Chisht
Encyclopedia
Chisht, also written Chisht-e Sharif, Chesht-i Sharif or Chesht is a town near Herat
in Afghanistan
. It is important in Sufism
because the Chishti Sufi Order
originated there.
Chisht-i-Sharif is some 177 km from Herat city. As you approach it across a plateau, you can see the two famous domes of Chisht. The town with its meandering bazaar street sits in the ravine between these plateaus. Winding down and up, you will find an avenue of pine trees leading directly to two ruined buildings now standing in the middle of an extensive graveyard. Experts argue as to the purpose of these buildings. Some speak of them as mausoleums. Others see them as parts of a grand complex of buildings. The mutilated molded terra cotta brick decoration can only speak softly their former magnificence. Stylistically, the decoration of these buildings falls into the category of Ghorid arch in the Jami Mosque and the minaret of Jam, both of which bear the name of Ghiyas-ud-din Ghori.
The next in the silsila of the Chishtiyya is Khwaja Mawdud Chishti. He had learnt the Qur’an by heart and could recite it very melodiously at the age of seven. Afterwards he learned the other things. When he was only 26 years old his father’s life came to an end. According to the will of his father he became his successor.
He was born around 430 Hijri
in the city of Chisht. He initially received education from his father. He memorized Qur'an
by the age of 7, and completed his education when he was 16.
His work includes two books Minhaaj ul Arifeen and Khulaasat ul Shariah.
He died around Rajab
527 Hijri and is buried in Chisht.
Herat
Herāt is the capital of Herat province in Afghanistan. It is the third largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of about 397,456 as of 2006. It is situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan...
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. It is important in Sufism
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
because the Chishti Sufi Order
Chishti Order
The Chishtī Order is a Sufi order within the mystic branches of Islam which was founded in Chisht, a small town near Herat, Afghanistan about 930 CE. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. The doctrine of the Chishti Order is based on walāya, which is a...
originated there.
Chisht-i-Sharif is some 177 km from Herat city. As you approach it across a plateau, you can see the two famous domes of Chisht. The town with its meandering bazaar street sits in the ravine between these plateaus. Winding down and up, you will find an avenue of pine trees leading directly to two ruined buildings now standing in the middle of an extensive graveyard. Experts argue as to the purpose of these buildings. Some speak of them as mausoleums. Others see them as parts of a grand complex of buildings. The mutilated molded terra cotta brick decoration can only speak softly their former magnificence. Stylistically, the decoration of these buildings falls into the category of Ghorid arch in the Jami Mosque and the minaret of Jam, both of which bear the name of Ghiyas-ud-din Ghori.
Chishti Order
The Chishti order of the Sufis derives its name from Chisht (pronounce: Chesht, hence Cheshti). Chisht is a small town near Herat in Afghanistan. The first one to call himself Chishti was Abu Ishaq Shami. As the name Shami implies he came from Syria or even from Damascus (ash-Sham). He met a Sufi who directed him to settle in Chisht and from that day on he is known as Abu Ishaq Shami Chishti. He died in 940 C.E. in Damascus and lies buried on mount Qasiyun, where later on also Ibn al-‘Arabi was buried. Looking at the date of his death we can say that the Chishtiyya order is one of the oldest, if not the oldest now still existing Sufi order.The next in the silsila of the Chishtiyya is Khwaja Mawdud Chishti. He had learnt the Qur’an by heart and could recite it very melodiously at the age of seven. Afterwards he learned the other things. When he was only 26 years old his father’s life came to an end. According to the will of his father he became his successor.
He was born around 430 Hijri
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...
in the city of Chisht. He initially received education from his father. He memorized Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
by the age of 7, and completed his education when he was 16.
His work includes two books Minhaaj ul Arifeen and Khulaasat ul Shariah.
He died around Rajab
Rajab
Rajab is the seventh month of the Islamic calendar. The lexical definition of Rajaba is "to respect", of which Rajab is a derivative.This month is regarded as one of the four sacred months in Islam in which battles are prohibited...
527 Hijri and is buried in Chisht.
See also
- KiraniKiraniKirani is an historical village lying five miles west of Quetta city, capital of Baluchistan province of Pakistan on the outskirts of the Chiltan range and is set to derive its name from a defile lying near the village known as Giran Nai, or Kran Tangi...
- GulzarGulzar, QuettaGulzar is a Union council of the Quetta District in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. It is located at 30°9'25N 66°57'34E to the south-east of the district capital Quetta with an altitude of 1653 metres ....
- Abu Yusuf Bin SaamaanAbu Yusuf Bin SaamaanAbu Yusuf Bin Samaan Al-Husaini aka Nasiruddin was an early day Sufi Saint, a successor to his maternal uncle and master Abu Muhammad Bin Abi Ahmad, eleventh link in the Sufi Silsilah of Chishti Order, and the father and Master of Maudood Chishti. Khwajah Syed Abu Yusuf Bin Sam'aan Al-Husaini...
- Khwaja Najamuddin AhmedKhwaja Najamuddin AhmedKhwaja Najamuddin Ahmed Mushtaq Bin Moudodi Chishti was a sufi saint. A part of the Chishti Order , a Sufi order within the mystic branches of Islam which was founded in Chisht, a small town near Herat, about 930 C.E. and continues to this day...
- Khwaja Hussain Chishti
- Khwaja Qutubuddin
- Shaal Pir BabaShaal Pir BabaThe old name of Quetta was "kwatta".The word "kwatta" is a pashto word meaning "a mound of Earth" and the city was given this name because the old Quetta city fort was situated over a large mound of earth.During the time of Afghan ruler Ahmed Shah Abdali, the city was renamed "Shalkot",which has...
Khwaja Naqruddin - Khwaja Wali KiraniKhwaja Wali KiraniWali Kirani :ur:خواجہ ولی مودودی چستی کرانی is one of the foremost Muslim saints of his time. His date of birth and date of death is not known; it is believed that he lived around the time of Sultan Hussain Mirza's rule in Herat around 1470....
- Khwaja Ibrahim YukpasiKhwaja Ibrahim YukpasiHazrat Syed Khwaja Shams-ud-Din Ibrahim Yukpasi , is a Sufi saint born in Pakistan in 760 AH. He was a member of the Chishti Order , a Sufi order within the mystic branches of Islam which was founded in Chisht, a small town near Herat, about 930 C.E. and continues to this day. The Chishti Order is...
External links
- Dupree, Nancy Hatch (1977): An Historical Guide to Afghanistan. 1st Edition: 1970. 2nd Edition. Revised and Enlarged. Afghan Tourist Organization. http://www.zharov.com/dupree/index.html