“Sehar-Khawni” Sul Kak’s Lineage

Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, is a significant time for Muslims around the world. In Kashmir, this holy month is observed with great religious fervor and enthusiasm. One of the essential components of Ramadan in Kashmir is the traditional “Sehar-khawni”. The Sehar-Khawani is a pre-dawn traditional practice, in which a morning-caller or “Sehar-Khawn” sings shanties and calls people to wake up early in the morning, well before dawn. The Urdu word “Sehar” means dawn and “Khawn” is a Persian word that means singer.

Sehar-Khawni is a unique Ramadan practice in Kashmir that involves one or a group of Sehar-khawns moving around the streets, waking people up for Sehri, the meal eaten before the fast begins. These groups are usually led by old men carrying a wooden drum and a stick. They walk through the narrow streets of Kashmir, singing songs, reciting prayers, and calling people awake. Sehar-Khawni is more like a social service done by volunteers in Ramadan.

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This practice has been a part of Kashmiri culture for generations, and it holds a special significance for the people of the valley. The tradition is believed to have originated during the Mughal era when the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb ordered for Sehar-Khawni. Later, this began a normative way to ensure that everyone was awake and ready to observe the fast.

During Ramadan, the Kashmir valley comes alive in the pre-dawn hours with the calls — “Waqt-e-Sahar” echoing through the narrow streets and silent hamlets. Here is a story of a Sehar-Khawn namely Sulaiman Khan known to villagers as ‘Sul Kak’. “Kak” is a Kashmiri word for elder brother and “Sul” is a short form of his name.

Sul Kak had served as a Seharkhawn in his village for many years. Each morning during the holy month of Ramadan, he would take to the streets before dawn, calling out the faithful to awaken them for their sehri.

In the Year 2021

This year, as Sul Kak walked through the deserted streets, he felt a sense of disconnection. However, the pandemic had taken its toll on his village, and the lockdowns had made it difficult for people to gather for prayers and the food supplies and other Ramadan preparations were not organized in the valley. Many were struggling to find the motivation to fast and pray, and Sul Kak could feel their despair. Despite the risk of getting infected the old man didn’t stop continuing his duty and kept marching in the streets.

One morning, as he walked through a dimly lit alleyway, Sul Kak heard a soft sobbing. He followed the sound to a small room where an old woman sat alone, tears streaming down her face.

Finally, Sul Kak approached her and asked if she needed anything. The old woman explained that she had lost her husband and her only son to the pandemic and that she was struggling to find the strength to fast and pray alone.

He sat with her for a while, listening to her story and offering words of comfort. And then he recited Surah “Al-inshirah” From the holy Quran. This chapter of the Quran gives hope and indeed it does.

As he Recited…..

Have We not opened your chest for you (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him))?

And removed from you your burden,

Which weighed down your back?

And raised high your fame?

So verily, with the hardship, there is a relief,

Verily, with hardship, there is relief (i.e. there is one hardship with two reliefs, so one hardship cannot overcome two reliefs).

So when you have finished (from your occupation), then stand up for Allah”s worship (i.e. stand up for prayer).

And to your Lord (Alone) turn (all your intentions and hopes and) your invocations.

After reciting this, Sul Kak felt a warmth spreading through his body. He realized that his role as a Seharkhawn was not just to awaken people for the sake of tradition, but to offer them a connection – a connection to their faith and to one another.

Sul Kak began to approach his role as a Seharkhawn with renewed passion and dedication. He walked the streets not just to awaken people, but to offer them a listening ear, a word of encouragement, and a gesture of kindness.

After this event,

He visited the sick, poor, and old aged, bringing them food and water and offering to pray with them. He spoke to the young people in his village, urging them to stay strong and faithful despite the challenges they faced.

Gradually, Sul kak began to see a change in his village. The pandemic started to shrink and people began to take part in prayers, awakening with a new sense of purpose and hope. They began to gather for small, socially distant prayer meetings, and to share food with one another.

Through his acts of kindness and compassion, Sul Kak had reminded his village that they were all connected – connected to one another, connected to their faith, and connected to the larger human family. He had shown them that even in the darkest of times, there is always a light to be found – a light that shines through the kindness and compassion of others.

Sul Kak knew that his role as a Sehar-khawn was not just a duty, but a privilege and lineage. Also, It was a chance to help his community awaken to the beauty of their shared humanity. A chance to rediscover the power of connection, and to find hope in the face of adversity in the month of ramadan.

Author Abida Akbar,

Editor Fahim Shah