Muslim Saints of South Asia: The eleventh to ... - blog blog blog

THE SPIRITUAL SOVEREIGN OF MULTAN
(Support of the world) by the faithful. He was, as they call it, a
hereditary walī: besides his grandfather, the founder of the fraternity,
and his sajjādanishīn father he had his mother as well, the already
referred to Bibi Pakdaman, who was also considered a saintly
woman. Baha’uddin Zakariya had predicted an exceptional spiritual
career for his favourite grandson when he was still in his mother’s
womb, and as soon as the boy was four years of age, tied his own
turban around his head (by-passing Sadruddin, to his displeasure) in
token of the transmission of baraka to him.
Permanently residing in Multan, Ruknuddin Abul Fath often
visited Delhi on the invitation of the Sultans. For each visit he was
paid two hundred thousand tankā at his arrival and five hundred
thousand at his departure. Mubarak Shah Khalji and Ghiyathuddin
Tughluq made an attempt to take advantage of Ruknuddin’s presence
in the capital to counterbalance Nizamuddin Awliya’s influence.
However, it came to nothing, because the thriving shaikh of the
Suhrawardiyya nurtured a feeling of true admiration for the head of
the Chishtiyya order, who had fallen out of favour, and used to visit
him regularly in Ghiyathpur. Since Nizamuddin himself never visited
the royal court, he used to hand over to Ruknuddin all the applications
and petitions of the people of Delhi to the court and strove to
ensure that they were duly considered.
Every time Ruknuddin left Ghiyathpur and went to the court, his
takht-i rawān (a portable throne) was overloaded with papers and
rolls containing complaints. The court was entered after passing
through three courtyards. Ruknuddin had a serious problem with
his leg and limped, which is why he would travel through the first two
courtyards in his palanquin and then was greeted by the Sultan in the
third one. The petitions would be brought in, and Ruknuddin would
remain at the palace until all the requests had been granted.
Shaikh Ruknuddin was a peculiar harbinger of death: he was one
of the last to see Nizamuddin Awliya and his enemy Ghiyathuddin
Tughluq alive. Thus, the saint arrived in Afghanpur to meet the
Sultan, returning from his campaign in Bengal, dined with him in
the specially built pavilion and departed, not waiting for the evening
reception. A few minutes after his departure the ill-fated pavilion
collapsed, burying the Sultan under its debris, while Ruknuddin
miraculously escaped death. Later in the same year he called upon
Nizamuddin Awliya, seeking his blessings before departure for H˛ajj.
Sulţān al-mashā’ikh informed the guest that he had had a vision
during which he saw Prophet Muhammad calling him to his presence.
Having a presentiment that it was the end, Ruknuddin was overcome
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