Ancient Peshawar's forgotten Wonder: The Greatest Stupa on Earth

[dawn_news]

It should be restored one day to remind us of our glorious past, before that we will have to get rid of extremist mullahs. Though it will take some time, not only getting rid of mullahs but 200 meter tall? How much it will cost if Pakistan decided to re-build it? Will Bhudists countries help in anyway?

 

[Multani]

Name of the documentary will cause heart Burn to many

add something useful to this amazing thread, and stop trolling all over the forum

It is not permitted for Muslims to allow the reconstruction of a kaafir site.

al-Bukhaari (3020) and Muslim (2476) narrated that Jareer ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Bajali said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to me: “O Jareer, will you not relieve me of Dhu’l-Khalsah?” That was a house (in Yemen) belonging to the (tribe of) Khath’am, which was called Ka’bat al-Yamaaniyyah. I set out with one hundred and fifty horsemen. I used not to sit firm on horses and I mentioned that to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He struck me on my chest with his hand and said, 'O Allaah! Make him firm and make him one who guides others and is guided on the right path.' " So Jareer went and burned it with fire, then Jareer sent a man called Abu Artaat to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He said, “I did not come to you until we had left it like a scabby camel.” Then the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) blessed the horses of (the tribe of) Ahmas and their men five times.

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said:

This hadeeth indicates that it is prescribed to remove things that may tempt or confuse the people, whether they are buildings, people, animals or inanimate objects.

If it is asked, how come the Sahaabah left alone the ancient idols of the Pharaohs and Phoenicians? The answer is that these idols fall into one of three categories:

1 – These idols may have been in remote places that the Sahaabah did not reach; when the Sahaabah conquered Egypt, for example, that does not mean that they reached every part of the land.

2 – These idols may not have been visible, rather they may have been inside Pharaonic buildings etc. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us to hasten when passing through the abodes of the wrongdoers and those who had been punished, and he forbade entering such places. In al-Saheehayn it is says: “Do not enter upon those who have been punished unless you are weeping, lest there befall you something like that which befall them.” He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that when he passed by ashaab al-hijr [the dwellers of the rocky tract – see al-Hijr 15:80], in the land of Thamood, the people of Saalih (peace be upon him).

According to another report narrated in al-Saheehayn, “If you are not weeping, then do not enter upon them, lest there befall you something like that which befall them.”

What we think is that if the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw a temple or building belonging of these people, they did not enter it or even look at what was inside it.

This will dispel any confusion about why the Sahaabah did not see the Pyramids or what is inside them. There is also the possibility that their doors and entrances were covered with sand at that time.

3 – Many of these idols that are visible nowadays were covered and hidden, and have only been discovered recently, or they have been brought from remote places that the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not reach.

Al-Zarkali was asked about the Pyramids and the Sphinx etc: Did the Sahaabah who entered Egypt see them?

He said: They were mostly covered with sand, especially the Sphinx.

Shibh Jazeerat al-‘Arab, 4/1188

Then even if we assume that there was a statue that was visible and not hidden, then we still have to prove that the Sahaabah saw it and were able to destroy it.

The fact of the matter is that the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) would not have been able to destroy some of these statues. It took twenty days to destroy some of these statues even with tools, equipment, and explosives etc that were not available to the Sahaabah at all.

This is indicated by what Ibn Khuldoon said in al-Muqaddimah (p. 383), that the caliph al-Rasheed was unable to destroy the estrade of Chosroes. He started to do that, and he gathered men and tools, and burned it with fire, and poured vinegar on it, but he was unable to do it. And the caliph al-Ma’moon wanted to destroy the Pyramids in Egypt and he gathered workers but he could not do it.

With regard to the excuse that these statues are part of the legacy of mankind, no attention should be paid to such words. Al-Laat, al-‘Uzaa, Hubal, Manaat and other idols were also a legacy for those who worshipped them among Quraysh and the Arabs.

This is a legacy, but it is a haraam legacy which should be uprooted. When the command comes from Allaah and His Messenger, then the believer must hasten to obey, and the command of Allaah and His Messenger cannot be rejected on the grounds of this flimsy excuse. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“The only saying of the faithful believers, when they are called to Allaah (His Words, the Qur’aan) and His Messenger, to judge between them, is that they say: “We hear and we obey.” And such are the successful (who will live forever in Paradise)”

[al-Noor 24:51]

We ask Allaah to help the Muslims to do that which He loves and which pleased Him.

Obligation to destroy idols
- islamqa.info

palao-eater, do you suggest that the Hazrat Bal Shrine should be bulldozed? Yes or No?

salafi wahabis want to destroy everything. Not just non-Muslim culture and history, but Muslim culture and history too

 

[StrikerX]

It should be restored one day to remind us of our glorious past, before that we will have to get rid of extremist mullahs. Though it will take some time, not only getting rid of mullahs but 200 meter tall? How much it will cost if Pakistan decided to re-build it? Will Bhudists countries help in anyway?

It would cost a few dozen million dollars.I don't know how many.

China may help given it was Chinese Buddhist pilgrims who used to come here, and they documented its details. The World Bank may also help.

It is funny to talk about it given the current economic situation of Pakistan. But in the long run, its a golden sparrow. Cost will be recovered by tourism revenues, easily.

By the way, the current single line Lahore Metro Bus cost $300 million.

 

[Multani]

This is indicated by what Ibn Khuldoon said in al-Muqaddimah (p. 383), that the caliph al-Rasheed was unable to destroy the estrade of Chosroes. He started to do that, and he gathered men and tools, and burned it with fire, and poured vinegar on it, but he was unable to do it. And the caliph al-Ma’moon wanted to destroy the Pyramids in Egypt and he gathered workers but he could not do it.

