TH Darimi

Four jewels in Chishthy order -1

The silsila or ‘chain’ of a lineage is a central part of the Sufi path. It is the way in which the baraka or spiritual blessing of any genuine Sufi school comes and passes. It links the followers of an order with the highest spiritual power of their mystical forebears, and with the unseen transformative forces that transpire behind the outward manifestation of this chain.



The silsila is to be considered as a basic document of the order. So, it is kept written with the shaikh and his mureeds and also is recited on various occasions, most often before group zikr chanting meets. It is also uttered in the bay'ah ceremony .The Arabic word bay’ah refers to a covenant of a new wisher holding the right hand of the Sufi master. By this act the disciple will began to feel as he is holded by the hands of his master and he entered into a sanctual life.

The early Sufi mystics stressed on the virtues of repentance, abstinence, renunciation, poverty and trust in Allah. The early Sufis were nomads and not known or seen in the general community but in due course of time they were followed by the pious men and as their number grown up and they have became special groups. These Sufi groups been identified with their shakh's name or attribution. These are the Thareeqas. These orders as they increased in number were in need of authentication by its root reaching to Prophet peace and blessings be upon him. Actually this connecting root known as Silsila.



Coming to Indian subcontinent, after the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate, many Sufi orders were established in different parts of this land and Sufism became very influential by the 14th century.They believed in the equality of all human beings and brotherhood of man. Their concept of universal brotherhood and the humanitarian ideas of the Sufi saints attracted the Indian mind. A movement similar to Sufism, called the Bhakti cult, was already afoot in India on the eve of the Muslim conquest of the country. The liberal-minded Sufis were, therefore, welcomed in India. The Sufi movement proved very helpful in bridging the gap between the followers of the two religions and in bringing the Hindus and the Muslims together.



The early Sufis were not only ascetics but also lived a life of voluntary poverty shunning all types of worldly pleasures. Khwaja Fariduddin, popularly known as Baba declared, “The main purpose of this path is the concentration of heart which can be achieved only by the abstination from prohibited means of livelihood and association with kings”. Thus, most of the Sufis in India conceived and preached divine unity in terms of idealistic monoism while many Hindus found the Sufi ideas very similar to those of Vedantic philosophy. The lower strata of Hindu community appear to be greatly attracted by the ideas of social equality and fraternity of Islam. Thus the simplicity, toleration and liberation of the Sufis in India released syncretic forces and led to a sort of cultural synthesis.



While Sufism reached India in the 12th century A.D, ts influence grew considerably during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Most important Silsilas during this period were mainly two.



1. The Chishty Silsila introduced in India by Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, who died in AD 1236. Even today he is venerated by Muslims and his tomb is located at Ajmer, which became a sacred pilgrimage. Besides the above two orders, there existed the orders of the Firdausi, the Qadiri, the Shatauri, Qalandari, etc.



2. The Suhrawardi Silsila which was founded in India by Shaik Bahauddin Zakaria (AD 1182-1262).After his death in 1236 A.D., his devotees continued to celebrate an annual Uroos festival at Ajmer.



Khaja Muinuddin Chishty(R) had highly able and talented disciples. Four great personalities are there to include in every study about Khaja Gareeb Navas and his golden chain. They are Shaykh Hamiduddin of Nagaur, Shaykh Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Ka'aki, Khaja Baba Fareeduddeen Masood Ganjshakar(R) and khaja Alauddin Ali Ahmed Sabir(R). They were his main khalifas who carried on his silsila.



Shaikh Hamidudin Nagauri(R)



Shaikh Hamduddin Nagauri was born in Delhi some time after its conquest in 1192. It is said that his father, Ahmad, came from Lahore and settled in Delhi soon after Muslim rule was established in India. His education was traditional and included Arabic, Persian and the religious sciences. He became a disciple of Mueenuddin Chishty and stayed with him in Ajmer.
Shaykh Hamiduddin was of a highly spiritual disposition and lived a very simple and austere life. Although the Chishti saints were allowed to receive unsolicited gifts (hadyas) to support themselves, he preferred to work for his living. He had a small plot of land in a village called Suwali near Nagaur. He supported himself solely on the income from this land and did not
accept any offerings. He followed the principle that no harm should be done to any form of life. His keen sensitivity is evident in the fact that he himself was a vegetarian, and he asked his followers too to follow the same path. As Shaikh Hamidudin(R) followed strictly what he preached, his shaiykh, Khaja Mueenuddin Chishty, bestowed on him the title of ‘King of Hermits’ (Sultanul Taarikin).



