Sain Mian Mir was a renowned Sufi saint of Lahore. He belonged to Sistan in Central Asia. His original name was Shaikh Muhammad. He was born about 1550 CE. He had a religious bent of mind. As a child he attentively listened to religious sermons. He became a disciple of Shaikh Khizr of the Qadiri order of Sufis. When Mian Mir decided to come to Hindostan he was about 25 years old. He settled at Lahore. He resided in the suburbs of the city called Begampura. The whole area is now called after him Mian Mir. People thronged to him in large numbers from far and wide.

Guru Arjan often visited Lahore to interact with the Lahore sangat. On the occasion of one such visit he called on Sain Mian Mir. The two men of God met and became lifelong friends. Mian Mir was thirteen years older than Guru Arjan. Guru Arjan was responsible for the construction of many tanks and buildings. In 1589 he planned to build a Gurdwara in the center of the holy tank called Amritsar or the tank of nectar. As the temple was to be thrown open to people of all castes, creeds and climes, he invited Mian Mir to lay the foundation stone of the Harmandar.

Mian Mir was given a warm welcome. The two holy men embraced each other in sincere love and regard. The purpose of the temple was disclosed to the Sufi saint. The Guru pointed out that the Hindu temples and Muslim mosques were built on a raised plinth. The Sikh Gurdwara would be erected on a lower plinth than the surrounding area. The idea was that God could be attained by bending low in submission and humility. The Hindu temples and Muslim mosques were closed on three sides and had only one doorway facing east and west respectively. His temple would be open on all the four sides implying that it would welcome persons of all the four castes, Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaishas and Shudras; to all the four religions in the world, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity, and to all the people from any country or climate from north, south, east and west.

The Muslim saint was highly delighted at the fine objectives the Guru had in mind. He was deeply impressed with his pleasing personality, charming manners and the divine light shining in his face, words and deeds. The foundation stone was laid. Hymns were sung in the praise of God and Parsad was distributed among the audience. A mason with his tools stood by. As the holy man had placed the stone irregularly, the mason corrected its posture in order to place bricks on it properly. The saint remarked that the temple would have to be rebuilt in course of time. The prophecy came out true about a century and a half later when Ahmad Shah Abdali blew it off with gunpowder. In 1606 Guru Arjan was implicated in the affair of Khusrau, the rebel son of Jahangir. He was imprisoned in the Lahore fort and was barbarously tortured.

When Mian Mir heard about it, he came to see the Guru. He found Guru Arjan calm and serene having completely accepted the will of God. Mian Mir asked the Guru whether he should intercede with Emperor Jahangir on his behalf. The Guru forbade him saying that God's will must have its course unchecked, as it was not proper to interfere with its working. He only asked for the Saint's blessings for his son Hargobind.

A couple of years after the death of Guru Arjan, his son and successor Guru Hargobind, a lad of thirteen, called on Mian Mir at Lahore. In the monastery (Khanqah) there were many disciples of Mian Mir including a young girl Kaulan. She was the daughter of Rustam Khan, the Qazi of the Capital. Being religious-minded from childhood, she became a disciple of Mian Mir. She had made up her mind to renounce the world, but in Islam there is no room for a woman to lead the life of a recluse. Her father grew furious at such a proposal. He tried his best to dissuade her from her intention. Having failed in this attempt he began to persecute her. She fled to Mian Mir who sent her to Amritsar under proper escort. She was given a separate house to live, and she was immortalized by the construction of a tank named after her Kaulsar.

He is called the founder of Mian Khail branch of the Qadiri order. He passed away on 11 August, 1635. He was buried at village Hashimpur. Guru Tegh Bahadur as a child met Mian Mir who blessed him.