Zikir and Zari represent a musical genre of Assam; they are a group of devotional songs prevalent among the Muslims of Assam. Although Zikir and Zari are similar in tune, Zikir songs embody the teaching of Islam whereas the Zari songs are based on the tragic episodes of the Karbala tragedy.Zikir The term Zikir, derived from Arabic “Ziqr”, literary means singing or remembering Allah’s name. It applies both to the musical genre and to the occasion of its performance, the devotional assembly of Islamic mysticism or Sufism in Assam. Zikir, took root in Assam during the 17th century within the socio-cultural framework instituted by Bhakti movement of Saint Srimanta Sankardev (1449-1568) and under the patronage of Ahom (1200-1800) kings.
Zikirs were mainly composed and popularized by the 17th century Sufi saint and poet Hazrat Shah Miran, popularly known as Ajan Fakir. Ajan Fakir came to Assam from Bagdad accompanied by his brother Shah Navi, and settled in Suwaguri Sapori, near present Sibsagar town. According to a legend, Hazrat Shah Miran received the name “Ajan Fakir” or Ajan Pir (Saint) because he was the one who taught the Assamese Muslim to recite “Azan” as its part of Muslim ritual. The time of Ajan Fakir cannot be stated positively but from references in two Assamese chronicles and some Zikirs prove his stay in Assam in 17th century. In the following Zikir, Ajan Fakir described the time he composed Zikir and the Quran the source of the Zikir.
Dah xa dukuri nabison hijiri/aru pase bosor jai/Ajan Fakire ai zikir korile/
Koran kitapot pai. Ajan Fakir composed the Zikir in 1038 Hijri (1636). The Quran is the source of this Zikir.
It is known from history that Muslim settlers stepped in to Assam as Mughal and Pathans invaders. The Badshahs and the Sultans of Delhi made many attempts of expedition to conquer Assam and as a result a small number of Muslims stayed back as a prisoners of war. Apart from these invasions, during the Ahom reign some Muslim artists of special skills were imported from various part of India. A considerable number of these Muslim settler married local Assamese women and also adopted Assamese culture.
Though the underlying motivation of Ajan Fakir was the preaching of Islam, he was very influenced by the Vaisnavite thoughts, teaching and music of Sankardeva. Singing the glory of Allah and Islam in high lyrical terms often came down in part to explaining the ideas and issues in terms of events and activities of daily life of the common people. It is also interesting to note that the Zikirs have been able to build a bridge in ensuring the harmonious relationship between Islam and Hinduism, particularly with Vaisnavism. One of the most impressive example of Bhakti doctrines preached by Ajan Fakir to express admiration for this sect of Hinduism as follows.
Sankardeur jiyari Madhavdeur buwari
Rahpur nagarat ghar
Rahpur nagarat rasak nami ani
Diya sakaloke batiShe is the daughter of Sankardeva and daughter-in-law of Madhavadev; and she dwells in the city of Rahpur or land of rasa aesthetics); that is, the sentiment of love and devotion; bring down the rasa from the city of Rahpur and distribute in among us all.
Ajan Fakir had encountered much difficulty in stabilizing Islam as prevalent in Assam during the 17th century; it had already deviated here from its main principles and practices. It is stated that during that period the local Muslims used to take part in the singing of Kirtana-songs for community prayer composed by Sankardeva, for the purpose of propagating Vaisnavism. The Muslim also took mahprasads (uncooked eatables generally consisting of gram, sugarcane, coconut, ginger and fruits) distributed at the end of the community singing of Kirtana. With a view attracting these Muslims towards Islam, Ajan Fakir introduced the custom of distribution of sinni (considered food prepared out of rice) at the end of the community singing of Zikir and Zari song
Apart from Vaishnavite music, Ajan Fakir was also greatly inspired by the regional music of Assam such as the tone and spirit of other Assamese folk genre like Oja-pali and Deh bicarar geet. Ajan Fakir adopted the practice of Vaisnavite lyrics, one often comes across lines “Savaro ghate ghate Alla” evidently borrowed from Vaisnavite poetry. Ajan Fakir himself was a good singer and poet; he composed one hundred and sixty Zikirs in Assamese. Although Islam does not promote music and dance for entertainment, from the religious perspective there is no restriction as such. At that time dance and music constituted a very popular way of praying to God among the Hindu and the Muslim communities of Assam. Ajan Fakir and his disciples, popularly known as “Bhakat” in Assamese, performed Zikir, dancing and singing with hand clapping like folk performance such as Diha nam, Husori, etc. Even today Zikir songs are performed with dance in some areas of Assam.
