History of Delhi's Jama Masjid and the Current Controversy Over it

 

History of Delhi's Jama Masjid

A short history of Delhi’s Jama Masjid

After the death of his wife, the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan decided to move the capital of the empire from Agra to Delhi and establish the walled city of Shahjahanabad. It remained the capital for the Mughal successors in what we now know as Old Delhi. Originally, the Jama Masjid was commissioned to be the principal mosque of the future city. Designed by architect Ustad Khalil, the mosque took 6 years to complete and was built by more than 5000 artisans under the direction of Wazir Saadullah Khan.

Originally, the mosque was known as Masjid-i-Jahan Numa, which translates as "the mosque that reflects the world". After this it came to be known as Jama Masjid or Friday Mosque. At Shah Jahan's request, Sayyid Abdul Ghafoor Shah Bukhari, an Imam from Bukhara (now Uzbekistan), inaugurated the mosque on July 23, 1656, gave him the title of Shahi Imam and elevated him to the high office of Imamat-i-Uzma. The construction of the mosque cost an astonishing 1 million rupees at that time.

The mosque has stood firm in the city since its construction, it is located right opposite the Red Fort, another famous landmark built by Shah Jahan. It served as the royal mosque of the emperors until the end of the Mughal period. After the rebellion of 1857, the victorious British authorities confiscated the mosque with the aim of destroying it. However, considerable public resistance forced him to reconsider his plan and the structure was saved from any damage. The mosque is now under the Delhi Waqf Board.

According to OpIndia, as reported earlier, the properties include a mosque, a dargah and a graveyard. The Congress-led UPA administration had given these 123 properties to the Delhi Waqf Board before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. In response, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad approached the court with concerns over the ancient and grandiose locations of these properties.

The Architecture of Delhi’s Jama Masjid

Delhi's Jama Masjid is often regarded as one of the finest mosques built under the Mughal Empire. It is 261 feet long and 90 feet wide, and is built in the Indo-Islamic architectural style using red sandstone and white marble. Three huge arched gateways, three marble domes, four minarets and two tall minarets add to the beauty of the building. It also has a large courtyard in which more than 25,000 people can offer prayers (namaz) simultaneously.

The eastern gate of the mosque has the highest number of stairs, 35 of which lead upwards. This gate is also known as the royal gateway as it was used only by the Mughal emperors. The northern and southern gates have 39 and 33 steps respectively. Each of the two minarets has five floors and a high balcony, reaching a height of 130 feet. To reach the top of each tower one has to climb 130 steps inside.

On 23 October 1947, just after India gained independence, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad addressed Indian Muslims from the Jama Masjid in Delhi. Maulana Azad climbed these historic steps of Jama Masjid to remind Muslims of their glorious past and urged them to stay in India after the Partition of India in 1947, when many Muslims left India for the newly formed Pakistan. In his iconic speech, Maulana Azad urged the Indian Muslims as follows:

“Muslims should have faith in India and the country is yours. This is what Muslims are for. The fundamental decisions about the country will remain incomplete without Muslims”. These are the words from Maulana Azad’s iconic speech which was given at Jama Masjid in Delhi on the occasion of Bakrid in 1947.”

The mosque has attractive black and white marble floors with 899 enclosed sections for worshippers. The interiors of this mosque are decorated with grand arches, floral decorations and neon accents. The archway leading to the center of the prayer hall bears the words 'The Guide'. A copy of the Quran written on deer skin, a red hair from the Prophet Mohammed's beard, a pair of his shoes and his footprints on a marble block are among the notable relics in the mosque.

A brief history of Waqf board of India

Meaning of Waqf: Waqf also literally means confinement or restriction. According to Islam, the property is now available only for religious or charitable purposes, and any other use or sale of the property is prohibited. According to Sharia law, once a waqf is created and the property is dedicated to the waqf, it remains waqf property forever.

The history of waqfs in India can be traced back to the early days of the Delhi Sultanate, when Sultan Muizzuddin Sam Ghowr promised two villages in support of the Jama Masjid of Multan and entrusted the management to Sheikh ul Islam. As the Delhi Sultanate and the following Islamic empires grew in India, the number of waqf properties also increased.

The Central Waqf Council is a statutory body under the administrative control of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, established in 1964 as an advisory body to the Central Government on matters relating to the functioning and proper management of Waqf Boards (Administration of Auqaf). Waqf Act 1954 was established. However, with the stipulations of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2013, the work of the council was greatly increased. As a result, the Council is empowered to advise the Central Government, State Governments and State Waqf Boards. Now the Boards/State Governments will be obliged to submit information and action as per Section 9(4) to the Council on their performance, particularly their financial performance, surveys, revenue records, encroachment of Waqf properties, annual and audit reports etc.

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