A SHORT PRESENTATION

ABOUT

KWAJA MUINUDHEENUL CHISTHY( RALIALLAHU ANHU )

Submitted by : Third Semester MBA, SIMS, Bangalore.

RISHAD.V

BISWAJIT CHAKRABORTY

SAYED FAZAL HUSSAIN

Ajmer pronunciation is a city in Ajmer District in India's Rajasthan

state. Ajmer is a very beautiful city, since it is surrounded by the

mountain by all sides. You can run your eyes through 360 degrees

and you will find the spectacular Aravali Mountains. Ajmer, also

known as Ajaymeru, was the city which was ruled by Prithviraj

Chauhan.

Its population was approximately 500,000 in 2001.

The city gives its name to a district, and also to a former province of

British India called Ajmer-Merwara, which, after India's

independence, became the state of Ajmer until November 1, 1956,

when it was merged into Rajasthan state

HISTORY

Ajmer (Ajaya-meru in Sanskrit) was founded in the

seventh century CE by Dushyant Chauhan. He

established the Chauhan dynasty which continued

to rule the country while repeated waves of Turkish

invasion swept across India. Ajmer was conquered

by Muhammad of Ghor, founder of the Delhi

Sultanate, in 1193. Its internal government,

however, was handed over to the Chauhan rulers

upon the payment of a heavy tribute to the

conquerors. Ajmer then remained feudatory to

Delhi until 1365, when it was captured by the ruler

of Mewar. In 1509 Ajmer became a source of

contention between the maharajas of Mewar and

Marwar, and was ultimately conquered by the

Marwar ruler in 1532. Ajmer was conquered by the

Mughal emperor Akbar in 1559.

It continued to be in the hands of the Mughals, with occasional

revolts, till 1770, until it ceded to the Marathas. From that time up

to 1818 Ajmer was the scene of an ongoing struggle, being seized at

different times by the Mewar and the Marwar maharajas, from

whom it was often retaken by the Marathas. In 1818 the Marathas

sold Ajmer to the East India Company for 50,000 rupees.

Since then Ajmer has enjoyed stable

governance even though during the 1857 War of Independence,

some Indian sepoys at the garission in the nearby town of

Nasirabad joined the revolt. In the British Raj, Ajmer was

governed by an Agent to the Governor General [AGG] overseeing

Rajputana. After independence in 1947, Ajmer retained its position

as a centrally administrated state under a Chief Commissioner for

some time. Ajmer was eventually merged with the State of

Rasjasthan.

DARGHA of Mu`in al-Din Chishti

(Ajmer, India, d. 1235)

SUFI THEOLOGY

As Sufism expands throughout Muslim world, it

encounters Buddhist and Hindu traditions in South and

Central Asia, Other Muslims criticize Sufis for

assimilating non-Islamic ideas, leading to systematization

and defense of Sufi doctrine. (Truth is the main instrument

but people love to segregate )

Sufi teachers (shaikhs) transmit their spiritual lineages

(silsila) inherited from Muhammad to communities of

disciples (tarīqa) Basic Sufi theme: love, not fear, should

define relationship between humanity and Allah.

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Sufis practice dhikr (“remembrance”) of Allah through chanting, dancing, fasting, music, and prayer etc. (He says, if you want me to be with you then pray from your heart from anywhere)

Abu Humid al-Ghazali (1058-1111), mostfamous Sufi theologian, defines 4 majorpoints of Sufism: -

1. Islam - (“surrender, submission” to God in all aspectsof life) (From your Heart in all aspects)

2. Iman - (“faith” in God and his Prophet, Muhammad)( In every human being)

3. Ihsan - (“serving God as if one were seeing Him” at alltimes) ( serve the needy )

4. Ishraq - (“illumination” of the soul, leading it fromdark material realm to light spiritual realm) ( listen toyour heart)

Philosophy

“The Muslim philosophy focused on spiritual

issues, which led to a movement called

Sufism.”

“Sufism teaches that people can find God’s love

by having a personal relationship with God.”

“That is every Human Being”

“Be fair to every individual and don’t expect for

the Result”

“Death with dignity is better than life with humiliation.” (The quality of not being proud and not thinking that you are better

then other people just be calm, responsible and serious what you do )

“Beware of things for which you apologize. The true

believer should not make mistakes and should not

apologize. The hypocrite makes mistakes and apologizes

everyday.” ( someone who pretends to believe something that they

don’t really believe)

“Don’t react unknowingly, but react according to the

situation”

“Suspecting nature never satisfy any relationship”

“Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti (founder of Chisti order in India)

was asked about the highest form of devotion and he had

replied it was nothing but helping the poor, the distressed and

the downtrodden.”

These Sufis believed in passive and non-violent means to all

problems in the society. Force they said created more

problems that it solved. It set in motion a vicious circle of

wrong and retribution which disturbed the very basis of human

relationship. (Avoid violence understand the problem then

take collective measure )

They demonstrated the workings of these non-violent

principles in their own life…….

love the people but don’t discriminate in the way of religion, race,

lifestyle …..

