April 9, 2023 Published in Social Dairy Magazine
Link: https://socialdiary.pk/an-homage-to-holy-relics-in-conversation-with/
This Ramadan as we invest in ways to understand and adapt the teachings of our religion, including following the sunnah of our beloved Prophet SAW, wouldn’t it be an absolute delight to witness in person some of the belongings of the Last Messenger of Allah SWT? Hafiz Syed Arsalan Gilani, founder of ‘The Gilani Sacred Relics,’ has been conducting exhibitions not just in Pakistan but around the world, where he allows visitors to peek into his fascinating religious collection of relics, most of which have been inherited from his family, while others were gifted to him from various countries. Social Diary spoke to him about his incredible journey and passion, some of the most valuable items in his collection and where he will be exhibiting next. Read On:
SD: Kindly
share with us a little about yourself.
Hafiz Syed: I am a Ph.D. scholar from Lahore. I am the eldest son
of my father, Syed Farooq ul Hassan Gilani. Alhamdulillah! I am blessed to be
one of the direct descendants of the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from both the
paternal and maternal sides. My grandfather was Syed Ahmad Hassan Gilani RA who
was also a direct descendant of Hazrat Imam Hassan bin Ali bin Abi Talib RA and
Shaykh Abdul Qadir Al Jelani RA, while my mother is the daughter of Syed
Mahmood Ahmad Gilani RA who too is Hussaini belonging to Imam Musa Al Kazim
RA’s and Hazrat Imam Hussain Bin Ali bin Abi Talib RA’s family. I am privileged
to have the custody of several Holy Relics Attributed to Prophet Muhammad SAW
and many other Awlia-e-karam.
SD: What are
your exhibitions about?
Hafiz Syed: These exhibitions provide the locals as well as the
foreigners a chance to physically come and feel the spirituality around these
holy relics. It’s about providing Muslims, especially those who have an intense
love for our Last Messenger SAW, a chance to see His SAW belongings in front of
their eyes! In the exhibitions, we showcase different holy relics, for example,
the Sacred Hair of the Prophet’s SAW and strands from His SAW. The
exhibit also allows people to see the belongings of Prophet Muhammad SAW.
Because not everyone can afford to go to places like Topkapi Palace Museum in
Istanbul, Turkey. So, the exhibition is basically about presenting treasured
relics so that people can have an incredible religious experience here in their
very own country.
SD: How long
have you been conducting these exhibitions?
Hafiz Syed: Initially it was only an in-house exhibition set up for
local visitors, where I also used to give people virtual tours of the entire
collection in the room through my social media platforms, but since the
collection and the traffic on my social media accounts has increased, people
tend to demand physical showcases where they could bring their families. We’ve
been doing exhibitions on a domestic level for less than a decade, but our
first international exhibition was held back in 2019. It was in Brunei
Darussalam. We were invited by the Royal Family of Brunei Darussalam. There
were also several other invitations from different countries but unfortunately,
those all got postponed due to the pandemic. Alhamdulillah, the situation has
since settled down globally; we look forward to continuing our journey and
exhibiting our relics internationally once again Insha’Allah. We have done
several exhibitions nationally for instance in Islamabad, Karachi, Wah Cantt
and Azad Kashmir.
SD: What are
the main items that you showcase in The Gilani Sacred Relics?
Hafiz Syed: Alhamdulillah, we have more than 200 relics, but
honestly, we are not able to showcase those all simultaneously in each
exhibition, however, we try to exhibit as many as we can! There are many
special relics in our collection Masha’Allah, a few of which are the Blessed
hair of Prophet Muhammad SAW, the Blessed Sandal of Prophet Muhammad SAW, the
Blessed Shirt of Prophet Muhammad SAW, Replica of Footprint, Mud, Swords, Kiswa
al Ka’aba Shareef, Kiswa Shareef of Blessed Chamber Madinah, Lock of Blessed
Chamber, 3D Model of Grave of Prophet ﷺ. Shirts of the Ottomans Era, Letters
from the Ottoman Empire etc.
SD: Since when
have you been collecting these items?
Hafiz Syed: It’s been around 15 years since collecting these holy
items has become a passion for me. Most of the relics I own have been passed on
to me from my ancestors. I had already inherited many relics from my
forefathers. The rest of the other artifacts have been gifted to me from
different countries, for instance, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, India, Syria, Egypt,
Pakistan etc.
SD: How important do you think it is to make people aware of
these valuables?
Hafiz Syed: Our beloved Prophet ﷺ loved us and cared for us. Even
though he went through so much hardship during his life, he always kept longing
and praying for us, his Ummah. Enhance your longing and love for Prophet
Muhammad SAW through the ziyarah of the Prophetic relics and Islamic artifacts.
Through the well-preserved holy artifacts, learn about the Prophet’s legacy and
his journey in promoting Islam.
SD: What has
been the most amazing experience when showcasing the exhibits?
Hafiz Syed: Generally, wherever we go, we witness the emotional
reactions of the visitors. However, I was really moved by the love and respect
Brunei citizens demonstrated during our exhibitions there! I have seen them
standing silently and peacefully in the most respectful manner around the
relics. I have observed their lower gazes, and how they did not even turn their
backs toward the Holy Shirt! Also, I can recall a few of them who were on their
knees while doing the ziyarah of the artifacts.
SD: Where will
you be showcasing next?
Hafiz Syed: There are many plans in the pipeline at the moment
which we expect to finalize soon Insha’Allah. We would go for holding
exhibitions nationally as well as internationally. People are just requested to
stay connected with us through our Gilani Sacred Relics’ social media pages so
that everyone knows when and where the next exhibitions would take place
Insha’Allah
