Letter 58,Volume 1 from Maktubat Imam Rabbani (r.a) - Mohammad Mojaddadi

مكتوب 58 جلد اول مكتوبات شريف

Letter 58 of( volume I ) from the Maktūbāt of Imām Rabba Mujaddid Alf Sani

On the description that the Path we are up to traverse is in all seven steps, that opposed to the mashā’ikh (shaikhs) of other orders, the Naqshbandi mashā’ikh have begun the journey from the command-world [Ālam-i Amr], that the Path of these divines is the Path of the worthy Sahābā , and in related matters, has written to Sayyid Mahmood, the abode of lordship.

Your esteemed letter has reached. As it conveyed a keen desire to hear the sayings of this Eminent Group, a few sentences, therefore, are put down as a matter of answer to the enquired, and encouragement to the aspired. My master! This Path that we are up to traverse is altogether seven steps after the number of human subtleties. Two steps are in the creation-world [Ālam-i khalq] being related to the body and the carnal-soul [nafs], and five steps are in the command-world [Ālam-i Amr] being related to Qalb (the heart), Rūh (the soul), Sirr (the secret), Khafī (the hidden), and Akhfā (the hiddenmost). At each of these steps, ten thousand veils have to be torn apart, be those veils luminous or dark: “Verity, unto Allah are seventy thousand veils of light and darkness.” [Mishkāt] At the first step placed in the command-world, the Act-theophanies appear, at the second, the Attributive-theophanies, and at the third, the Essential-theophanies begin, and thereafter it is according to the degree-difference of these subtleties, as is not hidden from the travellers of this Path. At each step of the seven steps, one becomes farther from one’s self and closer to Allah, so that utmost nearness is attained with the completion of these steps. It is at this stage that they (the travellers of the Path) are honoured with vanishing [fanā] and abiding [baqā] and attain to the degree of especial sainthood. Contrary to the mashā’ikh of other Orders, the mashā’ikh of the exalted Naqshbandiyah Method have chosen to begin this journey in the command-world and cover the creation-world in the course of that journey. For this reason, the Naqshbandiyah Path is the shortest of all Paths, and surely the end of others is registered in the beginning of theirs.

Assess my bloom by the verdure of my garden

The Path of these divines is exactly the Path of the Companions (Sahābā), may Allah be pleased with them.These Grandees (Sahābā) would attain to such excellences by way of registration of the end into the beginning in the very first sitting with the Prophet peace be upon him, which the perfect saints of the Ummah would attain to at the end stages. It is for this reason that Wahshī, the murderer of Hazrat Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with him) ranks higher than Uwais Qarnī, the highest ranking Tābi’ī. Abdullāh bin Mubārak (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) was asked which one is superior, Amir Mu’āviyah or Umar bin Abdul Azīz? He replied: “The dust that entered into the nostrils of the horse of Mu’āviyah in the company of the Prophet (صل الله عليه وسلم) [during jihād] is many times better than Umar bin Abdul Azīz.” It is worth pondering over where would the end-degree of the people that have the end degree of others registered into their beginning-degree be, and how could that be comprehended by others: “And none knoweth the forces of Thy Lord save Him.” [Q-74:31]

Taunts of the incompetents at the divines of this group
God forbid if I utter a word of complaint or rebuke

All the lions of the world are in circle in this chain
The cunning of the poor fox would in no way be in gain

May Allah give us and you the love of these unique people. The paper though is short, but unique cognitions and valuable facts have been recorded on it, it is anticipated that you would hold these dear, and be peace.

[Translation by Sheykh Muhammad Wajihuddin]

Rabita- Connection with the Shaykh - Mohammad Mojaddadi

Rabita – Connection with the shaykh
The practice of rābitā is one of the essential methods of spiritual learning in the Naqshbandi Order. Rābitā translates to connection or bonding with the spiritual guide, the shaykh or the Sufi master, from whom one learns the Naqshbandi tarīqah (methodology).

Here I will strive to collect the teachings and statements of the Masters of Wisdom (Khwājagān) of the Naqshbandi Order regarding this basic method of the Order.

Following is letter 187, from the first volume of Maktūbāt Imām Rabbānī Mujaddid Alf-i Sānī Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindī, quddisa sirruh. It was sent to Khwājā Muhammad Ashraf Kābulī, describing that the method of connection (rābitā) is the nearest in the methods of achieving the real goal, and describing that rābitā is more benefiting to a disciple than Zikr (remembrance of God).

“The writing (letter) that you had written to the friends, passed before the eyes and made (me) informed about the mentioned affairs. Be it known that the disciple’s attaining connection (husūl-i rābitā) with the shaykh, free from affectation and pretence, betokens perfect harmony between the shaykh and the disciple, and is a means towards imparting and receiving benefit. And none of the ways is nearer than the way of connection in attaining Arrival to Allah [Wusūl Ila Allah]. Let us see who is the fortunate one [they] bless with this honor. Hazrat Khwājā Ahrār quddisa sirruh writes in Fiqarāt:

سايه رهبر به است از ذکر

“The shade of the Guide (Sufi master) is better than zker

Calling it “better” is with regards to the gains that accrue, as the shadow of the guide is more benefiting than the disciple’s [own work of] remembrance. And this is so because the disciple has not yet attained perfect harmony with the Remembered (the God) to benefit fully through remembrance. And the peace [be there] first and last.”

[Letter 187, volume I, Maktūbāt Imām Rabbānī, adapted from the English translation by Sheykh Muhammad Wajihuddin]

Khwāja Abdu’llāh Isfahānī was one of the disciples of Khwāja Alā ad-Dīn Attār quddisa sirruh. He wrote a treatise on the Naqshbandi Order, in which he writes about the practice of rābitā in following words:

The principle rule of this Order [Tarīqa] is the following: From whichever perfect guide the seeker receives initiation, he must preserve the guide’s image in the treasury of his heart, until the time when he begins to demonstrate how his heart has been affected by the warmth and quality of that connection. As for what is necessary after that, it is not to abandon that same image, but to embrace it much more tightly than ever. The seeker must rivet that image to his heart, with his eyes, his years and all his facultiesRabita – Connection with the shaykh
The practice of rābitā is one of the essential methods of spiritual learning in the Naqshbandi Order. Rābitā translates to connection or bonding with the spiritual guide, the shaykh or the Sufi master, from whom one learns the Naqshbandi tarīqah (methodology).

Here I will strive to collect the teachings and statements of the Masters of Wisdom (Khwājagān) of the Naqshbandi Order regarding this basic method of the Order.

Following is letter 187, from the first volume of Maktūbāt Imām Rabbānī Mujaddid Alf-i Sānī Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindī, quddisa sirruh. It was sent to Khwājā Muhammad Ashraf Kābulī, describing that the method of connection (rābitā) is the nearest in the methods of achieving the real goal, and describing that rābitā is more benefiting to a disciple than Zikr (remembrance of God).

“The writing (letter) that you had written to the friends, passed before the eyes and made (me) informed about the mentioned affairs. Be it known that the disciple’s attaining connection (husūl-i rābitā) with the shaykh, free from affectation and pretence, betokens perfect harmony between the shaykh and the disciple, and is a means towards imparting and receiving benefit. And none of the ways is nearer than the way of connection in attaining Arrival to Allah [Wusūl Ila Allah]. Let us see who is the fortunate one [they] bless with this honor. Hazrat Khwājā Ahrār quddisa sirruh writes in Fiqarāt:

سايه رهبر به است از ذکر

“The shade of the Guide (Sufi master) is better than zker

Calling it “better” is with regards to the gains that accrue, as the shadow of the guide is more benefiting than the disciple’s [own work of] remembrance. And this is so because the disciple has not yet attained perfect harmony with the Remembered (the God) to benefit fully through remembrance. And the peace [be there] first and last.”

