Advanced Institute for Research on Religion and Culture (ARRC)

Subject: MREL007: Islamic Mysticism (Sufism)

M.Th. 1. Dept: Religion (Islam)
Paper Presentation on: “Suhrawardi and Naqshabandi”
Facilitator: Rev. Dr. M. M. Abraham Submitted by: K. Jason
Presented on: 11th October, 2018
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Introduction:
Sufis were organized into a number of mystical orders (tariqat, literally “paths”), each
with its own religious rites, saintly lineage and leadership structure. The head of each order,
generally a hereditary position known as the shaykh or pir1, represented a spiritual genealogy
tracing back to the prophet. There are so many Sufi Orders in the world but four Orders are
renowned in the history of Sufism. A vast majority of Sufis belong to the Silsila-e-
Suharwardiyya, Naqshabandiyya, Qadiriyya and Chishtiya. Most of the other Sufi Orders are
the offshoot of these four Orders. In this paper I would like to bring out two Sufi orders
among four, Suhrawardi and Naqshabandi.
The Sufi Orders (Sufi Silsila):
Sufi Silsila is also called a Religious Order. The origin of the ‘Religious Orders’ is
given by the Western Orientalists scholars from the twelfth century. Such a statement may be
accepted as correct in the sense that at that period these Orders were fully organized, and that
each was marked by distinguishing features in its teaching and practice. The Sufi companions
in a course of time came to be called Tariqa, the path (Turq) or Khanwada, a family, but
through the influence of Western Orientalist scholar’s terminology they are commonly
spoken and written as ‘Religious Order’ or ‘Sufi Orders’. The Sufi Orders or Silsilas are very
multifaceted phenomena because of vast diversity in practices and culture. The diversity in
the Sufi Orders is only the outcome of the various Silsila in Sufism.2
The origin of the Religious Orders is said, by certain western scholars, to date from
th
the 12 century A.D. The earliest Muslims were burdened with fear of the terrors of an
avenging God. The world was evil and fleeting; the only abiding good was in the other world;
so their religion became an ascetic other-worldliness. They fled into the wilderness from the
wrath to come. Wandering, either solitary or in companies, was the special sign of the true
Sufi. The young men gave themselves over to the guidance of the older men; little circles of
disciples gathered round a venerated Shaykh; fraternities began to form, called as Tariqa, the
path. The teachings imparted in these Orders are supposed to have been handed down through
more or less continuous chains of succession originating with the founders. Such a chain is
called Silsila.3

1 A Muslim saint or holy man.

2 Sufism And Culture…, http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/80220/7/07_chapter
%202.pdf
3 John A. Subha, Sufism: Its saints and shrines (Lucknow: Lucknow publishing house, 1938), 159-160.

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Suhrawardi:
The Suhrawardiyya is a Sufi order founded by the Sufi Diya al-din Abu ‘n-Najib as-
Suhrawardi (1097 – 1168 CE). It is a strictly Sunni order, guided by the Shafi’i school of
Islamic law (madhhab), and, like many such orders, traces its spiritual genealogy to Ali ibn
Abi Talib through Junayd Baghdadi and al-Ghazali. It played an important role in the
formation of a conservative ‘new piety’ and in the regulation of urban vocational and other
groups, such as trades-guilds and youth clubs, particularly in Baghdad.
Origin:
The order originated in Sohrevard, in today’s Iran ,though it spread all over the
Islamic world under its founder’s nephew, Abu Hafs Umar al-Suhrawardi (1145 – 1234 CE)
who was sent by the Caliph in Baghdad as an ambassador to the Ayyubid Sultan Al-Adil I of
Egypt, to Khwarezm-Shah Muhammad of Bukhara and to Kayqubad I, Sultan of Rum. The
order’s founder was a disciple (murid) of Ahmad Ghazali, brother of the noted thinker Imam
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, who taught Shafi’i jurisprudence (fiqh) at Al-Nizamiyya of Baghdad
Academy. His surviving work is called Kitab Adab Al-Muridin – “The Book of Duty of
Disciples”.4
Shihab ad-din Abu Hafs ‘Umar received his early training in his uncle’s ribat 5. The
spiritual insights of Shihab ad-din was deeper than that of the founders of the Qadiriyya and
Rifaiyya6. The Suhrawardiyya was a mystical school and his pupils introduced his teaching
into all parts of the Muslim world. From him only a few regularly organized ta’ifas 7
stemmed. ‘Abd ar-Rahman al-Wasiti, writing about A.D. 1325, says that the Suhrawardiyya
had more branches (furu) than any other tariqa, but it is difficult to get confirmation of the
existence of many distinct ta’ifas as compared with the large numbers of Sufis claiming to
belong to the Suhrawardi silsila. Shihab ad-din maintained a careful orthodoxy and this was
continued by his more immediate followers, among whom the well-known Shirazi shaikh,
Najib ad-din Buzghush (d. 678/1279), and his son and successor, Zahir ad-din ‘Abd ar-
Rahman. The great Persian poet Sa’di of Shiraz (A.D. 1208-92), refers to Shihab ad-din’s
piety and love for his fellow man. This shows what little meaning was sometimes to be
attached to these initiations. Later leaders claiming a Suhrawardi ascription included all types
of Sufis.8

