Sultan Al Hind
Biography of Sultan Al Hind:
Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Hasan Chishti is known throughout the country as Khwaja Gharib Nawaz or the friend of the poor.
Date and Place of Birth:
Khwaja Saheb was born in the town of Sanjar in Sistan on the 18th April 1142 A.D.
Other sources indicate he was born at Chisht in Sistan, which was also known as Sajistan, located in East Persia.
The exact date of birth is a subject of discussion among historians, but the majority of reliable sources support a date between 535 A.H. and 537 A.H.
Parents and Ancestry:
His father was Syed Ghiyasuddin Hasan, and his mother was Syeda Bibi Ummul-wara, also known as Bibi Mah-e-Noor.
His parents were directly descended from the Holy Prophet of Islam.
His paternal lineage traces from Hazrat Imam Husain, the younger son of Hazrat Ali Karam-Allah Wajahu.
His maternal genealogy traces from Hazrat Imam Hasan, the elder son of Maula Ali (KAW).
Miracle reported took place during his boyhood:
Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti asked a shepherd boy whose cow was still immature (not yet of milking age) for some milk.
The boy responded that all the young cows were only of tree age and were too young to yield milk.
Khwaja Saheb smiled and said, "I would like to drink the milk of that cow," and proceeded to milk it himself.
He filled several receptacles with milk, and about 40 people drank to their full satisfaction.
According to historians, Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti, even during his childhood, gave an early promise of his rare piety and sacrifice for others. One instance recorded describes him as "the infant saint of the future"
He received his initial early education and training from his father.
He received instruction to ensure he could, at the very least, recite the Holy Quran and learned Quranic lessons at home by the age of seven. As he grew to manhood, he made contact with various leading scholars of the Middle East and developed a profound mark in scholarship.
His extensive intellectual pursuits included studying the oriental sciences and literature. In Bukhara, he attended many institutions and thoroughly studied subjects like Theology, Philosophy, and Grammar. One of his prominent teachers was Maulana Husamuddin Bokhari, from whom Khwaja Muinuddin received the two highest academic diplomas, known as 'Jalok' and 'Dastar-e-Fazilat' (robes of learning).
Personal Tragedy and Renunciation.
At the age of 15 (551 A.H.), Khwaja Muinuddin experienced a pivotal tragedy when he saw his father die, followed shortly by the loss of his mother. He was left alone in a world marked by "hate, murder, and greed".
Despite this sorrow, he inherited enough material resources to sustain himself, including a windmill (or mill) and an orchard.
Overwhelmed by the "ghastly massacre in Khorasan" and the general state of the world, his interest in worldly life and pleasures began diminishing. He felt intense worry and a deep longing to be away from the chaotic world.
In response to this inner turmoil, he decided to divest himself of all his rich traditions and material possessions, immediately changing into a dervish’s coarse clothing (rags) after receiving a profound divine vision.
The Spiritual Catalyst (Encounter with Sheikh Ibrahim Qandozi).
The spiritual transformation that led to his full renunciation occurred around the year 551 A.H.
One day, while watering the plants in his orchard, he met a divine person constantly engrossed in communion with God, the dervish Sheikh Ibrahim Qandozi (or Qanduzi).
Khwaja Muinuddin welcomed the dervish and seated him under a shady tree, presenting him with a bunch of fresh grapes.
Deeply impressed by Khwaja Muinuddin’s purity, hospitality, and divine love, the dervish chewed a piece of oil-cake (khak-e-khurul) and put it into the young man's mouth.
Immediately, Khwaja Muinuddin experienced an extraordinary spiritual manifestation. He was instantly lifted from his worldly imagination and found himself in a "divine concentration".
Following this experience, he completely renounced the world. He gave away the whole of his orchard and windmill along with all his worldly belongings, distributing every pie of the proceeds among the poor and the needy, and set out on his journey to find a spiritual master.
Becoming a Disciple of Khwaja Usman Harooni.
After renouncing the world and embarking on his spiritual quest, Khwaja Muinuddin's travels took him toward the town of Harwan or Haroon.
It was there that he met Hazrat Khwaja Usman Harooni, who became his Pir-o-Murshid (spiritual preceptor/master).
Khwaja Muinuddin remained in his master’s constant company and underwent a rigorous period of training and spiritual development. This involved 20 years of attendance on and travel with his spiritual master. During these long journeys, Khwaja Muinuddin personally carried his master’s bedding, drinking water, and food.
The twenty years Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti spent traveling and serving under his spiritual guide, Hazrat Khwaja Usman Harooni (his Pir-o-Murshid), constituted the most intense period of his spiritual training and apprenticeship.
