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"Miracles occur across all creeds. They can never be confined to a single creed or faith. Yet the short-sighted and the ...
05/10/2026

"Miracles occur across all creeds. They can never be confined to a single creed or faith. Yet the short-sighted and the bigoted refuse to accept this. They imagine that the light of the Divine shines upon their faith alone, forgetting that the ways of God are far wider than the boundaries men draw around Him."

— Mughal Emperor Jalal al-Din Muhammad Akbar

Reference: Ain-i Akbari, Vol 3.

© Neelesh Chatterjee

The Moroccan globetrotter Ibn Battuta, upon arriving in Delhi, recorded that the Dargah of Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki in M...
04/10/2026

The Moroccan globetrotter Ibn Battuta, upon arriving in Delhi, recorded that the Dargah of Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki in Mehrauli was among the three most visited shrines in the city. Vast crowds, he noted, would regularly assemble there to receive the grace of the great saint who had passed away in a state of divine ecstasy.

A generation later, as Sayyid Bande Nawaz Gesudaraz looked back upon his younger days, he recalled how, after Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq's forcible transfer of Delhi's population to the Deccan, most of the city's shrines had fallen into neglect. "Only the Dargahs of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and Hazrat Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki continued to flourish as before," he said.

The popularity of Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki's shrine, he recalled, could hardly be overstated. "At all hours, there would be crowds of people. It had long been my desire to offer my prayers at the Sheikh's grave early in the morning, when the first light of dawn spreads over the compound like divine mercy.

"Consequently, I spent one night within the same enclosure. When morning broke, I rushed to offer my prayers beside the Hazrat's grave. But lo and behold! Fresh flowers had already been strewn all around the place, showing that someone had come to pray even before me.

"Even today, despite all the destruction wrought by the terrible Timur, if you go to Mehrauli, you will still find a multitude of people seeking Hazrat Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki's intercession with the Almighty."

© Neelesh Chatterjee

Inheritors of the Persianate ideal of Jawanmardi, the Mughal Emperors placed a high premium on physical fitness. The fir...
03/10/2026

Inheritors of the Persianate ideal of Jawanmardi, the Mughal Emperors placed a high premium on physical fitness. The first among them, Zahir al-Din Muhammad Babur, famously swam across vast rivers even into his forties. His son, Nasir al-Din Muhammad Humayun, on the other hand, was a consummate wrestler.

Bayazid Biyat, in his Tazkira-i Humayun wa Akbar, records that in 1545, Emperor Humayun celebrated a royal circumcision ceremony in Kabul with a fierce wrestling bout against a minister, Imam Quli Quchi.

Humayun's son, Jalal al-Din Muhammad Akbar, inherited his ancestors' inclination towards physical sports to the full. A supreme rider who could cover incredible distances on horseback in record time, he was also a very capable wrestler, having been honed in the art right from his early childhood.

In 1581, when the imperial entourage was in Bihar in pursuit of a group of rebels, "Akbar ordered that everyday distinguished wrestlers should contend in his presence," records Abul Fazl.

"One day, Jag Sobha and Haibat Tahmatan contended with each other, astonishing the spectators. Haibat Tahmatan, who was incredibly strong, abandoned the rules of wrestling, and, in a cruel fashion, applied his strength to the hilt and tore off the fingers of his antagonist."

Akbar, who was watching the proceedings closely, became incensed at this wanton brutality. "Inasmuch as the responsibility of administering justice rests with the kings," writes Abul Fazl, "the world's lord (Akbar) threw his fist into the face of that misbehaving man."

Akbar's blow landed cleanly, and, "by the might of the hand of the Shadow of God, that giant wrestler Haibat Tahmatan fell senseless like an utter weakling. The powerful of body were amazed, and the superficial had their attention turned towards the realities."

© Neelesh Chatterjee

"After perusing countless books, this humble mendicant has gathered a very reliable description of Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Q...
01/10/2026

"After perusing countless books, this humble mendicant has gathered a very reliable description of Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Gilani Ghaus-i Azam's blessed appearance.

"Hazrat Ghaus Pak's appearance is as follows: slender body, average height, broad chest, high forehead, a wheatish complexion, and joined eyebrows. It is also related that he had a loud, reasonant voice.

"As far as attires are concerned, he would very rarely wear costly clothes. Most of the time, he would be comfortable in his Jubbah (cloak).

"Hazrat Ghaus Pak would say, 'I do not wear anything until and unless He Himself commands me to wear it.'"

