The hopeful sinner Hasan ‘Ala Sijzi, who is the compiler of this discourse, obtained the benefit of kissing the feet of that king of the universe and wellspring of compassion. Praise be to God that on that day, after he had discussed the necessity of saying prescribed prayers plus the early morning prayer and making six prostrations and also saying the evening prayer as well as performing a fast on the brightest white days,'* he spoke as follows: “THE PENITENT IS EQUIVALENT TO THE UPRIGHT,'° since the upright is he who never drinks throughout his life or commits a single sin, while the penitent is he who has sinned and then repented of his sin.
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Sufi
Nizamuddin Auliya
Sufi1238 CE – 1325 CEBadayun, present-day Uttar Pradesh, India1,772 quotes
Nizamuddin Auliya was one of the most beloved Sufi saints of the Chishti Order in the Indian subcontinent, who taught that love of God is inseparable from love of humanity and whose Delhi shrine remains a living centre of devotion.
Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya (1238-1325 CE) was among the most revered and beloved Sufi saints of the Indian subcontinent, a luminous figure of the Chishti Order whose teachings of love, compassion, and service continue to touch hearts more than seven centuries after his passing. Affectionately remembered as Mahbub-e-Ilahi, the Beloved of God, he gave the spiritual life of medieval India a gentleness and openness whose fragrance still lingers in the streets of Delhi. He was born in 1238 CE in Badayun, in present-day Uttar Pradesh, into a respected Sayyid family. His father, Syed Abdullah, passed away when Nizamuddin was a young child, and the boy moved with his devoted mother, Bibi Zulekha, to Delhi. Raised in modest circumstances yet abundant in faith, he received a thorough education in the religious sciences, distinguishing himself as a gifted scholar from an early age. The quiet patience and trust in God that his mother modelled would remain a touchstone of his entire life. At about the age of twenty, drawn by an inner calling, Nizamuddin journeyed to Ajodhan (today Pakpattan, in Punjab) to seek the renowned Chishti master Fariduddin Ganjshakar, lovingly known as Baba Farid. He became his disciple, returning to Delhi to continue his studies while visiting his master faithfully each year during Ramadan. Recognising the rare spiritual depth of his young follower, Baba Farid designated Nizamuddin as his spiritual successor (khalifa). Through this lineage, Nizamuddin stood in the radiant silsila of the Chishti Order that reached back through Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki to Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer, and he in turn became a founder of the Chishti Nizami branch that would carry the tradition far and wide. Nizamuddin eventually settled in Ghiyaspur, then a tranquil neighbourhood on the edge of Delhi, where he established his khanqah, a spiritual lodge that became the heart of his work. Here, people of every station, esteemed nobles and the humblest of the poor alike, gathered for spiritual guidance, shared meals, and shelter. The khanqah kitchen welcomed all without distinction, embodying his conviction that to serve those in need is to draw near to God. He lived simply, choosing a path of complete trust in the divine. At the centre of his teaching was a luminous and disarmingly simple truth: love is the surest means of realising God, and the love of God necessarily expresses itself as love of humanity. He cultivated a profound spirit of kindness, generosity, and human unity that embraced all who came to him. He counselled his followers to keep a humble distance from worldly pomp, to conceal rather than display any spiritual gifts, and to prize sincere, practical devotion over outward show. His warmth drew countless seekers, and chroniclers of his age remembered how his presence turned the hearts of many in Delhi toward prayer, inwardness, and contentment. Nizamuddin gathered around him a remarkable circle of disciples, many of whom he authorised as khalifas to carry the lineage onward across distant lands. The most celebrated among them was the great poet and musician Amir Khusrau, whose devotion to his master was legendary and whose genius helped shape the music and poetry of the subcontinent; the bond between them remains one of the tenderest in Sufi memory. Another close companion, Hasan Sijzi, lovingly recorded the saint's conversations in the Fawa'id al-Fu'ad (Morals of the Heart), a treasured collection of his discourses that preserves his teachings in his own gentle voice. His successor Nasiruddin Chiragh Dehlavi, known as the