The ‘healing’ powers of trees

A graveyard in Yazman becomes a shrine as people believe the trees to have healing powers.

MULTAN: A graveyard in Yazman has become a shrine as hundreds of people have begun to bring sick people believing the trees on the plot to have healing powers.

In Yazman’s Ali Ashab area there are seven graves believed by locals to belong to companions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). “We believe that these graves belong to companions of the prophet and nine women always sit in mourning to pray for their souls,” said Bibi Nazeeran, a devotee.

Families of several patients have tied their family members to trees at the graveyard. Multan’s Mehbub Elahi has been tied to a tree for the last two years and has been declared insane by health officials. The caretaker of the graveyard Fazal Karim said that enchaining the patients was part of their treatment and on the other hand the Auqaf Department has stated that enchaining people at a graveyard is no form of treatment and should be strictly prohibited.

Patients suffering from cancer and various ailments including mentally handicapped people are brought to the graveyard and tied to trees with chains. “People do this voluntarily, they remain tied to a tree for ten days as their family and relatives feed them and they are cured,” said a regular visitor at the graveyard, Mehmood.

A sort of shrine has cropped up surrounding the graves in the area and at present over 25 people can be found tied to various trees and assorted branches for ten days. Nine women at the graveyard are perpetually on ‘chilla’ which involves 40 days of worship. “There are always nine women here, when one completes her chilla, then another takes her place,” said one of the caretakers of the graveyard, Abdullah.

In Yazman’s Ali Ashab area there are seven graves considered to be that of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) companions. In this graveyard the families of several patients have tied them to trees. Multan’s Mehbub Elahi is tied to a tree for the last two years as he became mad. The caretaker of the graveyard Fazal Karim said enchaining the patients was part of their treatment and on the other hand the Auqaf Department has written in the graveyard that enchaining people was strictly prohibited.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26^th, 2010.