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54-521: The same structure, carrying the same social meanings and sites of the same kinds of ritual practices, is called maqam in the Arabic-speaking world. Dargah today is considered to be a place where saints prayed and mediated (their spiritual residence). The shrine is modern day building which encompasses of actual dargah as well but not always. Dargah is derived from a Persian word which literally means "portal" or "threshold." The Persian word

108-416: A cenotaph is covered by a quilt (usually a green one), praying rugs are spread on the floor in front of the mihrab. There are also bigger maqams, consisting of two, three or four chambers: prayer chamber, entrance hall, zawiya or a room for pilgrims to have a rest. Big maqams have two or three similar domes. In times of old, the dome was decorated by a metal spire with a crescent, but nowadays such decoration

162-447: A dome, in the middle of which there is a stone cenotaph, though the bodies of the revered figures themselves were buried below the ground level. In the south wall of the maqam, there is usually a small mihrab facing Mecca , decorated with inscriptions and floral ornament. The entrance to the chamber is mostly at the north wall. In the other arched walls there are usually small windows. Candelabras and lamps are hanging in an active maqam,

216-497: A grave sin. Islamic commentators on the Quran have emphasized that a number of pre-Islamic Arabian deities and jinn , most notably the three goddesses Manat , al-Lat and al-Uzza mentioned in al-Najm , were considered associates of God. Entities worshipped besides God are called shurakāʾ ( Arabic : شُرَكَاء ). After Judgement Day , they will be cast into Hell along with devils (fallen angels) and evil jinn, to whom

270-480: A landmark gleams from the top of some hill, just as, doubtless, something of the same kind did in the old Canaanite ages. The period of Mandatory Palestine has become the last time of maqams' prosperity. Dilapidated Muslim shrines were restored, and also new ones were built. The British built over and donated to Bedouins the maqam of Sheikh Nuran, which was damaged during the Sinai and Palestine campaign . This maqam

324-436: A lie is more preferable to me than that I should swear by another upon the truth." According to Sufi teachings , to avoid "hidden shirk" ( al-shirk al-khafi ), it is necessary to focus solely on God and give up one's own will. Some Sufi scholars even go so far as to describe a belief in free will as a form of shirk. According to such an uncompromising view, beliefs usually accommodated within monotheism , such as that in

378-499: A multi-day journey; by the Mandate Palestine period, politicization led to segregation. Some maqams, like Nabi Rubin and Nabi Musa among others, were also the focus of seasonal festivals ( mawsims ) that thousands would attend annually. There is, however, in nearly every village, a small whitewashed building with a low dome – the "mukam," or "place," sacred to the eyes of the peasants. In almost every landscape such

432-565: A personal devil (rather than the unregenerate self deficient in God) as the source of evil, or a belief in the concept of free will, are regarded as beliefs in creative powers other than (i.e. standing beside/external to) God, and are thus equated with shirk . Abdullah Ansari describes the highest stage of tawhid a human can possess, when the mind becomes fully immersed in the presence of God and understand how all things are put into their proper places. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab , founder of

486-766: Is "the place where one stands." Such name for a holy tomb is mostly used in Lebanon , Syria and Palestine . The form mukam appears in the essays of European travelers of the 19th century; as well as words waly , wely ( Arabic : ويلي wālī "saint"), mazar , and mashhad . In Maghreb , similar tombs are known as Marabout , in Turkic-speaking Muslim countries as türbe , dürbe, or aziz, and in Persian-speaking countries dargah . Maqams were dedicated to Biblical and Quranic , real or mythical, male and female figures from ancient times to

540-597: Is a Muslim shrine constructed at a site linked to a religious figure or saint , commonly found in the Levant (or al-Shām), which comprises the present-day countries of Lebanon , Syria , Palestine , and Israel . It is usually a funeral construction, commonly cubic-shaped and topped with a dome . The cult for holy sites in Islamic Syria heightened during the 12th and 13th centuries, particularly under Zangid and Ayyubid rule. Historians attribute this surge to

594-586: Is a sin often roughly translated as ' idolatry ' or ' polytheism ', but more accurately meaning 'association [with God ]'. It refers to accepting other divinities or powers alongside God as associates. In contrast, Islam teaches that God does not share divine attributes with anyone, as it is disallowed according to the Islamic doctrine of tawhid . The Quran , the central religious text of Islam, states in 4:48 that God will not forgive shirk if one dies without repenting of it. The one who commits shirk

