There is a story of Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti, whose fame is still so great that, although he died hundreds of years ago, thousands come to his tomb every year, and the power of his holiness is so great that everyone who goes there falls into a trance.

One of his mureeds once wrote him a letter and, as we write 'yours sincerely,' 'yours truly,' he signed 'faqir.' Faqir means one who has renounced one who is spiritual. Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti read the letter and said, 'Thank God, I have a mureed who is a faqir, what I myself, all my life following this way, have not become.' He answered the mureed saying, 'I am very glad that you have become a faqir.' The mureed was much dismayed. He thought, 'What have I done? I have written a very wrong thing.' Faqir also means a humble person, which was what he meant.

He went to his Murshid and said, 'I have made a great fault.' The Murshid replied, 'It is all right. I wish that you should be greater than I. I shall show you how I am considered.' He took the mureed out in the wilderness where the hermits were living, a long, long way from any town. They knocked at the door, and a voice came from within, 'Will the dogs of the world not leave us in peace even here?' Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti said, 'I am your Murshid, and you see in what sort of respect I am held.'

checked 2-dec-2015