Khanqah of Shaikh Hamiduddin Nagauri is an ancient building built in Rajasthan during the Muslim rule in India. He himself had built his khanqah in Nagaur. His khanqah became an important place for people in quest of divine knowledge and truth, solace and enlightenment.The Khanqah of Shaikh Hamiduddin Nagauri(R) is one of the oldest buildings of Rajasthan. It is located on the north eastern side of the town outside the city walls. The tomb of Sufi Hamiduddin Chishti Nagauri(R) is located within the compound and serves as an important place for pilgrimage for the people. The building has a 'Buland Darwaza' made of huge blocks of stones. It is also named as Atarkin Ka Darwaza. It is made of huge blocks of stones. The gate was constructed by Muhammad Bin Tughlaq. The khanqah is connected with a mosque adjacent to a graveyard. The mosque is built of red sandstone. The khanqah has a sama khana i.e. an audition of soofee songs and qawwalies hall. A gate has also been constructed inside the khanqah and has been named after the name of the wife of the Shaikh, Bibi Khadiza.



There are many graves inside the enclosure. The walls surround a rectangular area that has circulars in the corners. The tower, walls and the gateway has been made of blocks of stone. The towers at the corner have circular chambers and are covered with corbelled domes. The tower can be entered from outside the graveyard. The exterior part of the tower has been adorned with borders and rows of ogee arches.



The Shaikh's mazar is the main attraction of the khanqah. No tomb or a mausoleum has been built over it. His wife and his son Shaikh Azizuddin have been buried side by side of the Shaikh's grave. The building also had a marble pinjra made by Muhammad Bin Tughlaq. The Khanqah of Shaikh Hamiduddin Nagauri is thus serves as an important religious centre for the Muslims.



Shaykh Hamiduddin(R) died in November 1274 and was buried in Nagaur. Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq built a tomb over his grave.



Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki(R)



Khawaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki ‎(R) was the chief Khalifa of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishty (R). He was born in 1111 AD and in 569 Hijri at Aush in Iraq. Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaki‎(R) was a great devotee and mystic. He had no parallel in abandoning the world and facing poverty and hunger. He kept himself engrossed in the remembrance of Allah. Whenever someone came to him he would show his inability to continue any longer and slipped into the same state again.



Hazrat Khawaja Bakhtiyar Kaaki‎(R) was one and half year old that his father passed away. Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar(R) learned 15 chapters of the Holy Quraan from his mother and his mother arranged for him further education and training. When Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar(R) was 4 years and 4 months of age he requested his mother that he wanted to study the Holy Quraan under a learned person. His Mother sent him along with a Slate and sweets to an Aalim in the locality. On the way he met a Divine personality, Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar(R) offered Salaam and was asked as to where he was off to. Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar(R) replied that his mother has sent him to the Aalim to learn the Holy Quraan. The revered person asked Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar(R) to come along with him and he would be taught the Holy Quraan. He came to a mosque where he saw a few children learning the holy Quraan from Maulana Abu Hafz‎(R); he stood up as he noticed the revered person who told him to teach Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar(R) the holy Quraan. Later Maulana Abu Hafz‎(R) disclosed to Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar (R) that the person who left him there was none other than Hazrat Khidar Alaihisalaam the saint.



When Hazrat Khawaja Mueenuddeen Chishty(R) came to Isfhahan he took oath of allegiance (bay'ah) on his hands and got caliphate and khirqah (dress of a religious mendicant) from him. Thereafter his master asked him to go to India and stay there. Following this order he came to Delhi and stayed there. It was the period of Sultan Shamsuddin Eltamash. In 612 Hijra Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki‎(R) came to Kilocari in Delhi, those days the Mehrauli was the capital in Delhi. Sultan Shamsuddin Eltamash requested him to settle in Mehrauli where he resided in a baker woman’s house. After a few days Hazrat Qazi Hamiduddeen Nagori‎(R) took Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki‎(R) to his house. Later he permanently settled near Ijazuddeen Masjid.



In those times Hazrat Jamaaluddeen Bistami‎(R) was the religious head (Shaikul Islam) and on his demise Sultan Shamsuddin Eltamash requested Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki‎(R) to lead the community however Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki‎(R) refused and appointed Najmuddeen Sugra‎(R) as Shaikul Islam.



