Farid, the
murshid
of NizamuddinAuliya.The son in turn became the
khalifah
of Shaykh Nizamuddin, who allowed him to reside in Hansi, his ancestral
town. When he was about to leave Delhi and return to Hansi, Shaykh
Nizamuddin gave him the copy of the
Awariful Marif
, which his grandfather,
Shaykh Jamaluddin, who was also a
khalifah
of Baba Farid, had given the
Shaykh to pass on to his grandson. It had originally belonged to Baba Farid,
who presented it to Shaykh Jamaluddin at the time of conferring the
khilafat
nama
on him.
Maulana Husamuddin of Multan, a scholar, was a notable
khalifah
, who
refused to use the title
shaykh,
believing it to be too lofty for him, and
preferring the simple title of
mulla
. On becoming a
khalifah,
he requested
the Shaykh to let him settle in a lonely place on the bank of the river. The
Shaykh refused to give his permission, saying that such a move would lead
to fame and people would start gathering around him.
Maulana Husamuddin was married, but lived a very simple life. His
dwelling was a thatched hut. He had no servants and was often in financial
distress. On one occasion, he asked the Shaykh what his views were on the
issue of a Sufi accepting a loan.The Shaykh replied that there could be only
two reasons for accepting a loan: one to maintain one’s family and the other
to provide for the needs of a traveller. However, the Shaykh added that loan
seeking and repayment disturbed the spiritual routine of a dervish.Therefore,
a true ascetic had better stay away from money matters.
On another occasion Shaykh Nizamuddin, addressing his disciples, a group
which includedMaulana Husamuddin, charted a six-point formula to facilitate
the intense concentration on God by which a Sufi could realize his goal:
1.One should retire to a lonely place, without desiring any company or
change.
Th e Ch i s h t i Or d e r 94
