Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, born in 1173 CE in Uzbekistan, was a revered Sufi saint of the Chishti order in India. He migrated to Delhi in the early 13th century and became a disciple of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. Renowned for his humility and piety, he played a significant role in spreading Sufi teachings and Islam throughout the Indian subcontinent. His dargah in Mehrauli, Delhi, remains a revered pilgrimage site, attracting devotees of various faiths. Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki emphasized love, compassion, and service to humanity in his teachings. He passed away in 1235 CE, leaving a lasting legacy of spiritual wisdom and devotion. Today, his teachings continue to inspire millions, transcending religious boundaries and fostering a message of peace and unity.

Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki Quotes

01. “After repentance, one should not restore his association with the friends he had been attached previously lest he should not indulge in sinful acts again. Nothing is more harmful for the human than the companionship of the sinful folk since it leaves deep injurious impact.”
— Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki

02. “Gnostic is that in whose inmost being thousands of mysteries are created and he may remain intoxicated. And in this state of condition if eighteen thousand worlds are put into his breast, he should still remain unaware of them.”
— Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki

03. “Fear is a whip of God for the undisciplined devotee. When the fear of God enters into the heart, it turns the flask of the heart into pieces.”
— Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki

04. “Oath of allegiance (Bait) can be twice at the hand of a pir because if anyone revokes it or becomes doubtful, it can be renewed.”
— Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki

05. “The gnostic is he who is blessed with thousands of states moment after moment from the world of secrets and he is overwhelmed in his state of intoxication. Even if eighteen thousand worlds descend on his heart on such occasion, he will not be aware of their descent.”
— Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki

06. “He who claims of love with the Lord and when calamity befalls him, if he complains of it, he would not be considered as true lover of his friend; rather he is tier. Thus in the domain of friendship, whatever is sent by the friend, must be welcome.”
— Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki

07. “The seekers on the path of God are a community who are overwhelmed in the ocean of love from head to nail of the foot.”
— Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki

08. “How much the temporal world is disloyal and cunning! It is friend of everyone but not of dervish because they have abandoned it and kept themselves distant from it.”
— Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki

09. “The poor men (dervishes) are a community who consider sleep to be prohibited, become dumb when they utter anything, take straw and grass as their food and regard their association with the rest of mankind as a fatal viper so that they can reach the station of proximity to God.”
— Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki

10. “The saint enjoys real attachment to God when he experiences states of contentment and satisfaction.”
— Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki

11. “The seeker’s real approach to God means his preoccupation with afflictions appearing on the way to Him. Tribulations in separation from God are to be treated as a boon granted by God to His elect.”
— Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki

12. “Detachment from worldly things is the most essential qualification required for a true ‘dervish’. His separation from everything, including his own self is the only way for the realization of kinship with God.”
— Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki

13. “Talking about supplication of Pir, he said: ‘There are two kinds of supplication (dua): one is noble and the other ignoble. But remember, one should never imprecate for other.'”
— Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki

14. “Once he said to Farid: ‘There are such spiritualists on this way that they drink oceans of Divine mysteries, still they are unaware of what they have drunk. Rather implore for more.'”
— Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki

15. “Sometime auliya Allah unveil Divine mysteries, but they do it on account of their over-intoxicated state. But there are other consummate elect who never disclose arcane secrets of divinity. Thus it requires the widest receptacle on the Sufi path so that secrets of His divinity remain concealed.”
— Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki

16. “The gnostic (arif) attains the station of passionate love of God so that he may experience Godhead or His pure Essence.”
— Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki

17. “Communion with God is conferred after the dervish has become alien to all else.”
— Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki

18. “The day when affliction does not befall, I conclude that this day God’s blessing has been taken away from me because a blessing on the path of God is nothing but a calamity that comes from the friend. Divine afflictions are necessary for the moral and spiritual progress of the soul.”
— Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki

19. “The spiritual state of nearness to God is a sign of true saintliness. This ultimately results in the experience of love and longing for early union.”
— Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki

20. “Austerity in the life of a dervish purifies the soul and brings him close to God.”
— Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki

21. “One’s friendship with God consists in being satisfied with whatever comes from God and expressing his gratitude a hundred thousand times that he was remembered by Him.”
— Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki