Shrine of Hazrat Bibi Fatima Sam (ra) ,Delhi

Shrine of Hazrat Bibi Fatima Sam (ra) ,Delhi. She is one of the pious and humble women devotees of the age. She is frequently mentioned in the discourses of Shaykh Nizam al Din Awliya' and his disciples. They say that the emperor of the masters, Shaykh Nizam al Din Awliya, frequently meditated in the shrine of Fatima Sam. Shaykh Farid al Din Ganj-I Shakar said , "Fatima Sam is a man sent in the form of woman".

"You may seek love ,and you may seek soul.
Seek them both ,but it won't be easy ."

I have heard from Bibi Fatima Sam that she said , " The saints will cast away both worldly and religious blessings to give a piece of bread or a drink of water to someone in need. This state is something one cannot obtain by one hundred thousand fasts and prayers ."

In the discourses of Mir Sayyid Gisu Daraz ,it is written that one day in the assembly of Shaykh Nasir al Din Mahmud ,talk fell upon the virtues of Bibi Fatima Sam. He said , " Bibi Fatima Sam after her death told someone , "One day by appointment I went to the revered Lord of Power (i.e., God ) . I passed by the round of angels ,and suddenly an angel said , "Who are you ? Why should you be proceeding so carelessly ?" I replied , " I have sworn an oath ; I am just sitting here until the Most High Lord of Power summons me; I will go no further." 

An hour passed. Bibi Khadija and Bibi Fatima Zahra, the wife and the daughter of Prophet Muhammad ( may god be pleased with them), came, and I felt at their feet. They said to me, "Fatima Sam, who is there like you today? For God Most High has sent us in search of you." I said, "I am your slave; what honour could be higher than for you to come in search of me? But I have sworn an oath." Then the decree came from God: " Fatima Sam speaks rightly. You both must depart from here and leave her alone." Then I heard God call, "Come to Me, to Me." I moved from that place. To god I Said, "Lord, in Your presence there are such mannerless ones that Your visitors will not recognize You." " She spoke these words, and sighed, from the midst of her tomb."

In the Best of Assemblies, the discourses of Shaykh Nasir-al-Din Mahmud Chiragh-I Dihli, he says, "One day , Mawlana Husam al-Din Came into the presence of Shaykh Nizam al-Din (may God sanctify their secrets). He said, "Mawlana Husam al-Din, today we saw one of the substitutes." He asked, "Where did you see him?" He said, "I was making pilgrimage to the tomb of Bibi Sam; it is near the enclosure of a pool. A man appeared carrying cucumbers on his head, which he brought down to the edge of the pool. He stored the cucumbers away and performed ablutions in such a way that I was astonished.

When he finished his ablutions, he performed two cycles of ritual prayer with perfect equanimity. I was astonished from the experience of seeing his prayer. Then he went in the water and washed his basket three times. Then, one by one, he washed the cucumbers, offered prayers to the Prophet, and put them in the basket, until he had washed all the cucumbers in this fashion. Then he picked up the basket and three times put it down in the pool. He picked it up again ,and set it on the edge so that the water trickled out. From utter astonishment ,I arose .There was a silver coin in my turban, which I took out and offered to him.

I said, "Master, accept this." He said, "Shaykh, excuse me." I said, "Master, for a couple of copper you wash your cucumbers repeatedly and take such pain; God Most High now sends you a silver coin as alms. Why won't you take it?" Again he said, "Excuse me." I said, "Give us an explanation; why won't you take it?" He said, " Sit down, so I can tell you." That man and I both sat down. He began:
" ' " My father used to do the same job. I was small when my father passed away. My mother taught me enough rules of worship that I knew how to pray five times a day. After that, when the hour of her passing took place, she called me near and said, 'We have tied up something with a knot; get it out and bring it.' I put my head on that thing, and there was a knot on it.

I put it before my mother. She opened it up, and did something particular. She said, 'This is the way to prepare the burial shroud, to wash the corpse, and to perform the burial in the tomb.' She gave me about twenty dirhams and said, 'This is the fortune of your whole life. When your father went into gardens, he picked cucumbers and vegetables and sold them. Thus he spent his life . you also pick cucumbers and vegetables and sell them. Don't support yourself in any way but this.' "
" 'When the man finished this tale, I realized that he was one of the Substitues. He accepts nothing from anyone except under duress ( God have mercy on him and on all the pious ).' "

In Lives of the Saints by Mir Khwurd, he says that Bibi Fatima Sam is buried on the outskirts of Indrapat township. Her shrine has become the place where people go for help with their needs. The writer of these lines observes that her tomb today is near the Nakhas Gate of Delhi, but it has fallen into ruin, so that no one knows about it except if Gods wills. The place that the vulgar call "Bibi Sham," or which some common people call "the fasting (sa'im) Bibi" - in both cases erroneously - is correctly named after Bibi Fatima Sam (God have mercy on her ) .