Ajmer Urs

The Reality of the Holy Word--Kalima Tayyiba: The Luminous Letter of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti to Bakhtiyar Kaki

By  GHULAM RASOOL DEHLVI  published January 4, 2025

 Reviewed by   Dr. ASHHAR MALIK 

This writer is attending the ongoing 10-day Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (RA) in which the royal mehfil is being held every night where the words of Chishti poets, especially Amir Khusro, the king of Sufiyana Kalams, are resonating. At the same time, the beautiful renditions of medieval spiritual luminaries like Meerabai and Kabir Das are also filling the ears of the divine lovers of Khwaja with great devotion. The most interesting scenery is that the royal mehfil of Urs is being organized in the 800-year-old Mehfil Khana, also called Sima Khana of the Dargah, which is still vibrant as a center of attraction for the people of all hues and heritages. This mehfil, which started on the first date of the month of Rajab of the Hijri calendar, continues till the 6th Rajab—the day of Qul Sharif. The royal mehfil seems to be a refreshing remnant of the medieval era of Muslim emperors. The traditional royal entourage, which is called the hereditary Amla, is handling every ritual of the mehfil. Dresses of the same style, from laying the floor and setting up the tents, putting up lanterns for lighting the gathering and reciting Al-Fateha, distributing the tabarruk (food as a blessing), and carrying the chaub, all the paraphernalia is present. The gathering is getting enthralled by the Qawwals like Asrar Hussain of the Shahi Qawwal Chowki of the Dargah. Apart from them, the families of the big Qawwals from all over the country and the hereditary Qawwals are presenting their Kalam every night here. Almost 200, 300, and 400-year-old Persian and Brij Bhasa Kalams are being sung. Not only the Kalams of Muslim Sufi elders but also the Kalams of famous Bhakti tradition poets Meerabai and Kabir Das are being presented. This is the living example of Ganga Jamuna Tehzeeb—the composite culture the social fabric of Indian communities is known for.

For instance—while we hear the enchanting verses of Amir Khusro, such as “Ae Ri Sakhi More Piya Ghar Aaye...O friend, my beloved has come home,” Meera's extremely devotional poem, ...O Beloved, open your eyes, the maid is standing in your service since long,” is also soothing the atmosphere of the large gathering of Sufi saints’ lovers. Kabir's verses, which have also become the highlight of the mehfil, are an indelible mark of the Bhakti period, an era that ushered in binding Hindu and Muslim unity in India. Significantly, Amir Khusro's famous devotional poem for Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, “Jag Ujiaro Jagat Ujiaro,” deports our memory back to the prominent Indian poet Tulsidas, who used the description “hai parasiddh jagat ujiyara” (Your highness illuminates the world!).   Sultan-ul-Hind Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz RA also wrote some beautiful verses and couplets that embellish the Sufi discourses today. Addressing his chief disciple, Hazrat Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, the spiritual Sultan of Delhi and the most famous Chishti saint of India after the Khwaja himself, who needs no introduction, Khwaja the Great wrote significant letters in which he exhorted his special Caliph. These letters were originally written in Persian, but the Urdu translation has been rendered in book form long ago under the name of “Asrar Haqiqi, published by Akbar Booksellers in September 2004.   In this article, I will reproduce the first letter of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (RA) as follows, which was addressed to his senior Khalifa, Hazrat Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki (may Allah be pleased with him). In this letter, the reality of the Kalimah Tayyiba, or the Holy Word, has been beautifully expounded in a luminous manner. Take a careful look and drown in an ocean of divine wisdom:

