Бурҳониддин марғиноний исми, унвони ва куняси хусусида

THE IDEALIZED IMAGE OF BURKHAN AD-DIN AL-MARGINANI

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   Rishtan legendary stories
   

For comprehensive studying and adequate understanding of the cultural life phenomena all its constituents are important, not only those, reflected in written sources, but also those, contained in word-of-mouth material, in legends. Whatever important and valuable the written monuments, it is possible to admit that they cover not all the aspects of human life and activity. In this context, the legendary tales concerning Burkhan al-din al-Marginani’s life and work arouse a particular scientific interest.

During our field research carried out in the period of 1998-2008 in the Fergana oblast, a series of such legends, stories, and folk tales was written down. A certain part of them has a legendary nature. The other part gives another exposition of historical reality. The most valuable is that they are transmitted from a century to century, from generation to another. At the same time, they make an integral part of the religious heritage of the people. The theme of edification prevails in them. Their functional aspects are of immense importance for people in cognition of their identity and national values.
In 1998-99, during the prospecting excavation carried out on the northern suburb of the contemporary city of Rishtan, in the makhalla Chinigaron, near the cemetery “Sahib-i Hidayah” we wrote down some legends, associated with Burkhan al-din al- Marginani. One of them is entitled “Burkhan ad-din and Sultan Sanjar”.
This legend narrates that during the military campaign to the Fergana valley, the Seljuqid Sultan Sanjar (1097-1157) made a stop in Rishtan. When the hour has struck for a midday prayer, Sultan Sanjar wanted that someone of the local Ulemas environment became the head (imam) preaching a midday prayer. The Rishtanians proposed a young scholar Burkhan al-din. Burkhan ad-din noticed that Sultan Sanjar and his people got tired of road and hardly stood on their legs. For this reason, he conducted the midday prayer briefly, having recited several short suras from the Koran. People of the sultan, who were present at this midday prayer, expressed their discontent. They began to accuse Burkhan al-din of his disrespect to the sultan and to all Muslims that was showed in his thoughtless attitude to the midday prayer. Then, young Burkhan ad- din answered, “You have passed a long way and look very tired. A Muslim will not have appropriate requital for the prayer said in the state of tiredness”. Such answer of


⁹ Ganiyeva S. Har nuqtaga bir tarona // Imom al-Buxoriy saboqlari, 2002. № 3; Rajabova M. «Nasr ul-laoliy»ning yaratilishi va uning qolyozma manbalari // Ozbek tili va adabiyoti. №5. 2005 (in Uzbek).
young Rishtan scholar Burkhan al-din pleased the sultan, and he took him away to Samarkand. ¹.
The second legend narrates about the occurrence of the mazar Burkhan al-din al- Marginani in Rishtan. The story goes that Burkhan ad-din al-Marginani, having felt the approaching death, decided to visit his native city of Rishtan. His disciples made for him a special araba (cart) for his trip to Rishtan. He arrived in Rishtan at night. On the way to his paternal house, he scattered gold coins. In the morning, people found many precious coins. In memory of this event, this district received the name of “Zarrin arik” (gilded canal). Some days after those events, Burkhan ad-din returned to Samarkand and died there. When the news of Burkhan al-din’s death reached his native city, the Rishtan dwellers decided to erect a kadamjay (a place where the foot stepped, a trace) in memory of him.²
Another version of this legend is written down in a diary of ‘Alimdjan Abduvakhidov, the collector-observer on archeology:
“20 August, 1939. After that, comrade M.E.Masson suggested to go to Rishtan, and there to find out a monument to sheikh Burkhan ad-din ibn ‘Abdujalil … That very day I went toward Rishtan to find a monument to sheikh Burkhan al-din ibn ‘Abdujalil. In Rishtan, I said about it in the chaikhana (tea house) with several old men. They could not tell precisely where there is a monument sheikh Burkhan al-din. But they informed that there is a monument to the sheikh Burkhan al-din ibni ‘Abdujalil in Rishtan.
Then I left and met one shoemaker approximately of 50 years of age. I had a talk with him about sheikh Burkhan to al-din. He also has told that he heard, but did not know, where this monument was. Then he has invited one old man, approximately of 90 years of age. I began to ask him. He also answered that heard about the monument to Burkhan al-din here, in Zadiyan, but did not know, where (exactly it was situated).
He told that earlier Rishtan was a large city, then a plenty of the snake and scorpions appeared in Rishtan. They gave no piece to people. The old men led by Sahib-i Hidayah (Burkhan ad-din ibni ‘Abdujalil) advised people to move to another place. They moved to a new place, which they named “Rishtan”. The word “rishtan” in Farsi means “go”.
People suggested me to address Mirzahatam Mirzakarimov that was skilful in reading in an old style, for what they named him “the learned”. He told me the following:
“The Sheikh Burkhan ad-din ibni Abdudjalil was born in the 11^th century in Rishtan. He studied in Margelan at Imam Zakhireddin. After finishing this old school (madrasah) he wrote 80 notebooks. Some years later, he decided to compile two books of those 80 notebooks. He carried out remaking of these books directly in Rishtan. Then scorpions and snakes appeared in Rishtan. To live in Rishtan became impossible. For this reason, Burkhan ad-din left for Samarkand and there he finished the second volume of the “Hidayah”. He died in Samarkand, and he was buried in the street named “Shakarjizza” (Chakardiza). He was buried near the Imam Mansur arrived from Medrid (Moturid). Monuments above their tombs were not big, but simple”.


¹ Author’s field research. 1998. Fergana oblast, Rishtan district, Zadiyan kishlak.
² Author’s field research. 1998. Fergana oblast, Rishtan district, Zarrin Arik kishlak.
From Rishtan I came back home in Zadiyan at 10 o'clock in the evening.
“21 August, 1939. In the morning, I went 7 hours in the southern direction to a new monument in honor of Sahib-i Hidayah. There I found out various pottery items on the surface of the ground. The monument appeared to be a new, not investigated one. It was a monument to the sheikh Burkhan al-din ibni Abdujalil. People name this location “Sahib-i Hidayah”. The symbolical mausoleum was constructed by people in honor of Burkhan al-din. In point of fact, Burkhan ad-din died in Samarkand”. ¹
The legend about Burkhan al-din al-Marginani and about snakes also is mentioned by Academician M.E.Masson in his memoirs: “Special-purpose activities to search a grave of a renowned native of Rishtan and the author of the legal work “Al-Hidayah” from the 12^th century resulted in not less interesting data. The present-day mazar “Sahib-i Hidayah” itself is a recent construction. However, around it and on the adjoining cemetery there are many oblong and square bricks from the 11^th century and later. We meet also fragments of medieval ceramics. The local legend asserts that exactly here, 1.5 km northeast from the center of modern Rishtan, beyond the quarter of kulyals there was situated a same-name small town. It is mentioned by the Arab authors of the 10^th century. In the 12^th century, it was already considered as a settlement in the vicinities of Margilan. According to the legend, written down by the expedition from words of old men, the old Rishtan perished from the rain of snakes falling down from the sky”.²

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