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Dargah_e_Shareef_Hazrat_Bahauddin_Naqshband_Bukhara
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Prophet Daniel's Tomb
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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Shrine of Imam al Bukhari Samarkand Uzbekistan
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 shrine of the Sufi saint Baha al-Din al-Naqshbandi, Bukhara
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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Imaam of tariqat Sheikh Khwaja Sha Bahuddin
Naqshband (RA)
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”
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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."
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here to know complete details ...
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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://amazonintl.in/forum/index.php?topic=715.0
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Other
Places of Interest
Aq-Saray
Palace
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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Photographs and information courtesy of SacredSites.com
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