Ghulam Rasool Noori

Sheikh Ghulam Rasool Noori (; born 19 March 1954) is a well known Shia Muslim scholar, reformer, preacher and cleric from Kashmir. He is known for his religious sermons and lectures, especially during the Muslim month of Muharram. Noori delivers lectures in both the Kashmiri and Urdu languages; he is deemed as a bridge between Kashmiri and Urdu temperaments. Moreover, he is famous for his addressing of social issues through Islamic Philosophy. Before becoming a religious scholar and theologian he was working as a lecturer.

Education Noori preliminary studied under the guidance of his father who was known religious scholar of his time. After then, in 1972, he went to Banaras, India for higher studies where he studied in Jawadia Arabic College under the guidance of Ayatollah Syed Zafrul Hasan Rizvi. Noori is Fazil from Allahabad Board UP India and in 1979 he got the degree of Fakhr-ul-afazil from Jawadia Arabic College Banaras UP India. He did his master's degree from Banaras Hindu University He subsequently went to Iran for the studies of Islamic jurisprudence and Islamic theology, where he studied under the guidance of famous scholars of that time Aaqa Aatimadi, Aaqa Wijdani and Aaqa Payane. he is also chairman and president of the Jammu and Kashmir Ahl-e-Bait Foundation. Noori is founder and the patron of Idara Nashri Uloom Ahlulbait Kashmir and was ex-vice principal of Jamia Elmia Imam Reza Srinagar.

Works

Noori is known for his workings around Kashmir valley. From 1990 when he returned from Qum, He organized Islamic educational classes for the common people, young and old in Srinagar Kashmir and preached them about Islam.

Reformation in Azadari system After his arrival from Qom, Iran, a transformation in Azadari swept through the Kashmir valley. Previously, only Marsiya were recited by the Zakirans in Muharram gatherings. However, he, with his visionary approach, revolutionized the traditional Azadari system by introducing the Ashra-Majlis system, a series of ten sermons delivered by religious scholar especially during night hours in the month of Muharram. This novel concept brought about a remarkable change as no such Ashra Majlis had been held in Kashmir before.

With his speeches across various locations in the Kashmir valley, Noori swiftly gained widespread fame. His ideology resonated deeply with the youth of Jammu and Kashmir, who embraced his teachings. Expanding his reach, he conducted extensive classes and lectures in different parts of Kashmir. Through these sessions, he preached about the profound significance of the Battle of Karbala and emphasized the responsibilities of the younger generation.

Awards In 2017, Noori was awarded with Peer-e-Gulam for his notable works especially during the month of Muharram in Isfahan, Iran

Ideas

Ideal State According to Noori, individuals are mutually dependent upon each other for the development and betterment of the society; an ideal society is one in which members are interacting with one another to achieve the common goal. He says “an individual of an ideal society can never remain antagonistic to other members of society.” as per him “different goals can only be achieved when members of society become one, and work together.”

He views an ideal society can only be formed by the members of the society who are piety and have purified their souls. In one of his lectures, he stated “the formation of an ideal society is not possible without Taqwa”.

This remark points out that the leaders of community according to Noori's point of view have the duty to fend off any outside threat that might lead to a discord within the Islamic society. In other sense he also made them know that one of the important characteristics of a leader is to have a vast knowledge of the threats that submerge from within or outside the community itself.

On several occasions he also defused tension that had arisen within the Islamic ummah especially in Kashmir with the speech that he has made publicly. For example, when there was a popular tendency within the Kashmiri themselves to interpret the death sentence upon Saddam Hussein to be motivated by sectarianism, he made a remark that the judgment should be viewed from the human rights and judiciary's perspective instead of the previous one, thus redirecting them towards the real issue and at the same time leaving no space for sectarian interpretation. His speech has been quoted by The Hindu, which wrote,

Ban on Muharram Procession Hujjatul Islam Noorie has always advocated free movement of azadari processions [ moharram processions] all over the globe especially in the valley of Kashmir. The government of jammu and Kashmir has banned 8th and 10th Muharram processions in Srinagar after the eruption of militancy in 1989. Prior to ban, the 8th Muharram procession used to be taken out from Shaheed Gunj and would culminate at Dalgate while 10th Muharram procession was taken out from Abi- Guzar to Ali Park Zadibal.

Following the ban in 1989 Shia leadership and community continued to agitate peacefully and annually offered mass arrests during period of Muharram. Noori has for all time opposed the ban on moharram processions in Kashmir which he has described as infringement of right to freedom of religion. Noori in an interview given to The Citizen he said that

"It is extremely sad that when whole world promotes freedom of religion, our state Government bans the important religious procession, it is just a political game and nothing else"

Noori has accused the state government of "divide and rule politics" over moharram processions Speaking on the occasion, Noori said our problem is that we don't follow Quran. "Solution of all our problems lie there. It is responsibility of ulema to spread the awareness," Noori congratulated the Ehsaas group on framing the Model Nikahnama. And hoped that it would be welcomed by public, he said "I hope it would be received well in public,"