Sufism or taawwuf is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam.

A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a f. Classical Sufi scholars have defined Sufism as "a science whose objective is the reparation of the heart and turning it away from all else but God". Alternative ly, in the words of the Darqawi Sufi teacher Ahmad ibn Ajiba, "a science through which one can know how to travel into the presence of the Divine, purify one's inner self from filth, and beautify it with a variety of praiseworthy traits". Classical Sufis were characterised by their attachment to dhikr (a practice of r epeating the names of God) and asceticism. Sufism gained adherents among a numbe r of Muslims as a reaction against the worldliness of the early Umayyad Caliphat e (661-750 CE). Sufis have spanned several continents and cultures over a millen nium, at first expressed through Arabic, then through Persian, Turkish and a doz en other languages. "Orders" (uruq), which are either Sunn or Sh' or mixed in doctri ne, trace many of their original precepts from the Islamic Prophet Muhammad thro ugh his cousin 'Al, with the notable exception of the Naqshbandi who trace their origins through the first Caliph, Abu Bakr. Other exclusive schools of Sufism de scribe themselves as distinctly Sufi. Modern Sufis often perform dhikr after the conclusion of prayers. Some mainstream scholars of Islam define sufism as simply the name for the inner or esoteric dimension of Islam. Basic views The city of Multan is known for various Sufi Saint tombs, as they call it the Ci ty of Saints. While all Muslims believe that they are on the pathway to God and hope to become close to God in Paradiseafter death and after the "Final Judgment"Sufis also beli eve that it is possible to draw closer to God and to more fully embrace the Divi ne Presence in this life. The chief aim of all Sufis is to seek the pleasing of God by working to restore within themselves the primordial state of fitra, descr ibed in the Qur'an. In this state nothing one does defies God, and all is undert aken with the single motivation of love of God. A secondary consequence of this is that the seeker may be led to abandon all notions of dualism or multiplicity, including a conception of an individual self, and to realize the Divine Unity. Thus, Sufism has been characterized as the science of the states of the lower se lf (the ego), and the way of purifying this lower self of its reprehensible trai ts, while adorning it instead with what is praiseworthy, whether or not this pro cess of cleansing and purifying the heart is in time rewarded by esoteric knowle dge of God. This can be conceived in terms of two basic types of law (fiqh), an outer law concerned with actions, and an inner law concerned with the human hear t. The outer law consists of rules pertaining to worship, transactions, marriage , judicial rulings, and criminal lawwhat is often referred to, a bit too broadly, as qanun. The inner law of Sufism consists of rules about repentance from sin, the purging of contemptible qualities and evil traits of character, and adornmen t with virtues and good character. Sufism, which is a general term for Muslim mysticism, was originally a response to the increasing worldly power of Islamic leaders as the religion spread during the 8th Century and their corresponding shift in focus towards materialistic an d political concerns. In particular, Harun al-Rashid, the fifth Abbasid Caliph, attracted negative attention for his lavish lifestyle, including gold and silver tableware, an extensive harem and numerous slaves and retainers, that stood in contrast to the relative simplicity of Muhammad's life. The typical early Sufi lived in a cell of a mosque and taught a small band of di sciples. The extent to which Sufism was influenced by Buddhist and Hindu mystici

sm, and by the example of Christian hermits and monks, is disputed, but self-dis cipline and concentration on God quickly led to the belief that by quelling the self and through loving ardour for God it is possible to maintain a union with t he divine in which the human self melts away. Teaching To enter the way of Sufism, the seeker begins by finding a teacher, as the conne ction to the teacher is considered necessary for the growth of the pupil. The te acher, to be genuine, must have received the authorization to teach (ijazah) fro m another Master of the Way, in an unbroken succession (silsilah) leading back t o Sufism's origin with Muhammad. It is the transmission of the divine light from the teacher's heart to the heart of the student, rather than of worldly knowled ge transmitted from mouth to ear, that allows the adept to progress. In addition , the genuine teacher will be utterly strict in his adherence to the Divine Law. Scholars and adherents of Sufism are unanimous in