Biblography On Chishti Saints

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Name of Publication Author Language
A Thought for Today F.A. Fazalbhoy English
Aab-e-Kausar Sheikh Md. Akram Urdu
Aayeen-e-Akbari Abdul Fazal Persian/Urdu
Aftaab-e-Ajmer Malik Bashir Urdu
Aftab-e-Hijwar Payam Shahjahapuri Urdu
Afzal-ul-Fawwad Amir Khusro Persian
Ahsan-us gait Mohammed Akbar Urdu.
Ain-ul-Wilayat Munshi Wilayat Ali Urdu
Ajmer-Historical Dewan Bahadur English
Akbarnatal Harbilas Sarda and Abul Fazal, P.M. Persian
Akhbar-ul-Akhyar Shiekh Abdul Huq Mohaddis Persian/Urdu
Akmal ut-Twarikh M Mohd. Yakub Urdu
Anis ul-Arwah Hazrat Khwaja Persian
Anwaar ul-Aarifeen Hafiz Mohammed Persian
Armoghan-e-Sabir Malik Din Mohammed Persian
A'Saar-e-Delhi Pir Zamin Nizami Urdu
Asraar-ul-Aulia Kh. Badruddin Ishaq Urdu
Asraar-ul-Waasileen Ahmed Akhtar Shah Urdu
Asrar-ul-Aulia Khwaja Badruddin Ishaq Persian
Baba Farid-ka-Roznamcha Mulla Wahdi Urdu
Basis of Islamic Culture Dr. Syed Abdul Latif English
Bazm-e-Soofia Syed Sabahuddin Abdul Rahman M.A. Urdu
Behr-ul Maani Author of Lamaatul Urdu
Bhagwan Mahavir H. H Jain Diwakar Muni English
Book of Sufi Healing Shaikh Abu Abdullah Moinuddin English
Charms of Islam Khwaja Nazir Ahmed English
Dalil-ul-Arifin Hazrat Khwaja Qutubuddin Persian/Urdu
Darbar-e-Akbari M. Mohammed Urdu
Devotion to the Almighty Dr. H Rahman English
Fawaid-ul Fawad Amir Hasan Ala Sanjari Persian
Fawwad-us Salikin Hazrat Baba Fariduddin Ganj Shakar Persian/Urdu
Fawwad-ul-Fawwad Amir Hassan Sanjari Persian/Urdu
Firoz Shah's History Firoz Shah English
Forty Years of Sufism 1910-1950 Pir-o-Murshid Mohammed Ali Khan
English
Future of Islam Amir Ali English
Ganj-e-Asraar Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti Persian
Gazetteer of Ajmer Mr. J. D. Latouche English
God Realization A.G. Usman English
Guldasta Chishti Md. Misbahuddin Urdu
Gulzaar-e-Faridi Pir Mohammed Hussain Chishti Urdu
Gulzar-e-Abrar Molana Ghausi Shattari Persian/Urdu
Gunj-ul-Asrar Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti Persian
Haftaad Aulia Shah Murad Marehravi Urdu
Haqiqat Gulzar Sabri Shah Mohammed Hasan Sabri of Ramput Urdu
Hayat e-Sabri Kalyari Masoom Ali Sabir Urdu
Hazrat Baba Fariduddin Maulana Wahid Ahmed Masood Badayuni Urdu
Holy Prophet through Different Lights Al-Haj Mohammed Ali- Salmin
English
Iqtibas-ul Anwaar Maulana Mohammed Akram Persian/Urdu
Iqtibas-ul-Anwaar Sh. Akram Chishti Persian
Islam & Non-Muslims M.I. Meer English
Islam at the Cross Roads Mohammed Asad English
Jaama-ul-Uloom Hazrat Jalaluddin Persian
Jawahir-e-Faridi Muhammed Ali Asghar Chishti Urdu
Jawama ul-Kalum Mohammed Akbar Husain Persian/Urdu
Karbat-ul-Wahdat Hazrat Abdul Qader Mohiuddin Jilani Arabic/Persian
Kashful-Mahjoob Shaikh Ali Hujwari Persian
Khair ul-Majaalis Hamid Shair Qalandar Persian
Khazinat-ul-Asfia Mufti Gulam Sarwar of Lahore Persian
Khwaja-e-Azam Syed Ahmed Ali Fahmi Urdu
Khwaja-e-Hind-ul-wali Sheikh Iftikhar Ahmed Urdu
Kitab Gharib Nawaz Bashir Ahmed Urdu
Kitab-ut-Tahqeeq M. Aminuddin Khan Persian/Urdu
Kulliyat-ul-Hyat Hazrat Usmaa Ghani Arabic
Life of Bhagwan Sathya Sai Baba N. Kasturi English
Life of Dayanand Sarswati Shri Chauthmalji Maharaj and English
Madayan-ul-Moin Not Known Persian
Malfoozaat Khwajgaan-e-Chisht Ghulam Ahmed Khan Persian
Maqnatis-ul-Wahdat Hazrat Baba Fariduddin Persian/Urdu
Masalik-us-Salikin Mohammed Abdus Sattar Urdu
Miftah-ul-Aashiqeen Muhib Allah Persian
Miraat-u!-Ansaab Molvi Ziauddin Urdu
Mirat-ul-Asraar Abdul Rahman Abdul Rasool Persian
Mirat-ul-Konain Molvi Ghulam Nabi Urdu
Muin-ul-Arifin Nawab Khadim Husain Urdu
Muin-ul-Arwah Princess Jahan Ara Begum Persian
