In Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya: Beloved of God, historian and Sufi scholar Raziuddin Aquil brings together history, philosophy and anecdote to reconstruct the life and times of one of the Chishti tradition’s most influential saints. Drawing extensively on primary sources, including Fawa’id-ul-Fu’ad, the compilation of Nizamuddin’s discourses recorded by his disciple, Amir Hasan Sijzi, Aquil traces the saint’s journey from Badaun to Delhi, his initiation into the Sufi path under Sufi leader Baba Farid, and his emergence as one of the city’s most sought-after spiritual guides.
Aquil situates Nizamuddin within the distinguished Chishti lineage of Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti and Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki. Born into a Sayyid family in Badaun and raised by his mother, Bibi Zulaikha, after his father’s early death, Nizamuddin moved to Delhi in pursuit of learning. Though trained in Islamic jurisprudence, his encounter with Baba Farid set him on the Sufi path. He would later emerge as Delhi’s foremost spiritual guide, attracting disciples, scholars, poets and ordinary people alike.
Among the book’s central themes is Nizamuddin’s commitment to serving humanity. His jama’at-khana at Ghiyaspur functioned as an egalitarian space where rulers and commoners sat together without distinction. This ethos found expression in the langar, where food was distributed freely regardless of caste, creed, or social status.
The saint’s emphasis on love as the foundation of spirituality runs throughout the narrative:
Ba ashiqan nashin o gham-i-’ashiqi guzin/Ba har ke nist ‘ashiq kam shaw ba u qarin
(Embrace Love’s longing in the company of lovers/Avoid those who do not understand the language of love)
Nizamuddin maintained a careful distance from political power. Living during the turbulent years of the Delhi Sultanate, he avoided royal patronage and political entanglements. His famous declaration to Alauddin Khalji remains one of the clearest expressions of spiritual independence: “I have two doors in my house; if the Sultan enters through one, I will leave through the other.”
An evocative episode appears in the chapter Fasting and Feasting. On nights when there was no food in the house, Nizamuddin’s mother would place an empty pot on the stove and tell her children that they were “guests of God.” The children slept hungry but comforted, a formative lesson in tawakkul (trust in God) and qin’at (contentment).
Poetry likewise occupied an important place in Nizamuddin’s worldview. His disciples Amir Khusrau and Amir Hasan Sijzi were among the leading literary figures associated with his khanqah. The book also highlights women’s place in Sufi thought through figures such as Bibi Fatima Sam, whose spiritual authority was widely acknowledged. By placing Nizamuddin’s life within the wider context of the Chishti tradition and the Delhi Sultanate, Aquil traces the enduring influence of a saint whose message of love, generosity and service has remained central to the popular memory of Indian Sufism.
