Khwaja Baqi Billah
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Khwaja Baqi Billah (1563-1603) was a Sufi saint from Kabul.[1][2][3][4]
Life
Khawaja Baqi Billah was the originator and pioneer of the Naqshbandi Order in the sub-continent. His name was Razi-ud-Din Muhammad Baqi but he was commonly known as Khwaja Baqi Billah. His father Qazi Abdul Salam Khilgi, Samarkandi Qureshi was a famous scholar and saint of Kabul. Khawaja Baqi Billah was born in Kabul in 971 A.H. or 1563 A.D. His lineage reaches Khawja Ubaid Ullah Ahrar through his maternal grandfather. His grandmother came of a Syed family. Baqi Billah was admitted to the school of Khawaja Saad at five to learn the Quran. He learned by heart when he was eight years old. After getting elementary education, he went to Maulana Sadiq Hilvahi, a famous scholar at the age of 30.
He went to Mavara-un-Nahr, which was considered as the center of Muslim saints at that time. There he met a large number of Sufis and Saint from whom he gathered a lot of spiritual knowledge. Firstly, he attended Khawaja Ubaid a spiritual caliph of Maulana Lutf Ullah but he was not satisfied. Then he stayed with Sheikh Samarkandi who prayed for him but even in his company he did not get the requisite satisfaction. Thereafter, he attended the company of Ameer Abdullah Balkhi from whom he got a little peace of mind.
He travelled to India and stayed at Lahore for a year. Here a lot of scholars and nobles of the city met him and got spiritual blessings from him. Then he proceeded to Delhi and stayed at Qilla Ferozabad the band of River Jamna. He set up his dwelling in a mosque over there.
Khwaja Baqi Billah strengthened the Naqshbandia Order in India. His contacts with the nobility of the Mughal Empire proved useful for the reformation of the people of India.
“Probably his greatest achievement is that in two or three years, he firmly established the Naqshbandi Order in India, whereas others of the same Order lagged behind and worked for many years".
Sardar Ali Ahmed Khan, has remarked as under:
"Judged by results, the greatest event of the life of Hazrat Baqi Billah. was the enrolment of Hazrat Mujaddid Alif Sani as his disciple in 1599."
Khwaja Baqi Billah died on 25 Jamadi-ul-Sani 1012 A.H. or 1603 A.D. His grave is situated in Delhi near the Qadam Sharif (foot-prints) of Muhammad at a platform. No dorne was constructed over his grave according to his will. There is no tree to cast a shadow on the grave. In spite of this, the visitors do not feel the effect of heat when they stand barefooted beside the grave.
Bibliography
M. Ikram: Maadn-e-Karm. Aastana Aalia Hazrat Karman wala Okara 2001, A.D.
S. Zarwar Hussain: Hazrat Mujaddid Alif Sani Karachi 1989. Masadn-e-Karam P.293.
Sardar Ali Ahmed Khan: The Naqshbandis Sharaqpur Sharif-1992.
