FAMILY BACKGROUNDHazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti Ajmeri (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) was born in 536 A.H. in a place called Chisht, which is in Sistan, East Persia. Both his parents were Sayyid and he was both Hassani and Hussaini. His father was Hazrat Khwaja Ghiyasuddin Hasan (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) whose noble lineage is traced to Hazrat Imam Hussain (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), and his mother was Bibi Ummul-Wara (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha) also known as Bhabi Mah-e-Noor, a descendant of Hazrat Imam Hassan (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh). [Masaalikus Saalikeen, pg 27]

HIS BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD: He was born at a time when the Muslim world, especially Sistan, was in turmoil, experiencing bloodshed and plunder at the hands of the non-Muslims. Due to this his father one day decided to leave Sistan for a safer place and hence migrated to Neshapur. He bought an orchard with a windmill in the vicinity of Rewand with the intention to settle there. However, the destruction of the barbarous Tartars and other rebels soon spread to this city as well, and fields were being destroyed, Ulama and Sufis were mercilessly being murdered, honour of the women was brutally being outraged, girls and boys were being taken as slaves, and mosques, hospitals and educational institutions were being destroyed.

While Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) was trying to cope with all this at a very young age, his beloved mother passed away. Soon thereafter his dear father passed away as well in the year 551 A.H. and this young orphan was left alone to fend for himself in a world full of hatred, murder and greed. However, he bore this period with courage and exemplary forbearance, and worked hard in looking after his father’s orchard, trimming and watering the plants with his own hands. He often plunged himself into deep thoughts about these ugly events in order to try to come to some definite conclusion about his own future course of life. Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) already showed signs of his rare piety and sacrifice for others from the time of his infancy. Whenever any woman with a baby came to see his mother, and if the baby cried for feeding, he used to make a gesture to his mother to feed the crying baby from her own breast. When his mother would do this, it would please him very much. At the age of 3 he used to share his own food with his playmates. Once he  as going to the Eid-gah for the Eid Namaaz in rich clothes. On the way he saw a blind boy in rags. He pitied the boy so much that he at once gave him some of his own clothes and led him to the Eid-gah with all due affection.
As mentioned earlier, Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) used to ponder for hours over the ugly scenes of the massacre which he had been witnessing with great pain for several years ever since his childhood. His interest in worldly life was diminishing fast and inwardly he longed to be away from such a vicious world, if he could manage to see a way out.

MEETING WITH SHAIKH QANDOZI (RadiAllahuAnh): One day, at the age of fifteen, he came across a Majzoob Wali by the name of Shaikh Ibrahim Qandozi (Radiallahu Ta’alaAnh), who happened to come to his orchard. Khwaja  Muinuddin Chishti (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) was watering the plants at the time and when he saw the Shaikh he welcomed him enthusiastically and after kissing his hands reverently, made him sit under a shady tree. He then brought a bunch of fresh grapes and requested Shaikh Ibrahim (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) to eat it. The Shaikh complied with the request and seemed to admire the manners and gesture of the young Khwaja Muinuddin’s (RadiallahuTa’ala Anh) hospitality. He at once perceived with his intuitive power that his host was inwardly worried and upset, had a spark of divine love in his heart and was an ardent seeker of the Truth. Overwhelmed by the pleasure of this understanding, the Shaikh brought out a piece of bread from his wallet and after chewing it, put it into the mouth of Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh). No sooner had he eaten it, than the veil of all worldly imagination was lifted from his mind and he found himself in quite a strange world, radiating with Divine Manifestation. When Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) recovered from this extraordinary experience he found that Shaikh Ibrahim Qandozi (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) had disappeared. [Siyarul Arifeen, pg 5]

