Silsila Naqshbandiya

Naqshbandiya:

The Naqshbandiya tariqah is named after Hadrat Shah Baha al-DinNaqshband Radi Allahu anhu [d.791H / 1389CE] and is a tariqah that iswidely active throughout the world today. It is described as the'Mother of all Tariqah's' by Shaykh Ahmad al-Faruqi al-Sirhindi[d.1034H / 1624CE]( Radi Allahu anhu). There are hundreds of SpiritualOrder's which are all on the correct path but the Naqshbandiya,together with the Qadiriya, Chistiya and Suhrawardiya, are consideredas the four main Silsila's of the Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l Jama'at.

The designation of the Naqshbandi Golden Chain has changed from centuryto century. From the time of Hadrat Abu Bakr as-Siddiq radi Allahuta'ala anhu to the time of Hadrat Bayazid al-Bistami radi Allahu ta'alaanhu it was called as-Siddiqiyya. From the time of Bayazid al-Bistami[d.261H] radi Allahu ta'ala anhu to the time of Sayyadina Abdul Khaliqal-Ghujdawani [d.575H] radi Allahu anhu it was called
at-Tayfuriyya.From the time of Sayyadina 'Abdul Khaliq al-Ghujdawani radi Allahuta'ala anhu to the time of Hadrat Shah Naqshband radi Allahu ta'alaanhu it was called the Khwajaganiyya.

From the time of Hadrat Shah Naqshband [d.791H] radi Allahu ta'ala anhuthrough the time of Sayyadina Ubaidullah al-Ahrar radi Allahu ta'alaanhu and Sayyidina Ahmad Faruqi [d.1034H] radi Allahu ta'ala anhu, itwas called Naqshbandiyya. Naqshbandiyya means to "tie the Naqsh verywell." The Naqsh is the perfect engraving of Allah's Name in the heartof the murid [disciple]. From the time of Sayyadina Ahmad al-Faruqi[d.1034H] radi Allahu anhu to the time of Shaykh Khalid al-Baghdadi[d.1242H] radi Allahu anhu it was called Naqshbandi-Mujaddidiyya. Fromthe time of Sayyidina Khalid al-Baghdadi [d.1242H] radi Allahu anhuuntil the time of Sayyadina Shaykh Ismail Shirwani radi Allahu anhu itwas called the Naqshbandiyya-Khalidiyya.


Qadiriyyah:

Qadiriyyah (also transliterated Kadri, Elkadry, Kadray, Qadiri orQadri), is one of the oldest Sufi tariqas. It derives its name fromAbdul-Qadir Gilani (radi Allah anhu) (also transliterated as "Jil lani"or "Jailani" and "Jilali" in the Maghreb) AH 470 (1077-1166), a nativeof the Iranian province of Gilan. In 1134 he was made principal of aSunni Hanbalite school in Baghdad.

His contribution and renown in the sciences of Sufism and Sharia was soimmense that he became known as the spiritual pole of his time,al-Gauth al Azam (the "Supreme Helper" or the "Mightiest Succor"). Hiswritings were similar to those of al-Ghazali in that they dealt withboth the fundamentals of Islam and the mystical experience of Sufism.

The Order is the most widespread of the Sufi Orders in the Islamicworld and can be found in Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan,Turkey, the Balkans, China, as well as much of the East and WestAfrica, like Morocco

There are even small groups in Europe and the Americas. The famoustraveller and writer Isabelle Eberhardt also belonged to the Qadiriorder.


Chishtiya:

The Chishti Order is a Sufi order within the mystic branches of Islamwhich was founded in Chisht, a small town near Herat, about 930 C.E.and continues to this day. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasison love, tolerance, and openness.

The order was founded by Abu Ishaq Shami (radi Allah anhu) (“theSyrian”) who belonged to Syria introduced the ideas Sufism in the townof Chisht, some 95 miles east of Herat in present-day westernAfghanistan. Before returning to Syria Hazrat Shami(radi Allah anhu)initiated, trained and deputized the son of the local Aamir, Abu AhmadAbdal (radi Allah anhu) (d. 966). Under the leadership of Abu Ahmad’s(radi Allah anhu) descendants, the Chishtiya as they are also known,flourished as a regional mystical order.

The most famous of the Chishti saints is Hazrat Moinuddin Chishti (radiAllah anhu) (popularly known as Gharib Nawaz meaning 'Benefactor of thePoor') who settled in Ajmer, India. He oversaw the growth of the orderin the 13th century as Islamic religious laws were canonized. Otherfamous saints of the Chishti Order are Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki(rehmatullah alaih) , Fariduddin Ganjshakar(rehmatullah alaih),Nizamuddin Auliya(rehmatullah alaih), Alauddin Ali Ahmed SabirKalyari(rehmatullah alaih), Mohammed Badesha Qadri(rehmatullah alaih),and Ashraf Jahangir Semnani(rehmatullah alaih).

The silsila sabiriiya, Nizamiya and Ashrafiya is the branch of Chistiya Silsila.

