This is the 16th 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.
One evening, at the time of the maghrib prayer, Amir Khusrau and Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya sat together on the banks of the Yamuna River in Delhi. A large number of people around them were engaged in various acts of devotion. Some were heading to places of worship, others were praying alone, and a few had gathered for communal prayer.
Nizamuddin Auliya observed that every person, regardless of community, faith or religion, followed his own path, belief and direction to reach the Creator. Amir Khusrau agreed and added that he had chosen the path indicated by his master’s kulah (turban), which happened to be crooked at the time, rather than a conventional one. In doing so, he declared that true worship was not defined by place, time, ritual, or symbol, but guided by one’s spiritual master, even if the path appeared unusual. He wrote a short ghazal to express his thoughts in verse.
Every community has its own path, its own faith and its own direction of prayer
I have aligned my direction of worship with that of the crooked cap of my master
I turn my face toward your face and my dust toward the dust of your street
Your face is the center of my devotion and your street is my place of prostration
Even if I sit completely ruined in your street
It is with the hope that perhaps you will cast a glance upon me
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]