Nizamuddin Auliya

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the Bangladeshi coachbuilder, see Leepu Nizamuddin Awlia.
Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya R.A
Religion Islam, specifically the Chisti order of Sufism
Personal
Born 1238
Badayun (present-day Uttar Pradesh)
Died 3 April 1325
Delhi
Senior posting
Based in Delhi
Title

) Sultan-ul-Mashaikh, Mehboob-e-Ilahi,Khalifa
Period in
office
Late 13th century and early 14th century
Predecessor Fariduddin Ganjshakar
Successor Various, most prominent beingNasiruddin Chiragh Dehlavi,Amir Khusrow, Akhi Siraj Aainae
Hind and Burhanuddin Gharib
Sultan-ul-Mashaikh, Mehboob-e-Ilahi, Hazrat Shaikh Khwaja Syed Muhammad Nizamuddin Auliya R.A (1238
3 April 1325) (Urdu: ), also known as Hazrat Nizamuddin, was a
famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order in the Indian Subcontinent, an order that believed in drawing close to
God through renunciation of the world and service to humanity. He is one of the great saints of the Chishti
order in India.
[1]
His predecessors were Fariduddin Ganjshakar, Bakhtiyar Kaki and Moinuddin Chishti. In that
sequence, they constitute the initial spiritual chain or silsila of the Chisti order, widely prevalent in the Indian
subcontinent.
Nizamuddin Auliya, like his predecessors, stressed love as a means of realising God. For him his love of God
implied a love of humanity. His vision of the world was marked by a highly evolved sense of secularity and
kindness.
[2]
It is claimed by the 14th century historiographer Ziauddin Barani that his influence on the Muslims
of Delhi was such that a paradigm shift was effected in their outlook towards worldly matters. People began to
be inclined towards mysticism and prayers and remaining aloof from the world.
[3]

Contents
[hide]
1 Life
2 Key beliefs
3 Ancestral history
o 3.1 Ancestral lineage
4 Spiritual history
o 4.1 Spiritual lineage
5 Students
o 5.1 Nasiruddin Chiragh Dehlavi
o 5.2 Amr Khusro
o 5.3 Akhi Siraj Aainae Hind
o 5.4 Burhanuddin Gharib
o 5.5 Jalaluddin Bhandari
o 5.6 Syed Mahmood Kashkinakar
o 5.7 Ajan Fakir
6 Quotations
7 Descendants
8 The Chisti Nizami order
o 8.1 Branches
8.1.1 Naseeria
8.1.2 Hussainia
8.1.3 Niyazia
8.1.4 Serajia
8.1.5 Ashrafia
8.1.6 Faridia
9 King's disrespect leads to his doom
10 Titles
11 Urs
12 In popular culture
13 Further reading
14 See also
15 References
16 External links
Life[edit]
Nizamuddin Auliya was born in Badayun, Uttar Pradesh (east of Delhi). At the age of five, after the death of his
father, Ahmad Badayuni, he came to Delhi with his mother, Bibi Zulekha.
[4]
His biography finds mention in Ain-i-
Akbari, a 16th-century document written by Mughal Emperor Akbars vizier, Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak.
[5]

At the age of twenty, Nizmuddn went to Ajodhan (the present Pakpattan Sharif in Pakistan) and became a
disciple of the Sufi saint Fariduddin Ganjshakar, commonly known as Baba Farid. Nizmuddn did not take up
residence in Ajodhan but continued with his theological studies in Delhi while simultaneously starting the Sufi
devotional practices and the prescribed litanies. He visited Ajodhan each year to spend the month of Ramadan
in the presence of Baba Farid. It was on his third visit to Ajodhan that Baba Farid made him his successor.
Shortly after that, when Nizmuddn returned to Delhi, he received news that Baba Farid had died.


Chilla Nizamuddin Auliya, residence of Nizamuddin Auliya, towards the north-east from Humayun's tomb, Delhi
Nizmuddn lived at various places in Delhi, before finally settling down in Ghiyaspur, a neighbourhood in Delhi
undisturbed by the noise and hustle of city life. He built his Khanqah here, a place where people from all walks
of life were fed, where he imparted spiritual education to others and he had his own quarters. Before long, the
Khanqah became a place thronged with all kinds of people, rich and poor alike.