4 https://www.revolvy.com/page/Suhrawardiyya
5 A ribat is an Arabic term for a small fortification as built along a frontier during the first years of the
Muslim conquest of North Africa to house military volunteers, called the murabitun. These fortifications later
served to protect commercial routes, and as centres for isolated Muslim communities. Ribats were first seen in
the 8th century. The word "ribat" in its abstract refers to voluntary defence of Islam, which is why ribats were
originally used to house those who fought to defend Islam in jihad. They can also be referred to by other names
such as khanqah, most commonly used in Iran, and tekke, most commonly used in Turkey.
6 Rifa`i is an eminent Sufi order (tariqa) founded by Ahmed ar-Rifa'i and developed in the Lower Iraq
marshlands between Wasit and Basra. The Rifa'iyya had its greatest following until the 15th century C.E. when
it was overtaken by the Qadiri order. The order is said to wield particular influence in Cairo, Egypt. The Rifa'i
order is most commonly found in the Arab Middle East but also in Turkey, the Balkans and South Asia.
7 A small independent Muslim-ruled principality in the Iberian Peninsula, during the 11th, 12th and
13th century.
8 J. Spencer Trimingham, The Sufi Orders in Islam (London: Oxford University Press, 1971), 34-36.

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On Spirituality and Love:
Shaykh al-Suhrawardi discussed the different types of love that Sufis can develop
from their tasawwuf9. According to him, love for oneself is self-destructive and leads the Sufi
away from proper observance of tasawwuf. The highest type of love is the one that is not for
the individual self, but only for the divine. When a Sufi completely surrenders his love to the
divine, then he is able to access all things associated with the divine. He stated that ‘The love
for oneself is like fire because one’s observation become slanted.’ In addition to this he stated,
‘When people direct their special love in the proper ways, then they become interested in the
things that are associated with the divine things. This is because love is charitable and the
lover and Beloved become attached to each other. In the treatise al-Shuhrawardi repeats the
need for Sufi disciples of his order to observe and strive toward pure love at all times. For
him, the words of the Sufi shaykh were a type of pure love that is practised toward God, and
obeying the words of the Sufi shaykh can bring about blessings upon all of humankind.
Al-Suhrawardi stressed the importance of listening and obeying the shaykh’s wise
guidance and training. To him, the words actually spoken had travelled a great distance and
deserved to be treated as a sacred vocabulary. He refer to Rumi: ‘Shaykh Rumi stated that
tasawwuf is about having the soul in the hands of almighty God, and having intentions is only
a part of it. It is said that tasawwuf is performing Dhikr 10 with the community of Sufis, and
taking part in Sama11 with actions. The desire for evil (ammar), repentance (tawba) and
satisfaction (mutma’inn) represented three different stages in the natural development and
gradual purification of the nafs. To Shaykh al-Suhrawardi the heart (qalb), while a part of the
body, essentially went beyond basic anatomical functions. For him the heart of a true believer
(mu’min) was analogous to a pure soul, being illuminated of a lowly substance. The heart of
the hypocrite was shrouded in a veil, and a many-faceted heart was one which was inclined
towards both good and evil.12
Muqarrabun: Those Nearest to God:
When the Islamic faith imparts to us the knowledge that God alone is our deity, He
alone we should worship and He alone we should ask for help, the question then necessarily
arises in our mind, ‘Where should we seek this God whom we worship and before whom we
express our humility and subjection?’ Truly speaking, Sufism gives a reply to the above
question in the light of the Qur'an and the Prophet's traditions, and it is also called “the
knowledge of the nearness of God.”
Sufism is nothing but this knowledge alone. The Sufi who is conversant with the
'knowledge of nearness' knows the secret of the relation between Haqq and Khalq, God and
the phenomenal things, the secret of nearness and proximity, immanence and transcendence,
Firstness and Lastness, Outwardness and Inwardness of God with the phenomenal things. Not

