Religion without spirituality is just simple rituals. Striking our head either in the temple or mosque or church gets us nowhere unless we look deep inside us and discover our spiritual side. It just hardens our hearts and an excess of it makes our actions rigid causing inconvenience and grief to those near us.
That is why Sufism is very important in today’s world. Sufism is the mystical or spiritual aspect of Islam
The word Sufi from suf or coarse woolen cloaks worn by the early Sufis. In fact
Three major orders of the Sufis, that is Chistiya, Qadriya and Suharwardi claim descent from Ali ibn Abu Talib, the cousin and son in law of Prophet Mohammad.
A famous anecdote related to Ali is that once he was about to embark on a journey and a man came running to him and said, “O Ali what is the essence of Islam?”
Ali had one foot in the stirrup and was about to swing the other over the horse and he replied, “Believe in the Oneness of God and serve his creation.”
That in a nutshell is the essence of Sufism, service of mankind. For them Allah is Rab-ul Alaameen or God of the Universe as stated in the first Surah of the Quran and not the narrow definition of Rab-ul-Muslimeen or God of Muslims.
A famous saying of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti is
He indeed is a true devotee, blessed with the love of God, who is gifted with the following three attributes:
1. River-like charity, i.e. his sense of charity has no limits and is equally beneficial to all the creatures of God who approach him,
2. Sun like affection, i.e. his affection may be extended indiscriminately to all like sunlight and
3. Earth-like hospitality, i.e. his loving embrace may be open to all like that of the earth.
The most important principle of Sufism is that to love one’s fellow men is to love God. Once we believe in this narrow perceptions of faith are meaningless.
Sufis place great emphasis on ihsan, which literally means benevolent action but according to the Prophet where we should worship Him as If we can see Him and even if we can’t see him to know that God can see our actions at all times.
The Prophet was famous for his gentle behavior and courteous dealings with everyone. Prophet Mohammad is said to be the first Sufi and Sufis take their inspiration from his behavior or ikhlaq.
There is a famous story of an old woman who threw garbage on him daily as he passed under her window. He did not react or change his route but would calmly continue on his way.
One day she did not appear at her window to throw the garbage. The Prophet climbed up her stairs to enquire after her.
“Who is it?” asked a feeble voice when he knocked on her door.
“Mohammad bin Abdullah,” was the reply, “can I come in?”
The woman feared, “I am sick, and too weak to fight or talk back, therefore Mohammad has come to take revenge for what I have been doing to him.” But the permission to enter her house was in such a gentle voice that she allowed him in.
Mohammad told he was worried as he did not find her at the window that day and had come to inquire about her health. He asked if he could help her in any way and she forgot her hate and insecurities and asked for water. On being asked to forgive her for her bad behaviour he readily did and prayed for her health.
And it is this Prophet in whose name we perpetuate violence because someone says or draws something adverse?
God doesn’t need our help to protect his image. What is hurt is our ego and our insecure minds.
This security comes from spirituality taught by Sufi masters and not from practicing rituals.
Sufis teach us inclusiveness, humanity and the quality of mercy.
“The saints will cast away both worldly and religious blessings to give a piece of bread or a drink of water to someone in need. This state is something one cannot obtain by one hundred thousand fasts and prayers.”
Baba Farid had said, that we Sufis are not knives which cut and divide but needles which darn and join two different ends to each other.
Today we need needles to darn our torn social fabric more than ever.
Their khanqahs or hospice was a place of refuge for all irrespective of race, religion or class. Even gender diffrenciation was not made. Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya had said for Bibi Fatima bin Sam, also called Delhi’s Rabia, “When the lion has come out of the forest, nobody asks if it is male or female.”
We need that healing touch in religion once more so that we can give up the extreme positions that so many are taking up in their lives.
The Prophet had warned “And beware of going to extremes in religious matters, for those who came before you were destroyed because of going to extremes in religious matters.” (Sahih)

Every field is filled with yellow mustard blooms
Mango buds open, flame of the forest trees blossom,
Every branch echoes with the koyal’s call
The lovely maiden dons her make up
The garden ladies bring fragrant bouquets,

These Purbi lyrics sung in the raag bahar melody herald the beginnings of Basant (on the eve of Basant Panchami) festivities at the Dargah of the Sufi saint, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the reader were taken aback by these words, this occasion and the connection with a Sufi saint.

