Introduction
“He who has recognized himself, has recognized God”
―Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W)
Humanity has no religion and no religion is deprived of the lessons of humanity. Sufism thrives to impart the spiritual knowledge which is often associated with the enlightenment of mind and body. How often do you feel worthless? How often does the question of helplessness haunt you in critical phases of life? Are you free of insecurities, fears, disappointments and despair? Have you discovered the real god? What is the purpose of this life you are living? Is there a common goal for humanity to serve? Do you know your true self yet? How do you become aware of your soul? Sufism addresses all these queries and the answers to all these questions are based on a prolonged accumulated wealth of a lucid wisdom.
Holy saints who acquired this spectacular mastery on Sufism passed their insights to millions of their followers and in turn, have uplifted the lives of many. According to Sufis “Reflection is the lamp of the heart. If it departs, the heart will have no light.”
A deeper knowledge of Sufism assists mankind in acquiring the power of self-reflection. It’s only with a complete reflection of self that a true enlightenment can be achieved.
What is the Historical Gadi of Motamiyan Mangrol?
Motamiyan Mangrol is a subdivision of the district named Surat in Gujrat. This holy place has witnessed numerous miracles of His Holiness Hazrat Khwaja Saiyed Moinuddin alias Motamiyan Chishty I and hence is named after him. The great Gadi of Motamiyan Mangrol is the only chief Gadi and has been home to a number of great saints and their disciples. Due to the extreme importance of this place in the evolution and spread of Sufism, there are about 30 holy graves of the great saints who dedicated their entire life for disseminating the message of love, harmony and brotherhood in all. The only official and traditional present successor-sajjadanashin of the Gadi of Motamiyan Mangrol is His Holiness Khwaja Saiyed Salimuddin Fariduddin Chishty.
The holy saints who are enthroned to this holy Gadi as a sajjadanashin, share what they have been taught by their previous successors. They describe their own path of enlightenment and guide others to achieve peace. The saints who look after the Gadi of Motamiyan seeks higher alleviation for humans. They divulge the reality of human roots and believe in the oneness of all. These saints assist their disciples in their journeys to self-realization. They teach them the art of answering their own questions as Sufism encourages a knowledge based on self-introspection. The Sufi saints believe that the root of all senses lies in the mind. Your innocence has the capacity to render true light over all your queries. Sufi Hazrat Inayat Khan said “There are two aspects of individual harmony: the harmony between body and soul, and the harmony between individuals. All the tragedy in the world, in the individual and in the multitude, comes from lack of harmony. And harmony is the best given by producing harmony in one's own life.”
The Ancestral Saints
The spiritual lineage of the saints of this pious Gadi in india started from the chief of Chishty order Ashraf Aulia, Sultanul Hind, Khwaja-e-Khwajgan Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chishty Sanjari (God is pleased with him) and then flows to his holy disciples. The Chishty order he disseminated has a prominence on love, tolerance and openness. All his learnings are from his mystic experiences and journeys on which he met prominent saints. Every year millions of followers from different parts of the globe visit his holy shrine of Garib Nawaz at Ajmer.
Hazrat Khawaja Kutbuddin Bhaktiyar Kaki was a disciple of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty. He began his spiritual learning from the tender age of five and went on to become a very renowned Sufi saint.
The second spiritual successor of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty was Hazrat Khwaja Saiyed Fariduddin Ganjeshakar. He is popularly addressed as Ganjeshakar due to his love for sugar. There are numerous stories about the miracles involving him.
The Chart below describes the hierarchy of saints and their disciples. With their shared pool of wisdom and wealth of higher thoughts, these saints have helped Sufism to reach out to the ones who are vulnerable, lost and dejected. Their efforts have allowed for the construction of a Sufi culture with a strong foundation of belief and acceptance. The spiritual knowledge and duties of Chishtiya order have been passed from the Pir-o-Murshids to the next generation.
The Holy order started by Taj ul Auliya Hazrat Khwaja Alauddin Sabir Kalyari is known as Chishtiya-Sabiriya, the holy order established by Sultan Mashayakh Hazrat Khwaja Nizamuddin Aulia, Mehboob-e-Elahi is known as Silsila-e-Chishtiya-Nizamiya and the holy order Instituted by Hazrat Khwaja Jamaluddin Hansvi is known as Silsila-e-Chishtiya-Jamaliya.
Saints who emerged from this spiritual lineage preached life lessons across the India and also in the state of Gujarat. A while after touring the length and breadth of this beautiful state, the Gadi of Motamiyan Mangrol was established with the special spiritual indication, order of the prophet and the saints of this silsila which is currently also known as Khanwada-e-Chishtiya-Faridiya-Sabiriya.
