Members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)
and Bajrang Dal (BD) attempted to conduct a Yagya on the premises of
Quwwatul Islam mosque near the Qutb Minar. Their attempt was, however,
foiled by the police.
It should be noted that there are two mosques in the Qutb complex. One
mosque is in front of the main gate which was built during the Mughal
period and the other is in front of the Qutb Minar itself. This is
Quwwatul Islam mosque built by Qutbuddin Aibak. This mosque is now in
ruins. Only its main gate with excellent engravings remains and this too
is in a very dilapidated condition. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
has put up a board outside the main gate, which states that Qutbuddin
Aibak built this mosque after demolishing 28 temples and used the stones
and pillars of these temples to build it. As a matter of fact the origin
of the mischief starts from here itself. Tourists and others who read this
board get a very bad impression about Muslim kings and their minds get
poisoned.
Farishta,the historian, simply said that Qutbuddin built the mosque here
and prayers started subsequently. There is, however, a statue of Lord
Ganesh in one of the walls which was probably found while digging the
earth and fixed there like any other stone. But taking it as an excuse the
activists of VHP and Bajrang Dal insist that a temple will be built here
if prayers can be offered in this mosque. The fact, however, is that no
prayers are offered here. Prayers are offered in another mosque which is
at a considerable distance from Quwwatul Islam mosque and which was built
500 years later and is known as Masjid Tarikhul Islam.
About five years ago Hindu Mahasabha people used to come here every week
with drums etc and declared their intention of building a temple at this
place but the educated and sensible people of Delhi did not participate in
their plot. This time also the same drama is repeated. But the people at
large did not take part. There were hardly a hundred people though police
and the ASI had taken sufficient precaution to frustrate this game. The
day passed off peacefully but we could not offer prayers in the Tarikhul
Islam mosque. Every day prayers are offered in this mosque three times,
i.e., Zohar, Asr and Maghrib, while Fajr and Isha prayers are not allowed.
Though in Ramadan, Isha and Taraweeh are allowed but it requires obtaining
permission from the concerned authorities. This mosque is also in a bad
shape but the people of ASI neither themselves get it repaired nor allow
us to repair it, though construction work goes on almost every day in the
Qutb complex. Last year we got the outer wall repaired but Hukum Chand
objected to it and he made a complaint to the DG and started charging
money for entry into the mosque. Whoever came to the mosque for prayers
had to purchase entry tickets. After running from pillar to post this
problem was solved after about a month and namazis were exempted from
purchasing tickets. There is no electricity in the mosque and we have to
face great difficulties in summer, but they have not taken any action in
giving electricity connection. I have been serving as the imam in this
mosque for the last 25 years but there is no electricity and no repair
work in this mosque despite the fact that the mosque is in a very bad
shape and there are cracks in its walls at several places and the small
minarets can fall any time. This mosque is a thorn in the eyes of VHP and
Bajrang Dal because its shape is like the Babri Masjid with three domes
and minarets. These people intend to come again and there may be some
problem again.
 
Clockwise:
Qutb Minar, ruins of the Quwwatul-Islam Mosque, courtyard of the mosque
with an iron-pillar, images recently planted into the walls of the mosque
for future use as ‘proofs’, an image planted into the outside wall of
the Quwwatul Islam mosque being protected with iron grills, Tarikhul Islam
mosque which was briefly locked by unknown elements. Photos:
Ahmad Rahmani
In Mehrauli area there are Jamali Kamali mosque,
Razia Sultan’s mosque, Malai Masjid, ‘Picnic Horror’ and many more
mosques in which people gamble, drink openly and nothing is being done to
prevent them. Not only this, if someone wants to offer prayers in these
mosques, he is not allowed to do so and is taken to the police station.
Other historical mosques such as Khirkee Masjid, Begumpur Masjid etc,
which are as large as the Delhi Jama Masjid, but all kinds of vulgar and
dirty things take place there but the government is not taking any action
to stop these things, though it knows everything which is going on there.
For one Babri Masjid Hindus raised such a storm, although it was actually
a mosque, and so far it is not proved whether there was a Ram temple here
or not. And it is a pity that Muslims cannot obtain their own mosques,
which are undisputed.
Are Delhi Muslims so busy making money that they have no time to pay
attention to these desolate and neglected mosques? If Muslims themselves
will not take care of them, who will do so? If Jamiatul Ulama, All-India
Muslim Council, ‘Save Masjid’ committee, Jamaat-e-Islami etc pay
attention towards these mosques, these can be prevented from further
desecration and destruction, otherwise these will lose their character and
shape in such a way that it will become difficult to recognize whether
these are mosques at all. The Yagya programme of the VHP and Bajrang Dal
has received wide publicity throughout the country in newspapers, radio
and TV etc. Haroon Yusuf, Shoaib Iqbal, Syed Shahabuddin and Syed Ahmad
Bukhari, if you ever happen to come to Mehrauli or Qutb Minar, you can see
for yourselves whatever is going on in these mosques.
Maulana Sher Muhammad is imam of the Tarikhul Islam
mosque adjacent to the Qutb Minar q
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