The Preaching of Islam in India! Part 2 (KHAWAJA NIZAMUDDIN AWLIYA part-3)

 

                       image credit: TOI

Sultan -ul- Masha'ikh Khawaja Nizamuddin Awliya:-

The gifts and talents of Khawaja Nizamuddin were perhaps expressed most concisely as well as meaningfully, by his spiritual guide Khawaja Farid Uddin Ganjshakar while conferring his viceregency upon him. He had said: "God has bestowed upon you the gifts of knowledge, intellect and his love; and anyone combining these qualities is best suited to discharge the responsibility of a vicegerent."

Having attained the state of peaceful contentment, the Khawaja was always careful that all those disciples who were chosen by him to keep alight the lamp of his mystic order, expelled the liking for wealth and dignity from their hearts.

Once Fasihuddin, a disciple, asked: "Who deserves to become the vicegerent of a spiritual teacher?" replied the Khawaja "One who is not at all keen to become a vicegerent."

Daily Routine of the Khawaja:

The Khawaja used to come down from his apartment for Isha prayers. After performing the prayer's with congregation, he would return to his chamber again where he spent some time in the recollection of God. Thereafter he took a little rest before his attendants handed over to him his rosary. Then nobody except Amir Khosrow was allowed to see him. Amir Khosrow used to sit down near his cot relating the topic of the day or other matters. The Khawaja often nodded his head to signify his assent or asked: "Turk what is the news." this gave an opportunity to Amir to put two and two together and make it five. the Khawaja asked about something and Amir utilized the opportunity to relate the whole story. often the Khawaja also permitted the children or relatives to come and join the sitting at this hour.

Nocturnal occupations:

After Amir Khosrow and others present at the time had taken leave to depart, the Khawaja's personal attendant Iqbal used to bring a few jugs filled with water for performing ablution. thereafter the Khawaja used to bolt the doors from inside and then nobody knew how he occupied himself to attain the propinquity of God or to what lofty stations he was raised by the Divine grace.

Sahur:

When the time came for Sahur, the attendant used to tap the door. He brought dishes of different cooked victuals but the Khawaja took but a little of these and instructed them to keep them for the children.

Khawaja Abdur Rahim, who was charged with this duty relates that sometimes the Khawaja ate almost nothing at Sahur. When he was requested to take a bit more since he had eaten very little at the time of Iftar, he would break out in tears and say: "How many destitute and poor would be lying hungry on the stairs and platforms of the Mosques? How can I take all this when they are in such a great distress." The food brought to the Khawaja for Sahur had very often to be taken untouched by him.

In the Day:

Those who saw the Khawaja in the morning found his eyes reddish by the night long vigils but his face would be lit up with heavenly grace, as if by an indescribable happiness of inner bliss, without the least trace of weariness. Nobody could say that the Khawaja would have performed four or five hundred rak'ats of prayer in addition to the chanting in praise of God.

The Khawaja could be seen whole day sitting on the prater mat of his spiritual guide absorbed in the ocean of divine presence. A stream of visitors which included saints and scholars as well as persons of rank and authority continued all day. the Khawaja conversed with them but he also kept himself inwardly absorbed in the contemplation of Divine perfection. Nobody, not even the Savants and the saved could dare to cast their eyes on the radiant countenance of the Khawaja. (Siar-ul-auliya,p.125-29)

End of the Journey:

The Khawaja was over 80 years of age when he had a premonition that his journey's end was near. One day he told his attendants: "I saw the Prophet in the dream. He said "Nizam, I am anxiously waiting for you."

Forty days before the Khawaja shared the reward of heavenly kingdom, he attained the stage of total absorption and seemed overwhelmed by divine light.

Saiyid Husain once said to the Khawaja: "Your honor has not taken anything for the last so many days." That would be harmful. But the Khawaja replied: 'Saiyid, how could he relish food who is anxious to meet the Holy Prophet?'

Giving an eye-witness account of the Khawaja's condition before he passed away, Mir Khurd says- "It was Friday. The Khawaja seemed to be immersed in Divine light. in the prayer he repeatedly prostrated as if yielding to the grandeur of the Supreme being. in the same condition, he returned to his residence from the mosque. tears continuously rolled down from his eyes, he occasionally passed on to ecstatic trances but after short spells he remarked: "Today is Friday. A friend recalls to his mind the promise made by the friend and gets engrossed in it." In the same condition he often asked whether  it was time for the prayer and whether he had performed it or not? If he was told that he has already said his prayers, he replied: "Let me perform it again." He continued to remain in this condition all through this period." 

Before Khawaja's death he instructed his disciples that he would like to be buried in an open space. Accordingly he was laid to rest in an open field where Sultan Muhammad Tughlaq later built a cupola.

At last in the forenoon of the eighteenth Rabi-ul-Akhir,725A.H. this spiritual star shed its lustre for the last time and passed on to this heavenly abode.

The Khawaja never married due to his personal circumstances and bent of mind and had no son but his spiritual son's in succession continued to keep alight the lamp of guidance in different parts of the country.