TH Darimi

History of khaja-4 / Miracles

The Chishti order adhere to the Sufi emphasis on tazkiya, which refers to the purification of the heart from all negative qualities, the subduing of one’s base desires and the pursuit of Ihsan (beauty and perfection) through adoption of the divine attributes. A defining characteristic of the order is the avoidance of the company of the rich and powerful, preferring that of the poor, to whom they show great respect and generosity. The reason for this is to avoid the tinge of corruption and worldliness that tends to accompany the materially well off, as opposed to the poor who (by necessity) practice reliance upon Allah (tawakkul). This helps them to maintain humility at all times, not withstanding the lofty heights of spirituality they may attain.



One of the major distinguishing features of the order, which continues even today, is the missionary aspect. In keeping with the sunna of Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his companions, the Khulafah of the Chishtiyyah (succecers) are often dispatched to distant areas, where they settle and serve the spiritual needs of the people there. By becoming native to that region, rather than merely visiting for a period of time, they become beloved of the population, who can see that the Sufi master has uprooted his entire life to settle among them, sharing their hopes, fears, joys and difficulties.



After Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, the teachings of the Order were carried forward by his disciples and followers. Some of the prominent ones among them are Nizamuddeen Auliya, Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaki, Fareeduddeen Ganj-e-Shakar, and Naseeruddeen Charagh(R).



13 Miracles



Immature Became Mature



It is said that one day, while sitting on the back of the Ana Sagar lake at Ajmer, Khwaja Mueenuddeen Chishty(R) saw a cowherd (boy) passing before him with a herd of young cows. Khwaja(R) asked the boy for some milk. The cowherd replied that the cows, being immature, were unable to give milk. The Great Saint smiled and told the young boy to milk a particular young cow. The boy hesitatingly obeyed and was astonished to see the teats of the cow fully developed with milk. The boy then milked the cow and the milk was enough for about forty people. The young lad was so awe-struck by the holy Saint and his miracle that he became an ardent devotee of the Great Khwaja Mueenuddeen Chishty(R).



Rescue of Bakhtiar Kaki (R)



One day Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki(R), the beloved Khalifa and spiritual successor of the Khwaja Mueenuddeen Chishty(R) was having an evening walk with king Shamsuddeen Iltutmish of Delhi. (Shamsuddeen Iltutmish (1211–1236) was the third of the Mamluk kings who ruled the former Ghurid territories in northern India. He was the first Muslim sovereign to rule from Delhi, and is thus considered the effective founder of the Delhi Sultanate). The king's courtiers were also in present. All of a sudden an attractive woman came across their way and started wailing bitterly. When she asked by the king the reason for her willing, she replied that: she was pregnant with child and Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki (R) was responsible for that. She saught Kaki to marry her. The king and his courtiers were terribly upset because they knew that the Bakhtiyar Kaki was a pious man, in all meaning.



The Khalifa of Khaja Mueenuddeen Chishty (R) himself became wonder struck at the statement made by the women. He turned his face in the direction of Ajmeer and invoked the help of his Murshid, Khwaja Mueenuddeen Chisty(R). All of a sudden the Holy Saint Khaja (R);appeared in the midst of the King and his courtiers. The King and his courtiers were wonder-struck at his sudden appearance and hurriedly offered their homage.



Knowing the justification of his khalifa Shaikh Khawaja(R) turned to the woman and addressed the child in the womb: 'O confined child, speak out the truth and say if the accusation is correct.' By the grace of Allah, the child in the woman's womb replied: 'Your Honour, the statement of my mother is a lie; the enemies of Khwaja Qutbuddin (R) accused the holy man only out of jealousy so that he would be discarded in the eyes of the people'. The people assembled there were astonished at the voice from the woman's womb. Realizing that she could not escape, she admitted her guilt openly before the King and his courtiers.



Sight of right and respect.



One day the Shaikh Khwaja Mueenuddeen Chishty(R) was giving a lecture. The audience noticed that whenever he glanced towards his right side, he stood up for a while and then resumed his lecture. This occurred many times. After the lecture, somebody asked him about this, and he replied by saying that the tomb of his Murshid was on that side, and whenever he looked that side the tomb came closer before his eyes, so he stood up to pay his respects.



