"LIFE HISTORY"

Hazrat Nasir Uddin Mahmud Chiragh Dehlavi is a bright lamp to the Chistia Order and is also a spiritual heir of his teacher and guide, Hazrat Nizam Uddin. His name is Nasir Uddin, title Mahmud and qualitative name Chiragh Dehlavi. His father Syed Yahya and grand father Syed Abdul Latif migrated from Khorasan to Lahore but his father still moved further deep into the country and settled down in Avadh. He traces his parentage to Umar bin-Khattab with several links in the chain.

His father died when Hazrat Nasir Uddin was nine. All responsibility of his education and bringing up finally rested on his mother. He received initial education from Maulana Abdul Karim Sherwani and after his death from Maulana Iftikhar Uddin Gilani and completed his education till he was twenty. During studies he was inclined towards prayers, used to stay in the wild for it, and frequently observed fasts and broke them with leaves or wild berries. He spent most of his time with a mendicant.

He mentions the event of his pledge of obedience to Hazrat Nizam Uddin; "I stood at mid-day, near the residence of the Mahbooh-e-Ilahi. He was descending from his first floor room so that he might rest in another room. When he saw me, sat on the threshold instead of going into the room and summoned me through a servant. When I went to him, he said, "What object do you have? What do you intend? What does your father do?" I replied, "My aim is to serve you humbly and my father dealt in Pashmina cloth." "The Mahboob-e-Ilahi showed kindness and admitted me into his service and I pledged to follow him. "Hazrat Nizam Uddin loved him and so he designated him his heir and supplicant, gave him Baba Farid's sacred relies and other things of the Chistia Order.

He practiced meditation and said prayers as a student but under the guidance of his teacher he perfected the practices. Once his self disturbed him so in order to subdue it he ate so many lemons that he fell ill. Once he did not eat anything for ten years continuously. Then the Mahboob-e-Ilahi asked Khawaja Iqbal to feed him halvah with bread. Once he made a request to him through Amir Khusro to allow him to pray away from the city. Hazrat Nizam Uddin rejected the request and advised him to remain among the people and to bear all the tribulations. And in return do kindness, sacrifice, and generosity.

Interested in poetry and composed moving verses in Persian.

There are many stories about this qualitative name. One day many mendicants sat with the Mahboob-e-Ilahi. Hazrat Nasir Uddin also went there. His teacher asked him to sit down but he said, "My back would turn towards them." Upon which the Mahboob-e-Ilahi replied, "A lamp has no back."

The king was envious of Hazrat Nizam Uddin, stopped the supply of oil on the eve of a large gathering in the monastery. Hazrat Nasir Uddin told him of the edict. The teacher said, did the well, which is being dug, give out any water?" Nasir Uddin replied, yes, Sir!" The Mahboob-e-Ilahi said, "Put it into the lamps, and lit them." The order was obeyed. From the day Nasir Uddin came to be known as Chiragh Dehlavi.
 

Hazrat Makhdoom Jehanian Jehan Gasht once reached Mecca and saw Imam Yafai, During conversation a mention was made of the Delhi saints. Imam Yafai remarked, "Sheikh Nasir Uddin Avadhi is now the lamp of Delhi."

He died in 17 RAMZAN 757 Hijri at the age of 82 and was buried in the room he lived in. The town is named Chiragh E Delhi after him. Pilgrims, irrespective of caste and creed throng in large numbers.

Sultan Muhammad Tughlaq set outs to Thatta and took several saints with him. He wanted him to go along with him but the Sheikh replied, "My accompaniment with the Sultan in this journey is inauspicious. He will not return safe."

The Sultan did not return alive. After this his cousin, Firoz Tughlaq, ascended the throne.