The Silsilahs of Tasawwuf and the Reality of Bay’ah

By Mufti Mahmud Ashraf al-‘Uthmani

Translated by Bilal Ali

Question:

Respected and honorable Hadrat Mawlana Mufti Mahmud Ashraf ‘Uthmani,

Al-Salam ‘alaykum wa rahmat Allah!

I sincerely enjoyed the article you wrote in the monthly Al-Balagh magazine on tasawwuf. In fact, I read it thrice. It was very comprehensive, demonstrative, and authentic, and it covered all the necessary aspects of the topic.

After reading the article, three questions came to mind, which I have written below:

(1) How many silsilahs exist in tasawwuf? Only two silsilas, the Chishti and Naqshbandi silsilahs were mentioned in the article.

(2) Who founded these silsilahs and when?

(3) What is the method of performing bay’ah (the pledge) according to the shari’ah? Is it possible to give bay’ah from afar (without being present in front of the shaykh)?

Thank You,

A seeker of your du’a

…….. ………

Peshawar Cant

Reply:

Respected brother,

Al-Salamu ‘alaykum wa rahmat Allah!

I received your letter in which you mentioned that you read my article. I ask Allah that He makes it a means of benefit for both its author and its readers. Amin.

The answers to your questions are as follows:

(1,2) The silsilahs of four mashayikh (shaykhs) are more well known and recognized (in the Indian sub-continent).

1. The Qadiri silsilah: which is attributed to Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani (470-561 A.H.)

2. The Chishti silsilah: which is attributed to Khwaja Mu’inuddin al-Chishti (527-633 A.H.)

3. The Suhrawardi silsilah: which is attributed to Shaykh Shihab al-Din al-Suhrawardi (539-632 A.H.)

4. The Naqshbandi silsilah: which is attributed to Khwaja Baha’ al-Din al-Naqshbandi (718-791 A.H.)

The silsilahs of these four pious saints (may Allah enlighten their graves) became more well-known because Allah used the four of them extensively for the task of spiritual purification (tazkiyah). Their influence not only spread very far but was also pure and complete (in its adherence to Islamic principles). These mashayikh, in terms of both knowledge and practice, served tasawwuf and suluk so magnificently that all later-day mashayikh openly accepted their greatness and spiritual excellence and they took pride in attributing themselves to and understood the protection of their deen to be in their noble silsilahs. At the same time, one cannot forget that aside from these four saints, other great shaykhs also existed and served the deen with their knowledge and action.

The chains of these four particular silsilahs, after passing through many well-known and pious walis of Allah eventually reach the Tabi’in and Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them), and the chain of ba’yah (pledge) of the four silsilahs end at the pious khalifahs (may Allah be pleased with them). The Pious Khalifas (may Allah be pleased with them) pledged allegiance at the hands of the Noble Prophet (upon him blessings and peace) (bay’ah of faith, jihad, leaving sin), a manifest fact for which no evidence is needed.

Below the four mashayikh of the famous silsilahs, many branches later came into existence and the branches of these spiritual chains still exist today (like the lineal family trees of ancestral heritage). Fourteen branches of tasawwuf are more well-known, but Shaykh Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (may Allah have mercy on him) once wrote in a letter:

“…and there are four families: the Qadiri, Chishti, Naqshbandi, and Suhrawardi. A family lineage is that which consists of branches. The branches are numerous. Those who have mentioned fourteen did so because at the time only fourteen branches existed. Later more came into existence. In other words, the spiritual lines are many and fourteen were only at a particular time. Now, it is not correct to say fourteen. It is old terminology.” (Makatib Rashidiyya pg.79 Mirath edition)

In the silsilas of some of the mashayikh of the near past, such as Haji Imdadullah Muhajir Makki, Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, and Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (may Allah enlighten their graves), the salik was instructed to give bay’ah in all four silsilahs so that all the saints be respected equally and to avoid any discrimination between them.

(3) All the mashayikh unanimously agree that complete salvation can only be achieved through sincere repentance and the purification of the nafs. For this, bay’ah is not absolutely obligatory, but because when a murid gives bay’ah at the hand of his shaykh that he will repent from all his sins and make a firm intention to purify his soul, both of these things become much easier and the shaykh’s attention therefore becomes fixed upon him. This is why the bay’ah has become in vogue in every silsilah of tasawwuf.

In explaining the process of bay’ah, Mawlana Masihullah Khan Sherwani (may Allah have mercy on him)^[1] writes:

“Bay’ah is a pledge to strive to adhere to and execute the esoteric and exoteric actions of Islam. This pledge is also called bay’ah tariqah, which has been in vogue by authoritative transmission from generation to generation from the earliest era of Islam.

The Messenger of Allah (upon him blessings and peace) had enacted the bay’ah of the Companions not only on jihad, but on Islam and the adherence to all the injunctions and practices of Islam. This is established by numerous hadith…

The bay’ah is enacted by the shaykh by placing the right hand of his disciple into his own right hand. If the group contracting the bay’ah is large, the shaikh uses a length of cloth which each member of the group clasps with his right hand. Women who perform the bay’ah do so from behind a screen. A mahram of the female should be present at the bay’ah ceremony. A length of cloth is spread from the shaykh to the lady behind the screen and the pledge is taken verbally, just as it is proven by the hadith…

This is the method of bay’ah when one is in the presence of the shaykh. Those who are not able to be present themselves personally to the shaykh may contract the bay’ah by means of a letter or through the agency of a responsible and trustworthy person. This form of bay’ah is called bay’ah ‘uthmani. The Messenger of Allah (upon him blessings and peace), on the occasion of the Pledge of Ridwan, took the bay’ah of ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) in his absence. He (upon him blessings and peace) placed his right hand on his own left hand and announced that he had made the bay’ah of ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him).” (Shari’ah wa Tasawwuf pg.100-102)

And Allah the Glorified knows best.

Mahmud Ashraf ‘Uthmani (may Allah forgive him his sins)

Darul Ifta’, Jami’ah Dar al-‘Ulum Karachi #14

7/4/1414 A.H.

The answer is correct.

Muhammad Taqi ‘Uthmani

7/4/1414 A.H.

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^[1] The respected Mawlana Masihullah Khan Sherwani was one of the most distinguished of Hakim al-Ummah Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanwi’s khalifahs and also the shaykh and murshid of the author of this booklet, Mawlana Mufti Mahmud Ashraf ‘Uthmani.