Shah
Najaf is the pseudonym given to Maula Ali, the son-in-law of Prophet
Muhammad who was the most valiant warrior and the greatest intellectual
of Islam. His nickname was Haider that means Lion in Arabic. Due to his
valiant efforts in protecting the nascent Islam, he was bestowed with
the title of Haider-e-Khuda or "Lion of Allah". Ali later
became the fourth Caliph of Islam. During his caliphate he chose Najaf,
a town in Iraq, as his seat of governance. When he died, he was buried
in Najaf only. That is why he is also sometimes called " Shah Najaf"
or The King of Najaf. Shah Najaf Imambara of Lucknow is dedicated to him
only. Shah Najaf Imambara is actually a white-domed structure that is situated near the Chariton Hotel in Lucknow. It is situated on the right bank of the Gomti. This structure was constructed by Nawab Ghazi-ud-Din Haider to serve as his mausoleum. In this mausoleum are buried the remains of Ghazi-ud-din Haider and his wives, including Mubarak Mahal, his European wife. The entrance leads to a beautiful garden. The silver tomb of Ghazi-ud-din Haider lies in the center of the building and is flanked by the more imposing silver and gold tomb of Mubarak Mahal on one side, and another tomb on the other side.
