Ata Hussain Fani Chishti - Descendants - Shah Hussainuddin Safi

Shah Hussainuddin Safi

He was known as Syed Shah Hussainuddin Safi Chishti. He was the eldest son of Shah Nezamuddin Chishti. He was born in 1303 of the Islamic calendar. His initial education was completed in his maternal home at Sheikhpura. He learnt Persian from Maulvi Fasahat Hussain and Arabic from Syed Mohammed Isameil and Syed Abdullah Bazeedpuri. He went on to complete his studies from Darse-Nezamia founded by his father.

He became a murid of his father in the Chishti Order and got the khilafatIjazah of all the orders from his father. He spiritual teachings were initiated by his father. Since his father died when he was very young, he got Owaisiat(a state in Tasawwuf in which one can meet the soul of a Sufi master just as the master was alive and learn spiritual lessons directly from the master) from Shah-e-ata and this is how his spiritual teachings were completed.

He became the Sajjada nashin of the ancestral Khanqah in 1904. The Khanqah achieved its highest peak during his reign on the Sajjada. Everyone used to call him the exact copy of Shah-e-ata in every way. He took the charge of Darse Nezamia founded by his father, after his father's death. Apart from the traditional methods of the Khanqah of preaching, he instead opted for many modern methods of teaching.

• Halqae-Abulolaiya

It was an organization for all Muslim brethren. A programme that was organised on the 17th of every Islamic month. Speeches of different Ulema and Sufi were organized in the campus of Khanqah. This group also had the responsibility of the burial of anonymous dead bodies of Muslims. This group is still in existence and the present Sajjada nashin of the Khanqah is the Chief of this organisation.

• Matbua-Monamia

Print media has always been an important means to communicate with the masses so he founded a publication house with the name of' Matbua-Monamia' for the publication of different manuscripts preserved in the ancestral library of the Khanqah. This was the first publication house ever founded in Gaya. He published many books written by his ancestors, especially those written by Shah-e-ata and his disciples. He authored many books, including the biography of many great Islamic personalities like Jalaluddin Tabrezi and Maqdum Munampak. He was the first to write the biography of Maqdum Munampak and Shah-e-ata. He also wrote travelogues. He was the first to write the history of Zahidia order in Bihar. He has also worked over Tasawwuf to a great extent. He added much to the Islamic literature in Bihar and to the literature of Munami Order.

• Hizbul-Foqra

In the early 19th century Wahabism had arrived in India and many groups had come up against Sunni Islam and especially against the Khanqah of that time. Shah Hussainuddin Safi founded a group of learned people and Islamic scholars who would fight against any type of anti-Sunni activities rising anywhere in Bihar. He brought all the scholars, masters, Sufis of all orders and other khanqahs of Bihar together. This is why he is remembered as Wakeel-ul-Mashaiq (leader of all the masters) by his contemporaries.

He died at the age of 55, in 1939, leaving behind a son and daughter. He had three marriages. He did not have any children from his first wife. After the death of his first wife he married again and had children, but they all died as infants. His second wife died soon after. His third marriage produced two children who have carried his lineage forward. His son, Amir-ul-Mashaiq Syed Shah Ghulam-e-Mustafa Ahmed Chishti is the present Sajjada nashin of the Khanqah. He had thousands of disciples and khalifa all over the Indian sub-continent who have carried his spiritual teachings forward.