9 Tasawwuf is an Arabic term for the process of realizing ethical and spiritual ideals; meaning literally
"becoming a Sufi," tasawwuf is generally translated as Sufism.
10 Dhikr/Zikr is the name of devotional acts in Islam in which short phrases or prayers are repeatedly
recited silently within the mind or aloud. It is counted on a set of prayer beads, comparable to the rosary of
Catholic tradition or Japa Mala of Hindu tradition. A person who recites the Dhikr is called a dakir.
11 Samāʿ, (Arabic: “listening”), the Ṣūfī (Muslim mystic) practice of listening to music and chanting to
reinforce ecstasy and induce mystical trance.
12 Qamar-Ul Huda, “The Remembrance of the Prophet in Suhrawardi’s ‘Awarif Al-Ma’arif”, Journal
of Islamic Studies, 12:2. 2001, 137-139.

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only does he know this secret but he feels the immediate Presence of God within his own self.
Now he is dead to his self and consequently we can call him the one whom God has drawn
near to Him (muqarrab).
In Sura 56 (waq'ia) in the Qur'an, men are sorted out into three classes:
1. The companions of the Right Hand (Ashab-al-Maimana).
2. The companions of the Left Hand (Ashab-al-Mash'ama).
3. Those nearest to God (Muqarrabun).
Those who regard their Creator as their “Ilah” or Deity and worship Him alone and
ask for His help alone and believe that there is none other than He worthy of our devotion and
able to help us, are called in Qur'an the Companions of the Right Hand. And those who
regard some created beings as their Deities and worship them and seek their aid, thus
rejecting the faith which lays down that God alone is our Cherisher and Sustainer, are termed
the Companions of the left. The Muqarrabun are those who not only believe their Creator as
their only Deity and worship Him alone and seek for His help alone, but also know the true
relationship that exists between them and their Creator. They have been promised “Rest and
Peace and a Garden of Bliss.”
Thus the great Sufi Shaykh Shahabuddin Suhrawardi in his famous Sufi Compendium
‘Awarif-al-Maarif’ (Chapter I) holds that though the term 'Sufi' is not used in the Noble
Qur'an, the word “Muqarrab” connotes the same meaning, which is expressed by the term
Sufi.13
On Prayers:
Al-Suhrawardi took a firm position of the daily ritual prayers. He was adamant about
following the Sunna as strictly as possible and not being negligent about prayers like other
Sufi orders. He points to a Prophetic hadith that refers to God calling prayers the ‘pillars of
the religion’. He was concerned that the behaviour of Sufis should complete adherence to the
example of the prophet.
For al-Suhrawardi prayers are an important dimension for a spiritual seeker who
wishes to see and experience God’s disclosure. The ‘ Awarif al-Ma’arif contains commentary
under the sub-headings ‘The Excellence of Prayers’ and ‘The Humility of Prayers’, which
illustrates the Shaykh’s interest in ensuring that prayers are not seen as just ritual
performances ordered by the Shari’a but as an integral component of tasawwuf discipline.
Under ‘The Excellence of Prayers’, the Shaykh uses a hadith14 of the Prophet that refers to the
power of prayer to open the heart to experience a type of humility that is tied to experiences
of heaven.
One of the most important virtues of prayer is its enabling the Sufi heart to grow in
humility so that the disciple realizes the transformations that are being experienced. Hadiths
used in tasawwuf texts aim to highlight transcendental experience in prayer and to undergo

13 Sufi Orders (Naqshbandiya, Qadriya, Chishtiya, Suharwardiya)…,

http://moderndarvaish.blogspot.com/p/silsila-e-naqshbandiya.html
14 A collection of traditions containing sayings of the prophet Muhammad which, with accounts of his
daily practice (the Sunna), constitute the major source of guidance for Muslims apart from the Koran.