Chishti master Hazrat Inayat Khan (rehmatullah alaih) (1882–1927) wasthe first to bring the Sufi path to the West, arriving in America in1910 and later settling near Paris, France. His approach exemplifiedthe tolerance and openness of the Chishti Order, following a custombegan by Hazrat Moinuddin Chishti (rehmatullah alaih) of initiating andtraining disciples regardless of religious affiliation and whichcontinued through Nizamuddin Auliya (rehmatullah alaih) and Shaykhul-Masha”ikh Kalimullah Jehanabadi (rehmatullah alaih) (d. 1720). Allhis teaching was given in English, and 12 volumes of his discourses ontopics related to the spiritual path are still available from American,European, and Indian sources. Initiates of his form of Sufi practicenow number in the several thousands all over the world.

A number of Chishti family members are now living in Pakpattan and Bahawal Nagar, North of Punjab, Pakistan.

Madariya:

Madariyya is the name of a Sufi order founded by Hazrat Sayed BadiuddinZinda Shah Madar(radi Allah anhu), He is a prominent sufi saint whosetomb is situated in Makanpur, near Kanpur city in the State of UttarPradesh in INDIA.

He was born in 242 Hijri, and lived for 576 yrs, When Hazrat SayedBadiuddin Zinda Shah Madar(radi Allah anhu was 14 years of age, he hadcompleted the education and he asked his father Sayed kazi kidwattuddinali halbi (radi Allah anhu that he wishes to merge in the Jaffariyachain.

That thought also encouraged him to say before his parents that thereare two main tasks to be done in his life one is towards the almightyAllah and other is towards the parents. Hence he requested them to lethim go into the way of Islam and spread the teachings of Islam amongstothers. He was permitted by his parents for the task with the answerthat we free you from our rights and let you in the hands of thealmighty Allah.

Hazrat Sayed Badiuddin Zinda Shah Madar was the Khalifa of SultanulArifeen Hazrat Bayjid Bustami (radiAllah anhu) when they met SultanulArifeen Hazrat Bayjid Bustami(radiAllah anhu) said that Badiuddin, Iwas waiting for you. I used to see a miraculous light here, but nowthat I had seen you I believe that the light I had seen is you.

Mureed (Disciple) of Hazrat Sayed Bayazid Bustami Sahib:

Hazrat Sayed Badiuddin Zinda Shah Madar (radiAllah anhu) got fame inthe region that there is a true follower of Islam here in the people,and that he is sure a wali of Allah, who is an example into himself.When this news reached Hazrat Sayed Bayazid Bustami(radiAllah anhu), heinvited Hazrat Shah Madar Sahib(radiAllah anhu) to his place.

In the first meeting he kissed the forehead and eyes of Madar Sahib(radiAllah anhu) and said that in a dream he saw that The Prophet (maypeace be upon him) in one gathering has ordered Bustami (radiAllahanhu) that very soon you will meet a man whose name will be AhmadBadiuddin(radiAllah anhu). So when you meet him you should offer himall the teachings that you have earned, as it is his authority. So I amready to do so.

After that Hazrat Sayed Badiuddin Zinda Shah Madar(radiAllah anhu) waspledged with the Tayfooriya chain and was being said asSilsila-e-Tayfooriya. Hazrat Sayed Badiuddin Zinda Shah Madar(radiAllahanhu) accepted the fellowship of the Bayazid(radiAllah anhu), and hecontinued the journey towards Makkah and performed the Hajj. After thathe stayed there for some days. One day when he was doing the Tawa'af ofthe Kaba shareef when he heard a voice saying that: "Badiuddin, youshould leave for Madina. Hearing this it was the extent of hiscuriosity and he left immediately towards Madina.

Note: Junaid Baghdadi has said in his sayings about Hazrat AfreenBayazid Bustami((radiAllah anhu) that his status in the walies is themost prominent one. Where all the ways towards the followers of thealmighty ends, there starts the beginning of the Bayjid chain.

Hazrat Abu Sayed Al Khair has said that he has seen that the Bayazid is the follower of truth.



Badawiyyah:

The Badawiyyah, Sufi tarika, was founded in the thirteenth century inEgypt by Hazrat Ahmad al-Badawi(radiaAllah anhu). Hazrat Ahmadal-Badawi(radiaAllah anhu) is one of the 4 main kutub-ul-kutubs of thisworld who handels the nizam of all the Auliya Allah.

He was born in Fez, Morocco in 596 AH and died in Tanta, Egypt in 675AH. He was noted for his ascetic behavior, and was also known toperform many miracles.

This silsila was, extremely popular during both the Mamluk and Ottomanperiods of Egypt. Mamluk Sultans often supported elaborate 'Mawlids' atthe resting place of Sheikh Ahmed al-Badawi (radiaAllah anhu) in theNile Delta town of Tanta.

During the Ottoman period, this order spread to Turkey and there wereseveral Tekkes or zawiyas in Istanbul many of which survived until thefounding of the Turkish republic.

The Urs of Hazrat Seyyid Badawi (radiaAllah anhu) is still celebratedin Egypt every year where the population of Tanta swells to almostdouble. Tents are placed in the streets around the Mosque of SeyyidBadawi (radiaAllah anhu) where Qur'an recitations and sermons byimportant scholars from al-Azhar are delivered.