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648-595: Is a composite of " dar ( در )" meaning "door, gate" and " gah ( گاه )" meaning "place". It may have a connection or connotation with the Arabic word " darajah ( دَرَجَة )" meaning "stature, prestige, dignity, order, place" or may also mean "status, position, rank, echelon, class". Some Sufi and other Muslims believe that dargahs are portals by which they can invoke the deceased saint's intercession and blessing (as per tawassul , also known as dawat-e qaboor [ Persian : da‘wat-i qabũr دعوتِ قبور , " invocations of

702-641: Is a polytheist. Mahmud ibn Lubayd reported, Allah's messenger said: "The thing I fear for you the most is ash-Shirk al-Asghar ." The companions asked, "O messenger of Allah, what is that?" He replied, "Ar-Riya (showing off), for verily Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection when people are receiving their rewards, 'Go to those for whom you were showing off in the material world and see if you can find any reward from them." Mahmud ibn Lubayd also said, The Prophet came out and announced, "O people, beware of secret Shirk!" The people asked, "O messenger of Allah, what

756-490: Is called shirk . They believe Islamic prophet Muhammad strongly condemned the practice of turning graves into places of worship and even cursed those who did so. The current Wahhabi rulers of Saudi Arabia have destroyed more than 1400-year-old grave sites of companions and ahl al-bayt including Othman , Khadija and Aisha amongst numerous others, although visiting graves is encouraged in Islam to remember death and

810-411: Is called a mushrik . The opposite of shirk is tawhid and the opposite of mushrik is muwahhid . The word shirk comes from the Arabic root sh - r - k ( ش ر ك ), with the general meaning of 'to share'. In the context of the Quran, the particular sense of 'sharing as an equal partner' is usually understood, so that polytheism means 'attributing a partner to God'. In the Quran, shirk and

864-426: Is classified into two categories: Shirk al-akbar is defined as open association and has been described in two forms: Shirke al-asghar may be committed by one who professes tawhid , but for the sake of others. One who offers the ritual prayers in an ostentatious way is a polytheist. One who keeps the fast , or gives alms , or performs the hajj to show the public his righteousness or to earn good name

918-409: Is rare. The maqams are not always supposed to stand over the tombs of the saints to whom they are dedicated. A cenotaph is indeed almost always to be found there, but often they are regarded merely as "stations." The dome is often situated by an ancient carob or oak tree or a spring or rock cut water cistern. A sacred tree was planted near maqams, mostly – a palm tree, oak or sycomore . There

972-510: Is refuted on the basis that the grave of Prophet Muhammad and the first two Khalifa, Abu Bakr and Umar , itself have a structure over it. To construct a building, shelter or edifice around the graves of the Auliya Allah (Friends of Allah) and Scholars of Islam or nearby is proven to be permissible from the Quran and practice and rulings of the Sahaba . Narrating the incident of

1026-519: Is secret Shirk?" He replied, "When a man gets up to pray and strives to beautify his prayer because people are looking at him; that is secret Shirk." Umar ibn al-Khattab narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever swears by other than Allah has committed an act of kufr or shirk." (graded hasan by Al-Tirmidhi and saheeh by Al-Hakim ) According to Ibn Mas’ood , one of Muhammad's companions said: "That I should swear by Allah upon

1080-570: Is the third of three"), among other verses, has been traditionally understood in Islam as rejection of the Christian Trinity doctrine , but modern scholarship has suggested alternative interpretations. Other Quranic verses strongly deny the divinity of Jesus Christ , the son of Mary, and reproach the people who treat Jesus as equal with God as disbelievers, who will be doomed to eternal punishment in Hell . The Quran also does not recognise

1134-651: Is to devise a sin most heinous indeed" (Quran An-Nisa 4:48). The term is often translated as polytheism , however more complex than the English translation. The term also implies that humans need to renounce claiming divine status for themselves by regarding themselves as better than others. Besides worshipping only one God, it also postulates that God must be considered as entirely unique and condemns anthropomorphization. Shirk further implies that God's attributes cannot be associated with any other entity or that any other entity can exist independent from God. Shirk

