The Preaching of Islam in India! Part I (KHAWAJA FARIDUDDIN GANJSHAKAR)

 Khawaja's father was Jamaluddin, the maternal cousin of Sultan Mahmood Ghaznavi. The first name of  Khawaja was Masood, the surname was Farid Uddin, but he was commonly known by the appellation of Ganjshakar. he was born in the year 584 Hijri in Kohtwaal which is in the district of Multan. Khawaja belonged to the descendent of Hadhrat Umar Ibn Khattab (Ra), his grandfather migrated from his homeland, Kabul during the era of Halaku, the Mongol and went to Lahore. 

Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti was indisputably the founder of Chishtiya order in India, but it was promoted by Khawaja Farid Uddin whose two disciples Khawaja  Nizamuddin and Shaykh Alauddin Kalyar spread it far and wide in the country. In Multan he studied under different teachers among whom was also Maulana Minhajuddin who taught him An Nafeh, the renowned book on juristic sciences. It was here in Multan where Khawaja Farid Uddin met Khawaja Bakhtiyar Kaki and immediately took an oath of allegiance to him. Khawaja decided to accompany his shaykh by terminating his education but the shaykh instructed him to complete his studies first.

After completion of his education, Farid Uddin came back to Delhi where his shaykh selected a place near Gazni Gate for his stay. Here Khawaja busied himself with prayer and meditation. After he was gifted with spiritual enlightment and illumination, he was permitted by Khawaja Qutubuddin to stay at Hansi, with one of his disciple Shaykh Jamaluddin Khatib. when Khawaja Qutubuddin passed away, Farid Uddin was already at Hansi. He reached Delhi on the third day of his shaykh's death and was invested with the robe of his master's viceregency by Qazi Hamid Uddin Nagauri, as desired by departing mentor. this was an indication that Khawaja Farid Uddin should take the place of Khawaja Qutubuddin.

Khawaja Farid Uddin had the most cordial relations with other mystics of his time. Shaykh-ul-Islam Baha Uddin Zakariya of Multan was an eminent spiritual guide and a shaykh of Suharwardiyah order and also his contemporary. The Khawaja had a great regard and affection for him and always addressed him as Shaykh-ul-Islam. 

The ruiling passion of Khawaja Farid Uddin's life was his ardent love and devotion to God which reflected his worthiness. his heart's immortal thirst for divine propinquity inspired, guided and trained such other eminent mystics as Alauddin Ali Sabir and Khawaja Nizamuddin. Khawaja Nizamuddin Relates that once he saw Khawaja Farid Uddin moving back and forth in his room with breathless impatience in his room and reciting some verses which meant: 

"My only wish is to live smitten with thy love;

Live if I must, beneath thy feet, and crumble unto dust.

Thee alone I desire in this world and the next, 

Would that I live for thee and die for thee"

He recited the verses and then fell into prostration; after a while he would get up, move about in the room restlessly and again recite the same verses.

Khawaja's spiritual grandfather Khwaja moinuddin chishti have spoken glowing praise of him various times:

Once he said: 

"Qutubuddin has imprisoned a great royal falcon"

on other occasion he said

" This is a candle which will brighten the homes of dervishes. he will be the Gauth and Qutub of his time"

Thomas Arnold writes in "Preaching of Islam" that-

"The Conversion of the Inhabitants of the western plains of the Punjab is said to have been affected through the preaching of Shaykh Zakariya of Multan and Baba Farid Uddin of     pakpattan, who flourished about the end of thirteenth and beginning of fourteenth centuries. A Biographer of the latter gives a list of sixteen tribes who were won over to Islam through his preaching, but unfortunately provides us with no details of this work of conversion. (The Preaching Of Islam, p.281)  

Khawaja Nizamuddin goes on to describe the death of his Sheikh in these words : On the fifth of Muharram his illness took a serious turn. He fell unconscious after performing the isha prayers. After a while when he regained consciousness he asked whether he had recited the prayers. Those present at the time replied in affirmative but he said : Let me repeat it again. Who knows what is going to happen.’ Having performed the prayers he again fell in a swoon. Again coming back to his senses, he repeated his earlier question but again said : Let me say the prayers again, for nobody knows what is to happen. He recited the isha prayers for the third time and then he shuffled off his mortal coil. (Siar-ul-Awlia p.89)