[Letter 187, volume I, Maktūbāt Imām Rabbānī, adapted from the English translation by Sheykh Muhammad Wajihuddin]

Khwāja Abdu’llāh Isfahānī was one of the disciples of Khwāja Alā ad-Dīn Attār quddisa sirruh. He wrote a treatise on the Naqshbandi Order, in which he writes about the practice of rābitā in following words:

The principle rule of this Order [Tarīqa] is the following: From whichever perfect guide the seeker receives initiation, he must preserve the guide’s image in the treasury of his heart, until the time when he begins to demonstrate how his heart has been affected by the warmth and quality of that connection. As for what is necessary after that, it is not to abandon that same image, but to embrace it much more tightly than ever. The seeker must rivet that image to his heart, with his eyes, his years and all his faculties

الرابطة

Rabita – Connection with the shaykh
The practice of rābitā is one of the essential methods of spiritual learning in the Naqshbandi Order. Rābitā translates to connection or bonding with the spiritual guide, the shaykh or the Sufi master, from whom one learns the Naqshbandi tarīqah (methodology).

Here I will strive to collect the teachings and statements of the Masters of Wisdom (Khwājagān) of the Naqshbandi Order regarding this basic method of the Order.

Following is letter 187, from the first volume of Maktūbāt Imām Rabbānī Mujaddid Alf-i Sānī Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindī, quddisa sirruh. It was sent to Khwājā Muhammad Ashraf Kābulī, describing that the method of connection (rābitā) is the nearest in the methods of achieving the real goal, and describing that rābitā is more benefiting to a disciple than Zikr (remembrance of God).

“The writing (letter) that you had written to the friends, passed before the eyes and made (me) informed about the mentioned affairs. Be it known that the disciple’s attaining connection (husūl-i rābitā) with the shaykh, free from affectation and pretence, betokens perfect harmony between the shaykh and the disciple, and is a means towards imparting and receiving benefit. And none of the ways is nearer than the way of connection in attaining Arrival to Allah [Wusūl Ila Allah]. Let us see who is the fortunate one [they] bless with this honor. Hazrat Khwājā Ahrār quddisa sirruh writes in Fiqarāt:

سايه رهبر به است از ذکر

“The shade of the Guide (Sufi master) is better than zker

Calling it “better” is with regards to the gains that accrue, as the shadow of the guide is more benefiting than the disciple’s [own work of] remembrance. And this is so because the disciple has not yet attained perfect harmony with the Remembered (the God) to benefit fully through remembrance. And the peace [be there] first and last.”

[Letter 187, volume I, Maktūbāt Imām Rabbānī, adapted from the English translation by Sheykh Muhammad Wajihuddin]

Khwāja Abdu’llāh Isfahānī was one of the disciples of Khwāja Alā ad-Dīn Attār quddisa sirruh. He wrote a treatise on the Naqshbandi Order, in which he writes about the practice of rābitā in following words:

The principle rule of this Order [Tarīqa] is the following: From whichever perfect guide the seeker receives initiation, he must preserve the guide’s image in the treasury of his heart, until the time when he begins to demonstrate how his heart has been affected by the warmth and quality of that connection. As for what is necessary after that, it is not to abandon that same image, but to embrace it much more tightly than ever. The seeker must rivet that image to his heart, with his eyes, his years and all his faculties

Shah Ahmad Saeed Mujaddadi (RA) and Wahabi Movement in India-- Mohammad Mojaddadi

شاه احمد سعيد مجددى فاروقى سرهندى و الوهابية

Hazrat Shāh Ahmad Saeed Mujaddidi Naqshbandi Hanafi (1217-1277 AH) was the spiritual successor to the great Sufi master Hazrat Shāh Abdullāh alias Ghulām Ali Dehlavi (1156-1240 AH), may Allah be pleased with them. He was one of the chief scholars and shaykhs of Delhi in the 13th century after Hijrah (19th century CE), and probably the most prominent shaykh of the Naqshbandi Sufi order during that time. Most, if not all, followers of the Naqshbandi Mujaddidi order today trace their spiritual connection to him, excluding the Khalidiyya branch which is common in Central Asia and Turkey.

He was also a great scholar and a Muhaddis. Many chains of authority (Isnād) in Hadith studies include his name. Not only Ahl-us-Sunnah but the Deobandi scholars also possess such Isnād and consider him with high regards.

Shah Ahmad Saeed witnessed the emergence and spread of the Wahhābi sect in India. Before him, Indian Muslims were united in beliefs and practices and belonged to the Hanafi school of thought, with a Shia minority which was clearly distinguished from the mainstream Islam. However, the teachings of Ismāil Dehlavi introduced a big fitnah in the Indian Muslims who branched out in many different sects and schools, including Deobandi, Barelvi, Ahl al-Hadith (or Salafi), Maodūdi, Naturalist and others.

This is not a place to discuss the full history of the Indian Wahhabi movement. But interestingly, many Naqshbandis today affilitate themselves to Deobandi school even with a spiritual connection with the Naqshbandi Mujaddidi tariqah. Deobandi school is a continuation of the ideas of Ismāil Dehlavi. So here I will discuss the reaction of the then Naqshbandi masters specially Shah Ahmad Saeed Mujaddidi to the newly emerged doctrine of Wahhabism, imported from Arabia by Ismāil Dehlavi.

Molvi Ismāil Dehlavi, aka Ismāil Shaheed (1193-1246 AH) was the paternal grandson of Hazrat Shah Waliullah Muhaddis Dehlavi (1114-1176 AH). He wrote a book called Taqwiyat-ul-Iman which was based on the ideas of Ibn Abdul Wahhāb Najdī and was the first book to introduce Wahhabism in India.

Ismāil Dehlavi was joined by some more scholars in this new movement, including his cousin Muhammad Ishāq Dehlavi. But most of his family scholars went against him, and some even wrote refutations of his works. Even his grandfather Shāh Abdul Azīz Muhaddis Dehlavi, who had lost his sight because of old age, when he came to know about this book, he proclaimed: “If I wasn’t disabled by illness, I would have written a refutation to it similar to Tuhfa Isna Ash’ariya”. (Narrated by Ismail’s cousin Maulana Makhsūs-Allah in his book Tahqīq al-Haqīqat).

Maulāna Hāfiz Muhammad Razā Ali Naqshbandi Banārasi, who was a disciple of Shah Ahmad Saeed, writes that Shah sahib had also written a refutation of Taqwiyat-ul-Iman. Although there is no mention of this work anywhere else. He also writes that, once I asked my master and shaykh about Ismail Dehlavi in Madinah. He replied that “I and other scholars of Delhi convinced him at Jame’ Masjid Delhi and he agreed to correct Taqwiyat-ul-Iman“. My shaykh (Shah Ahmad Saeed) said at Tonk that “my master and shaykh (Hazrat Shah Ghulam Ali) used to say that all the irreligiousness (Be-Dini), bad faith and corruption in the Muhammadi Deen that occured in India, occured because of this person Molvi Ismail“. (Saif-ul-Jabbār by Maulana Fazal Rasool Qadri, 1973, page 211)

When Maulana Fazal Rasool Qādri wrote the book Al-Mu’tamad wa al-Muntaqad on the creed of Ahl-us-Sunnah, in which he also criticized and refuted Wahhabism, Shah Ahmad Saeed wrote a foreword to this book. (Al-Mu’tamad wa al-Muntaqad, Arabic edition, page 6)

Hazrat Shah Muhammad Mazhar Mujaddidi, son of Shah Ahmad Saeed, writes in his book Maqāmāt Ahmadiya:

“He (Shah Ahmad Saeed) would not mention anyone with harsh words except the Wahhabi sect in order to warn people about their ugly beliefs and practices”.

He further writes:

“And he (Shah Ahmad Saeed) used to say that the least harm of the company of Wahhābis is that the love of the Holy Prophet peace be upon him, which is among the biggest pillars of faith, diminishes moment by moment until nothing is left except the name and the ritual. So I warn you from their company, rather I warn you from seeing them at all.”

