DO WE HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS of HAZRAT ALI (AS)BURIED AT THE SHRINE OF BIBI PAK DAMAN (RA)WHERE MYSTICISM, PURITY& INTERFAITH UNITY CASCADES BLISS.

JEWELS OF DIVINITY

• Some years back, men were not allowed to go inside and they prayed while standing outside whereas, the women would stay inside and pray, it’s the only shrine where the women were allowed to go inside while the men had to stay outside, as compared to other famous Sufi saints where women are not allowed to go inside the main area of the graveyard (at time this restriction is relaxed too).
• Folks we all have strong reverence,respect & affection for Hazrat Imam Hassan & Hossain, because 1…. both the names were sent from Heavens to the prophet Muhammad to name his grandsons accordingly. 2…..Holy Prophet has exceptional & immense compassion for both the sons of Ali (AS)& Fatima(RA) since both were to sacrifice their lives in the cause of preserving Islam till the humanity survival .Therefore, anything attached to Panjtan Pak (Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Hassan Hussain)is like bloodstream in our body& Heavenly Bliss of our soul. Bibi Pak Daman is one of that noble dignity.
• After the history most tragic events at Karbala, many relatives of Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (PBUH) including a honorable lady Syeda Ruqayyah (RA) tended to migrate towards Makran where she preached Islam for several years. Meanwhile a group of Muslim women, led by Syeda Ruqayyah bin-te Ali (R.A), left Makkah to settle and proselytize (preach Islam) in Lahore, because of which the not only the Hindu community embraced Islam but most of other non-Muslim ?community were enlightened with the sacrifices of the Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS), his followers & happen to comprehend great traits/tenets of Islam as Muslim?Faith.?
• According to one school of thought among the historians, ?the daughters of Hazrat Ali (RA) were instructed by their father to go to Sind and Hindustan ?to preach the Islamic faith. It was predicted that their mission would achieve success. It may be understood that this region was totally drenched in the life of sins & evil, there was hardly any saint suffi or descendant of Holy Prophet ever travelled to this darker part of the world of ignominy.
• Mythically it was believed ?that Hazrat Ali Haider-e Karrar (RA) traveled to Sind till Hydrabad (therefore it is named after him as Hyderabad),another folklore says Hazrat Ali went up to Mazar Sharif ( Afghanistan) therefore his Mausoleum is in Mazar-e-Sharif ….appears to be a gimmick for tourism attraction or may not be so? ???

