Uzbekistan
>> Sunday, March 21, 2010
Dargah_e_Shareef_Hazrat_Bahauddin_Naqshband_Bukhara
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Situated on the outskirts of dusty Samarkand, among rolling hills and bordered by a quiet stream, the Tomb of the Prophet Daniel is a much-visited holy place for Islamic, Christian and Jewish pilgrims. Known locally as the Mausoleum of Khodja Daniar, the crypt is believed to contain the arm of Prophet Daniel. According to local legends, this ancient relic was brought to Samarkand by the warrior king Tamerlane after he stole it from Makkah. The length of the crypt, being over 18 meters long and far larger than is necessary for a simple arm bone, is explained by a curious legend stating that the arm bone miraculously grows larger with each passing year.
Shrine of Prophet Daniel, Samarkand
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Shahr-i-Zindar : Another important pilgrimage site in Samarkand is Shahr-i-Zindar, a mausoleum complex dating from the 7th century. Shahr-i-Zindar stands for 'The Living King' and refers to the grave of Qusam ibn-Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Mohammed, who is said to have first introduced Islam to Central Asia in 676. Under the Abbasids his tomb was venerated and the legend developed that he did not die but was miraculously engulfed in a cliff, hence the name 'The Living King'. According to the great Islamic traveler Ibn Battuta, the shrine was so famous that it was not destroyed during the Mongol invasions. Today the shrine is in a much-dilapidated condition but is still visited by many hundreds of pilgrims each day. Other nearby tombs, dating mostly to the 14th and 15th centuries, belong to the family and friends of Tamerlane and Ulugh Beg. In the Samarkand region there are two other pilgrimage shrines called Khodja Abdi Darun and Chupan Ata.
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Twelve kilometers north of Samarkand stands the recently renovated shrine complex of the 9th century Islamic saint Muhammad Ibn Ismail al-Bukhari. Born in Bukhara in 810 AD, he made a pilgrimage to Makkah as a teenage boy, spent 12 years living there and then traveled widely throughout the Muslim world collecting Hadith, these being the traditional sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. Nearly 3000 of these were compiled into a book known as Al-Jami al-sahih, which is considered by many Sunni Muslims to be the most authoritative collection of Hadith and a religious book second only to the Quran. Al-Bukhari died in 870 and his tomb became a celebrated place of pilgrimage for Muslims from throughout Central Asia.
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The Naqshbandi Sufi order, which traces its lineage back to Ali, Abu Bakr and other central figures in early Islam derives its name from that of a 14thcentury Central Asian mystic named Baha al-Din al-Naqshbandi. Born in 1317 AD, in the village of Qasr al-'Arifan near Bukhara, he experienced profound visionary revelations in his youth, became a brilliant Islamic scholar before the age of twenty, made the Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah three times and became a greatly venerated holy man during his life time. Visitors from across Central Asia came to Bukhara to see the sage, seek his advice, and receive teachings in the school he had established. Following his death in 1388, Sheikh Baha al-Din al-Naqshbandi was buried adjacent to his school, directly upon the site of an ancient pagan temple.
Historical records from the medieval era indicate that Naqshbandi was revered as a saint and a protector of craftsman and artists, and that pilgrimage to his grave was considered an adequate substitution for the Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah. Successive kings of Bukhara expanded the school and mosques surrounding Naqshbandi's grave and over the centuries the complex became the largest center of Islamic learning in Central Asia. During the Soviet period, the mosque was turned into a "museum of atheism" and pilgrims were forbidden to visit. In 1989 the shrine was reopened and the entire complex, with two mosques and a 16th century khanaka (a domed hall where the Sufis lived and studied), has been carefully restored. Lovely shaded gardens surround the shrine and the entire site radiates a palpable feeling of religious devotion and peaceful relaxation. Dressed in colorful traditional clothes and speaking a variety of languages, pilgrims from distant parts of Central Asia flock to the saint's grave throughout the year. The Naqshbandi Sufi order is one of the oldest living traditional Sufi orders. The early members of the order rejected outward shows of religious expression and concentrated upon the inner spiritual life while engaged in the affairs of the world. With followers throughout Central Asia, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, the Naqshbandi Sufis, as both traveling merchants and mystics, played a major role in the introduction of Islam across Asia. Believing that piety is better expressed by social activity than retreat from the world, the Naqshbandi masters often became actively involved in politics. By the 15th century they had become the dominant Sufi order in much of Central Asia and actively influenced politics from China to India to the Middle East. Today the Naqshbandiyya is the foremost Sufi order in the world and is experiencing an unprecedented period of growth, not only in its traditional heartlands of Central Asia, Turkey, the Middle East and South Asia, but in nations of the Western world, particularly the United States and Great Britain.
