The mausoleum of Shah Rukn-e Alam is located in central Multan and houses the graves of the Sufi saint Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fateh (1251-1335) and dozens of his disciples and family members. Built from 1320-24, it is commonly ranked among the key monuments of Indo-Islamic architecture, inspiring later memorials such as the Tughluq tombs in Delhi and the numerous mausolea at Uch Sharif.

By the early 12th century the Punjab area, and Multan in particular, was widely regarded as a center of Sufi learning with numerous mausoleums of Sufi wali (saints) dotting the landscape. It was popularly believed that the spiritual influence of a saint (his baraka) continued to radiate even after death, making pilgrimages to such tombs a salubrious experience. As tombs grew to encompass a social function—as places for a saint's disciples and family members to gather and reaffirm their shared beliefs and spiritual lineages—it became more and more necessary for tombs to be large, durable, and integrated with the surrounding community. For instance, the saint's own grandfather, Baha-ud-din Zakariya (c. 1170-1262) was laid to rest in a grand tomb within Multan's urban fabric, where it served as the centerpiece of annual fairs and frequent pilgrimages. It was also lofty and visible from a great distance, in accordance with the saint's elevated stature.

Tomb construction was a costly affair; Zakariya was apparently able to sponsor the construction of his own tomb out of his own funds, but that was fairly unusual. More often local rulers or a saint’s spiritual heirs would shoulder the burden. Rukn-e Alam’s tomb presents a puzzle as it is exceptionally large—the tomb measures 35 meters from ground to roof and is 27 meters in diameter, far larger than any other Sufi tomb in Multan before or hence. One explanation for this is that the tomb may have originally been intended for Ghazi-ad-din Tughluq, the regional governor of Dipalpur, who had access to greater revenue streams than any Sufi saint. According to this interpretation, Tughluq began constructing the tomb in 1320. At the same time, Tughluq grew tempted with the prospect of higher office when the neighboring Delhi Sultanate showed signs of weakness. Sensing an opportunity, Tughluq invaded and successfully claimed the throne, installing himself as the first of the so-called Tughluq emperors, a dynasty that survived until 1413.

Tughluq's rule was energetic but short-lived; upon his death in 1325 he was buried in Delhi. As his tomb at Multan was no longer needed, it may have been gifted by Tughluq's heir, Firuz Shah, to the descendants of Rukn-e Alam, who reinterred the saint there in the 1350s (Rukn was originally buried in Zakaryia’s tomb alongside his spiritual mentor). If this is true, the grand nature of Rukn’s tomb may be a historical accident, as his followers were able to gain control of an empty tomb suitable to their needs.

However, Ahmad Nabi Khan is of the opinion that Tughluq's involvement is spurious. He notes that Tughluq was not in uncontested control of Multan and that contemporary chroniclers such as Ibn Battuta omit mention of a tomb, even though Battuta remarked on a much smaller mosque (which no longer survives). Tughluq was also a devotee of the grandson of the Sufi master Baba Farid Ganj-i-Shakar; hence, it seems unlikely that his heirs would have given the tomb to anyone else. Furthermore, Tughluq was originally appointed to contain the ongoing threat posed by the Mongols. His constant forays into battle would have left him little time or opportunity to prepare a monumental tomb...