Prophet Muhammad's Forgotten Footprints

Dr..Mazhar Naqvi

The Shrines known as ‘Qadam Rasul’ (Prophet Muhammad’s Footprint)  dates back to 13^th century in India. The word was first heard in connection with a pair of mosques at a place called in Bengal as Qadam Rasul. Then, another Qadam Rasul is located near the shrine of Maula Ali on a hill near Secunderabad. Dargah Shah-E-Mardan in New Delh also has a Qadam Rasul. In Cuttack, an 18^th century mosque is also called as Qadam Rasul.

In Nawabi era, two Qadam Rasuls were commissioned in the kingdom of Awadh. The first was commissioned by King Ghazi Uddin Haider himself while the second was raised by  a tailor (Darzi) of his son and successor Naseer Uddin Haider in Khairabad town of Sitapur district. Lucknow shrine was built near imambara shah Najaf on the bank of Gomati River on a lofty mound of earth with steps leading up to it on one side. It was a small, square and free standing edifice with an arched entrance on each face.

The building was raised on a convention style-a square block at ground level with a crowned dome. The king used in its construction brick and masonry material. But some of its inner wall appears to have been built with stones or a tightly compacted stone and brick masonry work. The strength of its wall had left the British soldiers bewildered in 1857 when East India Company launched an expedition to recapture Lucknow. The artillery barrage of British troops  failed to create any impact on the walls of shrine that was being used by native forces as a powder magazine. Qadam Rasul today forms a part of Botanical garden.

Like its counterpart in Lucknow, Khairabad Qadam Rasul has a long flight of steps leading up to it. In Khairabad, the ceilings and walls of the shrine were painted over with motifs permissible by Islam. The façade of Qadam Rasul has a fantastic floridity and complexity. The domes have perforations. The materials used for its construction are brick and stucco. The interior has blue, green and yellow coloring on the walls. The exterior is brown with age. Makka Darzi, a Darogha ( Superintendent) of Naseer Uddin Haider and a tailor by profession, had built it as a part of a large complex dedicated to the memory of martyrs of Karbala. A square shrine chamber lies at the center. The edifice employs the same compositional elements – a square ground level surmounted by a round dome .The ground level block has projecting arcaded porticos on all fronts.

Despite the greatest importance of Holy Prophet, Qadam Rasuls mentioned above can easily be categorized as forgotten monuments with a rich past. The Khairabad Qadam Rasul is in an utter state of neglect and requires immediate repairs and renovation. The apathy of the followers of Prophet Muhammad towards the shrines dedicated to his footprints is really strange and surprising. While a number of old imambaras and other shrines in dilapidated conditions in Lucknow and other parts of the country are being renovated, little or no attention is being paid to restore the lost glory of Qadam Rasuls. Being associated with Hazrat Muhammad they are not only worth visiting or reverence but also a part of a distinct style of architecture. ( Reference available on request)