In a letter written to his chief khalifa Hāji Dost Muhammad Qandahāri about allowing the recitation of Mawlid, Hazrat Shah Ahmad Saeed writes:

“Thus anyone who stops from the recitation of Maulood (Mawlid) and considers it Makrūh or Harām, such as the Wahhābi sect, then he is an enemy of Allah and Prophet, …. do not meet with such people and abstain from their company”. [Tuhfā Zawwāriyā, Urdu translation of the letters of Shah Ahmad Saeed Mujaddidi, translated by Muhammad Zaheeruddin Bhatti, Zawwar Academy Publications 2011, page 77]

One of the most prominent khulafa of Shah Ghulam Ali Dehlavi was Khwaja Ghulām Muhiyuddīn Qusoori (1202-1270 AH). He also strongly opposed this new movement. Following passage is taken from his biography:

“At the end of his life, he used to strongly condemn the Wahhabi sect, and used to warn his lovers about their deception. He also wrote a poem to refute them”. (Tārīkh Mashāikh Naqshbandiya, by Abdur-Rasool Lillāhi, Maktabah Zawiyah 2007, page 502)

Tahqīq al-Haqq al-Mubīn Fi Masāil Arbaeen
Hazrat Shah Ahmad Saeed is an author of multiple books, most of whom concern the refutations of Wahhabi beliefs and practices or affirmations of the Sunni creed. Here is the list of his works:

Saeed al-Bayān Fi Mawlid Sayyid al-Ins wa al-Jān (Urdu)
Az-Zikr ash-Sharīf Fi Asbāt al-Mawlid al-Munīb (Persian)
Al-Fawāid az-Zābitah Fi Asbāt ar-Rābitā (Persian)
Arba’ Anhār (Persian)
Asbāt al-Mawlid wa al-Qiyām (Arabic)
Tahqīq al-Haqq al-Mubīn Fi Masāil Arbaeen (Persian)
Here I want to discuss about the last book that he wrote as a response to the book Arbaeen Masāil by Molvi Muhammad Ishāq Dehlavi who had written his fatwas on forty important issues in the Wahhabi sect. Shah sahib refuted each of the original claims of the author and provided many proofs for the right beliefs and correct juristic rulings about those issues. Although the book is supposed to be for his followers so does not contain proofs for all of those matters (as merely his opinion is sufficient for his followers), he does provide many proofs from original sources of Fiqh and Hadith books.

Some important matters discussed by him are following:

Urs of the Awliya for remembering them sending them rewards is allowed (Wahhabis consider it haram).
Visiting graves is allowed for both men and women.
Kissing the graves is allowed in some cases.
Asking for help from the prophets and saints is allowed. Specially, saying Ya Rasool Allah is allowed (Wahhabis consider it Shirk and haraam).
Covering graves of saints with clothes or flowers is fine.
Making cemented graves and tombs over them is allowed.
It is haram to consider the Holy Prophet peace be upon him as similar to other humans. He has fully explained this point at the end and decorated the book with the merits of the Holy Prophet peace be upon him.
This wonderful book was first published 1318 AH.

Distinctive Qualities of Naqshbandi Sufi Order-- Mohammad Mojaddadi

فضائل طريقت نقشبند

Distinctive Qualities of the Naqshbandi Order

The Naqshbandi Sufi Order is a distinctive exalted and sublime Sufi order, with many qualities that distinguish it from other methods of Sufism. I will list some of them here, narrated from authentic sources.

Superior Nisbat (Reference)
The foremost distinctive quality of this exalted path is that the Naqshbandi order is connected to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, through the first caliph of Islam, the best of humans after the prophets, the greatest companion, Sayyidina Abu Bark as-Siddīq, may Allah be pleased with him. Note that all other Sufi orders connect to the Holy Prophet peace be upon him, through other companions, mainly Imam Ali al-Murtada, may Allah be pleased with him. Since Hadrat Abū Bakr is the greatest among all Sahābā (companions of the Prophet) and this fact is accepted unanimously by all Ahl as-Sunnah, the greatness of the Naqshbandi order over others is similar to the greatness of Sayyidina Abū Bakr over other Sahaba.

(See the golden chain for full genealogy of the masters of this order.)

Registration of the End into the Beginning
(Indirāj an-Nihāyah fi al-Bidāyah)

The journey of the Naqshbandi Path begins with the Latā’if (subtleties, components of the creation of human being) of the Command-World. The first lesson taught to a new seeker in this golden path is the zikr of Latifa Qalb (the heart) which belongs to the Command-World (Ãlam al-Amr). This creates a passion (Jazbah) in the beginner which attracts him/her to the eternal love of Allah Almighty and the seeker forgets the hardships and sufferings of his journey, drowned in this sweet love and passion.

The other Sufi orders, in contrast, train the beginner to purify his Nafs which belongs to the Created-World (Ãlam al-khalq) which is the lower world. Thus, a beginner in other paths has to train hard and endure all the hardships of the journey in order to purify his Nafs. The hidden zikr of Qalb is taught at the end of their journey.

This explains the beautiful words of the founder of the Naqshbandi Order Khwāja Bahā’uddīn Naqshband Bukhari, who said: “I have registered the end into the beginning”. This means a beginner tastes from the end at the beginning stages of the journey.

The Hidden Zikr
The Naqshbandi tariqah is based on khafi (hidden) zikr whereas most other orders teach jahri (loud) zikr. The hidden zikr is not only easier but also greater in reward and spiritual effects as proved from the many Ahadith of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him.

Nisbat of Ahl al-Bayt
One Nisbat (Reference) of the Naqshbandi tariqah is towards Sayyidina Abu Bakr Siddiq (r.a) through Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (r.a), but Imam Ja’far also has received spiritual blessings from Sayyidina Imam Ali (r.a) through his fathers. Thus this noble Path is directly attached to the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt and receives their blessings and Fayd.

Moreover, the Imam of this tariqah, Hadrat Khwaja Bahā al-Dīn Naqshband Bukhāri was a great grandson of Imam Hasan al-Askari, the eleventh Imam in the golden chain of Ahl al-Bayt. He was a Sayyid from the best line, a descendant of the Final Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. Hence this sublime Path receives the Fayd of the Ahl al-Bayt in its entirety.

Fayd of all Orders
The Imam of this noble tariqah, the great Mujaddid Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi, may Allah be pleased with him, not only learned this noble Path but was also authorized in all other major Sufi orders including Qadri, Chishti, Suhrawardi, Kibravi, Qalandari and others. He was the ultimate guide in every Sufi order prevalent during his times. And he also authorized his deputies in all those orders. Thus a master of this Path is a master of all those orders and receives the blessings of the masters of all those orders, including the Ghaus al-Thaqalain Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani, Khwaja Gharib-Nawaz Moinuddin Ajmeri, Khwaja Suhrawardi and other great masters.

Naqshbandi Mujaddidi Order is the main river joined by all streams of the Fayd of those orders.

Imam Mahdi
The masters of this Path, specially Khwajā Muhammad Pārsā and Imam Rabbāni Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi have reported that Sayyidina Imam Mahdi, the twelfth Imam of the Ahl al-Bayt and the ultimate leader of Muslims in the end of times, will also belong to this tariqah and will benefit from the Fayd of its masters.

Thus, the beginning of this sublime tariqah is the greatest of Sahaba and the end of this exalted order is the great Imam Mahdi, peace be upon them

Naqshbandi Tariqa - Mohammad Mojaddadi

to the great shaikh of 8th century Hijrah shaikh Baha’uddin Naqshband Bukhari, who lived in Bukhara (currently Uzbekistan) and this order was named upon his title “Naqshband”.

Mujaddidi order is named after the great shaikh of 11th century Hijrah, Shaikh Ahmed Faruqi Sirhindi, who lived in Sirhind, Indian Punjab. He was called “Mujaddid Alf Thani”, the reviver of the second millenium.

According to the Ahadith of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him), this Ummah is divided mainly in two parts, the First (Awwal) and the Last (Akhir). As one hadith says: My Ummah is like rain, its not known whether the first part of it is better and greater, or the last one.

Mujaddid Alf Thani said the Akhir (Last) part of this Ummah starts when one thousand years have passed to the passing-away of our beloved Prophet from this world. In early Ummah’s, there used to come an Ulul-Azm prophet (a great prophet) who brought a new Sharia and revived the humanity. Since our beloved Prophet is the last one, after one thousand years there had to come some one who was heavily gifted by Allah to revive this whole Ummah, the Shariah, the Tasawwuf and to separate the Bida’ah from Din.

So shaikh Ahmed Sirhindi Mujaddid Alif Sani was sent as a great Waliullah (saint) and was given many rewards from Allah. One is that he is Mujaddid Alif Sani, the revivor of the second millenium. Second is that he was rewarded by the Title of “Qayyum”, the one with whose help the universe and the whole world is maintained and stable.

