Dargah Hazrat Khawaja Nizamuddin Auliya Delhi India
Intoduction
Dargah Hazrat Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya Delhi India
In Allah's garden you gather roses,
Being drunk with divine mysteries:
Hazrat Mehboob-e-Elahi -- the beloved of Allah,
O, how I long for the attar of your company
Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia (d. 1325 A.D.) represents in many ways the pinnacle of the
Chishti Order of the Sufis. Hazrat Baba Farid, his spiritual guide, said to him
on appointing him as his successor: "Be like a big tree, so that Allah's creation,
the human beings in their vast multitudes, may find rest and solace under your shadow."
This partly explains why he admitted so many (according to some, including Barani,
too many) men into the Chishti order as his disciples. Another reason has been clearly
formulated in this way: "History, nonetheless, bears out the wisdom of his
open-ended policy . . . To far-flung areas of Uttar Pradesh, Rajastan, Gujarat,
Bihar, Bengal and the Deccan, Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia sent able disciples well versed
in the Chishti practices, yet sensitive to the needs of the local populace."
With regard to the Sufi path, Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia taught the following: "For
a dervish, three things are necessary. They all begin with an 'ain' (an Arabic letter),
i.e., Ishq (love), Aql (intelligence) and Ilm (knowledge). Let us discuss these
three qualities one by one.
Sufism is, in its essence, the way of love. Love is considered to be a spiritual
alchemy by means of which the baser qualities of a human being are transformed into
higher ones. In this respect it suffices to say that Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia is
known as Mehboob-e-Elahi, the beloved of Allah. Of course the spiritual status of
a beloved is much higher than that of a lover.
'Intelligence' changed in the hands of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia into wisdom. His
wisdom manifested itself in the shape of service to humanity. About him it has been
said: "He was not a miracle-monger of the ordinary sort. He never flew in the
air or walked on water with dry and motionless feet. His greatness was the greatness
of a loving heart; his miracles were the miracles of a deeply sympathetic soul.
He could read a man's inner heart by a glance at his face and spoke the words that
brought consolation to a tortured heart."
About 'knowledge', the third faculty of a dervish, it can be said that Hazrat Nizamuddin
Aulia was one of the greatest scholars
of his day. He wanted to become a Qazi, but gave it all up in his pursuit of inner
knowledge. After becoming a Mureed (spiritual disciple) of Hazrat Baba Farid, he
lived in extremely poor circumstances. Seeing him, a former friend expressed great
surprise as he remembered Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia as one who had begun a very promising
career as a scholar. When Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia told all of this to Hazrat Baba
Farid, his murshid (spiritual guide) suggested that he should recite the following
couplet to his friend:
You are not my fellow traveller.
Tread your own path
May you be affluent.
And I downtrodden.
Then Hazrat Baba Farid ordered him to take a tray of food from the kitchen and carry
it on his head to his friend. After doing so, he recited the verse. This deeply
moved his friend.
One day, someone told a story of a certain saint who expired while slowly repeating
the name of Allah. The eyes of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia, who was listening to this
story, filled with tears and he recited this quatrain:
I come running to the end of Your street,
Tears are washing and washing my cheek.
Union with You -- what else can I seek?
My soul I surrender as Your name I repeat.
Early Years
After leaving their homeland the city of Bokhara, the paternal grandfather of Hazrat
Nizamuddin Aulia -- Khwaja Ali -- and the maternal grandfather of Hazrat Nizamuddin
Aulia -- Khwaja Arab -- along with their family, came to India. At first they lived
in Lahore, but later they took up their residence in Badayun (East of Delhi). Khwaja
Arab married his daughter Bibi Zulaitaikha to Khwaja Ali's son Khwaja Ahmad.
The birth of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia took place on the last Wednesday of the month
of Safar, i.e., the 27th of Safar 636 A.H. (1238 A.D.) Up to this day, his birthday
celebration takes place. His shrine is bathed and the water thereof is distributed
among the visitors.
Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia's father expired when Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia was five years
old. His mother brought him to a school where he learned to recite the holy Qur'an.
In a short time he mastered the seven ways of recitation of the holy Qur'an. Then
he studied Arabic grammar, Ahadith (traditions of the Prophet Mohammed, peace be
upon him), commentary of the Qur'an and logic. At the age of twelve, he received
the "turban of excellency." He was so sharp-witted, wise and understanding
that he was given the title "Debater, capable of defeating the congregation."
He became distinguished in the science of Tafsir (commentary on the Qur'an), in
the knowledge of Ahadith, in Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence), mathematics and astronomy.
Khwaja Shamsul Malik was among his most learned teachers. He received a testimony
of knowledge of Ahadith from Maulana Kamaluddin. (2)
Although in that period, Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia used to sit among the ulama (the
scholars of Islam), he was more interested in the inner life. He often used to say:
"In the days of youth, I used to live in the company of the ulama, but in my
heart the thought used to come that I should go away from their company and turn
my face to the Divine Teacher." (3)
Baba Farid
One day a certain Qawwal (Sufi musician), with the name of Abu Bakr, came from Multan
(Pakistan) to Hazrat Nizamuddin's teacher. The teacher asked for information about
the Sufi Sheikhs of Multan. Abu Bakr answered thus: "I have lived in the company
of Hazrat Sheikh Bahauddin Zakaria of Multan and I have sung mystical couplets for
him. In his Khanqah (Sufi monastery) the worship of Allah is very devoted, so much
so that even the girls who knead the flour, while doing so, are occupied with the
Zikr (remembrance of Allah). From there I went to Ajodhan (the present Pak Pattan
in Pakistan). There I got the privilege of meeting Hazrat Baba Fariduddin Gang-e-Shakar,"
That sovereign of love of God has conquered the world and the light of his moon
has illuminated that area."
"When I heard these words of praise in regard to Baba Fariduddin Ganj-e-Shakar,"
Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia says, I developed a sudden and intense love for him and
I began to repeat his name after every Namaz (prayer)."
The Qawwal had started his concert with this line: "The living serpent of love
has bitten my heart." But then Abu Bakr could not recollect the second line.
Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia helped him to do so, and seeing this, the Qawwal became
very attentive towards him. From that day, Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia became very much
attached to Baba Farid.
Coming to Delhi
"When my eighteenth year began," Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia tells, "I
travelled from Badayun to Delhi." Musamma Ayuz accompanied him in this journey.
Ayuz was a staunch believer in the spiritual greatness of Baba Farid. Whenever he
saw the slightest danger because of robbers or wild beasts, he would cry out: "O,
Pir! Come! I need your protection." "I asked him the name of that Pir
and Ayuz said: "It is the one who has caught your heart and got you enamoured,"
meaning Baba Farid. Thus from that day my faith in the Sheikh increased."
"When in Delhi, I stayed by chance near Hazrat Baba Fariduddin's brother and
caliph Hazrat Sheikh Najibuddin Mutawakkil. My mother and sister were also with
me. We rented a house in the neighbourhood of the great Sheikh, whose company was
very valuable to me. In his presence, the qualities of Baba Fariduddin Ganj-e-Shakar
used to be described. On hearing them, I felt the desire of kissing his feet. For
approximately three years I stayed in Delhi." (4)
Meeting Baba Farid
Nizamuddin dargah,
dargah nizamuddin
aulia, information,
khwaja garib nawaz