Many of his disciples achieved spiritual height, including Shaikh Nasiruddin Muhammad Chirag-e-
Delhi,
[6]
and Amir Khusro,
[5]
noted scholar/musician, and the royal poet of the Delhi Sultanate.
He died on the morning of 3 April 1325. His shrine, the Nizamuddin Dargah, is located in Delhi.
[7]
and the
present structure was built in 1562. The shrine is visited by people of all faiths, through the year, though it
becomes a place for special congregation during the death anniversaries, or Urs, of Nizamuddin Auliya
and Amr Khusro,
[4]
who is also buried at the Nizmuddn Dargh.
Key beliefs[edit]
Besides believing in the traditional Sufi ideas of embracing God within this life (as opposed to the idea that
such partial merger with God is possible only after death), by destroying the ego and cleansing the soul, and
that this is possible through considerable efforts involving Sufi practices, Nizamuddin also expanded and
practised the unique features introduced by past saints of the Chisti Sufi order in India. These included:
Emphasis on renunciation and having complete trust in God.
The unity of mankind and shunning distinctions based on social, economic, religious status.
Helping the needy, feeding the hungry and being sympathetic to the oppressed.
Strong disapproval of mixing with the Sultans, the princes and the nobles.
Exhortation in making close contact with the poor and the downtrodden
Adopting an uncompromising attitude towards all forms of political and social oppression.
A bold stance in favour of Sema, which some considered unislamic. Perhaps this was with the view that
this was in consonance with the role of music in some modes of Hindu worship, could serve as a basis of
contact with local people and would facilitate mutual adjustments between the two communities.
[8]
In
fact Qawwali, a form of devotional music, was originally created by one his most cherished disciples: Amir
Khusro.
Nizamuddin did not much bother about the theoretical aspects of Sufism, believing rather that it were the
practical aspects that counted, as it was anyway not possible to describe the diversified mystical experiences
called spiritual states or stations which a practicing Sufi encountered. He discouraged the demonstration
of Keramat and emphasised that it was obligatory for the Auliya (which roughly means the friends of God) to
hide the ability of Keramat from the commoners. He also was quite generous in accepting disciples. Usually
whoever came to him saying that he wanted to become a disciple was granted that favour. This resulted in him
being always surrounded by people from all strata of society.
Ancestral history[edit]
The eldest son of 'Al al-Naq was asan al-'Askar and the other son was Ja'far Bukhr. After the death of 'Ali
al-Naqi, Hasan al-Askari became the accepted Imm of both Sh'ah and Sunn Muslims. asan al-'Askar was
killed at the age of 28. He had one son, Muammad al-Mahd, who, at the age of five after the death of his
father, disappeared from public view. That was in the time of the 'Abbsid Caliphs. Knowing about the killings
of all the Imms and family members of the descendants of Muammad, Ja'far Bukhr migrated to Bukhara in
Uzbekistan
[citation needed]
. After a few generations, one of his descendants called 'Al, known as Dniyl, the
grandfather of Nizmuddn Auliy', migrated to the city of Badyn in Uttar Pradesh, India.
Ancestral lineage[edit]
1. Muammad
2. 'Al bin Ab lib
3. Husayn bin 'Al
4. 'Al bin al-Husayn Zayn-ul'bidn
5. Muammad al-Bqir
6. Ja'far al-diq
7. Ms al-Khim
8. 'Al al-Ri
9. Muammad al-Taq
10. 'Al al-Naq
11. Ja'far Bukhr
12. 'Al Aghar Bukhr
13. Ab 'Abdullh Bukhr
14. Amad Bukhr
15. 'Al Bukhr
16. Husayn Bukhr
17. 'Abdullh Bukhr
18. 'Al, known as Dniyl
19. Amad Badyn
20. Nizmuddn Auliy'
Spiritual history[edit]


Mughal princess Jahan Ara's tomb (left), Nizamuddin Auliya's tomb (right) and Jama'at Khana Masjid (background), at Nizamuddin Dargahcomplex, in Nizamuddin West, Delhi
He was merely sixteen or seventeen years old when he first heard the name of Farduddn Ganjshakar, and
feelings of love and respect arose in his heart right then. He narrates to his disciples that he never felt the same
after hearing or even meeting any other Sufi. The love kept increasing like a burning fire. If his classmates
would like to have some work out of him they used to invoke the name of Bb Fard, and he never refused
anything asked in his name. He didn't feel the same for anyone else in his entire lifetime. He became his
disciple after completing his studies at the age of 20. He visited him thrice in his lifetime.
