This is the 13th article in a special series by Ally Adnan that brings to life memorable incidents from the rich and fascinating life of Hazrat Amir Khusrau, whose timeless legacy continues to inspire the world.
A destitute man once came to the khanqah of Nizamuddin Auliya seeking help because his daughter was getting married and he needed money for her dowry.
This happened at a trying time, when the resources of the khanqah had been exhausted and the saint had nothing left to give. Nizamuddin Auliya did not want to turn the poor man away empty-handed and asked him to stay, promising to give him all the donations that arrived over the following three days.
The man waited in hope, but no offerings came during that period. On the third day, he approached Nizamuddin Auliya, who, having nothing else to offer, gave him his only pair of shoes. The poor man was disappointed but accepted the shoes, hoping to sell them and get enough money for a day’s worth of food.
On his way back home, he encountered Amir Khusrau, who was returning to Delhi from a royal expedition with a caravan laden with treasures that included camels and horses bearing gold, silver and fine silks. Khusrau saw the man holding his master’s shoes, inhaled deeply and recognised the scent of Nizamuddin Auliya. He then exclaimed, again and again, that he smelt his master.
Khusrau asked about the shoes and the man told him the story of receiving them as a gift from Nizamuddin Auliya. Khusrau was overcome with emotion on learning that conditions at the khanqah had grown so dire that his master had been compelled to give away his own shoes as charity. He offered the man everything he had in his caravan in exchange for the sandals. The man, bewildered but grateful, accepted.
Khusrau placed the sandals on his head and made his way to the khanqah to meet his master and return the shoes to his feet. Nizamuddin Auliya saw him approach, carrying the sandals over his head, and asked, “Where did you find these?” Khusrau told him of his encounter with the poor man and replied, “I traded everything I had for them.” The saint looked at Amir Khusrau and, with a gentle smile, remarked, “You bought them very cheap.”
Amir Khusrau had shown that the sacrifice of worldly riches was a small price to pay for the treasure of true spiritual connection, and that the path to the beloved was never as costly as it appeared.
The writer is based in Dallas, Texas and writes about culture, history and the arts. He tweets @allyadnanjanjua and can be reached at [email protected]