Name: Hazrat Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki
Titles: Mehboob-e-Haque, Qutub-ul-Aqtaab, Malik-ul-Mashaikh,
Rais-us-Saalikin, Siraj-ul-Auliya
Silsila: Chistiya
Predecessor:Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chisty (رحمتہ اللہ علیہ)
Successor:Hazrat Sheikh Fariduddin Masood Ganjshakar (رحمتہ اللہ علیہ)
Date of Birth: 569 Hijri or 1111 AD
Date of Wisaal: 14th Rabi-ul Awwal (633 Hijri).
Date of Urs: 14th Rabi-ul Awwal.
Resting at: Mehrauli, Delhi, India.
Khawaja Qutub-ud-din Bakhtiyar Kaki (رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) was the chief Khalifa of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti (رحمتہ اللہ علیہ). He was born in 1111AD or 569 Hijri at Aush in Iraq.
Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) was a great devotee and mystic. He had no parallel in abandoning the world and facing poverty and hunger. He kept himself engrossed in the remembrance of Allah. Whenever someone came to him he would show his inability to continue any longer and slipped into the same state again.
Hazrat Khawaja Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) was one and half year old that his father passed away. Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) learned 15 chapters of the Holy Quraan from his mother and his mother arranged for him further education and training. Once he wanted to be a part of Mehfil e Samaa however was not allowed in as he seemed to be young in age and didn’t have a beard. Hazrat Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) was very fond of Mehfil e Samaa so he rubbed his face and a beard appeared and he was let in. When Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) was 4 years and 4 months of age he requested his mother that he wanted to study the Holy Quraan under a learned person. His Mother sent him along with a Slate and sweets to an Aalim in the locality. On the way he met a Divine personality, Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) offered Salaam and was asked as to where he was off to. Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) replied that his mother has sent him to the local Aalim to learn the Holy Quraan. The revered person asked Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) to come along with him and he would be taught the Holy Quraan. He came to a mosque where he saw a few children learning the holy Quraan from Maulana Abu Hafz(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ); he stood up as he noticed the revered person who told him to teach Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) the holy Quraan. Later Maulana Abu Hafz(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) disclosed to Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) that the person who left him there was none other than Hazrat Khawaja Khizar Alaihisalaam.
When Hazrat Khawaja Moin-ud-deen Chisti(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) came to Isfhahan he took oath of allegiance on his hands and got caliphate and khirqah (dress of a religious mendicant) from him. Thereafter his master asked him to go to India and stay there. Following this order he came to Delhi and stayed there. It was the period of Sultan Shamsuddin Altamash.
In 612 Hijri Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) came to Kilocari in Delhi, those days the Mehrauli was the capital in Delhi. Sultan Shamsuddin Altamash requested him to settle in Mehrauli where he resided in a baker woman’s house. After a few days Hazrat Qazi Hamiduddeen Nagori(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) took Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) to his house. Later he permanently settled near Ijazuddeen Masjid.
In those times Hazrat Jamaaluddeen Bustami(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) was the religious head (Shaikul Islam) and on his demise Sultan Shamsuddin Altamash requested Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) to lead the community however Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) refused and appointed Najmuddeen Sugra(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) as Shaikul Islam.
Once while Khawaja Gharib Nawaz(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ), Khawaja Qutub-ud-din Bakhtiyar(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) and Baba Fareed Ganj Shakkar(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) were praying together in the Auliya Masjid Baba Fareed Ganj Shakkar(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) felt like having warm bread a basket of Kaaks appeared from Gaib (Unknown) at first Khawaja Gharib Nawaz(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) raised his hand to receive it however was unable to hold it later Baba Fareed Ganj Shakkar(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) stretched out his hand the basket escaped his grasp then Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) held out his hand the basket came in his reach and he kept it down and they all thanked Allah Almighty and ate the bread.