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1188-733: The Day of Judgment . Sufis, refute such claims on the basis of misquotation of hadith. The hadith "Let there be curse of Allah upon the Jews and the Christians for they have taken the graves of their apostles as places of worship.(Sahih Muslim)" , is directed towards the disbelievers not the Muslims who took graves as place of worship i.e. they prayed facing towards the graves, this is not the practice of Sufis as they do not take graves as their Qibla (direction). As for constructing structure over grave, it

1242-768: The Gamaliel II in Yavne ; the Maqam with seven domes of Ali in Yazur was converted into a synagogue ; the mazar of Sakina bint Husayn in Tiberias was reconsecrated as the tomb of Rachel, the spouse of Rabbi Akiva ; the maqam of sheikh al-Gharbawi into the tomb of Mattathias ; the muqam of Nabi Sheman near the Junction Eyal , was identified with the tomb of Simeon (son of Jacob) . In ancient times, all maqams with

1296-614: The Trinity with shirk ("associationism"), by limiting the infinity of God by associating his divinity with physical existence. In a theological context, one commits shirk by associating some lesser being with God ( Allah ). The sin is committed if one imagines that there is another power associated with Allah as a partner. It is stated in the Quran: "Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him, but He forgives anything else, to whom He pleases, to set up partners with Allah

1350-570: The 19th century, Claude Reignier Conder described maqams as an essential part of folk religion in Palestine, with locals attaching "more importance to the favour and protection of the village Mukam than to Allah himself, or to Mohammed his prophet". Researchers have observed that alongside celebrated Muslim figures, some maqams can also be associated with ancient Semitic pagan , Judaic , Samaritan , and Christian traditions. The maqams of Palestine were considered highly significant to

1404-627: The Book permanently residing under Islamic rule were entitled to a special status known as dhimmi , and those who were visiting Muslim lands received a different status known as musta'min . In the Quran Jews and Christians, although accused of believing shared divinity by asserting lineage between God and Ezra or Jesus respectively, are not described as mushrik . The term is reserved for pre-Islamic beliefs who associated partners with God. Nonetheless, medieval Muslim philosophers identified belief in

1458-884: The Levant ; they were later succeeded by other Arabic-speaking Muslim dynasties, including the Umayyads , Abbasids and the Fatimids . Early Islam disapproved worshipping of holy men and their burial places, considering it a sort of idolatry . However, the Shiites built sumptuous tombs for their deceased leaders – imams and sheikhs , and turned those tombs into religious objects. Very soon Sunnis followed their example. Arab travellers and geographers ‘Ali al-Harawi , Yaqut al-Hamawi and others described in their essays many Christian and Muslim shrines in Syria, Palestine and Egypt. During

1512-653: The People of the Cave [Ashaab-e-Kahf), the Holy Quran states, “The person who was dominant in this matter said, “We shall build a Masjid over the People of the Cave.”– [Surah Kahf. Verse 21] Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi explains the above Quran verse in his famous Tafsir al Kabeer , "And when Allah said 'Those who prevailed over their affair' this refers to the Muslim ruler or the friends of Ashaab al Kahf (i.e. believers) or

1566-585: The attribute of Jesus as the Son of God or God himself but respects Jesus as a prophet and messenger of God, who was sent to children of Israel. Some Muslim thinkers such as Mohamed Talbi have viewed the most extreme Qur'anic presentations of the dogmas of the Trinity and divinity of Jesus ( Al-Ma'idah 5:19, 5:75-76, 5:119) as non-Christian formulas, which were rejected by the Church as well. Cyril Glasse criticises

1620-771: The dome green. No more than 300 maqams have survived out of 800 existing in Palestine in 1948, the remainder having been demolished. Half of them are in Israel-proper, the remainder in the West Bank and Gaza Strip ; most of the West Bank has been under Israeli control since 1967 , and Gaza between 1967 and 2005 . According to another source, the number of Palestinian maqams left is 184, with only 70 remaining in Israel-proper. Shirk (Islam) Shirk ( Arabic : شِرْك , lit.   'association') in Islam

1674-400: The domes were coloured in white. More recently, Palestinians and Arab citizens of Israel coloured the domes of shrines green, a color associated with Muhammad. The battle for one or another shrine resulted in the "war of colours", as it was called in the press. Religious Jews paint domes in blue or white and install Jewish symbols, and Muslims, when returning, remove the symbols and repaint