agreeing that Sufism cannot be learned through books. To reach the highest levels of success in Sufism typical ly requires that the disciple live with and serve the teacher for many, many yea rs. For instance, Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari, who gave his name to the Naqshb andi Order, served his first teacher, Sayyid Muhammad Baba As-Samasi, for 20 yea rs, until as-Samasi died. He subsequently served several other teachers for leng thy periods of time. The extreme arduousness of his spiritual preparation is ill ustrated by his service, as directed by his teacher, to the weak and needy membe rs of his community in a state of complete humility and tolerance for many years . When he believed this mission to be concluded, his teacher next directed him t o care for animals, curing their sicknesses, cleaning their wounds, and assistin g them in finding provision. After many years of this he was next instructed to spend many years in the care of dogs in a state of humility, and to ask them for support. As a further example, the prospective adherent of the Mevlevi Order would have b een ordered to serve in the kitchens of a hospice for the poor for 1,001 days pr ior to being accepted for spiritual instruction, and a further 1,001 days in sol itary retreat as a precondition of completing that instruction. Some teachers, especially when addressing more general audiences, or mixed group s of Muslims and non-Muslims, make extensive use of parable, allegory, and metap hor. Although approaches to teaching vary among different Sufi orders, Sufism as a whole is primarily concerned with direct personal experience, and as such has sometimes been compared to other, non-Islamic forms of mysticism (e.g., as in t he books of Hossein Nasr). Sufism had a long history already before the subsequent institutionalization of Sufi teachings into devotional orders (tarqt) in the early Middle Ages. Almost all extant Sufi orders trace their chains of transmission (silsila) back to Muhamma d via his cousin and son-in-law Ali. The Naqshbandi order is a notable exception to this rule, as it traces the origin of its teachings from Muhammad to the fir st Islamic Caliph, Abu Bakr. Different devotional styles and traditions developed over time, reflecting the p erspectives of different masters and the accumulated cultural wisdom of the orde rs. Typically all of these concerned themselves with the understanding of subtle knowledge (gnosis), education of the heart to purify it of baser instincts, the love of God, and approaching God through a well-described hierarchy of enduring spiritual stations (maqmt) and more transient spiritual states (ahwl). Contributions to other domains of scholarship Sufism has contributed significantly to the elaboration of theoretical perspecti ves in many domains of intellectual endeavor. For instance, the doctrine of "sub tle centers" or centers of subtle cognition (known as Lataif-e-sitta) addresses

the matter of the awakening of spiritual intuition in ways that some consider si milar to certain models of chakra in Hinduism. In general, these subtle centers or lat'if are thought of as faculties that are to be purified sequentially in ord er to bring the seeker's wayfaring to completion. A concise and useful summary o f this system from a living exponent of this tradition has been published by Muh ammad Emin Er. Sufi psychology has influenced many areas of thinking both within and outside of Islam, drawing primarily upon three concepts. Ja'far al-Sadiq (both an imam in the Shia tradition and a respected scholar and link in chains of Sufi transmissi on in all Islamic sects) held that human beings are dominated by a lower self ca lled the nafs, a faculty of spiritual intuition called the qalb or spiritual hea rt, and a spirit or soul called ruh. These interact in various ways, producing t he spiritual types of the tyrant (dominated by nafs), the person of faith and mo deration (dominated by the spiritual heart), and the person lost in love for God (dominated by the ruh). Of note with regard to the spread of Sufi psychology in the West is Robert Frage r, a Sufi teacher authorized in the Khalwati Jerrahi order. Frager was a trained psychologist, born in the United States, who converted to Islam in the course o f his practice of Sufism and wrote extensively on Sufism and psychology. Sufi cosmology and Sufi metaphysics are also noteworthy areas of intellectual ac complishment. Sufi practices The devotional practices of Sufis vary widely. This is because an acknowledged a nd authorized master of the Sufi path is in effect a physician of the heart, abl e to diagnose the seeker's impediments to knowledge and pure intention in servin g God, and to prescribe to the seeker a course of treatment appropriate to his o r her maladies. The consensus among Sufi scholars