12th c. CE — Chisht, Afghanistan

Chishtiyya

Samāʿ, hospitality, and love as method

Overview

Rooted in Chisht near Herat, the Chishtiyya became the most beloved Sufi order of the Indian subcontinent. Its Central Asian roots connect it to the wider Khurasani spiritual world.

Core teachings

◆Universal love
◆Service to creation
◆Music as remembrance

Practices

◆Samāʿ (spiritual audition)
◆Langar (open kitchen)
◆Dhikr

Key texts

Fawāʾid al-Fuʾād
Amīr Ḥasan Sijzī

Living legacy

Defining spiritual culture of the Indian subcontinent.