Once Khawaja Gharib Nawaz(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) came to Delhi, at that time when Najmuddeen Sugra(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) was Shaikul Islam who was behaving uneasy. Khawaja Gharib Nawaz(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) inquired on the cause to which he retorted, the people of Mehrauli were devoted to Khawaja Qutub-ud-din Bakhtiyar Kaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ). Khawaja Gharib Nawaz(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) told him if he was against the stay of Khawaja Qutub-ud-din Bakhtiyar(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) then Khawaja Gharib Nawaz(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) would take his beloved friend along with him. When he set off with Khawaja Qutub-ud-din Bakhtiyar(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) the trees landscape and the animals started weeping and following them the people too went in frenzy and started wailing loudly. Finally Khawaja Gharib Nawaz(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) had to let Khawaja Qutub-ud-din Bakhtiyar(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) stay back in Delhi.
He would sleep at night only after reciting Darood 3 thousand times.
When Khawaja Sahib Married for the first time in Aush (Iraq) he was unable to recite the Darood for the first 3 nights, On the fourth day he saw the Holy prophet Muhammed (saw) asking that he missed the gift of Darood which he was being offered since a long time, Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) divorced his first wife as he considered married life hindrance in his prayer. From his second wife he had 2 sons.
Eldest was Shaikh Ahmed(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) and younger Shaikh Muhammed(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ).
There was a grain-seller in the neighborhood of the Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ). Hazrat’s wife would go to the shop for grains and food stock the shopkeeper once spoke rudely to the lady not realizing the spirituality of Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ), the wife reported back to the Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) who told her to take Allah’s name and put her hand in the loft and she would get what she needed and life went on in that way for a long time.
In the beginning he would take loan from the grain seller however he would not exceed 24 dirham. And in the meantime he would pay back from the offerings made to him. However once he stopped taking loan. From that day on bread would come out from under his prayer mat and his family members lived on it.
Meanwhile the grain-seller thought that the Khawaja must have been angry with him and hence he stopped taking loan from him. In order to know the fact he sent his wife to the house of Khawaja(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ). Khawaja’s wife revealed truth to her from that time the bread stopped.
Once Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) and the members of his house remained hungry for 4 days without anyone realizing that they hadn’t eaten, in his innocence his son disclosed this to one of Khawaja well wisher who prepared food at home and brought it before Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) who became furious and cursed his son who died later. However became alive in a few days.
Once Sultan Shamsudeen Altamash sent some gold coins as Nazarana to Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) who didn’t accept it. And later he gifted 6 villages to Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) who refused to accept it.
Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) would sleep in the first part of the night however in the last part of the night he would be awake in prayers.
Shaikh Nur Baksh has written in the book “Silsilatuz’zah”-
“Bakhtiyar Aqtaab Aushi(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) was a great devotee, mystic and friend of Allah who remained in his remembrance in private and public. He was habituated to eat and sleep less and spoke rarely. He was a towering personality in the world of mysticism.”
Once Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) wanted to be in Ajmer to pay reverence to Khawaja Gharib Nawaz(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ), he got a reply to come over as this would be their last meeting. On arrival at Ajmer and paying tribute to Khawaja Gharib Nawaz(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) he was informed that these were his last days. Khawaja Gharib Nawaz(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) handed over the authority to Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) and appointed him successor, and presented the turban, Musalla and walking stick (Aasa) and a book of the Holy Quraan. Informing that these were the belongings of the holy prophet Muhammed Mustafa Salai Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallamu, as they were to be preserved and handed over since generations to the Chistia Silsila. Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) returned to Delhi and devoted himself to prayers and Namaz.
Once while sleeping he saw his peer Khawaja Gharib Nawaz(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) in a pleasant mood and he was attentive to his Mureeds even after Pardah.
Once Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ), Shaikh Bahauddeen Zakariya(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) and Shaikh Jalaaluddeen Tabrezi(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) were in Multan when suddenly enemy’s army reached near the fort in Multan. The ruler there Nasiruddeen Kibacha came to Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) and requested him to pray that the enemy retreats. Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki gave an arrow in Nasiruddeen Kibacha’s hand and told him to throw it towards the enemy at night, Nasiruddeen Kibacha did as told and by dawn there wasn’t a single enemy soldier there.
Once Hazrat Suleimaan Alaaihisalaam was passing on his flying throne by the place where the present Mazaar is situated he noticed the place to be lit up and the light extended up to the skies. Hazrat Suleimaan Alaaihisalaam realized that this was the place where Allah’s beloved Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) who would be laid to rest and he would be from the Ummat of Prophet Muhammed Mustafa Salallahu alaihi wa salamu.