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spiritual awakenings similar to the Prophet’s spiritual experience. Al-Suhrawardi’s use of
hadiths connect prayer with the Prophet’s spiritual journey and, through remembrance and
celebration of relationship with the Prophet, enable the Sufi ultimately to come to the
divine.15
Adaab16/ Proper Manners:
Abu al-Najib al-Suhrawardi wrote a treatise on adaab which included instructions for
conduct at meals and with guests. First in importance was that one should eat in company
whenever possible, whether informally with companions, graciously with guests, or
generously with the poor, and always with impeccable courtesy. One should eat only when
hungry, and stop before becoming full.
Abu al-Najib al-Suhrawardi also advised that travellers not carry food on their
journeys. To do so constitutes an exercise of the quality of tawakkul 17 — wholehearted faith
in Allah as Provider, humility in the face of that fact, and acceptance of what is given — into
a context in which one is most vulnerable. Hungry strangers who consciously leave the
provisioning to God expose and confront their dependence on Divine grace, generosity and
protection. Consequently, the conditions are created for others to serve as vehicles of those
qualities.
According to him, the Sufi must greet and honour all guests, and share with them
whatever pure food or drink is available without fuss or ceremony. The guest, in turn, should
sit where placed by the host, and express appreciation.
Each year Shaykh Shahabuddin Suhrawardi would leave Baghdad to perform the hajj.
But when he grew old and infirm, food prepared for him on the journey did not please him:
he no longer liked to eat cold food. His disciple Shaikh Jalaluddin Tabrizi then devised a way
to carry a hearth and a pot on his head, and to keep the hearth lit without burning himself.
Whenever the Shaykh wished to eat, his disciple would then serve him hot food. Many early
Sufis were particularly assiduous about the earthly source of their meals. Sufis eat only food
whose source they know. They avoid eating the food of unjust and sinful people.18
Suhrawardi in India:

15 Qamar-Ul Huda, “The Remembrance of the Prophet in Suhrawardi’s ‘Awarif Al-Ma’arif”…, 139-
140.
16 Adab in the context of behaviour, refers to prescribed Islamic etiquette: “refinement, good manners,
morals, decorum, decency, humaneness”. While interpretation of the scope and particulars of Adab may vary
among different cultures, common among these interpretations is regard for personal standing through the
observation of certain codes of behaviour.
17 Tawakkul is an Arabic word which literally means reliance-on or trust-in and it is one of the most
important topics in Islamic ethic, because it related to the essential part of monotheism. Therefore, he who does
not believe in the existence and absolute power of Allah will find it so difficult to trust or rely on him. In fact,
the real meaning of tawakkul lies in the word “La-ilaaha -illallah, wa laa- hawla wa laa quwwata illa billaahil
‘Alliyil Adheem”, or the word “Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billah”. Thus the above words should only be
expressed by the person who realized and believed that; he is not an independent entity and he is in need of
independent entity and absolute power in all of his affairs.
18 Sufi Orders (Naqshbandiya, Qadriya, Chishtiya, Suharwardiya)…,
http://moderndarvaish.blogspot.com/p/silsila-e-naqshbandiya.html

