World of Tasawwuf

KEY : d = death,   H = Hijri,  CE = Common Era

- 250 HIJRI | 251 - 500 HIJRI | 501 - 750 HIJRI | 751 - 1000 HIJRI | 1001 - 1250 HIJRI | 1251 + HIJRI 

SUFIS & SHAYKHS [3]  d. 501 - 750 HIJRI

ABU HAMID AL-GHAZALI  [d.505 H - 1111 CE]
QADI IYAD AL-YAHSUBI [d.544 H - 1149 CE]
SHAYKH ABD'AL-QADIR AL-JILANI  [d.561 H - 1166 CE]
IMAM IBN AL-'ASAKIR  [d.571 H - 1175 CE]
ABD 'AL-KHALIQ AL-GHUJDAWANI [d.575 H - 1179 CE]
SAYYAD AHMAD AR-RIFA'I  [d.578 H - 1183 CE]
ABU MADYAN SHU'AYB AL-ANSARI [d.595 H - 1198 CE]
FAKHR AL-DIN AL-RAZI  [d.606 H - 1209 CE]
FARID AL-DIN ATTAR [d.617 H - 1221 CE]
NAJM AL-DIN AL-KUBRA [d.618 H - 1221 CE]
MUIN AL-DIN HASAN CHISTI AJMERI  [d.627 H - 1230 CE]
SUHRAWARDI SHIHAB' al-DIN UMAR [d.632H - 1234 CE]
QUTB AL-DIN BAKHTIYAR KAKI  [d.633 H - 1235 CE]
IBN AL-FARID, UMAR  [d.633 H - 1235 CE]
IBN AL-'ARABI, MUHIY AL-DIN  [d.637 H - 1240 CE]
SHAMS 'AL-TABRIZI [d.645 H - 1248 CE]
ALI AHMAD SABIR AL-KALYARI [d.650 H - 1253 CE]
SHADHILI, ABU AL-HASAN 'ALI  [d.655 H - 1258 CE]
FARID AL-DIN MAS'UD GANJ-I-SHAKAR  [d.663 H - 1265 CE]
BAHA AL-DIN ZAKARIYA MULTANI [d.665 H - 1267 CE]
MAWLANA JALAL AL-DIN RUME [d.672 H - 1273 CE]
BADAWI, AL-SAYYAD AHMAD   [d.675 H - 1275 CE]
IMAM AL-NAWAWI [d.677 H - 1278 CE]
SADI, MUSHARRIF AL-DIN   [d.689 H - 1291 CE]
IBN ATA' ALLAH AL-ISKANDARI [d.708 H - 1309 CE]
NIZAM AL-DIN AWLIYA [d.725 H - 1325 CE]
AMIR AL-KHUSRO  [d.725 H - 1325 CE]
SIMNANI, SHAYKH ALA AL-DAWLA [d.737 H - 1336 CE]
MAHMUD AL-SHABISTARI [d.740 H - 1340 CE ]
SHAMS AL-DIN AL-DHAHABI [d.748 H - 1348 CE]

Al-Ghazzali, Abu Hamid al- [d.505H - 1111CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan

 

 

On his way back from Jurjan to Tus al-Ghazzali was robbed by highwaymen. When they left him he followed them but was told: "Leave us or you will die." He replied: "I ask you for Allah’ sake to only return to me my notes, for they are of no use to you." The robber asked him: "What are those notes?" He said: "Books in that satchel, for the sake of which I left my country in order to hear, write, and obtain their knowledge." The robber laughed and said: "How can you claim that you obtained their knowledge when we took it away from you and left you devoid of knowl-edge!" Then he gave an order and the satchel was returned to him. Al-Ghazzali said: "This man’s utterance was divinely inspired (hadha mustantaqun): Allah caused him to say this in order to guide me. When I reached Tus I worked for three years until I had memorized all that I had written down."

 

Al-Ghazzali came to Baghdad in 484 and began a prestigious career of teaching, giving fatwa, and authoring books in nearly all the Islamic sciences of his day. His skill in refuting opponents was unparalleled except by his superlative godwariness, which led him to abandon his teaching position at the Nizamiyya school four years later, deputizing his brother Ahmad, famous for his preaching, to replace him. Upon completion of pilgrimage to Makkah al-Ghazzali headed for Damascus, then al-Qudus, then Damascus again where he remained for several years, taking up the ascetic life with the words: "We sought after knowledge for other than Allah ta'ala's sake, but He refused that it be for anything other than Him."

