A Simple Guide to ISLAM
Tasawwuf – Sufism
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always bears his shaikh in mind. He achieves this goal through
meditation. Shaikh thus becomes his shield against evil thoughts.
Shaikh guards his spirit as his guardian spirit. This stage is called
fana fi ash shaikh
(effacement in the shaikh.)
KHWAJA MOINUDDIN CHISHTI (1142-1236)
Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti was born in Sistan, but was brought up
in Khorasan. His father Khwaja Ghyasuddin Hasan died when he
was only fifteen years old. After some days his mother Bibi Noor
too passed away. Moinuddin was left alone in the world at a time
when his native place was being attacked by the Turks. Thousands
of people were ruthlessly being massacred. People felt very
miserable. The plundering and murdering people was the order of
the day. No one could help to save the situation, even Sultan
Sanjar was defeated in 536 and he fled from the city.
Orphaned and faced with all these miserable conditions, he was
frustrated with life. He felt that the world was a place of vanity. The
idea of renunciation of the world came to his mind. It was in this
state of mind that one day when he was watering his garden he met
a certain Shaikh Ibrahim Qandozi. He was a man of deep
spirituality. Khwaja Moinuddin welcomed this traveller into his
garden, showing him great respect. He requested him to take a
seat under a shady tree. Then he brought a bunch of grapes for
him to eat. The holy man was deeply impressed with the spirituality
and the sense of service of the young Moinuddin. The saint
accepted Moinuddin as his disciple so that he may help him to