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 The Indian soil was enriched by the migration from Iran and Transoxiana 19 of a
number of disciples of Shaikh Shihabu’d-Din Suhraawardi. The real founders of the
Suhrawardiyya order in India were Shaikh Baha’u’d-Din Zakariyya and Shaikh Jalalu’d-Din
Tabrizi. The ancestors of the parents of Shaikh Baha’u’d-Din Zakariyya seem to have come
to Sind with the army of Muhammad bin Qasim. Baha’u’d-Din was born at Kot Karor, near
Multan, about 578/1182-83.20
The Sufis of Suhrawardi Silsila and their place of pilgrimage (such as Suhrawardi
Sufi shrine) are found and around the world especially in India. The Suhrawardi Sufis in
India traced their spiritual birth lineage back to Sheykh Shihabuddin Suhrawardi. He settled
in Baghdad, where he was received at the court at the ripe old age of ninety two in 632/1234-
1235. Of his disciples who settled down near Delhi, the most important was Sheykh
Nurduddin Mubarak Ghaznawi (d. 632/1234-35). He served for some time as sheikh ul-
Islam21 in the reign of Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmish, and Mawlana Majd ud-din who for some
time served as Sadr in Iltutmish’s reign.22
After Chishti order the next popular order of India was Suharwardi. The founder of
this silsila directed his disciples to work in India. Within very short time it gained marvellous
popularity. No doubt there were many saints in Suhrawardi order but for the organized form
of this silsila in India the credit goes to Bahau’d-Din Zakariya of Multani, who settled in
Multan till his death in 1262 A.D., the most influential mystic of the 13 th century. His Sufi
ideology differed from Chishti Order. He did not believe in poverty and torturing of the body.
He was against the Hindu practice of bowing against the sheikh and too much fasting like
Chill-i-Ma’kus, he also took part in the political affairs of rulers and administration of that
time. He was succeeded by his son Sadrau’d-Din Arif in Multan and his disciple Jalalu’d-Din
Surkh Bukhari established a strong Suhrawardi centre at Uch, he came from Bukhra 23, and
settled at Uch and Sindh, and within very short time he gained popularity and converted
many Hindus of Uch to Islam. The Suhrawardi Sufis took greater care of their families and
devoted more time to the upbringing and training of their sons than the Chishti saints. There
is a long list of Sufis of the Suhrawardi silsila after these saints among them Jalalu’d-Din
Makhdum-i- Jahanian (1308-1383) Shaikh Husain Amir Husain Suhrawardi, Shaikh

19 Transoxiana known in Arabic sources as Mā wara’ an-Nahr and in Persian as Fararud, is the ancient
name used for the portion of Central Asia corresponding approximately with modern-day Uzbekistan, Tajikistan,
southern Kyrgyzstan, and southwest Kazakhstan. Geographically, it is the region between the Amu Darya and
Syr Darya rivers. The area had been known to the Romans as Transoxania (Land beyond the Oxus), to the Arabs
as Ma wara’ an-Nahr (Land beyond the River), and to the Iranians as Turan, a term used in the Persian national
epic Shahnameh. The region was one of the satrapies of the Achaemenid dynasty of Persia under the name
Sogdiana. Early Arab geographers named it “Bilad al-Turk” or “Turkestan”, both of which mean ‘the lands of
the Turks’.
20 Saiyid Athar Abbas Rizvi, A History of Sufism in India, Vol:1 (New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal
Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 1978), 190.
21 Shaykh al-Islam was used in the classical era as an honorific title for outstanding scholars of the
Islamic sciences. It first emerged in Khurasan towards the end of the 4th Islamic century. In the central and
western lands of Islam, it was an informal title given to jurists whose fatwas were particularly influential, while
in the east it came to be conferred by rulers to ulama who played various official roles but were not generally
muftis. Sometimes, as in the case of Ibn Taymiyya, the use of the title was subject to controversy. Later it
became a prestigious position in the Ottoman Empire from which to govern religious affairs of Muslims.
Modern times have seen this function carried out by Grand Muftis appointed or elected in a variety of ways.
22 Sufism And Culture…, http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/80220/7/07_chapter
%202.pdf
23 Bukhara is a city in Uzbekistan.

