Srinagar:
In a solemn moment, Kashmir’s revered female dervish, Zuba Saheb, passed away and was buried today in the historic town of Charar-i-Sharief. Tens of thousands attended her funeral prayers. The town’s folklore speaks of her initiation into a life of renunciation and Sufism, beginning with her with her journey as a wandering ascetic. She often traveled across Kashmir, accompanied by her disciples.
Zuba Saheb was known for her spiritual practices and was frequently found wandering in forests, standing in snow and freezing temperatures. Her words were taken as omens, and she often made predictions about people’s futures. She carried forward the spiritual legacy of Sheikh-ul-Alam (RA), a 14th-century saint whose followers believe his coffin flew to its final resting place, now marked by a shrine.
This shrine was destroyed in a fire during a 1995 siege by security forces after a Pakistani militant commander Mast Gul remained stationed there months together. The entire town was reduced to ashes, but Gul and his associates escaped.
Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani (RA), also known as Nund Rishi, was an Islamic preacher and was a founder of the Rishi order and influenced many spiritual leaders, including Hamza Makhdoom, Resh Mir Sàeb, and Shamas Faqir. Shiekh Noor-ud-Din (RA) died in 1438, and Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin commissioned a tomb for him at Charari Sharief, before it was rebuild in 1995 inferno.
Today, tens of thousands gathered at Sheikh-ul-Alam’s shrine to offer funeral prayers and pay their last respects to Zuba Saheb.