Khawaja Qutub-ud-din Bakhtiyar Kaki Rehmatullah-alaihi was the chief Khalifa of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti. He was born in 1111AD or 569 Hijri at Aush in Iraq.
Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaki He was a great devotee and mystic. He had no parallel in abandoning the world and facing poverty and hunger. He kept himself engrossed in the remembrance of Allah. Whenever someone came to him he would show his inability to continue any longer and slipped into the same state again.
Hazrat Khawaja Bakhtiyar Kaaki (May mercy of Allah be upon him) was one and half year old that his father passed away. Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki learned 15 chapters of the Holy Quraan from his mother and his mother arranged for him further education and training. Once he wanted to be a part of Mehfil e Samaa however was not allowed in as he seemed to be young in age and didn’t have a beard. Hazrat Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki Ra. was very fond of Mehfil e Samaa so he rubbed his face and a beard appeared and he was let in. When Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki was 4 years and 4 months of age he requested his mother that he wanted to study the Holy Quraan under a learned person. His Mother sent him along with a Slate and sweets to an Aalim in the locality. On the way he met a Divine personality, Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki offered Salaam and was asked as to where he was off to. Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki replied that his mother has sent him to the local Aalim to learn the Holy Quraan. The revered person asked Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki to come along with him and he would be taught the Holy Quraan. He came to a mosque where he saw a few children learning the holy Quraan from Maulana Abu Hafz; he stood up as he noticed the revered person who told him to teach Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki the holy Quraan. Later Maulana Abu Hafz disclosed to Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki that the person who left him there was none other than Hazrat Khawaja Khizar Alaihisalaam.
When Hazrat Khawaja Mueen-ud-deen Chisti came to Isphahan he took oath of allegiance on his hands and got caliphate and khirqah (dress of a religious mendicant) from him. Thereafter his master asked him to go to India and stay there. Following this order he came to Delhi and stayed there. It was the period of Sultan Shamsuddin Altamash.
Hazrat Khawaja Syed Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki Rehmatullah-alaihi
In 612 Hijri Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki came to Kilocari in Delhi, those days the Mehrauli was the capital in Delhi. Sultan Shamsuddin Altamash requested him to settle in Mehrauli where he resided in a baker woman’s house. After a few days Hazrat Qazi Hamiduddeen Nagori Ra took Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki to his house. Later he permanently settled near Ijazuddeen Masjid.
In those times Hazrat Jamaaluddeen Bustami was the religious head (Shaikul Islam) and on his demise Sultan Shamsuddin Altamash requested Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki to lead the community however Khawaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyar Kaaki refused and appointed Najmuddeen Sugra as Shaikul Islam.
Once while Khawaja Gharib Nawaz (Ra), Khawaja Qutub-ud-din Bakhtiyar Ra and Baba Fareed Ganj Shakkar Ra were praying together in the Auliya Masjid Baba Fareed Ganj Shakkar felt like having warm bread a basket of Kaaks appeared from Gaib (Unknown) at first Khawaja Gharib Nawaz (Ra) raised his hand to receive it however was unable to hold it later Baba Fareed Ganj Shakkar Ra stretched out his hand the basket escaped his grasp then Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki held out his hand the basket came in his reach and he kept it down and they all thanked Allah Almighty and ate the bread.
Once Khawaja Gharib Nawaz (Ra) came to Delhi, at that time when Najmuddeen Sugra was Shaikul Islam who was behaving uneasy. Khawaja Gharib Nawaz (Ra) inquired on the cause to which he retorted, the people of Mehrauli were devoted to Khawaja Qutub-ud-din Bakhtiyar Ra. Khawaja Gharib Nawaz (Ra) told him if he was against the stay of Khawaja Qutub-ud-din Bakhtiyar Ra then Khawaja Gharib Nawaz (Ra) would take his beloved friend along with him. When he set off with Khawaja Qutub-ud-din Bakhtiyar Ra the trees landscape and the animals started weeping and following them the people too went in frenzy and started wailing loudly. Finally Khawaja Gharib Nawaz (Ra) had to let Khawaja Qutub-ud-din Bakhtiyar Ra stay back in Delhi.
He would sleep at night only after reciting Darood 3 thousand times.
When Khawaja Sahib Married for the first time in Aush (Iraq) he was unable to recite the Darood for the first 3 nights, On the fourth day he saw the Holy prophet Muhammed (saw) asking that he missed the gift of Darood which he was being offered since a long time, Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Kaaki divorced his first wife as he considered married life hindrance in his prayer. From his second wife he had 2 sons.
Eldest was Shaikh Ahmed and younger Shaikh Muhammed.
There was a grain-seller in the neighborhood of the Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki Ra. Hazrat’s wife would go to the shop for grains and food stock the shopkeeper once spoke rudely to the lady not realizing the spirituality of Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki, the wife reported back to the Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Bakhtiyar Kaaki who told her to take Allah’s name and put her hand in the loft and she would get what she needed and life went on in that way for a long time.
In the beginning he would take loan from the grain seller however he would not exceed 24 dirham. And in the meantime he would pay back from the offerings made to him. However once he stopped taking loan. From that day on bread would come out from under his prayer mat and his family members lived on it.
Meanwhile the grain-seller thought that the Khawaja must have been angry with him and hence he stopped taking loan from him. In order to know the fact he sent his wife to the house of Khawaja. Khawaja wife revealed truth to her from that time the bread stopped.
Once Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Kaaki and the members of his house remained hungry for 4 days without anyone realizing that they hadn’t eaten, in his innocence his son disclosed this to one of Khawaja well wisher who prepared food at home and brought it before Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Kaaki who became furious and cursed his son who died later. However became alive in a few days.