Muin-ul-Aulia Dewan Syed Imamuddin Ali Khan Persian
Mujaahid-ul Wahdat Hazraat Umar Faruq Arabic
Munaqib ul-Asfia Makhdoom Shah Shuaib Persian
Munaqib-ul-Habib Md. Najmuddin Chishti Persian/Urdu
Munis-ul-Arwah Princess Jehan Ara Begum Persian
Muntakhib-ut-Twarikh Mulla Abdul Qadar, Badayuni Persian/Urdu
Nadwat-ul-Mussani Nizami Urdu
Nahjul Balagh Syed Mohammed Askari Jaffery English
Nisar-e-Khwaja Aliama Moinuddin Ajmeri Urdu
Nizami Bansari Khwaja Hasan Nizami Urdu
Punjabi Suri Shoura Ms. Lajwanti Rama Krishna Urdu
Punjab-men-Urdu Hafiz Mohammed Sherani Urdu
Qavi-ul Qudrat Hazrat Ali Murtaza Arabic
Rahat-ul Quloob Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Persian
Reader's Digest Reader's Digest Association, London English
Religious Digest K Ramchandra English
Report of Dargah Enquiry, 1949 Ghulam Husain English
Rood-e-Kausar Dr. Sheikh Mohammed Akram, M.A. Urdu
Sabiri Silsila Maulana Wahid Ahmed Masood Urdu
Safinat-ul-Aulia Prince Dara Shikoh Persian
Sawaneh Hyat Hazrat Ali Hijwari Tablighi Kutubkhana Urdu
Shaikh-ush Shayookh-e-Alam Talib Hashami Lahori Urdu
Sheurn-ul Aim Maulana Shibli Nuamani Urdu
Shihaab-ul-Ma'Arifat Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique Arabic
Siar-ul Aulia Syed Md. Kirmani & Syed Mubarik-ul-Alavi Persian/Urdu
Siar-ul-Aqtaab Sheikh Alladiya Chishti Persian
Siar-ul-Arifin Sheikh Jamali Jalaluddin Persian
Siar-ul-Aulia Syed Mubarik Amir Khurd Persian
Silsilat ul-Aulia Mohammed Saleh Kunjahi Persian
Sirat Baba Farid Ganj Shakar Maulana Abul Bayan Faruqi Urdu
Sirat Hazrat Kh. Muinuddin Ajmeri Hazrat Badayuni Urdu
Sirr-ul-Abudiyat Hazrat Baba Fariduddin Arabic/Persian
Sufi Masters Pir Vilayat Khan English
Sufis Speak Mr. Shafayat English
Sufis, Mystics and Yogis B. Behari, Dr.K.M. Munshi & R.R Diwakar
English
Surur-us-Sadoor Hazrat Suri Hamiduddin Nagauri Persian
Tabqaat-e-Akbari Abul Fazal and Mulla Nizamuddin Ahmed Persian/Urdu
Tabqaat-e-Nasari Minhajuddin Siraj Persian
Tahqiqaat Aulaad Hafiz Mohammed Urdu
Tajalliyat-e-Quran Maulana Abdul Wahid Chishti Urdu
Tarikh Mashaikh-e- Chisht Khaleeq Ahmed Urdu
Tarikh Mashaikh-e-Chisht Prof. Khaleeq Ahmed Nizami Urdu
Tarikh-e-Hindustan Molvi Zaka Ullah Urdu
Tarikh-e-Farishta Mohammed Qasim Astradbadi Persian/Urdu
Tarikh-e-Feroze Shahi Maulana Ziauddin Barani Persian
Tarikh-e-Hindustan Munshi Zakaullah Urdu
Tarikh-e-Nizami Pir Zamin Nizami Urdu
Tasawwuf-e-Islam Maulana A. Maajid Daryabadi Urdu
Tazkara-e-Saabir Intizam Allah Shahaabi Akbarabadi Urdu
Tazkira Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Urdu
Tazkrat-ul-Kalaam Syed Shah Mohammed Akbar Danapuri Persian/Urdu
Ten Saints of India T.M.P. Mahadevan English
Gazetteer of Dist. Montgomery Government of India English
Gazetteer of Dist. Multan Government of India English
The Glorious Islam Al-Haj Mohammed Ali Salmin English
The Holy Prophet Mohammed Al-Haj Mohammed Ali Salmin English
The Holy Saint of Ajmer Al-Haj Mohammed Ali Salmin English
The Inner Voice C.W. Sanders English
The Japji (Message of Guru Nanak) Sant Kirpal Singh English
The Muslim Digest Mohammed Makki English
The Present Crisis of Faith Dr. S. Radhakrishnan English
The Reality of Religion J.M. Shapoorjee English
The Rise & Fall of Mohd. Tughlaq Agha Mahdi Husian, Ph.D. English
The Saint of Jilan Saiyad Abdus Salik English
The Spirit of Islam Syed Amir Ali English
The Sufi Message International Hqtrs. for Sufi Movement English
Tin-Dilli Shah Murad Marehravi Urdu
Tuzkey-Labargiri Emperor Jehangir Persian
Waqa-e-Hazrat Baba Fariduddin Pir Mohammed Husain Chishti Urdu
Waqa-e-Shah Babu Lal Persian/Urdu
Zabdat-ul-Haqayaq Qutubudddin Bakhtiyar Kaki Persian
harity or favours from anybody except God.
