Kashmir has a rich spiritual heritage—one that was built on knowledge, sincerity and devotion to Allah alone. We must not let this legacy be destroyed by the rise of fraudsters and the negligence of those entrusted with religious guidance. The responsibility to change this situation lies with each one of us.
Kashmir, once a land illuminated by the spiritual wisdom of revered Sufi saints like Makhdoom Sahib (RA), Sheikh Nur-ud-Din Noorani (RA), and Baba Dawood Khaki (RA), is now witnessing a tragic decline in religious integrity. The teachings of these noble saints, rooted in the Quran and Hadith, were meant to guide people toward a pure and sincere connection with Allah. But today, their legacy is being tarnished by a growing culture of fake peers—self-proclaimed spiritual leaders who exploit faith for personal gain.
Figures like Razak Bab and countless others have turned religion into a marketplace, preying on the desperation of the masses. They claim to possess divine powers, offering solutions to worldly problems in exchange for money and blind loyalty. Their followers lost in ignorance, place their trust in rituals, amulets, and baseless superstitions rather than the teachings of Islam. This alarming situation raises serious questions: How did we reach this point? And who is responsible?
The Failure of Religious Scholars
One of the biggest reasons behind this crisis is the failure of our religious scholars. Those who should have been the guardians of true faith have instead become entangled in personal and sectarian disputes. Instead of focusing on teaching the Quran and Hadith, many scholars have prioritized defending their own school of thought, dividing the Ummah in the process.
Social media has worsened this situation. Many scholars now focus more on promoting their own sect (firqah) rather than guiding people toward true Islamic teachings. Their debates, often fueled by ego and the desire for followers, create confusion rather than clarity. As a result, the common person is left uninformed about the fundamental principles of Islam. In this vacuum of knowledge, fake peers step in, offering easy solutions to life’s struggles, drawing people further away from true faith.
The Forgotten Warning Against Shirk
The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) repeatedly warned against shirk (associating partners with Allah), yet today, it has become widespread in the name of faith. People believe in the so-called powers of fake saints more than they trust in Allah. They offer sacrifices at the feet of impostors, believing that these individuals can change their fate. They forget that Islam teaches direct reliance on Allah, not intermediaries who manipulate religion for profit.
The tragedy is that our scholars, instead of addressing these issues, remain silent or distracted by sectarian battles. Instead of warning people about the dangers of fake peers, they are busy proving the superiority of their own firqah. This negligence has left people spiritually vulnerable, unable to distinguish between true faith and fabricated practices.
Consequences of Ignorance and Blind Following
The consequences of this crisis are dire:
- Loss of True Faith – When people place their trust in fake peers rather than in Allah, they drift away from Islam’s core teachings. The message of Tawheed (oneness of God) is replaced by superstition and dependency on individuals.
- Exploitation of the Poor and Desperate – Fake peers thrive on the suffering of others. They extract money from those who seek hope, offering false promises and performing meaningless rituals that have no basis in Islam.
- Division of the Ummah – Instead of uniting under the common teachings of the Quran and Hadith, people are now divided based on sectarian identities. This division has weakened our collective faith and left us more susceptible to exploitation.
- Moral and Social Decay – When religion is reduced to the blind following, moral values decline. Honesty, sincerity, and personal accountability—key teachings of Islam—are replaced by a culture of dependency on fake spiritual leaders.
The Way Forward: Returning to the Teachings of True Saints
The teachings of saints like Makhdoom Sahib (RA), Sheikh Nur-ud-Din Noorani (RA), and Baba Dawood Khaki (RA) were never about the blind following. They emphasized knowledge, self-purification, and a direct connection with Allah. Their legacy must be revived to counter the rise of fake peers and religious exploitation.
- Education and Awareness – Religious scholars must focus on educating people about true Islamic teachings rather than engaging in sectarian debates. The Quran and Hadith should be made accessible to all, so people can learn to differentiate between faith and fabrication.
- Rejecting Fake Peers – People must be encouraged to question and verify religious figures instead of blindly following anyone who claims to have divine powers. The Prophet (PBUH) himself never sought personal gain from religion, and neither did the true saints of Kashmir.
- Unity Among Scholars – Instead of dividing people, scholars must come together to address real issues, such as the spread of superstition and ignorance. Their duty is to unite the Ummah, not to gain popularity by promoting their own sect.
- Strengthening Personal Faith – Every individual must take responsibility for their own faith. Islam does not encourage blind following; it calls for reflection, knowledge, and sincerity in worship. People must be guided to seek solutions in the Quran and Hadith, rather than in the empty words of self-proclaimed spiritual leaders.
A Call to Action
If we continue on this path of ignorance, we risk losing the essence of our faith. The presence of fake peers is not just a sign of their deception; it is a reflection of our collective failure to uphold true Islam. It is time to return to the teachings of the Quran, reject superstition, and demand better from our scholars.
Kashmir has a rich spiritual heritage—one that was built on knowledge, sincerity, and devotion to Allah alone. We must not let this legacy be destroyed by the rise of fraudsters and the negligence of those entrusted with religious guidance. The responsibility to change this situation lies with each one of us.
It is time to wake up. It is time to reclaim our faith.
The writer is a teacher
Nasir Bhat
bh********@***il.com