World of Tasawwuf

TARIQAHS

Sufism is the the path of the gradual awakening of the heart, whereby we turn away from all that is illusory, and subsist in Reality. This was the condition that Muhammad (peace be upon him) described when he said, "My eyes sleep but my heart does not sleep" [Sahih Bukhari, 3.32.230]

ORIGINS OF THE SUFI ORDERS

TARIQAS

UNDER RE- CONSTRUCTION

SUFISM | SUFIS & SHAYKHS | SILSILA QADIRIYA | SILSILA CHISTIYA | SILSILA ASHRAFIYA

After the departure of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace & blessings upon him) from this world in 632 C.E., those who were closest to him passed on his teachings to the sincere seekers of the next generation, who in turn became the perfected guides, or Shaykhs, for the generation after them. This process has continued down to our present time by the Mercy of Allah. In this way, every authentic Sufi guide has a chain of teachers which leads directly back to the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace & blessings upon him). Such a chain of teachers is known in Sufism as a "Silsilah" or a “Shajarah".

Often, one of the Shaykhs may be so prominent, or become so well-known, that his students will identify themselves by saying they follow the way of such-and-such a Shaykh. The Arabic word for way is 'tariqah'. (plural: 'turuq').

So for example, students of the great Shaykh, Abd 'al-Qadir al-Jilani, and his successors down to the present day are said to follow the Qadiriya tariqah. Similarly, Bahauddin Naqshband gave his name to the Naqshbandiya tariqah, Khawaja Muin al-din Hasan Chishti to the Chishtiya tariqah, Abul Hasan Shadhili to the Shadhiliya tariqah, Ahmad Faruqi Sirhindi Mujaddid to the Mujaddidi tariqah and Sultan Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir Allah be pleased with them all to the Ashrafiya tariqah.

In the English language, each of these ''tariqahs'' is known as a 'Sufi Order'.

Ultimately, all of these orders lead directly back to the Beloved Prophet Muhammad May Allah shower His mercy upom him, and their differences are mostly geographical and superficial.

TOP