Guided by the recommendations of Khwaja Ubaydullah Ahrar that the
Sufis should keep in touch with the rulers so as to act on behalf of the
underprivileged, Baqi Billah too gave his attention equally to the common
men and the nobles.This approach had a two-fold benefit. First of all, bringing
the rulers close to the spirit of religion would induce them to reform
themselves, thus making them better rulers, which would in turn benefit
the common man. Secondly, the rulers would then support the religious and
spiritual leaders, and thus the latter would be able to work more effectively.
It was in such terms that he conveyed the message of the order to all – to
religious scholars, spiritual leaders, government officials and nobles. His
efforts succeeded to such a great extent that he attracted talented disciples
like Nawab Murtaza Khan, a political figure, Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi, a Sufi
and Shaykh Abdul Haqq Dehlawi, a religious scholar. All were men of great
calibre.
Khwaja Baqi Billah had a pleasing personality and people were drawn
to him. They found peace and spirituality in his company. His speech and
conversation were so eloquent that people were moved by his words and,
within a period of just 3 or 4 years, a large number of them entered his fold.
The Khwaja, like other Sufis, ran a big
khanqah
, where the trainees
were allowed to stay. There they received not only food but also, if needy,
a stipend to cover their basic needs. However, hospitality was extended for
only three days to those who were not Sufis in training.The Khwaja believed
that there were two basic conditions his followers-at-large should satisfy
before spiritual guidance be given to them: they must have a lawful source
of earning their livelihood as well as full faith in him as their spiritual
guide. He also laid great emphasis on purity of character, which was for
him a prerequisite for embracing
tasawwuf
and developing a spiritually