 

He came out of seclusion in 499 and travelled to Cairo, Iskandariyya and other places, finally returning to Baghdad where he taught his magnum opus Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din until his death in nearby Tus, occupying the remainder of his time with devotions, Qur'an recitations, prayer and fasting, and the company of Sufis. Ibn al-Jawzi narrated in al-Thabat 'Inda al-Mamat ("Firmness at the Time of Death") from al-Ghazzali's brother Ahmad: "On Monday [14 Jumada al-Akhira] at the time of the dawn prayer my brother Abu Hamid made his ablution, prayed, then said: ‘Bring me my shroud.' He took it, kissed it and put it on his eyes, saying: 'We hear and obey in readiness to enter the King’s presence.' Then he stretched his legs, facing the Qibla, and died before sunrise – may Allah sanctify his soul!" It is related that al-Shadhili saw a dream in which the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam pointed out al-Ghazzali to Musa alaihi asalam and 'Isa alaihi asalam asking them: "Is there such a wise scholar in your communities?" to which they replied no.

 

Further reading: http://www.sunnah.org/history/Scholars/imam_alghazali.htm

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Jilani, 'Abd al-Qadir al-Ghawth al-Adham [d.561H - 1166CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan

Born in Jilan, Persia. Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani was a Sufi master and Sayyad (descendant of the Final Messenger, the Most Beloved Prophet Muhammad-Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam) from both his father and mother, (al Hasani, w'al Husayni).

His contribution and renown in the sciences of Sufism and Sharia was so immense that he became known as the spiritual pole of his time, al-Ghawth al A'zam (the "Supreme Helper" or the "Mightiest Succor"). His writings were similar to those of al-Ghazali in that they dealt with both the fundamentals of Islam and the mystical experience of Sufism. Studied Hanbali jurisprudence in Baghdad. Spent twenty-five years as a wandering ascetic in the deserts of Iraq. Became a popular teacher with his own Sufi school & centre.  Most universally popular Wali Allah & revered man after the salf as-salihin. Recognised as the patron & founder of the Qadiri order. Has a reputation for theological soundness that has led others to claim his work as the basis for their own insights & experiences.

ON TASAWWUF Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani (d. 561 AH)

The eminent one among the great saints, nicknamed al-Ghawth al-a'zam or the Arch-helper, he is also an eminent jurist of the Hanbali school. His ties to the Shafi'i school and to Imam Abu Hanifa have been mentioned. He was the disciple of eminent saints, such as Abu al-Khayr Hammad ibn Muslim al-Dabbas (d. 525) and Khwaja Abu Yusuf al-Hamadani (d. 535), second in line after Abu al-Hasan al-Kharqani (al-Harawi al-Ansari's shaykh) in the early Naqshbandi chain of authority.

The most famous of Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir's works are:

• al-Ghunya li talibi tariq al-haqq (Sufficient provision for seekers of the path of truth); it is one of the most concise presentations of the madhhab of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal ever written, including the sound teaching of Ahl al-Sunna on 'aqida and tasawwuf.
• al-Fath al-rabbani (The Lord's opening), a collection of sermons for the student and the teacher in the Sufi path and all those attracted to perfection; true to its title, this book brings its reader immense profit and spiritual increase.
• Futuh al-ghayb (Openings to the unseen), another collection of sermons more advanced than the previous one, and just as priceless. Both have been translated into English;

Due to his standing in the Hanbali school, 'Abd al-Qadir was held in great respect by Ibn Taymiyya, who gives him alone the title "my Shaykh" (shaykhuna) in his entire Fatawa, while he reserves the title "my Imam" (imamuna) to Ahmad ibn Hanbal. He frequently cites Gilani and his shaykh al-Dabbas as among the best examples of latter-time Sufis.

Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir's karamat or miracles are too many to number. One of them consisted in the gift of guidance which was manifest in his speech and through which untold thousands entered Islam or repented. Al-Shattanawfi in Bahjat al-asrar mentions many of his miracles, each time giving a chain of transmission. Ibn Taymiyya took these reports to satisfy the criteria of authenticity, but his student al-Dhahabi, while claiming general belief in 'Abd al-Qadir's miracles, nevertheless affirms disbelief in many of them. We have already seen this trait of al-Dhahabi in his doubting of the sound report of Imam Ahmad's admiration of al-Muhasibi. These are his words about Gilani in Siyar a'lam al-nubala':

[#893] al-Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir (Al-Jilani): The shaykh, the imam, the scholar, the zahid, the knower, the exemplar, Shaykh Al-Islam, the distinguished one among the Awliya... the Hanbali, the Shaykh of Baghdad... I say: There is no one among the great shaykhs who has more spiritual states and miracles (karamat) than Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir, but a lot of it is untrue and some of those things are impossible.

