Mirwaiz ( Urdu : میر واعظ , from mir , chief and waiz , preacher) is a hereditary institution of head priests that is unique to the Kashmir Valley . The traditional role of mirwaizes is to provide religious education in the shrines and mosques. Over time, the mirwaizes also took up social, cultural and political activities.
26-587: There are two main mirwaiz lineages in Kashmir: Mirwaiz of Kashmir has its seat at the historic Jama Masjid in Srinagar . The other lineage, known as Mirwaiz Hamadani (after Ali Hamadani ), is based at the historic Khanqah-e-Moula mosque . Each lineage is traditionally the preserve of a single family that traces its roots to an ancestor who arrived in Kashmir with Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani in
52-708: A graduate of the Deoband Institute of Islamic Studies was designated the next Mirwaiz. Moulana Mohammad Noor Ud Din Shah (1912–1997) was assigned the duties of Naib- Mirwaiz who was the youngest son of Atique Ullah Shah and a graduate from Oriental College , Lahore . They are buried in Muzaffarabad and Islamabad respectively. Mirwaizi Kashmir Moulana Muhammad Yousuf Shah translated the Quran in Kasmiri language
78-653: Is based on the traditional Chaar Bagh plan and has a tank in the centre. The entire courtyard is made up of pointed arched, brick arcade. The court which was originally planted with a series of chinars is enclosed by arched liwans (cloisters) covered with two tiered sloping roof. For 21 years, th e Mosque faced closure under the Sikh regime of Maharaja Ranjit Singh beginning in 1819 AD, when the-then Governor of Srinagar, Moti Ram, put curbs on offering prayers in Jamia Masjid. No prayers were offered and no call for prayers
104-488: Is covered with a pyramidal roof surmounted by a square open pavilion ( brangh ) with a spire on top. A total of 378 wooden columns support the roof. Each turret is supported by eight lofty pillars 48 feet (15 m) high and 6 feet (1.8 m) in girth. The mihrab too has a similar turret over it. The remaining interior of the Mosque has 346 columns 21 feet (6.4 m) high and 5 feet (1.5 m) in girth. Initially
130-559: Is the most authentic translation also published by King Fahad Press in Madinah Munawwarah and distributed free to all Kashmiries performing Huj or Umrah.Mirwaiz Maulana Muhammad Noor ud Din Shah also translated Amayatasaaloon 30th chapter of Quran in Kashmiri language so as to facilitate and understand the meanings as its mostly read during five times prayers. Mirwaiz Yusuf Shah is believed to have developed good relations with
156-773: Is traditionally based in Srinagar popularly known as Mirwaiz Hamdani with its seat in Markaz-i-Islam Kashmir Ziyarat Shah-e-Hamdan Ameer-i-Kabir Mir Syed Ali Hamdani historic Khanqah-e-Moula Srinagar. Notable among Hamdani (Mirwaiz) Clan are Mirwaiz Moulvi Sidiq followed by Mirwaiz Moulvi Salah -[40 Years], Mirwaiz Moulvi Ghulam-[36 Years], The Late Mujhahid-i-Millat Mirwaiz Moulvi Ahmadullah Hamdani -[32 Years], followed by his son Mirwaiz Moulvi Ghulam Nabi Hamdani -[26 Years], Mirwaiz Moulana Moulvi Muhammad Yaseen Hamdani -[54 Years] followed by his son
182-563: The Auqaf , income for the Mosque used to come from elite citizens of the State. For the welfare of the Mosque, INTACH has recently taken over the reins of renovation. On 28 December 2018, a group of masked young men stormed into the mosque with ISIS flags after Friday congregational prayers, when the mosque was nearly empty, and a video of the incident went viral on social media. The incident became highly publicised and provoked condemnation from
208-479: The 14th century. The rivalry between the two lineages, which were frequently involved in local politics, has historically been a cause of clashes, including violent ones. Moulvi Siddique-Ullah (1075-1155 H) known as Siddiq Baba and his son Akhund Moulvi Abdussalam (1129-1209 H) are buried in the outskirts of Srinagar where they lived and preached Islam. Akhund Moulvi Abdussalam had five sons, one of them, Hafiz Ghulam Rasool Shah (1161-1234); known as Lasa Baba -
234-479: The 2nd (1251-1327 H) also known as Sir Sayyed-e-Kashmir, was a pioneer in introducing modern education in Kashmir under the banner of Anjuman-e-Nasratul-Islam . Moulana Ahmadullah Shah (1285-1349 H) and Moulana Atique Ullah Shah (1291-1381 H) took the title of Mirwaiz Kashmir one after another. Atique Ullah Shah was unable to perform his duties due to old age and ill health, therefore Moulana Muhammad Yousuf Shah, (1313-1388 H) second son of Moulana Rasool Shah and
260-406: The Mosque and constructed a turret in the primary structure. The last restoration work was carried out under the reign of Maharaja Pratap Singh (r. 1885-1925 CE). Singh enthusiastically encouraged the reconstruction of the Mosque many times and even offered financial assistance. However, all the renovations were carried out to reflect the original architecture and to retain the historic value of
286-456: The Mosque is 146,000 square feet (13,600 m ). Its walls made of burnt bricks are over 4 feet (1.2 m) thick. The lower portion of the walls is made of rectangular stones. There are three big entrance gates on north, south and eastern sides of the Mosque confronting three turrets standing on lofty columns of deodar wood. The eastern side has a large entrance called the Shah Gate which
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#1732791668015312-401: The Mosque that it has carried through centuries. The Jamia Masjid falls under the domain of Anjuman-e-Auqaf , a private enterprise. The caretaker board of the Mosque was constituted in 1975. Major source of revenue comes from the rent of 278 shops (owned by the Auqaf ) around the Mosque and other sources of public funding. The revenue is not fixed and varies annually. Before the inception of
338-408: The circular form that end in the lounges of each turret. The city of Srinagar can be viewed from these high turrets. The roof is constructed out of timber and iron bars. The birch bark over the roof is now replaced by corrugated iron sheets. The inner courtyard of the Mosque has a water fountain, that is used for ablution , with four lawns around it decorated with chinar trees. The water tank in
