Eidgahs Built by Sher Shah Suri

A Picturesque view of Sheopur where Sher Shah Built Eidgah

Dr.Mazhar Naqvi

History remembers Sher Shah Suri as a gifted administrator and a brave general. He is also credited with introducing an effective revenue and postal system in India. During his five year rule from 1540 to 1545, Sher Shah also constructed mosques, roads,  inns and carried out welfare activities for his subjects. His military and revenue reforms are considered to have helped Mughal emperor Akbar greatly in consolidating his position from a teenaged king to one of the greatest rulers of an ably administered vast kingdom. Despite abundance of material on the life and works of Sher Shah, much is not known about the Eidgahs built by him.

Two years after laying the foundation of Sur dynasty, Sher Shah captured the Sheopur fort in Madhya Pradesh in 1542.After the victory, he erected an Eidgah in Sheopur that is still used by people during Eid-ul-Fitr and popularly known as Garden Eidgah. Sheopur is the administrative headquarters of Sheopur district and has been traditionally famous for its wood carving its wood carving. The Eidgah is the most important historical structure of Sheopur city located about 25 kms from Chambal river that serves as a boundary between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Sher Shah built another Eidgah in Bhera – a town located on the bank of river Jhelum. Bhera was a very old town but it was completely destroyed due to infighting among the various groups of Pathans. Sher Shah rebuilt Bhera at its present location. The ruinous look of the devastated city caused much distress to Sher shah. He decided to camp near Qaimnath’s hut on the left bank of Jhelum and ordered the construction of new buildings. After gifting the newly constructed town with a very impressive and beautiful Jama Masjid, he also constructed a road and built an Eidgah also on one of its sides. He also commissioned water tanks near Eidgah for the passersby. Bhera is now in Pakistan and  Eidgah and Jama Masjid are reportedly in a good shape still.

Bhera Eidgah with Mosque in Backdrop

Sher Shah was born in 1486.His real name was Farid Khan. He came to be known as Sher Khan after he killed a Lion in the jungle of Sherghati in Bihar province of India. He drove Mughal king Humayun out of India to establish Sur dynasty with Delhi as its capital. He took his surname Suri from his hometown 'Sur’. After ascending throne, he renamed Humayun’s 'Deen Panah' city as 'Shergarh' and also revived the historical Patliputra city that has remained in a ruinous state since 7^th century. Sher shah  was one of the  eight sons of  Hassan Khan Suri who was  a prominent figure in the Sultanate of  Bahlol Lodi. He died after suffering a fatal injury during the siege of Kalinjar fort in Bundelkhand and lies buried in a magnificent mausoleum  in Sasaram city where he was born according to Encyclopaedia Britannica. The Indian government has acknowledged the greatbness of sher shah by naming  Asia's oldest and longest  road Grand trunk road as Sher Shah Suri Marg(road)
(Reference available on request)

Eid-ul-Fitr- Campaign Against Hunger

Dr.Mazhar Naqvi

Eid-ul-Fitr is the most important Islamic festival even though the day does not mark any historical event or episode. The reason-It offers the believers an occasion to offer thanks to Allah for having given them the strength and the will to observe fast during Ramadan. Imam Hazrat Ali ibne Abi Talib while delivering a sermon on Eid-Ul-Fitr highlighted its significance in these words:

"O people! Verily this day of yours is the day when the righteous are awarded and the wretched are losers. It is a day which is similar to the one on which you shall be standing (before your Lord). Therefore, when you come out of your homes to go to places of your prayer, remind yourselves about the day when you (your souls) shall come out of your bodies to go to your Lord. When you stand on places of your prayer, remind yourselves of your standing in presence of your Lord (on the day of Judgment). And when you return to your homes (after prayer), remind yourselves about your returning to your homes in Paradise.