Sheikh Ali's Loan



While the Great Khwaja Mueenuddeen Chishty(R) was passing through the streets of Ajmeer with his attendant Sheikh Ali, a money lender of Sheikh Ali appeared before them and harshly demanded his money back from the attendant. Knowing the the financial situation of Ali, Khwaja(R) told the lender that his money would soon be repaid. But the money lender did not agree. Seeing, this the Saint took off his chadar and flung it on the ground. Astonishingly, it was covered by a heap of gold and silver coins. He then told the money lender to take exactly what was due to him. Being a greedy person, the man intended to take more than his legitimate due and stretched his arms for that. But the heap disappeared and his arm was paralyzed. The money lender immediately fell at the feet of Khwaja Mueenuddeen Chishty(R) for mercy and accordingly his arm was restored to its normal condition.



Justice Is Delivered



One day a Mureed (disciple) of the Great Khwaja Mueenuddeen Chishty (R) came to him and complained that the Governor had subjected him to incessant harassment. The Great Khwaja Mueenuddeen Chishty (R) told his Mureed to return home telling him that the Governor had already been punished by God. When the man returned home, he heard of the Governor's death owing to a fatal fall from his horse while hunting.



The blind acquired vision



It is said that once Aurangzeb Alamgir went to the glorious Shrine of Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz(R). Within the boundary a blind beggar was crying out, Ya Khwaja Gharib Nawaz! Restore my sight. He asked this beggar, Baba! How long has it been since asking for the vision? He said that it has been ages but my wish is unfulfilled. He said that I shall return in a short time after paying Homage to the Holy Shrine, if your eyes gain vision very well, otherwise I will kill you. After saying this King called for the guards to keep an eye on the beggar, and King went inside to pay his respect. On the other hand, the beggar started lamenting and kept requesting while weeping, “Ya Khwaja! First the deal was of eyes only but now it involves life, if you do not show mercy I will be killed.” When the King returned after paying his respect, His eyes had acquired the vision. The King smiled and said that until now you were asking without devoting heart and concentration, and now because of fear of life you asked from your heart, hence your prayer was fulfilled.



'be kind with us'..



Once Khwaja Sahab was passing from a jungle. There were some robbers who snatch all the belonging of the travellers. And if they noticed Muslims they killed them as well. But when they faced Khwaja(R), a miracle happened. Seeing the enlightened face of him all the dacoits who were busy in looting and killing other people, started trembling with fear. All the dacoits fell on the feet of Khwaja Mueenuddeen Chishty (R) and started saying: 'we all yours slave, be kind with us'. Khwaja(R) gracefully forgived them consequently they repented from their sin.



Same time at Makkah



It was said that during the period when Khwaja Mueenuddeen Chishty(R) stayed in Ajmer, all the people who went for Haj and when they returned back they started saying that they had seen Khwaja Sahab going around the Kaaba doing thawaf. But the fact was Khwaja (R) never went for Haj after His stay in Ajmer.



Divine provision



It is said that though the Great Khwaja Mueenuddeen Chishty (R) lived a very austere life with prayers and various kind of sacrifice, his daily food was dry bread soaked in water. His cook used to prepare large quantities of food to distribute among people of Ajmer. Every morning, the cook would present himself before his master for daily expenses and the Great Saint would lift a corner of his musalla (prayer carpet) and asked the cook to take away only the required amount of money for that particular day’s provisions and no more.



14 Places to see in Ajmeer



1 Dargah Shareef



The Dargah Sharif or the Ajmer Sharif is a Sufi shrine of the great Khwaja Mueenuddeen Chishty (R. This shrine is popularly known as the Khwaja Garib Nawaz Dargah Sharif. This shrine is a very popular tourist place not only for the Muslims but for people of all religions mostly for its historical significance and its popularity. The main gate of the shrine is known as the Nizam Gate which is followed by the Shahjahani Gate. This gate is said to have been made by Emperor Shah Jahan and thus the name. This gate is again followed by the Buland Darwaza. This is the place where the Uroos flag is hoisted. It is to mark the beginning of the main festival here. The Uroos Festival is celebrated on the 6th and 7th Rajab.



The architecture of the shrine is in a typical Islamic or the Mugal style. The shrine is full white in color and has a dome and minarets on the four sides of the dome. The affairs of the shrine are all authorized by the government under The Dargah Khwaja Saheb Act, 1955. The committee here appointed by the government manages and looks after everything starting from donations, maintenance, running charitable institutions such as dispensaries, guest houses, etc.



