Hazrat Shah Kalimullah of Jehanabad: The Quiet Reformer of Delhi during Mughal Period

 

By Adnan Faizi, New Age Islam

10 May 2025

Among the last great Sufi saints of the Mughal era, Hazrat Shah Kalimullah Jehanabadi (1650–1729) preserved the inner disciplines of the Chishtiyya silsila during a time of political change and spiritual challenge. He emphasized personal ethics and spiritual humility

Main Points:

1.    Born in the year 1650 in Delhi, into a family of artists and scholars

2.    Grandson of Ustad Ahmad Lahori, architect of the Taj Mahal and Lal Qila

3.    Took bay‘at from Shaykh Yahiya Mandi; revitalized the Chishti path

4.    Known for welcoming seekers across religious traditions

5.    Buried in Delhi; his Urs is still observed at his shrine

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Introduction

Hazrat Shah Kalimullah Jehanabadi was one of the most influential Sufi saints of his time. He lived during the waning years of Mughal era, yet his spiritual authority grew through humility, scholarship, and silence. His khanqah in the Old Delhi became a place of quiet reform and inclusive teaching. He left behind both a written and lived tradition that continues to inspire.

Early Life

Hazrat Shah Kalimullah Jehanabadi was born in Delhi in the year 1650 into a family known for its architectural excellence and spiritual service. His grandfather, Ustad Ahmad Lahori, famously designed the Taj Mahal and Lal Qila, while his father, Noorullah, was a respected calligrapher from Delhi. Raised amidst learning and beauty, Hazrat Shah Kalimullah received a rigorous Islamic education before turning fully into Sufism.

Bay‘ah and Spiritual Lineage

He entered the Chishtiyya order of Sufism on the hands of respected Sufi saint Hazrat Shaykh Yahya Mandi. Hazrat Kalimullah also incorporated elements of the Hazrat Mir Syed Ali Hamdani's lineage into his teachings, harmonizing Chishtiyya traditions with wider Sufi influences. He focused on personal refinement through Muraqaba, Zikr-E-Khafi, and spiritual humility.

As he wrote:

The path of Tasawwuf is not in words, but in the purification of the heart. True seekers must cleanse their inner self before seeking divine knowledge."

Teachings, Works, and Influence

Hazrat Kalimullah’s Khidmah (service) was open to all, and his gatherings welcomed seekers regardless of background. He welcomed both Hindu and Muslim seekers alike. His most prominent disciple was Hazrat Nizamuddin Aurangabadi. His literary contributions reflect his inner clarity and depth of insight:

Tilka Asharat Kaamilah

Kashkool Kaleemi

Maktoobaat-e-Kaleemi

Muraqqaa Kaleemi

Saba al-Sabeel-e-Kaleemi

His madrasa provided free education, food, and shelter to students, continuing a deep Sufi tradition of access and care.

Death and Legacy

Hazrat Kalimullah left the world for his journey to the heaven in 1729. His Dargah lies near Meena Bazaar, across from Lal Qila in Old Delhi. Although the British destroyed his Khanqah after 1857, his Mazar remained untouched. His Urs is still observed annually, a tradition once graced by Mughal emperors such as Badshah Bahadur Shah Zafar. Even today, his teachings continue quietly through living traditions of remembrance and service.

Hazrat Shah Kalimullah Jehanabadi’s legacy lives on through his writings, his Mazar, and the quiet ethical spirit he instilled into the Chishtiyya tradition, a Silsila that still values silence over spectacle, Communal harmony and love for all over division.

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Adnan Faizi is a Peace and Harmony activist based in Delhi. He is an alumni of CCS University, Meerut.

 

URL:   https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/hazrat-shah-kalimullah-reformer-mughal/d/135491

 

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