      O Servants of Allah! Verily the minimum reward for those men and women who fasted (during Ramadan), is an Angel, who calls out to them on the last day of the month of Ramadan (saying): O Servants of Allah! Rejoice the Glad Tiding that all your previous sins have been forgiven. Therefore, watch out in those things which serve as your re-creation (on this day and days to follow)”. 

Likewise Imam Reda described Eid-Ul-Fitr as “a day of unity. Hence, it is a day to give thanks and reaffirm faith in His(Allah) favors and praise Him. Eid day is the first day when eating and drinking is once again permitted during daylight hours. So, for the seekers of Truth, Eid-Ul- Fitr is the first day of the year”.

Imam Muhammad Baqar while speaking about Eid-Ul-Fitr also mentioned the sadness that it also accompanies. Being aware of Eid falling on the 10^th day of Imam Ali’s martyrdom, Imam used to remind people about the sadness resulted from the usurpation of the rights of the Ahle-Bait and the gross violation of human rights.

His son Imam Jafar Al Sadiq explained the significance of festival in these words  “Fasts remain suspended between the earth and the heavens until Fitra is executed”. The emphasis on Fitra is to ensure that both have and have-nots celebrate Eid with same joy, fervor and equality. Imam through his golden words simply reminded the people that the rejoicing on Eid is to obey and thank Allah and serves humanity, the two most important principles of Islam defined by the Prophet.

The awaited Imam Al Mahdi also expresses similar views in Dua-E- Nudbah (Supplication of Lamentation).He says “The message of Eid Ul-Fitr is that no Muslim remains hungry on this day. It is a day that the rich and the poor enjoy happiness of the day, as the well-off give Fitra to the less well off. The Fitra ensures acceptance of the fast”. This prayer is known as supplication of lamentation as the Hidden Imam had in his mind the hunger and thirst of Imam Hussain and his companions on 10^th Muharram at Karbala when he recited the Dua.

From the sayings of infallible Imams, it is clear that Eid is not just feasting after a month long Ramadan fasting. Rather, it is an occasion to offer thanks giving prayers by believers in large congregations in open space, standing shoulder to shoulder, to exhibit the equality and equity- an inherent and essential feature of a society based on Islamic tenets. The most significant aspect of the day lies in the fact that Eid expects every Muslim to give the needy food at the rate of the prescribed weight per every member of his household, including servants and guests who were sheltered under his roof the preceding evening.

Eid also affords Muslims an opportunity of spiritual stock-taking by pondering over the strength of his will or the weakness of his character felt by him during Ramadan. Eid is however the day for those persons who disobeyed Allah as an end to the month-long pangs of conscience, inner struggle and continuous realization of the feebleness of their character. Eid –Ul-Fitr liberates them from all sorts of arguments and excuses against fasting.(References available on request)

Eidgah with India's First Glass Mosque

India's First Glass Mosque inside Laban Eidgah Complex in Shillong

Dr.Mazhar Naqvi

Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, has the distinction of having India’s first glass mosque inside its Eidgah. Known as Scotland of the East for its scenic beauty, Shillong has less than 1 lakh Muslims but the three year old glass mosque has put the city famous among the believers all over the world.

Named as Medina Masjid, the glass mosque  is a four-storey building. It is 120 feet high and 61 feet wide and has been erected inside Laban Idgah complex .The mosque is also very close to  the garrison grounds along the Umshyrpi river and has a capacity to accommodate about 2000 devotees easily. The managing committee has also earmarked a separate place inside the mosque for the exclusive use of women.

In a bid to ensure optimum utilization of the newly built mosque, the committee also runs an orphanage under the name of Meherba, a well-stacked library and also a theological institute where comparative study of religions is also offered apart from the traditional Islamic teachings.

Prior to the construction of Medina Masjid, Shillong had six mosques. These mosques were located in  police Bazar, Laban, Laitumkhra, Garikhana, Bara Pathar and Jhalupara areas. The city also had two graveyards at Laban and Mawprem localities and a traditional Madarsa in Garikhana area. Among the mosques, Laban has traditionally been a significant place for the local Muslims because besides being a mosque it also served as Eidgah and graveyard.

