Sunehri Masjid


Location

The Modern Masjid of Peshawar: Sunehri (Golden) Masjid Peshawar, Pakistan

The Peshawar city is decorated with a number of ancient as well as modern-era mosques, located in almost every corner of the city. Local inhabitants are pleased to have Mughal-era Masjids  like Masjid Mohabat Khan and Masjid Dilawar Khan, Masjid Qasim Ali Khan in Qissa Khwani Bazaar and Masjid Gunj Ali Khan, all located privileged the Walled City, which date back to the 1600s.

Few significant monuments in the Walled City have as colorful a history as the one at the crook of the junction where Kasaira Bazaar meets Kucha Chabakswaran, just off Kashmiri Bazaar. It is a lovely Masjid constructed at a slight tallness.

Now this Masjid has inquiringly-shaped round domes covered with real gold leaf and its building is a mix of local traditions. As it has no sure architectural style to label it, the specialists, some very trustworthy ones, do not approve of it. Others find it thrilling and a reflection of Lahore’s open and generous tradition. Like Amritsar’s Golden Temple, that Masjid is Lahore’s Golden Mosque, better recognized as ‘Sunehri Masjid’.

On the additional , modern Islamic constructions, like Masjid Zarghoni in Hayatabad, and the Sunehri Masjid in the Saddar Area, represent new efforts to figure and revolutionize on the rich inheritance of mosques in Peshawar. While Zarghoni Mosque has been recently constructed in the fashionable sector of the city, building on the Sunehri Masjid, not to be confused with the mosque of the same name in Delhi Gate, Lahore, underway just before the formation of Pakistan.

This spellbindingly large Sunehri Masjid attracts a large number of invitees, especially during the holy month of Ramadan. The mosque in situated near Nothia, a busy market area in the cantonment. While there is not much logged history of the Masjid available, the commemoration on the inside and the imam (the man who leads the prayer and is in charge of the Masjid) clarify that its first brick was placed in 1942.

Though, building efforts stopped till they began again in 1962, and ended in 1992, captivating over 50 years to complete. This is because Sunehri Masjid has been subsidized largely by civic charities. Even today, the Masjid is governed by an self-governing body, which trusts on charities and the influence of overall public.

Sunehri Masjid Under Creation in 1963

Today, Sunehri Masjid distances a total area of about 18,000 square feet, and has a volume to grip about 6000 participants at a time. It is built in a characteristic Mughal style with red bricks, arcs, domes and piercing cupolas on top of the minarets. The highest minaret of the masjid is 128 feet.

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims global spend the month fasting and praying. Masjid become sparkling centers of action, and gleam with lights all through the night as worshippers make their means there. It is not infrequent to see people served free iftar, the dusk meal which ends the fast, trailed by dinner.

A scene of the Courtyards from Inside specially in Ramadan

Conferring to locals, the free iftar at Sunehri Masjid was happening three years ago by Malik Amir, a volunteer, who prepares food at home for about 100 people every day. Last year, the number of people who joined the Masjid for iftar amplified up to 300.

Such points are common throughout the last days of Ramadan, when people devote longer period in the Masjid and give gamely to assistance. These nights start with a recitation of the Quran during late night, pos-iftar Tarawih prayers (an non-compulsory, extra prayer especially for Ramadan), and recite praises to Allah Almighty, which is named a Hamd and to the Prophet (PBUH), which is named a Naat. There are public supplications for peacetime and steadiness in the public and country overall. Many offers step forward during these days to serve the people. Many people from the close neighborhoods chip in economically, and serve their community during this month.

The Main Prayer Area

Additional stimulating inheritance of this Masjid is that it has shaped a safe space for women to pray, which is not as joint in other Masjid around the city. Since the late 90’s, Sunehri Masjid takes needed a distinct section where women offer prayers and listen to Friday addresses. Though, due to the relatively new deteriorating circumstances of safety, women have not been allowable to enter the Masjid for safety concerns.

 

In March 2020, after 23 years, this similar space in the Masjid was revived for women to offer prayers, particularly the Friday prayer and the two major Eid prayers. The Masjid imam, Muhammad Ismail, told the broadcasting that the conclusion was taken just days before the Global Women's Day, as threats of violence no longer loomed over the city. This decision was meant to facilitate women who wish to achieve religious errands as a group, without fear of ferocity or misbehavior.

 

On the first day of this verdict, the local management in Peshawar showed a banner convivial women worshipers, and showing them instructions to their chosen area. Initially around 20 women offered Friday prayers, but the numbers have been snowballing since. For now, up to 150 women are able to offer their prayers and listen to the addresses. This is a pronouncement welcomed enthusiastically by the people of Peshawar.

Inside the Mosque

Masjids are not just houses of adoration, but public spaces which imitate the wants and approaches of their public. Sunehri Masjid has a sole example of the way in which Masjid in (KPK) can become places of public and enclosure. The Masjid may not have much written past material available about it, but continues to carry position for the people of Saddar, Peshawar, as an easily available area for religious worship.

 

The strategy of the Masjid needs some explanation. The supports ending in a lotus shape certainly does provide sights of Hindu-Sikh building but then the vaults are more round with plant creations. Fundamentalists do not like the enterprise while others find the merger of several sub-continental civilizations a beautiful mix. In all features, it is a lovely building.

Today the Masjid is a safe tribute and, ironically, as one newspaper report tells us, after the devotions the doors are locked to keep the travelers away. Why this occurs, need examination. The busy bazaar surely does not mean that travelers and visitors, let alone those eager to noiselessly pray, are rejected from staying this beautiful significant Masjid.

Near the Masjid constructed by Wazir Khan is nearing its preservation and it would not be a bad idea

for the specialists to appointment Sunehri Masjid so as to put forth a strategy to further recover circumstances within the Masjid. There is a lot of effort to be assumed inside the ceilings as well as on the walls. The excellence of work in the larger Masjid nearby can surely be lengthy to this historic Masjid.

Disclaimer: Please note that the information cited in this blog has been obtained from the official website and Facebook page  Sunehri Masjid.

Note: All the images have been traced from the official face book page of Sunehri Masjid.