 

The following account of Gilani's first encounter with al-Hamadani is related by Haytami in his Fatawa hadithiyya:

Abu Sa'id 'Abd Allah ibn Abi 'Asrun (d. 585), the Imam of the School of Shafi'i, said: "When I began a search for religious knowledge I kept company with my friend, Ibn al-Saqa, who was a student in the Nizamiyya School, and it was our custom to visit the pious. We heard that there was in Baghdad a man named Yusuf al-Hamadani who was known as al-Ghawth, and that he was able to appear whenever he liked and was able to disappear whenever he liked. So I decided to visit him along with Ibn al-Saqa and Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani, who was a young man at that time. Ibn al-Saqa said, "When we visit Shaykh Yusuf al-Hamadani I am going to ask him a question the answer to which he will not know." I said: "I am also going to ask him a question and I want to see what he is going to say." Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani said: "O Allah, protect me from asking a saint like Yusuf Hamadani a question, but I will go into his presence asking for his baraka -- blessing -- and divine knowledge."

Ibn Abi 'Asrun continues, "'Abd al-Qadir's fame became widespread and all that Shaykh al-Hamadani said about him came to pass. There came a time when he did say, "My feet are on the necks of all the awliya," and he was a reference and a beacon guiding all people in his time to their destinations.

The fate of Ibn al-Saqa was something else. He was brilliant in his knowledge of the divine Law. He preceded all the scholars in his time. He used to debate with the scholars of his time and overcome them, until the caliph called him to his association. One day the calif sent him as a messenger to the King of Byzantium, who in his turn called all his priests and the scholars of the Christian religion to debate with him. Ibn al-Saqa was able to defeat all of them in debate. They were helpless to give answers in his presence. He was giving answers to them that made them look like children and mere students in his presence.

His brilliance made the King of Byzantium so fascinated with him that he invited him to his private family meeting. There he saw the daughter of the King. He immediately fell in love with her, and he asked her father, the King, for her hand in marriage. She refused except on condition that he accept her religion. He did, leaving Islam and accepting the Christian religion of the princess. After his marriage he became seriously ill. They threw him out of the palace. He became a town beggar, asking everyone for food, yet no one would provide for him. Darkness had come over his face.

One day he saw someone that had known him before. That person relates: "I asked him, What happened to you?" He replied: "There was a temptation and I fell into it." The man asked him: "Do you remember anything from the Noble Qur'an?" He replied: "I only remember rubbama yawaddu al-ladhina kafaru law kanu muslimin -- "Again and again will those who disbelieve wish that they were Muslims" (15:2)."

He was trembling as if he was giving up his last breath. I turned him towards the Ka'ba, but he kept turning towards the East. Then I turned him back towards the Ka'aba, but he turned himself to the East. I turned him a third time, but he turned himself to the East. Then as his soul was passing from him, he said, "O Allah, that is the result of my disrespect to Your saint, Yusuf al-Hamadani."Ibn Abi 'Asrun continues: "I went to Damascus and the king there, Nur al-Din al-Shahid, put me in control of the religious department, and I accepted. As a result, dunya entered from every side: provision, sustenance, fame, money, position for the rest of my life. That is what the ghawth Yusuf al-Hamadani had predicted for me."¹

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¹ al-Haytami, Fatawa hadithiyya 315-316.
Source of ref: www.sunnah.org

 

FURTHER EXTENSIVE READING HERE:  AL GHAWTH AL A'ZAM

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Imam Ibn 'Asakir al-Dimashqi al-Shafi'i al-Ash'ari [d.571H] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan

'Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn Hibat Allah ibn 'Abd Allah, Thiqat al-Din, Abu al-Qasim, known as Ibn 'Asakir al-Dimashqi al-Shafi'i al-Ash'ari [d.571H - 1175CE], the imam of hadith masters in his time and historian of Damascus.

