It is one of the prominent
feature of Dargah Sharif & Khanqas (Spiritual Monasteries).
In the present advanced age
several questions are being raised in relation to those
offerings which are made at the shrines of Muslim saints,
particularly at the Dargah of Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (R.A.)
at Ajmer.
It is all due to the lack of proper religious knowledge, lack of
well established customs precedents and traditions and lack of
settled Islamic and judicial pronouncements on this point.
Nazar-O-Niaz which is a combination of two words of Arabic
language, in English it means vows and oblations. It is paid on
the fulfillment of one's own vow (Mannat e.g. getting a child or
such as business or completion of a house etc.) it is a gesture
of appreciation paid for rendering satisfactory spiritual
service hence it is personal, undisputable, irrefutable and 'un
claimable' by others. It is neither pre-determined nor pre fixed
but willing offering on the fulfillment of one's on cherished
desires.
ACCORDING TO
ISLAMIC LAW
Offering i.e. Nazar-O-Niaz is
a deed through which the nearness is attained, it is also a
source of earning the pleasure and blessings of those who have
attained the nearness of god ,not only this , presentation of
Nazar-O-Niaz is considered as a source of achievement and
success in life.
According to CHISHTIA sect: Offerings which people make at any
Dargah, their intention and aim is to obtain the blessing of
that Saint at whose Dargah the offerings are made and also the
blessings of that person who is the custodian of that Dargah and
in his capacity as Gaddi Nashin, Moallim, Mujawar or Khadim is
entitled to receive the same.
After understanding the literary meanings of offerings let us
see how the famous Muslim Jurist and Ulama have theologically
explained the same.
1. In his book Nazar Buzurgan-e-din HAZRAT SHAH RAFIULLAH says:-
whatever is presented in cash or in kind at any Dargah by the
devotees is known as offerings. This further means and implies
that offerings made at Dargah are not for any charitable purpose
but for the benefit of those attached to Dargah.
2. Another famous Jurist Imam Ghani Al-Nablisi Al-Qudsi in his
book Hadiqa-e-Nadiah has clearly written: the main object of
offerings made at Dargah is to benefit or facilitate the
Moallims.
3. In his another book Kashfun-Noorhe has further clarified the
object and purpose of Nazar as under:
those who make offerings at the Dargah of a saint, know well and
fully understand that those offerings are for personnel use and
sustenance of those who are attached with Dargah,particularly
the Moallims.
4. Hazrat Allama Ahmed Raza Khan Fazile Barelawi has also
confirmed that acceptance of offerings at a Mazar is the right
of its Khadims and he has further emphasized that the kiths and
kins of Sahib-e-Mazar will not be the beneficiaries. (Fatwa-e-Rizwiyah,
Vol. 4, Page-126).
Some other relevant references based on the following authentic
books of Islamic jurisprudence written by the prominent
theologians_
1. Raddul Mohtar F1 Sharh-e-Durre
Mukhtar by Allama Syed Ibn-e-Abidin Shami Hanafi (Kitabus som,
Nazar-e-Amwat).
2. Risala-e-Nuzoor (Persian) by
Shah Rafiuddin son of Shah Waliullah Muhaddis Dehalvi Page-12.
3. Tafsir-e-Ahmadi by Mulla Ahmed
Jiwan, Ustad of Aurangzeb Alamgir.
4. Mukhzan-Noor by Allama Abdul
Ghani Nabulusi.
NATURE OF
OFFERINGS
At any Dargah particularly at
Ajmer .The nature and purpose of offerings apart from what has
been said earlier is, with some modification as under:
1. Firstly a person makes a vow and when his vow is fulfilled he
makes the offerings.
2. The Second form of the offerings is that the devotee has not
made any vow, but when he visits Dargah he out of devotion
presents certain money at the holy grave of the saint with the
intention that whatever he is presenting he s presenting as an
offering to that with clear implication that the same will be
used by those who are entitled to receive it. At Ajmer the
devotees pay the offering to a Moallim who may take as their
well wisher or spiritual preceptor.
3. The third form of offering is that it is paid directly to the
Moallim knowing well that the same is for the benefit and
personal use of that Moallim.
4. The fourth form is that devotees pay a particular amount of
offering to the Moallim and limit its expanses they clearly
specify the purpose
i.e. either to distribute equally among all the Moallims, to
feed the poor, to spend in religious and spiritual functions, to
present flowers or chadar (made of cotton or fine cloth) on the
mazar. The soul purpose of the offering in all the religious
orders is nothing but to grace, benefit
and facilitate the moallim or the person attached to Dargah.