The Masayikh

Mawlana Sayyidi Syaikh Abdullah Fa'izi ad-Daghestani q.

He was born in the Caucasian region of Daghestan (then part of the Russian Empire) in December 14,1891. Both his father and elder brother were medical doctors, the latter being a surgeon in the Imperial Russian Army. Abdullah was raised and trained by his maternal uncle, Shaykh Sharafuddin Daghestani (1875-1936). He showed remarkable spiritual aptitude from a young age and this attracted the attention of many local people.

Sometime in the 1900s Abdullah’s family (indeed his whole village) wearied of the repression imposed on Daghestan by the Russian government and decided to make Hijrah (emigration) to the Ottoman Empire. They first settled in the northwestern Anatolian city of Bursa, and then after a year moved to a place called Reşadiye (now known as Güneyköy). A new village was established that was populated by Daghestani refugees. Shortly thereafter, Abdullah’s father died and at the age of fifteen he was married to a Daghestani girl named Halima.


In 1910, after merely six months of marriage, Shaykh Sharafuddin ordered Abdullah into sacred seclusion (khalwat) for five years. This practice included severe austerities that were intended to raise his spiritual rank.

He successfully completed this seclusion and when he returned to secular life he found the Ottoman Empire embroiled in the First World War. Along with many young men of his village, Abdullah entered into military service and took part in the Battle of Gallipoli. During a firefight he was severely wounded by Allied fire and he endured a near death experience that only led to a deeper understanding of Reality.

In 1921 Abdullah was instructed by Shaykh Sharafuddin to enter another long seclusion for that would last for five years. He completed this and, as it has been described, “the power of his spiritual attraction increased. He became so renowned that even during his Shaykh's lifetime, people used to come from everywhere to learn from him.” He was then granted a license (ijazah) to be a master, a shaykh, in the Naqshbandi Path.

With the anti-Sufi regulations in the new Turkish Republic impeding religious practice, Shaykh Abdullah began to contemplate leaving the country. After the death of Shaykh Sharafuddin in 1936, a delegation came to Reşadiye from King Farouk to pay their condolences, as he had many murids in Egypt. One of the delegation married a daughter of Shaykh Abdullah and the family moved to Egypt.

Shaykh Abdullah resided in Egypt until his daughter’s divorce. The family then left Egypt for Syria. Shaykh Abdullah resided for a time in Aleppo and from there moved to Homs and then finally to Damascus near the tomb of great saint Sa’d ad-Din Jibawi. There he established the first tekke for his branch of the Naqshbandi Order.

In 1943 he moved to a house on Jabal Qasioun mountain, a house that was bought by his first Syrian murid and later khalifah, Shaykh Husayn Ifrini. This house and the mosque next to it still stand, and it is now the site of his türbe (tomb).

Over the years Shaykh Abdullah Daghestani became well known throughout Damascus for his spiritual teachings and he attracted many thousands of individuals who sought out relief from the weight of worldly life. He died on September 30th, 1973.

One of his khalifahs, Shaykh Nazim al-Qubrusi, made remarkable progress in spreading the Sufi teachings of Shaykh Abdullah to the West.



Mawlana Sayyidi Syaikh Nazim al-Qubrusi q.


Mehmet Nâzım Adil (Arabic: الشيخ ناظم القبرصي‎; also known as Sultan-al Awliya Shaykh Mawlana as-Sayyid Khwaja Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqani al-Rabbani al-Qubrusi al-Firdausi an-Naqshbandi is the leader of the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Sufi Order.

He (qas) was born in Larnaca on April 23, 1922 - IC: Sha'ban 26, 1340, Cyprus, hence the title "Qubrusi," Cypriot. He traces his lineage to the 11th century Sufi Abdul Qadir Jilani and the 13th century Anatolian mystic Jalaluddin Rumi. Both of his maternal and paternal grandfathers were sheikhs in the Qadiri and Mevlevi orders respectively. As a child, the young Nazim showed a propensity towards spirituality. His father sent him to school to study secular knowledge during the day, and in the evening he studied Islam at the local maktab, where he learned the basics of Islamic law, jurisprudence, the Hadith, and Qur'anic exegesis.Shaykh Nazim is a spiritual leader of the Naqshbandi golden chain.[1] He is also head of the Naqshbandi Haqqani Sufi Order.

He has also written or dictated many books, some of which have been published by the Islamic Supreme Council of America[2]

His Biography

Shaykh Nazim al-Qubrusi al-HaqqaniAfter completing secondary school in 1940, at the age of 18 the young Nazim moved to Istanbul where two brothers and a sister were living. He studied chemical engineering at Istanbul University. While advancing in his secular studies, Nazim continued his education in Islamic theology and the Arabic language under the tutelage of Shaykh Cemalettin Elassonli (d. 1955 CE). Nazim received a degree in chemical engineering and he excelled among his colleagues. Yet he would later state, "I felt no attraction to modern science. My heart was always drawn to the spiritual sciences." He later came to master not only his native tongue Turkish, but Arabic, English, and Greek as well.

