Footprints: Call of the spirit

Published January 25, 2015
MEN engaged in zikr at one of the zikrkhanas in the Ziarat complex. In the background are some of the rest houses for pilgrims visiting from elsewhere.—Photo by writer
MEN engaged in zikr at one of the zikrkhanas in the Ziarat complex. In the background are some of the rest houses for pilgrims visiting from elsewhere.—Photo by writer

On a Sunday afternoon, there are few people in the large complex of zikrkhanas and rest houses — known as Ziarat— that is home to Koh-i-Murad, the most sacred site for followers of the Zikri sect.

The area, located in Turbat, has an undulating landscape. We stop at the base of a small craggy hillock. Steps lead halfway up, from where the sound of strangely hypnotic chanting in Arabic filters down. At the top of the stairway is a platform that circles the hillock.

A few men are seated here on straw mats, reciting Quranic ayaat, interspersed with prayers. One of them leads the recitation while the others follow in a chorus. This is the zikr, from which the sect — believed to be an offshoot of a Sufi order — derives its name.

Read: Zikris under attack in Balochistan

“We believe that long ago a celestial light shone down upon the hillock, making it one of the most venerated spots for engaging in this practice,” says Behram Baloch, a visitor to the shrine. “You can still see glimpses of this light sometimes while doing zikr.”

Just as I take a picture of the men, one of them raises his finger and motions for me to stop. Perhaps he is wary of publicity, of his faith being questioned as to whether it is ‘Islamic’ enough. The Zikris have a history of being persecuted as heretics, and they have also been targeted recently in various parts of Balochistan, where they are concentrated mainly in the Mekran belt.

Nearby are two more zikrkhanas, these ones fashioned from bricks and mortar, one for men and another, smaller one for women. The walls within are decorated with rows upon rows of Quranic texts; there is no mimbar, typical of mosques belonging to most other Muslim sects. “We don’t need a maulvi for zikr, which we do five times a day, at Fajr, Zuhar, Asr, Maghreb and Isha,” explains Abdul Ghani Azad, a caretaker at the zikrkhana.

Several devotees sit in a circle in the women’s zikrkhana. Their chadors are pulled low over their faces and their eyes are closed as they perform zikr in a trance-like state. A wizened old woman with a guttural voice leads the chanting, her words repeated around the circle by the others like a cascading wave.

This is a quiet time of the week. Thursday nights through Friday morning are the ‘bari raat’ with all-night zikr, as well as a ritual known as chaughan. In this, devotees form a circle in the zikrkhana courtyard, in the centre of which stands a woman — seldom is it a man — reciting sifat or paeans in praise of Allah, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), and Imam Mahdi, the twelfth imam. The others join in chorus, swaying in a devotional trance.

Those who recite sifat are respected figures, and even acquire a degree of fame. The most renowned at present is said to be a woman called Durjan. Another is Jan Bibi, who is among those at the zikr. She’s been reciting sifat for 45 years. “My mother and grandmother did the same before me. It comes so easily to me that I can recite the whole night without repeating my words.”

Another woman says, “We’re as Muslim as anyone else. It’s the maulvis who malign us unfairly.”

Driving further into the complex, one passes blocks of empty shelters and rooms. These are meant to accommodate the Zikris — around 30,000 it is claimed — that congregate here from mid-Ramazan onwards for their most important festival, that of Lailatul Qadr on the 27th of Ramazan. “Zikris in Pakistan, especially from Karachi and rural Sindh, and even from Iran arrive for the event,” says Mr Azad.

“There are rows of wood fires upon which food is cooked. Locals set up stalls catering to the visitors. It’s like a mela.”

The road winds higher until last we arrive at a closed gate. Shoes and socks are left behind here. We are about to enter hallowed ground. The gate opens on to a deserted vista; in the distance, about half a kilometre ahead, there is Koh-i-Murad, one of a cluster of low hills. The barefoot walk to reach it is long and arduous, especially for those without practice — or the requisite devotion.

From atop Koh-i-Murad, one can see Turbat in the distance.

At its summit is a basin shaped, sandy depression, the holy of holies where, according to Zikri belief, Imam Mahdi worshipped for ten years.

On the 27th of Ramazan, Zikris congregate around this spot — no one is allowed to step within — and the hypnotic cadence of zikr fills the night air until dawn breaks on the horizon.

Published in Dawn January 25th , 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play

Opinion

Editorial

‘Source of terror’
Updated 29 Mar, 2024

‘Source of terror’

It is clear that going after militant groups inside Afghanistan unilaterally presents its own set of difficulties.
Chipping in
29 Mar, 2024

Chipping in

FEDERAL infrastructure development schemes are located in the provinces. Most such projects — for instance,...
Toxic emitters
29 Mar, 2024

Toxic emitters

IT is concerning to note that dozens of industries have been violating environmental laws in and around Islamabad....
Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...