Above is the basic information about the shaikhs of Naqshbandi Mujaddidi Order. My purpose is to show you the glories and greatness of this order. Here are the points:

Since Mujaddid Alef Sani is the greatest Waliullah of the second millenium, every coming waliullah in this Ummah, wherever he lived or whatever tariqa or order he belongs to, is under the Wilayat of Shaikh Ahmed. Every single person in this second millenium Hijrah, who receives Fuyooz (single: Faiz) or spiritual bounties, has to receive through him. He is the transmitter of Faiz to this whole Ummah in this last millenium.

Hazrat Mujaddid had Ijazat (perfection) in all the tariqah’s. He was given Khilafah from Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani directly, after four centuries. Not only spiritually, but also physically. Shaikh Jilani had given the Khirqa (gown) of Khilafah to his son, and had asked to transmit it down the line so that it reached Shaikh Ahmed Faruqi by a qadiri shaikh of his time Shaikh Sikandar Kethali.

Hazrat Mujaddid was given complete bounties and fuyoozat of all the tariqahs as he has mentioned in his letters. No other shaikh of this time has got so much fuyoozat of any tariqa. All the founders of tariqahs asked him to prevail and preach their tariqa. But then our beloved Prophet came, and asked him to preach the Naqshbandi order as it belongs to the most beloved of the Prophet’s companions, Sayyadna Abu Bakr Siddiq. So Shaikh Mujaddid preached this order.

The Naqshbandi order was revived by Shaikh Ahmed and was later named Naqshbandi Mujaddidi order. This contains all the bounties of the great founders of four tariqahs. This order has direct fuyoozat from Rasullalah (SAW) and his beloved companion Siddiq-e-Akbar. So this is the best tariqa available today to adopt.

I don’t want to say other tariqas in existence are not valid. They are all good and highly appreciable. But the matter is that this tariqa is related to the greatest companion of the holy Prophet. Waliullah’s say this tariqa has such fazeelat over others, as had Sayyadna Abu Bakr over other Sahaba.

Going back, this tariqa leads to the best of humans after prophets. Going down, it has been predicted by Shaikh Mujaddid and other waliullah’s, this tariqa will descend to Imam Mehdi, who will teach people the Zikr of this tariqa. He is the final shaikh of this tariqa, as has been said by Shaikh Parsa, the khalifa of Hazrat Baha’din Naqshband.

Today is the End of Times. This is second and last millenium and has to end with Qiyamah. This is the worst time of all in this Ummah. It is utmost necessary to take the help of some Shaikh to save one’s Iman and Din. Without the help of some Kamil Shaikh it is almost impossible to save Iman.

Therefore, I would advice people who dont’ have shaikh in sulook, that look for some who is related to Naqshbandi Mujaddidi order. There are many, and you may find a mujaddidi shaikh in any part of the world. Although other tariqas are all good, they are very hard to adopt. Naqshbandi Mujaddidi order is the easiest and fastest to reach the bounties of Allah. Moreover, to find a shiakh of other tariqas is extremely difficult, as very few are existing. Most of them are even not Kamil, so find a Shaikh-e-Kamil and save your Iman today

Sons and Grandsons of Hazrat Ahmad Sirhindi r.a.

The sons and grandsons of Hazrat Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi, aka Imam Rabbani and Mujaddid Alf-e-Sani (d. 1034 AH) were all great scholars, Sufi masters and Awliya of the highest status. Here I am presenting a short genealogy of those great saints of the Muslim Ummah who have been shadowed by the history. Insha Allah short biographies of each one of them will also be produced in order to shed light on this noble family which brought Islamic revolution in India as well as in the whole world.

0. Shaykh Abdul Ahad Fārūqī Sirhindī (father of Imam Rabbānī), d. AH

1. Imām Rabbānī Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindī Fārūqī, 971-1034 AH, buried in Sirhind, India

The blessed sons of Imam Rabbani
1.1 Khwājā Muhammad Sādiq Fārūqī Sirhindī, 1000-1025 AH, buried in Sirhind, India. Khilāfat from Imam Rabbani (1). Died in a plague during the life of his father.

1.2 Khwājā Muhammad Sa’īd Fārūqī Sirhindī, 1005-1070 AH, buried in Sirhind, India. Khilāfat from Imam Rabbani (1)

1.3 Khwājā Muhammad Ma’sūm Fārūqī Sirhindī, 1007-1079 AH, buried in Sirhind, India. Khilāfat from his father Imam Rabbani (1). Successor to his father. Spiritual master of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

1.4 Muhammad Īsā Fārūqī Sirhindī, died in childhood in 1024 AH in plague.

1.5 Muhammad Farrukh Fārūqī Sirhindī, died in childhood in 1024 AH in plague.

1.6 Khwājā Muhammad Yahyā Fārūqī Sirhindī. Khilāfat from Khwaja Muhammad Ma’sūm (1.3)

Sons of (1.1) Khwājā Muhammad Sādiq Sirhindī
1.1.1 Shaykh Muhammad Sirhindi

Sons of (1.2) Khwājā Muhammad Sa’īd Sirhindī
1.2.1 Shāh Abdullāh Sirhindī

1.2.2 Shāh Lutfullāh Sirhindī

1.2.3 Shaykh Muhammad Farrukh Sirhindī, 1038-1121 AH, buried in Sirhind. He was a great Islamic scholar, author and annotator. Mughal emperor Aurangzeb learned Sahih al-Bukhari from him.

1.2.4 Shaykh Abdul Ahad Wahdat Sirhindī, alias Shāh Gul, 1050-1127 AH, buried in Sirhind. He was a great poet and author of about 40 books some of which are published.

1.2.5 Shaykh Khalīlullāh Sirhindī, 1055- AH

1.2.6 Shaykh Muhammad Taqī Sirhindī

1.2.7 Shaykh Muhammad Yaqūb Sirhindī

Sons of (1.3) Khwājā Muhammad Ma’sūm Sirhindī
1.3.1 Shaykh Muhammad Sibghatullāh Sirhindī, 1033-1122 AH, buried in Sirhind, India.

1.3.2 Hujjatullāh Shaykh Muhammad Naqshband Sirhindī, 1034-1115 AH, buried in Sirhind, India.

1.3.3 Khwaja Muhammad Ubaydullāh Sirhindī, 1038-1083 AH

1.3.4 Khwaja Muhammad Ashraf Sirhindī, 1043-1118 AH, buried in Sirhind, India

1.3.5 Khwaja Muhammad Saifuddīn Sirhindī, 1049-1096 AH, buried in Sirhind, India

1.3.6 Khwaja Muhammad Siddīq Sirhindi, 1059-1131 AH, buried in Sirhind, India.

Sons of Khadījā daughter of Imam Rabbani
Hazrat Khadījā was the daughter of Imam Rabbani (the other daughter died in childhood) and was married to Shaykh Abdul Qādir Fārūqī who was a Qādi of Sirhind and a close relative.

1. Khwājā Muhiyyuddīn Sirhindi

2. Shaykh Muhammad Fazalullāh Sirhindi, d. 1117 AH, buried in Sirhind

3. Shaykh Abdul Latīf Sirhindi, 1055-1111 AH, buried in Sirhind

Some of the great grandsons of Imam Rabbani
Sons of (1.3.1) Shaykh Sibghatullah Sirhindi
1.3.1.1 Shaykh Abul Qāsim Sirhindi, d. 1082 AH

1.3.1.2 Shaykh Muhammad Ismāīl Sirhindi, d. 1136 AH, buried in Sirhind.

1.3.1.3 Shaykh Ahlullāh Sirhindi

Sons of (1.3.5) Khwaja Saifuddin Sirhindi
1.3.5.1 Shaykh Muhammad Āzam Sirhindi, d. 1114 AH, buried in Sirhind, India

1.3.5.2 Shaykh Muhammad Shu’ayb Sirhindi, d. 1121 AH, buried in Sirhind, India

1.3.5.3 Shaykh Muhammad Hussain Sirhindi, d. 1116 AH, buried in Sirhind, India

1.3.5.4 Shaykh Muhammad Īsā Sirhindi

Famous shaykhs from the great-grandsons of Imam Rabbani
1.3.2.1.1 Khwājā Muhammad Zubair Sirhindi son of Shaykh Abul A’lā son of Khwājā Muhammad Naqshband, 1093-1152 AH. Khilāfat from his grandfather (1.3.2). He was the forth Qayyūm and one of the greatest shaykhs of the Mujaddidi order. Lived in Delhi and was buried in Sirhind.