Obligation to destroy idols
- islamqa.info

These are lies by islamqa and gross misuse and misrepresentation of Ibn Khuldoon great work

palao eating salafi Aussie, do you know ibn Khuldoon was a BIG SUFI, and went to tombs and did Zikr there.

 

[darkinsky]

If India is like Africa and Europe then Asia must be some planet like earth or mars.

india was a separate continental mass land which got merged with asia, so science tells us india indeed is a continent

 

[INDIC]

india was a separate continental mass land which got merged with asia, so science tells us india indeed is a continent

Is Greenland too a continent.

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

Or, we can keep it what it is, and add a second name recognized in our constitution.



Thank you for this. The preservation quality is truly remarkable.

Actually not only that. Indonesia have managed to preserve some of the best temples and monastries of supreme architecture.

Prambanan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[darkinsky]

Is Greenland too a continent.

is india a greenland?

 

[StrikerX]

Is Greenland too a continent.

Australia is a continent. If Greenland becomes inhabited vastly, it too will become a continent.

 

[StrikerX]

I found an interesting report on this.

Excerpt:

"Possibly the magnificent Kanishka stūpa is depicted on a Gandhāran stone relief, exhibited 2008/9 in Bonn,Germany. The stūpa is shown on a quadratic pedestal, with pillars at the four corners. There are lion capitals on each pillar. Parasols on top of the main stūpa are indicated. Right of the stūpa is a devotee probably holding, as a symbol, the iron post, which according to the above-mentioned narration of the Chinese pilgrim Daoyao, was to have been lifted up with the help of the four towers.

Through excavations the foundation of one of these towers at a corner of the 54 m × 54 m pedestal has been found and documented.32 The erection of pillars with lion capitals shows that Kanishka the Great regarded himself as a second Ashoka, the renowned Mauryan emperor who became a Buddhist."

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Another Excerpt:


"To the east of the city is a large stupa of King Kani (Kaniška). The foundation measures one li in circuit. In the stūpa are the bone śarīras of Buddha, one hu in quantity. The total height is more than five hundred chi. The rings (parasols) of the finial are twenty-five. The stūpa has three times caught fire, and now repair work is going on. This is what has been called the Qiaoli Stūpa. Empress Dowager Hu of Northern Wei, with her heart of deep devotion, had the śramana Daosheng and others sent there carrying with them a big banner more than seven hundred chi long, and they hung it on the stūpa; the banner could just reach the ground" ~ From the biography of the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang

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The report is named "The Stūpa of the Kushan Emperor Kanishka the Great, with Comments on the Azes Era and Kushan Chronology".

The file is too large to be attached here, so please Google it.

 

[INDIC]

is india a greenland?

You were talking about the drift of the Island towards Asian continent.

 

[darkinsky]

I found an interesting report on this.
View attachment 23057


Excerpt:

"Possibly the magnificent Kanishka stūpa is depicted on a Gandhāran stone relief, exhibited 2008/9 in Bonn,Germany. The stūpa is shown on a quadratic pedestal, with pillars at the four corners. There are lion capitals on each pillar. Parasols on top of the main stūpa are indicated. Right of the stūpa is a devotee probably holding, as a symbol, the iron post, which according to the above-mentioned narration of the Chinese pilgrim Daoyao, was to have been lifted up with the help of the four towers.

Through excavations the foundation of one of these towers at a corner of the 54 m × 54 m pedestal has been found and documented.32 The erection of pillars with lion capitals shows that Kanishka the Great regarded himself as a second Ashoka, the renowned Mauryan emperor who became a Buddhist."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another Excerpt:


"To the east of the city is a large stupa of King Kani (Kaniška). The foundation measures one li in circuit. In the stūpa are the bone śarīras of Buddha, one hu in quantity. The total height is more than five hundred chi. The rings (parasols) of the finial are twenty-five. The stūpa has three times caught fire, and now repair work is going on. This is what has been called the Qiaoli Stūpa. Empress Dowager Hu of Northern Wei, with her heart of deep devotion, had the śramana Daosheng and others sent there carrying with them a big banner more than seven hundred chi long, and they hung it on the stūpa; the banner could just reach the ground" ~ From the biography of the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The report is named "The Stūpa of the Kushan Emperor Kanishka the Great, with Comments on the Azes Era and Kushan Chronology".

The file is too large to be attached here, so please Google it.

Peshawar can be our historic city along with Lahore, we need to invest immensely in our archaeology dept

 

[StrikerX]

Peshawar can be our historic city along with Lahore, we need to invest immensely in our archaeology dept

I'm from Lahore. But allow me to say, no city in Pakistan matches the historical richness of Peshawar. Peshawar, due to Khyber Pass (the gateway to Indian Subcontinent), has been a commercial and cultural hub of Central Asian Region. Recently, CM KPK Pervez Khattak said the same in a meeting on Peshawar Mass Transit.

As for archaeology, there are vast swathes of land in Sindh, Baluchistan, KPK and Gilgit Baltistan that need to be excavated.

Btw, Peshawar's ancient name is Pushkalavati. It means the city of flowers.

 

[EyanKhan]

Btw, Peshawar's ancient name is Pushkalavati. It means the city of flowers

Wasn't it Parashapura "City of Men" ??

 

[StrikerX]

Wasn't it Parashapura "City of Men" ??

No. Please see wikipedia article named "History of Peshawar".