The Shat Gambuj Mosque

In mid-15^th century, a Muslim colony was founded in the inhospitable mangrove forest of the Sundarbans near the seacoast in Bagerhat district by a saint Ulugh Khan Jahan. He was the earliest torchbearer of Islam in the south who laid the nucleus of an affluent city during the reign of Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah (1442-59), then known as ‘Khalifatabad’ (present Bagerhat).

Khan Jahan adorned his city with numerous mosques, tanks, roads and public buildings. The most spectacular of which is the imposing multidomed mosque in Bangladesh, known as the Shat Gambuj Masjid. The stately fabric of the monument stands on the eastern bank of a vast sweet water tank, clustered around by the heavy foliage of low-lying countryside characteristic of a seacoast landscape.

The mosque is roofed over with 77 squat domes, including seven chauchala or four-sided domes in the middle row. The vast prayer hall is provided with 11 arched door-ways on east and 7 each on north and south for ventilation and light. It has 7 longitudinal aisles and 11 deep bays by a forest of slender stones columns. From these columns spring rows of thickness, have slightly tapering hollow and round walls. The interior and the exterior of the mosque give a view of rather plain architecture but the interior western wall of the mosque was beautifully decorated with terracotta flowers and foliage.

Besides being used as a prayer hall the mosque was also used as the court of Khan Jahan Ali. Now it is one of the greatest tourist attractions and best architectural beauties of Bangladesh.

Personality: Hazrat Khan Jahan Ali

There are a lot of preachers of Islam who came to Bangladesh and spread Islamic education here. They are termed as saints. One of them is Khan Jahan Ali of Bagerhat. He had different names such as Khan Jahan Khan, Khan Jahan Ali, Khan Jahan Ali Khan and Khaja Khan. He was zealous worker, staunch warrior and devoted preacher. Not only that he was a powerful ruler and a spiritual leader. He is also regarded as a great saint. He is most famous for his piety and philanthropic activities. Nothing is clearly known about his early life. From history, we know that he had served for several years in the court of Delhi during the Tughlaq period. From there he came to Bangladesh to preach Islam. He halted at Bagerhat and settled there.

Bagerhat was then a backward area. Khan Jahan Ali found Bagerhat beset with various problems. First of all, he made some roads connecting Khulna and Jessore. He also made mosques, public buildings, bridges and dug tanks. Two of the tanks are still known to the people as Ghoradighi and Dargadighi. He built the Shat Gambuj Mosque. It was built in 1440. The mosque is one of the most magnificent ones. It is regarded as one of the best architectural beauties of the Bangladesh.

Khan Jahan Ali was a powerful leader of the people. He could build luxurious palaces and amass vast riches for his own pleasure, but he did not do so. He bought the love of Allah by giving up these worldly pleasures. On the other hand, he made roads, dug tanks and built mosques to lead the people of this part of Bangladesh to the path of well-being and prosperity both here and hereafter. It is said that each of his soldiers had a spade and not gun. They were always busy with development work. It was his sincere love for the people and Allah fearing attitude. Due to his continuous and selfless effort Bagerhat and nearby areas became developed. He turned and overpopulated jungle region of Bagerhat into a beautiful habitable land. Khan Jahan Ali was not a monarch but his deeds were no less glorious than those of a noble monarch. He was a monarch without a crown.

Hazrat Muhammad (SM)

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azrat Muhammad (Sm) is the greatest Prophet. He is the leader of all other Prophet. At the age of forty, he was given order by Allah to spread Islam. Though he was a member of the most powerful family of Arab, he had to endure a lot of outrage from the people of Makkah when he started to preach Islam. At last, he left Makkah for Medina. There he founded a strong Islamic country. The strength of Islam was increasing day by day. In his lifetime, Muhammad (Sm) established a vest Muslim empire, which was ruled according to the principles of Quran. As a result, the whole empire enjoyed divine peace and progress. Thus, Muhammad (Sm) was a ruler, a Prophet and a social reformer in the same time. He established Islam on a strong basis not with the sword but with the principles of peace and love, harmony and friendship. He is the most powerful leader of all ages. Though he is not physically present now, he inspires all Muslim’s heart and mind even today. Here lies the success of his teaching.