The immediate inspiration of this miraculous experience with Shaikh Ibrahim Qandozi (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) was that Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) renounced the world. He wasted no time in selling his orchard and the windmill along with all his other worldly belongings and distributed every piece of the sale proceeds among the poor and the needy. He then bade farewell to his dear and near ones and left Neshapur for Bukhara in search of religious knowledge and moral education. He decided to go to Bukhara because the famous universities in Baghdad and Neshapur had suffered damage due to the ravages of continuous wars and plunder, but Bukhara still had some of the best educational institutions and learned Ulama of that time. [Siyarul Arifeen, pg 3]

A handsome youth, who renounced the world in his early teens, was seen walking all alone on the Neshapur-Bukhara highway amidst jungle and animal life, without a friend, without a penny in his pocket and without any present or future hope of provision for his livelihood, resolutely determined to seek the Truth. The worry and discontentment of his earlier years had suddenly changed into a perfect contentment immediately after a Divine Vision received through the help of a Majzoob Wali. He seemed to be very happy with his apparently gloom lot. At this stage however, he did not know that one day he would be one of the greatest Awliya Allah in the history of Islam, who would turn the tables of the evil world, who would apply the balm of solace and salvation to the wounds of the afflicted humanity, and who would cause the downfall of pride and arrogance of the mightiest monarchs of his time to end the sufferings of the oppressed.

ISLAMIC EDUCATION : While in Bukhara, Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) received his education in all the oriental sciences and literature from many learned Ulama of that time, prominent of whom was Maulana Hissamuddin Bukhari (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), from whom he received his Jubba (cloak) and Dastaar-e-Fazilat (turban of learning), which was the two highest academic diplomas or ‘robes of learning’ of that time. [Dalilul Arifeen, pg 47]

Having completed his education in Bukhara, Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) went to Samarqand which was also a great seat of learning in those days. There too he attended many leading institutions to perfect his knowledge in theology, philosophy and grammar. The years of his education in Bukhara and Samarqand are reported to be between 552 A.H. and 561 A.H. After equipping himself with the best available education that he could obtain, Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) now diverted his attention to the spiritual side of his training. He now needed a spiritual guide and decided to leave Samarqand in quest of such a master, starting on a journey in the southern parts of the country towards Baghdad. On this journey, he came to the town of Haroon where one of the greatest Sufi Saints of his time, Hazrat Khwaja Usman Harooni (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) lived. This great Wali had a resounding fame which attracted scores of people from far and near for their spiritual enlightenment and religious and moral training under him.

WILAYAT:One day Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) decided to present himself before this great Wali. When he approached Hazrat Khwaja Usman Harooni (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), he kissed the ground with all due reverence and pleaded, “Huzoor, may I request you to enlist me as one of your humble and devoted mureeds?” Hazrat Khwaja Usman Harooni (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) at once perceived with his intuitive powers that Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) was the fittest candidate to join the circle of his disciples, and granted his request without hesitation.
Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) says in his own words about the spiritual initiation which took place thereafter:
“I had the honour of appearing before Hazrat Khwaja Usman (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) when many other spiritual luminaries were also present. I lowered my head in solemn reverence. Khwaja Usman (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) asked me to offer two rakaats of namaaz. I did it. He then directed me to sit facing the Ka’bah. I did it. He then asked me to recite Surah Baqarah. I did it. He told me to repeat Durood Shareef 21 times and to say ‘Subhaanallah’ 60 times. I did it. After that he stood up, took my hand in his own and looked towards the heaven saying, “Let me present you to Allah Ta’ala.” After that he cut off my hair with a scissors and then put a special Topi on my head and asked me to sit down. He then asked me to repeat Surah Ikhlas one thousand times. I did it. He then said, “Among our followers there is only one day and one night’s Mujahida, hence go and do it today.” Accordingly I spent one day and one night in prayers and reappeared before him. He asked me to sit down and
repeat Surah Ikhlas one thousand times again. I did so. “Look towards the heaven”, he then told me. When I raised my eyes towards the heaven he enquired, “How far do you see?” I said up to the Arsh. He then told me, “Look below.” I did so. He again enquired, “How far do you see?” I said up to Tahtut-Sara (abyss). He then asked me to sit down and repeat Surah Ikhlas one thousand times and I did it. He then told me, “Look towards the heaven.” When I did so, he enquired as to how far I could see now. I said up to Hijaab-e-Azmat (Dazzlement of Allah Ta’ala’s Glory). He then asked me to close my eyes and I did so. After a moment he told me to open my eyes and I did so. Then he showed me his two fingers and enquired, “What do you see through them?” I said I see 18 000 Aalameen (worlds). When he heard this he said, “Now your work is over.” Then he looked towards a brick lying nearby and asked me to pick it up. When I did so, I found some dinars (gold coins) under it. He asked
me to go and distribute it among the poor and needy which I did. I was then instructed to remain with him for some time.” [Anisul Arwah]