is that the seeker cannot self -diagnose, and that it can be extremely harmful to undertake any of these practi ces alone and without formal authorization. Prerequisites to practice include rigorous adherence to Islamic norms (ritual pr ayer in its five prescribed times each day, the fast of Ramadan, and so forth). Additionally, the seeker ought to be firmly grounded in supererogatory practices known from the life of Muhammad (such as the "sunna prayers"). This is in accor dance with the words, attributed to God, of the following, a famous Hadith Qudsi : My servant draws near to Me through nothing I love more than that which I ha ve made obligatory for him. My servant never ceases drawing near to Me through s upererogatory works until I love him. Then, when I love him, I am his hearing th rough which he hears, his sight through which he sees, his hand through which he grasps, and his foot through which he walks. It is also necessary for the seeker to have a correct creed (Aqidah), and to emb race with certainty its tenets. The seeker must also, of necessity, turn away fr om sins, love of this world, the love of company and renown, obedience to satani c impulse, and the promptings of the lower self. (The way in which this purifica tion of the heart is achieved is outlined in certain books, but must be prescrib ed in detail by a Sufi master.) The seeker must also be trained to prevent the c orruption of those good deeds which have accrued to his or her credit by overcom ing the traps of ostentation, pride, arrogance, envy, and long hopes (meaning th e hope for a long life allowing us to mend our ways later, rather than immediate ly, here and now). Sufi practices, while attractive to some, are not a means for gaining knowledge. The traditional scholars of Sufism hold it as absolutely axiomatic that knowled

ge of God is not a psychological state generated through breath control. Thus, p ractice of "techniques" is not the cause, but instead the occasion for such know ledge to be obtained (if at all), given proper prerequisites and proper guidance by a master of the way. Furthermore, the emphasis on practices may obscure a fa r more important fact: The seeker is, in a sense, to become a broken person, str ipped of all habits through the practice of (in the words of Imam Al-Ghazali wor ds) solitude, silence, sleeplessness, and hunger. Magic has also been a part of Sufi practice, notably in India. This practice int ensified during the declining years of Sufism in India when the Sufi orders grew steadily in wealth and in political influence while their spirituality graduall y declined as they concentrated on Saint worship, miracle working, magic and sup erstition. The external religious practices were neglected, morals declined and learning was despised. The element of magic in Sufism in India possibly drew fro m the occult practices in the Atharvaveda. The most famous of all Sufis, Mansur Al-Hallaj (d. 922), visited Sindh in order to study "Indian Magic". He not only accepted Hindu ideas of cosmogony and of divine descent but he also seems to hav e believed in the Transmigration of the soul. Sufism and Islamic law Scholars and adherents of Sufism sometimes describe Sufism in terms of a threefo ld approach to God as explained by a tradition (hadth) attributed to Muhammad,"Th e Canon is my word, the order is my deed, and the truth is my interior state". S ufis believe the canon, order and truth are mutually interdependent. The order, the 'path' on which the mystics walk, has been defined as 'the path which comes out of the Canon, for the main road is called branch, the path, tariq.' No mysti cal experience can be realized if the binding injunctions of the Canon are not f ollowed faithfully first. The path, order, however, is narrower and more difficu lt to walk. It leads the adept, called slik (wayfarer), in his sulk (wayfaring), t hrough different stations (maqmt) until he reaches his goal, the perfect tawhd, the existential confession that God is One. Shaykh al-Akbar Muhiuddeen Ibn Arabi me ntions, "When we see someone in this Community who claims to be able to guide ot hers to God, but is remiss in but one rule of the Sacred Law - even if he manife sts miracles that stagger the mind - asserting that his shortcoming is a special dispensation for him, we do not even turn to look at him, for such a person is not a sheikh, nor is he speaking the truth, for no one is entrusted with the sec rets of God Most High save one in whom the ordinances of the Sacred Law are pres erved. (Jami' karamat al-awliya')". The Amman Message, a detailed statement issued by 200 leading Islamic scholars i n 2005 in Amman, and adopted by the Islamic world's political and temporal leade rships at the Organisation of the Islamic Conference summit at Mecca in December 2005, and by six other international