Language of Zikir Until the middle of the last century, Zikirs were not written down, but handed over from mouth to mouth for generations. There was some kind of prejudice against writing Zikirs down. Since they are transmitted orally from generation to generation, the authenticity of tune and poetry may not be exactly what Ajan Fakir had composed. It is worth mentioning here that language of Zikir, except for a few Arabic and Persian words is colloquial Assamese. Lyrics of Zikir Though being couched in the sprit of Sufism, the Assamese Zikir sing the glory of Gurus or religious preceptors and urge upon the detachment from mundane pleasure for the sake of the selfless services to God. The Vaisnavism preached by Sankardeva is also known as “namadharma”, because it gives utmost importance to sravana kirtana or the listening to and reciting of the name of God with intense love and devotion. An Assamese Vaisnava regards it as superb mode of worship. The Zikir also uphold this mode in the same vein. Thus the highlights of Zikir appears to reconstruct Assamese Muslims society by their faith and love for Islam in such a way that there will be no discord in their age-old harmonious relation with Hindu society
Mor manta aan bhav nai o Alla
Mor manta bhin par nai
Hindu Musalman, ek Allar farman
Gorethane kabar sari sari
Hinduk puribo Mominal garibo In my mind, Oh dear Allah/ I have no different thought/Hindus and Muslims are bounded by the same act of divine rules of Allah/ the act of cremating a Hindu and the entombing of a Muslim only signify one end-death for all.
Ajan Fakir composed around hundred and sixty Zikirs, out of these very few has been collected from different sources specially by the scholar and writer Late Syad Abdul Mallik, renowned literature of Assam, under the title “ Asamiya Zikir aur Zari” (Assamese Zikir and Zari). In this book collector included the available Zikirs collected from all over Assam.
Performance Ajan Fakir came to Assam for propagation of Islam, there are evidence to indicate that there were some other Muslim missionaries working in the same line before him. But none of them had the sustained influence like Ajan Fakir. His Zikir are popular and sung by the folk singers of all communities. Gradually they have made their entry into the cultural arena of the urban society.
It is probable that some Zikirs were also composed by poets contemporary or prior to Ajan Fakir. According to the Vaisnava literature of Assam Chand Khan or “Chand Sai”, disciple of Vaisnava Saint Sankardeva (dates?) composed spiritual lyrics more like Borgit’s of Sankardeva and Madhavadeva. But Zikir’s of Ajan Fakir are the foremost of all. It is a group song performed by the group of singers, professional performing group led by one or two solo singers and accompanied by handclapping and two musical instrument dotara. The poetry is colloquial homey Assamese with few Arabic and Persian in a fluid style of alternating solo and group passages characterized by repetition. The goal is to repeat almighty Allah’s name again and again, create awareness among audience for divine love and power.
Zikir singing considered as an occasion is a gathering for the purpose of realizing ideals of Islamic mysticism through listening. The assembly is usually attended by Sufi devotees through it is open to all comers. Zikir assemblies commemorates the death anniversary (urs) of the Sufi saints at their shrines, private gathering and functions organized for any festive occasion, most often accompanied by appropriate dances. The women performer also takes part in the private function but they do not dance.Zari
The “Zari” derivation of “Jari” is translated in Persian and Urdu dictionaries as “ crying, groaning, wailing”. Such demonstrative expressions of grief are an important part of Muharram celebrations. The Jari is also popularly known as “Jarigan”, the songs concern to Karbala episodes “Hasan-Hosein” and stories from Islamic history and legend. The devoted Muslims enjoy listening to “Jari gan” till late hours of the night. Some of the Assamese Zari may be called independent ballads giving the stories of Haidar Ghazi. These songs are sung by men with accompanied by musical instrument dotara (two string instruments) in the month of Muharram and has similarities with Oja pali (storytelling tradition with music and dance) performance of Assam. These songs are choral singing group with lead singer like the Oja (leader) who indicates the singing and is later joined by members of the group like palis (group). As the group sings, they move in a circle, clapping and following rhythmic steps. Lyric of these songs are Arabic, Persian and colloquial Assamese words, which reflect the cultural assimilation that has taken place over time in Assam.
Bibliography
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Datta, Birendranath//Das, Nabin Chandra//Sarma, Prabin Chandra. 1994. A handbook of folklore material of North-East India. Guwahati: Anundaram Borooah Institute of Language, Art and Culture.
Dunham, Mary Frances. 1997. Jarigan: Muslim epic songs of Bangladesh. Dhaka: The University Press Limited.
Syad, Abdul Malik. Ajan Fakir aru suriya jikir: Ajan Fakir and his melodious jikir. Guwahati: Student’ Store.
Saikia, Mohini Kumar. 1978. Assam-Muslim relations and its cultural significance. Golaghat: Mohini Kumar Saikia.
Articles Ahmed, Gyasuddin. 2006. Ajan Saheb the symbol and trait blazer of the Assamese comunial harmony. Sibsagar: Lihiri bonot saragor mukuta.
Ali, Tafazzul.2006. Jikirs of Ajan Pir in Assamese literature. Sibsagar: Lihiri bonot saragor mukuta.
News paper Clipping Barooah, Julie. Musical Assimilation. Guwahati: The Assam Tribune. April 2006
Borah, Utpola. Ajan Fakir aru Jikir (Ajan Fakir and Zikir). Guwahati: Ajir Natun Dainik. 18th April 2006
by (Dr. Utpola Bora works at American Institute of Indian
Studies, Gurgaon, Haryana)
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