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Sharfuddin Yahya Maniazi.24 Though the Suhrawardi Order was initiated in Iraq, it succeeded
only in India for taking the nature of a fraternity, along with its infrastructure, spiritual
practices, and the inner hierarchy of members.25
Naqshabandiyya:
The origin of this order is generally ascribed to Khwaja Baha’u’d’Din Naqshband,
who died in Persia in 1389 A.D. The word naqshband literally means an embroiderer or
printer on cloth, and as applied to Baha’u’d-Din, probably refers to his ancestral profession. 26
The Naqshbandi Order is considered the most prominent and widespread order in Central
Asia. It is also one of the more important orders that has been able to preserve and maintain
its Sunni identity and tradition. This order considers itself the direct spiritual heir of the
Khurasani doctrine27 and the school of the Mulamati linked to the Khurasani doctrine, which
focused great attention on asceticism, piety, devotion to God and reforming the internal (self).
The Mulamati were organized under the patronage of Baha’u’d-din Naqshband (d. 791
AH/1389 AD), whereas the Naqshbandi Order considers Abdul Khaliq al-Ghujdawani the
true sheikh of the order, as he was the one to introduce to the order a form of Sunna, which is
intrinsically focused on Dhikr or remembrance of God, or what the order calls “Essential
Dhikr” and “Recollection” or “Dhikr of the heart”, based on the example of Abu Bakr al-
Siddiq. Indeed, these particular forms of Dhikr have become a distinctive mark of the order.28
Principles of Naqshbandi Sufi Order:
Abdul Khaliq al-Ghujdawani (11th Shaykh of the Naqshbandi Tariqa’s Golden Chain)
coined the following phrases which are considered the principles of the Naqshbandi Tariqa
(Islamic Spiritual Order)29:
 Conscious Breathing – “Hosh dar Dam”:
Awareness while breathing. The technique of breath control. Khwaja Baha ‘u‘d-Din
Naqshband said, "The external basis of this tariqa is the breath." One must not exhale in
forgetfulness or inhale in forgetfulness.
 Watch Your Step – “Nazar bar Qadam”:

24 Interaction between Bhakti and Sufi Saints…,

http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/63539/13/13_chapter%206.pdf
25 Sufism And Culture…, http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/80220/7/07_chapter
%202.pdf
26 John A. Subha, Sufism: Its saints and shrines…, 186.
27 The School of Khurasan: From its early home in Basra and also to a certain degree in Kufa, Susm
spread to two main centres, Khurasan and Baghdad, each of which became the home of a school known by the
name of that locality. The school of Khurasan, whose member’s al-Junayd called the “people of the heart”, was
known especially for its emphasis upon poverty and indifference towards the opinion of the public, even to the
extent of inviting their blame (malama) and accusation. The school of the Malamatiyya (or Mulamati), that is
the people who invited blame upon themselves, associated with Hamdun al-Qassar, arose in Khurasan with most
of its later development there. The founder of the school of Khurasan was one of the earliest of Sus, Ibrahim Bin
Adham (165 AH/782 AD)
28 Hassan Abu Hanieh, Sufism and Sufi Orders: God’s Spiritual Paths Adaption and Renewal in the
Context of Modernization (Amman: Economic Printing Press, 2011), 166.
29 11 Principles of The Naqshbandi Tariqa (Islamic Spiritual Path/Order)…,
http://www.nurmuhammad.com/pbuh/?p=963

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 Let the salik (pilgrim) ever be watchful during his/her journey, whatever the type of
country through which s/he is passing that s/he does not let his/her gaze be distracted from
the goal of his/her journey.
 Journey Homeward – “Safar dar Watan”:
This means to travel one’s homeland. This is an interior journey, the movement from
blameworthy to praiseworthy qualities. Others refer to it as the vision or revelation of the
hidden side of the Shahada30.
 Solitude in the Crowd – “Khalwat dar Anjuman”:
The journey of the salik, though outwardly it is in the world, inwardly it is with God.
Leaders of the Tariqa have said, "In this tariqa association is in the crowd and disassociation
in the khalwa31." A common weekly practice was to perform the Dhikr in the assembly.
 Essential Remembrance- “Yad kard”:
Remembrance, or making mention. Both oral and mental. Be always repeating the
Dhikr imparted to you so that you may attain the beatific vision. Khwaja Baha ‘u’d-Din
Naqshband said, "The aim in Dhikr is that the heart be always aware of al-Haqq 32, for its
practice banished inattention."33
 Returning – “Baz gasht”:
The meaning of the phrase “baz gasht” is the return to Allah Exalted and Almighty by
showing stairway-to-heavens-light complete surrender and submission to His Will, and
complete humbleness in giving Him all due praise. The seeker cannot come to the presence of
Allah in his Dhikr, and cannot manifest the Secrets and Attributes of Allah in his Dhikr, if he
does not make Dhikr with Allah’s Support and with Allah’s Remembrance of him.
 Attentiveness- “Nigah dasht”:
“Nigah” means sight. It means that the seeker must watch his heart and safeguard it
by preventing bad thoughts from entering.34 Over wandering, passing thoughts when
repeating the blessed phrase.
 Recollection- “Yad dasht”:
Concentration upon the Divine Presence in a condition of Dhawq 35, foretaste, intuitive
anticipation or perceptiveness, not using external aids.

