Why His Words Still Echo Across Seven Centuries
Words that survive seven hundred years do so for one reason: they speak to something in human experience that does not change. The longing for love, the weight of ego, the difficulty of genuine humility, the question of how to live with compassion in a world of suffering — these are as present today as they were in the fourteenth century.
Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia (R) left no systematic written work. His words were preserved through the malfuzat — recorded conversations compiled by disciples, most notably Amir Hasan Sijzi’s Fawaid ul-Fuad. From these records, and from the oral tradition maintained at the dargah, the following thirty teachings have been selected for their depth, their accessibility, and their particular relevance to the challenges of modern life.
Quotes on Divine Love (Ishq)
Ten Teachings on Love
- “Love is the foundation of all things. Whoever has not loved has not lived.”
- “The lover does not count the cost. He burns, and in burning finds his freedom.”
- “Hanooz Delhi door ast.” (Delhi is still far away.) — Wherever you think you have arrived spiritually, the journey continues. Humility is the price of every real advance.
- “My heart has become capable of every form — a meadow for gazelles and a monastery for monks, a temple for idols and the Kaaba for pilgrims, the tablets of the Torah and the book of the Quran. I profess the religion of love, and wherever its transport takes me, that is my religion and my faith.”
- “The path to God is through the heart. The heart reached through love — not through argument.”
Quotes on Service (Khidmat)
Teachings on Service to Humanity
- “Those who feed the hungry see the face of God.”
- “What use is the prayer-mat if the heart is closed to the suffering of another?”
- “My khanqah will never turn anyone away. That door has never been closed and never will be.”
- “The greatest worship is to make a grieving heart happy.”
- “If you can do nothing else in this world, do this: feed someone who is hungry.”
Quotes on Humility
Six Teachings on Humility and the Ego
- “The person who considers himself to be spiritual has not yet begun the path.”
- “Lower yourself below the earth. That is the only direction the seeker should know.”
- “I have never met a man from whom I could not learn something. The most arrogant person teaches humility by contrast.”
- “The ego is the only veil between you and God. It is also the most difficult thing in the world to remove.”
- “When you stop comparing yourself to others, you have taken the first step. When you stop comparing yourself to anything, you have arrived.”
- “My disciples have sometimes asked me the secret of my state. My answer: I have never considered myself better than anyone who came to my door.”
Quotes on Prayer, Devotion, and Brotherhood
Fourteen Further Teachings
- “Prayer is the conversation of the soul with its Creator. Speak from the heart, or do not speak at all.”
- “The best prayer is the one that brings tears to the eyes — not from performance, but from the weight of love.”
- “God is not found in temples and mosques alone. He is found wherever a heart is open.”
- “Dhikr — the remembrance of God — is the food of the soul. A soul not remembered is a soul starving.”
- “Between you and God there is no distance — only the illusion of distance. The illusion is called the self.”
- “Do not ask a man his religion before offering him your hospitality. God did not ask.”
- “The Sufi has no enemies. He has only those whose love he has not yet discovered.”
- “All rivers reach the ocean. All sincere prayers reach God. The name of the river does not matter.”
- “In this house, no one is asked their caste. In this house, all hunger is the same hunger.”
- “The division between you and the other person exists only in your mind. Remove the division from your mind, and you remove it from the world.”
- “Grief is the companion of those who love. Do not flee from it — it is taking you somewhere.”
- “Those who have never wept do not know what prayer is.”
- “The world will pass, as the night passes. Do not build your house in the night.”
- “What you leave behind when you die is what you gave away while you lived.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Where can I find authentic teachings of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia <(R)?
The most authoritative source is the Fawaid ul-Fuad (Morals for the Heart), a compilation of his recorded conversations by his disciple Amir Hasan Sijzi. This text has been translated into English by the scholar Bruce B. Lawrence. The Siyar ul-Awliya by Amir Khurd is another important primary source.
Q: What is the most famous saying of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia (R)?
‘Hanooz Delhi door ast’ — ‘Delhi is still far away’ — is his most widely known saying, used as an expression of spiritual humility and the infinite distance of the path. Within devotional circles, his teaching that ‘those who feed the hungry see the face of God’ is equally beloved and frequently cited.
Q: Did Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia (R) write any books?
No. Like many of the greatest spiritual masters — Socrates, the Buddha, Jesus — Hazrat Nizamuddin left no written work. His teachings were transmitted orally and recorded by devoted disciples. The primary compilation of his conversations is the Fawaid ul-Fuad by Amir Hasan Sijzi.