Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti
Recently on behalf of the Prime Minister, on the occasion of 809th Urs, a ‘chadar’ was presented at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
The Urs festival is an annual festival held in Ajmer, Rajasthan on the death anniversary of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti.
Sufism:
The term ‘Sufi’ is probably derived from the Arabic word ‘suf’ which means ‘one who wears wool’. This is because woolen clothes were generally associated with the ascetics. Another possible origin of the word is ‘safa’ which means purity in Arabic.
Sufism is a mystical form of Islam, a school of practice that focuses on the spiritual search for God and shuns materialism. It is a form of Islamic mysticism which stresses on asceticism. There is a lot of emphasis on love and devotion towards God. There are many schools of Sufism all over the world and in India too. Most of them trace their lineage to early Islamic history, from the time of Prophet Muhammad himself.
Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti
- Moinuddin Hasan Chishti was born in the year 1141–42 AD in Sijistan (present Sistan), Iran.
- Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti started teaching in the year 1192, with being in Ajmer.
- His enlightening discourse filled with spiritual knowledge soon attracted kings, nobles, peasants and the poor to the local peoples as well as remote areas.
- His dargah in Ajmer was visited by rulers like Muhammad bin Tughlaq, Sher Shah Suri, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, DaraShikoh and Aurangzeb.
Chishti Order (Chishtiya):
- Chishti order in India was founded by Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
- It emphasized the principle of unity with God (Wahdat al-wujud) and the members of this order were peace-loving.
- He rejected all material objects from the contemplation of God, as a means of disorientation/distraction.
- He insisted on keeping distance from relations with the secular state.
- Reciting the names of god loudly and reciting silently, he established the foundation of Chishti order.
- The disciples of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, such as Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, Fariduddin Ganj-e-Shakar, Nizamuddin Auliya and Naseeruddin Chirag, etc., popularized and carried on the teachings of Chishti.
Other major Sufi Orders:
Suhrawardi Order: It was founded by Sheikh Shahabuddin Suhrawardi Maqtul.
Naqshbandi Order: Established by KhwajaBaha-ud-Din Naqshbandi.
Qadriya Order: It was founded in the 14th century by Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani.
Source : PIB
