Habibullah Lone, popularly known as Hazrat Habb Saeb Hatlangoo (RA), was a towering mystic of his times. Hathlangoo, previously known as Hasmatpora, is a village in Zaingair.
Sopore of Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir. This village is at a distance of 8 km from sub-district headquarter Sopore and 22 km from district headquarters, Baramulla. It is one of the largest villages in Zaingair .
The Hathlangoo village has Janwara Village in the South, Magraypora in the North, Botingoo in the Northwest, Malmapanpora in the West and the Wulur in the east. This village is famous for a towering mystic Hazrat Habba Saeb (RA).
The name of this village – hathlangoo – is a Kashmiri word made of two words: “Hath means (hundred) and Langoo means (branches).
The author of this column came to know that there was a Chinar tree in the village which had hundred branches and the elders of the village used this as a secondary name for the village. That Chinar tree is still present in the cemetery of the village.
Billions of thanks to Mr. Bashir Ahmad Mir, lecturer English, from Goripora, Sopore for accompanying me to Hathlangoo and helping me to gather information about this mystic. His grandparents, his uncle, and dear mother had close association with Habb Saeb Hathlango.
Nothing is known about his actual birth year. Due to the ignorance, and a way too simple attitude towards life, none in those days bothered about documenting the date of birth. Professor Abdul Gani Bhat has mentioned his association with Habb saeb Hathlango in his book “Beyond Me”in a captivating way.
From available family sources the author of this column came to know that Hazrat Habba Saeb’s father, namely Mohammad Ismael Lone, was a saintly person and his mother Zeb Ded was a virtuous woman.
Nothing is known about his education and schooling. After day’s work Habb Saeb used to visit a faqeer namely Sul Saeb.
One evening Sul Saeb gave him a mystic touch and he lost his consciousness; then slowly his senses restored. He started walking barefoot. His parents began to worry, and started to look for his treatment. First, Hazrat Habb Saeb was almost chained; he broke the chains.
Later he was treated by doctors. But nothing helped. All doctors labelled him as a hopeless case. One day his saintly father took him to the blessed darbar of a great Waliallah Hazrat Qadir Saeb Hiri (RA) of Kupwara.
Hazrat Qadir Saeb Hiri (RA) told his father to leave Habba Saeb to the mercy of Allah. This way Habb Saeb Hathlango became a wandering Darvash and started his mystical journey.
From the available oral sources, this author came to know that Habba Saeb didn’t marry. He adopted a girl namely Taj Ded.
A number of karamaats, miracles so to say, are attributed to this waliallah, which are beyond explanation. His grandson Haji Ali Mohammad Lone narrated few such Karamaats to the author of this column.
One day a woman from Logri Pora, Sopore came to him along with her two sons. Habba Saeb pointed towards his younger son and said that he will sow maize crop ,and the elder one will extract teeth.
This prophecy came true after decades when the elder son of that woman became a dentist, and the younger one became district agricultural officer.
Once flood waters created panic in the area. The people visited Habba Saeb and pleaded him to pray to Allah, the most compassionate and the most merciful.
Habba Saeb went into the flood water and drank three sips of flood water, looked towards the sky and prayed to Allah, the Beneficent.
Meanwhile the flood stopped. As per family sources Habba Saeb used to respond to the call of his family members from miles away.
One Karamaat is narrated by Dr. Rafeeq Masoodi, former ADG Doordarshan.”One day a girl suffering from chicken pox was brought to Habba Saeb’s darbaar. Habba Saeb applied some thing on her face and she recovered in his presence. Dr. Rafeeq Masoodi also narrated an interesting incident to this author.
“My College teacher namely Professor Habibullah Wani took me to this mystic. I was deeply moved by his spiritual self. Then I used to visit this mystic frequently. My subject stream was taught at Govt. Degree College Sopore. I had opted Hindi as one of my subjects. But I was not good in Hindi. One day I accompanied Professor Habibullah Wani to Habba Saeb. I still remember, I told Habba Saeb, “main doctor banna chehta hu, but Hindi is one of my subjects.” On hearing this Habba Saeb raised his index finger high in the air. “I didn’t understand this. Then Professor Habibullah Wani told me that this means you will touch the heights of the sky. I realised this when I did my PG in Hindi in the prestigious Jawharlal Nehru University, Delhi. I am still astonished how Hindi subject changed my future.”
Whenever there was a calamity in the area of Zainagir, people used to visit Habba Saeb’s darbar for prayers and blessings. Habba Saeb lived a simple life. He used to wear a long kurta or pheren. People through out length and breadth used to visit him and get his blessings.
The author of this column felt astonished to see simple wooden hut of this mystic still in good condition. Habba Saeb’s grass mats, grass pillows, earthern pot and many such things are still found there. Thanks to his grandson Haji Ali Mohammad Lone and his family for their hospitality and love to the author of this column.
Thanks to Waseem Nasir Wani, a brilliant student of Hathlango for the love and concern he showed.
Habba Saeb left for heavenly abode on 22th of December 1982. The annual Urs of Hazrat Habba Saeb (RA) is celebrated on 22th December every year.
Lovers and devotees through out length and breadth of the valley assemble in the shrine and recite Aurad e Fateha and Darood o Salasm with exuberance.
One may watch beggars, the poor and the rich men, women, children and elders sharing the same plate.
The shrine of Habba Saeb Hathlangoo is one of the most venerated sufi shrines of Zaingair Sopore, and witnessed a huge rush of devotees round the year.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.
The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.