Chaghar Matti
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Chaghar Matti ( ps, چغرمٹی) or Matai, also spelled as Chagar Matti, is a village in
Peshawar District Peshawar District ( ps, پېښور ولسوالۍ, hnd, , ur, ) is a district in Peshawar Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is located about 160 km west of the Pakistan's capital Islamabad. The district headquarter i ...
. The fame of Chaghar Matti is due to the Tomb of ''Ashab Baba'' (a companion of
Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد;  570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...
) being located in the region.


Location

Chaghar Matti is located 17 km away from
Peshawar Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...
and 5 km from Warsak Road. The village is located at an altitude of 345 m (1,135 ft) above sea level. It is located in a plain area, surrounded by green and fertile fields. To the east of Chaghar Matti, Peshawar City is situated, to the west Bara and Warsak, to the north Mechani and
Shabqadar Shabqadar ( ps, شبقدر , ur, ) is a town in the Charsadda District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It lies north of provincial capital Peshawar. Overview and history Shabqadar is a tehsil headquarter of Shabqadar Tehsil in ...
and to the south, University Road. There are more than twenty small villages around Chaghar Matti, which have their own local names, such as Haryan Ghar, Sarkhana and Jogani but they are collectively known by the name of Chaghar Matti. Chaghar Matti is a central place for these villagers.


History

It is believed that Matai got its name after
Chagharzai The Chagharzais or Chagarzais are a division of the Malizai clan of the Yousafzai tribe. Colonel Wylly, Harold Carmichael, 1858–1932, described these people in the following words: Origin Chagharzais are the descendants of Chaghar or Chagar ...
tribe who lived here before Daudzais came to the area. Another theory is that the name may be given by Sikhs, called it "Chakni Matti" due to its fertile soil. The village changed names over the course of time from Chukri Matti, Chughri Matti, Chaghri Matti, to the present official name of Chaghar Matti. It is also believed that 'Matai' and 'Jatai' were two villages not too far from each another and one day the Kabul River flooded to the extent that it washed away the entire village. The residents of Matai had to find a place on a high ground to escape the flood water. The two villages parted and Matai found its new abode on the Southern bank of River Kabul, leaving behind the sister village of Jatai at its original location. The present village is situated at least 20 to 30 feet above the river bed. At the east end of the village is the resting place of ''Mian Ji Baba'' ( میاجی بابا), who was a pious and religious person of great stature. To the South West of the village near ''Pir Kalay'', the resting place of ''Sharhsham (Gul) Baba'' is another attraction due to the abundance of date palm trees. This place is said to be the camping ground of Ashab Baba ( اصحاب بابا ), who brought dates with them as a food ration for the troops. The date palms are not seen elsewhere in the area in such a large quantity. The locals consider these palms sacred and as opposed to other kinds of trees, the branches or trunks are not burnt as fuel for cooking. However, the branches have been used for heating water for
ablution Ablution is the act of washing oneself. It may refer to: * Ablution as hygiene * Ablution as ritual purification ** Ablution in Islam: *** Wudu, daily wash *** Ghusl, bathing ablution *** Tayammum, waterless ablution ** Ablution in Christianity * ...
in the mosques and the trunks are still used to bridge small irrigation drains.


Climate and Economy

It is hot in the summer, while in the winter the climate is damp and cold. March and April are the pleasant months of the year, as the temperature remains pleasant during the spring. Wind speeds vary during the year from 5 knots (5.8 mph; 9.3 km/h) in December to 24 knots (28 mph; 44 km/h) in June. The relative humidity varies from 46% in June to 76% in August. Winter starts from mid of November to the end of February, while summer lasts from May to September. The maximum temperature in summer is over 40 °C (104 °F) and the mean minimum temperature is 25 °C (77 °F). The mean minimum temperature during winter is 4 °C (39 °F) and maximum is 18.35 °C (65.03 °F). A branch of the Kabul River called Shahalam flows in the outskirts of Chaghar Matti, playing an important role in the economy of the village. This river provides water for irrigation, a habitat for various species of fish and birds, and scenic beauty.


History of Ashab Baba

According to local legend, the grave of Sinan bin Salamah bin Muhbiq is located at Chaghar Matti. It is a place of attraction for the people of
NWFP NWFP may refer to: *North-West Frontier Province, a province of British India, and later, Pakistan *Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP o ...
. He along with other
Mujahedeen ''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term t ...
, reached this particular place of Peshawar in order to fight against Hindu Rajas and raise the flag of Islam. He was killed in 66 AH and was buried there in a collective grave said to be of many other companions of Muhammad, along with Mujahedeen. Sanan bin Salamah bin Muhbiq was also a learned person and commander of army. When Khurasan was conquered,
Ziyad ibn Abih Abu al-Mughira Ziyad ibn Abihi ( ar, أبو المغيرة زياد بن أبيه, Abū al-Mughīra Ziyād ibn Abīhi; – 673), also known as Ziyad ibn Abi Sufyan ( ar, زياد بن أبي سفيان, Ziyād ibn Abī Sufyān), was an adminis ...
was appointed as Hakim (Governor) of Khurasan. This was the period of Usman who had scattered his army in different regions. All these commanders and generals of army conveyed the message of
monotheism Monotheism is the belief that there is only one deity, an all-supreme being that is universally referred to as God. Cross, F.L.; Livingstone, E.A., eds. (1974). "Monotheism". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 ed.). Oxford: Oxfo ...
. They traveled far and wide in order to preach this important concept of Allah. Among these Commanders was Abdullah ibn Sawar, who was killed along with other companions in Kalat. After this incident in 66AH, the Governor of Khurasan, Ziyada, sent Sanan bin Salma bin Muhbiq as a Commander to conquer the regions of
Hindustan ''Hindūstān'' ( , from '' Hindū'' and ''-stān''), also sometimes spelt as Hindōstān ( ''Indo-land''), along with its shortened form ''Hind'' (), is the Persian-language name for the Indian subcontinent that later became commonly used by ...
. According to legend, first he crushed the revolt in Makran and waving the flag of Islam went ahead. He went on to conquer Kalat and Quetta. Here he established the foundation of a strong Islamic Government. Then after conquering D.I. Khan and Bannu, he reached
Kohat Kohat ( ps, کوهاټ; ur, ) is a city that serves as the capital of the Kohat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is regarded as a centre of the Bangash tribe of Pashtuns, who have lived in the region since the late 15th centur ...
and there, he established his rule. After conquering the valley of Peshawar, Sanan bin Salma bin Muhbiq entered into "Daudzai" and in Chaghar Matti, the great commander and his army fought a bloody battle. Conquering this place, Sanan bin Salma bin Muhbiq and his other Mujahedeen (fighters for the sake of Islam) were killed. All these people were supposedly buried here in Chaghar Matti. This tomb is now known as Ashab Baba, which over the years has assumed the status of a shrine. There are many other shrines in the vicinity. They include the shrine of Sharsham Baba and shrine of Mian Jo Baba, the shrine of Nadan Shaheed and that of Chahal Ghazi Baba.


References

{{Neighbourhoods of Peshawar Populated places in Peshawar District History of Pakistan History of South Asia Peshawar District