Be Fair to your society and people those who are associated with

you.

Your enemy’ was the advice given by Sheikh Farid gave to his

disciples. “ Do not give a knife- Give me a needle. The knife is an

instrument of cutting and the needle is an instrument for sewing

things together.”

Some Sufis extended the application of non-violent principles to

animals also and adopted the cult of ahimsa (non-violence). Sheikh

Hamiduddin Nagauri did not like the slaughter of the animals.

( don’t kill the animal in the name of ‘God’ because no parents want

to harm their child)

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HOW IT WORKS

The chisti saints cut themselves off completely from the kings,

politics and government service.

With the settlement of the Muslims in India, conciliation and

concord between various culture groups was not only moral and

intellectual demand but an urgent social necessity. The Sufis rose to

the occasion and released synergetic forces which liquidated social,

ideological and linguistic barriers between various cultures and

helped them in the development of a common cultural outlook.

These Sufis adopted an attitude of sympathy and understandingtowards all cults and creeds. Their exhorted their co-religionists, “Oyou sheer at the idolatry of a Hindu. Learn also from him howworship is done.”

This broad cosmopolitan outlook helped them in breakingbarriers of mistrust and isolations and honeycombed relationsbetween different communities. (Amir Khusrau epitomizes this )

HIS GREAT

ACTIVITIES…..1) ZAKAT:

‘RELIGIOUS PAYMENT’

Zakat is a religious ‘payment’made by Muslims from theirwealth or income, or business, orcrops,

In the form of money or crops or animals – usually 2.5%

Often Zakat committee set up, or, in Islamic countries,government

2) ZAKAT :

ALMSGIVING

all things belong to God

wealth is therefore held

by human beings in trust.

Zakat literally means grow (in goodness) or 'increase', 'purifying' or 'making pure'.

So the act of giving zakat means purifying one's wealth to gain Allah's blessing to make it grow in goodness.

“GIVE BACK TO YOUR SOCIETY”

Most successful and popular of all the orders because it knew better

how to adapt itself to the usages and customs of the country in which it

had come to settle down.

It was introduced in India by Khwaja Muinuddin chisti, who came to

India a little before the invansion of Mohd. Ghori. After his death his

numerous disciples continued his mission.

Chisti Order

The Chisti Sufi saints believed in spiritual importance

of music and they patronized professional singers of talent

irrespective of their religion or caste.

They followed the practice of chilla-a spiritual exercise

strictly observed for 40 days when God is remembered in

every breadth spending the time in a mosque or a close room

accepting minimum food.

Chisti beliefs

The Sufis did not think that the women were disqualified to be

initiated as murids (disciples) though the process of her initiation

differed from that of man. The Shaikh would recite some hymns over a

bowl of water by placing his index finger over it and after that the

bowl was taken to the women and she would immerse her index finger

and complete the initiation. (equal and fair treatment between men &

women)

While following chillah(forty days prayers) restrictions were placed on

women’s diets and for men it was only mentioned that the diet should

be moderate like the Bhakti saints, the Sufis also regarded women as a

mean of illusion in this world and the cause to delude people from the

right path. During a congregation women not allowed to speak and if

they noticed any ritual being forgotten by the Imam during

performance of Namaz they had to clap the knuckle of one hand on

the palm of the other, while the men could chaut “Sulthan Allah”.

Attitude of Sufi towards Women

A large number of eminent Sufis whose vision of Islamic spiritual life was broadly

based gave moral courage to the people by awakening in them spiritual values and

reliance on God during calamities such as drought, floods, and panic due to

protracted wars and foreign invasions.

The early Chishti believed that contact with the saintly was the only means by which

people would renounce evil or convert to Islam. The social and economic position of

the masses of Muslim converts who accepted Islam under a variety of pressures was

in fact no better than that of the Hindu masses, because of the dominance of the

discriminating ruling classes.

The khanqahs did offer peace and comfort to the thousands of Muslims who crowded

the towns.

The lack of literary evidence is the most formidable obstacle to the presentation of

any pictures of village khanqahs, where the tombs of local Pirs and the graves of

local martyrs both real and fake offered the sole spiritual comfort to the inhabitants in

their sufferings and anguish. The 'urs (death anniversaries) and other ceremonies

celebrated in khanqahs developed into significant cultural institutions.

Contributions of Sufis

HIS GREAT THOUGHTS

If you look around, you can find a face of God in each thing,

because He is not hidden in a church, in a mosque, or a

synagogue, but everywhere. As there is no one who lives after

seeing him, there is also no one dying after seeing him. Who

finds Him, stays forever with him.

A life without love is a waste. “Should I look for

spiritual love, or material, or physical love?”, don’t

ask yourself this question. Discrimination leads to

discrimination. Love doesn’t need any name,

category or definition. Love is a world itself. Either

you are in, at the center…either you are out,

yearning

You can be everything in life

but the important thing is

to be a good person.

Be calm with those in

duality.

