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The spread of Islam in the Sub-continent is the story of untiring efforts of
numerous saints and Sufis who dedicated their lives to the cause of service to
humanity. By the time the Muslim Empire was established at Delhi, Sufi
fraternities had come into being and the Sufi influence was far more powerful
than it was in earlier days under the Arabs in Sindh. The two great fraternities
that established themselves very early in Muslim India were the Suhrawardiyah
and the Chishtiyah. The Suhrawardiyah order was founded by Sheikh Ab-al-Najib
Suhrawardi (1097 - 1162) and was introduced into Muslim India by Sheikh
Baha-ud-din Zakariya (1182 - 1268) of Multan. With Multan as its center the
Silsilah became dominant in the areas that now constitute Pakistan. Hadrat
Khawaja Muin-ud-din introduced the Chishtiyah Silsilah in the Sub-continent. He
settled in Ajmer. Because he established the first Sufi Silsilah in the Indian
sub-continent, he is often referred to as Hind-al-Wali. Khawaja Muin-ud-din
Ajmeri's chief disciple, Khawaja Qutb-ud-din Bakhtiyar Kaki, who lived at Delhi,
was held in high esteem by Iltutmush. Baba Farid who was the disciple of Khawaja
Qutb-ud-din Bakhtiyar Kaki, decided to settle in Punjab. The Chishtiyah order
remained the most popular order during the Sultanate period.
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