The Naqshbandi Golden chain | The Family And House

The Shaykhs of the Naqshbandi Islamic Sufi Way

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq “was the best friend and most beloved Companion of the Holy Prophet “as”. Although God honored Abu Bakr “Q” by making him first in innumerable ways, his dearest title was probably, “The second of two when they were in the cave.” (9:40)
Salman al-Farsi (as) stood fast in the face of extreme difficulties and hardships, to carry the Light of Lights and to spread the secrets of hearts, to lift people from darkness to light. He was a noble Companion of the Prophet ﷺ who reported sixty of the Prophet’s ﷺ Traditions (hadith). Salman al-Farsi (as) is known as “the Imam (Leader)” “the Inheritor of Islam,” “the Wise Judge,” “the Knowledgeable Scholar” and Ahlul Bayt (One of the House of the Prophet ﷺ).” These were all titles the Prophet ﷺ gave him. [Also, he was known as (Al-Farsi (The Persian), Al-Muhammadi (Muhammadan), Abu Al-Kitabayn (The Father of two books: the Bible and the Holy Quran), Luqman Al-Hakeem (the Wise Luqman), Paak (Pure))
Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr as-Siddiq ² was one of the seven most famous jurists in Madinah, being the most knowledgeable among them. When he approached death it is related that the Kabah said, “O Qasim! I am going to miss you and I am not going to see you again in this dunya.” Then the Kabah made five hundred circumambulations around Qasim out of respect for him.
Imam Ja’far as Sadiq (Radi Allahu Anh) [May Allah be pleased with him] was a master in exegesis of the Quran, a scholar of jurisprudence , and one of the greatest scholars qualified to give legal decisions in Madinah . Imam Jafar acquired both the external religious knowledge, as well as the internal confirmation of its reality in the heart. The latter was reflected in his many visions and miraculous powers , too numerous to tell.
Mawlana Tayfur Abu Yazid al Bistami’s grandfather was a Zoroastrian from Persia. Tayfur Abu Yazid al Bistami [the 6th Shaykh of the Naqshbandi Golden Chain] made a detailed study of the statutes of Islamic Law and practiced self-denial. All his life he was assiduous in the practice of his religious obligations and in observing voluntary worship.
He urged his disciples to put their affairs in the hands of God. He encouraged them to accept sincerely the pure doctrine of the Oneness of God.
Abul Hasan Ali ibn Jafar al-Kharqani was the Arch-Intercessor of his time and unique in his station. He was the focus of attention of his people and an ocean of knowledge from which saints still receive waves of light and spiritual knowledge.
Abu Ali al-Farmadi is called “the Knower,” “the Merciful,” and “the Custodian of Divine Love.” He said, “For the (Knower) a time will come wherein the light of knowledge will reach him and his eyes will see the incredible unseen.”
Yusuf of Hamadani was one of the rarest knowers of God, a pillar in the Sunnah of the Prophet , and a unique saint. He was a religious leader, a religious scholar, and a Gnostic. He made progress in self-denial and contemplation until he became the Arch-Intercessor (Quawth) of his time.
Abul `Abbas is Khidr , whom Allah mentioned in the Holy Qur’an [18:65] as the servant of Allah who met with the Prophet Musa . The important role of Khidr as the murshid (initiator) of saints may be illustrated by the importance of his role as the murshid of prophets, particularly of the Prophet Musa .
Abdul Khaliq al-Ghujdawani He was known as the Shaikh of Miracles, One Who Shone Like the Sun, and he was the Master of the high stations of spirituality of his time. He was a Perfect Knower (arif kamil) in sufism and accomplished in asceticism. He is considered the Fountainhead of this Honorable Sufi Order and the Wellspring of the Khwajagan (Masters of Central Asia).
Arif ar-Riwakri He was a Knower whose Inner Truth appeared to him in all its brightness and light. He was a Sun of Knowledge who illuminated the dark sky of his Age. He was called the Light in the Garden of Reality and the Light in the Garden of the Prophet . Arif (q) was born in the village of Riwakar six miles from Bukhara and one mile from Ghujdawan. He stood at the door of his Shaikh, Abdul Khaliq, and served him until the Shaikh gave him permission for irshad(giving guidance). He took the Secret of the Order from his Shaikh who witnessed his attainment to the state of perfection. He filled the countries around Bukhara with the scent of his blessings. He opened the minds and the hearts of the people of his time to the secrets of his knowledge.
