Post by Mohammed IbRaHim on Jan 27, 2014 14:59:23 GMT 5.5
Silsila al-Suhrawardiya
'Awaarif al-Ma'arif
''Knowledge for Encountering God''
Somebody once asked Abu Hafs: ''Who is a Sufi ?''
He answered:
''A Sufi does not ask who a Sufi is''
Introduction
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".
Along with the Qadiriya, Chistiya and Naqshbandiya, the Suhrawardiya order is widely considered to be one the four main silsilas of the 'Ahl as-Sunnah w'al Jama'ah.' (The greater majority of Muslims who follow tradition and the true teachings of Islam).
Read more: Sufi Orders www.spiritualfoundation.net/sufiorders.htm
Origins
The Suhrawardi tariqah, (way) was initiated by Shaykh Najib al-Din Abd'al-Qahir [d.1168 CE] 'alayhir rahman during the 12th century. This sufi order is named the Suhrawardiya tariqah because Najib al-Din Abd'al-Qahir was born in Suhrawardinagar in Jibal province in Iran [persia]. Najib al-Din Abd'al-Qahir was a murid (disciple) of Ahmad Ghazali, Imam al-Ghazali's younger brother, and was the author of one of the most widely read sufi 'student' education guides, 'Adab al-Muridin. This work has been translated into many differrent languages and adopted by many sufi orders.
After the death of Najib al-Din, the tariqa was substantially developed by his nephew, the hugely influential Sahib al-Din Abu Hafs Umar ibn Abd'allah Suhrawardi [1234 CE], who is often said to be the real founder of the order. Sahib al-Din Abu Hafs studied under Najib al-Din, and wrote the treatise the Awaarif al-Maarif, which became even more popular and widely read, as it enhanced the influence of the Suhrawardiyya in the sub-continent. The Awaarif al-Maarif is considered one of the real classics of tasawwuf today.
The rulers of Persia Iran had a special respect for him. The Persian poet, Shayh Sa'di, also was his mureed [disciple].
Founder
This sufi order is named Suhrawardiya tariqah because Shaykh Najib al-Din Abd'al-Qadir [d.1169] alayhir rahman was born in Suhrawardinagar in Jibal province in Iran [persia]. After the death of Najib al-Din, the tariqa was substantially developed by his nephew, Sahib al-Din Abu Hafs Umar ibn Abd'allah Suhrawardi [d.1234], who is often said to be the real founder of the order.
Shaykh Shihab al-Din Umar is the author of the celebrated 'Awarif al-ma'arif, an excellent text of 'irfan and tasawwuf. He claimed descent from Sayyadina Abu Bakr Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu and after acquiring support of the then caliph, attracted sufis from all over the world to hear him teach. It is said that he went on pilgrimage to Makkah and Madinah each year. He had met and conversed with Sayyadina Ghawth al-A'dham 'Abd' al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu. Amongst his disciples were the famous poets Shaykh Saidi and Kamal al-Din Isma'il al-'Isfahani Radi Allahu ta'ala anhum.
Scholars & Shaykhs
List of Suhrwardiyya sainst and scholars (under construction) :
Najib al-Din Abd'al-Qahir Suhrawardi [d.1168 CE]
Shihab al-Din Yahya al-Suhrawardi [d.1191]
Shihab al-Din Abu Hafs Umar ibn Abd'allah Suhrawardi [d.1234 ]
Baha al-Din Abu Muhammad Zakariya Multani Suhrawardi [d.1267 ]
Shaykh Jalal al-Din Tabrizi Yemani Suhrawardi [d. ]
Makhdoom Jahniyan Jahan Gasht Suhrawardi [d.1384
Shah Rukn al-A'lam ibn Baha al-Din Multani Suhrawardi [d. ]
Mawlana Sayyad Muhammad Riaz al-Din Suhrawardi [d. ]