Pilgrims walking under holy tree, making wishes, Shrine of Nashqabandi
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Moulana Sheikh Nazim says of Shah Bahauddin Naqshaband (ral),
“Shah Naqshaband, Imam ut Tariqa is the Pir. Pir means the Imam. Imam means the pillar. He is the main Pillar for our Tariqa. May Allah bless him and give his blessing to all of us in this world and in the hereafter. Shah Naqshaband says “Thareeqathun isthufal khalqa jamee-an”. We are trying to be followers and to follow. It is a lovely and easy way to power. There is an engine running in front of the train. All heavy work is done by that engine. Behind this engine there are several other wagons that are joined to each other in a chain, but the main power comes through that engine, the one that is in front of the train. As the other wagons are joined to the engine, they move with the engine. Where the engine goes it takes along the wagons. Even though the wagons or the followers have no power of their own, where the engine goes, they too can travel. They can also travel to the destination of the engine. Therefore, every Tariqat has an Imam of the Tariqat.” The Imam-ut-Tariqa has been given the power to carry people from Asfala safileena ilaa a’laa illiyyeen – from the lowest to the highest stations. By ourselves to achieve this is impossible. You cannot fly without a plane. However with a plane you can even go from one continent to another. Therefore, you must use these means to go from your low level to the higher levels”Click here to know complete details ...
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"The Saints of Mastery are the Masters of all Saints."- Shaykh Sayyid 'Amir al-Kulal
Shaykh Sayyid 'Amir al-Kulal (qs), was born in the village of Sukhar, two miles from Bukhara. His family were Sayyid, descendants of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu'alayhi wa sallam. His mother said, "When I was pregnant with him, whenever my hand went towards doubtful food, I would be unable to convey it to my mouth. This happened to me many times. I knew that I had someone special in my womb. I was careful and chose my food from the best and assuredly halal (lawful) food."
Hazrat Ubaidullah Ahrar (RAZI ALLAH ANHU)
« on: September 27, 2009, 07:56:37 am »
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Khwaja Ubaidullah Ahrar (Q) was born in the village of Shash in Ramadan, 806 AH., or March 1403 A.D. His father was a prominent dervish. He was brought up in Tashkent by his uncle Ibrahim Shashi, a great scholar of his time who gave him early education. When he graduated in the worldly sciences, his uncle sent him to Samarqand for acquiring heavenly knowledge.
The signs of sainthood were visible in him since his childhood. Khwaja Ahrar (Q) used to say: "from the age of three years, I was in the Presence of Allah. When I studied the Qur'an with my teacher my heart was in God's Presence. I used to think that all people were like that."
Click here to read more and view the picture: http://kgn786.com/forum/index.php?topic=715.0
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Other Places of Interest
Timur's Summer Palace, the “White Palace” was planned as the most grandiose of all Timur's constructions. It was started in 1380 by artisans deported by Timur from the recently-conquered Khwarezm. Unfortunately, only traces of its gigantic 65 m gate-towers survive, with blue, white and gold mosaics. Above the entry of the Ak-Saray are big letters saying: "If you challenge our power - look at our buildings!"
Kok Gumbaz Mosque / Dorut Tilyovat Complex
A Friday mosque built in 1437 by Ulugh Beg in honor of his father Shah Rukh, its name meaning “Blue Dome”. Located immediately behind the Kok Gumbaz Mosque is the so-called “House of Meditation”, a mausoleum built by Ulugh Beg in 1438 but apparently never used for burials.
Hazrat-i Imam Complex
East of the Kok Gumbaz is another mausoleum complex called Dorussiadat (Seat of Power and Might), which contains the Tomb of Jehangir, Timur’s eldest and favorite son. The adjacent mosque is said to house the tomb of a revered 8th century imam from Iraq, Hazrat-i Imam, "Holy Imam".
Dorussiadat mausoleum Tomb of Timur
Behind the Hazrat-i Imam Emsemble is a bunker with a door leading to an underground chamber, discovered by archaeologists in 1943. The room is nearly filled with a single stone casket, on which inscriptions indicate that it was intended for Timur. However, the conqueror was buried in Samarkand, not at Shahrisabz, and mysteriously, his tomb in Shahrisabz contained two unidentified corpses.
Also of interest are medieval baths and an 18th century bazaar.
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