Never go to the courts of Kings,
But never refuse to bless and help the needy and the poor,
the widow and the orphan when they come to your door.
This is your mission, to serve the people...
http://web.archive.org/web/19981206083546/www.chishti.com/corder/bibliography.htm
Inspirer of my mind
Consoler of my heart
Healer of my spirit
Thy spirit lifteth me
from earth to heaven.
Thy words flow as the sacred river
Thy thought riseth as a divine spring
Thy tender feelings awaken sympathy in my heart
Beloved Teacher,
Thy very being is forgiveness.
The clouds of doubt and fear
are scattered by thy piercing glance
All ignorance vanishes in thy illuminating presence
A new hope is born in my heart
By breathing thy peaceful atmosphere.
O inspiring guide,
Through life's puzzling ways
In thee I feel abundance of blessings.
TO EACH AMONG YOU WE HAVE PRESCRIBED A LAW AND AN OPEN WAY. (S. 5 V.
48)
To call oneself a Muslim nominally and present oneself as a Muslim
formally does not make one a true Muslim. Just to know the teachings
of Islam does not help. A person who does not know how to behave like
a Muslim, although he or she knows the Shariah, is like a "donkey
carrying a load of books." (Sura Jumu'ah.)Islam should make one Godly
and not earth rooted. A true Muslim seeks the pleasure of Allah and
not the ego.
The adoption of the Shariah has degenerated with the degeneration of
Muslims. Sufi orders have also degenerated with the adoption of
rituals as an end and not a means to an end.In most cases Sufism is
viewed as ritualism through and through.The spirit of the rituals are
not explained hence the misconception of attaching mystic significance
to rituals, which were originally formulated to mobilise the heart in
the quest for Allah, has replaced the "sulook" or journey toward
Allah. The true methodology (Tariqah) is not undertaken and the faraid
(compulsory requirements) is being neglected.
The love for Allah and Rasul (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) should lead
to love for all creation. A Sufi lives for Allah, and in a spiritual
sense with Allah and in Allah. To undertake the journey and propel
oneself to Allah, human beings possess two wings:The wing of Law and
the wing of Love. The Shariah is the (law) and the Tariqah is (love).
To make the Shariah a cult is not what is demanded by Islam. Islam is
a revolt against the concept of cult. Islam is based on Tawhid or
Unity hence the law and love should be blended with Hikmah (wisdom).
If only one aspect is pursued it leads to imbalance and religiously
unbalanced personalities. The law leads to academic pursuit or (Fikr)
contemplation on the creation leading to knowledge of the creator with
the External eye and love leads to Dhikr (remembrance of Allah) ,
which leads to recognition or Ma'rifah of Allah. So Dhikr and Fikr
take one to ones goal and the goal is Allah. The love of Allah leads
one to love those who loved Allah ,who showed how to love Allah - to
the Aulia.
The demonstration of love , for him who loves Allah and the Holy
Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and who loved the mission of
the
India has been known for millennia as a land of spiritual people, and
in her distinguished history, one name stands out among all other as
the undisputed greatest saint of India, that of Hazrat Khwaja
Muinuddin Chishti of Ajmer.
Orphaned in his teens, he gave up his rich inheritance one day by a
divine miracle to seek the path of Sufi dervishes. The story of his
illustrious life, of his education among the spiritual luminaries of
his time in Iraq and Persia, of his divinely decreed mission of
bringing Islam to India and the miraculous struggles in propagating it
there, with his highly enlightened 'sayings' are historical legends in
India.
There are extremely few personalities of spiritual India who inspire
and command spontaneous devotion and admiration for his exemplary
life, his divine worship, and his noble teachings for the upliftment
and service to all mankind.
To this day, nearly 750 years after his demise, his holy shrine is
visited throughout the year by millions of faithful devotees of all
religions and nations to pay homage to this great saint of the East.
