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Hazrat Khwaja Garibnawaz (Allah's Mercy be on him) began to preach and
propagate Islam at Ajmer. His teachings were listened to with reverence
and rapt attention. His simplicity and loving nature made people flock
up to him. People began to embrace Islam as it now came to them as a message
of hope and deliverance. But this mass scale conversion and ever growing
popularity of Hazrat Khwaja Sahib displeased the ruler Rai Pathora i.e.
Prithviraj Chauhan. He was always seeking an opportunity to harass Hazrat
Khwaja Sahib.
When Hazrat Khwaja Sahib and his companions came to Ajmer they camped
at a shady grove of trees (now Alamgiri mosque). The Raja’s camel keepers
objected as it was the resting place of their camels. They complained
to the Raja and the royal sepoys forced Hazrat Khwaja Sahib and his companions
to quit. Hazrat Khwaja Sahib went away saying, “Now the camels shall sit
here.” The next day, when the camel drivers tried to raise the camels
they failed to do so. The camel drivers realized their mistake and apologized
to Hazrat Khwaja Sahib, who forgave them and said, “Now the cales will
get up. “When the camel drivers returned they were surprised to see the
camels standing. This news reached Pritviraj Chauhan and he was very much
perturbed.
From the camel’s resting place, Hazrat Khwaja Sahib and others shifted
to Ana Sagar lake and settled there. They used the water for their ablution
and for dwelling purposes. The non-Muslims and Brahmins thought that Muslims
had made the water imputer by their touch. They would not allow the Muslims
to take water and tried to put many restrictions and also complained to
Pritviraj Chauhan. The Raja poasted military around Ana Sagar and ordered
that Muslims should not be allowed to take water.
The next day the companions came back with out water and complained to
Hazrat Khwaja Sahib of the sepoys’ rude behaviour. Hazrat Khwaja Sahib
then himself went tot eh lake to fetch water in his dowl (kooza or kaasa).
When the soldiers tried to stop him, he just looked at them with his piercing
eyes and they could no nothing. As soon as the bowl was full, the water
in the lake began to recede and there was shortage of water in the whole
city. The public panicked and demanded Pritviraj Chauhan to do something.
Pritviraj Chauhan tried in vain to restore water. People complained and
demanded that he realize his mistake. At last Pritviraj Chauhan himself
went to Hazrat Khwaja Sahib and apologized and promised not to ban water
on any human being. Hazrat Khwaja Sahib prayed to Allah and emptied the
bowl in the lake. By the Grace of Allah, the water in the Ana Sagar lake
swelled up. This miracle made many people embrace Islam and respect Hazrat
Khwaja Sahib.
A Rajput chief in the court of Pritviraj Chauhan got converted to Islam
and this irritated Pritviraj Chauhan. Also, a devotee of Hazrat Khwaja
Sahib one day praised Hazrat Khwaja Sahib in the court. This enraged Pritviraj
Chauhan and he harassed him. The rajput courtier sought the help of Hazrat
Khwaja Sahib. When everything failed, Pritviraj Chauhan sent his active
supporters Sadi Deva (Chief Priest) and Ajai pal (his spiritual guru)
to fight Hazrat Khwaja Sahib with their magical powers. Their magical
attacks proved futile against Hazrat Khwaja Sahib’s divine powers. At
last they repented and embraced Islam and this was a blow to the power
and prestige to Pritviraj Chauhan. With the support f Ajai Pal (named
Abdullah Bayabani) and Sadi Deva, Hazrat Khwaja Sahib’s missionary work
flourished. Hazrat Khwaja Sahib once again extended his cordial invitation
to Pritviraj Chauhan to accept Islam but Pritviraj Chauhan refused.
Pritviraj Chauhan’s mother was a wise and learned woman. Through astronomy
and astrology, she ahd come to know the future of her son. It was predicted
that his downfall would occur by the displeasure of a holy pious person,
a mendicant (faqir). Pritviraj Chauhan was warned by his mother and told
not to harass Hazrat Khwaja Sahib. But he was intoxicated with power and
paid no heed to the grave warning and acted very rashly.
Pritviraj Chauhan incurred the displeasure of Hazrat Khwaja Sahib after
the first battle of Tarain in 1191 AD. His victory over Muhammed Shahabuddin
Ghori turned his head and he ill-treated Hazrat Khwaja Sahib, his copanions
and his followers. Pritviraj Chauhan called Hazrat Khwaja Sahib an ordinary
faqir and retorted in his durbar that the faqir should get out of Ajmer.
This newsreached Hazrat Khwaja Sahib who simply remarked, “We have captured
Pritviraj Chauhan alive and handed him over to Muslim army.”
Depressed and weary Shahabuddin Ghori retired to bed and he dreamt that
an old pious man advised him to march to India. He was instructed to attack
Pritviraj Chauhan again and that he would be victorious. When he awoke,
he mobilized his army and attacked Pritviraj Chauhan. In the second battle
of Tarain 1192 AD
Pritviraj Chauhan was defeated, captured and killed. His mother’s prophecy
proved true. The Sultan installed Pritviraj Chauhan’s son on the throne
on the payment of conditional annual payment. Shahabuddin Ghori went to
Ajmer and paid his repects to Hazrat Khwaja Sahib, whom he recognized
as the same person in his dream who had instructed him to fight and win
a crowning victory.
With the fall of Pritviraj Chauhan, Hazrat Khwaja Sahib Freely set his
head quarters in Ajmer. He sent forth his disciples to all parts of the
country to preach and spread Islam. His main aim was to root out ignorance,
superstition and oppression.
Islam came as a message of hope and deliverance from the tyranny of the
higher castes. Hazrat Khwaja Sahib’s sympathy was universal and he spent
his life in the service of Allah and humanity. He lived a humble saintly
life praying and preaching and performing many miracles by the Grace of
Allah.
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