1.3.1.2.1 Shaykh Ghulam Muhammad Ma’sūm Sirhindi, d. 1161 AH, buried in Sirhind.

1.3.1.2.1.7 Shah Safiyyullāh Mujaddidi Kābuli Sirhindi, 1156-1212 AH, acclaimed to be a Qayyum whose silsilah is still active with large number of followers. Lived in Kabul (Afghanistan). Khilafat from his elder brother Shah Ghulam Muhammad Sirhindi.

1.3.5.4.1.1.1 Shah Abu Saeed Mujaddidi, 1196-1250 AH, khalifa of Shah Ghulam Ali Dehlavi. Founder of one of the biggest branches of Mujaddidi order. Buried in Khānqāh Mazhariyāh, Delhi.

1.3.5.4.1.1.1.1 Shah Ahmad Saeed Mujaddidi (1217-1277 AH) son of Shah Abu Saeed Mujaddidi, also a khalifa of Shah Ghualm Ali Dehlavi and a well known shaykh and scholar, migrated to Madinah and is buried in Jannat ul-Baqī.
1.2.3.4.5.1.1.1.1.1 Hazrat Sahib mohamed ibrahim mojadidi Shaykh Zia'ul Masha'ikh (q.s)

1.2.3.4.5.1.1.1.1.1.1.1 hazrat shikh Noor ul Mashaikh fazel omar mujadidi) qadas allah siroh he is very famous spiritual and political leader of Afghanistan Head of Naqshbandiya tareqat

1.2.3.4.5.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1. hazrat hafez mohamed hasan jan sirhandi 1349 .ah

1.2.3.4.5.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1. Hazrat Shah Abul Hasan Zaid Farooqi mojadidi 1414 Hijri

There were hundreds of great scholars and shaykhs from the descendants of Imam Rabbani and it is not possible to enlist them all here. Only the important and well known names are listed.

Hazrat Shāh Ahmad Saeed Mujaddidi Fārūqi Dehlavi then Madani (1802-1860)

حضرة شاه احمد سعيد فرزند حضرة شيخ شاه ابو سعيد فرزند صفى القدر فرزند عزيز القدر فرزند شيخ محمد عيسى فرزند حضرة شيخ خواجة سيف الدين فاروقى فرزند حضرت شيخ امام محمد معصوم رضى الله عنه فرزند حضرت امام ربانى غوث صمدانى محبوب سبحانى مجدد منور الف ثانى رضى الله عنه شیخ احمد فاروقی کابلی سرهندی نقشبندى قدس الله سره العزیز )

Hazrat Shāh Ahmad Saeed Mujaddidi Fārūqi Dehlavi then Madani (1802-1860), may Allah sanctify his soul, was one of the most popular Naqshbandi shaykhs of India, and the spiritual heir of Hazrat Shah Ghulām Ali Dehlavi.

He was born in 1217 AH (1802 CE) in Rāmpur, India. He is the elder son of Hazrat Shah Abū Saeed Mujaddidi Dehlavi who was the first spiritual successor to Hazrat Shah Ghulām Ali Dehlavi.

His father was first a disciple of Hazrat Shah Dargāhi, a famous shaykh at that time, and would often bring his little son to the shaykh’s company. When Shah Abu Saeed went to Hazrat Shah Ghulam Ali Dehlavi for seeking advanced stages of Wilāyah (sainthood), Shah Ahmed Saeed also accompanied him. Thus he entered the service of Shah Ghulam Ali from his young age.

He was young and was still seeking Islamic education. Hazrat Shah Ghulam Ali advised him that one should combine the Haal (spirituality) with Qaal (literary education), so you should learn the external knowledge from the scholars and join the Halqa when free. Thus he advanced his external education and internal/spiritual training together. He would learn the Islamic knowledge, specially the science of Hadith from his father’s uncle Shah Sirāj Ahmed Mujaddidi and other scholars. Meanwhile he would also continue seeking his spiritual training from Shah Ghulam Ali who trained him in all the prevalent Sufi methods of the time.

Finally, when he completed the spiritual training and reached the highest stages of Wilāyah, his shaykh gave him authority in seven Sufi orders, mainly the Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi tarīqa. He was just 22 years old when his shaykh departed from this world on 22 Safar 1240 AH (October 1824). His father Shah Abū Saeed had been appointed by the shaykh as his ultimate heir who succeeded the spiritual movement and the noble khānqāh Mazhariya. After striving to train thousands of disciples for about ten years, his father left for Hajj and passed away in the return journey, in the night of 1st Shawwal 1250 AH (31 January 1835). His body was brought to Delhi and finally laid to rest in this sublime khanqah. Hazrat Shah Ahmed Saeed became the next successor to his shaykh after the demise of his father, and inherited the khanqah and all the followers.
Migration to Madinah

During his life, most of India was captured by the British who had reached close to Delhi where he lived. The Muslim scholars declared India as Dar al-Harb (legally, in state of war) and allowed for Jihad against the British. The uprising of 1857 was a key event in the history of India, in which the capital Delhi was taken over by the British and the long rule of Muslim kings over India came to an end. This uprising was supported by a fatwa (legal ruling) of the Islamic scholars, and one of them was Shah Ahmed Saeed himself. Indeed, he was the first to affirm it and sign it.

This fatwa made the British rulers his foes, and he had to flee from Delhi in order to evade the oppression and injustice of the new rulers who wanted to persecute him. He decided to migrate to the holy city of Madinah. During the journey, he stayed for 18 days at khanqah Mūsā Zaī Sharīf, established by his chief khalifa Hājī Dost Muhammad Qandahari in district Derā Ismāīl Khān (presently in Pakistan). There he declared Haji Dost Muhammad his successor and made him the custodian of khānqah Mazhariya in Delhi and commanded him to either reside there himself or send a khalifa to take control of it. Haji Dost Muhammad decided to stay at Musa Zai and presented his khalifa Mawlana Rahīm Bakhsh Ajmeri to his shaykh for residing at the Delhi khanqah.

Finally, from Musa Zai Sharif he left for Makkah and performed Hajj there in 1274 AH (1858). In Rabi al-Awwal 1275 AH (October 1858) he reached Madinah, the city of light.

During the journey, numerous people did bay’ah with him including scholars, and his fame reached far and wide. He lived in Madinah for about two years. Thousands of people there did bayah with him. His biographer says that if he had lived there for few more years, number of his murids would have reached hundreds of thousands.
Children

Hazrat Shah Ahmed Saeed had four sons and one daughter:

Hazrat Shah Abdur-Rasheed Mujaddidi
Hazrat Shah Abdul-Hameed Mujaddidi
Hazrat Shah Muhammad Umar Mujaddidi
Hazrat Shah Muhammad Mazhar Mujaddidi
His daughter Roshan-Ãrā, may Allah be pleased with them all.

His Khulafa

Eighty names from his khulafa are reported by his son Shah Muhammad Mazhar in the book Manāqib-e-Ahmadiya. Some of the prominent names are presented here.

