Srinagar — Some leaders leave behind a title. Others leave behind a legacy. Mirwaiz Molvi Muhammad Farooq (RA) left behind both — and thirty-six years after his martyrdom, Kashmir continues to feel his absence as deeply as ever.
On the occasion of his 36th martyrdom anniversary, the historic Jama Masjid Srinagar became a center of faith and remembrance. The Anjuman Auqaf — the religious organization he founded — opened the commemorations with a grand Husn-i-Qira’at programme, a Qur’anic recitation competition that has become a meaningful annual tradition in his honor.
According to Beyond Time News, the event brought together students, scholars, and community members from across the Kashmir Valley — united not just by the occasion, but by a shared love for a man who gave everything for his people and his faith.
More Than a Competition — A Living Tribute
The Husn-i-Qira’at is, on the surface, a recitation contest. But in reality, it is something much more meaningful.
Every student who steps forward to recite the Holy Qur’an in this setting is carrying forward a mission — the same mission Mirwaiz Farooq dedicated his life to. That mission is simple but profound: keep the Qur’an alive in the hearts and minds of the next generation.
Students from dozens of Islamic seminaries and educational institutions across Kashmir answered that call. They arrived with preparation, devotion, and a quiet sense of purpose — and they delivered.
Participating institutions included Dar-ul-Uloom Bilalia, Dar-ul-Uloom Dawoodia, Dar-ul-Uloom Qasmia, Jamia Saadat-ul-Quran, Islamia Oriental College, Dar-ul-Uloom Naqshbandia, Bab-ul-Uloom, Jamia Amir-e-Kabeer, Jamia Imam Azam, Dar-ul-Uloom Furqania, Maktaba Abu Bakr Siddiq, Dar-ul-Uloom Kausaria, Jamia Shams-ul-Uloom, Madrasa Sabeel-ul-Huda, Madrasa Siraj-ul-Uloom, and Dar-ul-Uloom Dawood Batmaloo Srinagar, among many others.
Qari Saddam Hussain, Qari Ashiq Hussain, and Qari Atiq-ur-Rehman served as judges, assessing participants on recitation quality, accuracy, and mastery of Tajweed.
Top Five Winners of the Day
After a spiritually charged and memorable competition, the top five positions were awarded to:
- 1st Place: Qari Athar Manzoor — Jamia Imam Azam, Sarnal Anantnag
- 2nd Place: Qari Yasir Rashid — Siraj-ul-Uloom, Srinagar
- 3rd Place: Qari Muhammad Usman — Dar-ul-Uloom Qasmia
- 4th Place: Qari Ubaid-ur-Rehman — Dar-ul-Uloom Bilalia
- 5th Place: Qari Muhammad Abu Bakr — Bab-ul-Uloom, Natipora Srinagar
The Anjuman Auqaf presented each winner with a trophy and cash prize. Well-wishers also stepped forward personally to congratulate the young participants — a warm and genuine moment that reflected how deeply this community values those who commit to Qur’anic learning.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq: “Our Youth Must Connect With the Qur’an — Truly Connect”
Presiding over the gathering, senior APHC leader and current Mirwaiz of Kashmir, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, delivered an address that resonated well beyond the walls of the Jama Masjid.
He spoke plainly and powerfully. Events like Husn-i-Qira’at, he said, are not organized for show. They exist for one reason — to build a genuine and lasting connection between Kashmir’s young generation and the Holy Qur’an. Not just through recitation, but through understanding, reflection, and a sincere desire to live by its guidance.
He also extended heartfelt recognition to the Islamic seminaries and institutions of Jammu and Kashmir — the quiet pillars of religious life in the valley — for their ongoing and often unsung work in keeping Qur’anic education alive and nurturing future scholars.
Distinguished scholars and community leaders who attended the event included Maulana Shaukat Hussain Keng, Mufti Ejaz-ul-Hasan Qasmi Bandy, Mufti Nizamuddin Nadwi, Maulana Qari Muhammad Aslam Rahimi, Maulana Fayaz Ahmad Qasmi, Maulana Ghulam Rasool, Mufti Ghulam Rasool Samoon, Qari Naseer Ahmad Rahimi, Haji Altaf Ahmad, Mushtaq Ahmad Sofi, and Maulana M.S. Rehman Shams.
A large and diverse gathering — including prominent citizens and women from across the community — filled the venue. Their presence alone spoke volumes about the place Mirwaiz Farooq continues to hold in Kashmiri hearts, even decades after his passing.
Prayers, Fateha, and Qur’an Khwani for Shaheed-e-Millat
The programme concluded with collective Fateha prayers — offered for Shaheed-e-Millat (RA) and for every martyr who has given their life for Kashmir.
Earlier in the day, a Qur’an Khwani was held for the Isaal-e-Sawab of the martyred leader. It was a moment of quiet sincerity — personal, heartfelt, and deeply rooted in the love that Kashmiris have carried for him all these years.
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The Man Kashmir Will Never Stop Mourning — Or Celebrating
Mirwaiz Molvi Muhammad Farooq was not simply a religious figure. He was the conscience of an entire people.
A scholar of extraordinary depth. A leader of rare honesty and courage. A man who stood at the intersection of faith and justice — and never stepped back from either. He devoted every chapter of his life to the dignity, welfare, and spiritual strength of the Kashmiri people.
On May 21, 1990, that life was stolen from him. He was shot and martyred at his own home in Srinagar.
The grief that followed was immense. Thousands of Kashmiris took to the streets to accompany his funeral procession — and then tragedy struck again. Indian security forces opened fire on the unarmed mourning crowd in the Hawal area of Srinagar. Scores of innocent people were killed on the very day they came to grieve their beloved leader. That dark chapter entered history as the Hawal massacre.
Two wounds on the same day. A people have carried them ever since.
But alongside that grief lives something equally powerful — pride, love, and an unbroken commitment to keeping his memory alive. Every prayer offered in his name, every Qur’anic verse recited in his honor, every gathering held to remember him — all of it is Kashmir’s way of saying: we have not forgotten, and we never will.
According to Beyond Time News, further anniversary events are scheduled to continue across the valley in the days ahead.
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