• The news of arrival of Muslim preachers in Punjab was a big volcanic eruption for Hindu Dynasty. The Hindu Raja of Jaisalmer felt threatened by her missionary work. Umayyad rulers were also displeased and a number of Umayyad spies were dispatched to assassinate her. Among such potential assassins had been Muhammad Bin Qasim who later switched allegiances and became a supporter of Ruqayyah after learning of the sufferings experienced by the family of Muhammad.?
• However, continued threats to Syeda Ruqayyah's life caused her to cross the Indus River to settle in Lahore. The local Hindu ruler there attempted to arrest her but failed because his son, the prince Bakrama Sahi, accepted Islam. and became impressed with Ruqayyah's work.This enabled Ruqayyah to continue her missionary activities in peace for some more time.
• Eventually, fearing humiliation at the hands of the Hindu Raja's Army when they were again dispatched to arrest her and the other 6 ladies, she gathered her female kin and made a collective prayer for rescue. As a fulfillment of their wishes, the ground split and their camp went underground. A shawl remained to mark the spot of that event.
• Seven ladies and four men are traceable from history, as it is found that she introduced herself stating that “I am widow of Martyr Muslim bin Aqeel, daughter of Hazrat Ali (RA) and sister of Commander-in-Chief Hazrat Abbas (RA) of Hazrat Imam Hussain's (R.A) Army and other five ladies were my sisters in law, whereas the sixth one was our maid “Halima”.
• She introduced further telling the names of men that they were our guards and belonged to our tribes namely; Abb-ul-Fatah, Abb-ul-Fazal, Abb-ul-Mukaram and Abdullah. Besides two names “Ruqayyah and Halima”.
• Another school of thought among historians, including Kanhya Lal, Muhammad Aslam and Tanveer Anjum, argue that there was no reason for these Muslim women to settle in the Hindu-ruled Lahore.
• Six ladies and four men are traceable from history, as it is found that she introduced herself stating that “ I am widow of Martyr Muslim bin Aqeel, daughter of Ali and sister of commander-in-chief Abbas of Imam Hussain's Army and other five ladies were my sisters in law, whereas the sixth one was our maid “Halima” but she was equal to us in status.
• Muslim-bin-Aqeel,19 husband of Bibi Ruqayyah, an ambassador and cousin of Imam Hussain (R.A) was murdered in the city of Kufa.20 As a matter of fact, he was considered to be the first martyrs of Karbala.21 The question that how daughter of Hazrat Ali (R.A) had been buried in a small graveyard in Lahore, remains the matter of several conflicting stories, all of which disclose the multipart religious and financial, interests at stake in this shrine
• She introduced further telling the names of men that they were our guards and belonged to our tribes namely (i) Abb-ul-Fatah (ii) Abb-ul-Fazal (iii) Abb-ul-Mukaram, and (iv) Abdullah.
• The name of first Mujawir (one who looks after the grave and cares for visitors) was Baba Khaki. Besides two names “ Ruqaya and Halima”
• Dr. Masood Raza Khaki, the then Deputy Director General in the Education Department (1977), Government of Punjab, traces the five names from historical records as: (1)Umm-e-Hani (2)Umm-e-Luqman (3) Asma (4)Ramla (5)Zainab.
• Historically, the first proper Khanqah was constructed by Malik Ayaz in the period of 11th Century and reconstructed in the regime of Akbar the great. There is some misconception in Indian subcontinent regarding Syeda Ruqayyah bint Ali which states that This Holy lady is the Daughter of Umm ul-Banin and full sister of Abbas ibn Ali. Which in reality is a misconception, as Umm ul-Banin (Meaning Mother of several sons) had no daughter.
• This Article while focusing on the social history of Pakistan, and attempting to fill an important research gap in the historical literature of Pakistan discusses the story of six ladies, collectively known as ‘Bibi Pak Daman’ buried in Lahore. There are number of debates and discourses about the identity of these six women buried in this small compound, in Garishahu,Lahore.?

?

?1?? .Worthy readers Lahore is quite remarkable regarding the arrival, preaching and practices of the Sufi saints and thereby it is known as the city of legendary saints like Hazrat Data Ganj Bukhsh ,Hazrat Mian Mir, Hazrat Shah Jamal and many others. However, most of these saints are males but there are a few female Sufis, enshrined in the mausoleum of Bibi Pak Daman, who unfortunately, have not received scholarly attention from Pakistani historians to date. We sincerely wish our great scholars would make it more convenient for all of us learn more about female Sufi saints of Lahore. Despite all that as a token of immense respect, Shias and Sunnis both visit this shrine. Darbar of Hazrat Bibi Pak Daman (RA) is located between Garhi Shahu and Railway Station area in Lahore Hazrat Syeda Bibi Pak Daman (RA)?shrine in fact is the mausoleum of Hazrat Ruqayyah bint Hazrat Ali (RA) Legend has it that it holds the graves of six ladies from Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad's (PBUH) household (Ahl-e-Bayt). Syeda Ruqayyah bint Ali (RA) was the step-sister of Hazrat Abbas ibn Hazrat Ali (RA) and also the wife of Hazrat Muslim ibn Aqeel (RA) (emissary of third Shia Imam Hussain ibn Ali to Kufah). It is said that these ladies came here after the event of the battle of Karbala (held on the 10th day of the month of Muharram in 61 AH (680 AD). Bibi Pak Daman (RA), which means the "chaste lady", is the collective name of the six women believed to interred at this mausoleum, though it is also popularly used to refer to the personage of Hazrat Ruqayyah bint Ali (RA) alone.

2?? .Worthy readers Baby Pak Daman were among the women who brought Islam to South Asia, preaching and engaging in missionary activity in the environs of Lahore.In the Islamic month of Jumada al-Thani three days URS of Bibi Pak Daman from 7 to 9 is celebrated.

