Zafar Darik Qasmi

India has a wealth of myriad religions, traditions, and ideologies. Many persons – scholars, and Kings - not only studied the civilization and history of religions but also described the glory of other religions.

Both Muslim and non-Muslim scholars have left documents on this subject. One such scholar was Prince Dara Shikoh, the son of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. Some scholars consider him a proponent of false ideology. They do not even regard the research work he has left for the nation and criticize his pluralistic views.

Others value his research work. Many scholars in the Indian subcontinent and abroad have written several research papers on him. A dozen of books have also been published on the subject matter, so far. Dara Shikoh has done significant work on Sufism and its essence. Some of his works are: Hasanat al-Arifeen, Risala Haq Numa, Safinat al-Awliya, Sakinat al-Awliya andTariqat al-Haqiqat.

Dara Shikoh discusses Sufism in these books. Many people know that the meaning of Sufism and purification of the soul in the context of the Quran and Sunnah is that a person should get close to God by eliminating his material pleasures. Darashkoh has also presented this theory in his aforementioned books.

In addition, Darashkoh's other important work is on Persian literature and poetry. Darashkoh's biography and accounts of his life can be visited in his works on Persian literature and poetry called Diwan e Darashkoh. Similarly, his other work Darashkoh's Bayaz is also considered an important document on Persian literature and poetry.

Darashkoh's most important work is on comparative religion, which in the modern era is more appropriately regarded as “Interfaith Dialogue and Religious Studies”.

First, he wrote a book on Hindu yogis named Jog Shastra. The second work, which is unique in its nature and essence and can be said to be the need of contemporary times, is the writing and compilation of "Majma' al-Bahrain" along with the translation of the Upanishads into Persian namely "Sir-e-Akbar". If Dara Shikoh's thoughts are applied to the present scenario, then its importance is doubly appreciated and his tolerance and promotion of the study of religions are considered beneficial.

What distinguishes Dara Shikoh from many Muslim Kings and rulers are his study of religions and his equal treatment of the followers of all religions. This resulted in Dara Shikoh having a good relationship with Hindu Yogis. He translated the Upanishads and presented a practical picture of Hindu-Muslim unity. Along with this, Dara Shikoh's liberal attitude can be judged from his regular meetings with eminent scholars of all religions. He believed in the equality of religions and giving respect to all.

In the present time, when the Hindu-Muslim coexistence is facing challenges, the relevance of Dara Shikoh's thoughts is all the more important. Therefore, it’s important to promote Dara Shikoh’s above-mentioned three books to address these challenges.

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To stop the rapid spread of hatred, intolerance, and anti-religious practices in our pluralistic society, love and respect for religions must be promoted in the country at the same speed. We should appreciate the initiative taken by the central government to establish the Dara Shikoh Chair in Aligarh Muslim University recently.

Dr. Zafar Darik Qasmi is author, columnist and faculty of Aligarh Muslim University