The Untold Story of Delhi's Jama Masjid!
By
Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi, New Age Islam
5 July 2023
One of the
good news emanating from Indian Muslims recently was the great initiative of
cleaning the sacred River Yamuna by Delhi's historic Jama Masjid, originally
named as Masjid-e-Jahan-Numa. Along with the Jama Masjid, nearly a dozen
prominent mosques across Delhi such as Dargah Hazrat Nizamuddin Shahi Kalan
Masjid and Mufti Nisar Badwali Masjid, Daryaganj took part in this collective
effort towards the rejuvenation of Yamuna, as reported in New Age Islam.
Jama Masjid, Delhi
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Inspired by
this incredible incident, this writer feels impelled to tell the story of Jama
Masjid, the magnificent mosque which stands out in the annals of the history as
an emblem of Indo-Islamic art and architecture and its beautiful aesthetics.
Built by the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in 1656 and designed by Ustad Ahmad
Lahori, the mosque beautifully reflects the Indo-Islamic style of architecture
imbued with Arabic, Persian and indigenous architectural influences. The
structure oriented towards the holiest city of Islam, Makkah was made from red
sandstone with white marble inlay. Incredibly, it sits on an elevated stone
platform that is accessible by stairs from the eastern, northern, and southern
entrances. Over 5000 artisans under the supervision of Wazir Saadullah Khan
took the uphill task of accomplishing the construction of Jama Masjid with the
amazing architectural features adorning it and making it worthy of great
visitations from around the world. But the real story of Jama Masjid is little
known and untold.
Authentic
legends tell us that during the Mughal Period, when Emperor Shahjahan was
entirely engaged in the construction of royal palaces and magnificent buildings
in the then Shahjahanabad [now Old Delhi], he also thought of constructing a
great towering mosque in Delhi. For years, this could not be decided as to what
shape the mosque should take. However, one night the king saw a beautiful
mosque in his dream which he took as a helping hint from the Almighty Divine.
But by the time he woke up, the image of his dream faded out from his mind.
Shahjahan
was so sad. In quest of his confusion, he called for an immediate meeting in
his court and narrated his dream. They had a long discussion on this dream but
they could not arrive at a conclusion. Ultimately, Shahjahan ordered his Diwan
Sa'adullah Khan to announce an ordinance in public, stating that, "whoever
shall submit a Map or Design of His dream mosque would be highly rewarded from
the treasury of the King".
After this
announcement, a lot of designs and maps were presented to the King but none of
them was approved of. At last, Fazil Khan, a cook who was also a close disciple
of Hazrat Hare Bhare Shah Khwaja Sayyed Abul Qasim Sabzwari (R.A.) presented
his design. Drawn by Fazil Khan, this design was found to be closest to the
image of King's dream mosque and as per the royal announcement, Fazil Khan was
chosen for the promised Award.
But Fazil
Khan did not accept the award. He rather requested that his award is first
handed over to his Murshid, the honourable Sufi Master of Delhi in his times,
Hazrat Khwaja Sayyed Abul Qasim Sabzwari popularly known as Hare Bhare Shah.
Although Shahjahan had heard his name but the value and virtue of Hare Bhare
Shah was introduced only that day. He immediately ordered for preparation of
his visit to Hare Bhare Shah. Emperor Shahjahan and Fazil Khan both went
together to meet the Sufi Sheikh and they were received with great warmth and
affection. Hare Bhare Shah accepted the award and then bestowed that upon Fazil
Khan, and offered lots of dua'a for the king.
Notably,
Hazrat Bhare Shah was a nature-lover Sufi saint of Delhi. He used to live in
the valley of mount Hajlah where both Shahjahan's Dream Mosque as well as his
sacred shrine were built. The shrine of Hare Bhare right in the heart of Old
Delhi, just below the steps of the Jama Masjid, is truly unique with a neem
tree growing above it. Besides the courtyard of Hazrat Hare Bhare Shah is the
grave of the famous 'dancing dervish' of Delhi, Sarmad Kashani more popular as
Sarmad Shaheed, originally a Jewish mystic and a Persian-speaking Armenian poet
who travelled as a spiritual pilgrim and turned into an Indian Sufi and
made the Indian subcontinent his permanent home during the 17th century. While
his spiritual mentor or Murshid's tomb is green in colour to donate immortality,
Sarmad Shaheed's grave is red to mark his martyrdom.
