Today we will discuss SARMAD: THE DISBELIEVER ADORED BY THE BELIEVERS
SARMAD: THE DISBELIEVER ADORED BY THE BELIEVERS
In Delhi buried outside Jama Masjid lies the great naked Sufi saint I Sarmad who was beheaded in 1661 during the reign of Aurangzeb. Apparently, the charges framed against Sarmad by the officials of Aurangzeb included violation of Shariah norms as he refused to wear any apparel to cover his body and public display of heresy and disbelief. Sarmad was executed after staging a summary trial but it is fascinating to note that the man declared guilty of blasphemy and disbelief has become a legend in Sufi lore and is acknowledged as a martyr commanding universal reverence and adoration.
Who was Sarmad and why he was beheaded? The history does not give a detailed account and it appears that the political correctness of the period kept historians from narrating the details of the tragic episode. However, the reluctance of the historians could not suppress the popular imagination that associated numerous miraculous stories with Sarmad and these were duly recorded by later day chronicles.
Most of the historical accounts describe Sarmad as of foreign origin, an Armenian merchant who came to India in the reign of Shah Jahan’ Like other Iranian traders Sarmad first came to Sindh and settled at Thatta, a prosperous trading town. It was here that Sarmad fell passionately in love with a local girl, became distracted, and lost all his merchandise and wealth. He became so totally obsessed with his love that he would go about the streets naked, giving poetic expression to his feelings unmindful of public attention.
Other accounts insist that the focus of his affection was a young boy Abhi Chand. Sarmad would go and sit at the door of his beloved and shower him with poetic praises. The father of the boy seeing the purity of Sarmad’s feelings allowed him to come to his house and over a period of time Sarmad and Abhi Chand became so attached that they could not bear to live apart Later, both of them left Thatta for Delhi. Sarmad’s reputation as a man of piety and supernatural powers had preceded and the people of Delhi flocked around him.
Prominent among his devotees in Delhi was Dara Shukoh, the saintly Mughal prince Sarmad had on one occasion predicted that Dara Shukoh will inherit the empire. But after the bloody war of succession, it was Aurangzeb who captured the throne The new Emperor not only eliminated his rival siblings but actively pursued the partisans of his brother In this situation there was no escape for Sarmad. who not only sympathized with Dara Shukoh but had publicly denounced the royal bloodbath.
This was the background when Aurangzeb deputed his Chief Justice Mulla Qaw to prepare the ground to punish Sarmad. Accordingly. inquiries were made and Sarmad was summoned to appear before the Royal Court
Apart from nudity, Sarmad was charged with denying the night journey (mairaj) of the Holy Prophet on account of what he had said in the following couplet
The mullah says that Ahmad went to the heavens Sarmad says that the heavens were inside Ahmad!
Further, he was accused of not reciting the full Kalima – the Muslim formulae of faith. Sarmad used to exclaim ‘There is no God’ but did not affirm ‘except Allah When pressed to explain, Sarmad said: ‘I am drowned in negation and have not yet reached the state of affirmation.
If I recite full Kalima now, it will be a lie The Qari’s verdict condemned him to death but the popular verdict hailed him as a martyr, executed to please a spiteful King.
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