This Chishti Order website presents the very full account of his
life and teachings, produced exclusively for the English-speaking
world.
The work, several years in development, has been assisted by a very
great number of people from all over the globe. We pray Allah to
Reward them all wioth His Choicest Blessings, as many of such things
as there are. Ameen.
While the Chishti Order is known to only a few selected groups in
the West, we offer these highly inspiring life stories, and the
illuminating work of the Chishtis, for the emancipation of the
oppressed of humanity, regardless of caste, creed, color, religion or
nation, and share with all humanity Khwaja Saheb's ever-shining
example of true humanity and Universal Brotherhood.
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate.
The Chishtiyyah Order of Sufis historically is considered based in
the Indian subcontinent. It did originate, however, in the town of
Chisht in what is modern Afghanistan.
Chisht, written as Khisht in the Persian work Hudud al-'Alam
(compiled in 372 AH/982 CE), is now a small village known as Khwaja
Chisht on the river Hari Rud, some 100 kilometers east of Herat.
It was in this region that the Ghurid Sultans of the Shansab
dynasty established their rule in the 12th century. Until the 10th
century, the area was constantly invaded by the governors of Khurasan.
This resulted in the spread of Islam to the region, which had formerly
been Buddhist, and prior to that occupied by Jews and Manicheans.
Over time, the area of Chisht became renowned as a great center for
Sufis, as did the areas of Herat and Jam nearby. By the end of the 9th
century, these areas were all among the leading magnets for Sufis.
Among the migrants to Chisht was Shaikh Abu Ishaq Shami from Syria.
The Shaikh traced his spiritual origin from 'Ali (ra) and the Prophet
Muhammad (sas), and then through Hasan Basri, as follows:
Hasan Basri
Abdul Wahid bin Zaid
Fuzail bin Ayaz
Ibrahim Adham Balkhi
Khwaja Sadiduddin Huzayfa al-Mar'ashi
Abu Hubayra Basri
Khwaja Mamshad 'Alwi Dinawari
Abu Ishaq Shami
Abu Ishaq Shami returned from Chisht to Syria and died there in
329/940 at Akka, and left Khwaja Abu Ahmad Abdal Chishti as his
successor. The various successions ultimately rested upon Khwaja
Muinuddin Chishti, who was deputed by Divine decree to take up his
holy mission in Ajmer, Rajasthan, India.
This section of the website details the life and teachings of this
great saint. His spiritual genealogy and that of his successors are
provided at various appropriate places.
http://web.archive.org/web/19981205201713/www.chishti.com/corder/sufism.htm
Tassawuf In The Light Of Quran And Hadith
All Sufis obey the Holy Quran implicitly and also follow the
Prophet's traditions (Hadith) rigidly. According to Sufis, tassawuf
means unbounded love of God and selfless service of His creation under
Shariat. There is a clear indication in the Holy Quran that "God
loveth those who love Him". When a Sufi reaches the pinnacle of his
career, he is above all worldly things. He then enters the domain of
the spiritual world, the existence of which is as certain as this
material world.
Ma'Arifat
Thus when the lover and the Beloved are in divine harmony and
unity, there is nothing else but a serene happiness--a rare type of
happiness which no pen or human intellect can describe adequately.
It is this reciprocal link of divine love between God and man which
is called Ma'Arifat in Sufi parlance. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, in his
Tarjumaan-ul-Quran, clarifies this point. He says: "Again and again
the Quran has revealed the fact that the relation of God with man is
nothing but a relation of their mutual love. In appreciation of man's
own wonderful creation, God gracious expects nothing but his love and
devotion only."
A true devotee of God thus becomes His true lover. And, at this
stage, the devotee is very near to God. Having attained the position
of God's beloved friend, he soars high in the spiritual world or
exists in a state of a kind of so-called other-worldliness. And this
is the ultimate goal of a Sufi--the true meaning of all his devotion
and mujahedas (strivings).
The Quran gives a central place to its religious principles in order
to guide the conduct of man in his life, and that is why all Sufis
follow it scrupulously to develop their love of God and win His
pleasure and blessings. God says: "O Mohammed, We have given you the
Book as well as the secrets of our Hikmat (Divine knowledge) and We
shall tell you those things which you never knew."
As promised, the Prophet did receive this divine wisdom or the
secret knowledge and, in turn, imparted and passed it on to some of
his very near associates, especially to Hazrat All, who were indeed
the source of light or the guiding stars of Tassawuf for the
succeeding generations of a particular class of Muslim ascetics who
played such a glorious role in the service of mankind at various
critical junctures of Islamic history.
Characteristics of a Sufi
Discussing the characteristics of Tassawuf and Surfs, Hazrat Ali
Hujwari supports what Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi says about these
qualities. Hazrat Junaid attributes the following eight exemplary
qualities of a Sufi. A true Sufi possesses:
The courage and magnanimity of Prophet Ibrahim.
The obedience of Prophet Ismail.
The patience and forbearance of Prophet Ayub.