30 The Muslim profession of faith (‘there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of
Allah’), one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
31 Khalwa has several meanings in Sufism, Islamic jurisprudence, and the Druze religion, which in
some way derive from the concept of being alone or withdrawing from the world.
32 The Truth, a Beautiful Name of Allah.
33 Eleven Principles Of The Naqshbandi Sufi Order…, http://islam.uga.edu/11Naqsprin.html
34 11 Principles of The Naqshbandi Tariqa(Islamic Spiritual Path/Order)…,
http://www.nurmuhammad.com/pbuh/?p=963
35 In Sufism, dhawq (tasting) is direct, first-hand experience. It refers, principally, to the Gnosis of
God which is achieved experientially, as a result of rigorous empiric spiritual wayfaring. It plays an important
role in the epistemology of Al-Ghazzali, and is often expressed, to some extent, in teleological statements
scattered throughout his works.

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  Awareness of Time- “Wuquf Zamani”:
Temporal pause. Keeping account of how one is spending one's time, whether rightly
and if so give thanks, or wrongly- and if so asking for forgiveness, according to the ranking
of the deeds, for "verily the good deeds of the righteous are the iniquities of those who are
near to God."
 Awareness of Numbers- “Wuquf ‘Adadi”:
Numerical pause. Checking that the heart Dhikr has been repeated the requisite
number of times, taking into account one's wandering thoughts. The Rashahat mentions that
Khwaja Baha’u’d-Din Naqshband considered numerical awareness the first stage of esoteric
knowledge.
 Awareness of the Heart – “Wuquf Qalbi”:
Heart pause. Forming a mental picture of one's heart with the name of Allah engraved
thereon, to emphasize that the heart has no consciousness or goal other than God. This is the
meaning of the word "Naqshband".36
Naqshbandi Sufi Way:
The most distinguished Naqshbandi Way is a school of thought and practice that stood
in the vanguard of those groups which disseminated truth and fought against evil and
injustice, especially in Central Asia and India in the past, in China and the Soviet Union in
modern times, and in Europe and North America today. Naqshbandi Shaykhs who took up
political, social, educational and spiritual roles in their communities, acting according to the
Noble Quran and the Sunnah of the Beloved Prophet.
The most distinguished Naqshbandiya Order is the way of the Noble Companions of
the Prophet and those who follow them. This Way consists of continuous worship in every
action, both external and internal, with complete and perfect discipline according to the
Sunnah of the Prophet. It consists in maintaining the highest level of conduct and leaving
absolutely all innovations and all free interpretations in public customs and private behaviour.
It consists in keeping awareness of the Presence of God, Almighty and Exalted, on the way to
self-effacement and complete experience of the Divine Presence. It is the Way of complete
reflection of the highest degree of perfection. It is the Way of sanctifying the self by means of
the most difficult struggle, the struggle against the self. It begins where the other orders end,
in the attraction of complete Divine Love, which was granted to the first friend of the
Prophet, Sayyadina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq.37
Naqshabandi in India:
The Indian Naqshabandiyya traced their spiritual descent from Khwaja Nasiru’d-Din
‘Ubaidu’llah Ahrar, a prominent successor of Khwaja Baha’u’d-Din’s disciple, Ya ‘qub
Charkhi. Khwaja Ahrar was born in Ramazan 806/March-April 1404. His parents came from
a devout farming family in Baghistan, a village in a valley near Tashkent 38. Prior to his birth

36 John A. Subha, Sufism: Its saints and shrines…, 191-192.

37 Sufi Orders (Naqshbandiya, Qadriya, Chishtiya, Suharwardiya)…,
http://moderndarvaish.blogspot.com/p/silsila-e-naqshbandiya.html