During these extensive travels, Khwaja Muinuddin undertook humble and continuous service (Khidma) to his master, acting as a personal attendant and student.
The Path to Divinity: His ultimate goal during this training was to gain perfection in the observation of 'Shari'at' (Islamic law) through proper conduct ('Tariqat'), which leads ultimately to 'Haqiqat' (Divinity or Reality).
The Miracle of Crossing the Tigris.
One notable event occurred during these travels, demonstrating the spiritual power developed through this discipleship:
When traveling with Khwaja Usman Harooni, they came upon the overflowing Tigris River. Khwaja Muinuddin was worried about the crossing.
Khwaja Usman asked him to recite 'Surah Ikhlas' one thousand times and close his eyes.
Upon opening his eyes, Khwaja Muinuddin found they had crossed the river. This incident underscored the master's grace and the power attained through spiritual devotion.
His travels included pilgrimages to Mecca and visits to the Rawdah Mubarak of the Holy Prophet in Medina (SAW). While in Mecca, Khwaja Usman Harooni pronounced an oath, declaring Khwaja Muinuddin as one of God’s Beloved
They almost travelled the whole whold world and every Islamic city and he also went to baghdad and met Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani and got spiritual blessings from him who was also his cousin.
The reason behind his journey to India:
This period of asceticism and travel prepared Khwaja Muinuddin for his subsequent Divine call to proceed to India, He was once in Medina standing near the Rawdah Mubarak and was reminded of his hadith: "I feel cool breezes coming to me from the land of Hind".
Then he realized its his destiny and he is the breeze which has to go to India and spread Islam there so he started his journey to India.
During his travel to India, Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti passed through the town of Ray (between Harwan and Baghdad), where there was a major center for fire-worshipers (Magians/Zoroastrians).
There was a big fire temple in the town, where 20 wagon-loads of firewood were consumed daily to keep the fire alive for 24 hours.
The Khwaja stayed in a nearby shed under a shady tree.
One evening, he asked his attendant, Fakhruddin, to arrange for fire and prepare some food to end the day’s fast.
Fakhruddin went to the fire-worshippers and begged for some burning coal, but they refused to give him any fire.
When the incident was reported to Khwaja Saheb, he smiled and said, "This is our God, we cannot give any fire out of it.".
Khwaja Muinuddin then prayed to God. Immediately, the great fire in the temple died out.
Or some sources say he went and sat in the fire by making the magians promise that if he survives in that fire they will convert to Islam so it happened he sat in that fire for hours and even prayed and came out so they were shocked to see such a miracle and converted to Islam.
The fire-worshippers, seeing this miracle, embraced Islam and became devotees of Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti.
He then made his first stop in India at Lahore where he lived and worked for forty days. Khwaja Saheb eventually entered India and arrived in Ajmer in 1191 A.D. (587 A.H.). His mission was to spread the doctrine of "Universal Brotherhood" and the sacred message of love and peace.
Ajmer (The Mission Center): He then proceeded toward Delhi and Multan, but eventually settled down at Ajmer. He chose Ajmer because it was considered an “ideal centre” for his spiritual mission. Politically, Ajmer was a pivot of a mighty kingdom and geographically, it was deemed the “heart of India”.
Upon arriving in Ajmer, the Khwaja Saheb and his few companions (disciples) immediately encountered resistance and prejudice.
Khwaja Muinuddin arrived in Ajmer during the reign of Raja Prithviraj Chauhan.
He and his followers chose a place for their stay outside the city wall, near the Anasagar lake. This spot happened to be the stabling ground for the Raja’s camels.
The Raja's camel drivers, who were “arrogantly encamped” there, forced Khwaja Muinuddin to move to another site.
Following this act of injustice, a major spiritual incident (miracle, or karamaat) occurred. The camel drivers “did not get up next morning in spite of all the repeated efforts to make them move”.
Furthermore, the milk in the breasts of all nursing mothers and the teats of the animals of the city was dried up miraculously. This unusual phenomenon “caused an unprecedented public commotion and an unmerited shock” in the city.
When Raja Prithviraj was informed, he decided to deal with the matter with respect. He sent a message to the Khwaja Saheb asking for help, but the Khwaja Saheb simply replied: “"Let us first see what status you hold in the realm of ‘Spiritual World.’ After that, God willing, we shall also show you our position."”.
This series of events led to the miraculous conversion of the Head Priest, Shadi Dev, and the famous yogi, Ajaipal Yogi, who became his devoted disciples.
This was cited as the saint's "first miracle on the soil of India," which quickly removed prejudice.