Once while Khawaja Gharib Nawaz‎ Mueenuddin Chishty(R), Khawaja Qutub-ud-din Bakhtiyar‎(R) and Baba Fareed Ganj Shakkar‎(R) were praying together in the Auliya Masjid Baba Fareed Ganj Shakkar‎(R) felt like having warm bread a basket of Kaaks appeared from Gaib (Unknown) at first Khawaja Gharib Nawaz‎(R) raised his hand to receive it however was unable to hold it later Baba Fareed Ganj Shakkar‎(R) stretched out his hand the basket escaped his grasp then Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki‎(R) held out his hand the basket came in his reach and he kept it down and they all thanked Allah Almighty and ate the bread. It is said that by this incident Khaja Bakhtiyar was been called as ka'ki which means bread in Arabic language.



Once Sultan Shamsudeen Eltamash sent some gold coins as gift to Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Ka'aki‎(R) who didn’t accept it. And later he gifted 6 villages to Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki‎(R). And he refused to also.






Once Khawaja Qutubuddeen Kaaki(R) and the members of his house remained hungry for 4 days without anyone realizing that they hadn’t eaten, in his innocence his son disclosed this to one of Khawaja's well wisher who prepared food at home and brought it before Khawaja Qutubuddeen Kaaki(R) who became furious and became angry upon his son on this work.



Once Sultan Shamsudeen Eltamash sent some gold coins as hadya to Khawaja Qutubuddeen Kaaki(R) who didn’t accept it. And later he gifted 6 villages to Khawaja Qutubuddeen Kaaki(R) he also refused to accept it. Khawaja Qutubuddeen Kaaki(R) would sleep in the first part of the night however in the last part of the night he would be awake in prayers.



Once Khawaja Qutubuddeen Kaaki(R) wanted to be in Ajmer to pay reverence to Khawaja Gharib Nawaz(R), he got a reply to come over as this would be their last meeting. On arrival at Ajmer and paying tribute to Khawaja Gharib Nawaz (R) he was informed that these were his last days. Khaja Gharib Nawaz (R) handed over the authority to Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Kaaki and appointed him successor, and presented the turban, Musalla and walking stick and a book of the Holy Quraan. Informing that these were the belongings of the holy prophet and they were to be preserved and handed over since generations to the Chistiyya Silsila. Khawaja Qutubuddeen Ka'aki(R) returned to Delhi and devoted himself to prayers and Namaz.



Once Khawaja Qutubuddeen Ka'aki(R), Shaikh Bahauddeen Zakariya and Shaikh Jalaaluddeen Tabrezi (R) were in Multan, suddenly enemy’s army reached near the fort in Multan. The ruler then Nasiruddeen Kibacha came to Khawaja Qutubuddeen Ka'aki(R) and requested him to pray that the enemy retreats. Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Kaaki gave an arrow in Nasiruddeen Kibacha’s hand and told him to throw it towards the enemy at night, Nasiruddeen Kibacha did as told and by dawn there wasn’t a single enemy soldier there.



In 633 Hijra (1235 AD), there was a mehfil e Sama (A soofi majlis where the spiritual inpirating qawwalies are being sung) in Shaikh Ali Sanjari’s place on 10th Rabi ul Awal. Khaja Qutubuddeen Ka'aki(R) was present there. He happened to hear there the following Qawaali of Hazrat Ahmed Jaam; “Kustgaan khanjar taslimra harzama az gaib jane deegar ast” (“Those who are slain by the dagger of surrender; Receive every moment a new life from the unseen”). Hearing it Khawaja Qutubuddeen Ka'aki(R) layed in a state of trance for the next two days and was reciting the same verse. On the fifth day Khaja Qutubuddeen Ka'aki(R) breathed his last. 'Inna Lillahi va Inna Ilaihi Raajioon'

The holy dargah of Khaja Qutubuddeen Ka'aki(R) is located at Mehrauli which attracts devotees from all over India and world.
It is the oldest dargah in South Delhi. It is marked by two great historical monuments, Quthab Minar and Moti Masjid. Qutab Minar is situated just 770 metres northeast of Darga. The Moti Masjid is an 18th-century Mughal mosque located in Mehrauli. The mosque was constructed during the reign of Bahadur Shah I, in the vicinity of the dargah of Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Ka'aki(R) as a tribute to him. Nearest metro station is being Chatarpur (yellow line).