The
Arabic word Maqbara (مقبرة "
mausoleum"; plural: مقابرMaqâbir) is derived from the word Qabr, which means
grave. Though maqbara refers to the graves of all
Muslims, it refers especially to a Muslim
cemetery. In some Islamic cultures (especially Indo-Pak-influenced) it refers also to the graves (Raula or
Rauza) of religious figures or Waliyullahs considered to have dedicated their life to
Islam, striving to be true Muslims and training others to follow Islam as preached by the
Islamic prophetMuhammad.
In Asian countries, maqbara also refers to the
Dargah of Waliyullahs,
Sufis,
Sheikhs,
Imams, Qutbs and Ghouses. There are many Dargahs of Waliyullahs all over India, and their maqbaras are found therein.[1]
In
Madurai, South
Tamil Nadu, the term maqbara usually refers to the Dargahs of three saints: Meer Ahmad Ibrahim Waliyullah Al Kabir, Meer Amjad Ibrahim Waliyullah As Saghir, and Syed Abdus Salaam Ibrahim Saalim Waliyullah. The graves of all three
sheikhs are in the
Kazimar big mosque (Periya Pallivasal) in the heart of Madurai city, the cultural capital of
Tamil Nadu in South India.