Hazrat Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya (1238-1325 A.D.) was a saint of the Chistiya silsila and the successor of Baba Farid. He is called the People’s saint and was given the title of Mehboob e Ilaahi or Beloved of God. He believed that for a saint the three necessary things were ishq (love) aql (wisdom) and ilm (knowledge.) It was only through this that one could reach one’s goal of fulfillment. He used them all in generous amounts.

His belief was that one can devote one’s life to God through two ways :
1. 1. lazmi or intransitive — where an individual comes closer to God through prayer and meditation, and
2. 2.muta’addi or transitive — where you assist your fellow beings to lead a smoother life.

He practiced both and touched many hearts. Though he lies buried close to many Emperors and noblemen from the medieval ages, his dargah sees more visitors and devotees than any of the Emperor’s tombs. In fact the area where his Dargah lies was called Ghiyaspur after the Delhi Sultan Balban who built his palace there. But today it is known by the name of the saint as Nizamuddin basti.

One of my favourite sayings of Hazrat Nizamuddin which explains the deep devotion that he commanded is
“The wilayat (domain) of gnosis and faith can
suffer decay. The wilayat of compassion can not.”

Altamash Nizami one of the direct descendants of Hazrat Nizamuddin and part of the Dargah committee told me this story about the origins of Basant celebrations in the Dargah.
Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya did not have children and was very attached to his sister’s son Khwaja Taqiuddin Nuh. The attachment was deep and mutual. Alas a fatal illness took Khwaja Nuh from this world.

His death was a deep blow for Mehboob e Ilaahi and he grieved over the loss and was extremely saddened. His followers particularly Hazrat Amir Khusrau longed to see him smile once again.
One day Hazrat Amir Khusrau saw a group of village women, dressed in yellow, carrying mustard flowers and singing on the road near the Khwaja’s khanqah .
His khanqah ( retreat or monastery) where he spent his life reaching out to people is a little way behind Humayun’s tomb.
He asked them where they were going dressed like this. The women replied that they were going to the temple to offer the flowers to their God. Amir Khusrau asked them whether this made their God happy? On hearing an affirmative answer he immediately dressed up in a yellow Saree and carrying mustard flowers came into the presence of his pir ,Khwaja Hazrat Nizamuddin singing ‘sakal ban phool rahi sarson.’
The Khwaja recognizing his favourite disciple smiled at his get up and song.

This was an occasion for rejoicing and since then the tradition of dressing up in yellow, carrying mustard flowers and singing qawwali on Basant Panchami started.

This year I had the good fortune to attend the celebrations myself. The atmosphere in the dargah was electrifying with a langar ( food for all) being held in the dargah complex and various qawwali groups singing in the courtyard.

After the asr ( afternoon) prayers all the qawwali singers gathered in a lane opposite Ghalib’s grave and the celebrations started from a small by lane there.
I presume the significance of that lane must be that this is the original spot from where Hazrat Amir Khusrau started his song. I asked many people there but no one could give me a satisfactory answer, except that this is from where it has always started.

There was a ceremonial prayer, lighting of incense sticks and then the singing commenced.
Young and old, everyone joined in the procession which went into the by lanes of Nizamuddin Basti, stopping at the grave of Khwaja Tajuddin Nuh and entering the Dargah.

Once in the dargah, they took a yellow chadar (sheet) and holding it above their heads, entered the shrine itself. This is apparently the only occasion on which the qawwali singing is done inside the shrine. On all other occasions it is outside in the courtyard.

After that they all assembled outside and encouraged by the SajjadaNasheen Hasan Nizami, the various qawwals sang and rejoiced.
The qawwali session lasts for a few hours after which they go to the choti dargah or Hazrat Amir Khusrau’s grave and make their offerings there.
The shrine’s courtyard was full of people from different areas, regions and faiths: all united with a common love for the people’s saint, dressed in yellow to celebrate the occasion when he smiled once more on the eve of spring.

Aaj Basant Manaley Suhangan

Aaj Basant Manaley
Anjan Manjan Kar Piya

Lambay Neher Lagaaye
Tu Kya Sovay Neend Maasi

So Jaagay Teray Bhaag, Suhagan
Aaj Basant Manalay…;

Thank You Asif for taking me to the Dargah

Thank You Pari for showing us the sama Room of Mehboob e Ilahi
and a big thank you Syed Mohammad Qasim for these beautiful Photographs

Thank You Raj Prajapati for the photographs