Bibi Ka Rauza in Dhaka(Bangladesh)
Dr.Mazhar Naqvi
Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has
the distinction of having over 400- year old shrine of Bibi Fatima with a
unique legend supported by historical facts. Built by one Amir Khan in 1600 CE
and located in Farashganj locality, the shrine is known as ‘Bibi Ka Rauza’.
Local Imamis believe that the shrine is the permanent abode of the blessed soul
of Bibi Fatima, daughter of holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad , wife of
Maula-E-Kainat Hazrat Ali and mother of Hasnain. Annau
Jalais in his work ‘Bengali Bihari Muharram: The Identitatarian Trajectories of
a Community’ has given due prominence to the legend associated with the shrine.
Quoting a middle aged woman Ruqaiya Begum in an interview conducted in
2008,Jalais has written “ Bibi Fatima has announced that her soul would not
remain in Arabia and will go to Hindustan(Bangladesh was once part of
Hindustan) as women were treated well there. It is believed that her soul
floated down through Buri Ganga River to Farashganj where a shrine was erected
in her honor .Since then it is being kept and revered as Bibi Ka Rauza.” The
author has not given any exact date as to when actually Bibi’s soul reached
Farashganj but historical facts duly support the reason for Bibi’s indifference
towards the land where her holy father had received divine revelations and
propagated Islam as God’s messenger.
On the basis of facts mentioned in authentic
sources like Sahih Muslim, Sahih Bukhari and Ibn al-Hadid, it can be concluded
with certainty that caliph Abu Bakr and Umar Farooq had harassed, saddened and
angered Bibi Fatima after the death of Prophet. Ibn Abi al-Hadid, after
consulting a number of accounts on the issue, summed up ““The truth for me is
that she died upset at Abu Bakr and Umar and she stated this in her will that
the two of them must not pray upon her.”Likewise, Sahih Muslim and Sahih Bukhari also mentions, “Abu Bakr refused to
hand over anything from the properties Fatima was demanding, to Fatima, who got
angry at Abu Bakr for this reason. She forsook him and did not talk to him until
the end of her life.” Further, the attack upon her house and the miscarriage of
her third son Janab-E- Mohsin, deteriorated her health. Bibi Fatima, who
was given the title Al-Zahra and referred to as Khatoon-E-Jannat, passed away
within three months after the death of prophet. These facts supplement the
legend linked with her shrine even though its creation shrouds in mystery for
want of historical evidence. But acceptance of the legend is so powerful that
it is considered to be a place of great
reverence.
During Muharram ‘Paiks’(Messenger of Janab-E-Sughra) make it a point
to visit the shrine and shout Ya Hussain –Ya Hussain there. The caretaker also
reveals that the shrine has been visited by the ambassadors of Iraq, Egypt,
Iran and Pakistan. Bibi Ka Rauza was the most famous Imami site before the
erection of Hussaini Dalan by Syed Mir Murad in 1642 in Bakhsi Bazar. May be
Bibi wanted the memorial of her son to be more popular who saved Islam by
offering the greatest sacrifice ever recorded in the history of mankind. The
original structure of the shrine has been replaced by new additions. The shrine
was heavily damaged during the riot of 1946 and only portion of its
Naubatkhana’ survived the wrath of rioters. The damaged portions were
re-erected later. Prior to it, a Parsi named S.M.Doshanji had renovated the
aging Imambara in 1861.He did so
out of his affection for Janab-E-Shaharbanu who was a Zoroastrian before her
conversion to Islam and subsequent marriage with Imam Hussain.(References available
on request)
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