AQEEDAH 202 Module 19

Order Named For Details

AKA: The Whirling Dervishes
13th-14th Century / after the sacking of Baghdad
During the Ottoman Empire, Sufism flourished / “revival of
Ghazaalee” after his period of disbelief
In early writings, mystics like: Junaid/Distaamy/Al-Hallaj are
Mawlawiyyah praised, however the contemporaries of Jalalud Deen spoke of them
‫الرو ِمي‬
ُّ ‫ِّين‬
ِ ‫َجال ُل الد‬ w/ contempt. (Like: Ibn Arabee/AbdulQadir Al-Jeelaanee/
‫ـواَل ِويًّـة‬
ْ ‫َم‬ Rifaa’ee)
Special dress during THIKR:
Dress w/ skirt so when they spin—it lifts up.
Belief behind this—that it is coming “in tune” w/ everything else
(the circling of the world/making tawaf around the kaaba/ earth
revolving around sun, etc.)
 In N. Africa
 Claim all of the leaders of the “Shaathilee” order were written in the
Shathileeya ُ‫س ِن َعلِي ا ْبن‬ َ ‫أَبُو ا ْل َح‬
‫َع ْب ِدهَّللا ِ الشَّا ِذلِي‬ ِ ُ‫ـحف‬
‫ـوظ‬ ْ ‫ح ا ْل َم‬ ْ َ‫ل‬
ِ ‫ـو‬
‫َشا َذلِيَّـة‬  All of the “Qutb” are from the “Shaathilee” order
 Mainly in Algeria/Tunisia/Egypt
 18th Century, founder from Fez, Morocco (modern)
At-Tijaaneeyah ُ‫س أَ ْح َم ُد ا ْبن‬
ِ ‫أَ ْبوا ْل َعبَّا‬  spread mainly south to French speaking countries
‫ُم َح َّمد ا ْب ِن ُم ْختَا ِر ا ْب ِن‬ Found in: Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, Ghana
‫التِّـ َجانِيَّـة‬ ‫سالِ ِم التِّ َجانِي‬  Well-known leader named Hasan Sisi—when they pray they put
َ his picture on their mats.
 Prevalent in India, although he is not originally from there
 In Ajmeer: his mausoleum is more popular than Makkah for
Chishtiyya/ making pilgrimage
Tshishtiyya ‫ِّين ُم َح َّمد‬
ِ ‫وعينُ الد‬ِ ‫َم‬  Their “THIKR” is “ ‫( ”إاَّل هَّللا‬only), it is what they are famous for

‫ـشـ ْشتِـيَّة‬
‫شتِـي‬ ِ ‫ْتـ‬
ْ ‫ش‬  Became popular bcz a Shaykh of their order (Saleem) made
ِ ‫ْت‬ intercession for the emperor (Akbar) to have a son & he did, and
named the son Saleem. –gave special support to Chisti order making
them prominent / dominant there.
 12th Century
 He was a principal/head of a school teaching Hanbali Fiqh in
Baghdad
 Had a “‫ربَـاط‬ ِ ”—a sufi colony thing where he did teach ppl in the
Al-Qaadireeyah area of spiritual development.
‫َع ْبدُا ْلقَا ِد ِر ا ْل ِجياَل نِي‬  Had a # of writings—in contrast to others who founded the orders
‫ْالـقَا ِد ِريَّـة‬  Bcm popular—spread far & wide—to Morocco, Egypt, Arabia,
Turkistan & India (across the known Muslim territory)
 Stories were made up about him to elevate him above humans:
Example: He was born in Ramadan, and did not seek to nurse
(eat) during the daylight hours.
 Some followers openly worship him.
Sufism in Arabic is called Tasawwuf ( ‫ص ُّوف‬ َ ‫ )تَـ‬which comes from “wool” (‫صوف‬ ُ ), although some people say
it comes from “saafy” (‫صافِي‬
َ ) meaning “pure”.
How did it come to be named for “wool”?
 Raw, unrefined wool is very uncomfortable (itchy) to wear. Tradition taken from the monks, these
“aesthetics” used to believe that in order to elevate yourself spiritually, you must torture the body.
 They took to wearing the unrefined wool because by being uncomfortable and itchy and having to
overcome this urge to itch, would elevate them spiritually.