Spiritual lineage[edit]
1. Islamic Prophet Muammad
2. 'Al bin Ab lib
3. al-asan al-Bar
4. 'Abdul Wid Bin Zaid Abul Fal
5. Fuail Bin 'Iyydh Bin Mas'd Bin Bishr al-Tamm
6. Ibrhm bin Adham
7. Hudhaifah al-Mar'ash
8. Abu Hubairah Basri
9. Mumshad 'Uluw al-Dinawar
Start of the Chishti Order:
1. Ab Isq al-Shm
2. Ab Amad Abdl
3. Ab Muammad bin Ab Amad
4. Ab Ysuf bin Smn
5. Maudd Chisht
6. Sharf Zandn
7. Usmn al-Hrn
8. Mu'nuddn Chisht
9. Qubuddn Bakhtiyr Kk
10. Farduddn Mas'd
11. Nizmuddn Auliy'
Students[edit]
He had more than 600 khalifas (a khalifa is a disciple who is given the authority to take his own disciples and
thus propagate the spiritual lineage) who continued his lineage all over the world. Some of his most famous
disciples are:
Nasiruddin Chiragh Dehlavi[edit]
He was the spiritual successor of Nizamuddin Auliya. He is considered fifth amongst the big five of the Chisti
order in India (the others being Moinuddin Chishti, Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, Fariduddin Ganjshakar,
Nizamuddin Auliya). His shrine is in Chirag Dilli, New Delhi, India.
Amr Khusro[edit]
He was the most loved disciple of his master. He was so close to his master that once Nizmuddn Auliy' said,
"If shar'ah allows me I would like him to be buried with me in the same grave."
[citation needed]
He also said that
whoever comes to visit his grave must visit the grave of Amr Khusro first and then his. He died within a few
months of his master's death. He was buried at the feet of his master. His shrine is in Nizmuddn Dargh, New
Delhi.
Akhi Siraj Aainae Hind[edit]
He was given the title of ainae-Hind (Mirror of India) by Nizmuddn Auliy' and lived with him for a long time.
He was amongst the earliest disciples of Nizmuddn Auliy', who sent him to Bengal. His shrine is in Gaur,
West Bengal.
Burhanuddin Gharib[edit]
He is also amongst the earliest disciples of Nizamuddin Auliya and lived with the master until his last breath.
After the death of Nizamuddin Auliya, he went to the Deccan, and the place where he lived became famous
thereby. His shrine is in Khuldabad in Maharashtra.
Jalaluddin Bhandari[edit]
He is also amongst the earliest disciples of Nizamuddin Auliya. He ran the Langar khana of Nizamuddin Auliya.
After the death of Nizamuddin Auliya, he went to the Deccan with Burhanuddin Gharib, and became famous by
the name of Bhandari. His shrine is in Fatehabad in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra.
Syed Mahmood Kashkinakar[edit]
He holds a very special position in Islamic mysticism. He is believed to be alive in the invisible world even after
his death in the visible world. There are miracles in the literature of the Chisti order which are attributed to this.
Ajan Fakir[edit]
Ansari
Quotations[edit]
1. The wilayat (domain) of gnosis and faith can suffer decay. The wilayat of compassion can not.
2. The love of Auliya (saints) is stronger than their reason.
3. The lock of spiritual perfection has very many keys. All those keys are to be possessed. If one does
not open it, others can.
4. He who has knowledge, reason, and love, is deserving to become a caliph of the Sufi sheikhs.
5. So long as is possible, give relief to your heart, because the heart of a good Muslim is the palace of
the manifestations of Allah.
