His name was Muhammad, but he is well known as Hazrat Khwaja Nizam Uddin Auliya, "Mehboob-e-Ilahi" (God's beloved) was his title. He was born on 27 Safar 636 Hijri (1238 A.D) in the city of Badayun (India).

His grand father, Syed Ali, a resident of Bukhara, and father, Syed Ahmad, were well known Syeds and traced their lineage to Hazrat Ali with 15 of his ancestors falling in the chain. His maternal grandfather, Khwaja Arab Hussain was Syed and resided in Bukhara. Both families migrated to India. Syed Ahmad was married to, Bibi Zulekha. Badayun, in those days, was a great center of learning, so his father settled down there on migration from Bukhara.

After learning the Holy Qur'an, he read books on various subjects, such as, Qadoori from Maulana Ala-Uddin Usooli, Maqamaat-e-Hariri from Maulana Shamsuddin Malik, and obtained distinction in outer subjects like Jurisprudence, Tradition Commentary, Speech, Logic, Mechanics, Arithmetic, Vocabulary, Literature, and Recitation. He also obtained the degree of 'Mashariq-ul-Anwar' from Maulana Kamal-uddin at Delhi. He completed his exterior education at Badayun and reached Delhi with his mother for further education and finally settled here. He took lessons from the renowned Scholars Maulana Shamsuddin and Maulana Kamal-Uddin Zahid and came to be recognized as a distinguished scholar.

He later set out in search of a teacher and guide who could lead to spiritual and intrinsic learning. During his stay at Badayun, he came to know about Baba Farid through Abu-Bakkar Qawwal (Sufi musician). Baba Farid's younger brother, Sheikh Najib-uddin Mutawakkil, was his neighbor in Delhi. His intimacy with Sheikh Mutawakkil added fuel to the fire.

He spent nights in prayer in a mosque. One morning the "muazzan" recited the Qur'anic verse from the minaret, meaning:

"Hasn't time come for the Faithful that their hearts bow down in praise to God."

The verse left a strange effect on him, his heart began to shake, and tears rolled down the cheeks; worldly love left him, and his heart was flooded with divine light. No longing remained, and under the condition he set out for Pak-Pattan (Pakistan), where he met Baba Farid.

The Shaikhs of Chishtiya Silsila (Saints of Chishtiya Sufi Order) had been commanding their Khalifas (Spiritual Successors) before their death, that one great saint would come to our Chishtiya order, he would be "Mehboob-e-Ilahi" (God's beloved), so if in your life he would come, then convey my "Salaam" to him. So when Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya came to Baba Farid, he recognized him at first sight, and recited the couplet in Persian :

Ai Aatish-e-furqat dil-ha kabab karda

Sailab-e-Ishtiaqat janha kharab karda

Meaning:

The fire of separation has roasted the hearts and the flood of fondness has wasted the soul.

The night before meeting Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, Baba Farid had a dream that he is hunting birds though a bird catching net, and many birds had been cought by him through that net, and finally a "Falcon" came & was cought through Baba Farid's net.

After greeting Hazrat Nizamuddin, Baba Farid removed his kulah-e-char Turki (a kind of Turkish cap) from his head he placed it on Hazrat Nizamuddin's head. Baba Farid also gave him other things: his robe, sandals, and prayer mat, staff etc.

Hazrat Nizamuddin pledged obedience to Baba Farid on 15, Rajab 655 Hijri and stayed in his service till 3, Rabi-Ul-Awwal 656 Hijri and engaged in different spiritual contemplations under his guidance and soon attained high degrees and proficiency in conduct and divinity. Baba Farid sent him to Delhi with the letter of Khilafat & told him to stamp it from Jamal Hanswi in Delhi. Hazrat Nizamuddin went to Delhi & met Jamal Hanswi, who gave him a Hujra (closet) to rest for some days. So Hazrat Nizamuddin stayed there without asking anything from Jamal Hanswi. After two months Jamal Hanswi asked Hazrat Nizamuddin: "For what purpose have you come to me?" Hazrat Nizamuddin replied: "If you don't know, then I would say!" Jamal Hanswi didn't reply & remained silent. So Hazrat Nizamuddin stayed there for two months more, and then Jamal Hanswi again asked him the same question, and Hazrat Nizamuddin replied the same answer. Then Jamal Hanswi said: "Ok, give me your khilafatnama, I'll stamp it". Jamal Hanswi stamped the khilafatnama and also wrote on that in Farsi: "Thousands of praises, thousands of thanks, that I've handed over the gem to the person who knows the value of gems."