Speak sweetly and

reasonably

Patience polishes and

purifies

The Sufi WayThe Sufi Way’s approach to spiritual growth encourages both

contemplative practice and the living of a full, balanced life that is

present to both the joys and the suffering of the world. Sufism is a path

of love. The Sufi is a traveler on the path of love a wayfarer journeying

back to ALLAH (God) through the mysteries of the heart. For the Sufi

the relationship to God is that of lover and Beloved, and Sufis are also

known as lovers of ALLAH (God) The journey to ALLAH (God) takes

place within the heart, and for centuries Sufis have been traveling deep

within themselves, into the secret chamber of the heart where lover and

Beloved share the ecstasy of union.

(1)A Sufi is one who does not separate himself from others by

opinion or dogma; & who realizes the heart as the Shrine of

ALLAH (God)

(2) Sufi always thinks that ALLAH (God) is watching him & for

this reason he is always Pure from sins.

(3) The Sufi desire is to remove the false self and discover ALLAH

(God) within.

(4) The Sufi teaches Happiness.

(5) The Sufi seeks Illumination. (Giving you some new

information that makes easier to understand)

(6) The Sufi sees Harmony.

(7) The Sufi gives Love to all created things & Abhorrence

towards none.

Closest to Allah is one who possesses the following

three qualities:

(1) Magnanimity of the river (be fair to your task)

(2) Kindness of the sun

(3) Humility of the Earth (not being proud)

Noblest of the characters is possessed by the one

who is:

- Bountiful in poverty(very poor). Content in hunger.

Cheerful in grief (sadness).

- Friendly in hostility.

To feed the hungry.

To redress the aggrieved.( being upset because

someone has treated you unfairly)

To help the distressed. (Extremely upset)

Surest way to keep off the internal punishment

in the hell is:

DO..

To feed the hungry

To redress the aggrieved

To help the distressed

KEEP….

Fairness (equality)

Kindness (calm)

Humility (being human)

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TO FOLLOW……..

Good company is better than doing good deeds and

bad company is worst than commenting evils.

To help the oppressed (treated in unfair way) is the

best soul of worship.

One who never returns needy empty handed is

(darwesh) the best soul of worship.

One who commits sin and consider himself near to

God is a cruel.

One who possess three qualities in Arif

Fears

Respect

Shyness

SPIRITUAL LEADERS

ISLAMIC LEADERS

SHAIKHS AND MUREEDS

ALL RELIGION PEOPLE WITH UNITY

FILM ACTORS AND ACTRESSES

POLITICIANS

GREAT INTERNATIONAL LEADERS

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Ajmer, Rajasthan, India, 9 July 2008 (tibet.net) - His

Holiness the Dalai Lama visited the revered Ajmer Sharif

shrine in Rajasthan Wednesday morning to offer prayers on

the occasion of "Urs", the 796th death anniversary of Sufi

saint, Khwaja Moin-ud-Din Chishti. The Tibetan Spiritual

leader offered prayers at the Dargah Sharif during his two days

visit to Rajasthan.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama said promotion of harmony

for lasting world peace has been his life-long commitment.

"All major religions of the world present the same potential to

promote wholeheartedness or compassion(feeling of sympathy

). Through that way, genuine and lasting world peace can

exist. You know for that reason, harmony among different

traditions is very essential. This is my life-long commitment,"

said His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

What is religion?

Religion is a lesson which teaches the manner of

living right and reaching the object for which we are born. This religion

has come time after time to the world, through those who have brought

the message of God. Those who came with this message of religion have

given it in diverse forms, in accordance with the evolution of the people

at that particular time, but the religion was one and the same.

There never has been any other religion

than one, for God is one, truth is one, and so religion is one. If there is

any difference, it is a difference of form, not of the soul. It is the same

water, pure water, perhaps filled in several pitchers. One pitcher is made

in India, the other in China, the other in Arabia, perhaps the other in the

western world. It is like a stream which comes through the fountain and

falls in various streams, but it is one and the same stream.

Message

Worship only God: Take not with Allah another object of

worship.

Be neither miserly (unhappiness) nor wasteful in one's

expenditure:

Do not engage in 'mercy killings' for fear of starvation:

Kill not your children for fear of want: We shall provide

sustenance for them as well as for you. Verily the killing of

them is a great sin

Care for orphaned children

Keep one's promises

Be honest and fair in one's interactions: Give full measure

when ye measure, and weigh with a balance that is straight:

that is the most fitting and the most advantageous in the final

determination.

Do not be arrogant in one's claims or beliefs

Those who have benefited by the life and the

Message of the Divine Message Bearers are not

necessarily the followers of their Message, but the

imitators of their life; for they have not followed the

teaching only, but followed the Teacher, who is the

living example of his teaching. All the ancient

traditions of the religious evolution tell us how those

around the Prophets have benefited by the imitation,

rather than by following the strict laws and by arguing

upon the differences between the laws

The message is not for one nation, race, or

community; it is for the whole of humanity. Its

one and only object is to bring about a better

understanding between the divided sections of

humanity by awakening their consciousness to

the fact that humanity is one family.

THANK YOU