Khwaja Mahmoud al-Anjir al-Faghnawi He was a Master from whose heart the Water of Knowledge and Wisdom gushed forth. His heart was polished by the Divine Effulgence, making him one of the best of the Chosen Ones, purified from all darkness and misery, and translucent as crystal. He was born in the village of Anjir Faghna, three miles from Bukhara. In his youth he used to work in construction. He devoted his life to the guidance of people to Allah’s Presence. He was the first in the line of the Masters of Wisdom (Khwajagan) to introduce the method of loud dhikr in accordance with the needs of the time and as required by the conditions of the seekers. When he was asked why he used the loud dhikr, he replied, “To awaken the sleeper.”
Ali ar-Ramitani He was a Noble Flag of Islam and a great scholar who opened the locks to the treasures of the heart and explained secrets from the Unseen. He received, from the Kingdom of Knowers, Bounties and Prizes and Honors. He guided the needy to the station of Spiritual Knowledge. His name flew high in the skies of Guidance, and there are no words to express his knowledge nor his state. To us he may be described, like the Mother of Books (the Holy Qur’an), as “one written in an elevated state
Shaikh Muhammad Baba as-Samasi (q), the distinguished student of al-Azizan, was the Scholar of the Saints and the Saint of the Scholars. He was unique in the two knowledges, the inner and the outer. His blessings permeated every nation in his time. From his desire to learn, he caused every unseen knowledge and secret to appear. He was the pinnacle of the Suns of External and Internal Knowledge of the Eighth Hijra Century. One of his miraculous signs was his Ascension from the Dome of the Rock, which was his heart, to the station of the Knower of the Knowers. From everywhere those versed in spiritual wisdom made the pilgrimage to his Garden of Knowledge and circumambulated the Ka’aba of his Guidance.
Sayyid Amir Kulal is known as the Rose of the Characteristics and Attributes of the Prophet, the Furthest Lote Tree of Desire for the Ultimate Stations, the Owner of the Throne of Guidance, the Attractor of Heavenly Blessings, and the Teacher with his holy breath of the Secrets of the Divine. He is a mujaddid or Renewer of the sharia (Law), a Master of the tariqa (Way), a builder of haqiqa (Reality), and a guide forkhaliqa (Creation). He was distinguished for mastery among the saints of his time, who applied the following saying to him: “The Saints of Mastery are the Masters of all Saints.
Muhammad Baha’uddin Shah Naqshband He is an Ocean of Knowledge that has no shore. Its waves were woven with the pearls of Heavenly Knowledge. He cleansed humanity with his Ocean of Innocence and Piety. He quenched the thirst of souls with the water of his spiritual Support. The whole world, including its oceans and continents, were within his grasp. He is a star decorated with the crown of Guidance. He sanctified all human souls without exception with his holy breath. He adorned even the remotest corner with the secrets of Muhammadun Rasul-Allah ﷺ.
Ala’uddin al-Bukhari al-cAttar He is a Star from among the Perfect Saints. He was one of the scholars who act on what they know (calimun camil). He is known as the fruit of the tree of Divine Knowledge, the Life of Spiritual Knowledge, the Eraser of Darkness, the Guide of the noble and common people alike, the Fountain that never dries up, the best Guide to Enlightenment on the Path to the Lord. He is first in removing the thorns of falsehood from the Path of Truth. He stands in the Center of the Realm of the Poles (aqtab) and he carries the burden of the spiritual khalifate. He raised the souls of his brothers until the whole Universe was calling him and remembering him. The external and internal knowledge of religion flourished because of his truthfulness
Yaqub al-Charkhi He appeared among human beings dressed in the two knowledges, the exernal and the internal. His conduct and character were so refined that he reflected the attributes of God to all people. He revived spirituality within Divine Law and he revived Divine Law (sharica) within spirituality. People followed him because his way was the best, for he had inherited Knowledge of the Unseen from the Prophet
Ubaydullah al-Ahrar He was the Pole of the Circle of the Knowers of God, an Ocean of Knowledge which would never be exhausted, even though all of creation were to drink from it to quench their spiritual thirst. He was a King who owned the pure light of the Unique Essence and released it from its captivity in the Hidden to spread it among all Knowers. He unveiled the hidden side of the moons of the Attributes of the Lord from the cradle until his perfected state. He was given authority as a youth and set to work to receive the Secret of Secrets and to unveil the Veils. He never looked at a worldly desire. He progressed until he reached the highest states of sainthood, where knowledge of the Essence of the Unseen is bestowed and the secret of Absolute Nihility becomes revealed. Then he travelled on from Absolute Nihility to Absolute Light. Allah revived this Order through him during his time and He supported him with His Favor. He made him a golden link in this Golden Chain, and He made him one of the most elevated inheritors of the Prophet
