Shaykh Umar Diya ad-Din Naqshbandi Khalidi Uthmani (RA)

Shaykh Umar Diya ad-Din Naqshbandi Khalidi Uthmani (RA)

The third son of Shaykh Siraj ad-Din, the Perfect Spiritual Guide (Murshid e Kamil) & Mirror of Faruq (Hadrat Omer bin al Khatab).He read the Scholastic Books & studied in the schools of the region. He travelled to relatively remote areas purposing education & learning such as at Talbaniya Khanqah at Kirkuk. Then he returned to Hawraman & its schools solicitously devoted to education. After he acquired sufficient religious knowledge, was enrolled in spiritual wayfaring (Sayr o Saluk) till  reached the elevated station & consequently received the sanction (ijaza’h) from his father who deputized him under the supervision of his elder brother.

He founded on piety a number of houses of worship the Takiyahs or khanqahs such as Khankeen Khanqah (1301 H),Kazrabat-ass’diyah Khanqah (302H) .Biyarah Khanqah (1307H) with a large comprehensive school that resembles university now a days with extension of the preliminary & elementary stages & which was full of students in the various conventional sciences and the common stages, along with the convenience of their accommodations and comfort. It was the most considerable amongst the centers of knowledge and education over one entire century, whereby it was attended annually by thousands of scholars and students of knowledge convening in informative sessions from Qur’anic Memorization to topmost subjects, such as : the study of Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh) and its principles, the study of Prophetic Traditions (Hadith) and its principles, tajwid and sciences of recitation ( ilm al Qira’a),the articles of faith ( aqa’id),theology ( ilm al kalam),philology and morphology (nahw wal sarf), rhetoric, aphorisms (wisdom), mathematics, logic, astronomy in its ancient form and ethics of research and argumentation.

Moreover, he inspired the influential to build up schools and to care for the students of religious lore. As a result,the religious schools augmented in frontier area and cities, and the number of scholars increased in mosques and hospices (Khanqahs) in accordance with the slogan : ‘The Sufi Way (Tariqah) is the servant of Islamic Law (Shariah)”.He also constructed the Khanqah of Biyawiliya in 1310H and Khanqah of Sirdasht in 1314H.He was a lover of books when they were scarce, had to get and an expensive merchandise. So he acquired a valuable and rich library for study, reading and reference: and famous Biyarah library was satiated with original references, cyclopedias, textbooks in the multifarious sciences, art, texts, commendations and annotations that reached unto ten thousand according to the testament of Shaykh Abdul Karim Mudarris.

He used to respect the scholars and the teachers to the extent of self denial and modesty before them to encourage them to continue their tutelage and submersion in knowledge. He himself was abreast in the Kurdish, Arabic and Persian Literature. He also had balmy poems the emanated winsomeness and gentleness in the diverse permissible articles of poetry, in addition to precious letters that were compiled by the erudite scholar and tutor, the honorable Shaykh Abdul Karim Mudarras in the second volume of hid book “ Yade Mardan” and he devoted the first volume to the biography of Mawlana Khalid an-Naqshbandi. He had various sons that followed his steps and pursued his path, and they are: Muhiyiddeen(1278-1342H),Ala’A-Din (1280-1373H),Najm Al-Din (1280-1337H),Nizam Ad-Din(1299-1350H),Saad Ad-Din(1394-1315H),Shaikh Anwar(1300-1360H),Shaikh Jamil 1308H),Shaikh Kamel(1315-1396H),Shaikh Ta’ib(1316-1383H).

Similarly these virtuous men had sons and grandsons who traced the tracks of their father and grand father in worship, virtue and morality and what is anticipated is that a person who is knowledgeable about the family will rise to study their biographies and states in a more comprehensive and particular manner.

Note: Shaykh Muhammad Masum Naqashbandi (RA),the Eminent Scholar from Bayarah, Kurdistan, Iraq and spiritual guide to Naqshbandiya Foundation for Islamic Education (NFIE),was son of Shaykh Jamil son of Shaykh Umar Diya ad Din (RA).

Shaykh Muhammad Masum Naqshbandi RA