Hazrat Khwājā Hājī Dost Muhammad Qandahāri, his chief khalifa, died 22 Shawwal 1284 AH (February 1868)
Hazrat Shāh Abdul-Ghanī Fārūqī Mujaddidī (born 4 Sha’aban 1234 AH, died 7 Muharram 1296 AH / 3 December 1878), his real brother
Hazrat Shāh Muhammad Umar Fārūqī Mujaddidī, his son
Hazrat Shāh Muhammad Mazhar Fārūqī Mujaddidī, his son. He was Shaykh of Maulana Murād al-Manzilvī al-Makkī who translated the letters of Imām Rabbānī Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindī into Arabic.
Hazrat Shah Irshād Hussain Mujaddidī Rāmpuri
Hazrat Mawlana Wali an-Nabi Mujaddidi Rāmpuri
Maulana Habīb-Allah Multānī, who accompanied him in Hajj
Maulana Sayyid Abul-Qāsim Hasvi (d. 1266 AH), author of Ma’āthir al-Abrār
Shāh Abdus-Salām Hasvi, son of Sayyid Abul-Qāsim Hasvi

He passed away on 2nd Rabi al-Awwal 1277 AH (18/19 September 1860) in Madinah and was buried in the graveyard Jannat-ul-Baqi alongside the sacred tomb of Sayyidina Usmān Ghani, may Allah be pleased with him. His Janazah prayer (funeral) was attended by a huge crowd, and the people of Madinah said we have never witnessed this many people attending a funeral before.
His writings

Hazrat Shah Ahmed Saeed was an author and wrote the following books:
Handwriting of Shah Ahmed Saeed Mujaddidi

Handwriting of Shah Ahmed Saeed Mujaddidi, Arabic, from the book Asbāt al-Mawlid wal-Qiyām

Sa’eed al-Bayān Fī Mawlid Sayyid al-Ins wal-Jān (سعيد البيان في مولد الانس والجان), Urdu, about the Mawlid-un-Nabi (Mīlād in Urdu).
Az-Zikr al-sharīf Fī Athbāt al-Mawlid al-Munīb (الذكر الشريف في اثبات المولد المنيب), Persian, also about the Mawlid
Athbāt al-Mawlid wal-Qiyām (اثبات المولد والقيام), Arabic, about Mawlid, written in refutation of a book written by Molvi Mahboob Ali Ja’fri
Al-Fawāid az-Zābita Fī Athbāt ar-Rābita (الفوائد الضابطه في اثبات الرابطه), Persian
Al-Anhār al-Arba’ā Dar Bayān Salāsil-e-Arba’ā (الانهار الاربعه در بيان سلاسل اربعه), Persian, describing the spiritual lessons of four Sufi orders: Naqshbandi, Mujaddidi, Qādri and Chishti.
Al-Haqq al-Mubīn Fī al-Radd Alā al-Wahhābiyyīn (الحق المبين في الرد على الوهابيين), written in refutation of the Wahhābi sect, a newly emerged cult in the Arabia whose influence had reached India at that time.
137 of his letters collected by his chief khalifa Hājī Dost Muhammad Qandahāri, and recently published under the name Tuhfā Zawwāriyā. Many 

Hazrat Khwājā Hājī Safiyyullāh Mujaddidī Kābulī (1156-1212 AH)

حضرةخواجة حاجى صفى الله قيوم جهان
فرزند حضرت محمد اسماعيل فرزند حضرت شاه صبغت الله مجددى فرزند عروة الوثقى حضرت شيخ امام
محمد معصوم رضى الله عنه فرزند حضرت امام ربانى غوث صمدانى محبوب سبحانى مجدد منور الف ثانى رضى الله عنه شیخ احمد فاروقی کابلی سرهندی نقشبندى قدس الله سره العزیز )

Hazrat Khwājā Hājī Safiyyullāh Mujaddidī Kābulī (1156-1212 AH) was a great shaykh of the Naqshbandi Mujaddidi Sufi order in Kabul (now Afghanistan). He is said to be a Qayyūm, the highest spiritual rank among the Awliya of Mujaddidi tariqah.

He was born on 4 Dhu al-Qa’da 1156 AH at Sirhind (India), though he lived in Kabul (Afghanistan). His birth and high spiritual ranks were predicted by his ancestors. He was born as a wali and many Karāmāt are reported from his childhood. His father passed away while he was a child, so he received the spiritual training in the Mujaddidi tariqah from his eldest brother Shāh Ghulām Muhammad Sirhindī (d. 1177 AH).

Genealogy
1. Imām Rabbānī Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindī (971-1034 AH)
1.3. Imām Muhammad Ma’sūm Sirhindī (1007-1079 AH)
1.3.1. Khwājā Muhammad Sibghatullāh Sirhindī (1033-1122 AH)
1.3.1.2. Khwājā Muhammad Ismā’īl Sirhindī (d. 1136 AH)
1.3.1.2.1. Khwājā Ghulām Muhammad Ma’sūm Sirhindī (d. 1161 AH)
1.3.1.2.1.9. Khwājā Safiyyullāh Mujaddidī Kābulī (1156-1212 AH)

His khulafā are said to be 28, among them were the following:

His niece was appointed by him as a spiritual deputy, a rare example of a woman Sufi shaykh.
Shaykh Fazalullāh Sirhindi, author of Umdat-ul-Maqāmāt (Persian) which is a collection of biographies of the Sufi masters of Sirhindi family
Shaykh Ziā-ul-Haqq Shaheed Sirhindi
Makhdoom Muhammad Ibrāhīm Thattvī who was himself a popular Sufi master and scholar in Sindh.
Khwājā Safiyyullāh passed away in Yemen while on a journey to Hajj, in Dhu al-Qa’ada 1212 AH. His Janazah prayer was offered by his khalifa Makhdoom Muhammad Ibrāhīm. He was buried in the coastal city of Al Hudaydah, Yemen

Shah Abu Saeed Faruqi Mujaddidi Dehlavi (1196-1250 H)

حضرة شيخ شاه ابو سعيد فرزند صفى القدر فرزند عزيز القدر فرزند شيخ محمد عيسى فرزند حضرة شيخ خواجة سيف الدين فاروقى فرزند حضرت شيخ امام محمد معصوم رضى الله عنه فرزند حضرت امام ربانى غوث صمدانى محبوب سبحانى مجدد منور الف ثانى رضى الله عنه شیخ احمد فاروقی کابلی سرهندی نقشبندى قدس الله سره العزیز )

Shah Abu Saeed Faruqi Mujaddidi Dehlavi (1196-1250 H)
Hadhrat Hāfiz Shāh Abū Saeed Fārūqī Dehlavī Mujaddidī Naqshbandī (1196-1250 AH), may Allah sanctify his soul, is one of the greatest yet less known Awliya of India. He was a khalīfā and spiritual successor of the Mujaddid of 13th Islamic century Hadhrat Shāh Ghulām Alī Dehlavī (1156-1240 AH), may Allah be pleased with him.

Birth and Education
He was born in Rāmpur, India, on 2 Dhu al-Qa’da 1196 AH (10 October 1782 CE). His birth name was Zakī al-Qadr but is now known with his title Abū Saeed. He was a descendant of the great Mujaddid and Imam Hazrat Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindī Fārūqī, and his genealogy goes as follows:

He was son of Hadhrat Safī al-Qadr, who was a great Shaykh and an ascetic Sufi, and holder of the spiritual secrets of his forefathers. He was son of
Hadhrat Shaykh Azīz al-Qadr, son of
Hadhrat Shaykh Muhammad Īsā, son of
Hadhrat Khwājā Saifuddīn, son of
Hadhrat Imam Muhammad Ma’sūm, son of
Hadhrat Imam Rabbani Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindī, may Allah be pleased with them.
Signs of Wilayah (sainthood) were visible in him from childhood. He was never seen playing around like other children. At the age of 11, he memorized the Holy Qur’ān by heart. At the same age, he also received the Naqshbandī tarīqah from his father.

Once when he was young, he went to Lucknow, accompanied with Maulana Ziā’un-Nabī who was from his close relatives. When he would go to the masjid, he would pass by a Durwesh who usually remained naked. But whenever he would pass, the Durwesh would cover up his private parts (Satr in Shariah). Someone asked him, why do you cover up when you see this boy? He replied, he (Shah Abū Saeed) will one day reach a high rank that he will be the focus of his relatives. Thus the words of that Durwesh came true.

He learned Tajweed from Qāri Naseem. He had a beautiful voice and used to recite the holy Quran in a wonderful style. Yet he remained in doubt about the quality of his recitation as he did not believe in the admiration of non-Arabs, until when he received appreciation from the Arabs in Makkah.

He graduated in the Islamic sciences when he was 19 years old. He had learned all the major Islamic courses and books, many from Mufti Sharaf ad-Dīn, and some from Maulana Rafī’ ad-Dīn Muhaddith who was son of Hadhrat Shāh Walī-Allah Dehlavī. He also learned Hadith literature from other luminaries such as Shāh Abdul Azīz Dehlavī, his uncle Maulānā Sirāj Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Murshid, and later also from his own shaykh Hadhrat Shāh Ghulām Alī.

