Bibi Pak Daman- Where Mysticism, Purity and Interfaith Unity Speaks Volumes

 

There are several myths surrounding the origins of Bibi Pak Daman- a mausoleum located  in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, commonly known as the graves of six women from the Prophet  Muhammad’s (Pbuh) family. Bibi Pak Daman literally means, ‘lady of purity’. Legend claims  that the shrine is the last resting place of Syeda Ruqayyah, a daughter of Imam Ali (AS) -the fourth  Caliph of the Muslims., and five other revered women from Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad's  (Pbuh) household. They were among the women who brought Islam to South Asia, preaching and  engaging in missionary activity in the environs of Lahore. This sacred resting place includes the  first mosque of the sub-continent. The Holy Shrine of Syeda Ruqayyah is the only one of its

kind  in South Asia. Renowned saints like Data Ganj Baksh Ali Hajveri, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, Syed  Jalaluddin Bokhari and Moinuddin Chishti (RA) are known to have found spiritual enlightenment  from this sacred shrine, where they paid regular homage and were the devotees. These historical  figures along with common people have come and put faith into these pious ladies over ages, which  shows the place and level of these ladies.

  Mysticism is a phenomenon that transcends gender boundaries as it is an experience which any  gender can feel through divinely ordained talent, certain practices, devotion and dedication. It  develops in one the love for Allah and one goes on to teach, practice and preach His message to  humanity. Saints have played a significant role in Islam and many of these saintly figures have  been women including wives of the Holy Prophet, or Sahabis, or their descendants. The last resting  place of these ladies is honored more than any male and depicts the importance of female character  in the society. One comes across a lot of honorariums and shrines of male personalities but it is  rare to witness females getting this much importance as much as they deserve. The shrine has been  highlighting the role of a female Sufi Saints in the preaching and advancement of Islam in South East  Asia. 

  There are two versions of historians on the purpose of the arrival, activities and demise of  these women. The first one depicts that after the events at Karbala five Muslim women, led by  Syeda Ruqayyah bint Ali (RA), left Mecca to settle and proselytize in Lahore, as a result of which  the Hindu community embraced Islam. They were successful in converting a sizeable community  to Islam. According to one school of thought the daughters of Hazrat Ali (RA) were instructed by  their father to go to Sind and Hind to preach the Islamic faith. It was prophesied that the people of  that area will accept Islam on their hands, and then this will be the land that will be the right place  for the family of the Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) and a large number of the followers of the family  of the Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) will live here, thus their mission would achieve success.  According to traditions, the ‘will’ of Hazrat Ali (RA) is an important milestone for Islam; as the  ‘will’ drew the first imaginary map of Islam, making a sacred topography that would then come to  execution as his descendants spread to preach the faith of Islam. Keeping with this account, it is  stated that Syeda Ruqayyah was raised up with the knowledge that she would describe the events  of Karbala and was intended to preach in the subcontinent, raising the status of Islam in the region.  This is what happened as well; the events of the massacre at Karbala caused many relatives of  Hazrat Muhammad (Pbuh) including Syeda Ruqayyah(RA) to migrate to Makran where she then  preached Islam for several years. The then Hindu Raja of Jaisalmer felt threatened by her  missionary work and the Umayyad rulers were also displeased. 

  The continued threats to Syeda Ruqayyah's life caused her to cross the Indus River to settle in  Lahore. The Hindu ruler there attempted to arrest her but failed because his son, the prince  Bakrama Sahi, got impressed by the personality and the sermons of Syeda Ruqayyah; he became  their disciple and embraced Islam. As a result, for some time Syeda Ruqayyah and her family were  able to live in peace and preach the message of Islam under the protection of the prince and the  favor he commanded from the Raja. This enabled Syeda Ruqayyah to continue her missionary  activities in peace for some more time. However, later on the continued harassment by the Hindus  made their lives unbearable. The army of the Raja tried to arrest these ladies, feared of their  disgraceful treatment, Syeda Ruqayyah called the remaining women of her clan and in their despair  they collectively prayed for divine rescue from the threat of this danger. To fulfill their wishes and  because of their high status in the eyes of Allah, the earth tore open and interred all six of them  alive. The piety of these women remained intact and they came to be known as Bibi Pak Daman. At this place a remainder piece of cloth of the scarf was said to be visible to mark the spot of that  event but later it also disappeared. Thus even the scarf of the lady was pure and could not be  touched. 

 The second narration speaks of yet another myth, which refers more to its location in Lahore  that is the “Mohallah Chahaal Bibian” (unmarried sisters). According to this myth, these six graves  in the tomb are of Syed Tokhta’s daughters who were trying to hide from Afghan invaders. They  prayed for themselves to get buried without being caught by the bad people. The prayer was  answered and they got buried alive. 

  While trying to explain ‘who, where and what’ were the Pak Bibian, considering both the first  and second version of the stories, it is yet difficult to find any primary evidence regarding the  history and origin of these pious ladies. Whatever the real story about these ladies may be, the fact  remains that there is a shrine in Lahore where people have been turning up for a variety of reasons. The fact that renowned historical figures and the common people both have come and put faith into these pious ladies, speaks of their unquestionable chasteness and purity that has no doubt made  an ineradicable mark on the subcontinent. 

  Just like the mysterious stories of six graves some other stories are also famous regarding the twisted trunk of an ancient Waan tree at the center of the courtyard of this shrine. It forms an  overarching canopy. According to local legend, the camels these women arrived in Lahore on, turned into trees to shelter their grave. However, no one knows about the credibility of this myth. This tree is known to be possessing some extraordinary powers. Just as the shrine has its own story,  the tree next to it has become sacred as well.  

  This Holy ground was once the sole fountain for the spread of Islamic preaching. The sanctity  of this land has stood the test of the times. It has been miraculously gathering hundreds of  thousands of pilgrims from rich and poor circles of the society over the centuries which in itself is  a proof of miracles of Bibi Pak Daman. It has been attracting millions of people since ages and  may well continue to do so as for the devotees the miracles attributed to the tomb are being  manifested every day. These mystics, apart from showing their miracles to attract people from  their localities, are teaching the lesson of love, peace and harmony to create a harmonious society.  This shrine is not only a place of comfort for the deprived and grieved ones, but it has been  promoting religious harmony and interfaith unity since ages proving to be an important portal for  all religious sects. Its symbolic and spiritual appeal has an undeniable impact upon the society.