2 Akbari masjid



This Masjid was constructed by Emperor Akbar in 1455 A.D. It was made as a token of gratitude when his son, Prince Salim or Jahangir was born. Green and white marble adorn the entire Masjid, which is quite beautiful to look at. As it a very calm and serene place to be in, devotees from all over India come here to sit and pray in peace all day long.The mosque including other adjacent buildings is 140ft.long and 140 ft. wide the height of its arch is 56 ft. At present this place also houses a Quranic Educational Institution to provide religious education to the children. Akbari Mosque is situated between Shahjahani Gate and Buland Darwaza on the Ander Kote Road, Ajmer.



3 Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra



Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra, as the name indicates, is basically a mosque which was constructed in two and half days. It is believed that this mosque was built by converting a Jain temple or a Vedas school into a mosque during the Mughal rule as the owners and priests of the temple converted into Islam. The interiors of the mosque resemble a Hindu temple and you will still find some inscriptions written in Sanskrit on the pillars. According to legend, construction in 1153 took only two-and-a-half days. Others say it was named after a festival lasting two-and-a-half days. It was originally built as a Sanskrit college, but in 1198 Mohammed of Ghori seized Ajmer and converted the building into a mosque by adding a seven-arched wall covered with Islamic calligraphy in front of the pillared hall. Although in need of renovation, it’s an exquisite piece of architecture, with soaring domes, pillars, and a beautiful arched screen. It is located in west of Dargah Shareef in Andere Kota road.



4 Mosques in dargah complex



One of these Mosques is Sandal khana Mosque. It situates north-west of Dhargah Shareef just near to Dargah. The sandalwood being rubbed to paste for the Uroos here so it is named after Sandal Khana Mosque. It was built as per the order of Sultan Mahmud Khilji and by the time it was renovated by Jahangir then Aurangzeb. The flowers vowed to the Dargah Shareef before the removal usually brigns here for a time. It is the reason to call this mosque phool khana masjid also.



Another one is Shajahani Masjid. It situates in the west of Dargah Shareef and it bult by white Marble. The Masjid built by Emperor Shah Jahan as a tribut to Khwaja Mueenuddeen Chishty (R) in 1047 AD. Now Jumua prayer is being observed here in this mosque. It has been routine since the royal period to fire guns four times on the day of Jumua. First one 5 minutes before Khuthuba, second at the time of Khuthuba, third at time of Namaz and last one after Jumua.



Another one is Awliya Masjid. It is a small and beautiful mosque. The importance of this masjid is it was built in place where Khaja(R) sat first on his arrival at Ajmeer and he used to pray his lifelong.



5 Another notable places in the complex



Usmanee Nagar Khana. It is a beautiful construction bult by Nizam of Hyderabad in 1333 AH. It was the custom of the rulers who visit the holy shrine to pay tribute with a memorable construction. It is reported that the Nizam spent Rupees one lakh for this marvelous building in those days.



Mehfal Khana: It is a hall for the devotees to perform Qawwali. It was built by Nawab Basheeruddoulah in 1306 AH on the birth of his son Mueenuddoulah. It is faced to Dargah Shareef to be helpfull for the singers to face to the saint as they recite na'ath.



Buland Darwaza: As this name indicates it is a big gate. The gate is considered as the main gate of the Dargah complex. It was built by Sulthan Mahmood Khilji(1436–69). The flag of Uroos being hoisted here.



Langar Khana: Langar means porridge of wheat. This porridge is usually prepare here and distribute among the devotees of Khaja Mueenuddeen Chishty (R) evry day after Fajr and Aswar prayers. As Khaja(R) is Gareeb Navas (patron of the poor) this langar is symbolised as he feeds the poor. There are a lot of people who keep them alive with this food. It is a major miracle of Khaja(R) because the firewood for this big prepration would be a small bundle of dried grass only. It is a living karamath of great Khwaja Mueenuddeen Chishty(R). Khana is established by Akbar the great.



Sahan Chirag: It is an ancient brass lamp surrounded by a beautiful umbrella.



Nizam Gate: There are four entrences to the Dargah Shareef compound. The most prominent and notable is Nizam Gate. It opens to the Dargah bazar. It was built by Nawab Usman Ali Khan nawab of Hyderabad in 1912. This gate is called Usmani Darwaza also. It is 70 feet high and 24 feet wide.