Seeking Tarīqat
He developed the wish for seeking the path of Tarīqat during education, and first was initiated into this noble way by his own father Shāh Safī al-Qadr (d. 29 Sha’ban 1236 / May 1821), who was a great ascetic and a Shaykh of Mujaddidi tarīqah. After graduation, with the permission of his father, he went to a famous shaykh Hadhrat Shāh Dargāhī (1162-1226 AH, 1749-1811 CE) and was initiated into the path by him.

Shah Dargāhi was a saint by birth, who had strong ecstatic states and used to remain in ecstasy except for the prayers. His spiritual lineage was connected to Hadhrat Khwāja Muhammad Zubair (1093-1152 AH) with only two intermediaries. He was also initiated in the Qādri order by Hadhrat Hāfiz Jamāl-Allāh (d. 1209 AH in Rampur). He was a miraculous man – people in his proximity would get affected by his spiritual ecstatic states and would sometimes turn unconscious.

Very soon, Shāh Dargāhī authorized Shāh Abū Saeed in tariqah and made him his spiritual successor. He started training disciples and seekers. He also imparted strong spiritual effects in his followers. His disciples would get ecstatic and unconscious in his company. While having complete khilāfah and large number of disciples gathering around him, his thirst was still not quenched and he started looking around to get another perfected Shaykh of Mujaddidi tariqah to achieve still higher spiritual stations. He wrote a letter to the famous Indian scholar Qādī Thanā-Allāh Pānīpatī (d. 1225 AH / 1810 CE), author of Tafsīr al-Mazharī and khalīfa of Mirzā Mazhar Jān-e-Jānān (1111-1195 AH), and requested for spiritual guidance, who replied that the better option would be to go to Hadhrat Shāh Ghulām Alī Dehlavī, who was the greatest Shaykh of Naqshbandi tariqah in India at that time and the chief deputy of Mirzā Mazhar.

Hearing this advice, he came to Shāh Ghulām Alī and was initiated by him on 7 Muharram 1225 AH (February 1810). [Hidāyat al-Tālibeen] Shāh Ghulām Alī trained him very well and he reached highest stages of Wilāyah (sainthood) and got perfection in all matters. His Shaykh loved him very much due to the fact that he had left his circle of disciples and became a murīd even being himself a Shaykh before, only to seek further nearness to Allah the Exalted.

Shāh Ghulām Alī also gave him complete Ijāzah (authority) in the Mujaddidi tarīqah and he started training new disciples. His followers requested him to write a treatise on the method and practices of the Mujaddidī method. He wrote Hidāyat al-Tālibeen in Persian, a book containing short but complete details of this exalted method of Sufism, and soon this book became popular and was considered a textbook of Tarīqat by the followers of Shāh Ghulām Alī and other Mujaddidi circles. This book has been published and translated in multiple languages.

Along with the Naqshbandi Mujaddidi tariqah, he also received permission in other major Sufi orders such as Qādrī and Chishtī. His chain of spiritual lineage goes as follows: he received Ijāzah from Shāh Ghulām Alī Dehlavī, who received it from Mirzā Mazhar Jān-e-Jānān, who received it from Sayyid Nūr Muhammad Badāyūnī, who received it from Hāfiz Muhammad Mohsin Dehlavī, who received it from Khwāja Saifuddīn Fārūqī Sirhindī, who received it from his father Imām Muhammad Ma’sūm Sirhindī, who received it from his father Imām Rabbānī Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindī, who received it from his Shaykhs and the chains of different orders go to the Messenger of Allah Muhammad Ibn Abdullah, may peace and blessings be upon him.

He had a beautiful calligraphic handwriting, and he completed writing the Holy Qur’ān in bold style in 1244 AH. This copy of the Holy Quran with 888 pages is preserved in Rubāt Mazharī in Madinah the Illuminated, Saudi Arabia.

Miracles and Visions
Once he was traveling from Rāmpur to Sanbhal and came across a river during night, at the start of Ishā prayer time. He boarded a boat on the riverbank, but there was no sailor, only the boat owner was there who was a polytheist. He asked him to sail the boat, he did it without hesitation inspired by the awe of Shaykh even though he did not know how to sail. The boat safely sailed and they arrived at the other bank. Seeing this miraculous journey without a boatman, the boat owner converted to Islam.

One of his disciples Muhammad Asghar narrates that I missed the Tahajjud prayer (late night prayer) very often. Once I told the Shaykh about it, he said you can ask my servant to remind me at the time of Tahajjud, I will wake you up. I can only do this, rest lies with you (i.e., I can only wake you up, praying Tahajjud is your duty). He did that, and the next day onwards he would wake up daily as if someone had made him wake up.

One of his disciples used to remain in ecstatic states and could not decide the direction to qiblā in prayers. He complained about this to the Shaykh, who said, you should direct your attention to me before Tahrīmah (start of prayer) and I will guide you towards the qiblā. Thenceforth, it happened that whenever he would remember him before starting the prayer, the Shaykh would appear and show him the direction towards qiblā.

While going for Hajj, he booked his seat in a ship in Mumbai (that sailed to Jeddah carrying people for Hajj) and paid for it. Later, he canceled the booking saying it does not seem fine to sail in this ship. This [cancellation] was part of the contract. Then he booked in another ship and reached for Hajj within due time, while the first ship arrived late, after the Hajj had been performed.

Successor to His Shaykh
He was a beloved and most approved deputy of Shāh Ghulām Alī, who not only loved him extremely, but also appointed him as his spiritual successor in the noble khānqāh Mazhariya in Delhi.

On 11 Jamādā al-Awwal 1231 AH / 1816, Shah Ghulam Ali said that he (Abū Saeed) shall sit in my place after me, and should lead the Halaqah of Dhikr and the lessons of Hadīth and Tafsīr (as he did himself). He said, some people wonder why is he so special? Don’t they see that Abū Saeed has left his circle of disciples to be my disciple, even with having khilāfah by other Shaykhs!

In Jamādā al-Awwal 1233 A.H. / 1818, Hadhrath Shāh Ghulām Alī gave him the glad tidings that he was appointed to be the Qayyūm. He said, I have seen in vision that you are sitting on my place and the Qayyūmiyah (the high position of being a Qayyūm) is bestowed on you.

Shāh Abū Saeed was in Lucknow when Hadhrat Shāh Ghulām Alī got sick for the last time (before death). He wrote him letters, one after the other, to call him back as soon as possible as he wanted to make him the ultimate successor to him and to the noble khānqāh.

In one of those letters, Hadhrat Shāh Ghulām Alī writes to him:

“I am too sick and can’t even sit now, and I have no other wish but to see you. It has been revealed from the Unseen that I must call you, and the noble spirit of Hadhrat Mujaddid, may Allah be pleased with him, also wishes the same. I have to handover the khānqāh to you, come early. All the people of the khānqāh and many of the city want you, such as Ahmed Yār and Ibrāhīm Beg and Mīr Khurd and Molvī Azīm and Molvī Sher Muhammad. Rather all dignitaries of the city have often said that Abū Saeed deserves to sit in this place, and Shāh Abdul Azīz (famous Indian scholar and author) and others do not want anyone else other than you due to your noble character and practices. And I have received an inspiration (Ilhām) that only you have the competency for this task.” (Excerpts from letter no. 125 from Makātīb Sharīfā)

Thus, he became the heir to this throne of spirituality in India. Shāh Ghulām Alī parted to the eternal world on 22 Safar 1240 AH (October 1824 CE), leaving behind this jewel of the Mujaddidi dynasty to train and guide the seekers of this noble path. He trained thousands of followers in this noble path for nine years, before leaving for Hajj in 1249 AH.

Mawlānā Khālid al-Baghdādī was one of the greatest deputies of Shāh Ghulām Alī who had hundreds of thousands of followers in the Middle East. He used to send some of his murīds (disciples) to Hadhrat Shāh Ghulām Alī for further training and guidance, and also advised many of his followers to follow Hadhrat Shāh Abū Saeed. Mawlānā also sent a letter to Shāh Abū Saeed describing the popularity of Naqshbandi tarīqah and its rapid spread in the Middle East through his efforts.