The signs of Prophet Zakaria.
The poverty of Prophet Yahya.
The traveling nature of Prophet Isa (Jesus).
The simplicity of dress of Prophet Muss (Moses).
The Fuqr (contentment and renunciation) of Prophet Mohammed.
Sufism is Something Divine
Sufism is not the name of any Uloom (knowledge) or rasoom (customs,
traditions). It is the name of a special religious conduct based upon
Divine Knowledge and guidance. If it were Uloom then it should have
been acquired by common knowledge; and if it were rasoom then it
should have been acquired by mere mujahedas (practice and strivings).
But it is neither acquired by 'ilm nor by mujahedas alone. It is
something Divine bestowed by the grace of God upon a selected few who
renounce this material world and devote themselves exclusively to the
worship of God and service of his creatures.
Sheikh Ali Hujwari further lays down four important characteristics of
a Sufi: (1) implicit faith in and obedience to God by giving up all
other worldly hopes and hypocrisy; (2) honoring of the elders and
welcoming of the younger ones with equanimity, love and respect; (3)
desiring neither rewards nor any other kind of appreciation from any
quarter whatever except God; and (4) over-powering all sensuous
desires of the evil of Nafs.
Dress of Sufis
"Wearing of the coffin-cloth in life time."
The Kashf-ul--Mahjoob deals elaborately in three chapters with the
details of the dress of Sufis. It says: "A Sufi uses only one solitary
covering generally called gudri (a quilt made of patched cloth)
following the tradition of the prophets and saints which is the symbol
of their fuqr (contentment) and riyazat (strivings). But there are
certain extremely rigid conditions too which must be fulfilled before
a Sufi aspires to wear this coveted gudri.
First of all, he must completely renounce the world and have
unshakable faith in God, His last prophet Mohammed, the Book and the
Hadith; secondly, he can wear this gudri only when his Pir-o-Murshid
adorns him with it after testing his ability to wear it with honor.
Thirdly, it is incumbent upon him to serve an apprenticeship of at
least two years before qualifying for this gudri.
The most important condition of this service is that he must give his
love and sympathy indiscriminately to all the creatures of God alike,
irrespective of all religious distinctions. For the Sufi, service
means whatever he does, he does it for the sake of God without
expecting rewards. Fourthly, he must possess a most courageous heart
to pass through the hard tests of the curriculum of Sufism, and no
worldly worries whatever must disturb his equilibrium.
When all these conditions are carried out rigidly, then only the
Sheikh or Pir can adorn the mureed (disciple) with this coveted and
hard-earned gudri of fuqr. As a matter of fact, this adornment means
nothing but wearing of one's coffin-cloth when one is still living.
The aspirant now becomes a perfect faqir or Sufi, a true devotee of
God and real servant of mankind.
Unparalleled Forbearance
One of the greatest characteristic weaknesses of man is the control
of his temper. Insult or ridicule of the friends of God is their
relishing food. A true Sufi takes no notice of any insult done to him.
How great Sufis have mastered this difficult evil is illustrated by
the following few brilliant instances.
Once Sheikh Abu Taher, a great Sufi of his time, was passing
through a bazaar when some one hurled a jeering insult at him by
addressing him as "O Pir Zindiqi" (meaning, "O you faithless Pir").
One of the mureeds of the great Sheikh walking with him was awfully
enraged at this insult of his revered Pir and wanted to retaliate with
the offender on the spot.
But the Sheikh calmly restrained him. On reaching home, the Sheikh,
to pacify the mureed's anger, showed him a bundle of letters in which
the writers, who were the country's leading dignitaries, had addressed
him with high regards, courtesies and alqaabs (adorations). The Sheikh
then warned his disciple: "Everybody has his own opinion or views
about me according to the limits of his own knowledge and status. All
opinions or views are mere expressions of one's own wisdom, ability or
status. If some one calls me a zindiqi (faithless), why should we
quarrel over mere reflections of his own ignorance? Certainly this
reflection does not represent my actual Personality and all that goes
with it. The alqaabs, good or bad, are mere prefixes or suffixes
attributed to one's personality according to the people's own
estimation and ability. We should take no impression of such
irresponsible behavior. Even if it insults us, then God alone has the
right and power to punish the offenders and not we? Who are we to take
God's law into our own hands and wreck vengeance?" The mureed learned
a great lesson in Sufism from his Pir, and kept quiet.
Another Lesson
Another brilliant example of saintly forbearance is illustrated by
the story of Hazrat Abu Yazid, another great Sufi of his time, who
returned to his home town in the month of Ramadhan after a long
journey in Hedjaz. Contrary to all his protests, the citizens arranged
a royal public reception in his honor.