At some point during his first year of life in Istanbul, Nazim met his first spiritual guide, Shaykh Suleyman Erzurumi (d. 1948), who was a murshid in the Naqshbandi Order.

Sheikh Nazim attended the gatherings of this particular shaykh which were held in the Sultan Ahmet Mosque. Here he learned the basic spiritual methods of the Naqshbandi Order, in addition to those of the Qadiri and the Mevlevi. His focus on spirituality was further reinforced by the unexpected death of an elder brother. Shortly after attaining his degree Sheikh Nazim received inspiration to go to Damascus in order to find the famed Naqshbandi master, Shaykh Abdullah al-Fa'izi ad-Daghestani (1891-September 30, 1973). He obtained permission from Shaykh Erzurumi to leave Istanbul and in 1944 he arrived in Syria, although the unrest caused by the Vichy French government prevented his entry into Damascus until 1945. Upon meeting with the master, whose tekke is located on the slopes of the Jabal Qasyoun, Sheikh Nazim took his hand in bay'ah, or initiation. The young Sheikh Nazim’s mystical faculties were self-evident and he advanced along the Sufi path with great speed.

Shortly thereafter Shaykh Abdullah Daghestani ordered Shaykh Nazim to return to his native Cyprus to deliver spiritual guidance. Shaykh Abdullah also conferred the title of "Shaykh" to Shaykh Nazim thus giving him the legitimacy to speak on behalf of the Naqshbandi Order.

While in Cyprus, Shaykh Nazim came into conflict with pro-Atatürk governing body of the Turkish community of the island. His repeated act of making the adhan in Arabic rather than the prescribed Turkish brought several lawsuits against him and there were some 114 cases lodged against him for crimes against the secular order. Nevertheless all these were dropped shortly thereafter with the coming to power of Adnan Menderes in Turkey, whose government opted for a more tolerant approach to Islamic traditions.

Shaykh Nazim moved back to Damascus in 1952, when he was wed to the daughter of one of the murids of Shaykh Abdullah Daghestani, Amina Adil (1929-2004), whose family came to settle in Syria after fleeing Soviet rule of their native Kazan. From that time, Sheikh Nazim took up residence in Damascus, and every year he would visit Cyprus for at least three months. The couple have two daughters and two sons.


His Worldwide mission work

In the year following the passing of his murshid in 1973, Shaykh Nazim began visiting Western Europe, traveling every year from the Middle East to London. On his return trips to Damascus, he would often drive by car through the former Yugoslavia, spending time visiting the Muslim communities there. It became his practice to spend the month of Ramadan in the large centre established in London. In 2000 this practice was discontinued due to his advanced age.

In 1997, Shaykh Nazim visited Daghestan, the homeland of his murshid, Shaykh Abdullah Daghestani. He also made repeated visits to Uzbekistan were he made the pilgrimage to the tomb of the eponymous founder of the Naqshbandi Order, Shah Baha'uddin Naqshband (d.1388CE)

In 1991 Shaykh Nazim visited the United States for the first time at the invitation of his khalifa and son-in-law, Shaykh Sayyid Muhammad Hisham Kabbani (married to Hajjah Nazihe Kabbani, Shaykh Nazim's daughter), to officiate the marriage of their son Nour Kabbani. Shaykh Kabbani moved to the US in 1990 and instantiated the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Sufi Order in order to manage the affairs of the Tariqah in the US and the Americas and the Islamic Supreme Council of America to work in educating the American policymakers and public on classical Islam which is based on love, peace, tolerance and the brotherhood of humankind.

At that time Shaykh Nazim made the first of four nationwide tours, during the course of which he brought several hundred individuals into the fold of Islam.

In 1993 Shaykh Nazim, at the invitation of Shaykh Kabbani, opened a center in SE Michigan for the purpose of Sufi retreats and activities. Established officially as the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Sufi order the center has since expanded into a mosque and Islamic studies center, located in Burton, Michigan. This visit also included a long traverse of the US and Canada.

In 1996, Shaykh Nazim was guest of honour at the First International Islamic Unity Conference, held in Los Angeles, under the chairmanship of Shaykh Kabbani. Over 8000 people attended this conference which included major Islamic scholars from around the world and whose theme focussed on Islamic Spirituality. Following the conference, as guest of his son-in-law Shaykh Kabbani, Shaykh Nazim visited many parts of the US and Canada, giving talks, association and meetings to people of all faiths and every walk of life. Shaykh Nazim gave widely-attended speeches and associations and Dhikr gatherings in a number of venues, including churches, temples, universities, mosques and New Age centers.

In 1998 Shaykh Nazim was again chief guest of honour at the Second International Islamic Unity Conference, held in Washington DC, under Shaykh Kabbani. Attended by over 6000 people, the highlight of this conference was the ringing denunciation of terrorism by Shaykh Nazim to the 160 Islamic scholars and VIPs from around the world, including the current Grand Mufti of Egypt, Grand Muftis of Russia and neighboring nations and dignitaries from Malaysia, Indonesia, the Middle East and Africa.