Ibn al-Najjar said: "He is the imam of hadith scholars in his time and the chief leader in memorization, meticulous verification, thorough knowledge in the sciences of hadith, trustworthiness, nobility, and excellence in writing and beautiful recitation. He is the seal of this science."

Born in a family imbued with knowledge, he began his scholarly training at the age of six, attending the fiqh gatherings of his older brother Sa'in al-Din Hibat Allah ibn al-Hasan (d. 563) and learned Arabic and grammar at the hand of his maternal grandfather Abu al-Mufaddal al-Qurashi. Two of his uncles and one of his brothers were successively in charge of the head judgeship in Damascus, Abu al-Ma'ali Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn 'Ali al-Qurashi (d. 537), Abu al-Makarim Sultan ibn Yahya (d. 530), and Muhammad ibn al-Hasan.

By the time Ibn 'Asakir reached puberty he already possessed hadith certifications from the scholars of Damascus, Baghdad, and Khurasan. At age twenty, after his father died, he travelled around the Islamic world in pursuit of hadith narrations and performed pilgrimage, returning to Damascus and travelling again on and off between 519 and 533, "alone but for the Godwariness he took as his companion," hearing hadith from 1,300 male shaykhs and 80-odd female shaykhas in Baghdad, Makkah, Madinah, Asbahan, Naysabur, Marw, Tibriz, Mihana, Bayhaq, Khusrujird, Bistam, Herat, Azerbaijan, Kufa, Hamadhan, Ray, Zanjan, Bushanj, Sarkhas, Simnan, Jarbadhqan, Mawsil and elsewhere.

After 533 he sat teaching hadith in a corner of the Umayyad mosque in Damascus, then in the Dar al-Sunna school (subsequenty renamed Dar al-Hadith) built for him by al-Malik al-'Adil Nur al-Din Mahmud ibn Zanki. He shunned all kinds of material possessions and turned down the office of head preacher, concentrating on teaching, writing, and worshipping. His most famous student was the sultan Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi, who attended his funeral behind the imam al-Qutb al-Naysaburi.

Ibn 'Asakir was buried at the Bab al-Saghir cemetary, next to his father, near the grave of the Caliph Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan.

Ibn 'Asakir authored over a hundred books and epistles and narrated under five hundred hadith lessons. Among his larger works :

1. Tarikh Dimasqh in eighty volumes.1 Ibn Khallikan said that it contains, like al-Tabari's Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk, several books that can be read independently.

2. Al-Muwafaqat 'ala Shuyukh al-A'imma al-Thiqat in seventy-two volumes.

3. 'Awali Malik ibn Anas and its Dhayl in fifty volumes.

4. Ghara'ib Malik in ten volumes.

5. Al-Mu'jam listing only the names of his shaykhs, in twelve volumes.

6. Manaqib al-Shubban in fifteen volumes.

7. Books of "Immense Merits": Fada'il Ashab al-Hadith in eleven volumes, Fadl al-Jumu'a, Fadl Quraysh, Fada'il al-Siddiq, Fada'il Makka, Fada'il al-Madina, Fada'il Bayt al-Muqaddas, Fada'il 'Ashura', Fada'il al-Muharram, Fada'il Sha'ban.

8. Al-Ishraf 'ala Ma'rifa al-Atraf.

9. Akhbar al-Awza'i.

10. Al-Musalsalat.

11. Al-Suba'iyyat in seven volumes, listing narrations with chains containing only seven narrators up to the Prophet -- Allah bless and greet him --.

12. Tabyin Kadhib al-Muftari Fima Nusiba ila Abi al-Hasan al-Ash'ari, a defense of al-Ash'ari and his school which he divided into the following sections :

He concluded the book with the following lines of poetry:

13. Yawm al-Mazid in three volumes.

14. Bayan al-Wahm wa al-Takhlit fi Hadith al-Atit ("The Exposition of Error and Confusion in the Narration of the [Throne's] Groaning").3

15. Arba'un Hadithan fi al-Jihad.

16. Arba'un Hadithan 'an Arba'ina Shaykhan min Arba'ina Madina.

Ibn 'Asakir defined hadith in the following verse of poetry :

Ibn 'Asakir's son, Baha' al-Din al-Qasim ibn 'Ali, said :

My father was assiduous in congregational prayer and recitation of the Qur'an. He used to recite it once a week, concluding it on the day of Jum'a, and once a day in Ramadan at which time he entered seclusion (i'tikaf) at the Eastern minaret. He performed many supererogatory prayers, devotions, and invocations. He would spend the nights before the two 'ids awake in prayer and supplications. He used to take account of himself for every passing moment.