Once Sultan Shamsudeen Altamash sent some gold coins as Nazarana to Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Kaaki who didn’t accept it. And later he gifted 6 villages to Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Kaaki who refused to accept it.
Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Kaaki would sleep in the first part of the night however in the last part of the night he would be awake in prayers.
Shaikh Nur Baksh has written in the book “Silsilatuz’zah”-
“Bakhtiyar Aqtaab Aushi was a great devotee, mystic and friend of Allah who remained in his remembrance in private and public. He was habituated to eat and sleep less and spoke rarely. He was a towering personality in the world of mysticism.”
Once Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Kaaki wanted to be in Ajmer to pay reverence to Khawaja Gharib Nawaz (Ra), he got a reply to come over as this would be their last meeting. On arrival at Ajmer and paying tribute to Khawaja Gharib Nawaz (Ra) he was informed that these were his last days. Khawaja Gharib Nawaz (Ra) handed over the authority to Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Kaaki and appointed him successor, and presented the turban, Musalla and walking stick (Aasa) and a book of the Holy Quraan. Informing that these were the belongings of the holy prophet Muhammed Mustafa Salai Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallamu, as they were to be preserved and handed over since generations to the Chistia Silsila. Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Kaaki returned to Delhi and devoted himself to prayers and Namaz.
Once while sleeping he saw his peer Khawaja Gharib Nawaz (Ra) in a pleasant mood and he was attentive to his Mureeds even after Pardah.
Once Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Kaaki, Shaikh Bahauddeen Zakariya and Shaikh Jalaaluddeen Tabrezi Ra were in Multan when suddenly enemy’s army reached near the fort in Multan. The ruler there Nasiruddeen Kibacha came to Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Kaaki and requested him to pray that the enemy retreats. Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Kaaki gave an arrow in Nasiruddeen Kibacha’s hand and told him to throw it towards the enemy at night, Nasiruddeen Kibacha did as told and by dawn there wasn’t a single enemy soldier there.
Once Hazrat Suleimaan Alaaihisalaam was passing on his flying throne by the place where the present Mazaar is situated he noticed the place to be lit up and the light extended up to the skies. Hazrat Suleimaan Alaaihisalaam realized that this was the place where Allah’s beloved Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Kaaki who would be laid to rest and he would be from the Ummat of Prophet Muhammed Mustafa Salallahu alaihi wa salamu.
Hazrat Nizamuddeen Auliya has stated that once Khawaja Qutubuddeen Kaaki was returning from the Idgah to the place where the present Mazaar is located, during that time the place was a desolated wilderness, Khawaja Qutubuddeen Kaaki stood there in deep thought, his associates informed him that it was Eid and people would be waiting for him to eat. Khawaja Qutubuddeen Kaaki replied that he was getting the smell of Allah’s beloved from the place. He arranged for the purchase of that piece of land from Hazrat Abdul Aziz Bistami and confirmed his will to be buried in that place.
Hazrat Shaikh Nizamuddeen Auliya would come at a point and stand at a stone and offer salaam and greetings the stone is located at the main Entrance of Dargah Sharief Mehrauli.
One day there was a mehfil e Sama in Shaikh Ali Sanjari’s place 10 Rabi ul Awal, where the following Qawaali of Hazrat Ahmed Jaam was being sung “Kustgaan khanjar taslimra harzama az gaib jane deegar ast”
Khawaja Qutubuddeen Kaaki was in a state of trance for the next two days and was reciting the same verse. On the fifth day Khawaja Qutubuddeen Kaaki took Pardah. “Inna Lillahi va Inna Ilaihi Raajiuun”
Khawaja Qutubuddeen Kaaki took Pardah at the age of 64 years in 633 Hijri 14 Rabi-ul Awal (1235 AD) and his Mazaar (Moinul Hatab) is at Mehrauli (New Delhi) which attracts devotees from all over India and world.
According to Khawaja Qutubuddeen Kaaki’s will only the person who had not missed the Sunnah salat of Asar Namaz never delayed the time of Namaz (Takbeer e ullah) and never done a single unforbidden act in his life was eligible to lead the Namaz e Janaza. There was a long silence as none thought themselves to be capable. After much wait Hazrat Khawaja Sultan Shamsudeen Altamash came forward and expressed that he did not expect his secret to be opened in this manner and led the Namaz e Janaza. The Mazaar Sharief of Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Kaaki has a story to it, as per his will he had asked his Mureed’s Baba Fareed and Khawaja Shamsudeen Altamash to get mud from “Shamsu Taalaab” to put over his grave. This they did, as they ran back and forth from the Mazaar to the lake and collected mud from the lake in the basket which they carried over their heads. It was raining very heavily and the mound of mud was flowing away due to the downpour. Baba Fareed made a demarcation and put 4 wooden stumps on all the four corners to mark the place where the Mazaar was located.
Khawaja Qutub-ud-deen Kaaki did not want a tomb to be made big with walls, or open to public. All the rulers’ right unto 18th century kept his will, however Muhiuddeen Bahadur Shamsul Umra Kurshid of Hyderabad built the pillars and the Gumbaad over the Mazaar as it appears now. And it is decorated with mirrors from within.
Nasab Naama (Paternal Lineage)
Khawaja Qutubuddeen bin Syed Musa bin Kamaaluddeen bin Syed Muhammed bin Syed Ahmed bin Ishaque bin Hassan bin Syed Maruf bin Syed Raziuddeen bin Syed Hisamuddin bin Syed Rashiduddeen bin Syed Jaafar bin Al Naqi bin Musa Raza bin Syedna Musa Qazim bin Syedna Jaafar Sadiq bin Imam Muhammed Baqar bin Zainul Abedin bin Imam Hussain bin Amirul Momineen Ali Razi-Allahu Anhum.