Muhammad Az-Zahid He was the Perfection of the Pious, the Genius of the Guides, the Essence of Sainthood. Upon him was bestowed the Godly Khalifate (al-Khilafa al-Rabbaniyya), and the Spiritual Kingdom was his shelter. He combined in his person the Heavenly Knowledge and the Sharaca Knowledge, and he grasped the best of the tariqat and haqiqat, until he became the locus of all Heavenly Revelations and Inspirations. In him appeared the Knowledge of Spiritual Knowers. He is known as the Unique One in Knowledge and in the Use of the Pen. He carried in his heart the secrets of attracting the hearts of people. Praise belongs all to Allah who established in him the Heavenly Revelation, and who gave him miraculous power in every important matter. He adorned him with the Perfect Light of Muhammad in the beginning of his ascent to the State of Spiritual Knowledge. He was the Secret of his Shaykh, the Qiblah for his Shaykh’s people, the Inheritor of his Shaykh’s knowledge.
Darwish Muhammad He is the Ghawth (Arch-Intercessor) of the Famous Saints and the Blessing of the Scholars of Islam. He is the Dawn and the Light of both the East and the West. He is the Master of the Kingdom of Guidance. He grew up in the house of his uncle who taught him the best manners, educated him in spiritual and religious knowledge, and nursed him from the fount of morality and ethics. He quenched his thirst with the Heavenly Realities and Unseen Knowledge, until his heart became a House of Revelation, as Allah said in the Holy Hadith, “Neither my heaven nor my earth could contain Me, but the heart of my Believing Servant contained Me.
Muhammad Khwaja al-Amkanaki He was the Inheritor of the Secrets of the Prophet and the Ultimate of the Preferred Saints. He was the Imam whose majestic position everyone acknowledged and whose blessings reached far and wide.
Muhammad al-Baqi bi-l-Lah He was the Knower, Annihilated in God (fana billah) and Existing in His Existence (baqa billah), who was lifted to the highest station of Vision. He was a Secret of Allah’s Secrets and a Miracle of Allah’s Miracles. He combined in his person the two types of knowledge: the Outer Knowledge and the Heavenly Knowledge. God gave him from the two Oceans, and conferred on him Authority in the two worlds of men and Jinn.
Ahmad al-Faruqi as-Sirhindi Al Mujadid Alf e Sani (reviver of the second Millennium) He was the Pearl of the Crown of the Knowledgeable Saints. He was the Treasure of Those who Came Before and of Those who Came After. In him were combined all their favors and generosity. He was the Sinai of Divine Manifestation, the Furthermost Lote Tree of the Unique Knowledge, and the Fountain of the Hidden Prophetic Knowledge. He was the Genius of Scholars and he was the Sultan of the Earth, which smiled when he was born and was honored by his existence. He was the perfect Perfected Guide. He was the Caller to Allah’s presence, the One Qutb and the Unique Heavenly Imam
Muhammad al-Masum He is The Rope of Allah (cUrwat-il-Wuthqa), the Pious Guide who combined in himself the sharaca and Reality (haqiqat) and he showed the difference between Ignorance and True Guidance. He was born in the year 1007 H. He was educated by his father from the special knowledge of saints. He sat on the Throne of Guidance in the Naqshbandi Way after the passing of his Shaykh, at the age of 26 years. He became famous everywhere. His name was known on every tongue, and kings acknowledged his greatness in his time. People were flocking to him from everywhere
Muhammad Sayfuddin al-Faruqi al-Mujaddidi He was a Reviver of this Order and a Reviver of the true path of the Sunnah. He derived great spiritual benefit from his great ancestor, Sayyidina `Umar al-Faruq , and from his grandfather, Sayyidina Ahmad al-Faruqi (q). With the blessings of the Prophet he was able to spread this order far and wide.
As-Sayyid Nur Muhammad al-Badawani He was a descendant of the Prophet . His light was powered by the Heavenly Station. He poured into the confused hearts of his time, peace and happiness, until he became the Appearance of every Favor and a Means to Allah Almighty and Exalted, for every person in his time. Through him God has renewed the Divine law, sharica and the spiritual reality, haqiqa, like the full moon on a dark night. How many a Sunnah that had been discarded did he revive and how many innovations that had been instigated did he remove?