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1728-399: The field of biblical archaeology , as their names were used in the 18th and 19th centuries to identify much of biblical geography . From Arabic literally "a place" or "station." It is used to denote a "sanctuary", such as a commemorative burial shrine or an actual tomb. Its meaning can be restricted only to built structures that can be entered at such sites. The literal meaning of maqam

1782-425: The followers of Sufi saints . Many Muslims believe their wishes are fulfilled after they offer prayer or service at a dargah of the saint they follow. Devotees tie threads of mannat ( Persian : منّت , "grace, favour, praise") at dargahs and contribute to langar and pray at dargahs. Over time, musical offerings of dervishes and sheikhs in the presence of the devout at these shrines, usually impromptu or on

1836-408: The grave of her brother Hadrat Abdur-Rahman and Hadrat Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya on the grave of Hadrat Ibn Abbas . So Whoever has classified building domes to be disliked (Makrooh) has said so if they are built in order to show off." (Imam Badr al-Din al-Ayni , also writes the same in his book Umdat al-Qari - commentary of Sahih Bukhari ) Maqam (shrine) A maqām ( Arabic : مقام )

1890-478: The graves of recent ulama and revered holy men. Features Types Types Features Clothing Genres Art music Folk Prose Islamic Poetry Genres Forms Arabic prosody National literatures of Arab States Concepts Texts Fictional Arab people South Arabian deities Maqams continued to be revered sites in modern times as well. In

1944-468: The graves or tombs"] or ‘ilm-e dawat [ Persian : ‘ilm-i da‘wat عِلمِ دعوت , "knowledge of invocations "]). Still others hold a less important view of dargahs, and simply visit as a means of paying their respects to deceased pious individuals or to pray at the sites for perceived spiritual benefits. However, dargah is originally a core concept in Islamic Sufism and holds great importance for

1998-512: The late 19th century, but practically every village had at least one maqam which served as sites of worship in the Palestinian folk Islam popular in the countryside over the centuries. Christians and Jews also held some of the maqams to be holy, such as that of Nabi Samwil . In the period of Ottoman rule over Palestine, most of these sites were visited collectively by members of all three faiths who often travelled together with provisions for

2052-410: The leaders of town. 'We will surely build a Mosque over them' so that we can worship Allah in it and preserve the relics of companions of the cave due to this mosque" [Tafsir al-Kabeer, 5/475]. Imam Abu al-Walid al-Baji , quotes in his book Al-Muntaqa Sharh al-Muwatta (commentary of Muwatta Imam Malik ), "Hadrat Umar built a dome over the grave of Hadrat Zainab bint Jahsh , and Sayyidah Aisha on

2106-528: The maqam of sheikh Abu ‘Atabi in Al-Manshiyya, Acre . In the Ottoman Empire times, maqams were constructed everywhere, and old sanctuaries were taken under restoration. New buildings were not as monumental and pompous as before, and looked quite unpretentious. In Turkish period, maqams had simple construction and almost no architectural décor. Mosques were uncommon in Palestinian villages until

2160-519: The occasion of Urs , gave rise to musical genres like Qawwali and Kafi , wherein Sufi poetry is accompanied by music and sung as an offering to a murshid , a type of Sufi spiritual instructor. Today they have become a popular form of music and entertainment throughout South Asia , with exponents like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Abida Parveen taking their music to various parts of the world. Sufi shrines are found in many Muslim communities throughout

2214-468: The peasantry consists. Moslem by profession, they often spend their lives without entering a mosque, and attach more importance to the favour and protection of the village Мukam than to Allah himself, or to Mohammed his prophet. Salah al-Houdalieh's study on Sheikh Shihab-Al-Din's maqam, which attracted rural Muslims from the village of Saffa, Ramallah , showed that visitations usually consisted of ritual prayers, burials, Quran recitation , commemorating

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2268-608: The political climate, notably the Crusades and the Muslim reconquest of the region. Funded by rulers and the elite, these shrines functioned as points of piety, attracting individuals from different levels of society, generating employment opportunities, and contributing to economic growth. During this period, as demand increased, more sanctuaries emerged, some repurposed from Jewish and Christian holy sites, others built upon newly discovered tombs and relics, and some dedicated to honoring