Ibn al-Subki relates that the hadith master al-Mundhiri asked his shaykh Abu al-Hasan 'Ali ibn al-Mufaddal al-Maqdisi: "Which of these four contemporary hadith masters is the greatest?" He said: "Name them." Al-Mundhiri said: "Ibn 'Asakir and Ibn Nasir?" He replied: "Ibn 'Asakir." Al-Mundhiri went on: "Ibn 'Asakir and Abu al-'Ala' [al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Hasan al-Hamadhani]?" He said: "Ibn 'Asakir." Al-Mundhiri went on: "Ibn 'Asakir and al-Silafi?" Al-Maqdisi said: "Al-Silafi (is) our shaykh. Al-Silafi (is) our shaykh."4

Ibn Sasra narrated: "I used to rehearse with him the names of the masters he had met. One day I said to him: 'I believe that our master never saw anyone like himself?' He replied: 'Do not say that. Allah said: {Therefore justify not yourselves} (53:32).' I replied: 'He also said: {Therefore of the bounty of your Lord be your discourse} (93:11).' He replied: 'In that case yes, if someone were to say that my eyes never saw my like, he would be correct.'" Al-Khatib Abu al-Fadl ibn Abi Nasr al-Tusi said: "We do not know anyone who truly deserves the title of hadith master in our time other than him." Al-Dhahabi said: "I do not believe that Ibn 'Asakir ever met anyone of his level in his entire life." Ibn al-Subki added: "Nor anyone near his level."

Main sources: al-Dhahabi, Siyar A'lam al-Nubala' 15:254-262 #5129; Ibn al-Subki, Tabaqat al-Shafi'iyya al-Kubra 7:215-223 #918.

NOTES

1] Dar al-Fikr in Damascus has published seventy of them to date in mid-1999.

2] Translated at www.sunnah.org/aqida/tabyin_kadhib.htm

3] See section entitled The "Groaning of the Throne" (p. 248).'

4] This could mean either that he considered al-Silafi the greater master, or that he implicitly admitted Ibn 'Asakir's superiority but expressed it in terms of the student's requisite adab with his teacher. Ibn al-Subki noted that Ibn al-Sam'ani was superior to all of them except Ibn 'Asakir, but that he was in far-off Merv, whereas the rest were in or near Egypt and Sham.

copyright As-Sunna Foundation of America

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Shaykh as-Sayyad Ahmed ar Rifai [d. 578H -1183CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan

Shaykh as-Sayyad Ahmed ar Rifai was born in the first half of Rajab in the Muslim year of 512 H. (1119 CE) on a Thursday. His birthplace was in the town of Ummu Abeyde in the township of Beta in the province of Basra, Iraq. He passed away on Thursday 22nd Jamadi al-Awwal 578 H. (1183 CE.), in the town of Wasit, in Basra, Iraq. His father was Sayyad Ali Abu'l Hasan. His mother was Fatima ul-Anseri bint Yahya Nijjeri. His Shaykh was Aleyyul Wasiti. His maternal uncle, who helped raise him, was Shaykh Mansur Rabbani.

Ahmed ar Rifai Radi Allahu anhu descended from the Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam from both his father's and mother's sides by blood. Before Ahmed ar Rifai's birth, his maternal uncle, a famous Shaykh, Mansur Rabbani, had 'seen' the Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam and was told that his sister would have a male child who would be famous and be known by the name "Rifa'i." Ahmed ar Rifai showed ability and wisdom beyond his age when he began his education under Shaykh Vasiti upon the instructions of his uncle. He acquired a high maqam by explaining the book of the Shafi school called "Tanbih."

Many miracles occurred through Ahmed ar Rifai Radi Allahu anhu. One of the most widely known is the one that give him the name "Ebul alemeyin" (the Father of Two Banners). In the year 555 A.H., when he was 43 years old, Hz. Rifa'i went on hajj. He didn't wear the usual traveling clothes of sayyads (the relatives of the Prophet, Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam, could be recognized by their clothes). There is a certain section of the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam's tomb in Medina that only blood relatives of the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam may enter. The guard at the door would not allow him in, as he wanted to know the proof that Ahmed ar Rifai was related to the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam. Ahmed ar Rifai was sad and yelled towards our Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam's tomb, "As-salaamu alaykum, ya jeddi (Peace be on you, my ancestor)." Our Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam answered, saying "Walaykum salaam, ya waladi (And peace be on you, my son)." Muhammad's (saws) hand came out of the tomb and our Pir kissed the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam's hand. When people saw this miracle, they went into a state of wajd (ecstasy) and began stabbing themselves with their swords and knives. When the ecstasy passed, there were people lying all over the floor covered with blood, so Ahmed ar Rifai returned them to their normal health. After that, our Pir was famous for possessing this gift.