Shamsuddin Habib Allah, He was the Sun of Eternal Happiness. He was the Beloved of Allah, Almighty and Exalted. He was the Spirit of the People of Truth, and he was the Essence of the Spirit of the People of Taste. He was the Kacba of the Godly and one of the Flags of the Noble Messenger. He elevated the Knowledge of the Religion of Muhammad . He revived the Way of the Naqshbandi Order.
Mawlana Shaykh Abdullah ad-Dahlawi He was the Summit of Knowers and the King of the Perfect Guides, the Revealer of the Knowledge of the Religion and the Revealer of the Secret of Certainty; the Verifier of the State of Perfection, Shaykh of all Shaykhs of the Indian Subcontinent, the Inheritor of the Knowledge and Secrets of the Naqshbandi Order. He is known as the Unique Diver and Swimmer in the Ocean of Oneness; the traveller in the Desert of the Ascetic State; the Qutb of all orders and the Red Sulfur (“Rarest of the Rare”) of All Truth.
Mawlana Shaykh Khalid al-Baghdadi He was the Scholar of Scholars and the Saint of Saints and the Knower of Knowers and the Light and the Full Moon of this Order in his time. He was the Keeper of the Secrets of Realities and the Realities of the Secrets. His secrets moved into every human being just as the soul moves into the body. If the Prophet ﷺ had not been the Seal of Prophecy his words would have been revelation. He spread the knowledge of both Islamic law and Ta awwuf. He was a mujtahid (authority) in Divine Law (shari`a) and in Divine Reality (Haqiqat). He was the Scholar of the Perfect Saints and He was the Saint of the Perfect Scholars. He achieved all the spiritual and the worldly knowledge. He learned the branches and the trunk. He was the Center of the Circle of Qutbs in his time and he was the means of merging the ends with the beginnings and the beginnings with the ends.
Ismail Muhammad ash-Shirwani He was an Imam of Spiritual Power. He was one of the Masters of Sufism. He was the Owner of the Throne of Guidance, and the Focus of Divine Outpouring. He was a Tower of the Unseen Secrets of the Divine Essence. Through him mankind was guided on the Path of Heavenly Knowledge and by means of him they became distinguished. He was a beacon for his time. He was the Imam for whose elevated knowledge the people bore witness. In his century he was the Sufi to whom all eyes turned. Shaykh Isma`il ash-Shirwani (q) was the one to bring the Naqshbandi Order to Daghestan. He was the one to establish jihad against the cruel Russian occupation and to revive the religion of Islam in his country after it had been almost eradicated.
Khas Muhammad Shirwani He was the Wisest Scholar of his time, Adorned with the Arts of Science, dressed in the Robes of Piety and Patience, enlightened with the Essence of Certainty and supported with the Firmness of Faith. He knew Truth from Falsehood. He was Unsurpassed in Eloquence and Clarification. He was a Master of This Way and the First in this Association (Jama`at). He was the Champion of the Knowers and the Signpost for the Seekers. His speeches were exemplary and exquisite in their eloquence. His proofs and examples were metaphors that clarified elevated concepts to make them accessible to the people. All were overwhelmed by his eloquence. If he passed through a city in Daghestan, the people would line the streets to see him. Writers used to attend his association for the sake of his eloquent literary language, jurists for his legal rulings, philosophers for his logic, speakers for his clarity, and Sufis for his Manifestation of the Truth.
Muhammad Effendi al-Yaraghi He was a Pious Imam respected by everyone. He brought out the treasures of Knowledge and its delicate Code of Behaviour and Rules. His many sayings were a Guidebook to the ways of the seekers. From his forehead the Light of Heavenly Knowledge shone forth. He was very brave in the fight against the Russian imperialists in his time. He had True Piety and a very pure Faith. He was humble towards everyone. He bore the signs of Perfection, having put his ego under his control. He encouraged people to follow the Naqshbandi Sufi Way and to support it on their tongues and with their actions and in their hearts. He was a Garden full of Roses from which the bees would gather the nectar and produce the finest honey. People ran to his threshold to attain the happiness of this world and the Hereafter.