Following this conference Shaykh Nazim visited the home and spiritual centre of Shaykh Kabbani, as well as traveling to a number of areas, including the East Coast and the Midwest to deliver lectures, associations, Mawlid and Dhikr in universities, mosques and other venues.

Later in 1998, Shaykh Nazim traveled to South Africa, accompanied by Shaykh Kabbani and a large contingent of students from around the globe. There he visited Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, in each city giving lectures in mosques filled to capacity. He assigned his representative in South Africa to be Dr. Yusuf DaCosta.

In 2001, Shaykh Nazim, accompanied by his khalifa Shaykh Hisham Kabbani and a large group of students, made the 2001 Naqshbandi-Haqqani Eastern World Tour of the Muslim World, starting in Uzbekistan, from where he then traveled to Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. In the course of this journey, Shaykh Nazim met with people of all walks of life, from the highest dignitaries and leaders to the common folk. The Shaykh, despite his advanced age, was able to maintain an incredibly hectic schedule of meetings, speeches, dhikr gatherings and spiritual gatherings with little or no rest for a period of forty days and covering a distance of over 15,000 miles.

Shaykh Nazim made his last trip to the United States in 2000, during which he was invited to speak at a United Nations conference on Religion and Spirituality.

A year after becoming a Mujahid in 1974 war in Cyprus, Shaykh Nazim sent Shaykh Sayyid Abdul Kerim to New York. He sent Sayyid Ahmad Amiruddin to Toronto, Canada to spread the message of the Naqshbandi Tariqat.

Shaykh Nazim has had close relations with several notable politicians, notably the late president of Turkey, Turgut Ozal as well as the president of Turkish Cyprus, Rauf Denktaş. During his travels in Southeast Asia (which began in 1986) he gave his spiritual blessings to His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, His Highness Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X of Yogyakarta and several members of Malaysia’s royal families including His Highness Prince Raja Dato’ Seri Ashman Shah have taken initiation into the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Order at his hand. He also traveled on numerous occasions to India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka where he has been received with great fanfare. In the late 1990s he visited South Africa where he established contacts with the Sunni Muslim community. Shaykh Nazim has made the pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) some 27 times.

Due to his advanced age, Shaykh Nazim rarely travels abroad nowadays. He currently resides in his family home in the town of Lefke, Northern Cyprus.

There are several websites dedicated to the Shaykh and his spiritual cause such as "sufilive.com" and "beforearmageddon.com" aswell. These sites provide recordings of talks of both Shaykh Nazim and his khalifah's Shaykh Hisham Kabbani and Shaykh Adnan Kabbani.


Mawlana Sayyidi Syaikh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani q.


Syaikh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani (born in Lebanon, 13 Safar 1364 / 28th January 1945) is a prominent American Sufi Muslim. Kabbani advocates an understanding of Islam described by his supporters as fundamentally based on peace, tolerance, respect and love. His Muslim critics, however, contend that Kabbani's statements have frequently placed American Muslims in a negative light.


His Biography

Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani descends from a long line of scholars and was born in Beirut, Lebanon. For more than fifty years he has been a disciple of Nazim al-Qubrusi.

On the order of al-Qubrusi, Shaykh Hisham relocated to the United States in 1991, where he has opened thirteen Sufi outreach centers, focused on spreading Sufism. He has lectured at many universities, including the University of Chicago, Columbia University, and the University of California, Berkeley, as well as at many spiritual and religious centers throughout North America, Europe, the Far East, and the Middle East.

Shaykh Kabbani works closely with the governments and people of Muslim nations around the world to restore what he views as traditional Islamic practices and prevent the increase of religious radicalism. He has supported relief efforts in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, his native Lebanon, and Somalia, and peace initiatives in the Middle East, Bosnia, Kashmir, Afghanistan and Kosovo.

He is married to Hajjah Naziha Adil, the daughter of Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani, and has four children; three boys and a girl.


His Published Works
Works published by Syaikh Hisham Kabbani include:


Illuminations, ISBN 1-930409-52-4 (2007)
Universe Rising, ISBN 1-930409-48-6 (2007)
A spiritual commentary on the chapter of sincerity, ISBN 19304094207 (2006)
Sufi self science of realization, ISBN 1-930409-29-X (2005)
Keys to the Divine Kingdom, ISBN 1-930409-28-1 (2005)
Classical Islam and the Naqshbandi Sufi Order, ISBN 1-930409-10-9 (2004)
The Naqshbandi Sufi Way Guidebook, ISBN 1-930409-22-2 (2004)
The Approach of Armageddon? an Islamic perspective, ISBN 1-930409-20-6 (2003)
Encyclopedia of Muhammad's Women Companions, ISBN 1-871031-42-7 (1998)
Encyclopedia of Islamic Doctrine and Beliefs, ISBN 1-871031-48-6 (1998)
Angels Unveiled, ISBN 1-930409-37-0 (1996)
Pearls & Coral (vols 1 and 2), ISBN 1-930409-07-9 (2005,2006)
The Naqshbandi Sufi Way (1995);
Remembrance of God Liturgy of the Sufi Naqshbandi Masters (1994)