for knowledge that had led him to leave his home shone even more brightly. He began searching for a murshid to guide him in this regard. As he travelled from Bukhara to the Hijaz, he passed through the outskirts of Nishapur, by a place called Harun. There, he heard about the renowned Quṭb of the era, ꜤUthmān al-Hārūnī al-Chishtī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه. He immediately went to him and pledged allegiance at his hand, entering the Chishtī spiritual order.^[1]

Sayyid MuꜤīn al-Dīnرَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه  spent approximately 20 years with his murshid, traversing the stages of maꜤrifah and benefiting from the spiritual sciences. Wherever Shaykh ꜤUthmān al-Hārūnī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه travelled, Sayyid MuꜤīn al-Dīn رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه accompanied him, carrying the shaykh’s belongings on his own shoulders. On several occasions, he had the honour of performing Hajj alongside his shaykh.^[2]

Sayyid MuꜤīn al-Dīn رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه narrates:

My shaykh, ꜤUthmān al-Hārūnī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه and I were constantly travelling. We stayed in each city for only a short time. I spent 20 years and 6 months in his service, day and night, engaged in spiritual struggle and effort, carrying his wudu vessels and bedding on my head.^[3]

He further said, “When my shaykh saw my devotion and service, he gave me a gift, the excellence of which cannot be measured.”

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                                     صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

O devotees of Khawājah Gharīb Nawāz! You have heard serving one’s murshid elevates a murīd (disciple) to great ranks, becoming a means of immense blessing and honour in this world and the Hereafter. Indeed, just as every devotee desires to gain the attention of their beloved, and every student hopes to become the apple of the teacher’s eye, a true murīd longs to become dearest to his shaykh. However, only a few fortunate souls achieve this honour.

We must make serving and respecting our murshid a constant part of our lives.