He was born in Seistan (Iran), around 533 Hijri (1138-39 A.D.) in a well respected syed family. His father, Syed Ghayasuddin, was a rich merchant and, therefore, he led his childhood in comfort. He was 15 when his father passed away but his mother did not let him feel the demise and brought him up to her best capacity but soon she passed away leaving him alone in this wide world.

The demise of his parents effected his economic condition adversely. There was no income from the business. He subsisted on the income from the orchard he received in inheritance. He worked on his orchard. One day when Khwaja Moinuddin was working in his orchard, a pious dervish and majzub, Ebrahim Qandoozi, came and took his seat under the shade of a tree. When Khwaja Moinuddin saw him, he brought a bunch of grapes and presented it to his guest. The visitor ate the grapes and was delighted. He then took something out of his bag, chewed it, then offered it to his young host. Khwaja Moinuddin ate it without any hesitation, and at once the light of wisdom and knowledge dawned upon the young Khwaja Moinuddin. Immediately he disposed of all of his worldly belongings and distributed the money amongst the poor. Having thus broken all the ties with worldly affairs, he set off for Samarkand and Bokhara then the great centres of learning for religious education and knowledge.

Khawaja Moinuddin received knowledge and higher education, at the great centers of leanings, Samarkand and Bukhara, under the tutelage of renowned teachers of his time. He learnt the Qur'an by heart and then the Hadith, Commentary, Jurisprudence, and other outer subjects. He then went in search of a Murshid (Spiritual teacher) to different places. Khwaja Moinuddin had the occasion of meeting Ghaus-e-Azam (Abdul Qadir Jilani) twice: 1st time in 551 H. (1155 AD) when he was 21 years of age; 2nd time, 30 years later, when he was 51 years, in 581 AH (1185 AD). Finally he went to a town "Haroon" of Nishapur (Iran), where he met a Sufi saint "Khawaja Usman Harooni", who admitted him as his disciple. Khawaja Usman traced his spiritual relation to Khawaja Ishaq Shami Chishti and therefore Khawaja Moin-uddin suffixed the word Chishti after his name.

Having received permission and the status of Khalifa (spiritual deputy) of his teacher, Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti served him for 20 years and gained spiritual insight. In the company of his teacher, he traveled over many Islamic countries; met many saints and drew intrinsic knowledge; went on pilgrimage; performed the Hajj; visited the Masjad-e-Nabwi (holy tomb of the Prophet). He meditated at the tomb for several days. During meditation he met the Holy Prophet, who commanded him in these words:

"O, Moinuddin! You are the helper of the Faith. We have granted you the kingdom of India. Go there and stay, at Ajmer. Your stay there will remove Faithlessness and glorify Islam."

This pleased him greatly but it worried him where Ajmer was in India, and he asked the Holy Prophet about that. He was shown the world and the mountain near Ajmer. He was awarded the title of the Chief of the holy-men (Qutub-ul-Masha'ikh).

Khwaja Moinuddin left Medina for India. He continued his journey, passing through Isfahan, Bokhara, Herat and Lahore. In Lahore he stayed at the tomb of Hazrat Data Ganj Bukhsh Ali Hajveri, and meditated there for two weeks, and when he finished his meditation, he said a couplet in Farsi:

Ganj Buksh Faiz-e-Alam Mazhar-e-Noor-e-Khuda

Naqisa-ra Pir-e-Kamil, Kamila-ra Rahnuma

Meaning:

Ganj Buskh (Bestower of Spiritual Treasures) is a grace to the world; a manifester of God's light.

A perfect spiritual teacher for the beginners; a guide for perfected.

On his arrival in India, the country was in a state of depression. On state's northwestern border the kingdom of the Ghaznavite was fighting its civil strife. Foreign invasions weakened India and the previous Islamic domination on India was on the decline, Social condition in India was deteriorating. Every man was at war with the other. Un-touchability was rampant. Good things of life were reserved for the elite's. People suffered. Idol-worshipping was common, people worshipped stone, trees, houses, cows, and dung. People were thrown deep into the pits of irreligious.

Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti, arrived in Ajmer around 561 A.H (1165 AD), on his divine mission. At that time, Ajmer was ruled by "Raja Rai Pithora" of the Chohan dynasty. In his court, he had a large number of powerful magicians with "Ajai Pal" as their leader. Khwaja Moinuddin stayed on a hill close to Ana Sagar lake now known as the "Chillah Khwaja Sahib". At the arrival of Khwaja Moinuddin, there was not even a single Muslim in the state. Khwaja Moinuddin's stayed on the camel stable of the Raja of Ajmer. When the camel drivers returned with the camels from the grazing grounds in the evening and objected to his stay and the Royal sepoys removed him from the place forcibly. Khawaja Moinuddin moved away to another place saying: "Now, the camels shall sit here." The other day when the camel drivers tried to raise the camels they failed to do so. They realized of their misbehavior to a holy man, beseeched of his pardon, which he readily granted. He asked them that whoever made the camel sit would raise them. When the camel drivers returned they saw the camels moving about. The news of this strange anecdote reached the ears of the Raja and the people flocked to him in droves, and many non-believers accepted Islam on his hand.

