Searching for the Three Gifts

By Arshad Me'raj - Greater Kashmir - Srinigar, India
Thursday, September 6, 2007

Chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Thursday released 11 books on different subjects during a function organised by Gulshan Publishers at Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre SKICC in Srinagar.

The books released include: “The Muslim Kashmir (1320-1589)” by Professor Fida Hassnain, “Sufi Practices Mystical Ecstasy” by Professor Fida Hassnain, “Letters of Mir Saiyid Ali Hamdani (RA) by A. Q. Rafiqui, “Icons of Kashmir Identity” by Zahid G. Muhammad, “Kashmir Social and Cultural History” by G. M. Rabbani, “Srinagar Heritage Treasure” by A. S. Qureshi, “My Land My People” by Yasir M Baba, “Geography of Jammu and Kashmir” by A. R. Khan, “Kashmir Heritage Tourism” by Iqbal Ahmad, “Rajtarangni” by Prof. Dr. Shams-ud-Din Ahmad and “Lalla Rookh The Glorious Heritage” by Prof. K. L. Kalla.

The Muslim Kashmir (1320-1589): Sufi master Prof. Fida Hassnain has compiled the book and has been dependent on the contemporary Kashmiri sources, Sanskrit and Persian. He is an author of about two dozens books and is the first Kashmiri writer whose books have been published in Poland, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom.

Sufi Practices Mystical Ecstasy: The purpose of the book is to shed light on the principles and practices of all mystics, particularly the Sufis. Professor Fida Hassnain, the author of the book and the co-author Vivek Raghuvanshi and Abdel Fatteh Badawi expect that the casual readers of this would develop an urge in themselves to search for the three gifts -Sophia, Gnosis and Ishq, in their own monastic and mystic traditions.

[picture: Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad http://jammukashmir.nic.in/govt/cm.htm].