CHISHTISM
The Chishti Order (Persian: چشتی ) is a Sufi order (tarika) of Islam which was founded in Chisht, now Afghanistan, about 930 C.E. and continues to this day (2007). The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness.
The order was founded by Abu Ishaq Shami ("the Syrian") who brought Sufism to the town of Chisht, some 95 miles east of Herat in present-day Afghanistan. Before returning to the Levant, Shami initiated, trained and deputized the son of the local Amir, (Khwaja) Abu Ahmad Abdal (d. 966). Under the leadership of Abu Ahmad’s descendants, the Chishtiyya as they are also known, flourished as a regional mystical order.
The most famous of the Chishti saints is Moinuddin Chishti (also known as Khawaja Baba) who settled in Ajmer, India. He oversaw the growth of the order in the 13th century as religious laws were canonized. He saw Muhammad in a dream and then set off on a journey of discovery.
Other famous saints of the Chishti Order are Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi, Fariduddin Ganjshakar of Pak Pattan, Mohammed Badesha Qadri of Wadi, Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki and Hazrat Ashraf Jahangir Semnani of Kicchocha Sharif, Uttar Pradesh.
The Chishti Order is famous for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. The Order traces its origins through various saints all the way to Ali and Muhammad himself.
Sema or Qawwali is a type of devotional music to enhance the remembrance of Allah and is not a part of worship or prayer.
Followers of Inayat Khan claim he was the first to bring the Chishti Order to North America. Followers of Pir Zada Inyat Ali Chishty son of the famous Sufi saint Imamuddin Chishty of Lahore claim he was the first to bring the chishti order to the UK. Also he is a direct descendant of Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chishty as is his son Makhdum Ali Chishty and his Grandson Fahrid Ahmed Ali Chishty.