Islamic scholarly assemblies including the International Islamic Fiqh Academy of Jeddah, in July 2006, specifically recogn ized the validity of Sufism as a part of Islam. Traditional Islamic thought and Sufism The literature of Sufism emphasizes highly subjective matters that resist outsid e observation, such as the subtle states of the heart. Often these resist direct reference or description, with the consequence that the authors of various Sufi treatises took recourse to allegorical language. For instance, much Sufi poetry refers to intoxication, which Islam expressly forbids. This usage of indirect l anguage and the existence of interpretations by people who had no training in Is lam or Sufism led to doubts being cast over the validity of Sufism as a part of Islam. Also, some groups emerged that considered themselves above the Sharia and discussed Sufism as a method of bypassing the rules of Islam in order to attain salvation directly. This was disapproved of by traditional scholars. For these and other reasons, the relationship between traditional Islamic schola rs and Sufism is complex and a range of scholarly opinion on Sufism in Islam has

been the norm. Some scholars, such as Al-Ghazali, helped its propagation while other scholars opposed it. W. Chittick explains the position of Sufism and Sufis this way: In short, Muslim scholars who focused their energies on understanding the no rmative guidelines for the body came to be known as jurists, and those who held that the most important task was to train the mind in achieving correct understa nding came to be divided into three main schools of thought: theology, philosoph y, and Sufism. This leaves us with the third domain of human existence, the spir it. Most Muslims who devoted their major efforts to developing the spiritual dim ensions of the human person came to be known as Sufis. Dhikr Allah as having been written on the disciple's heart according to Qadiri Al-Munt ahi order Dhikr is the remembrance of God commanded in the Qur'an for all Muslims through a specific devotional act, such as the repetition of divine names, supplications and aphorisms from hadith literature and the Qur'an. More generally, dhikr take s a wide range and various layers of meaning. This includes dhikr as any activit y in which the Muslim maintains awareness of God. To engage in dhikr is to pract ice consciousness of the Divine Presence and love, or "to seek a state of godwar iness". The Qur'an refers to Muhammad as the very embodiment of dhikr of God (65 :10-11). Some types of dhikr are prescribed for all Muslims and do not require S ufi initiation or the prescription of a Sufi master because they are deemed to b e good for every seeker under every circumstance. Some Sufi orders engage in ritualized dhikr ceremonies, or sema. Sema includes v arious forms of worship such as: recitation, singing (the most well known being the Qawwali music of the Indian subcontinent), instrumental music, dance (most f amously the Sufi whirling of the Mevlevi order), incense, meditation, ecstasy, a nd trance. Some Sufi orders stress and place extensive reliance upon Dhikr. This practice o f Dhikr is called Dhikr-e-Qulb (remembrance of Allah by Heartbeats). The basic i dea in this practice is to visualize the Arabic name of God, Allah, as having be en written on the disciple's heart. Muraqaba The practice of muraqaba can be likened to the practices of meditation attested in many faith communities. The word muraqaba is derived from the same root (r-qb) occurring as one of the 99 Names of God in the Qur'an, al-Raqb, meaning "the V igilant" and attested in verse 4: 1 of the Qur'an. Through muraqaba, a person wa tches over or takes care of the spiritual heart, acquires knowledge about it, an d becomes attuned to the Divine Presence, which is ever vigilant. While variation exists, one description of the practice within a Naqshbandi line age reads as follows:

He is to collect all of his bodily senses in concentration, and to cut himse lf off from all preoccupation and notions that inflict themselves upon the heart . And thus he is to turn his full consciousness towards God Most High while sayi ng three times: "Ilah anta maqsd wa-ridka matlbmy God, you are my Goal and Your good p easure is what I seek." Then he brings to his heart the Name of the EssenceAllhand as it courses through his heart he remains attentive to its meaning, which is "E ssence without likeness". The seeker remains aware that He is Present, Watchful, Encompassing of all, thereby exemplifying the meaning of his saying (may God bl ess him and grant him peace): "Worship God as though you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He sees you." And likewise the prophetic tradition: "The most favor ed level of faith is to know that God is witness over you, wherever you may be."