Jamaluddin al Ghumuqi al Husayni He was one of the Perfect Human Beings whom Allah graced with His Divine Names and Attributes. He made him the central Pillar of Divine Revelation of the Hidden Secrets and the Key for the Lock of the Throne of Knowledge. He represented His Lord as His Shadow in this world, his heart adorned with the pearls and diamonds of the Essence of the Unique Oneness. He made him the House of His Light. He was the Sustenance for the hearts of the Seekers and he was the means for those wishing to hear directly the Divine Words. He was the Red Sulfur weighed in the Divine Scales, the Guarantor for Unveiling the Deep Secrets of Worship. He was the Dictionary of the language of the Special Knowledge: in him resided the Green Emerald and the Red Ruby of the Divers in that Ocean, to whom came the Massive Heritage of reviving the knowledge of spirituality and religion.
Abu Ahmad Sughuri He was the Inheritor of the Knowledge of Prophets in his time, the Imam of Qutbs, and the Advisor of the Kingdom of Guidance. He quenched his spiritual thirst by drinking from the fountain of Heavenly Knowledge and he reached a stage of Annihilation at the age of thirty. He was the summit of Ascetic Saints. He was addressed by the Heavenly Kingdom as the Khalif of this Kingdom on Earth. In his person were combined the both knowledges, and he acquired and grasped all the benefit of the Taraqat and aqaqat. He became the center of all Heavenly Inspirations and Revelations. He was a Secret from Allah’s Secrets and a Miracle from Allah’s Miracles. He was the Unique Banner of the Knowledge of Spirituality and the Knowledge of the Pen. He was like the Pole Star giving direction and illuminating the way for the people of his time. He revived dead hearts and he wore the cloak of the great saints. He didn’t leave an atom in this world unsupported by his spiritual power.
Abu Muhammad al-Madani His blessings reached everyone in his time. He was a Special One (khas), carrying the Secrets of the Prophetic Descriptions. He sat on the Throne of Guidance, spreading external and internal knowledge, especially from the Divine Presence. He was a master of this Order. He was distinguished among the Knowers. He was a Supporter of the weak. He had great miraculous power, that was visible wherever he went.
Sharafuddin ad-Daghestani He was a Perfect Knower in the Divine Presence. He was the Key to the most inaccessible Divine Knowledge. He was a True Scholar, decorated with the Lights of the Divine Attributes. He was supported by True Faith. He was a Warrior in the way of Allah, Sublime and Exalted. He was the Voice for the Divine Presence in his time. He was the Shaykh of Shaykhs in Islamic knowledge. He was the Authority for the most specialized, the most precise and the most difficult matters in every area of knowledge. He was an Ocean of Knowledge, a Whirlwind of Spirituality, a Waterfall of Revelations, a Volcano of Divine Love, a Whirlpool of Attraction, a Rainbow of Divine Attributes. He was overflowing with knowledge like the Nile when it floods. He was the Carrier of the Secret of Sultan adh-Dhikr, which no one had carried before his time. He was the Master of Wisdom of the beginning of the 20th century and its Reviver. He was a genius in the Science of Islamic Law, a mujtahid in the knowledge of Jurisprudence, and a narrator of hadith, the Narrations of the Prophet ﷺ . Hundreds of scholars used to attend his lectures. He was the mufti of his time. He was also one of the finest calligraphers to copy the Qur’an.He was the advisor to Sultan Abdul Hamid. He held the position of Shaykh ul-Islam, the highest religious authority in the Ottoman Empire. He was respected even by the government of the new Turkish regime at the time of Ataturk. Shaykh Sharafuddin (q) and his deputy, Shaykh `Abdullah (q), were the only two Shaykhs in the entire secular Turkish Republic established by Ataturk, allowed to wear their turbans. Others were imprisoned for wearing the head-covering of the Prophet ﷺ . Practicing Islam in its outward forms was utterly banned.
Abdullah al-Fa’iz ad-Daghestani The Red Sulfur among the saints, the Crystal Lamp of this Universe and its Foundation, he was supported by Steadfast Faith. A Knower of the Hidden Meanings of the Holy Qur’an, he was the Key to Its Secret, enlightened with the Pure Essence of the Truth. He had enormous experience in the Way of his predecessors. Sufism was his blood, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was his heart, and the Divine Presence was his soul. He was the Luminary of Knowledge for human beings in his time, Owner of the Perfect Characteristics and Controller of his Active Self. He was the Ocean of Wisdom for all human beings to sail upon and reach their appointed shore unscathed.