1. The Head Priest, Shadi Dev (or Sadhu Ram), seeing the power of the Khwaja, became convinced of his message and embraced Islam. He is considered the saint's "first converted disciple in Ajmer".
2. Conversion of Ajaipal Yogi: The famous yogi, Ajaipal Yogi, initiated several magical attacks against the Khwaja Saheb and his companions.
Attack with Chakras: Ajaipal first launched “a violent attack through a whirlwind of ‘chakras’ (a sharp-edged disc that terribly revolved in the air and cut everything it touched)”. Khwaja Muinuddin simply threw his wooden sandals at the chakras, causing the discs to “all re-acted back on Ajaipal’s own men and caused no harm at the saint’s party”.
Attack with Beasts: The second attack involved a “huge army of horrible boas, venomous snakes and scorpions”.
Surrender: After his attempts failed repeatedly, Ajaipal became frustrated. He eventually “humbly approached the Khwaja Saheb and begged his mercy for the thinking population”. Ajaipal surrendered himself and “surrendered his mind and soul to the mercy of Khwaja Saheb”. He became a devoted disciple and was given the Islamic name Abdulla Bayabani.
Raja Prithviraj and his people were trying to do everything to make Khwaja Moinuddin go away from ajmer and were trying to annoy him but there was no response from the side of Khwaja.
The Grave Words: When Raja Prithviraj’s officials arrogantly encamped near the Khwaja Saheb, the Khwaja later heard the proceedings of the Raja's council. He “simply exclaimed these 15 words "We have arrested the Raja alive and handed him over to the army of Islam."
The Khwaja Saheb's words, though seeming baseless at the time, were fulfilled. Shahabuddin Ghauri, who had previously suffered a “disgraceful defeat” in the first battle of Tarain (587 A.H. or 1191 A.D.), won a crucial victory in the second battle. This victory is explicitly attributed to the “blessings of Khwaja Muinuddin”
The First Battle Ghauri lost was before the words of Khwaja Mouinuddin but the second one was after these blessed words from his mouth and Ghauri won this time.
He is said to have converted atleast 9 million people during his life time.
Once Khwaja Muinuddin was present when his beloved disciple, Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, arrived at a well in Ajmer which was “quite dry”.
Khwaja Qutubuddin wished to perform his ablutions (Wazoo).
Khwaja Muinuddin “simply smiled and drew water from the dry well,” and immediately the well "became full of water". This astonishment was reported by the disciples.
His Karramat are too many to even mention here they are just too much he is said to have performed more than five thousand karramat in his life and many of them have been recorded by various historians and many scholars.
End-Life Events and Manner of Passing.
The last night of Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti's life was characterized by deep spiritual contemplation, leading to his tranquil passing.
1. The Instruction to Devotees: On his final night, he instructed his devotees to close the door of his cell and not disturb him.
2. State of Ecstasy (Wajd): During the early hours of the morning, his devotees “heard a noise of something like ‘wajd’ (ecstacy) throughout that particular night” coming from inside the room1.
3. The Final Moment: The following morning, when the door did not open at the time of the morning prayers (5 to 6 A.M.), it was forced open. The disciples were astonished to find that the saint had “relinquished his mortal remains”.
The Miracle of the Forehead Inscription:
The most profound spiritual sign (Karamaat) associated with his death was the inscription found upon his forehead:
When the devotees found his mortal remains, they noticed the following sentence in Arabic “was radiantly glittering on his forehead”: “Haaza Habib-Allah Mata Fee Hoob-Allah”
This translates to: "He is God's beloved and he died in God's love".
Prophetic Vision of the Holy Prophet.
A confirmed account relates a dream experienced by his spiritual successor, Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, after Khwaja Muinuddin’s demise:
Khwaja Qutubuddin saw Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin standing near Arsh-e-Moalla (the high throne of the Almighty God).
The author of 'Rahat-ul-Quloob' recorded that on the night of Khwaja Saheb's 'wisaal' (final union with God), certain Wali-Allahs (holy saints) were in communion with God and heard the Holy Prophet Muhammad saying: "Muinuddin is a beloved friend of God, we are going for his reception".
Date, Place, and Age of Death:
Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti passed away, dying in God's love, in Ajmer.
Date and Time: His precise date of death is given as the 6th of Rajab, 633 A.H.45. This corresponds to the year 1255 A.D.
Some records suggest the date was the 6th of Rajab, 627 A.H. (21st May 1229 A.D.), but the majority of reliable sources agree on 633 A.H.
He passed away during the prescribed time of the ‘Isha’ prayer, which is noted as between 8:30 P.M. and midnight.
Age: He lived to the age of 97 years.
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