The sufi saint who maintained that devotional music was one way of coming close to God was

The Chishti order explicitly embraced sama — the performance of mystical music — as a legitimate means of evoking God’s presence; sama was described as integral to the Chishtis and as a form of devotional audition interacting with indigenous devotional traditions [1]. Khwaja Muin-ud-din Chishti, the most revered early Chishti saint whose dargah at Ajmer became a focal point for Chishti practice, represents this institutionalized use of devotional music in South Asia [2]. The musical dimension of Chishti devotion was further developed into formal qawwali within the same spiritual lineage, demonstrating that devotional music was seen as a path to closeness with God in the Chishti tradition [3].

Sources

1. [1] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 6: Bhakti-Sufi Traditions > The pilgrimage of the Mughal princess Jahanara, 1643 > p. 157
2. [2] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 6: Bhakti-Sufi Traditions > 7.2 Chishti devotionalism: ziyarat and qawwali > p. 155
3. [3] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 6: Bhakti-Sufi Traditions > Amir Khusrau and the qaul > p. 158