Maulana
Azad who was a great admirer of Sarmad Shaheed and his concept of the Divine
Love, was reportedly a frequent visitor to his shrine. In the words of Sarover
Zaidi, a social anthropologist, Sarmad’s shrine is "not just a built
structure but also a performance—of his life and death, his ideas, his poetry
as also his love, rebellion and critique of the social order. It provides space
to that which cannot be ordered, that which falls off the confines of orthodox
religion, worship and societal norms; it provides solace to ideas of love and
rebellion, annotated so fantastically in the red that is at once familiar and
shocking".
Today, the
Jama Masjid is famed as the largest mosque of Delhi with no parallel to it in
the entire country. It served as the imperial mosque of the Mughal emperors
until the demise of the empire in 1857. In fact, the first freedom movement of
India--the 1857 revolt against the British was supported by a Fatwa from the
the same Jama Masjid. Right from Allama Fazle Haque Khairabadi to Maulana Abul
Kalam Azad, Ulama who stood for the Indian freedom movement spoke from Jama
Masjid's Mimbar (pulpit) to the Muslims of India. In 1947, during a Friday
prayer of 23rd October, Maulana Aazad delivered a sermon from its pulpit or
Mimbar when the Partition of India was underway, causing massive damage and
population movements in Delhi. Azad implored the Muslims of Delhi to remain in
India, and attempted to reassure them that India was still their homeland. He
spoke highly of his belongingness to Islam as his religion and India as his
nation:
“I am a
Muslim and profoundly conscious of the fact that I have inherited Islam’s
glorious traditions of the last 14 hundred years. I am not prepared to lose
even a small part of that legacy…I am equally proud of the fact that I am an
Indian, an essential part of the invisible unity of Indian nationhood, a vital
factor in its total make-up without which its noble edifice will remain
incomplete.
The tomb of
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad is also located adjacent to the mosque. Today, Jama
Masjid remains in active use during Ramazan, Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Adha, Eid
Milad-un-Nabi, and is one of Delhi's most iconic sites, closely identified with
the ethos of 'Purani Dilli' i.e. Old Delhi or Delhi 6. Hazrat Hare Bhare Sahib
lived in Delhi during the Period of Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb and he
is believed to have inspired and initiated Sarmad Shaheed who was originally an
Armenian Jew. The most compelling imagination at this historic mosque is the
imagery of Sarmad walking up the stairs of Jama Masjid with his head in his
hand. Great modernist Muslim artist of recent times, Syed Sadequain Ahmed Naqvi
drew out a whole series titled Sar-ba-Kaf inspired by this imagery. "Lingering
possibly at each corner of such a vivid and repeated imagery is the idea of a
dialogue with the self. Each story of chopped heads is as much about the social
as it is about our selves," writes Sarover Zaidi.
Tellingly,
Sarmad began to dance on the steps of the Jama Masjid after his head was cut
off on the orders of Emperor Aurangzeb (on the fanatic fatwa of the clergymen
declaring him a 'heretic'). It was only due to Hare Bhare Shah that he stopped
doing that. For, he warned the dead body of Sarmad that if it didn't stop, it
would completely destroy Delhi.
Significantly,
Hazrat Hare Bhare Shah Khwaja Abul Qasim Sabzwari came from Sabzwar in Iran.
His teachings were peaceful and pluralistic as he preached the oneness of God
and brotherhood of Mankind. And he followed and practised the beautiful
traditions of the holy Prophet (pbuh). It is believed that the holy Prophet
appeared in a dream of the Sufi saint and praised the mosque adoring its
magnificent architecture. Therefore, an area of the mosque where the Prophet is
believed to have appeared in the vision, has been barricaded in the ablution
tank (Hauz) to show respect and veneration to the holy Prophet. Also, a stone
with the footprint of the holy Prophet along with many other Relics are also preserved
in the heart of Jama Masjid as part of what is called Dargah Asaar Sharif. As
Delhi is the heart of India, Jama Masjid is the heart of Delhi, and the heart
of Jama Masjid is Asaar Saharif--the relics of the holy Prophet (peace
be upon him)!
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A Regular Columnist with Newageislam.com, Ghulam
Rasool Dehlvi is an Indo-Islamic scholar and English-Arabic-Urdu writer. He has
graduated from a leading Sufi Islamic seminary in India, and acquired Diploma
in Qur'anic sciences and a Certificate in Uloom ul Hadith from Al-Azhar
Institute of Islamic Studies. He has also participated in the 3-year “Madrasa
Discourses” program initiated by the University of Notre Dame, USA.
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-history/untold-story-delhi-jama-masjid/d/130138
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