Kalimah Darwaza: At a little distance from Usmani Darwaza there is an old door bult by Emperor Shah Jahan. On the arch of this gate the Kalimas of Shahada engraved in big letters so, it called Kalimah Darwaza. This darwaza opens to a courtyard in front of Buland Darwaza. On the top of this gate there is Nagar khana, which is known as Shajanee Nagar Khana. It is also a place for performance of Qawwali, build at side of Shajahani Masjid. Thus it is believed that it was built by Emperor Shah Jahan himself.



Badi Deg : Among the historical monuments in the Ajmeer Dhargah Shareef a big cauldron. It was also gift of Emperor Akbar the great as he vowed if he could win the Chittaurgarh battle. It happened so and he established a huge cauldron with a diameter of 12 yards. It was in 976 AH. It is situated on the right side of Buland Darwaza.



Chotti dug: There is another cauldron also, it is smaller than the abovesaid. It was a presentation of Sulthan Jahangir in 1013 AH.



Chilla of Baba Fareed Ganj Shakar(R): Chilla means a place in which a saint use to sit in his Khalwath (seclusion). The prominent disciple of Khaja(R) Baba Fareed Ganj Shakar(R)'s chilla is near to Dhargah. It is behind the Sandal Masjid. It is kept closed always and not opening except on fifth Muharram.



Mazar of Beebi Hafiza Jamal: Adjacent to the southern door of Dargah Shareef there is grave. It is the grave of Hafiza Jamal beloved and only one daughter of Khwaja Mueenuddeen Chishty (R). There two graves also. It is of her sons.



6 Outside of Dargah Shareef



Chillah of Khwaja Mueenuddeen Chisty(R): There in the eastern side of Ana Sagar Lake a high hill known as Sada Bahar Hill. On top of this hill exactly on the south-western corner there is a small cave. It was place where Khwaja(R) took seclusion for the first time. He used to sit on a rock and engage in contemplation of Khalwath.



Chillah of Khaja Bakhtiyar Kaki (R): The first successor of Khwaja(R) Khaja Bakhtiyar Kaki (R) had a chillah on the top of this hill. It is in north-eastern side. He used to spent his time at Ajmeer here.



Taragarh Fort: Taragarh Fort was built to guard the city of Ajmer and was has been known to be home to the famous Chauhan dynasty rulers including Prithviraj Chauhan. It was originally said to have been built by the Mughals and has gained immense importance in history for being one of the oldest forts in India. The fort overlooks the city and the walls are said to be a few kilometres in circumference adding to the majestic look of the monument.



Tharagarh Dargah: It is on the hill which the grand fort of Tharagarh is located in south of Dargah Shareef. Here on the top of the hill situates Dargah of Sayed Meeran Husain(R) who was the commander of Sulthan Shihabuddeen Muhammad Ghori when he captured Ajmeer by defeating Prithviraj Chauhan. During the reign of Sulthan Qutubuddeen Aibak Sayed Meeran Husain(R) was garrison commander of the fort. When the news of the death of the Sulthan Qutubuddeen Aibak at Lahore due to a fall from horse back, the Thakkur and Rajput landlords from the neighbouring villages planed an attack on the fort to capture it. Their plan was to attack at night when the Muslims fall asleep unaware. The attacked the fort as they planed. With great grace of Allah they resisted strongly and faught bravely. Though they could overcome, they lost their commander Sayed Meeran Husain(R) and some of the warriors. Here on the top and slop of the fort hill we can see several Maqbaras. These are belonged to great warriors of Muslim Ummah who faught mostly before arrival of Khwaja Mueenuddeen Chishty (R) at Ajmeer. On the way to top of the hill we can see an another hill. It is believed that the great son of Sayed Abdul Qadir Jailani(R)'s son Sayed Ahmad(R) lying his last sleep here on top. Here is the grave of father in law of Khwaja Mueenuddeen Chishty (R) Hazrat Vajeehuddeen Mashhadi (R).



Prithviraj Smarak: Built in memory of the King of Rajput dynasty Prithviraj Chauhan of Ajmer. Regarded as one of the greatest war heroes, the black statue of Prithviraj Chauhan on a horse along with bows and arrows is a great tribute to the local ruler. The beauty of Prithviraj Smarak doesn't end here, perched on top of a hill, the point offers fabulous panoramic views of the entire city. The statue indicates the power and strength of Prithviraj Chauhan. It helps us to realise how stong was the opponent of Khaja Mueenuddeen Chishty (R)