During the function, Hazrat Abu Yazid felt very uneasy and lost his
constant spiritual contact with God temporarily, i.e. his constant
devotion to God was disturbed. In order to distract his attention from
this forced show in which he was not at all interested or happy, and
to regain his lost devotional contact with God, he suddenly took out a
tikya (a small cake) from the pocket of his sleeve and began to eat
it. The audience was simply aghast at this irrelevant act by such an
exalted Sufi dervish in a public meeting. Their regard for him was
rudely shaken, and they began to condemn him bitterly for his freakish
behavior. But the saint took no notice of all this. He had, in fact,
invented this act purposely in order to regain the lost touch with his
beloved God at the expense of even public ridicule and insult.
Another Wonderful Example
Hazrat Sheikh All Hujwari gives us another wonderful story of how
ridicule and insult have been gracefully swallowed by the beloved
friends of God. He says: "Ridicule or hatred of Sufi saints is
actually a refreshing garden for them." He then cites the following
example of Hazrat Ibrahim Adham, one of the greatest Sufi luminaries
of his time. He says:
"Once a person inquired of Hazrat Ibrahim Adham whether he had ever
been successful in meeting his heart's best wish during his long
career as a Sufi? The great saint replied, "Yes, only twice in my
life." "Once," he said, "when I was traveling incognito in a boat,
wearing torn and dirty clothes with disheveled hair. Seeing me in this
shabby condition, my fellow travelers not only pulled my hair but also
ridiculed me and indeed made a laughing stock of me on the journey.
It was at this time that my heart's dearest wish was fulfilled and the
cup of my happiness swelled for the first time, in the love of my
beloved God. But this happiness was short-lived, because, the next
day, a fellow came up and actually discharged his urine upon my
clothes which I was obliged to change under the law of Shariat. With
my changed dress, the people became cautious and stopped the fun they
were having with me, and I lost my happiness."
Hazrat Ibrahim Adham went on: "The second occasion of the
fulfillment of my heart's dearest wish occurred on a rainy day during
a severe winter, when I was on a journey and was drenched. I was in
search of a refuge for shelter, and when I reached a village, my jubba
(cloak) was actually dripping with rain. I sought shelter in a mosque,
but they would not let me in and, in fact, drove me away very rudely.
Due to severe cold, I then entered into the furnace of a hammam
(public bathroom) to comfort myself and sat there, preserving my
clothes carefully from the fire. With the soot and smoke of the
furnace, all my face and clothes were blackened and when I got out, I
was unrecognizable. My dear friend, this was the second time when nay
heart's dearest wish was fulfilled and I felt extremely happy at this
test of my beloved God. Such examples of forbearance of the great
Sufis can be multiplied.
Ancestors of Sufism
The Sufis maintain that they must act strictly upon the same Divine
Commandments, both in letter and spirit, which were received by the
Prophet about his own devotion to God: "Cut off yourself from
everything and concentrate your attention towards Me." A Hadith Qudsi
of the Holy Prophet relates that Allah describes such extraordinary
devotion in this manner: "When a devotee seeks Me devoutly, I also
reciprocate his love and become his ear by which he hears, his eye by
which he sees, his hand by which be works and his feet by which he
walks."
There was a group of prophet's beloved followers, popularly called
Ashaab-e-Suffa, who had renounced the world and had dedicated their
lives to prayer and recitation of the Holy Quran day and night. They
lived in an annex to the Prophet's mosque and did not marry; those who
married among them had to leave the group. For their livelihood, they
depended entirely upon the benevolence of God on the Quranic promise
of "providing for every creature on earth."
Sometimes the Ansars would bring in a bunch of dates and hang it in
the roof of the mosque. When the ripened fruit fell to the ground,
these ascetics would pick it up and eat. They lived in strict
austerity and looked after all their necessities of life by
themselves. They drew water and picked up firewood from the jungle to
sell and make their living. The well-known Hazrat Abu Huraira, who is
an authority on Prophet's Hadith (traditions) was one of them.
Many great Ulema and historians have paid them high tributes for their
heroic life of austerity, sacrifice and devotion. The love of the
Prophet himself for their exemplary religious life was naturally
immense and unbounded. It is, therefore, safely presumed that some of
this group of early ascetics were the ancestors of some of the leading
Sufis of the world apart from the lineages of the Holy Prophet and his
four distinguished Caliphs.
http://web.archive.org/web/19981202140145/www.chishti.com/corder/sufismquran.htm
Chishti Literature
The literature of the Chishti silsila may be considered under five
heads: (a) Malfoozaat (conversations) of the saints; (b) Maktoobat
(letters) of the saints; (c) works on mystic ideology and practices;
(d) biographical accounts of saints and (e) poetical works. Only major
and representative works are indicated here.
Malfoozaat
This literature of Chishtis throws valuable light on their thought
and activities. The art of its writing was introduced in India by Amir
Hasan Sanjari who compiled the conversations of Hazrat Nizamuddin
Aulia in his Fawa'id-ul-Fu'ad.