One day somebody asked Ghawth al A'zam Shaykh Sayyadina as-Shaykh Abd 'al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu anhu (who was Ahmed ar Rifai's cousin) "Ya Hadrat, what is love?" Ghawth al A'zam Radi Allahu anhu told the person to go ask this question to Sayyad Ahmed ar Rifai. After sending Ghawth al A'zam Radi Allahu anhu's salaams to Ahmed ar Rifai, he asked, "What is love?" When Ahmed ar Rifai heard this question, he stood up, saying, "Love is fire, love is fire." He began whirling until he passed into the unseen and disappeared. When the person saw this, he was disturbed because he didn't understand what was happening. At that moment, the spiritual presence of Ghawth al A'zam Radi Allahu anhu appeared and told him to look for the spot where his brother Ahmed ar Rifai Radi Allahu anhu had vanished, and to pour rosewater on that spot. The person did this and within a couple of moments, Sayyad Ahmed ar Rifai re-appeared, whirling in the exact same place. When the man went back to Baghdad, he visited Ghawth al A'zam Radi Allahu anhu who asked him, "Did you see love? My brother Sayyad Rifa'i has reached stations that many walis have not been able to reach." Sayyad Ahmed ar Rifai Radi Allahu anhu also deeply loved and respected Ghawth al A'zam Shaykh Sayyadina as-Shaykh Abd 'al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu anhu and told his students that whoever visited Baghdad without visiting al Ghawth al A'zam Radi Allahu anhu's tomb would not be welcome by Allah or by them.

 

SOURCE : QADIRI RIFAI SUFI ORDER

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Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi [d. 606H - 1209CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l ridwan

 

He was born in a Shafi'ite and Ash'arite family. His father was Diya al-Din 'Umar who taught him Islamic religious sciences before he went to study with other Muslim savants. Al-Razi travelled to many places such as Bukhara, Khwarazm and Transoxiana and held discussions with local savants. Al-Razi was a prolific and encyclopedic writer and scholar based on his more than sixty complete works. He was a philosopher, historian, mathematician, astronomer, physician, theologian and exegesist. Al-Razi's works on theology and on Kalam include the books al-Arba'in fi Usul al-Din and al-Mas'il al-Khamsun fi Usul al-Din. In his al-Arba'in fi Usul al-Din, al-Razi presented forty issues in the principles of religion, such as religious cosmology, theology, ethics, prophecy, eschatology and imamate. Meanwhile, al-Masa'il al-Khamsun fi Usul al-Din is a more brief presentation of similar themes or topics.

 

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"This piece of paper says that my son does such and such. If it is true, he is but a youth and I hope he will repent. It also says that my wife does such and such. If it is true, she is a faithless woman. And it says that my servant does such and such. Servants are wont to commit every wrong, except for those Allah protects. But on none of these scraps of paper - and may Allah be praised -is it written that my son says Allah is a corporeal body, or that he likens Him to created things, or that my wife believes that, or my servant - So which of the two groups is closer to guidance? ^[1] 

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Regarding Tasawwuf :

He wrote in his I'tiqadat firaq al-muslimin wa al-mushrikin:

The summary of what the Sufis say is that the way to the knowledge of Allah is self-purification and renunciation of material attachments, and this is an excellent way... Sufis are a folk who work with reflection and the detaching of the self from materialistic trappings. They strive in order that their inner being be solely occupied with the remembrance of Allah in all of their occupations and their actions, and they are characterized by the perfection of their manners in dealing with Allah. Verily these are the best of all the sects of human beings.²

Quotes:

-Jami' al-'ulum

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NOTES:

He travelled to Khawarzim and Khurasan, and finally to Herat, Afghanistan, where he died in 1210 ^[1]
Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, I'tiqadat firaq al-muslimin p. 72-73. [2]

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Attar, Farid al-Din [d.617H - 1221CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan

