into the spirit of Islam, and this too despite the number of traditions that
made it clear that God would not accept a prayer or a fast unless performed
with the correct intention and in the correct spirit.
He held that
nafs
(the animal soul) was responsible for all evil and that
this baser self could be controlled only by spiritual exercises, worship and
meditation. He did not, however, ask his disciples to shirk their
responsibilities towards their families. He knew full well that not everyone
could become an ascetic.The only thing he disapproved of was the mentality
that craved money in excess of actual need. For example, clothes were
necessary to cover the body, but the greed to have more and more spare
clothing, just to hoard it, was quite un-Islamic. Moreover, charity that was
just for show undoubtedly incurred God’s displeasure. All actions are
ultimately judged by the underlying intentions. Only good acts done with
the pure intention of pleasing God would merit any reward from Him.
Disciples of Shaykh Nizamuddin
Among the many disciples of Shaykh Nizamuddin, there were a few
who were scholars and poets and whose works were either totally dedicated
to the Shaykh or made frequent mention of him. It is these works that
provide information about his life and his dealings with contemporaries, as
well as historical details of the age. The most famous amongst them are
Amir Khusro, Amir Najmuddin Hasan Sijzi and Ziyauddin Barni.
Amir Khusro (1253-1325), the famous Persian poet, was the Shaykh’s
most beloved disciple, who in return loved the Shaykh more than anyone
else. He was of Turkish origin and his family came from Balkh in Central
Asia. After the Mongol invasion his father, Amir Saifuddin Mahmud,
migrated to India and it was here that Amir Khusro was born. He received