— Sultan Dara Shikoh al-Qadiri, Safinat ul Auliya.

© Neelesh Chatterjee

"One day in Delhi" Sayyid Bande Nawaz Gesu Daraz reminisced in his old age as he sat in his khanqah in Gulbarga, "as I c...
29/09/2026

"One day in Delhi" Sayyid Bande Nawaz Gesu Daraz reminisced in his old age as he sat in his khanqah in Gulbarga, "as I completed my asr prayers in a mosque, it started raining heavily. As I hurried out, my eye caught a strange-looking man sitting all by himself. He was looking up at the sky with a strange wonder in his eyes, oblivious to the taunts of a group of youths loitering around.

"Ignoring the downpour, I made my way to him. Looking up at me, he bade me sit down. I did. Then, all of a sudden, he began to reel off sections from the compositions of Ain al-Quzzat and al-Ghazzali. I understood he was a great scholar whose saintliness had made him adopt unconventional mannerisms. After a while, I paid my respects and got up.

"A few days later, I decided to pay my sisters a visit. As I made my way through the jungles around Delhi, I passed through one of the many hunting lodges of Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq. There, I saw that man — his name was Shinan — tied to a tree and whipped with lashes by the royal soldiers.

"I hurried up to him and asked what the matter was. One of the soldiers turned to me and said, 'If you listen to what this madman raves, you will feel like sticking a dagger into his belly.' I immediately understood that Shinan's unconventional ways had attracted the royal ire.

"I was about to intercede on Shinan's behalf when I saw him glaring at me. I understood the unspoken warning. He didn't want me to get involved in this affair. With a heavy heart, I left the spot."

The incident narrated by Gesu Daraz, unfortunately, wasn't an outlier. After Muhammad bin Tughlaq's hobnobbing with Mutazila doctrines and Greek philosophy, orthodoxy made a ferocious comeback in the reign of Firuz Shah Tughlaq.

Apart from Shinan mentioned above, a noted Chishti Sufi, Masud Bak, was also beheaded for expressing heterodox views. Then, there were the two disciples of the celebrated Sufi saint of Bihar, Sheikh Sharf al-Din Maneri, who were executed in Delhi for their unconventional mannerisms — an act which Firuz Shah himself gloated over in his Futuhat.

In Bihar, however, the furious Sheikh Sharf al-Din Maneri called upon the heavens to wreak vengeance on Delhi, saying, "In a city where they have shed the blood of such holy men ... It would be most strange if the city continued to flourish."

References:

1. Jawami ul Kalim, Syed Muhammad Akbar Hussaini (Page 220)

2. A History of Sufism, Rizvi

3. The Sufi Sheikh and the Sultan, Digby

© Neelesh Chatterjee

"Ajmer is a fine city rich with spiritual blessings, endowed with a pleasant weather and a delightful charm of its own. ...
29/09/2026

"Ajmer is a fine city rich with spiritual blessings, endowed with a pleasant weather and a delightful charm of its own. The noble city is very special to the humble author because he was blessed to be born there — at midnight on Monday, at the end of the month of Safar in the year 1024 AH.

"Prior to the birth of this faqir, his exalted father Shah Jahan already had three daughters. Then, desiring the birth of a son, he petitioned at the court of His Holiness Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti.

"By the intercession of the Khwaja, God Almighty brought this humble author into existence.

"It is hoped that the Lord Almighty graces this humblest servant with good deeds and good thoughts — so that he may emerge as a better human being."

— Sultan Dara Shikoh Qadiri, Safinat ul Auliya.

In the Image: The Prophet Khizr welcomes Emperor Shah Jahan at Ajmer. Opaque watercolor on paper. Artist name unknown. Now with the Royal Collection Trust

© Neelesh Chatterjee

"On the night, when I first started writing about Ghaus Pak, I found myself spiritually transported to Baghdad."In that ...
27/09/2026

"On the night, when I first started writing about Ghaus Pak, I found myself spiritually transported to Baghdad.

"In that noble city, I beheld myself circumabulating the venerable mausoleums of Imam Musa al-Kazim and Sheikh Ghaus-i Azam.

"I understood that it was through the grace of Ghaus Pak that this high spiritual fortune was bestwoed upon my humble soul.

"My heart filled up with sheer joy as I realised that my tribute to Ghaus Pak in words would definitely find Divine acceptance, and in immense gratitude, I offered my profound thanks to the Almighty Lord."

— Sultan Dara Shikoh al-Qadiri, Safinat ul Auliya.