MIRACLES

It is recorded that more than 4600 miracles were performed by Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti Ajmeri (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) throughout his lifetime. Some of these miracles are presented hereunder to give us a glimpse of the power that Allah Ta’ala grants to His slaves.

When Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) arrived in Ajmer with his followers and wanted to camp under a bunch of shady trees outside the city wall near Anderkot, Raja Prithviraj’s camel-keepers arrogantly objected to his staying there. They insisted that the place was used as the stabling ground for the Raja’s camels and that the strangers must move away to some other place. Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) gracefully moved away to another site near the Anasagar Lake. But when the Raja’s camels did not get up the next morning in spite of all efforts to make them move, the trouble was brought to the notice of the Raja. He was much perturbed and advised his men to approach the same Fakeer whom they had chased away. When they found Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), they begged for his forgiveness and asked for the remedy for the condition of the camels. Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) replied, “Go, the camels would get up.” On their resturn they were simply amazed to see that the camels were already standing.

Around the Anasagar Lake where Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) and his followers had moved, there were many temples. His followers used to draw water and sometime catch fish from the lake for their food. The  Brahman priests of theses temples remonstrated against this and reported the matter to the Raja who ordered  immediate removal of these ‘Muslim Fakeers’ from the place. The servants of the Raja not only demanded Khwaja Muinuddin’s (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) movement from this place but also asked him in a very insolent manner to leave Ajmer at once. But it was impossible for Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) to agree because he was there by the will of Allah Ta’ala and the command of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). When the rude crowd of Brahmans tried to mob and molest the innocent Fakeers with the ultimate intention of murdering them, Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) only threw some dust upon them which caused them to lose their  senses and vitality. Some of them ran away in terror and reported this incident to the Raja, who had much hatred for Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) and was trying to find a solution to remove him from Ajmer.

Among the many temples there was a magnificent temple wherein the Raja and his courtiers used to offer their worship. The chief priest of this temple was a very learned Brahman named Shadi Dev who was a bitter opponent of Khwaja Muinuddin’s (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) stay in Ajmer. When he heard about the abovementioned incident, he approached Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) with a view to persuade him to leave the place. But as soon as he was face to face with Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), he was so over-awed by the Saint’s magnetic personality and spirituality that he forgot himself and could not resist the spontaneous urge to offer his obeisance to the great Saint. Asking for forgiveness for his misbehavior, Shadi Dev at once embraced Islam and became the first disciple of Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) in Ajmer.

The priests of the other temples however, persisted with their subdued grudge and refused to let Khwaja Muinuddin’s (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) followers have water from the Anasagar Lake. Upon this, Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) asked Shadi Dev (now Saadi under his new Islamic name) to fetch some water from the lake in a Mashkiza (a small water-skin). As he filled the water-skin, the water of the whole Anasagar Lake  mysteriously disappeared into it and not only this, but even the water of all other wells in the city together with the milk in the breasts of all nursing mothers and animals of Ajmer also dried up miraculously. These miracles caused an unprecedented awe in the city, dislocating its active life. When Saadi wanted to report this to Khwaja Muinuddin
(Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), the latter was absorbed in his usual Ibaadat and meditation.