• People from across the subcontinent, mainly from Provinces of Punjab and Sindh, come to the shrine to pay their homage and make a wish, which they believe more likely would come true.
• A reverence event of URS includes a ritual in which women devotees bring water for ablution of the graves at the shrine of Bibi. The Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab Limited (TDCP), Government of Punjab has placed this shrine in the list of some popular shrines for the tourists.
• Historical figures such as Data Ganj Buksh, Khuwaja Moinudin Chishti along with common people have come and put faith into these pious ladies, which shows the place and level of these ladies.
• The people perform different rituals to get their wishes/problems addressed because of the miracles related to the ladies and the tomb of Bibi Pak Daman.
• Tomb Though there is no primary sources yet it is claimed in some writings that the tomb on the six graves was built one thousand years ago by Mahmood Ghaznavi and his soldiers and Hazrat Data Gunj Bakhsh every week used to attend and offer Fateha for these six ladies. He was a devotee of the shrine of the Bibi Pak Daman. Similarly, the extension of Bibi Pak Daman and the creation of waqf around the site are attributed to the Mughal Emperor Akbar.The holy shrine of Bibi Pak Damen also received a vast tract of land during the Sikh period, which the British unfortunately reduced drastically.

2.??? Miracles/Karamat. As per the people belief & deep devotion to the Hazrat Imam Hussain there are a number of miracles & marvels (karamat) attributed to the mausoleum.

• Generally, it is claimed whoever comes to the shrine of Bibi Pak Daman and gets his wishes fulfilled. Whoever has been searching for his internal self can also attain this trait. It has been said that hundreds of people have gotten rid of health issues by going and paying respect to this shrine.
• Anyhow, the most important karamat about the six ladies, buried in the mausoleum, is their living burial itself as Shiite hagiographies claim: “still alive, just out of sight”.
• Another karamats have been described by Noor Ahmed Chishti that Hindu Prince who later became mujawar of the shrine married a disabled woman and prayed at her grave that if his wife’s disability would be recovered she would serve at shrine. On the spot, his prayer was accepted, making the girl healthy. Six or seven Jats witnessed the event and embraced Islam.
• Ladoo (sweet) Disciples carry out several services at the tomb to make their desires come true. A regularly seen ritual at the tomb is the circulation of ladoos (sweet) alongside silver rings which are worn. Ladoos are served at the holy place of the mausoleum and anyone who wants to make a wish picks up a ladoo and wears the silver ring in his or her finger and continues to wear it until his/her desire is fulfilled and then he/she has to place fourteen ladoos in the tomb for other disciples and thus this wish cycle perpetuates itself.
• Mostly women believe in this myth and many cultured and sophisticated females from high-class areas like Cantonment, Gulberg and the Defense Housing Authority go to the tomb with a hope that their legitimate desires or needs will be fulfilled.
• Alam .Shiia community along with the Ladoos also offers an Alam (a flag of Ghazi Abbas in the battle of Karbala) to the shrine for the acceptance of their prayers.
• They also lighten five lamps of oil (Chiragh) for this purpose. The men and women also used the oil of these Chiraghs for their health and mostly rub it on the effected parts of their bodies to retain their health.
• It is also a common ritual to tie a thread to the mausoleum of Bibi Pak Daman for the acceptance of their prayers. The young unmarried prays for their marriages or for the success in exams. The people who do not have babies pray for babies, pray for the success for themselves and for their loved ones.
• The salt available there is believed to be very helpful and effective in curing hundreds of illnesses.
• The women clean the graves of these pious ladies for the acceptance of their prayers especially for the babies.

?

3?? .Conclusion. Worthy audience apart from projections of Shiites about the veneration of the Ahl-e-Bait, it in fact is the spiritual, social, economic, psychological and even biological need of the people which compel them in thousands to pay respect to Bibi Pak Daman, not only from the local community but also from foreign countries that to including people from all religions , to visit the shrine to pay homage.

• Ladies of chastity in the Bibi Pak Daman’s have far reaching impact upon the society because of the symbolic and spiritual appeal of their shrine. It has been attracting millions of people since ages and may well continue to do so as for the devotees the miracles attributed to the tomb are being manifested every day.
• They are involved in such rituals, which could best be categorized as hybrid mixture of Hindu and Islamic traditions. The mystics of the past, always taught the lesson of love, peace and harmony to create a harmonious society. Thus, tombs and shrines, similar to that of Bibi Pak Daman’s, in Indian past had become the centers of social activities which had promoted religious harmony and interfaith unity.
• In fact, this was the popular culture of the Indian society before the colonial period. After the creation of Pakistan the legacy of mutual, love, respect and tolerance not only between Muslims and non-Muslims continues but also harmony between Shites and Sunis has been a hallmark of this mausoleum (by the Grace of Allah Almighty ) because the karamat of Bibi Pak Daman are been displayed on the regular basis in the eyes of the visitors.