The unseen treasures of Badshahi Mosque

“Oh my God! Obaid, are these tabarrukat real or copies?” asked Mayda Haris, at the ziarat section of Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, where many items apparently belonging or attributed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his companions have been on display for decades. Haris was one of my group of friends who were here from Europe and the Emirates.

“Of course, they are original and not copies to the best of my knowledge,” I replied.

“Are you sure?” she asked again in disbelief.

“Yes,” I answered in affirmative, “but why do you ask?”

“If these tabarrukat are original, don’t the authorities in Pakistan know that they are sitting on one of the world’s greatest treasures,” she replied, sounding quite annoyed. “I can’t believe that they are being kept here in this casual and careless way as if it just a regular display item of little importance.”

I looked at her, trying to understand what she felt and what she meant.

“If it was any other country in possession of these tabarrukat, they would have given them immense importance for being rare and revered items,” she added.

The visitors spent almost a month sight-seeing in Pakistan but nothing moved them as much as what they saw at the Badshahi Mosque.

When my friend had pointed out the unceremonious display of the tabarrukat in Badshahi Mosque, I couldn’t really say much. The condition in which these relics are kept is nothing to be proud of. However, I had resolved to sort this matter out one way or another upon my return to Islamabad.

I knocked the doors of concerned authorities including PTDC, the Chief Minister Punjab and Minister for Religious Affairs, but in vain. Although the Punjab Government has spent huge funds on renovation of cultural and heritage areas in Lahore from time to time, but these rare items are being treated callously instead of the reverence they deserve and demand.

I recently received an email from my friends who had visited Pakistan earlier, asking me if any steps had been taken by the concerned authorities, since they had come to know that the Punjab Government was spending huge funds on the Lahore Fort, I could hardly tell them that the concerned authorities were more focussed on less important stuff such as politics, photo opportunities and personal agendas.

The relics

In a separate and neglected section of the Badshahi Mosque, Lahore, a turban, prayer mat, hair, tooth and a robe attributed to the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) are on display. There is also an old and rare copy of the Quran and some other personal items attributed to the Prophet’s (PBUH) companions.

Given that these are of inexplicable importance, significance and value to Muslims of the world, it is surprising that our tourism ministry is so blasé about their possession. Let alone people living abroad, even people in Pakistan are not fully aware of this treasure that, in all fairness, belongs to the entire Muslim ummah. Why is this not spoken and written about? Why is there a reluctance to share this information or to market it to increase tourism in the country? Why is there not a big hoo-ha being created around this place? Those items do not belong to just anyone, do they? Why is the infinite value of these priceless items being kept like an embarrassing secret? Is there an authenticity issue? None of the questions have answers, but they continue to race in my mind.

The Callous Display

These items are being displayed at low-level security and no temperature control for preservation, in a dirty and easily breakable glass cabinet. The particular section or gallery where these are housed has a gloomy ambience. A centrally placed, huge, iron safe for depositing sadqa or alms etc. monitored by a couple of grubby men looks hideous and out of place.

According to some reports, in the past some footwear attributed to the Prophet (PBUH) were pilfered and despite the Supreme Court’s suo moto notice, the matter remains unresolved to date.

“This clearly shows our lack of sincerity,” says a senior journalist who wishes to remain anonymous. Expressing his concerns about the safety of the tabarrukaat, he added that if immediate or proper care not taken by relevant authorities, these might just disappear.

“I am not an expert on museums and exhibitions, but other museums in Pakistan such as the ones in Peshawar, Lahore, Taxila, Swat and Karachi are more professionally curated, clean, safe and taken care of,” says Jawad Ullah Khan, a tourist guide from Islamabad. “But these tabarukkat are displayed in such an unimpressive way to say the least.”

Khan elaborated that these relics should be kept in accordance with international standards in the most beautiful and special space created for them. “When you think of these rare items, shining and expensive wood, iron, glass and marble comes to mind, along with strong walls, and lots of security,” says Khan. “All things that could represent the glory and reverence of Islam. Turkey, for instance, has preserved tabarrukats and other historical and religious items in the most perfect environment and ambience possible.”

