The Great Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Hassan
Chishty (R.A) was brought up in Khorasan and
he received his early education from his
parents at home. At the age of seven he
committed to memory the Quran Sharif. Later
on, he learnt Hadis by heart and studied
jurisprudence very shortly afterwards Fiqa.
After the death of his parents and because
of the backpack of Neshapur, Khwaja Baba (R.A.)
experienced a very dim view of life. The
ghastly massacre in Khorasan and bloodshed,
loot and arson in Neshapur by the hordes of
Fidayees of the Batani and Qarmati sects,
inhuman and barbarous as they were, left a
very tragic impression on his childhood.
Thus Khwaja Baba's (R.A.) interest in
worldly life diminished day by day. He
inherited an orchard with a wind-mill, in
the vicinity of reward from his father.
These formed his source of livelihood.
One day he came across a Majzoob called
Hazrat Shaikh Ibrahim Qandozi, who came to
his garden while Khwaja Baba (R.A.) was
watering the plants. From his early age
Khwaja Baba (R.A.) by nature, liked the
company of Mystics, Saints and Derveshes. He
had great respect for them. Therefore, when
he saw the Dervesh enter the orchard, he
gave him an enthusiastic welcome and kissed
his hands with full respect and regard. The
young Khwaja Moinuddin Hassan Chishty (R.A.)
then invited the Majzoob Hazrat Ibrahim
Qandozi to sit under a tree and presented
him with a bunch of luscious grapes to eat.
The mystic ate the grapes and admired the
manners and the utmost courtesy accorded by
the young Khwaja Baba (R.A.). Hazrat Shaikh
Ibrahim Qandozi wanted to repay him, but the
young Khwaja Baba (R.A.) did not take the
money. He then took out a bit of khul (Till
cake) from his bag. After chewing it, he,
with his own hand, put it into the mouth of
the Great Khwaja Moinudding Hassan Chishty
(R. A).
As soon as he ate it, the veil of all
worldly illusions was lifted from his mind
and instantly he found himself in a quiet
realm with divine manifestations. Before the
Great Hazarat Khwaja Baba (R.A.) emerged
from the strange spiritual experience, the
mystic Shaikh Ibrahim Qandozi had left the
garden and had disappeared. The miracle was
the foundation for the divine career of the
Great Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Hassan Chishty
(R.A). He at once renounced the world. He
sold away all his properties- the grape
garden, the wind-mill and all other worldly
belongings; he distributed the money amongst
the poor and left for Bokhara penniless in
quest for knowledge. While at Bokhara, he
completed the courses in all oriental
sciences and literatures and obtained the
highest degrees of the day, viz. Jubba
(Cloak) and Dastar-e-Fazilat (Turban of
Learning) and Robes of Learning from the
Ulema, Moulana Hisamuddin Bokhari. The young
Khwaja Baba (R.A.) then moved on to
Samarquand and perfected his knowledge in
philosophy, theology and grammar.
Thus having completed the best available
academic education of the day at Bokhara and
Samarquand, the Great Hazrat Khwaja
Moinuddin Hassan Chishty (R.A.) now turned
his attention to spiritual education. He
again moved on to a town called Harwan/Haroon
in Arabia and found a spiritual preceptor (Murshid),
a great saint of the time, whose name was
Hazrat Khwaja Usman-e-Harooni (R.A.). One
day he paid a visit to the great saint and
reverentially enquired if he would be
accepted as his devoted mureed. The Great
Dervesh Khwaja Usman-e-Harooni (R.A.)
realized at once through his spiritual
powers that there stood before him the
fittest disciple of his life and his
spiritual successor and granted the request.
On that very day The Great Khwaja Moinuddin
Hassan Chishty (R.A.) was initiated into
Sufism through the recitation of the Holly
Quranic verses and other practical lessons
imparted by the Peer.
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