In his testament to `Umar, Abu Bakr had informed him that if he feared God, the entire world would be frightened of him ('Umar). Sages and declared t… - Saiyid Athar Abbas Rizvi

The two greatest Chishti Mashaikh of the medieval period were Muin-ud-din Chishti and Nizam-ud-din Auliya. Rizvi rightly says that Shaikh Muin-ud-din Chishti “was neither a missionary nor a miracle monger. He did not work among the masses…” In the Fawaid-ul-Fuad, a biographical memoir on Shaikh Nizam-ud-din Auliya, there is mention of conversion of only two Hindu curd-sellers. Similarly during the reign of Iltutmish, Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki and Qazi Hamid-ud-din Nagori were two prominent saints in Delhi but no proselytizing activity is attributed to them.

The second most outstanding disciple of Shaikh Shihabu’d-Din Suhrawardi, who became famous in Bengal, was Shaikh Jalalu’d-Din Tabrizi. He studied at several places, including Bukhara. Shaikh Jalalu’d-Din and his father were disciples of Shaikh Abu Sa’id Tabrizi, but after the latter’s death Shaikh Jalalu’d-Din went to Baghdad and became the disciple of Shaikh Shihabu’d-Din. He excelled over all the Shaikh’s disciples in serving his pir. Shaikh Shihabu’d-Din was, at that time, quite elderly but continued to perform his yearly hajj. Because of his age, cold food was harmful to him. Shaikh Jalalu’d-Din devised and had made a special type of stove on which pots of hot food could be kept warm. He carried it on his head, dispensing food to the Shaikh whenever it was needed. He continued to serve his pir with great devotion for seven years.... Shaikh Jalalu’d-Din had many disciples in Bengal. He first lived at Lakhnauti, constructed a khangah and attached a langar to it. He also bought some gardens and land to be attached to the monastery. He moved to Devatalla (Deva Mahal) near Pandua in northern Bengal. There a kafir (either a Hindu or a Buddhist) had erected a large temple and a well. The Shaikh demolished the temple and constructed a takiya (khangqah) and converted a large number of kafirs.

It has become clear to my mind that the kingdom of heaven has predestined that kafirs should be reduced to a state of humiliation and treated with utter contempt. Should that repository of majesty and dauntless courage (Nizam al-Maluk) gird his loins and direct his attention to such a task he can conquer the world. Thus the faith will become more popular and his own power strengthened; a little effort would be profoundly rewarded. Should he make no effort, they (the Marathas) would inevitably be weakened and annihilated through celestial calamities and in such an event he would gain no credit.... As I have learnt this unequivocally (from the divine) I spontaneously write to draw your attention to the great opportunity laid before you. You should therefore not be negligent in fighting jihad.