Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti

• Context (IE): A district court has admitted a petition that claims that a Shiva temple lies underneath the shrine of the revered Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer.

About Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti

• Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is also known as Moinuddin Hasan Chishti and is revered by the epithet Ghareeb Nawaz (Benefactor of the Poor).
• He was born in Sijistan (modern-day Sistan, Iran) and settled in the Indian subcontinent in the early 13th century. He is said to have been a descendant of Prophet Muhammad.
• He became a disciple of Khwaja Usman Harooni; after rigorous spiritual training, Moinuddin was initiated into the Chishti silsila (spiritual lineage).
• He preached in Ajmer after Muizuddin Muhammad bin Sam of Ghor defeated Prithviraj Chauhan in the Second Battle of Tarain (1192). After that, Ajmer became his base of spiritual and social work. He founded his ‘khanqah’ in Ajmer to help the poorest people in the community.
• His shrine in Ajmer has been visited by rulers like Muhammad bin Tughlaq, Sher Shah Suri, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, Dara Shukoh and Aurangzeb.
• Contemporaries: Lived during the reigns of Qutub-ud-din Aibak and Iltutmish.
• Teachings and Influence: Promoted “Sulh-i-Kul” (Peace with all), drawing followers from all religions and social classes. Also, it advocated service to humanity, inner purity, and devotion to God.

Prominent Disciples

• Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki: Spread the Chishti teachings in Delhi and became the spiritual guru of Iltutmish, the Delhi Sultanate ruler. The Qutub Minar is named after him.
• Baba Fariduddin: Spread Chishti teachings in Punjab and was given the name “Ganj Shakr” (treasure of sweetness) by Moinuddin.
• Nizamuddin Auliya and Chirag Dehalvi: Established the Chishti order in Delhi.

Chishti Order (Chishtiya)

• Foundation: It was founded by Abu Ishaq Shami in Chisht (modern-day Afghanistan) and established in India by Khwaja Moin-Uddin Chishti.
• Core Beliefs: Emphasised the doctrine of the unity of being with God (waḥdat al-wujūd). Adherents were pacifists who believed in non-violence and harmony.
• Lifestyle: Reject all material goods as distractions from the contemplation of God. Abstained from any connection with the secular state.
• Practices: Involved reciting the names of God, both aloud (dhikr jahrī) and silently (dhikr khafī).