Letter First (Abridged):   My beloved brother Khwaja Qutbuddin Dehlvi! May the Lord of the Worlds guide you in every affair. From Faqir Moinuddin Chishti!   The reality of the Holy Word—Kalima Tayyiba   It should be clear that some deep points of Oneness of God, or monotheism, and some symbols and signs of inner guidance in this regard have been received by this humble being as a spiritual blessing from the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), in whom I have complete trust and full faith. Listen to me attentively!   There is an incident that one day, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was addressing Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat Uthman, Hazrat Ali, Hazrat Imam Hasan, Hazrat Imam Hussain, Hazrat Abu Hurairah, Hazrat Anas, Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood, Hazrat Khalid, Hazrat Bilal, and other senior companions and explaining the divine secrets and mysteries and the reality of spiritual knowledge. But Amirul Momineen Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was not present in this noble gathering. While the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was just explaining the secrets and mysteries of divine reality, suddenly Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) also arrived in the holy gathering. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) addressed his blessed tongue and said, "O tongue! Stop it now." Some of the companions were utterly surprised, and a thought arose in their hearts that perhaps the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not want to tell Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) these facts and knowledge. Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA), Hazrat Umar (RA), and some other close companions of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) approached the Holy Prophet and said, "O Messenger! What is this matter?" The Holy Prophet (PBUH) still explained the divine facts and knowledge to all the other companions, but he hid those secrets from Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).   The Holy Prophet (then) addressed all the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and said, "I have not hidden the secrets and mysteries from Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). Rather, the point is that if a baby is fed heavy food like chicken and meat, it is harmful to him, but when the child becomes an adult, nothing he eats or drinks will harm him."   The Holy Prophet (PBUH) began to explain other secrets and knowledge to Hazrat Umar (RA) according to his inner capacity and ability. He said, "O Umar! Whoever knows Allah does not say "Allahu," and whoever says "Allahu" does not know Allah. That is, the person who attains the knowledge of Allah does not need to say Allah, Allah, merely with his mouth and tongue, and the person who says Allah, Allah, with his mouth, then he has not yet attained the knowledge of Allah.   Hazrat Umar (RA) asked: Ya Rasool Allah SAW, what kind of knowledge is this that a servant does not need to mention the name of his Master and abandons His remembrance? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) replied that the Almighty says, "Wherever you are, Allah is with you.".  So, O Umar! How is it necessary to remember the One who is with us at all times and never disappears from our sight? Hazrat Umar (RA) asked: Where is Allah with us? The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) replied: In the heart of the servant. Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: Where is the heart of the servant?   The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: In the form of a human heart. But remember that the heart is of two types. One is imaginary and the other is real. O Umar! The real heart is the one that is neither on the right nor on the left side, neither up nor down, neither far nor near, but rather identifying this real heart is not an easy task. This kind of heart belongs to those who are personally close to God and are always immersed in His divine presence, because the heart of a truly perfect believer is in fact the Throne of God. The heart of the believer is the Throne of Allah Almighty (Hadith). بیا اے طالب صادق بحال خویش خوش بنگر / کہ او درعا لمے آمد کے پائے سرنمی گنجد   Come, O sincere seeker, look at your own state! This is the status of the actual owner of the heart.   And this close personal relationship with Allah Almighty and with His presence cannot be achieved except through the company of a perfect guide, a true Murshid. Perfect people and seekers do not ask or answer questions. Rather, they remain silent and polite.   Therefore, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: The believer’s heart is always active in a hidden remembrance of Allah, so he is alive and well, and the Muslim’s heart is dead because it is heedless of the hidden remembrance. دل کہ از ہمرار خدا غافل است / دل بناید گفت کو مشت گل است     A heart that is heedless of the secret remembrance of Allah is a heart full of flaws and ignorances.   Then Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) proceeded to ask: O Messenger of Allah! What is the difference between a believer and a Muslim? The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) replied: A believer is a knower of Allah, and the characteristic of a knower is that he remains silent and sad, while a Muslim is ascetic and dry.   After this, the Lord of the Universe (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: The believers are not those who gather in the mosques and say, “There is no god but Allah.” O Umar! Such talkers are deaf and ignorant of reality. They are not believers but hypocrites, because their tongues speak of Allah, but their hearts are ignorant of His remembrance!

See Also

* The role of Sufis in the development of Urdu  language





The author is a Delhi-based writer and research scholar on Sufism. His works have been published by different reputed journals on Islam and its mysticism. He is also author of his upcoming book “Ishq Sufiyana: Untold Stories of Divine Love”. He may be contacted at grdehlavi@gmail.com