Sufism

The Qadiri Order

The Qadiri Order was founded by Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani (d. 1166) from Gilan in
Persia, who eventually settled in Baghdad in Iraq. After his death, his Sufi Order was
propagated by his sons. The Qadiri Order has spread to many places, including Syria,
Turkey, some parts of Africa such as Cameroun, the Congo, Mauritania and Tanzania,
and in the Caucasus, Chechen and Ferghana in the [former] Soviet Union, as well as
elsewhere.

The Rifa’i Order

 Founded by Shykh Ahmad ar-Rifa’i (d. 1182) in Basra, the Rifa’i Order has spread to Egypt, Syria, Anatolia in Turkey, Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, and more recently to North America.

The Shadhili Order

 The Shadhili Order crystallized around Shaykh Abu’l-Hasan ash-Shadhili or Morocco (d. 1258) and eventually became one of the greatest Sufi Orders, having an extraordinarily large following. Today it is found in North Africa, Egypt, Kenya and Tanzania, the Middle East, Sri Lanka and elsewhere, including the West and North America.

The Mevlavi Order

The Mevlavi or Mawlawi Order centers around Mawlana Jalal ud-Din Rumi of Qonya in Turkey (d. 1273). Today it is mostly found in Anatolia in Turkey and more recently in North America. The followers of this order are also known as whirling dervishes.

The Naqshbandi Order

The Naqshbandi Order takes its name from Shaykh Baha ud-Din Naqshband of Bukhara (d. 1390). It is widely spread in central Asia, the Volga, the Caucasus, the north-west and south-west of China, Indonesia, the Indian sub-Continent, Turkey, Europe and North America. This is the only known Sufi Order which traces the genealogy of its lineage of transmission of knowledge back through the first Muslim ruler, Abu Bakr, unlike the rest of the known Sufi Orders which trace their origins back to one of the Shi’ite spiritual leaders, and therefore through Imam Ali, and so to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

The Bektashi Order

 Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli is a famous 13th century Islamic mystic, philosopher and dervish.   His tomb and monestary are in the town of Hacibektaş, which is named after him.   Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli was born and educated in Khorasan (north-east Iran); he was the grandson of Sheik Ahmet.   After his pilgrimage to Mecca, he travelled around the middle east, finally coming to Anatolia in a period of political and economic turmoil.   Wishing to help restore unity he settled here and developed and taught his own approach to being a pure Moslem.   This approach was based on four tenets: love of God (the only way to attain maturity and peace); focus on substance rather than on the superficial (e.g. God does not see your actions, he sees your intentions); love and unity among people (the only things that illuminate your way are devine and human love); and the power of sanctity (you should seek God within, not externally).   He particularly taught tolerance and equality for all through love, and at it's heart his philosophy incorporates the same substance as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948.   Through the work of Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli unity was restored to the Turks of Anatolia, and the Turkish language became the language of scholarship and law (instead of Arabic or Persian).
The interior of Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli's tomb chamber is an interesting shape.   At the bottom the room is square; higher up it is octagonal; and at the top there is a circular dome.   This is essentially the same shape as the Pharos, the ancient lighthouse at Alexandria, Egypt
The Bektashi Order was founded by Hajji Bektash of Khurasan (d. 1338). Shi’ite ideas strongly permeate this Sufi Order. It is limited to Anatolia in Turkey and was most powerful up until the early 20th century. The order is regarded as a follower of Shi’a Islamic Law.

The Ni’amatullah Order

 The Ni’amatullah Order was founded by Shaykh Nur ud-Din Muhammad Ni’amatullah (d. 1431) in Mahan near Kirman in South-west Iran. Its followers are found mostly in Iran and India.

The Tijani Order

The Tijani Order was founded by Shaykh Abbas Ahmad ibn at-Tijani, an Algerian Berber (d. 1815). It has spread from Algeria to the south of the Sahara and into western and central Sudan, Egypt, Senegal, West Africa and northern Nigeria, as well as being represented in the West and in North America.

The Jarrahi Order

The Jarrahi Order was founded by Shaykh Nur ud-Din Muhammad al-Jarrah of Istanbul (d. 1720). It is limited mostly in Turkey, with some representation in the West and in North America.

The Chisti Order

The most influential Sufi Order in the sub-Continent of India and Pakistan has been the Chisti Order, which takes its name from Khwaja Abu Ishaq Shami Chisti (d. 966). Its spread has been primarily within south-east Asia.