Lamp of Delhi, carried the order forward, while disciples such as Akhi Siraj and Burhanuddin Gharib spread the Chishti path to Bengal and the Deccan. Nizamuddin lived through the era of the Delhi Sultanate, spanning the reigns of several rulers, yet he held steadfastly to his principle of remaining apart from worldly affairs of state, devoting himself wholly to God and to the people who came to his door. He embraced a life of simple devotion and extended fatherly care to those entrusted to him, raising the grandson of his own spiritual master with great tenderness, and his spiritual family extended through his many disciples across the lands. He passed away on 3 April 1325, in his late eighties, mourned by a city that had come to love him as its own. His resting place, the Nizamuddin Dargah in Delhi, became one of the most cherished pilgrimage sites in South Asia. The surrounding complex grew over the centuries to include the Jama'at Khana Masjid and the tomb of the Mughal princess Jahanara Begum, who wished to lie near the saint she revered. His annual Urs is observed with devotional gatherings and qawwali, the soul-stirring music his disciple Amir Khusrau helped to flourish. Nizamuddin Auliya's legacy endures as a beacon of inclusive, loving spirituality. The Chishti Nizami order he helped flourish remains among the most influential Sufi traditions in the world, and his shrine still welcomes seekers of every background. His message, that the path to the Divine runs through compassion, humility, and service to all of creation, continues to inspire and uplift, a timeless gift of light from one of India's most beloved saints.
Wisdom
The two are equivalent,” he noted, “in accordance with this Tradition of the Prophet Muhammad— may peace be upon him: ‘A person who repents of his sin is like someone who has never sinned.’ ” He then explained what was meant: “That sinner who becomes aware of his sin and subsequently repents, turning to obedience—every moment he is conscious of
the need to obey, and it is possible for one particle of that comfort which he finds in obedience to reduce to ashes all his sinful excesses.”
Discussion tumed to THE MEN OF GOD and how they OUGHT 10 REMAIN HIDDEN till God Almighty Himself has decided to reveal their identity. The master then told a short anecdote about Khwaja Abu 'I-Hasan Nuri!’ —may God illumine his grave. “O God,” he once prayed, “hide me in Your country among Your servants.” From the Beyond he heard a voice: “For God nothing is hidden, nor is God Himself ever hidden!” In the same
connection, the master went on to tell another story. “In the vicinity of Nagaur there lived a saint known as Hamid ad-din Suwali'*—may God grant him mercy and forgiveness. He was asked, ‘How is it that after their death some of the saints are never remembered by name while in the case of others, their posthumous fame spreads to the end of the earth? What causes this disparity in the states of saints?’ Hamid ad-din answered: ‘He who strives to become famous during his lifetime—after he dies his name
ina wretched condition. Approaching the Shaykh, the visitor told him what he had seen and requested the Shaykh to intercede on behalf of this fellow. “Fie!” exclaimed Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir; “he has been disrespectful.” “What did he do wrong?” asked the visitor. “He is one of God’s deputies,” explained the Shaykh. “Day before yesterday he, together with two of his companions, were winging through the air. As they approached the space above our khangah, one of the companions, out of respect, detoured to the right; the other, out of respect, detoured to the left, but this wretched fellow, being disrespectful, flew over the khanqah—and came plummeting to the ground!”
In the same connection the master began to discuss how ONE OUGHT TO BE RESPECTFUL TO THE PIR (Spiritual Master) and give answers that are pleasing to him. Once, on the eve of the ‘id celebration, Khwaja Junayd Baghdadi”—may God sanctify his lofty secret— was sit ting in his khangah, Four men from the Unseen came to pay their respects
tohim. Turning to one of them, he asked, “Where will you go in the morning to say your ‘id prayers?” “To Blessed Mecca” was the reply. “And you?” he asked the second. “To Exalted Medina” was the reply. “As for you?” he queried the third. “To the Sanctified House, that is, Jerusalem,” was the reply. “And what about you?” he demanded of the fourth. Bowing down before Junayd, the fourth replied, “I will remain in Baghdad in the service of the master [ie., Junayd].” To the fourth visitor Junayd exclaimed, “It is you who are the most devout, you are the most knowledgeable, you are the most virtuous of all!”
