Bibi Pak Daman

Bibi Pak Daman (Urdu: بی بی پاکدامن Bībī Pāk Dāman) is a mausoleum confirmed to Pakistan Government by Imam Ali Raza Haram Research Centre Iran to be the tomb of Ruqayyah bint Ali in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.^[1] It holds the graves of six ladies from Muhammad's household (Ahl al-Bayt). Ruqayyah bint Ali ibn Abu Talib was the daughter of Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law Ali ibn Abu Talib.^[2] She was the sister of Al-Abbas ibn Ali and also the wife of Muslim ibn Aqeel^[3] (emissary of third Shi'a Imam Husayn ibn Ali to Kufa). Others are said to be Muslim ibn Aqil's sister and daughters. It is said that these ladies came here after the event of the Battle of Karbala on the 10th day of the month of Muharram in 61 AH (October 10, AD 680).

Bibi Pak Daman, which means the "chaste lady", is the collective name of the six ladies believed to interred at this mausoleum, though it is also (mistakenly) popularly used to refer to the personage of Ruqayyah bint Ali alone.^[4] They were among the women who brought Islam to South Asia, preaching and engaging in missionary activity in the environs of Lahore.

Bibi Paak Daaman is located between Garhi Shahu and Railway Station area. The easiest way to go to Bibi Paak Daaman is from the Empress Road and from there, take the small road opposite Police Lines and then the first left-turn. Recently Government of Pakistan is considering approval of the expansion of the Bibi Pak Daman's shrine.

Life[edit]

After the events at Karbala five Muslim women, led by Ruqayyah bint Ali left Mecca to settle and proselytize in Lahore, as a result of which a sizable portion of the Hindu community entered Islam.^[5]

According to one school of thought among historians such as S.M. Latif, Molvi Noor Ahmad Chishti and Mufti Ghulam Server the daughters of Ali were instructed by their father to go to Sindh and Hind to preach the Islamic faith. It was prophesied that their mission would achieve success. The events of the massacre at Karbala caused many relatives of Muhammad including Ruqayyah to migrate to Makran where she preached Islam for several years. The Hindu Raja of Jaisalmer felt threatened by her missionary work. Umayyad rulers were also displeased and a number of Umayyad spies were dispatched to assassinate her. Among such potential assassins had been Muhammad Bin Qasim who later switched allegiances and became a supporter of Ruqayyah after learning of the sufferings experienced by the family of Muhammad.^[5]

However, continued threats to Ruqayyah's life caused her to cross the Indus River to settle in Lahore. The local Hindu ruler there attempted to arrest her but this failed when his son, the Prince Bakrama Sahi, accepted Islam and became impressed with Ruqayyah's work. This enabled Ruqayyah to continue her missionary activities in peace for some more time. Eventually, fearing disgrace at the hands of the Hindu Raja's army when they were again dispatched to arrest her and the other five ladies, she gathered her female kin and made a collective prayer for rescue. As a fulfillment of their wishes, the ground split and their camp went underground. A shawl remained to mark the spot of that event.^[5]

Another school of thought among historians, including Kanhya Lal, Muhammad Aslam and Tanveer Anjum, argue that there was no reason for these Muslim women to settle in the Hindu-ruled Lahore.^[5]

Historical Misconceptions[edit]

There is a very famous misconception in indian subcontinent regarding Syeda Ruqayyah bint Ali which states that This Holy lady is the Daughter of Umm ul-Banin and full sister of Abbas ibn Ali. Which in reality is a misconception as Umm ul-Banin (Meaning Mother of several sons) had no daughter.

Urs Sharif/Death Anniversary[edit]

The shrine is visited by both Shias and Sunnis. In the Islamic month of Jumada al-Thani three days urs of Bibi Pak Daman from 7 to 9 is celebrated. The urs is mainly a Sunni affair, while Shias visit the shrine most commonly during Muharram and Safar. The street and shrine area remain filled with devotees all the day from all over Pakistan. On the eve of Urs, the shrine is even more crowded. People from across the subcontinent, mainly from the Provinces of Punjab and Sindh, come to the shrine to pay their homage and make a wish which they believe more likely would come true. A narrow lane that leads to the shrine has shops on both sides containing Muharram-related items. Posters of Imam Ali, Imam Hassan, Imam Hussain and literature on the history of Karbala, Khak-e-Shifa (soil of Karbla) and CDs of Nohas (elegies) are available at the shops.^[7]^[8] The urs includes a ritual in which women devotees bring water for ablution of the graves at the shrine of Bibi.^[9] The Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab Limited (TDCP), Government of Punjab has placed the shrine on the list of popular shrines for the tourists.^[10]