Dictionary Definition of Sufism

 Mysticism
 Esoterism

1st to be called
“‫”الصُّ وفِي‬

‫أَبُو هَا ِشم‬ ‫َجـابِر ابْنُ َحـيَّان‬

ُ‫عُـثمان ابْن‬
‫َريح‬
Both of ‫ِشـي َعة‬
ِ ‫ش‬
‫ِمن ُكوفَـة‬ 8th Century alchemist

 Many Sufis trace back to ‫علِي‬

َ as being their “spiritual father” showing roots in the ‫ ِشـي َعة‬belief
system.
 As this system evolved, Muslim scholars opposed it
 Ibn Sireen scolded / condemned the practice of wearing wool, saying he preferred to follow a prophet
who was known to wear cotton (SAAW was known to wear cotton.)
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
 Summary of Sufism on the Basis of TWO PRINCIPLES

1 Doctrine 2 Method
on the basis of “DOCTRINE”
‫ال إله إاَّل هَّللا‬ main practice is “THIKR” ‫ِذ ْكر‬
as Plato describes “steps on a ladder” of ascension to God,
they took this practice of “thikr”
variety of different assignments or ‫ َو ِظيفَة‬to go through
was interpreted to mean: There is no reality but THE ِ َ‫ ط‬via ‫ َمقَا َمات‬/ ‫َحاالت‬
when joining the ‫ريقَة‬
MAIN 3 STAGES:
REALITY—meaning basically everything IS GOD.
 ‫ـخافَة‬
َ ‫ َم‬: the way of fear
 ‫ـحب َّـة‬
َ ‫ َم‬: the way of love
 ‫ْرفَـة‬
َ ‫ َمـع‬: the way of knowledge (based on fabricated
hadeeth)
Early Schools
 Basra
 Kufa
 Spread to Khurasan in the latter part of the 8 th century
 Under the Umayyids
Later Schools
 Baghdad
 Became center of mysticism when 1st meeting places for religious discussions opened
 And 1st public lectures on mysticism in masajid
 Also period of 1st open encounters w/ theologians
 Under the Abbasids in the 9th century
THEOSOPHY of Mysticism
DEFINED:
 An experience of union with GOD
 Belief that man’s main goal lies in seeking that union
 Called by many names and is common belief/principle among all orders:
 ‫فَـنَى‬
 ‫َوحْ َدةُ ْال ُوجُـود‬
 ‫اتِّـ َحاد‬
 ‫ُوصُـول‬
 In comparison, similar to Xian theory of trinity/God incarnate
 Each branch has its technical differences
 Catholics have saints/protestants do not believe in this

PRACTICES:
 “Thikr” is their main practice/form of worship ( ‫) ِذ ْكر‬
  Prescribed by local sheikh or pir—some orders have a standard form to perform / others have a
prescribed form from their sheikh @ certain times and #s.
 Isolate Names of Allah & assign them certain mystical powers and how to perform the “thikr”:
 ‫ ُوضُوء‬/ ‫– ُغـسُل‬must be performed before chanting
 Must fast so many days before performing
 Don’t eat meat on the day performing it
 Ummah is still suffering from the amount of innovation that came from this.

TWO GR8EST evils to come from them:

1. INTERMEDIACY: putting ppl b/tw us and Allah
2. Giving Allah’s attributes to His creation
Just as schools of Fiqh & Hadeeth evolved, so did schools of Sufism
 10th century saw the flourishing of the schools of hadeeth and fiqh & the “chains of narration” were the
basis of verification of authenticity.
 Sufis went to great lengths/efforts to fabricate chains to give their narrations validity (very meticulous)
Chains of Narration:
 1 of the most popular—‘Ali  Hasan Al-Basri  Habeeb ‘Ajamy  Dawood At-Ta’i
 Later chains include Al-Khidr—the same who led Musa
 All scholars agree that if the name “Al-Khidr” is in the chain…it is fabricated.
 Ibnul Jawzy & Ath-Thahabi—proved these chains were false. There is no evidence of Ali meeting Hasan
Al-Basri nor Habeeb ‘Ajamy and Dawood At-Ta’i
Rijalul Ghayb (‫ب‬ ِ ‫) ِر َجـا ُل ا ْلـ َغي‬
Another major doctrine that evolved among them
 Believing souls in the unseen world
 Based on the concept that the world’s existence depends on these “averting saints”—saints who hold the
world together by their intercession.
 # is fixed and when one dies…he is immediately replaced by another
 Elaborate hierarchy under a “top saint” call the Qutb Q
 Head is the Qutb u
 Under the head: 4 ‘Amood
 Then 7 Umana t
 And then 40 Abdaal
4 b
Amood
 Finally, 300 Nuqaba

7 Umana

40 Abdaal

300 Nuqaba
  A # of various groups allow the leading figures to bcm lax in the FARD requirements due to their
positions
 It wasn’t the “well-known” figures like Hasan Al-Basri
 Claimed they had “arrived”—bcm 1 w/ God—no need for prayer any longer (some do today as well)
 Those who openly expressed this under the Khaleefa were executed—like Hallaj
This became another religion developing parallel to Islam.

