https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nizamuddin_Auliya
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I intend to visit the Nizamuddin Auliya Dargah in Delhi during the urs, possibly with my very old friend Salman Khursheed, former Union Foreign Minister and senior advocate, Supreme Court, as we did last year ( see link below ) :
https://www.hastakshepnews.com/2025/10/justice-katju-and-salman-khurshids.html
I am an atheist, so many people ask me why I visit dargahs. My reply is that while Hindus visit temples and Muslims visit mosques, people of all communities visit dargahs. So dargahs unite us, and I love whatever unites us, since unity of our people is very essential in these critical times to face our nation’s huge challenges
https://indicanews.com/i-am-fond-of-dargahs-justice-katju
Next to the dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya is the dargah of his disciple Amir Khusro, who can be called the Michelangelo of India
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amir_Khusrau
In the blog below is a pic of my visit to Amir Khusro’s dargah during the urs of 2014, where I am standing with Syed Farid Nizami, the Sajjada Nashin, and today the President of the Managing Committee of the Dargah. In the same blog is a pic of India’s first Prime Minister Nehru, and my grandfather Dr K.N. Katju ( then Union Home Minister ) at the dargah in 1953 or so
http://justicekatju.blogspot.
I may now narrate a well known story.
One day in Delhi Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia was standing with his disciple Amir Khusro, on the bank of the river Jumna. The saint saw Hindu worshippers bathing in the Jumna, and remarked ( in Persian) :
” Har Qaum raast raahe
Din-e-wa qibla gaahe “
Which means :
” Every people has a pole (qibla) to which it turns”
i.e.
All people have their own right path of worship.
Amir Khusro immediately completed the couplet with a verse of his own :
” Man qibla raast kardam
bar samt kaj kulaahe”
Which means :
” I, however turn my face
towards the tilted cap “
( Nizamuddin Aulia used to wear a tilted cap. In other words, Amir Khusro followed the sufi path of his mentor and guru.
While I strongly support religious freedom, I am strongly opposed to religious extremism. That is why I highly respect the Sufis, and I do not approve of the religious extremism and intolerance of the Wahabis.
Sufis were the liberals among the Muslims. They spread the message of tolerance, compassion and love of all humanity ( not merely Muslims). While they were Muslims, they were of the view that there are other ways of approaching god, and not merely their own.
As mentioned above, when the great sufi saint Nizamuddin Aulia saw Hindu worshippers bathing in the Jamuna, he said to his disciple Amir Khusro :
“Har qaum raast raahe, din-e-wa qibla gaahe”
i.e.
Every religion or community has its own path for reaching god.
Sufis were often persecuted by the Wahabi type extremists for their belief in tasawwuf or mysticism, like Mansur al Hajjaj
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Hallaj
The great Mughal Emperor Akbar, whom I regard, along with Ashoka, as the greatest ruler the world, and not just India, has ever seen, had great respect for sufi saints e.g. Sheikh Salim Chishti, Sheikh Moinuddin Chishti, etc. For about 12 years he used to annually visit the shrine of Sheikh Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer.
https://indicanews.com/justice-markandey-katju-emperor-akbar-is-the-father-of-the-indian-nation
India is a country of great diversity, so the only correct policy for holding it together and taking it on the path of progress is the policy of ‘suleh-e-kul’ or giving equal respect to all religions and communities, proclaimed by the great Mughal Emperor Akbar
https://indicanews.com/suleh-e-kul-is-the-only-correct-policy-for-india
Dargahs are shrines having the graves of sufi saints. The Wahabi type Muslims regard dargahs as places of butparasti, or idol worship, which is forbidden by Islam. They believe that going to a dargah is worshipping the grave of the sufi saint, whereas Islam permits worship of only Allah.
This only shows the foolishness and religious extremism of such people. By going to a dargah one only shows respect to the sufi saint, and it does not mean worshipping his grave.
In Saudi Arabia dargahs will be immediately destroyed if built. In Pakistan many dargahs have been bombed, and many people going there killed. This shows the intolerance of such fanatics, and that is why Pakistan has become a Jurassic Park.
In a subcontinent of such diversity such as ours, religious tolerance is essential if we want our country to remain united and progress.