Hajj and Demise
The people of Delhi were grieved when they knew that he was leaving for Hajj. He appointed his elder son Shāh Ahmed Saeed, may Allah sanctify his soul, as his representative in the khānqāh. During the journey, he was welcomed and venerated in every city and town he passed. He reached Mumbai during Ramadān, left for Hajj in a ship in Shawwāl and reached there in start of Dhu al-Hijjah. He was welcomed there by Shaykh al-Haram Maulānā Muhammad Jān, one of the leading deputies of Hadhrat Shāh Ghulām Alī Dehlavī. All the scholars, shaykhs and other dignitaries of Makkah met him with high reverence, including Shaykh Abdullāh Sirāj, Mufti of Shafi’ī fiqh Shaykh Umar, Mufti Sayyid Abdullah, Mīr Ghanī Hanafī and his uncle Shaykh Yāsīn Hanafī, and the great scholar Shaykh Muhammad Ābid Sindhi (d. 1257 AH / 1841 CE).

He performed the Hajj and got sick in the same month (Dhu al-Hijjah) with dhiarrhea and fever. Being severely sick and almost unconscious, the love of Madinah overpowered him and he left for that illuminated city when he got little better. He spent the month of Mawlid (Rabī al-Awwal) in that holy city. A person saw in a dream that the Messenger of Allah, may peace and blessings be upon him, is going to the Shaykh’s house, and that everyone is going on foot except Hadhrat Umar the Commander of the Believers. Someone interpreted it as, Hadhrat Umar was distinguished because Shāh Abū Saeed is his descendant.

He also held the Halaqah of Dhikr there, and large number of people would attend it. The Shaykh of the Haram invited him, saying he was inviting on behalf of the Holy Prophet, may peace be upon him. In Madinah, his sickness diminished and he could easily walk a mile. But it intensified again as he traveled back. When Ramadān started, he fasted on the first day to know if it is possible for him to fast during this holy month. But that fast intensified his sickness, so he ordered for the Fidya (charity to compensate for the fast in certain situations) to be paid on his behalf. He said, I would like to pay Fidya even though it is not required for sick and travelers in Sharia.

On 22nd Ramadān he reached the Tonk city (India) and the Nawāb of Tonk showed high reverence and esteem for him. On the day of Eid he said the Nawāb should not visit me, as I feel darkness with the arrival of rich and worldly persons. He advised his son Shāh Abdul-Ghānī to follow the Sunnah and to avoid the worldly people. He said to his son, I authorize you and Abdul-Mughnī (his third son) in all the practices and recitations (Ashghāl and Aurād) that I have received [the authority of]. After Zuhr prayer, he asked a Hāfiz to recite Surāh Yāsīn. When Hāfiz had recited it three times, he asked him to stop, saying not enough time was left.

He parted from this world between the Zuhr and Asr prayers on the day of Eid al-Fitr, Saturday 1st Shawwal 1250 AH (31 January 1835 CE).

“Indeed to Allah do we belong and to Him shall we return!” [Quran 2:156]

The Nawāb Wazīr al-Daula and the people of the city gathered in his Janāzāh prayer which was led by the Qadi of the city Maulānā Khalīl al-Rahmān. His sacred body was brought to Delhi for final burial. When the coffin was opened there after almost forty days, his body was so fresh it seemed he had just been bathed. The cotton fiber placed underneath his body was fragrant with a pleasant scent, taken away by people as a relic and blessing. He was buried alongside his masters in the Khānqāh Mazhariyā in Delhi.

He was succeeded by his elder son Hadhrat Shāh Ahmad Saeed who was one of the great deputies of Hadhrat Shāh Ghulām Alī.

One of his earliest disciples Shaykh Ahmad Bakhsh came to Delhi to visit his illuminated grave. Shāh Abū Saeed commanded him in dream that the certificate that you obtained from the British and is still there in your luggage, tear it up as it is not appropriate for Islam (meaning that a Muslim should not seek the pleasure and approval of non-believers). Shaykh Ahmad Bakhsh says I did not even remember that the paper was with me, and when I searched my luggage I found it. I tore it in pieces and the love of non-believers was removed from my heart.

“The Friends of Allah do not die, but move from one house to another.”

Descendents and Khulafa
He had three sons. The elder, Hadhrat Shāh Ahmad Saeed Mujaddidī Fārūqī, may Allah have mercy on him, was a great scholar, famous Shaykh and was trained and authorized in Tariqat by Hadhrat Shāh Ghulām Alī. He was the true spiritual heir of his Shaykh whom he succeeded after his father. He migrated to Madinah al-Munawwara where he died in 1277 A.H.

His second son was Hadhrat Shāh Abdul-Ghanī Fārūqī, a great scholar of Islamic sciences, who sought tariqah from his father and then completed the Sulook from his elder brother.

His third son was Hadhrat Shāh Abdul-Mughnī Fārūqī, who was also an eminent scholar and shaykh.

From his spiritual descendents, following names of his khulafa are reported in his biography, although it is expected that he would have blessed many more with this noble award.

Hadhrat Shāh Raūf Ahmad Rāft Mujaddidī (d.1253 AH), his cousin. He first received khilafah from Hazrat Shāh Ghulām Alī, then from Shāh Abū Saeed Mujaddidī.
Hadhrat Shāh Khateeb Ahmad Mujaddidī (1224-1266 AH), son of Shāh Raūf Ahmad Rāft.
Hadhrat Shāh Abdul Ghanī Mujaddidī (1234-1296 AH), a great Muhaddith and author. He was the second son of Shah Abū Saeed. He received Sulook and khilafah from his father, and later from his elder brother Shaāh Ahmad Saeed.
Hadhrat Shāh Abdul Mughnī Fārūqī Mujaddidī (1239-1292 AH), third son of Shāh Abū Saeed Mujaddidī. Born in Lucknow and died in Madinah al-Munawwarah.
Hadhrat Maulānā Muhammad Sharīf (1198-1260 AH): received education in Rāmpur and then sought the tariqah from Shāh Abū Saeed, received khilafah and then went to Kashmir and Punjab where many people benefited from him. He died in Hoshiārpur and the corpse was transferred to Sirhind and buried there near the shrine of Khwaja Muhammad Ma’sūm. His biography in Urdu is recorded in the book Tazkirah Mashāikh-e Naqshbandia by Maulana Noor Bakhsh Tawakullī.
Hadhrat Mullā Khudā Burdī Turkistānī: received tariqah from Shāh Abū Saeed while he was in Lucknow. Then went to Bulgaria where many people were blessed by him.
Hadhrat Mullā Alā’uddīn: received the training of Sulook from Shah Abū Saeed and went to Peshawar and spread the tariqah there.
Hadhrat Shaykh Sa’adullāh: started the path of Sulook with Shāh Ghulām Alī and then with Shāh Abū Saeed, and received khilafah. He went to Haramain Sharifain (the holy sanctuaries) and then settled in Hyderabad (India) in 1245 A.H. / 1829. He had strong love for his Shaykhs and used to passionately celebrate their Urs. Many people would come to him from all around the world, and he blessed many with Khilafah. He was a Tajik by race. He died on 28 Jamādā al-Awwal 1270 A.H. (February 1854)
Hadhrat Maulānā Abdul-Karīm Turkistānī: came to Hadhrat Shāh Ghulām Alī and then received Sulook from Shāh Abū Saeed.
Hadhrat Maulānā Ghulām Muhammad: came from Attock and received spiritual training from Shāh Abū Saeed while Hadhrat Shāh Ghulām Alī was still alive.
Hadhrat Miān Asghar (d. 1255 AH), buried in Khanqah Mazharia, Delhi.
Sources
Biography of Shāh Ghulām Alī Dehlavī, by Shāh Abdul-Ghanī Mujaddidī. As an appendix in Maqāmāt Mazharī, Urdu Translation by Muhammad Iqbāl Mujaddidī, Urdu Science Board Lahore, 2nd edition 2001
Short biography in Urdu by Mukhtār Ahmed Khokhar, published in Attāhir [www.islahulmuslimeen.org]
Hidāyat al-Tālibeen by Shāh Abū Saeed Fārūqī Mujaddidī
Makātīb Sharīfa Persian (letters), by Hadhrat Shāh Abdullāh alias Ghulām Alī Dehlavī
Tazkirah Mashāikh-e Naqshbandiyāh (Urdu), by Allāmā Noor Bakhsh Tawakullī
Letter 36 in the letters of Shāh Ahmad Saeed Mujaddidī, describing the life of