The Non-Muslims grew angry with him because he was staying by the side of "Ana-Sagar" (a river) especially because he and his followers made their ablution on the its bank. The conservative Brahmins (Hindus) believed that the Muslims were impure and their touch had turned the river dirty so they put restrictions with regard to their use of it for ablution. His followers complained to the Khwaja Moinuddin of the unjustified behavior of the Brahmins. Khwaja Moinuddin asked them to bring water from the river in a bowl. As soon as the bowl was full, water in the river began to recede and in a short time it dried up.

The Raja was not happy with his stay in Ajmer and started harassing him one way or the other. When nothing worked, he put the yogis after him. Jiapal, the Chief Pundit (priest) of the temple, came to face him along with his disciples. Khwaja Moinuddin gave him some water to drink, as soon as he drank it, his condition changed, and fell on the feet of Khwaja Moinuddin & accepted Islam.

Many of the royal servants embraced Islam on the hand of Khwaja Moinuddin. Raja's daughter too became a Muslim. The events made the Raja all the angrier and he threatened him to evict from Ajmer. In reply to the threats he said: We turned him out and entrusted him".

Khwaja Moinuddin's words proved true. The famous Muslim ruler Sultan Shahab-uddin Mohammad Ghouri attacked India, and became the new ruler of the state by defeating the Raja.

From the land of atheism i.e. Ajmer, Khwaja Moinuddin started the spiritual movement of the propagation of Islam. His efforts bore fruit and within a short period of sixteen years the condition of Ajmer changed. It became the nerve center of moral and spiritual leadership in India, leveled the way for a grand religious and social revolution, and provided opportunity to countless people to lead a life of equality and honor. The mission continued for about 50 to 60 years and brought seven lakh (7,00,000) people into the folds of Islam. He spent most of his life in ushering the social and spiritual change and in the service of Islam.

He was kind and forgiving. Once a man came to him with the intention of murder. He read his intention spiritually, and treated him very kindly, and asked him, to do what he had intended. The man was ashamed and requests him to punish him. Khwaja Moinudin replied: " The mendicant's habit is: whoever does evil to them, they treat him well." He forgave the man who became his follower.

In spite of his renunciation of worldly things and frugality his monastery was famous for his generosity and magnanimity. So much food was cooked in his kitchen that a poor, a beggar, or needy never went hungry from his gate. One who demanded got. He is so called "Gharib Nawaz" (One who endears the poor). A large Kitchen even today serves the hungry and the poor from the campus of his monastery. His tomb is one of the holiest places in India where pilgrims come from every corner of the subcontinent to pay their homage of love and respect.

He died on 6, Rajab-ul-Marjab 627 AH (1229 AD), Khwaja Moinuddin went into his chamber after night prayers and closed the door. He did not permit anyone to enter. All night long, the people outside heard a mystical sound coming from inside of his room. At the approach of dawn, the sounds stopped. Sensing that there was something unusual because the door remained closed at the time of morning prayers, his devotees opened the door and found him dead.

He had two wives and four children.

When Khwaja Moinuddin was in Isfahan (Iran), one day he went to a beautiful garden of the ruler of the city, whose name was Yadgar Mohammad. His servants asked Khawaja Moinuddin to go away, but he refused to do so. In the meantime Yadgar Mohammad came there. He saw the Khawaja Moinuddin, grew furious, lost temper, and called him names. Khawaja Moinuddin looked at him angrily, this tremble him and he fell unconscious. Khawaja Moinuddin took some water and sprinkled on his face. He came to his senses, and was drawn towards him. He offered all his wealth but he declined and ordered him to return all such money as he had acquired unjustly. He compiled the orders. He freed his all slaves, divided his wealth between poors, and became desciple of Khwaja Moinuddin.

In Balkh, lived a scholar & Hakeem (Doctor of Eastern Medicine) Zia-uddin who was taken over by Philosophy and Rationalism and who disbelieved certain fundamentals of Islam. One day Khawaja Moinuddin hunted a deer, and roasted meat on fire, the Hakeem chanced to pass there. Khawaja Moinuddin gave him a piece to eat. This changed his condition, fell on his feet, and threw away the books on philosophy and medicine into the river and trudged the path of divinity.