Other important collections of Malfoozaat are the following: Khair-
ul-Majaalis conversations of Hazrat Naseeruddin Chiragh, compiled by
Hameed Qalandar; Surur-ul-Sudoor, conversations of Hazrat Hameeduddin
Sufi, compiled by his grandson (MSS Habibganj); Ahhsan-ul-Aqwaal,
conversations of Hazrat Burhanuddin Gharib, compiled by Maulana Hammad
Kashani (MS personal collection); Jawami-ul-Kalam, conversations of
Hazrat Mohammed Gesu Draz, compiled by Syed Mohammed Akbar Husaini
(Usmanganj); Anwaar-ul-Uvun, conversations of Hazrat Ahmed Abdul Huq
(compiled by Hazrat Abdul Quddus Gangohi); Lataaif-e-Qudussi,
conversations of Hazrat Abdul Quddus Gangohi, by Rukn-ud-Din; Fakhr-e-
Talibin, conversations of Shah Fakhruddin compiled by Rukn-ud-Din
Fakhri; Nafa-ul-Salikin, conversations of Hazrat Shah Suleman of
Taunsa compiled by Mamuddin; Makshoofaat-e-Manazal-e-Ehsan
(Manifestations of the Stages of Blessings (6 vols.), Sufi Barkat
Ali). All of them are most authentic and dependable.
Maktubat
Saha'if-ul-Suluk, letters of Ahmed Faqir, Jhajhar; Bahr-ul-Ma'ani,
letters of Syed Jafar Makki; Maktoobaat-e-Asharafi, letters of Syed
Ashraf Jahangir Simnani (MS Aligarh); Maktoobat of Syed Nur Qutb-e-
Aalam (MS Aligarh); Maktoobaat-e-Quddusi, letters of Hazrat Abdul
Quddus Gangohi; Maktoobaat-e-Kaleemi, letters of Hazrat Shah Kalim
Allah Jahanabadi. There are also the Seven Illuminating Letters which
were addressed by Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Hasan Chishti of Ajmer to
his beloved Khalifa, Hazrat Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, which
are fully reproduced on this website.
Works on Chishti Sufi Ideology & Practices
The two earliest Chishti works on mystic ideology are in the form
of aphorisms: the Mulharnaat of Hazrat Jamaluddin Hansvi and Mukh-ul-
Ma'ani of Amir Hasan Sanjari. The Usool-ul-Sama of Hazrat Fakhruddin
Zaradi, contains an exposition of Chishti attitude towards music
parties or Quwwali. Among other Chishti works, the following may be
noted:
Ruknuddin Imad's Shama'il-e-Ankiyya; Abdul Quddus's Ghara'ib-ul-
Fu'ad; Nizamuddin Balkhi's Riyaz-ul-Quds; Shah Kalim Allah's Muraqqa-e-
Kalimi; Nizamuddin Aurangabadi's Nizam-ul- Quloob; Fakhruddin
Dehlavi's Nizam-ul-Aqa'id; Hazrat Muin-ul-Haqqs Al-Kitab al-Rawhi al-
Shifa As-Sufiyyah.
Biographical Works
The biographical accounts of earliest Chishti saints are found in
Mir Khurd's Siyar-ul-Aulia compiled in 8th/14th century. Late in the
19th century, Khwaja Gul Mohammed Ahmedpuri wrote a Takmila to the
Siyar-ul-Aulia. Other important biographical works include Jamali's
Siyarul-Arifin; Nizamuddin Yamani's Lata'if-e-Asharafi; Tajuddin's
Risala Hall Khanwada-e-Chisht (MS personal collection); Ali Asghar
Chishti's Jawahir-e-Faridi; Abdul Rehman's Mir'at-ul-Asraar (MSS);
Allah Diya's Siyar-ul-Aqtaab; Muinuddin's Ma'Aarij-ul-Wilayat (MSS
personal collection); Allauddin Barnawi's Chishtiyya-e-Bahishtiya
(MSS); Akram Baraswi's Iqtibas-uI-Anwaar; Mir Shihabuddin Nizam's
Manaqibe-Fakhria; Rahim Baksh's Shajrat-ul Anwaar (MSS personal
collection): Mohammed Husain's Anwaar-ul-Aarifin; Najmuddin's Manaqib-
ul-Mahbubeen; Ghulam Mohammed Khan's Manaqib-e-Sulaimani; Ahmed Akhtar
Mirza's Manaqib-e-Faaridi; Hadi Ali Khan's Manaqib-e-Hafiziyya, and
Nisar Ali's Khwariq-e-Haadwiyya.
Poetical Works
The diwans (poetical collections) attributed generally to Hazrat
Khwaja Muninuddin Hasan Chishti of Ajmer and Hazrat Khwaja Qutubuddin
of Delhi are apocryphal. The Surur-ul-Sudoor says that Hazrat
Hamiduddin had left poetical compositions in Arabic, Persian and
Hindi. Of them only a few couplets are now available.