Visitation In popular Sufism (i.e., devotional practices that have achieved currency in wor ld cultures through Sufi influence), one common practice is to visit or make pil grimages to the tombs of saints, great scholars, and righteous people. This is a particularly common practice in South Asia, where famous tombs include those of Khoja Afq, near Kashgar, in China; Lal Shahbaz Qalander, in Sindh, Pakistan; and Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, India. Likewise, in Fez, Morocco, a popular destina tion for such pious visitation is the Zaouia Moulay Idriss II and the yearly vis itation to see the current Sheikh of the Qadiri Boutchichi Tariqah, Sheikh Sidi Hamza al Qadiri al Boutchichi to celebrate the Mawlid (which is usually televise d on Moroccan National television). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Chisht Order (Persian: it) is a Sufi order within the mystic branches of Islam w hich was founded in Chisht, a small town near Herat, Afghanistan about 930 CE. T he Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. The doctrine of the Chishti Order is based on walya, which is a fundamental notion o f Islamic social, political and spiritual life. The Chishtis were first exposed t o this idea of walya, from Sufi ideas, but developed two different categories of it: walya of divine lordship (robbyat) and the walya of divine love (moabbat). The order was founded by Abu Ishaq Shami (the Syrian) who introduced the ideas of Sufism to the town of Chisht, some 95 miles east of Herat in present-day western Afghanistan. Before returning to Syria, where he is now buried next to Ibn Arab i at Jabal Qasioun, Shami initiated, trained and deputized the son of the local emir, Abu Ahmad Abdal. Under the leadership of Abu Ahmads descendants, the Chisht iya as they are also known, flourished as a regional mystical order. Chishti master Inayat Khan (18821927) was the first to bring the Sufi path to the West, arriving in America in 1910 and later settling near Paris, France. His ap proach exemplified the tolerance and openness of the Chishti Order, following a custom began by Moinuddin Chishti of initiating and training disciples regardles s of religious affiliation and which continued through Nizamuddin Auliya and Sha h Kalim Allah Jahanabadi. Chishti Order is famous for its emphasis on love, tole rance, and openness. The order traces its spiritual origin through various saint s all the way to the Islamic caliph Ali and from him to the Islamic prophet Muha mmad. The Chishti saints had two hallmarks which differentiate them from other Sufi sa ints. The first was their ethical relations to the institutional powers. This me ant voluntarily keeping a distance from the ruler or the government mechanism. I t didn't matter if the ruler was a patron or a disciple: he was always kept at b ay since it was felt that mixing with the ruler will corrupt the soul by indulgi ng it in worldly matters. In his last discourse to disciples, Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti said: Never seek any help, charity, or favors from anybody except God. Never go the court of kings, but never refuse to bless and help the needy and the poor, the widow, and the orphan, if they come to your door. The second distinctive dimension was related to the religious practice of the Ch ishtis. It was proactive rather than passive; a ceaseless search for the divine other. In this respect the Chishtis followed a particular ritual more zealously then any other brotherhood. This was the practice of sama, evoking the divine pr esence through song or listening to music. The genius of the Chishti saints was that they accommodated the practice of sema with the full range of Muslim obliga tions. Ideology

The Chishti Order can be characterized by the following principles: Obedience to the shaykh and/or pir Renunciation of the material world Distance from worldly powers Supporting the poor Service to humanity Respect for other devotional traditions Dependence on the Creator and not the creation Disapproval of showing off miraculous feats

The early mystics of the Chishti Order in India used two sources as the official guide books of their faith. The first being the Awrif al-Marif of ShaykhShihb al-Dn Su rd and the second being Kashf al-Madjb of Hudjwr in which the elder saints would teach t eir disciples about the organization of their khnahs. Chishti Mystic Ideology revol ved around a few basic understandings. The first being the concept of wadat al-wu djd (Unity of Being) which not only determined their social outlook, but was also c lassified as their motive force to their mystic mission. Chishti Mystic Ideology also looked down upon possession of private property because it was a negation of faith in God, and followed the idea of living and working for a healthy socia l order that got rid of all conflicts and discriminations. The Chishtis also bel ieved in no form of contact with the state. One source noted this through the sa ying: There are two abuses among the mystics, says an early isht mystic, djirrat and mu d. Muallid is one who has no master; djirrat is one who visits kings and their cour ts and asks people for money. Finally Chishti Ideology also entails the basic unde rstanding in living for the Lord alone (summum bonum) and not demanding formal c onversion to Islam as a pre-requisite to initiation in the mystic order. Practices In order to connect with Allah on a personal and emotional level, the Chishtis w ere known for 5 basic practices. jhikr-i jahr, reciting the names of Allh loudly, sitting in the prescribed postu re at prescribed times jhikr-i haf, reciting the names of Allh silently Ps-i Anfs, regulating the breath Mur-ba, absorption in mystic contemplation illa, forty days of spiritual confinement in a lonely corner or cell for pray er and contemplation Literature The Chishtis are known for their literature of conversations of the shaykhs colle cted by their disciples called malft. Most malfuzats contain specific knowledge abo ut the insight of thought and practice to the Chishti order while others contain poetry and letters written by famous members of the order. The Chishti Order is now indigenous to Afghanistan and South Asia (mainly India, Pakistan and Bangladesh). It was the first of the four main Sufi Orders (Chisht ia, Qadiriyya, Suhrawardiyya and Naqshbandi) to be established in this region. M oinuddin Chishti introduced the Chishti Order in India, sometime in the middle o f the 12th century AD. He was eighth in the line of succession from the founder of the Chishti Order, Abu Ishq Shami. The devotees of this order practise chilla i.e. they observe seclusion for forty days during which they refrain from talki ng beyond what is absolutely necessary, eat little and spend most of their time in prayers and meditation. Another characteristic of the followers of this order is their fondness for devotional music. They hold musical festivals, and enter into ecstasy while listening to singing. In general, the doctring of the Chishti Order in South Asia is based around social equality, tolerance, and spiritual d iscipline and has been the most prominent Sufi brotherhood since the 12th centur y.