Work in the pharmacy was difficult for young 'Attar. People from all walks of life visited the shop and shared their troubles with him. Their poverty, it seems, impacted the young poet the most. One day, it is related, an unsightly fakir visited the shop. The way he marveled at the opulence of the store made 'Attar uneasy; he ordered the fakir to leave. Looking the owner and the well-stocked shop over, the fakir said, "I have no difficulty with this, pointing to his ragged cloak, to leave; but you, how are you, with all this, planning to leave!" The fakir's response affected 'Attar deeply. He pondered the fakir's reply for many days and, eventually, decided to give up his shop and join the circle of Shaykh Rukn al-Din Akkaf of the Kubraviyyah order. His new life was one of travel and exploration, very much like the fakir who had inspired him. For a long time, he traveled to Ray, Kufa, Makkah, Damascus, Turkistan, and India, meeting with Sufi shaykhs, learning about the tariqah, and experiencing life in the khanqahs.

When finally he felt he had achieved what he had been seeking in travel, 'Attar returned to Nishapur, settled, and reopened his pharmacy. He also began to contribute to the promotion of Sufi thought. Called Tadhkirat al-Auliya (Memorial of the Saints), 'Attar's initial contribution to his new world contains all the verses and sayings of Sufi saints who, up to that time, had not penned a biography of their own. Regarding the poetic output of 'Attar there are conflicting reports both with respect to the number of books that he might have written and the number of distichs he might have composed. For instance, Reza Gholikhan Hedayat reports the number of books to be 190 and the number of distichs to be 100,000. Firdowsi's Shahname contains only 60,000 bayts. Another tradition puts the number of books to be the same as the number of the Surahs (verses) of the Qur'an, i.e., 114. More realistic studies consider the number of his books to have been between 9 to 12 volumes.

'Attar's works fall within three categories. First are those works in which mysticism is in perfect balance with a finished, story-teller's art. The second group are those in which a pantheistic zeal gains the upper hand over literary interest. The third are those in which the aging poet idolizes the saint Ali. During this period there is no trace of ordered thoughts and descriptive skills. One of 'Attar's major poetic works is called Asrar Nameh (Book of Secrets) about Sufi ideas. This is the work that the aged Shaykh gave Maulana Jalal al-Din Rumi when Rumi's family stayed over at Nishapur on its way to Konya, Turkey. Another major contribution of 'Attar is the Elahi Nameh (Divine Book), about zuhd or asceticism. But foremost among 'Attar's works is his Manteq al-Tayr (Conference of the Birds) in which he makes extensive use of Al-Ghazali's Risala on Birds as well as a treatise by the Ikhvan al-Safa (the Brothers of Serenity) on the same topic.

SOURCE: by Iraj Bashiri

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Shaykh Najm al-Din Kubra [d. 618H/1221CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan

Abu al-Jannab Ahmad ibn 'Umar ibn Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah al-Khiwaqi al-Khwarazmi, known as Najm al-Din Kubra alayhir rahman was the founder of the the Kubrawiya Sufi Order--originating, like the Yasawiya, in Central Asia.  Najm al-Din Kubra alayhir rahman was known as the "saint-producing (lit. "sculpting or chiseling") shaykh" (shaykh-e vali tarash), since a number of his disciples became great shaykhs themselves. Although originally from Khiva, located today in western Uzbekistan, he moved nearby to the capital city, Khwarazm. Shaykh Najm al-Din was killed defending Khwarazm, which was completely destroyed during the Mongol holocaust. Today, his tomb is in the town of Konya Urgench, which was built in the area of the ruins of Khwarazm. Apparently, he is known there as Kebir Ata. Konya Urgench is located in Turkmenistan and is about an hour's drive over the border from the city of Nukus in the Karakalpak region of Uzbekistan. (If you intend to visit Shaykh Najm al-Din's shrine from Uzbekistan, you must have a Turkmen visa--if you are not Uzbek.)

Five to seven hundred years after the Hijrat of the Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam, the Muslim world experienced an extremely turbulent period. However, Sufism blossomed and spread its roots even further. Between 550-700 A.H. the twelfth and thirteenth centuries , the chaotic disruption of the Mongol invasion reached as far as Baghdad and destroyed the caliphate along with numerous concurrent disasters. Regardless, the faithful Muslim saints and scholars flourished at a greater rate than previously recorded. Many Sufi Orders were founded in this period; and those who had dissipated were once again revived.