The earliest poetical work of an Indian Chishti Sufi is the Diwan-e-
Jamaluddin Hansvi. Amir Khusro, the great Indian poet, though
associated intimately with the Chishti order, did not produce any work
exclusively on mysticism but some of his poems contain verses which
throw light on Islamic mystic tendencies of the period. Mas'ud Baksh's
Diwan, Yusuf Gada's Tuhfat-ul-Nasa'ih and Hazrat Shah Niyaz Ahmed's
Diwan-e-Baa Niyaz are steeped in Chishti ideology.
Bibliography
Besides the works cited above, the following are also notable:
Abdul Huq Mohaddis's Akhbar ul-Akhyar; Ghulam Sarwar's Khazinat ul-
Asfiya; Mushtaq Ahmed's Anwaar-ul-Ashqeen; Ashiq Elahi's Tizkirat-ul-
Khalil; Syed Abdul Hayee's Nuzhat-ul-Khawatir; Ashraf Ali Thanawi's Al-
Sunnatal-iilliyafil-Chishtiya al-Uliyya; Prof. Mohammed Habib's Sheikh
Nasiruddin Chiragh as a Great Historical Personality in Islamic
Culture; Chishti Mystic Records of the Sultanate Period, in "Medieval
India Quarterly", vol. L No. 2; Prof .K.A. Nizami's Tarikh-e-Mashaikh-
e-Chisht; and The Life and Times of Sheikh Fariduddin Ganj-e-Shakar.
Note: With the advent of British Raj in India, the Western
education and rule gave a shattering blow to the age-old cultural and
religious values and traditions of both the Muslims and Hindus of
India. Many of the time-honoured religious values began to deteriorate
gradually under the spell of Westernized education and political
domination. They were the first casualties of this Western influence,
although the Dargahs or shrines of the great Chishti Sufi saints
maintained their spiritual and religious atmosphere in spite of this
Western intrusion.
http://web.archive.org/web/19981206062745/www.chishti.com/corder/literature.htm
Chishti Sufi Ideology
The early Chishti Sufis of India had adopted the Awarif-ul-Ma'arif
of Hazrat Sheikh Shihabuddin Suhrawardi as their chief guide book. On
it was based the organization of their khanaqahs and the elder saints
taught it to their disciples. The Kashf-ul-Mahjoob of Hazrat Ali
Hujwari of Lahore was also a very popular work. Hazrat Nizamuddin
Aulia used to say: "For one who has no spiritual guide, the Kashf-ul-
Mahjoob is enough". Besides these two works, the Malfoozaat
(conversations) of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia, Naseeruddin Chiragh,
Burhanuddin Gharib and Syed Mohammed Gesu Daraz give a fairly accurate
idea of the Chishti mystics' ideology.
Even today the Eleven Etiquettes (Adabs) of the Chishti Sufis
reflect the influence of the Kashf-ul-Mahjoob Kashf-ul-Mahjoob.
The cornerstone of Chishti ideology is the concept of Unity of God.
It supplies the motive force to their mystic mission and determines
their social outlook. The early Chishti saints however did not write
anything about these concepts, but Masud Baksh's Mir'at-ul-Arifeen and
his poetical diwan, Nur-ul-Ain, gave currency to these ideas and his
works became popular study in the Chishti khanaqahs.
The Chishtis look down upon possession of property and pursuit of
materialism as a negation of faith in God. They reject worldly goods
and material attractions (tarke-danya) and live on futuh (voluntary
offerings) which are never demanded as charity.
The Chishti Sufis believe in a peaceful attitude towards life, and
consider retaliation and revenge as laws of the animal world. They
live and work for a healthy social order, free from all dissensions
and discriminations. Contact with the state is greatly discouraged.
"There are two abuses among the mystics," says an early Chishti
mystic, "jirrat and muqallid. Muqallid is one who has no master;
jirrat is one who visits kings and their courts and asks people for
money".
The great objective of a mystic's life, according to Chishtis, is
to live for the God alone. One should neither hope for Heaven nor fear
Hell. Man's love towards God may be of three kinds: (a) Mohabbat-e-
Islami i.e. love which a new convert to Islam develops with God on
account of his conversion to the new faith; (b) Mohabbat-e-nuwahhibi,
i.e. love which a man develops as a result of his effort in the way of
following the Holy Prophet Muhammad; (c) Mohabbat-e-khass, i.e. love
which is the result of cosmic emotion. A mystic should develop the
last one.
The Chishti mystics do not demand formal conversion to Islam as a
pre-requisite to initiation in mystic discipline. Formal conversion,
they believe, should not precede, but follow a change in emotional
life. The Chishti attitude contrasts sharply with, for example, the
Suhrawardi principles in this respect.
The guiding principles of the Chishti Order are encapsulated in the
famous "Final Sermon" of Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti, delivered just one
month before his demise.
The interested person is directed to a bibliographical list of the
many books and teachings authored by the Chishti saints over the
years.
http://web.archive.org/web/19981206124217/www.chishti.com/corder/ideology.htm
...and I am Sid Harth

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