A Simple Guide to ISLAM
Tasawwuf – Sufism
~ 124 ~
the Chishti order. His untiring effort ultimately brought fruit. A
large number of
Khanqahs
came into existence. About 700 senior
disciples (
Khalifas
) worked in different parts of the country
The most important point that is to be noted is that before
Nizamuddin Auliya the emphasis was on individual salvation while
now this matter of salvation was turned into a mass movement.
This marked the beginning of a new phase in the history of Islamic
mysticism. Never before any order had worked for the moral and
spiritual regeneration on such a large scale.
Shaikh Nizamuddin settled at Ghiyaspur and planned to spread the
Chishti teachings to all sections of people.
Shaikh was very firm and clear that only those disciples who are
least interested in government service will be given the
khilafat
nama
. These were the basic principles on which the Shaikh
organized his
silsila
in Delhi and other places.
These principles shows his deep commitment to human values.
These are as follows:
1. The Murids (disciples) must seek the blessing of God through
the service of His creatures. Service of mankind was considered by
the Shaikh of greater spiritual significance than formal acts of
worship.
2. Baba Farid’s ideal of love and amity was to inspire the lives of all
those who were associated with the order. There was to be no
discrimination between one human being and another. All were to
be treated as Children of God.