Descendants[edit]
Nizamuddin Auliya did not marry. However he had one brother named Jamaluddin. He told him, "your
descendants will be my descendants". Jamaluddin had one son named Ibrahim. He was nurtured by
Nizamuddin Auliya after Jamaluddin's death. Nizamuddin Auliya sent his nephew to Bengal in
Eastern India along with one of his disciples (khalifa) Akhi Siraj Aainae Hind, known as Aaina-e-Hind. Alaul Haq
Pandavi (the master (Pir) of Ashraf Jahangir Semnani) became his disciple and khalifa. Ala-ul-Haq Pandwi
married his sister-in-law to Ibrahim. They had one son, Fariduddin Tavaela Bukhsh, who became a well
known Chisti Sufi of Bihar. He was married to the daughter of Alaul Haq Pandavi. He became the khalifa of
Hazrat Noor Qutb-e-Aalam Padwi (the eldest son and spiritual successor of Alaul Haq Pandavi). His shrine is in
Chandpura, Bihar Sharif, Bihar. Many of his descendants are well known Sufis, namely Moinuddin Sani,
Naseeruddin Sani, Sultan Chisti Nizami, Bahauddin Chisti Nizami, Deewan Syed Shah Abdul Wahab (his
shrine is in Choti Takiya, Biharsharif), Sultan Sani, Amjad Hussain Chisti Nizami, among others. He spread
Chisti Nizami order all over Northern India. Ijaza of his Silsila (order) is present in all the existing khanqahs of
Bihar. His descendants still reside in Bihar Sharif and can be found in many parts of the world. However, those
still looking after Nizamuddin Auliya's shrine in Delhi are the descendants of his sister's son.
The Chisti Nizami order[edit]
Main article: Chishti Order
Nizamuddin Auliya was the founder of the Chisti Nizami order. He had hundreds of disciples (khalifa) who had
Ijaza (khilafat) from him to spread the order. Many of the Sufis of the Chisti Nizami order are recognised as
great Sufis; the following is a list of notable Sufis of the Chisti Nizami order, which includes his descendants as
well as his disciples:
Muhammad Hussaini Gisudaraz Bandanawaz, Gulbarga (near Hyderabad), Karnataka; Alaul Haq Pandavi &
Noor Qutb-e-Alam Pandwi, Pandua, West Bengal; Ashraf Jahangir Semnani, Kichaucha, Uttar Pradesh;
Faqruddin Faqr Dehlvi, Mehrauli, New Delhi; Shah Niyaz Ahmad Barelvi, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh; Shafruddin Ali
Ahmed & Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, Chirag Dilli, New Delhi; Zainuddin Shirazi, Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh;
Muhiuddin Yousuf Yahya Madani Chishti, Medina; Kaleemullah Dehlvi Chishti, Delhi; Nizamuddin Aurangabadi;
Nizamuddin Hussain, and Meerza Agha Mohammad; Muhammad Sulman Taunswi, Pakistan, Mohammad
Meera Hussaini, Hesamuddin Mankpuri.
Branches[edit]
Nizamuddin Auliya was an unparalleled Sufi of his time amongst all the existing Sufi orders of that time. Many
of his contemporaries were doubtless very powerful spiritual leaders, but he was the most famous of all. In his
career of approximately 70 years as a Sufi he saw the reign of seven rulers of the Delhi sultanate. The kings
were very loyal to him and respectful of him. When he first arrived as the Qutb of Delhi he settled down at a
lonely place on the outskirts of Delhi, Ghyaspur. But he became so famous that Ghyaspur became the main
hub of Delhi and so densely populated that he wanted to leave that place but did not. He was buried in the
campus of his khanqah. Ghyaspur is now a central locality of New Delhi, and is known after his name
Nizamuddin. The area is so vast that it is divided into four parts: Nizamuddin Dargah (where his shrine is
situated), Nizamuddin East, Nizamuddin West and Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station.
The Chisti order branched out with Nizamuddin Auliya to form the Chisti Nizami order. A parallel branch which
started with Alauddin Sabir Kaliyari, another disciple of Baba Farid, was the Chisti Sabiri branch. People started
adding Nizami gracefully after their name. He spiritually made many great Sufis amongst his students,
descendants and the Sufis of the Nizami order.