In the meantime the priests had carried the news of these miracles to the Raja, who again became furious and lost no time in summoning one of his most trusted councilors, Ajaipal Jogi. Ajaipal was his spiritual guru and was recognized to be the greatest exponent of the sciences of black-art, magic and witchcraft. He assured the Raja not to worry and that he would turn Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) out of Ajmer without any difficulty. He advised the Raja to go to Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) with his bodyguards, promising to follow him very soon with his own army of disciples.

While on his way to Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), the Raja, fired by his lingering wrath, thought of hurting the Saint terribly but as soon as this evil thought entered his mind, he lost his vision and could not move forward. When he recollected his mother’s pacifying warning to treat Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) reverently, his heart suddenly softened and he regained his eyesight. By the time he actually appeared before the Saint, he had experienced this incident no less than seven times. When he reached Anasagar, he was encouraged to see Ajaipal approaching, who upon arrival, immediately started his magical attacks upon the unarmed and peaceful Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh). Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) asked his followers
to draw a circle on the ground around them for protection against Ajaipal’s magical attacks which consequently could do them no harm.

While this incident was going on, the population of Ajmer was thirsting unbearably for water because of its mysterious disappearance as mentioned above. Finding themselves in a hopelessly desperate situation, Ajaipal and the Raja as last apologetically approached Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) and sought his forgiveness and begged him to return the water of Ajmer for its thirsting population.

In response to this appeal Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) asked Ajaipal to bring the water-skin in which Saadi had filled the water of the Anasagar Lake. But Ajaipal could not lift it up despite all his magical powers. When he admitted his helplessness rather shamefully, Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) told him, “This water-skin belongs to the humble servants of Almighty Allah. You people woefully immersed in worldly greed, riches and temporal powers cannot pick it up.” He then ordered one of his followers to pour back the water from the water-skin in the Anasagar Lake. To the amazement of all present, the disciple had no trouble in lifting up the water-skin and complying with his master’s order. As soon as the water was poured back into the lake, it
swelled up as usual, while the milk in the breasts of the nursing mothers and the teats of the animals also overflowed and the normal life of the city was thus restored in a few minutes.

Frustrated by persistent failures, Ajaipal now made a last desperate attempt in order to regain his damaged prestige in the eyes of his people by trying a masterpiece of his magical art. He first enquired from Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) about his position in the realm of the spiritual world. Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) replied, “Let us first see what status you hold in your ‘spiritual world’. After that Insha Allah we shall also show you our position.” Ajaipal brought out a deer-skin and threw it up in the air. He then ascended it and disappeared in the sky. Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) merely smiled and signaled his wooden sandals to go up in the air and bring Ajaipal down. Striking themselves persistently on
Ajaipal’s head, the sandals brought him down in the presence of Khwaja Muinuddin (RadiallahuTa’ala Anh) in a few minutes in spite of all the efforts of Ajaipal to avoid the catastrophe. While Ajaipal was the master of all the evil sciences of his day, Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) was only a humble servant of the All-Powerful, Almighty Allah. Having lost all his battles Ajaipal embraced Islam and became one of the devoted mureeds of Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’alaAnh). Subhaanallah! [Siyarul Aqtab, pg 131; Masaalikus Saalikeen, pg 279]

One day Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) was delivering a lecture to an audience, but whenever his eyes turned towards the right, he stood up for a while and then resumed his discourse again. This happened several times during the course of the sermon. When the function was over and the people had dispersed, some of his close mureeds ventured to enquire about the incident of his standing up so often during the lecture. Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) then replied, “On that side there was my Peer-o-Murshid’s Mazaar and whenever I saw in that direction it came before my eyes, so I used to stand up out of the great respect I have for the Mazaar of my Murshid.” (The Mazaar of his Murshid was in Makkatul Mukarramah and he was in Ajmer)
Subhaanallah! If this is the vision of the slave of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), then what must be the vision of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) himself? One day a wailing old woman came to Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) who was busy making wudhu. The woman complained that the governor of the city had murdered her son without any fault and that she had come to him to beg for justice. Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) after completing his wudhu picked up his ‘Asa Mubarak (sacred staff) and walked out with the lady to the place where the murdered corpse of her son was lying. He then placed the severed head in its proper position on the body of the murdered young man and prayed to Almighty Allah, “O Allah, if this man was murdered without any fault, then grant him his life.” After this he put his staff on the corpse and said, “Get up by the Command of Allah if you are innocent.” The young man got up, healthy and normal and both he and his mother fell down at the feet of the saint in solemn gratitude.