The conversation next turned to PURIFICATION. “To perfect his soul,” explained the master, “man must do four things: eat little, talk little, sleep little, and also socialize little.”* To illustrate the true nature of effort and exertion, he recited the following verse:
After prayer I obtained the benefit of kissing the master’s feet. I had had a slave named Malih.” Out of deference to the master—may God perpetuate his blessings—and in gratitude for the privilege of discipleship, I had set him free and offered prayers on his behalf. At the same time this slave approached the feet of the eminence of both worlds and was honored
On this occasion the master—may God prolong his blessings—observed that “THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS SLAVERY AND DOMINION IN THE WAY; all who enter properly into the world of love do God’s work.” To explain what he meant he told the story of a certain master from Ghazni. He had a slave named Zairak and that Zairak was extremely righteous and virtuous. When the time of death approached for that saint, his disciples asked: “Who will sit in your place?” “Zairak,” he replied.
Now that master had four sons, Ikhtiyar, Ajlad, Ahba, and Ajla. Zairak said, “O Khwaja, your sons will not allow me to succeed you. Every moment they will vent their anger on me.” “Set your heart at ease,” replied the saint. “If they cause you any trouble, I will defend you from their evil machinations.” In short, when the saint was joined to the realm of divine
mercy, Zairak succeeded him. The sons of the saint began to foment trouble. “You are our slave! What right do you have to sit in our father’s
of the saint, pleading, “O master, you said: ‘If my sons vex you, I will defend you from their evil machinations.’ Now that they are berating me, you must honor your promise.” Having said this, he returned home. Within a few days unbelievers attacked the vicinity of Ghazni. The inhabitants went out to do battle with them. All four of the saint’s progeny also joined in the fray, and all four of them died the death of martyrs. And Zairak continued to abide in that place without further commotion.
The aforementioned Malih, after he had taken the vows of discipleship, offered two cycles of prayer. “What was your intention in offering these two cycles of prayer?” asked the master. “To expel everything other than God,” replied Malih.
After prayer I obtained the benefit of kissing the master’s feet. A juwaliq (i.e. a kind of itinerant dervish)” entered and sat down for about an hour, then got up and left. The master—may God remember him with favor—said, “Among this group of people very few had access to the presence of Shaykh Baha ad-din Zakariya—may God have mercy on him.“ But into the presence of Shaykh al-Islam Farid ad-din—may God have abundant mercy on him—every sort of dervish and other kind of person would come.” After that, he observed that IN THE MIDST OF EVERY GROUP of people (‘ami) there IS ONE OF GOD’s ELECT (khassi),” And in this connection he told a story about Shaykh Baha ad-din Zakariya.
“The Shaykh traveled much. Once he came upon a group of juwaligs, and sat down among them. A light appeared in that group. As his eyes focussed on it, he saw that the light emanated from a member of that group. Slowly he approached the man, ‘What are you doing in the midst of this group?’ he asked. ‘Zakariya!’ retorted the man. ‘[I am here] that you may know that in the midst of every group of people there is one of God’s elect!’”
In the same vein the master told a further story. “Once a saint arrived in the midst of a group of this sort (i.e., juwaliqs). He saw one of them
recite the whole Qur'an in two cycles of prayer. The saint was amazed. He said to himself: ‘In circumstances of the kind this man experiences, it is rare to find such a level of obedience, for not everyone can persist in
this (spiritual) task (of memorizing and reciting the Qur’an).’ After a short while he left the juwaliqs. When ten years had elapsed, he happened to encounter the same group again. That dervish whom he had seen before was still performing the very task which had amazed him. ‘Now have I witnessed the truth of this axiom,’ he declared, ‘that in the midst of every group of people there is indeed one of God’s elect! ° ”