Reshism and the environment;

The very integral factor of Sufism is the preservation of the environment. As we have

always observed that saints are very close to nature and their surroundings. Usually, we

will find ascetics and saints in the forests, meditating and praying to God. the reason for

this most probably could be the serenity and peace which is not present in the cities, but

in forests and mountains.

If we talk about the indigenous Sufi order of Kashmir, it was known as the Reshi order.

This order too followed the principles of environmental preservation to its best. Various

saints of this order including Sheikh Noor Din Wali. if we talk about the time of Sheikh

Nuruddin Wali, Kashmir was unaffected by destructive human activities. Kashmir was a

sight of paradise. The cities of Kashmir, including Srinagar, were covered with forests.

There was fresh air and pure land. At that time, when there was no severe need for

environmental awareness, Sheikh Nur Rudin Wali threw light on the importance of

ecological balance, and that too six hundred years before. A very famous saying of

Sheikh Nurrudin Wali quoted as

“AAN POSH TELI YELI WAN POSH”

This is a saying in the Kashmiri language, meaning food will long as long as forests last.

Analyzing this saying, if we look at the current status of industries and factories, they are

growing at a very fast pace. Keeping this in mind, forests are being targeted and cleared

for these industrial purposes. Over the years, Kashmir is facing a lot of problems
including, terrorism, unemployment, and pollution but above all its facing deforestation.

Over the past few decades, forests are being cleared at an alarming rate because of the

growing industrialization and carelessness of humans. This should be kept in mind that

this inhumane behavior with the forests will make health hazards for both the present and

future. Plundering forests for the sake of money is a sign of blatant ignorance. We are

well aware of the causes of deforestation which mainly comprise soil erosion, and

climatic changes, in short, it leads to global warming. Deforestation also disturbs the food

chain as it interferes with the habitats of wildlife. In such times, this famous saying is

quite relevant. This saying by sheik Nurrudin Wali makes the people aware of the

importance of forests. This saying directly or indirectly considers forests to be our

ultimate survival. As we know humans are dependent on food and this saying calls out

forests to be the ultimate source of this food. Therefore humans are dependent on forests

for their food. This is quite informative in context with the present situation where human

beings have become so careless about their environment that they ruthlessly degrade it

for selfish reasons. This saying, if observed closely could educate such people to stop and

cherish their environment, otherwise, their lives could turn out to be miserable. Therefore

Sheikh Nurrudin Wali has very rightly made it clear that we are dependent on our nature

in every step we take.

Sheikh Nurrudin Wali has closely observed the lifestyles of people and put this poetry as

a warning for the future. The meaning of these lines is that when we pluck a flower or a

fruit from a tree, we do is reck; essay without knowing that we are damaging its

productivity. Moreover, these lines from his poetry also mention that people are using

wood for decorating their houses and in turn damaging the trees and he calls this type of

fancy life a way towards Satan. Lastly, these lines mention the compensation humans

have to pay for treating their nature brutally to satisfy their selfish desires.

Through this, we could conclude that Seikh Nurrudin Wali was a great environmentalist,

who demonstrated his concerns regarding the lifestyles of people by harming nature.

Today, we are trying our best to not exploit natural resources but at the same time, the

scientific and industrial advancements are going at a high pace, increasing this

exploitation automatically. Although developments are important but conservation of

natural resources is principal. People should be educated about such sayings of Sheikh

Nurrudin Wali to aware people more of their activities and their outcomes in the future.