By Syed Zuhaib Quadri
Born in Bidar more than 200 years ago, into a Sadat family (Prophetic Descendents) renowned for their learning, erudition, and piety, Hazrat Shah Khamosh’s birth name was Syed Shah Moinuddin Hussaini.
He was a descendent of our liege lord Imam Hussain Rz through his grandson Imam Muhammad al Baqir Rh.
At the age of 8, one would find him immersed in the dulcet poetry of masters such as Hafez Shirazi, Abdur Rahman Jami, and Maulana Rumi. Such was his state at so young an age, that he would quote their diwans (collected works) and go into a state of ecstacy whilst reciting them.
He had been bestowed by the Almighty with an immense love right from his childhood for Hadhrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti Rh. When he was a teenager, it so happened that the blazing embers of love in his heart couldn’t be contained anymore, so he decided to walk all the way on foot to the resting place of Khwaja Sahab in Ajmer, a distance of an astounding 1,148 km.
His elder brother concerned for his safety, arranged for a horse and a servant to walk alongside him, lest he fall prey to any dangers during the course of his travels.
Fearing that he would not be given permission to proceed, he agreed and set out on the pilgrimage only to abandon both the horse and the servant when they reached the outskirts of Bidar.
After a few days of walking he reached Ajmer and was granted the zirat of Khwaja Sahab in a vision who addressed him as such, “O dear son what do you seek? Ask and it shall be granted!”
The younger Moinuddin replied, “Sir I desire to pledge allegiance at your hands”.
Khwaja Sahab replied that “such a transmission was against the accepted norms of spiritual nomenclature and moreover even if he were to acquiesce to his request, the public at large would not believe it”.
But Khwaja sahab said that he would see to it that he is directed to the right teacher and asked him to proceed to the town of Manikpur, at the hospice of Hadhrat Hafiz Musa Manikpuri Rh.
Apon arriving at the dwelling of his teacher to be, he found him pacing about the courtyard, albeit frantically.
When their sight met, Hafiz Musa Manikpuri embraced Syed Moinuddin Hussaini and accepted him as his student.
When asked the reason for his pacing about by the other students, he replied that the previous night his dream was graced with the presence of the master of all masters, Hadhrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chisty who told him, “My son is arriving at your hospice, accept him as your student and do take good care of him”.
Syed Zuhaib Quadri (syed.quadri75@gmail.com)
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