The branches of the Chisti Nizami order are as follows:
Naseeria[edit]
His disciple Nasiruddin Muhammad Chirag-e-Dehli started the Nizamia Naseeria branch.
Hussainia[edit]
The Hussainia branch is named for Muhammad Hussaini Gisudaraz Bandanawaz. He was the most famous
and loved disciple of Nasiruddin Muhammad Chirag-e-Dehli. The khanqah he established in Gulbarga,
Karnataka is still in existence.
Niyazia[edit]
Shah Niyaz Ahmad Barelvi, in the 19th century started the Niyazia branch.
Serajia[edit]
The Nizamia Serajia branch was started by Serajuddin Aqi Seraj. This branch is also known as Chistia
Serajia.
Ashrafia[edit]
The Chistia Ashrafia branch was started by Ashraf Jahangir Semnani. He established a khanqah, still in
existence at Kichaucha sharif, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Faridia[edit]
The Chistia Serajia Faridia order was started by Fariduddin Tavaelabukhsh, a descendant of Nizamuddin
Auliya and a Sufi of the Serajia branch of the Chisti order. This branch is also known as Nizamia Serajia
Faridia.
King's disrespect leads to his doom[edit]
One of the kings of the Delhi sultanate during Nizamuddin Auliya lifetime was Qutb-ud-din Mubarak Shah, the
last ruler of the Khilji dynasty. Legend has it that disrespect of Nizamuddin Auliya caused the king's death.
Qutb-ud-din Mubarak Shah used to assemble all the leading figures and famous personalities of Delhi in his
court every weekend. Once a courtier complained to him that Nizamuudin Auliya never came to the court. The
King declared, "Order him in my name to come to my weekend gathering, else he will be hanged." When
Nizamuddin Auliya's disciple, Amir Khusrau, related this to his master, he ignored the message, and did not
even answer. As the weekend approached, his disciples became concerned for his life. On the day before the
weekend, Nizamuddin Auliya went to the grave of his mother and came back looking unperturbed, telling his
disciples to go home and sleep as usual. The next morning, everyone was very tense and worried, but
Nizamuddin Auliya remained unperturbed. Shortly, news came that there had been a rebellion in the palace,
and the king had been brutally killed.
Titles[edit]
Mehboob-e-Ilahi (Beloved of God)
Sultan-ul-Mashaiq
Dastageer-e-Do Jahan (Holder of Two Worlds)
Jag Ujyare (Illuminator of the World)
Qutb-e-Dehli (Tower of Dehli)
Urs[edit]
The Urs (death anniversary) of Nizamuddin Auliya is celebrated at the Nizamuddin Dargah on the 17th of Rabi
II (Rabi-ul-Aaqir), and that of Amir Khusro on the 18th of Shawwal.
In popular culture[edit]
Arziyan, a qawwali in the film Delhi 6 (2009) composed by A. R. Rahman is dedicated to Nizamuddin
Auliya. Kun Faya Kun a song in the movie Rockstar (2011) is also dedicated to him, and was shot at the
dargah.
Further reading[edit]
The Life and Times of Shaikh Nizam-u'd-din Auliya, by Khaliq Ahmad Nizami; Idarah-i Adabyat-i Delli,
1991.
Nizam Ad-Din Awliya: Morals for the Heart, by Bruce B. Lawrence; 1991, Paulist Press. ISBN 0-8091-
3280-X.
Khwajah Nizamuddin Auliya, by Abdurrahman Mumin; Qazi Publishers and Distributors, 1998, ISBN 81-
85362-59-9.
Sheikh Nizamuddin Auliya, by Khaliq Ahmad Nizami; National Book Trust, 2004, ISBN 81-237-4148-0.
The Dargah of Nizamuddin Auliya, by Laxmi Dhaul; Pallee, Anoop Kamath, Rupa & Co., 2006. ISBN 81-
291-0938-7.
Fawa'id al-Fu'ad : Spiritual and Literary Discourses of Shaikh Nizamuddin Awliya. Originally Compiled by
Amir Hasan 'Ala' Sijzi Dehlawi. English translation with introduction and historical annotation by Ziya-ul-
Hasan Faruqi. New Delhi, D.K. Printworld, 1996, 495 p. ISBN 81-246-0042-2.