SAMANA, Patiala, India, June 13, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) — The sleepy north Indian town of Samana, 28 kilometers from Patiala in the north state of Punjab, could become a major pilgrimage center for Shiites in the Indo-Pak Subcontinent following the discovery of a tomb said to belong to a son of Imam Ali Rada, the eighth descendant of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The tomb was discovered by chance during the visit of Lahore High Court Judge, Shabbar Rizvi, to Samana about three months ago, when the stone at the shrine was cleared. | Just "happened" to find it, huh? |
Rizvi, whose family emigrated from Samana at the time of Partition, told the local administration that a great saint lies buried at the place and asked them to clear the place. Upon clearing it the inscription emerged. The tomb is located in a large compound which is about four kilometers outside Samana town. It has an impressive Mughal style gate but the structures inside are in need of urgent repair. A number of graves are found all over the place.
The Persian epitaph planted in the wall facing the grave seems to be recent and made by a novice, according to IslamOnline.net's correspondent. | Recently carved, huh? Why, then it must be true. |
It reads: "Tomb of Hazrat Imam Mash-had Ali son of Imam Ali Moosa Rada. Built by Ajruddin Khan Mughal son of Bakhsh Allah Khan in the month of Blessed Ramadan 967 Hijri corresponding to Year 4 of Emperor Akbar."
The Chief Minister of the Indian state of Punjab, Captain Amrinder Singh, has ordered the concerned authorities to start working on the site immediately so that it could be declared a tourist atraction sacred place.
Since its discovery, the tomb has been thronged by a host of important Shiite dignitaries, including scholars from Lucknow and diplomats from the Iranian embassy in Delhi. They are now working on plans for its restoration and renovation and the Punjab State Waqf Board has appointed a caretaker to stay at Samana to take care of the tomb.
Some scholars say Imam Sayyid Mash-had Ali was buried here about 1200 years ago and the town of Samana also takes its name from his mother, according to IOL's correspondent. Facts related to this have been confirmed with old religious books, sources argued. | Translated by equally old religious scholars |
Our correspondent says he did not find Mash-had as one of the sons of Imam Ali Rada who, according to historical sources, had only two sons: Ali (the ninth Shiite Imam) and Moosa. According to some sources, he also had a third son called Yahya.
| But why let facts get in the way of a new holy site of Islam |
A team comprising Indian Shiite scholar Maulana Kalbe Jawwad and two functionaries of the Iranian Embassy in Delhi accompanied by Dr Nasir Naqvi, a teacher of Punjabi University, visited the tomb a few days ago.
Jawwad told IOl that while visiting Delhi recently he was told that there existed a tomb of a "saint" who is said to be from the pedigree of the Eighth or the Ninth Imam of the Shiites. He added that the tomb exists from the time of Emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbär, who was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from the time of his accession in 1556 until 1605. During his visit to the place, the Shiite scholar was told that Sayyids [ the title often given to descendants of Prophet Muhammad] were living at the place but after Partition it was ruined as the Muslim inhabitants emigrated to Pakistan.
Jawwad said that he would be leaving for Iran on 11 July to track the history of the tomb and if proved it would be the greatest religious site of Shiite Muslims in the Subcontinent as there is no proof that any descendant of the Prophet is buried in South Asia. | Like I said, why let a little thing like proof get in the way |
He is thinking of facilitating the transfer of about 5000 Shiite families to Samana in order to inhabit the place and take care of the tomb.
The Iran Cultural House in Delhi is planning to hold a seminar on this discovery in Chandigarh. | First a holy site, then a Shiite community then a demand for a seperate state |
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