only of their own spiritual gain, but rather, like Gautam Buddha, decided
to convey the truth to as many people as possible. They even provided
their disciples with board and lodging in modest dwellings with mud walls
and thatched roofs called
jamaat khanas
, which had quiet, separate spaces set
apart for meditation.
The
jamaat khanas
gradually became centres of social and spiritual life.
The Shaykh and his family also lived in a part of the building and ate along
with the disciples. Those who were associated with this spiritual centre did
not go out into the world to make money. They lived on
futuh
, that is,
voluntary contributions of visitors and the local population. The Chishti
saints, like Muinuddin Chishti, Baba Farid, Bakhtiar Kaki and Nizamuddin
Auliya. were very strict about not keeping gifts for the next day.Whatever
was left after all basic needs were met was distributed to the poor and the
needy, for the mentality of storing material things demonstrated distrust
in God’s bounty. To be a true believer in God, one had to have complete
trust in God, as only then would one be held as deserving of God’s blessings.
Principles Governing the Chishti Spiritual Life
“Do as you would be done by” was the single most important principle
regulating the social life of the Chishtis in the
jamaat khana
. Chishtis were
not opposed to family life, and since family life necessarily demanded some
worldly activities, they were allowed to procure worldly things to serve
their needs. But any inclination to store worldly things was opposed. For
instance, the Chishti Sufis were not allowed to keep spare garments.
Although Shaykh Nizamuddin did not marry, and many prophets
mentioned in the Qur’an, like Yahya and Jesus, did not marry either, the
Chishtis did not preach celibacy. In fact, the founder of the order in India,
