduced in both works yields the date 1026 AH. Some historians also associated his death with the plague epidemic during the governorship of Ahmad Beg Khan (1024–1027 AH), rather than the later governorship of Dilawar Khan.[16]
  2. ↑ Sufi hagiographical accounts describe that the local residents sought Nowshehri's help. According to these accounts, he advised them to remain patient through the night, and he later contracted the plague himself.[5] Following his death, epidemic reportedly subsided.[14]

References

  1. ↑ Ayyappappanikkar, ed. (1997). Medieval Indian Literature: Surveys and Selections. Vol. 1. Sahitya Akademi. p. 237. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  2. ↑ "The Unraveling Catastrophe of Kashmir's Aquatic Heritage". Kashmir Observer. 2023-12-16. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  3. ↑ "Urs of Khawaja Habibullah Nowshehri (R.A) celebrated". Brighter Kashmir. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  4. ↑ SERVICE, GK NEWS (2025-06-17). "Dr Farooq greets people on Urs". Greater Kashmir. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  5. 1 2 Didamari 2019, p. 206.
  6. ↑ Bamzai, Prithvi Nath Koul (8 October 1962). A History of Kashmir (PDF). Delhi: Metropolitan Book Co.(Private) Ltd. p. 513.
  7. ↑ Khoyihami 1960, p. 228.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Sufi, G. M. D. (1979). "Khwaja Habib 'Hubbi'". Islamic Culture in Kashmir. Light & Life Publishers. p. 200.
  9. ↑ Shah, Sayid Ashraf (2021). Flower Garden (Posh-i-Chaman). p. 288.
  10. ↑ Khoyihami 1960, p. 229.
  11. ↑ Miskin, Mohi-ud-Din (1892). Tarik-i-Kabir-i-Kashmir. Amritsar.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  12. ↑ Kalla 1985, p. 107.
  13. ↑ Sufi, G.M.D. (1972). Kashir, A History of Kashmir. Light and Life Publishers. p. 474.
  14. 1 2 Khoyihami 1960, p. 230.
  15. ↑ Shah, Sayid Ashraf (2016). Kashmir Jhelum Valley Civilization. Ashraf Fazili. p. 47.
  16. ↑ Didamari 2019, p. 775.
  17. ↑ Kalla 1985, p. 43.
  18. ↑ Jahangir, Emperor of Hindustan; Rogers, Alexander; Beveridge, Henry (1909–1914). Beveridge, Henry (ed.). Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri [Memoirs of Jahangir]. Translated by Rogers, Alexander. Date written : 1609. London Royal Asiatic Society. p. 442.
  19. ↑ Gulia, K.S., ed. (2007). Mountains of the God. Vol. 2. ISHA Books. ISBN 978-81-8205-422-6.
  20. ↑ SERVICE, GK NEWS (2025-06-13). "Tanvir Sadiq seeks arrangements for Urs". Greater Kashmir. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  21. ↑ Gopal, Bhargava (2003). Encyclopaedia Of Art And Culture In India (J&K) (PDF) (pdf). Vol. 7. India: Isha Books. p. 326.

Sources

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