© Neelesh Chatterjee

Hazrath Ghawth Pak promised, "Whoever enters the circle of my disciples — verily, I shall protect him until the Day of R...
27/09/2026

Hazrath Ghawth Pak promised, "Whoever enters the circle of my disciples — verily, I shall protect him until the Day of Resurrection."

It is hoped that Almighty God, through the intermediation of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Gilani, will safeguard this humblest disciple of the Qadiriya order. Furthermore, by the blessings of Hazrat Ghawth al-Azam, it is hoped that this weak person's spiritual merit shall increase day by day and hour by hour.

— Sultan Dara Shikoh Qadiri, Sakinat ul Auliya.

in the Picture: An imaginary portrait of Hazrat Ghawth Pak Baghdadi. Artist name unknown. Circa 18th century. Now in the Victoria and Albert Museum.

© Neelesh Chatterjee

"Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah I," according to the Siyar ul Mutaqherin, "was fond of the company of learned men, and he w...
25/09/2026

"Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah I," according to the Siyar ul Mutaqherin, "was fond of the company of learned men, and he was extremely interested in the subtleties in the matter of religion. This trait was more manifest in his character than in any other prince of the line of Timur."

After ascending the Mughal throne upon the demise of his father Aurangzeb Alamgir, Bahadur Shah I decided to make some alterations to the khutba. A devoted admirer of the Ahl-i Bayt since forever, the Emperor now decided to add the title of wasi (heir) to the name of Hazrat Ali in the khutba.

A ripple ran through the empire. The Sunni orthodoxy was outraged at what they perceived as the rise of Shia ascendancy. The Sunni ire boiled over in places, with a major riot breaking out in Ahmedabad. In Lahore, the clerics, caught in a fix, suspended the khutba itself.

It was in this atmosphere of gloom that Bahadur Shah I made his way to Lahore. There he arranged a meeting with the leading Ulema, trying his best to bring them around to his point of view. His efforts, however, met with no success, and the meeting broke up inconclusively. His temper now kindled, the Emperor decided to force his way through.

Perhaps it was due to dissent from within the royal family, particularly from Prince Azim us Shan, that Bahadur Shah I ultimately held back his hand. The fierce Afghan opposition might also have been a factor, given that reports circulated that as many as 100,000 Afghans had decided to rebel should the Emperor alter the khutba.

At any rate, on October 2, 1711, the khutba in its old form was read out in the Shahi Masjid in Lahore.

The Empire might have been spared unrest for the time being, but the decision clearly weighed heavily on the Emperor's mind. Bahadur Shah I, it is said, sank into a state of depression over his failure to translate his desire into reality. The deep sorrow that gnawed away at him told on his physical health too, and the Emperor's condition began to deteriorate at an alarming rate.

Yahya Khan, in his Tazkirat ul Muluk, says that "Bahadur Shah I could not sleep at night," adding that he progressively turned insane. This horrid period, however, did not last. It was not long before Bahadur Shah I passed away, after a largely inconsequential reign of a little less than five years.

References:

1. Siyar ul Mutaqherin, Ghulam Hussain Khan Tabatabai

2. The Later Mughals, William Irvine

3. Tazkirat ul Muluk, Yahya Khan

© Neelesh Chatterjee

It is related that, in the early 1690s, a severe attack of dropsy rendered Prince Azam Shah prostrate. As the cherished ...
24/09/2026

It is related that, in the early 1690s, a severe attack of dropsy rendered Prince Azam Shah prostrate. As the cherished son of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir, no stone was left unturned in treating him. Hakims from far-off lands flocked to the prince’s quarters, studied his condition attentively, and tried their utmost to heal him. Unfortunately, all their efforts came to naught, as the prince’s condition deteriorated from bad to worse.

One day, as the prince slipped into a state of stupor, a great clamour broke out all around him. The inmates of his harem wailed and screamed, fearing that the end had arrived. All of a sudden, the prince sat up. Blinking his eyes, he related that he had just been blessed with a vision of Imam Ali, who had promised him a full recovery.

From that moment on, the prince’s condition began to improve. Before long, he was once again back to his usual healthy self. In gratitude towards the Imam who had effected the miracle, the prince’s wife, Jahanzeb Banu Begum, sent the princely sum of 60,000 rupees to the twin shrines of Najaf and Karbala.

References:

1. Maasir-i Alamgiri, Saqi Mustaid Khan

2. Princes of the Mughal Empire, Munis D. Faruqui

© Neelesh Chatterjee

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