Hazrat Nizamuddeen Auliya(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) has stated that once Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) was returning from the Idgah to the place where the present Mazaar is located, during that time the place was a desolated wilderness, Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) stood there in deep thought, his associates informed him that it was Eid and people would be waiting for him to eat. Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) replied that he was getting the smell of Allah’s beloved from the place. He arranged for the purchase of that piece of land from Hazrat Abdul Aziz Bistami(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) and confirmed his will to be buried in that place.
Hazrat Shaikh Nizamuddeen Auliya(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) would come at a point and stand at a stone and offer salaam and greetings the stone is located at the main Entrance of Dargah Sharief Mehrauli.
One day there was a mehfil e Sama in Shaikh Ali Sanjari’s place 10 Rabi ul Awal, where the following Qawaali of Hazrat Ahmed Jaam was being sung “Kustgaan khanjar taslimra harzama az gaib jane deegar ast” ( “ Those who are slain by the dagger of surrender; Receive every moment a new life from the unseen. ”)
Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) was in a state of trance for the next two days and was reciting the same verse. On the fifth day Khawaja Qutubuddeen Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) took Pardah. “Inna Lillahi va Inna Ilaihi Raajiuun”
Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) took Pardah at the age of 64 years in 633 Hijri 14 Rabi-ul Awal (1235 AD) and his Mazaar (Moinul Hatab) is at Mehrauli (New Delhi) which attracts devotees from all over India and world.
According to Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki’s(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) will only the person who had not missed the Sunnah salat of Asar Namaz never delayed the time of Namaz (Takbeer e ullah) and never done a single unforbidden act in his life was eligible to lead the Namaz e Janaza. There was a long silence as none thought themselves to be capable. After much wait Hazrat Khawaja Sultan Shamsudeen Altamash(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) came forward and expressed that he did not expect his secret to be opened in this manner and led the Namaz e Janaza. The Mazaar Sharief of Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) has a story to it, as per his will he had asked his Mureed’s Baba Fareed(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) and Khawaja Shamsudeen Altamash(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) to get mud from “Shamsu Taalaab” to put over his grave. This they did, as they ran back and forth from the Mazaar to the lake and collected mud from the lake in the basket which they carried over their heads. It was raining very heavily and the mound of mud was flowing away due to the downpour. Baba Fareed(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) made a demarcation and put 4 wooden stumps on all the four corners to mark the place where the Mazaar was located.
Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki(رحمتہ اللہ علیہ) did not want a tomb to be made big with walls, or open to public. All the rulers’ right unto 18th century kept his will, however Muhiuddeen Bahadur Shamsul Umra Kurshid of Hyderabad built the pillars and the Gumbaad over the Mazaar as it appears now. And it is decorated with mirrors from within.
Nasab Naama (Paternal Lineage):
Khawaja Qutubuddeen bin Syed Musa bin Kamaaluddeen bin Syed Muhammed bin Syed Ahmed bin Ishaque bin Hassan bin Syed Maruf bin Syed Raziuddeen bin Syed Hisamuddin bin Syed Rashiduddeen bin Syed Jaafar bin Al Naqi bin Musa Raza bin Syedna Musa Qazim bin Syedna Jaafar Sadiq bin Imam Muhammed Baqar bin Zainul Abedin bin Imam Hussain bin Amirul Momineen Ali Razi-Allahu Anhum.
His Quotes:
– One who conducts should eat little. If he eats to fill his belly, he is materialist. One should eat, that he might pray.
– Dress should not be decorative. If he dresses for exhibitor, he is not saintly.
– Salik is he who remains engrossed in love of God. He is so absorbed that if the entire expanse of Sky and Earth get into his chest, he would scarcely feel the presence.
– Obedience to Shariah is obligatory to a Salik, in consciousness or unconsciousness.
When Hazrat Bakhtiyar Ka’aki was at Multan, Qibacha Beg the ruler of Multan, came to see him. He said, “The Mangols have invaded Multan and I have no power to face them. For God’s sake, help me.”
The Qutab gave him an arrow and said, “After the evening prayer, appear on the tower of the rampart and shoot it with a bow in the direction of enemy, then watch what God does.” The ruler of Multan did as asked. As the arrow fell, the Mangols fled from the battlefield.