In the wake of its traditional importance and popularity when the decision to erect in Shillong the first glass mosque of India was taken Laban Eidgah complex was selected as its location. Shillong was the capital of Assam till 1974 and its Muslim population of the town comprises of the Khasi, Assamese, Bengali, Hindi and Nepali speaking people. The history of Muslim settlements in Shillong dates back to 17^th century and the town has been an example of communal harmony.

It was the peaceful co-existence of Muslims and non-Muslims communities that prompted many a Hindus to lend a helping hand in the construction of Medina Masjid. The beauty of mosques is worth seeing at night when its glasswork glows and glitters. Built at a cost of about  Rs.2 Crore, the mosque took one and a half years in its completion and  open for public in 2012. Those who see  imposing and resplendent structure of glass dome and glass minarets of the mosque, describe it simply an architectural marvel.

This year too on Eid-ul-Fitr day witnessed the biggest congregation of devotees at Medina Masjid inside Laban Eidgah complex. It was reported that over 8000 devotees offered prayers. Ever since glass mosque has been constructed in Shillong, the number of devotees has been swelling tom offer Eid prayers there.

Panbari Eidgah-Mosque of Assam

Panbari Eidgah-Mosque in Assam(India)

Dr.Mazhar Naqvi

The historic Panbari Eidgah Mosque(Masjid) does not figure among the popular and famous mosques of India. But it does not reduce its significance as the oldest and highest  mosque of Assam- largest among the north eastern states of India. The mosque is located about 25 km from Dhubri town on national highway 31.Also known as Rangamati Masjid, the mosque also serves as Eidgah during Id ul-Fitr and Id ul-Azha for the believers of Parbani and Rangamati towns.

The construction of the mosque dates back to 15^th or 16^th century and its three-domes are considered to be an excellent example of north- eastern architecture with Islamic influence. It is believed that the mosque was erected during the reign of Koch rulers who turned the prosperous town of Rangamati as their frontier post. The Sultans, Mughals and Nawabs of Bengal also used Rangamati Fort as their base camp while penetrating into north-eastern hills to subdue the rulers of small hill kingdoms of north- east. It is also believed that Rangamati attained zenith of its glory when Alauddin Husain Shah declared the town as his headquarters and soldiers of his army used Parbani mosque for offering daily prayers. Husain Shah was the founder of HusainShahi dynasty. The mosque remained unused later. People remained unaware of its existence for more than two centuries. It happened when Rangamati lost its strategic importance and gradually faded into oblivion as a garrison city.

The mosque surfaced about two hundred years ago when some local residents found it in Panbari ‘Pahar’(Mountain) under the thick foliage. As the structure of the mosque was only covered with mud and the vagary of weather had time had not caused it much damage, they cleaned the place and began offering prayers there regularly. Since then, the mosque has earned the status of a holy shrine for the people of western Assam. The entire Panbari ‘Pahar’ is revered because of the chance discovery of the mosque. The place attracts large number of devotees to have a glimpse of mosque and to also watch the scenic beauty of the hills with its rich flora. It is ironical that Assam government has yet to realize the tourism potential of the mosque due to its unique location and archaeological significance. The Panbari area was in news a couple of years ago when remains of an old city consisting of brick-plinths, terracotta antiquities with scores of coins belonging to Mughal period were discovered near the mosque. 

It was then expected that the state government would undertake more excavations near the mosque to unearth precious pieces of antiquity but it just proved to be a dream.Similarly, when a leading newspaper of Assam had highlighted in 2011 about the losing  glory of the mosque due to the apathy and negligence of government towards its maintenance and preservation, people had again hoped that the government would take adequate measures to  preserve the mosque reportedly built during the rule of Husain Shah between 1493 and 1519 AD.But their hopes were once again belied and Panbari or Rangamati mosque despite its historical importance remains obscure to the people beyond Assam (Reference available on request)