A Faithful Servant

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aithful means staying with or supporting a particular person, organization or belief. Servant here means a person who works for another person’s house, and cooks, cleans etc. for them.

Once upon a time, there lived a rich man in a town. He had much money, gold and silver. He was not miserly like other rich men. He was kind to the poor and was always ready to help them.

The rich man had a faithful servant named Ali. On an Eid day, he gave Ali one thousand taka and asked him to distribute the money among the poor. Ali did what his master told him to do.

Again the rich man gave Ali one thousand taka and asked him to distribute the money among the blind and lame. This time also Ali did what his master told him to do.

      The rich man gave Ali one thousand taka and said, “give away the money to the saints”. Ali walked about all day long. But no where he could find saints. He met some persons whom people called saints. But Ali found them either greedy or mean-minded.

      “How can a mean-minded or a greedy man be a saint”?  He thought, So he did not give away the money to anybody. In the evening he came back. He returned the money to his master and said, “sir, I could not find out a saint an where in the town.” The rich man said “What nonsense do you talk? Could you not meet a single saint in this big town?”

      Ali replied, “Sir, I met some persons whom people called saints. But I found all of them either greedy or mean-minded. So I did not give away the money to anybody.”

      The rich man was very pleased. He said, “My dear Ali, you have failed t find out a saint. But I have found out one, He is standing in front of me. Take this money yourself. This is due to you.”

Hazrat Abu Bakar (R)

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azrat Abu Bakar (R) was the first Caliph of Islam. He was born in the Taiyeen tribe of the Quraish dynasty in Makkah in 573. He is still known as Hazrat Abu Bakar Siddique. When the Prophet lest Makkah for Medina, Hazrat Abu Bakar (R) went with him. The Prophet fought many battles and Hazrat Abu Bakar (R) was always with him. Once the Prophet was talking to all the followers. He was telling them about a Muslim’s service to Allah; it is good to give money in His service. Hazrat Omar (R) was listening to the Prophet. When the Prophet (Sm) said this, Hazrat Omar (R) went home and came back with half of his money and goods and put it in front of the Prophet (Sm).

      Hazrat Omar (R) said, “When you speak about Allah, I feel love for all people. This is half of my money and goods. I give it to you in Allah’s service.”

The Prophet (Sm) said, “How much have you left for your family?” “I have kept half for my family and I’ve brought half in the service of Allah,” Hazrat Omar (R) replied.

      Then Hazrat Abu Bakar (R) came to the Prophet and put all his money and goods in front him.

“What have you kept for your family?” the Prophet asked again. “Allah and His Rasul,” said Abu Bakr (R).

When he was old, the Prophet fell seriously ill, and one day he died when died, the Muslims chose Hazrat Abu Bakar as their first Caliph. On the day after he became Caliph, Hazrat Abu Bakar (R) was going to the market. Hazrat Omar (R) met him when he was walking in the street. Hazrat Omar (R) asked him politely why he was going to do the day to day business. He said, “You can’t sell cloth now. There is a lot of work for the Caliph and it is all important. Please accept money from the State treasury for your family.”

      Hazrat Abu Bakar (R) did not want any money but at last he agreed to take a small amount. The chief Muslims then met and gave him a little money. In this way, he did the work of the Caliph all the time.

Before he died, Hazrat Abu Bakar (R) called his daughter Hazrat Ayesha (Allah be pleased with her) “The Treasury has given me money for my family, he said, “When I die, sell some of my goods and then give all of it back.

After his death, his daughter gave back all the money and in this way Hazrat Abu Bakar (R) took nothing for his services to the country and to Islam- the only religion of Allah.

     Many companions of the Prophet know the holy Quran by heart. Hazrat Abu Bakar (R) was one of them; he was a ‘Hafiz-i-Quran.’

The Emperor And The Dervish

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alkh was the old capital of Khurasan. It is a province of persia. Emperor Ibrahim Adham was its ruler. It was the new year’s day. So, according to custom, every preparation for the festival of Naoroze was made. The capital was beautifully decorated. Musical band was playing at every gate. Flags were flying on every house to. People were making merry in every street.