He busied himself in prayer and meditation in Delhi, renounced material things, and kept fast regularly. He did intense penance for 30 years. He led a life of renunciation and resignation, had no interest in things of the world. He said his prayers regularly. After the Chasht and Ishraq prayers (The prayer of morning after sunrise) he sat in the congregation of his desciples and discussed problems of mysticism. After midday prayer he talked to the students and seekers of knowledge, and spent his nights in prayers.

Once Hazrat Nizam went to a Hindu Yogi, who was a great spiritual healer, and asked him that how did you get such spiritual ability? Yogi replied: "By acting opposite to my "Nafs" (Ego). Hazrat Nizamuddin asked: "Does your Nafs (Ego) accept Islam?" Yogi said: "No" Hazrat Nizamuddin said: "Then why don't you act against your Nafs?" Yogi became silent & thougtful for somewhile, and then accepted Islam on the hands of Hazrat Nizamuddin.

Shaikh Burhanuddin Gharib and Sheikh Kamaluddin Yaqub, who later became his heirs, lived with him. One day Kamaluddin boiled some flour in an earthen pot then came a mendicant and demanded food. Mahboob-e-Ilahi placed the pot before him, the mendicant ate some from it and then dashed it to the ground, and said: "Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya, Baba Farid blessed you with divine bounties and I have broken the pot of your apparent self-sufficiency." After which he saw no shortage.

Baba Farid said: "May you consume seventy mounds of flour daily in your kitchen!" His kitchen always remained hot. Thousands of beggars and the poor ate from it. Whatever received in the monastery was promptly given away to the needy. Nothing was saved. Many people drew sustenance. Numerous students and Hafiz were given help. The kings were surprised at this.

Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya was fond of "mehfil-e-sama' (Sufi music) like other saints of Chishtiya Sufi Order, he often enraptured during the sama'.

When he antiapated Death, he gave a special robe, a turban, and a prayer mat to Maulana Burhanuddin Gharib and ordered him to go to the Deccan. The same things to Maulana Yaqub and repaired him to Gujrat. He also gave the same articles to Maulana Shamsuddin but denied anything to Maulana Nasiruddin Chiragh-e-Dehlavi. People were surprised at the outcome. On Wednesday Mehboob-Ilahi called Hazrat Nasiruddin and entrusted to him staff, prayers mat, rosary, sandals, robe, and other sacred relics of Baba Farid and said, "you shall have to bear the tribulations of the people and stay in Delhi". He died on 18 Rabi-us-Sani 725 Hijri (1325 AD). All of your heirs are well known but Amir Khusro loved him profoundly.

Sultan Ghayasuddin Tughlaq was envious of him. He bore great ill will for him. Once when he was returning from Bengal to Delhi, he sent warning to Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya to leave Delhi. This grieved Hazrat Nizamuddin, at the moment he said famous historical words:

"Hanooz Delhi Door Ast"

Meaning: "Delhi is far yet."

And it so happened that Ghayasuddin did not reach Delhi. Tughlaqabad palace collapsed on him and killed him.

Once Hazrat Nizamuddin sent his disciple Hazrat Ameer Khusro to Hazrat Bu-Ali Shah Qalandar, when he reached there, Hazrat Bu-Ali asked him to recite some of his couplets. Hazrat Ameer Khusro recited few of his couplets to him, then Hazrat Bu-Ali also said some of his couplet to Hazrat Ameer Khusro, and Hazrat Ameer Khusro started to cry. Hazrat Bu-Ali asked: " Have you understood my couplet that you are crying?". Hazrat Ameer Khusro replied: "I'm crying only because I haven't understood your couplet". Hazrat Bu-Ali Shah Qalandar smiled & said: "Ok, I'm giving you something" after saying that Hazrat Bu-Ali gave Tawwaja-e-Batin (Spiritual attention) to Hazrat Ameer Khusro, and suddenly two hands appeared between both of them & then disappeared. Both of them became surprised to see that. Hazrat Bu-Ali again started to gave Tawajja-e-Batin to Hazrat Ameer Khusro, again two hands appeared between them & then disappeared, that incident occured three times, and then Hazrat Bu-Ali said to Hazrat Ameer Khusro: "I wanted to give you some spiritual gift, but that wasn't in your fate". Hazrat Ameer Khusro became disappointed & went to Hazrat Nizamuddin & told the whole story. Hazrat Nizamuddin smiled & said: "Bu-Ali wanted to make you like himself, but it could be dangerous for you, that's why when Bu-Ali was giving you Tawajja, I took it with me, and that spiritual gift of Bu-Ali is still lying with me, I'll give it to you after your death".