Outer Practices of Islam Inner Practices of Islam

ِ ‫َش‬
‫ـري َعـة‬ ِ َ‫ط‬
‫ـريقَـة‬
In general, Official Leaders outwardly maintain the
requirements of sharee’ah so as not to be executed
(but claim that without the “haqeeqah” it was idolatry).

ُ ‫أَنَـا ْال َحـ‬

Famous Saying of HALLAJ
‫ق‬
and others

ADDITIONAL NOTES:
AQEEDAH 202 Module 20
Naqshabandi Sufism
 11 Principle Teachings

Teaching Details

Remembrance Always orally and mentally repeating the thikr

Engaging in the heart repetition of the phrase “Al-kalimat at-
Restraint
Tayyiba”
Being conscientious over wandering thoughts while repeating the
Watchfulness
phrase “Al-Kalimat At-Tayyiba”
Concentration upon the Divine Presence in a condition of “thawq”,
Recollection foretaste, intuitive anticipation, or perceptiveness not using external
Ghujdawani

aids
Awareness while Controlling one’s breathing by not exhaling or inhaling in the
breathing forgetfulness of the Divine.
An internal journey that move the person from having blameworthy
Journeying in one’s
to praiseworthy properties, also referred to as the vision or
homeland
revelation of the hidden side of the shahada
Watching one’s
Not to be distracted from the purpose of the ultimate journey
step
Solitude in a Crowd Although journey is outwardly in this world, it is inwardly with God
Keeping account of how one spends his or her time. If time is spent
Temporal Pause rightfully, give thanks and time is spent incorrectly, ask for
Baha ad-Deen

forgiveness.
Checking that the heart-thikr has been repeated the requisite
Numerical Pause
number of times, taking into account one’s wandering thoughts
Forming a mental picture of one’s heart with the Name of God
Heart Pause engraved to emphasize that the heart has no consciousness or goal
other than God

3 Modes / Types of Concentration

Muraqaba Tawajjuh
Subtle Substances
‫ـراقَـبَة‬
َ ‫ُم‬ ‫َـو ُّجـه‬
َ ‫ت‬
The Mureed must 1st “lose
The sheikh is made the
himself in the sheikh” & THEN see next chart
“Qiblah”
he can attain “Fana”
 The Subtle Substances
Color Location Substance
The Heart
Red 2 fingers below the left breast
‫ْالقَ ْـلبـ‬
The Spirit
White 2 fingers below the right breast
‫الـرُّ وح‬
The Soul
Yellow Beneath the naval
‫النَّـ ْفس‬
Conscious
Green Center of the breast
‫السِّـ ّر‬
Mystery
Blue above the eyebrow
‫ْال َخـفِيـ‬
Arcanum
Black top of the brain
‫األَ َخـفاء؟‬/‫األَ َخـفى‬
*These are linked to a: body part/prophet/color

The Various Names of Nakhshabandiyyah

FROM To NAME

Originally As-Siddiqiyya

From Bayazid Al-Bistami Abdul Khaliq Al-Ghujdawani At-Tayfuriyya

Abdul Khaliq Al-Ghujdawani Shah Naqshaband Khwajagan OR Hodja

Shah Naqshaband The Present Naqshabandiyya

The Golden Chain of Nathim Haqqani Naqshabandi

1 Muhammad Mustafa (PBUH) 6 Abu Yazeed Al-Bistami
2 Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (RAA) 7 Abul Hasan Al-Kharqani
3 Salman Al-Farsi (RAA) 8 Abu Ali Al-Farmadi
Al-Imam Qasim bin Muhammad bin Abu
4 9 Yusuf Al-Hamdani
Bakr As-Siddiq
5 Al-Imam Ja’far As-Saadiq 10 Abul Abbas (Khidr, AS) **A sign of ABSOLUTE Fabrication
*#11: Abdul Khaliq Al-Ghujadawani: main individual who organized the “Tareeqah”.