There is a story of Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti, whose fame
is still so great that, although he died hundreds of years
ago, thousands come to his tomb every year, and the power
of his holiness is so great that everyone who goes there
falls into a trance.
One of his mureeds once wrote him a letter and, as we
write 'yours sincerely,' 'yours truly,' he signed 'faqir.'
Faqir means one who has renounced one who is spiritual.
Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti read the letter and said, 'Thank
you God, I have a mureed who is a faqir, what I myself,
all my life following this way, have not become.' He answered
the mureed saying, 'I am very glad that you have become
a faqir.' The mureed was much dismayed. He thought, 'What
have I done? I have written the wrong thing.' Faqir also
means a humble person, which was what he meant.
He went to his Murshid and said, 'I have made a great
fault.' The Murshid replied, 'It is all right. I wish that
you should be greater than I. I shall show you how I am
considered.' He took the mureed out in the wilderness where
the hermits were living, a long, long way from any town.
They knocked at the door, and a voice came from within,
'Will the dogs of the world not leave us in peace even here?'
Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti said, 'I am your Murshid, and you
see in what sort of respect I am held.'