The Emperor sat in his court taking with his courtiers. At that time a dervish appeared at the door. “Who is the owner of this inn? May I rest here?” asked the dervish. The courtiers took him for a mad man.So they wanted to drive him away. But the Emperor stopped them.

      The Emperor then quietly asked the dervish, “Can’t you see this is king’s palace? Why do you take it to be an inn?”

“No, I have made no mistake, this is an inn”, was the reply. This made the courtiers so angry that they wanted to send the dervish to prison. Once again the Emperor stopped them and said that they should do no harm to him on such a day of festivity. All much have freedom on that day.

The dervish now said, “May I ask you a few questions?”

The Emperor said, “You may ask any questions you like.”

Dervish     : Who lived in this house before you, Royal Highness?

Emperor    : My father.

Dervish     : And who lived before him?

Emperor    : My grand father.

Dervish     : And before your grandfather?

Emperor    : My great grand-father and before him my father’s great grand-father and so

                    On. But this palace was never an inn.

Dervish     : But where are they now?

Emperor    : Why, they are all dead and gone.

Dervish     : And what about you?

Emperor    : I, too, shall go away when the time will come.

Dervish: So, you see that one after another of our fore fathers came to this house. Each of them stayed here for while and then left it. Still you say that this house isn’t an inn. It is very strange, no doubt.

The words of the dervish were full of wisdom. The Emperor thought over them deeply. He realized his error. He raised his head to speak to dervish but he was no where to be fond. This surprised the Emperor all the more.

A great change came over the Emperor. He immediately ordered all festivities to stop. The lights were put out. The flowers and garlands were thrown away. The band also stopped playing. Thus ended the festival of Naoroze that year.

That night the Emperor prayed to Allah to forgive him his sins. He also asked Him to show him the right path. While he was praying thus, He heard a sound on the roof of the palace. On enquiry he was told that a man has lost his camel. He was looking for it on the roof of the palace. The Emperor became very angry. He called the man and said, “How foolish you must be look for your lost camel on the roof of the palace.” The man answered, “Foolish Emperor, you expect to find Allah in the midst of the pleasures of the palace. Then why should I not find my lost camel on the roof of the palace?”

This opened the eyes of the Emperor. He now clearly understood that Allah had answered his prayer. He had prayed to Allah to show him the right path. He had shown it to him. So he made up his mind. He dressed himself in the clothes of a dervish and came out of the palace.

      “Friends, in the midst of the pleasures of the palace. I forgot that, I was a traveler. I came and stopped here for a while. But I shall have to return to Allah. I shall have to serve him and do good deeds.” So saying the Emperor left them. He never returned to the life of ease and pleasure.

The Spirit Of Islam

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he Islam is the Muslim religion based on belief in one Allah and revealed through Hazrat Muhammad (Sm) as the Prophet (Sm) of Allah. The spirit is the part of a person that includes their mind, feelings and character rather than their body.

So spirit of Islam is seen in the great personalities of the Islamic History. Hazrat Omar (R) was one of the greatest personalities in the spirit of Islam.

Hazrat Omar (R) was the second caliph of Islam. He was a true Muslim both in words and deeds.

He used to give a talk to the people at the mosque. For mosques at that time was the centre of all activities.

Once Omar (R) was talking about true and justice. Suddenly he stopped in the midst of his speech. He looked around and said, “My Friends, I like to pt a question to you.”

      “What is it, dear Caliph?” Asked the people. Omar (R) said, “As a Caliph it is my duty to establish truth and justice. But I may do wrong and forget the truth. What will you then do to me?”

A man stood up at once and drew out his sword. Then he said “In that case, I shall behead you with this sword.”

All people were afraid. There was silence on all sides. For sometimes the Caliph himself could not utter a word. Then suddenly he burst out saying, “Young man, do you know whom you are speaking to?”

      “Oh, yes I do, Sir, I’m talking to Caliph Omar, the defender of truth and justice”. All people shook with fear. They though the Caliph would surely put him to death for his rude words.

But the Caliph was as calm as ever. Suddenly he raised both of his hands towards heaven and said, “I’m happy and grateful to Allah. He has given among us some good men. They can draw their sword even against a Caliph when he does wrong”.

      This is indeed a high ideal. This is the spirit of Islam.