Nund Rishi and the Negative Theology of Kashmiri Pluralism
Interfaiths · Iqbal Akhtar
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Show Notes
This dissertation by Abir Bashir Bazaz explores the negative theology and mystical poetry of the 14th-century Kashmiri saint Nund Rishi, also known as Sheikh al-‘Ālam. The text examines how his verse, known as shruks, employs a "language of unsaying" to navigate complex themes of death, nothingness, and apocalyptic imminence. By situating Nund Rishi within the broader context of Sufism and the Bhakti movement, the author highlights the saint's role in blending Islamic theology with indigenous Hindu and Buddhist concepts like Sahaja and Shunya. Bazaz argues that Nund Rishi’s focus on the ultimacy of death served as a radical social critique against the religious and political elites of medieval Kashmir. Ultimately, the research presents the Rishi Order as a unique spiritual path that addressed the political crises and socio-economic inequalities of its time through a vernacular, inclusive idiom.