Eid moon controversy in Pakistan: How old is the Qasim Ali Khan Mosque in Peshawar?

Unlike every year, a non-governmental committee headed by Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai convened a meeting at the Qasim Ali Khan Mosque in Peshawar, contrary to the government's Ruwit-e-Hilal Committee. The meeting ended with the announcement of non-attendance.

The final decision on when Eid will take place in the rest of Pakistan will be made this evening, but residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been celebrating Eid on different days for a long time, unlike the rest of the country.

The ancient mosque of Qasim Ali Khan in Peshawar has a special connection with the tradition of moon sighting for many decades and this tradition is considered a unique feature of this historic mosque.
Especially two or three times a year when the month of Ramadan or the month of Eid is observed, then the country starts talking about fasting on two Eids or two different dates.

Qasim Ali Khan Mosque is probably the only mosque in Pakistan where the management of the mosque decides about the moon and it is also recognized in the province.

In most districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, looking at the month of Ramadan, one looks to the Qasim Ali Khan Mosque to decide on the month of Shawwal. The decision about the moon from this mosque is recognized in most of the districts of the province. So when did this tradition begin?


What is the history of Qasim Ali Khan Mosque?
The mosque is located in the center of Peshawar, from Qissa Khawani Bazaar to Masgaran Bazaar. According to documents from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Endowment Department, the Qasim Ali Khan Mosque was built in Peshawar in 1842 and was ruled by Ahmad Shah Abdali in Afghanistan and the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi. Peshawar was ruled by Sikhs at that time. Then in 1941 it was completely renovated.

There are conflicting reports about the name of this mosque, one of which is that it and three other mosques near it were built by Mughal Governor Mahabat Khan and the mosques of Mahabat Khan and his brothers Qasim Ali Khan, Dilawar Khan and They were named after Ganj Ali Khan.

On the other hand, according to the research of Professor Ibrahim of the Department of Archeology, University of Peshawar, Qasim Ali Khan was an officer during the reign of Mughal King Aurangzeb, after whom the mosque was named.

According to his research, the other two mosques, Dilawar Ali Khan and Ganj Ali Khan, were also named after two government officials.

Popalzai family and Qasim Ali Khan Mosque
In Peshawar, the Popalzai family is considered an influential and important family. An important member of this family, Abdul Rahim Popalzai, was a judge of Peshawar during the Sikh period.

Abdul Hakim Popalzai, an important figure in the family, took an active part in the Khilafah Movement, after which he was appointed head of the movement here and at the same time he was appointed Khatib of Qasim Ali Khan Mosque.

Abdul Rahim Popalzai II, son of Abdul Hakim Popalzai, also played a significant role in the Khilafah Movement. He played a key role in the protests in Peshawar's Qissa Khawani Bazaar and was sentenced to nine years in prison.

The current Khatib of Qasim Ali Khan Mosque is the grandson of Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai Abdul Rahim Popalzai II.

Qasim Ali Khan Mosque and the tradition of seeing the moon
The tradition of moon sighting is common in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and in most of the villages people consider it necessary to see the moon every month and they have mastered it a lot.

Historically, the Qasim Ali Khan Mosque used to announce the beginning of the month of Ramadan and the sighting of the Eid moon in the past and there was no major controversy at the local level.

Professor Qibla Ayaz, head of the Islamic Ideological Council, told the BBC that before Pakistan was formed, local announcements to see the moon were made from the Qasim Ali Khan Mosque and there was no central committee, so there was no central decision. Was and this tradition continued even after the formation of Pakistan.

He said that when Field Marshal Ayub Khan became the President, he had set up the Central Route Hilal Committee around 1960 and its objective was to observe one day of fasting and one day of Eid all over the country.

He said that after that at the central level in other parts of the country Ramadan would start on the same day and Eid would be celebrated while decisions would be taken on their own in Qasim Ali Khan Mosque.

He said that this was discussed with the management of the mosque but the position of the management of the mosque has been that since this tradition is historically connected with this mosque, they cannot abandon this tradition.

Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai, Khatib of Qasim Ali Khan Mosque, was contacted to know his position but he refused to meet.