Either the storage or display of these rare items can be improved significantly at the Badshahi Mosque or these could be housed in a secure and safe environment at another museum, the Quaid’s or Allama Iqbal’s mausoleum. Our endeavours in this regard will only enhance our image as the world sees how remarkably and proudly we have housed these rare items.

“Once the issues related to correct, safe and appropriate display have been attended to, a travelling exhibition could be arranged so that people from other cities can also see them,” suggests Durreshawar Mehmood, a tourism consultant for environment change and climate policy. “The exhibition could be organised under government protection and arrangements made in all big cities during Rabi-ul-Awal when we celebrate the last Prophet’s (PBUH) birth anniversary. Billions of rupees are spent on preservation of historical items in museums as well as Lahore Museum, but nothing has been done so far for the tabarrukat lying in Badshahi Mosque.”

Religious tourism has rapidly grown for the eighth consecutive year, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). Presently, more than a billion people travel internationally, and half of these journeys are to developing countries. As per the UNWTO, more than 400 million tourists visit the world’s key religious sites every year with approximately 600 million national and international religious voyages in the world, 40-50% of which take place in Europe. About 600 million national and international people visited Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage, generating around US$18 billion in global revenue. Similarly, as per Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 3.7 million tourists visited Topkapi Palace while 3.1 million visited the Hagia Sophia in 2011 and presently the numbers have tripled. As per the statistical authority of Turkey, the country’s tourism revenue jumped to $46.3 billion in 2022, of which a major chunk comes from religious tourism.

Why doesn’t the government take advantage of this trend and boost tourism in our country, where travellers can experience the historical heritage of one of the oldest civilisations in the world and pay respect to our rich legacy of Sufi shrines, Hindu temples, Sikh Gurdwaras and Buddhist monasteries. Here they have the opportunity to scale some of the highest mountains in the world or simply experience the natural beauty ranging from blossoming trees against the backdrop of snow-clad peaks in Gilgit-Baltistan, down to the pristine beaches of Gwadar.

But despite this wealth of tourist attractions, Pakistan’s tourism sector trails far behind that of India, Turkey, Sri Lanka and the region in general.

Religious tourism

Internationally, Pakistan is renowned for its diverse religious landscape, encompassing three major global faiths, namely, Islam, Sikhism, and Buddhism. With an aim to attract more religious visitors to Pakistan, the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) has identified 480 locations for inbound tourism alone. Among these 106 are of historical significance, 120 of pure religious significance, and 26 of historical value.

“Religious tourism is developing well in Pakistan,” says Mohammad Moeed ur Rehman, CEO of Silk Roads Pakistan, a travel company. “Yet the most precious and the most important assets belonging to the last Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) lie neglected in the Badshahi Mosque. If the government pays attention to this neglected treasure, tourism could be boosted in our country through ziarat [pilgrimage or religious visits] of these items and bring us millions of dollars in foreign exchange. We can follow how religious heritage has been preserved and maintained in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran and Bosnia and how this boosts religious tourism to these countries.”

These tabarukkat must be strategically marketed to Muslims around the world who would be keen to see them. As an initiative to pull in religious tourists, officials from consulates and embassies in Pakistan must be invited for an exclusive visit to the gallery where these items are housed, and photographs and information should be shared with them as well. Tourists visiting Pakistan to see these rare items would also stay on and pursue other tourist interests in Pakistan.

There should be a law passed by the parliament that these tabarrukat cannot be owned privately and are a state property.

“There are several people in Pakistan who claim to own tabarrukat,” says Zainab Rehman, a digital marketing intern at NUST. “No one knows whether they are authentic or fake, but it provides an income source for these people as they charge money by allowing people to view them privately or on social media. After strict checking, these items must be taken in possession by the government as a property of Ummah.”

Religious tourism represents a flourishing yet relatively untapped sector in Pakistan—a nation rich with diverse landmarks of various religious and ethnic backgrounds.

Once the tabarrukat are housed correctly, laws, rules and regulations can come into effect, followed by marketing this novel treasure to Muslims all over the world. But the first step is to recognise and acknowledge the treasure that we are sitting on.

Obaid Ur Rehman Abbasi is a freelance contributor. All facts and information are the sole responsibility of the writer