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his parents had migrated to Tashkent39 where they lived in the vicinity of the tomb of Imam
Abu Bakr Qaffal Shashi. Nasiru’d-Din neglected his literary and theological studies,
dedicating himself mostly to mystical exercise. He himself found great satisfaction in the
company of the disciples of Khwaja Baha’u’d-Din Naqshband.
The conquest of India by Babur in 1526 gave considerable impetus to the
development of the Naqshbandiyya order. Both the new Emperor and a large number of his
Central Asian soldiers were the Spiritual followers of the disciples of Khwaja ‘Ubaidu’llah
Ahrar. Some eminent Naqshbandiyya Sufis also migrated from central Asia to India. Among
the most prominent were Khawaja ‘Abdu’sh-Shahid and Khwaja Kalan, a descendant of
Khwaja ‘Ubaidu’llah Ahrar whom Babur deeply respected.
In the early years of Akbar’s reign the Naqshbandiyya influence returned to the
Mughal court and many Naqshabandiyya Sufis who migrated from their homeland in
Transoxiana to Agra obtained high posts in the civil and military administration. In general
they retained their loyalty to the Empower and even supported the broadly-based policies
which Akbar introduced after 1579. Some Naqshabandiyya pirs who had migrated to India
after spending a few years with Mirza Hakim (Akbar’s half Brother), or who were originally
from kabukl, remained loyal to Mirza Hakim and also opposed Akbar’s religious policies.
The Naqshbandiyya Sufi who gained the most remarkable popularity in India in a very short
period was Khwaja Muhammad Baqi, or Baqi Bi’llah Berand, who was born in Kabul in
either 971/1563-64 or 972/1564-65.40
Conclusion:
It appears that Suhrawardi and Naqshbandi Sufi Silsilahs played a vital role for
reforming Sufi doctrines of various Indian Sufi orders and propagated the true spirit of Islam
in India. The only reason is this Sufi Silsilahs is closer to orthodoxy, and the order made a
very good impact on Indian Muslims, Suhrawardi and Naqshbandi Sufi Saints tried their best
to preach true spirit of Tasawwuf based on Qur’an and Sunnah. This Silsilahs rejected
syncretistic beliefs and practices which were prevailed among the Indian Muslims due to
Hindu Muslim cultural assimilation and amalgamation.

38 Tashkent is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan, as well as the most populated city in ex-Soviet
Central Asia with a population in 2012 of 2,309,300. It is located in the north-east of the country close to the
Kazakhstan border.
39 Tashkent is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan, as well as the most populated city in ex-Soviet
Central Asia. It is located in the north-east of the country close to the Kazakhstan border.
40 Saiyid Athar Abbas Rizvi, A History of Sufism in India, Vol:II (New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal
Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 1983), 174-185.

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References:
Eleven Principles of the Naqshbandi Sufi Order. http://islam.uga.edu/11Naqsprin.html

Hanieh, Abu Hassan. Sufism and Sufi Orders: God’s Spiritual Paths Adaption and
Renewal in the Context of Modernization. Amman: Economic
Printing Press, 2011.

Huda, Ul Qamar. “The Remembrance of the Prophet in Suhrawardi’s ‘Awarif Al-

Ma’arif”, Journal of Islamic Studies, 12:2. 2001.

Interaction between Bhakti and Sufi Saints. http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/

bitstream/10603/63539/13/13_chapter%206.pdf

Rizvi, Athar Abbas Saiyid A History of Sufism in India. Vol:1. New Delhi: Munshiram
Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 1978.

Rizvi, Athar Abbas Saiyid. A History of Sufism in India. Vol:II. New Delhi: Munshiram
Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 1983.

Subha, A. John. Sufism: Its saints and shrines. Lucknow: Lucknow publishing
house, 1938.

Sufism And Culture http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/80220 /

7/07chapter%202.pdf

Sufi Orders (Naqshbandiya, Qadriya, Chishtiya, Suharwardiya).

http://moderndarvaish.blogspot.com/p/silsila-e-naqshbandiya.html

Trimingham, Spencer J. The Sufi Orders in Islam. London: Oxford University Press,
1971.

11 Principles of The Naqshbandi Tariqa (Islamic Spiritual Path/Order).

http://www.nurmuhammad.com/pbuh/?p=963

https://www.revolvy.com/page/Suhrawardiyya

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