2322-441: The polytheists are said to sacrifice in order to gain protection. Charles Adams writes that the Quran reproaches the People of the Book with kufr for rejecting Muhammad 's message when they should have been the first to accept it as possessors of earlier revelations, and he singles out Christians for disregarding the evidence of God's unity. The Quranic verse Al-Ma'idah 5:73 ("Certainly they disbelieve [ kafara ] who say: God

2376-609: The related word mushrikūn ( مشركون )—those who commit shirk and plot against Islam—often refer to the enemies of Islam (as in al-Tawbah verses 9:1–15). According to the Encyclopaedia of Islam , the Quran states twice in An-Nisa verses 48 and 116 that God can forgive all sins save one: shirk . Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating others with Him ˹in worship˺, but forgives anything else of whoever He wills. And whoever associates others with Allah has indeed committed

2430-555: The revered Saint Mu'in al-Din Chishti . In China , the term gongbei is usually used for shrine complexes centered around a Sufi saint's tomb. There are many active dargahs open to the public worldwide where aspirants may go for a retreat. The following is a list of dargahs open to the public. The Ahl-i Hadith , Deobandi , Salafi and Wahhabi religious scholars argue against the practice of constructing shrines over graves, and consider it as associating partners with God, which

2484-465: The sheikh, or making vows. Every village in the Palestine region has a wali or patron saint, whom people, predominantly rural peasants, would call upon for help at his or her associated sanctuary. While wali can refer to both the saint and sanctuary, a sanctuary for a common saint is more precisely known as a maqam. The most popular type of maqams is a single chamber square building topped with

2538-529: The site of festivals ( milad ) held in honor of the deceased saint on the anniversary of his death ( urs ). The shrine is illuminated with candles or strings of electric lights at this time. Dargahs in South Asia, have historically been a place for all faiths since the medieval times; for example, the Ajmer Sharif Dargah was a meeting place for Hindus and Muslims to pay respect and even to

2592-508: The time of the Arab conquest or even late Ottoman rule . Ali Qleibo, a Palestinian anthropologist , states that this built evidence constitutes "an architectural testimony to Christian/Moslem Palestinian religious sensibility and its roots in ancient Semitic religions ." In 1877, the British explorer Claude Reignier Conder wrote that: It is in worship at these shrines that the religion of

2646-552: The times of Mamluk dynasty , monumental tombs were built for Muslim holy men, scientists and theologists, some of these tombs have come down to present times. The major part of them is located in Egypt, and some parts are also in Syria and Palestine. These are namely the famous Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem (though the burial place of matriarch Rachel was worshipped even before), the splendid mausoleum of Abu Hurairah in Yavne and

2700-462: The use of kafirun (pl. of kafir ) to describe Christians as a "loose usage". According to the Encyclopaedia of Islam , traditional Islamic jurisprudence has ahl al-kitab being "usually regarded more leniently than other kuffar [pl. of kafir ]," and "in theory," a Muslim commits a punishable offense if he says to a Jew or a Christian, "Thou unbeliever." Historically, People of

2754-653: The world and are called by many names. The term dargah is common in the Persian-influenced Islamic world, notably in Iran, Turkey and South Asia. In South Africa , the term is used to describe shrines in the Durban area where there is a strong Indian presence, while the term keramat is more commonly used in Cape Town , where there is a strong Cape Malay culture. In South Asia, dargahs are often

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2808-526: The years, new burial places appeared near maqams; it was considered as honour to be buried next to a saint. Big cemeteries formed around many Muslim sanctuaries. According to Claude Reignier Conder , many maqams are originated in Jewish and Christian traditions from before the advent of Islam in the region. He identified seven types of maqams: In the seventh century, the Arab Rashiduns conquered

2862-435: Was also a well or spring. The positioning of maqams on or near these natural features is seen as indicative of ancient worship practices adapted by the local population and associated with religious figures. As a rule, maqams were built on the top of the hills or at the crossroads, and besides their main function – shrine and prayer place, they also served as a guard point and a guiding landmark for travelers and caravans. Over

2916-590: Was in the battle epicentre during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War . After having captured it, Israeli soldiers turned it into a watch and firing point. Since that time, the maqam of Sheikh Nuran has been a memorial for the Israel Defense Forces . After the State of Israel was formed, numerous shrines were turned into Jewish shrines. For example, the Mausoleum of Abu Hurayra was transformed into the tomb of

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