After Fariduddin Ganjshakar, the Chishti Order of South Asia split into two bran ches. Either branch was named after one of Ganjshakar's successors: Nizamuddin Auliya - This branch became the Chishti Nizami branch. Nizamuddin Auliya was the master of Nasiruddin Chiragh Dehlavi who in turn was the master of Khwaja Bande Nawaz. All these are important saints of the order. Alauddin Sabir Kaliyari - This branch became the Chishti-Sabiri branch. Over time (principally after the 17th century) many further branches emerged whi ch routinely united or diverged towards other popular Sufi orders in South Asia. Prominent people of later times who trace their spiritual lineage through the C hishti order include: Ashraf Jahangir Semnani - He further extended the litanies the Chishtiya Niz ami branch. His followers became the members of the Chishti Nizami Ashrafiya bra nch. (http://www.ashrafesimna.org- Ashrafesimna Academy, is dedicated to great s cholars of Ashrafi order...Hazrat Pir Ashraful-ulema Abul Hasan Shykh Saiyed Moh ammed Ashraf Ashrafi-Jilani. Kichhouchvi) Haji Imdadullah Muhaajir Makki - He extended the litanies of the Chishtiya S abaria branch. His followers became the members of the Chishtiya Sabaria Imdadiy a branch. Shah Niyaz Ahmad- He united the Chishti Nizami order with the Qadriya order to form the Chishtiya Qadriya Nizamia Niyazia branch. Habibi Silsila - In century 13th Hegira - Silsila Chishtiya Nizamia Habibia emerged at Hyderabad, India - Khaja Habib Ali Shah. As a result of this metamorphosis of the Chishti order with other branches, most Sufi masters now initiate their disciples in all the four major orders of South Asia: Chishti, Suhrawadi, Qadri and Naqshbandi. They do however, prescribe pray ers and litanies, only of the order with which they are primarily associated. Mughal rulers It is said to be by the blessing of Shaikh Salim Chishti that Akbar's first surv iving child, the future Jahangir, was born. The child was named Salim after the dervish and was affectionately addressed by Akbar as Sheikhu Baba. As the Siege of Chittorgarh commenced a massive Mughal Army of nearly 60,000 gat hered for battle and in this situation, Akbar had prayed for help for achieving victory and vowed to visit the tomb of the Sufi Khwaja at Ajmer if he was victor ious. After achieving a complete victory Akbar visited the tombs of the famous m embers of the Chishti Order and ordered his Sufi musicians to sing devotional so ngs dedicated to the Khwaja of Ajmer. Shaykh Muin ad-Din Chishti Known as Gharib Nawaz ("Helper of the Poor") in his land of the Indus Valley reg ion, Shaykh Muin ad-Din Chishti was born in the province of Silistan in eastern P ersia around 536AH (1141CE). Shaykh Muin ad-Din Chishti came from a family of Say yids; his father Sayyid Ghiyas ad-Din hasan was a descendat of Imam Husayn, his mother Sayyida Bibi Umul-wara was a descendant from Imam Hasan. At a young age of nine, Shaykh Muin ad-Din Chishti began taking his faith seriously by memorizing the Qur'an. It wasn't until much later when his father died, leaving the family grinding mill and orchard to him as a teenager. Shaykh Muin ad-Din Chishti decide d to sell his entire inheritance, giving the proceeds to the poor (zuhd), settin g off for Balkh and Smarkand where he studied the Qur'an, Hadith, and Fiqh. Shay kh Muin ad-Din Chishti later became the most famous of the Chishti saints, who ov ersaw the growth of the Chishti order in the 12th century.