Among the saintly scholars, Najm al-Din Kubra, founder of the Kubrawiyyah Order, began teaching in Khwarazm; a region in NW Uzbekistan, which, in the past, was part of the great Persian Empire, under the rule of Cyres, the Great. The Kubrawiyyah Order soon expanded its wings and spread its teachings to Persia, Afghanistan, India and China. The Kubrawiyyah, throughout their long history, produced masters of great stature who taught and produced numerous, elaborate writings and doctrines of the Sufis. In 540/1145, in Khwarazm, South of the Aral Sea, Abu'l-Jannab Najm al-Din ibn Umar al-Kubra was born. From a very young age, he displayed a surpassing intelligence. In school he received the nickname Kubra, which literally means "the greatest." It is the abbreviated form of the Qur'anic phrase al-tammat al-Kubra, "the Greatest Calamity"(LXXIX: 34, Noble Qur'an).

After completing his studies in Islamic religious sciences, Najm al-Din left his birthplace to pursue studies in other lands. He went to Persia to study the science of the Hadith then onto Egypt. In his early thirties, his thirst for esoteric matters attracted him to the Suhrawardiyyah order, where he was initiated by Shaykh Ruzbihan al-Wazzan al-Misri. According to Shaykh Kubra's writings, it is known that he had at least one profoundly moving spiritual experience in his childhood. Some believe that Najm al-Din's direction in spirituality may have been greatly affected by Baba Faraj Tabrizi due to his impressive mannerisms and advice to pursue the esoteric sciences.

His first experience as a salek was in Dizful, in western Persia, under the supervision of Ismail al-Qasri. After a short while, Ismail advised him to become an apprentice with Ammar ibn Yasir al-Bidlisi, who was a disciple of Abu'l-Najib al-Suhrawardi. After the passing of his teacher, Shaykh Ammar, Najm al-Din returned to Egypt where Shaykh al-Misri helped him to continue his training until he was permitted to instruct disciples of his own. While under the instruction of Shaykh al-Misri, he married his master's daughter. Upon receiving permission to teach, he was instructed to return to his birthplace, Khwarasm.

Najm al-Din returned to Khwarazm sometime between 582/1185 and 586/ 1190 where he remained the rest of his life, devoting himself to the spiritual path and to teaching disciples. Although he had few disciples, he earned an epithet for his success rate of producing masters of high stature. The epithet was: Wali-tarash, "Sculptor of Saints." He wrote a number of discourses; Fawa'ih al-jamal wa fawatih al-jalal (Aromas of Beauty and Preambles of Majesty), being the most important of his works. In this text he included records of his personal, visionary experiences and guidance for practicing the path; a detailed theory of the Sufi path for initiates.

After a fruitful, spiritual life, Najm al-Din passed away in Urgench, near Khwarazm, in the year 618/1221, during the Mongol invasion. He was offered protection if he had accepted to take refuge with the Mongols; instead, he chose to fight and defend the City for it would result in a glorified martyr's death in battle.

All schools of Sufism are known for their strict rules and discipline of the self and the Kubrawiyyah's methods were not different from the rest. As a Sufi master, Najm al-Din insisted on certain prerequisites before he would consider anyone as a potential salek (student). In order to be considered as a candidate and accepted as a student, one was required to have solid knowledge of Islamic laws and Islamic theological doctrines. The disciplinary rules of the school are eight principles of Junayd (third/ninth centuries). A salek must constantly observe the following:

In addition to the mentioned eight rules, Najm al-Din also highly recommended two additional rules: moderation in eating and drinking when breaking a fast, and maintaining a bare minimum of sleep.Shaykh Kubra's description and theory of the Sufi path was that the journey towards Allah was none but an inward journey. He believed that whatever Allah put in the macrocosm, also existed within every individual on the microcosmic level.

He often told people to pray because Allah is praiseworthy; not for fear of hell or in wishing for paradise.

source

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Chishti, Muin al-Din Hasan Khawaja Ajmeri [d.627H -1230CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan

The main personality of the Chishti Sufi order, the most important & widespread Sufi order in India. Born in Sistan [Sijistan] & died in Ajmer. Came to India in 1193 after travelling in Khurasan & Baghdad. His tomb in Ajmer is one of the most popular shrines in north-western India, visited by Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus & Christians alike.

 

FURTHER EXTENSIVE READING: SILSILA CHISTIYA | KHAWAJA MUIN 'AL-DIN CHISTI

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