364-539: The courtyard was originally fed by a water channel known as Lachma Kual . The Mosque has been subject to much destruction till date due to the damage caused by fires. The Mosque was partially or completely destroyed by devastating fires thrice but was restored after every disaster. The existing construction was erected by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1672 C.E. The reconstructions and major renovations in mosque's history have been conducted by: Pertinently, during his reign, Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin (r. 1420–1470 CE) extended
390-413: The government imposed restrictions on prayers for 136 days. On the western and eastern sides, the mosque is 381 feet (116 m) in length while the northern and southern sides are 384 feet (117 m) long. The inner courtyard measures 375 feet (114 m) x 370 feet (110 m) having a 33 feet (10 m) x 34 feet (10 m) water tank with a fountain flowing in the centre. Thus the space area of
416-404: The martyrs were laid in the shrine compound of Khawaja Naqashband Sahab Khawaja Bazar Srinagar where Sheikh Abdullah , Mirwaiz Maulvi Muhammad Yusuf Shah and other leaders started delivering speeches against Autocratic Dogra Maharaja Hari Singh . According to historian Mohammad Ishaq Khan , “ Jamia Masjid has primarily played a significant part in imparting religious education. However, with
442-417: The middle of each side and covered with pyramidal roofs. All of the turrets are interconnected by spacious halls, with bright yellow poppies lining the mossy brick paths and the entire structure is surrounded by wide lanes on all four sides and has a square garden in the middle. The entrance on the southern side of the Mosque comprises a recessed portico which further leads onto an inner courtyard. This courtyard
468-505: The most important mosques in Kashmir. The mosque is located downtown , a central zone in the religio-political life in Srinagar . Thronged by Muslims every Friday, it is a prime tourist attractions of Srinagar . The Jamia Masjid is heavily influenced by Persian architecture , with similarities to the Buddhist pagodas . The structure occupies a total area of 384 x 381 feet and is quadrangular in shape with four turrets . These are in
494-454: The present Mirwaiz Moulana Moulvi Riyaz Ahmad Hamdani. Jamia Masjid, Srinagar Jamia Masjid is a mosque in Srinagar , Jammu and Kashmir , India . Situated at Nowhatta in the Old City , the Mosque was commissioned by Sultan Sikandar in 1394 CE and completed in 1402 CE, at the behest of Mir Mohammad Hamadani, son of Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani , and is regarded as one of
520-568: The present turmoil in the state, and the politics that has unfolded in Kashmir has led to curbs and gags on congregations here. The Mosque has also become a platform for people to debate and discuss the politics of the Kashmir conflict . Prolonged closure of the Mosque came into effect in 2008 when the Amarnath land row erupted. The decision of the state government to prevent people from offering Friday prayers for weeks led to massive outrage, and
546-466: The roof was covered with birch bark and clay. The western wall of the cloister has a mihrab made of black Kashmiri marble which is adorned with beautiful calligraphic work and has engraved on it ninety-nine attributes of Almighty Allah . The Mosque can hold 33,333 persons besides the Imam at a single prayer congregation. To reach the Mosque roof, the walls of the four turrets have interior stairs in
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#1732791668015572-482: The spread of modern education among Kashmiri Muslims, thanks to the efforts of Mirwaiz Ghulam Rasul Shah, the Masjid began to play a seminal role in the growth of political consciousness. Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah was, in fact, initiated into what I would call the mysteries of Kashmiri Muslim politics at Jamia Masjid by Mirwaiz Muhammad Yusuf Shah .” The Jamia Masjid has been a hot-bed of raging political discourse on
598-535: The world-famous scholar Muhammad Asad who had come to Kashmir in the year 1934. After the death of Atique Ullah Shah in 1962, his grandson Moulvi Muhammad Farooque became Naib Mirwaiz Kashmir. He became the Mirwaiz after the death of his uncle Muhammad Yousuf Shah in 1968. Mirwaizi Kashmir Mirwaiz Muhammad Umar Farooq took over the charge after his father was assassinated in May 1990 at the age of 17. The other lineage
624-486: Was given from the Mosque. It was reopened by Governor, Ghulam Muhi-ud-Din, in 1843 who spent nearly a lakh and a half of rupees on its repair. But for 11 years, rulers allowed prayers only on Fridays. The Mosque would be opened for just few hours on Fridays and closed again. The martyrs of 13 July 1931 were taken to Jamia Masjid after the Dogra police opened fire and 22 people were killed and hundreds injured. The bodies of
650-514: Was seen as an attempt to choke the rebellion whose epicentre was the areas of the old city, particularly around Jamia Masjid. During the Mehbooba Mufti led coalition government, the Mosque was again locked down for three months during the unrest of 2016 , and again in 2017 and 2018 for different periods of time. After the revocation of the erstwhile state's special status—and its bifurcation into two union territories—on 5 August 2019,
676-431: Was the first one to obtain the title of Mir waizi Kashmir (Head Preacher of Kashmir). Wali Ullah, Rahim Shah, Abdullah Shah, and Bandah Shah, the other four are known as Mirwaiz Hamadan. Haji Muhammad Yahya (1201-1298 H) took over the office and continued his father's work. He was the first one to translate Ama Yata Saaloon, the 30th chapter of Quran , into Kashmiri language . Out of his four sons Moulana Rasool Shah
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