One day Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) was passing through a street of Ajmer with his attendant Shaikh Ali. Suddenly a creditor of Shaikh Ali appeared on the scene and, holding him by his garment, insisted upon the payment of his debt in a very insolent manner. Pleading on behalf of his attendant, Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) assured the creditor that his debt would now be paid soon and requested him to let Shaikh Ali go for the time being. But the creditor would not allow the attendant to move until his money was paid on the spot. This obduracy invoked Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti’s (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) proverbial sympathy for human shortcomings. He took off his chaadar and flung it onto the ground. As soon as it was flung it was covered with a big heap of silver and gold coins. Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (Radiallahu Ta’ala
Anh) then told the creditor, “Please take away your debt, counting honestly as much as is due to you from this heap, but be careful not to pick up even a single coin more than your due.” Overpowered by greed at the sight of so much wealth, the creditor mischievously thought of picking up more than what was due to him. But as soon as he stretched his hand towards the money with this evil intention, it dried up and his arm became as stiff as an iron rod. Everyone present was wonderstruck by this awful experience. Realizing his guilt, the creditor fell at the feet of Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) and begged for mercy. Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) accepted his apology and prayed to Allah Ta’ala for the restoration of his arm to its normal condition. [Masaalikus Saalikeen, pg 282]

One day in Delhi, Hazrat Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), the beloved Khalifa of Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), was taking a walk with his own mureed, Hazrat Shamsuddin Al Tamish (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), who was the king at the time. The king’s courtier’s were also following them in attendance when suddenly an attractive women of ill fame appeared on the scene, wailing and crying and saying to the king that she was in a terrible dilemma. She pleaded before the king to arrange her Nikah. When the king enquired about her trouble and of the person she would like to marry, the wretched woman said, “This man (pointing towards Khwaja Qutbuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh)) who is walking so majestically with you, because he had an illicit intimacy with me that has resulted in my illegitimate pregnancy.” Everyone was shocked at this statement and all Hazrat Khwaja Qutbuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) could think of in the spur of the moment was to turn his face in the direction of Ajmer and invoke the help of his Peer-o-Murshid, Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), to help him in this nasty situation never experienced by him in his whole life. Suddenly they all noticed Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) approaching towards them in person.Naturally wonderstruck at the sudden appearance of the great saint of Ajmer on the scene, the king and his courtiers hurried to offer their salutations and homage to him. Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) then asked his mureed, “Why have you remembered me?” Due to the overwhelming impact of the shock Khwaja Qutbuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) was unable to speak out and could not resist the emotional tears that flowed down his face. Khwaja Muinuddin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), who knew the facts of the whole matter then turned towards the evil woman and addressed the child whom she carried in her womb, “O confined child, your mother is
accusing Qutbuddin of being your father, now speak out the truth and say if it is correct.” By the Infinite Grace of Almighty Allah, the child in the woman’s womb did speak out and replied, “Your honour, the statement of my mother is a pernicious lie. She is a libertine and she has been tutored by the enemies of Khwaja Qutbuddin to accuse the holy saint out of mere jealousy only to disgrace him in the eyes of the public.” When this miraculous voice came aloud from the womb of the mother, all those present were astonished beyond description and the woman had no escape but to acknowledge her guilt openly before everyone.

Subhaanallah! There is no doubt that the Awliya Allah are alive and are there to assist us! May Allah Ta’ala grant us true love and respect for the Awliya Allah and the Taufeeq to follow in their footsteps by immersing ourselves in the love and obedience to Allah Ta’ala and His Beloved Rasool Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, Ameen.