As this is posted, devotees in Ajmer, India are celebrating the Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chishti, who passed away in 1229 CE. Khwaja Moinuddin was a Sufi of monumental influence, and he was known as the ‘Sultan ul HInd’ or the Spiritual King of India, where he is still honoured by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to his tomb every year. Here we give the discourse he made to his students a month before he passed away, and it makes clear why he was also called ‘Gharib Nawaz,’ or the helper of the poor.

Love all and hate none.
Mere talk of peace will avail you naught.
Mere talk of God and religion will not take you far.
Bring out all the latent powers of your being
and reveal the full magnificence of your immortal self.

Be overflowing with peace and joy,
and scatter them wherever you are
and wherever you go.

Be a blazing fire of truth,
be a beauteous blossom of love
and be a soothing balm of peace.

With your spiritual light,
dispel the darkness of ignorance;
dissolve the clouds of discord and war
and spread goodwill, peace, and harmony among the people.

Never seek any help, charity, or favors
from anybody except God.
Never go the court of kings,
but never refuse to bless and help the needy and the poor,
the widow, and the orphan, if they come to your door.

This is your mission, to serve the people…..

Carry it out dutifully and courageously, so that I, as your Pir-o-Murshid,
may not be ashamed of any shortcomings on your part
before the Almighty God and our holy predecessors
in the Silsila on the Day of Judgment.