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47-782: Unlike other Sufis, the Shattariyya do not subscribe to the concept of fana (annihilation of the ego). "With the sect of Shattaris, the Salik (seeker, aspirant) descends, of himself, in his knowledge - there is no annihilation of self with them." Idries Shah , writing in The Sufis , states that the Shattari technique or "the Rapidness" originated with the Naqshbandi Sufi Order. The spiritual lineage of this order

94-470: A Mufti. Royals of that time came to him for an opinion on complex religious issues. He lived a simple life and always kept a humble profile. He used to share whatever came to him with the poor and the needy. He was buried at Wajihuddin's Tomb , built by one of his followers, Syed Murtuza Khan Bukhari, in Khanpur, Ahmedabad. A saint, he wrote many books and founded an educational institution ( madrasa ). In

141-601: A specific school of theology. According to Shah, Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jam'ah are those who followed the Qur'an and Sunnah on the way of the Sahaba (companions) and Tabi'īn , by holding "fast to the beliefs of the pious ancestors ( al-salaf )." He considered the four legal schools, as well as both the Ahl al-Hadith ( Athari ) and Ahl al-Ra'y ( Maturidi and Ash'ari ) schools of theology to be part of Sunnism. According to Shah,

188-607: Is a chain of transmission ( silsila ) said to pass from Muhammad through Bayazid Bastami (753-845 CE ). The Shattari order is thus a branch of the Tayfuri Khanwada. It was reputedly founded by Sheikh Sirajuddin Abdullah Shattar (d. 1406 CE), great grandson (fifth generation) of Sheikh Shihabuddin Suhrawardi . (Founder of Suharwardiya Khaanwad). He was seventh lineage disciple to Bayazid Bustami and

235-497: Is a waste of time. (iii) Self-effacement is a wrong idea: one must say nothing except "I am I." Unity is to understand One, see One, say One and to hear One. A Sufi of this order must say "I am one" and "There is no partner with me." (iv) There is no need to oppose to the ego ( nafs ) or of mujaheda (struggle, participation in jihad with oneself). (v) There is no such state as annihilation ( fana ) since this would require two personalities, one wishing for annihilation and

282-522: Is based on first-party Islamic teachings. Specifically, the Quran says: "All things in creation suffer annihilation and there remains the face of the Lord in its majesty and bounty." Mystics such as Al-Junayd al-Baghdadi , Al-Ghazali and Al-Sarraj maintained that this ultimate goal of Sufism was the vision (mushahadah) of the divine. Fana was defined by Abu Nasr as-Sarraj thus: The passing away of

329-408: Is given to him by God and by virtue of this gift he is served from regarding himself and becomes entirely devoted to God and this is one of the stages of the unitarians. Those who have erred this doctrine have failed to observe that the qualities of God are not God. To make identical with his qualities is to be guilty of infidelity, because God does not descend into the soul, but that which descends into

376-576: Is not stipulated, and the one investigating by means of intellectual proof is not forced to use them, and they are not preferable to others, nor do they have any exclusive merit." Despite being an Ash'ari, Shah Waliullah opposed excessiveness in Kalam (speculative theology) and defended the position of the early Athari creed . Shah wrote in Hujjatullah al-Balighah : "Those speculative theologians ( Mutakallimun ) who behaved contemptuously towards

423-434: Is the "passing away" or "annihilation" (of the self ). Fana means "to die before one dies", a concept highlighted by famous notable Persian mystics such as Rumi . There is controversy around what Fana exactly is, with some Sufis defining it as the absolute annihilation of the human ego before God, whereby the self becomes an instrument of God's plan in the world ( Baqaa ). Other Sufis also interpret it as breaking down of

470-562: Is total union (ittihad) were Al-Bistami and Al-Hallaj . The interpretation of Fana ascribed to Jallaluddin Rumi is as follows: When the Shaykh (Halláj) said 'I am God' and carried it through (to the end), he throttled (vanquished) all the blind (sceptics). When a man's 'I' is negated (and eliminated) from existence, then what remains? Consider, O denier. In his book, Ain-ul-Faqr, Sultan Bahoo gives his interpretation of Fana: "Initially I

517-460: The Indian subcontinent and is therefore seen by his followers as a renewer . Ahmad was born on 21 February 1703 to Shah Abdur Rahim , a prominent Islamic scholar of Delhi . He later became known as Shah Waliullah because of his piety. He memorized the Qur'an by the age of seven. Soon thereafter, he mastered Arabic and Persian letters. He was married at fourteen. By fifteen he had completed

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564-641: The Mughal Emperor Humayun , He wrote the book Jawahir-i khams, (The Five Jewels). The influence of the Shattari Order grew strong during Ghawth's leadership and spread through South Asia. Ghawth later became the tutor of the Mughal emperor Akbar 's favorite and legendary musician, Tansen as well. Although Tansen was a Hindu by birth, Shah Ghawth adopted him as an orphan and tutored him in both Sufism and music, appointing him as one of

611-516: The Shi'a : "Strict orders should be issued in all Islamic towns forbidding religious ceremonies publicly practiced by non-Muslims (such as the performance of Holi and ritual bathing in the Ganges). On the tenth of Muharram , Shi'a should not be allowed to go beyond the bounds of moderation, neither should they say or do things that are considered offensive by other Muslims (that is, recite tabarra , or curse

658-471: The Atharis calling them corporealists and anthropomorphists , saying that they sought refuge in the formula of "without asking how" ( Bila Kayf )... this contempt of theirs is unfounded and they err in their sayings both from the viewpoint of tradition and of reason and they err in slandering the leaders of the true religion." In contrast to those speculative theologians which he deemed to be in err, he said

705-676: The Khalifa (spiritual deputy) of Mohammad Ghouse. Tansen was buried in Ghawth's tomb complex. A later successor was Wajihuddin Alvi (d. 1018 AH / 1609 CE), also known by the title 'Haider Ali Saani'. He was born in Champaner , an ancient city of Eastern Gujarat. He later moved to Ahmedabad where he received and imparted knowledge in Islamic studies. He became a prominent scholar of his times and

752-834: The Medina Shattariyya as well as the role of teacher in the Prophet's mosque and Shafi'i mufti in the city. Among his students was the great Indian Naqshbandi reformer Shah Waliullah Dihlawi (d.1763 C.E.). Abu'l Tahir initiated Shah Waliullah into the Naqshbandiyya in Medina. He also initiated him into the Shadhiliyya , Shattariyya, Suhrawardiyya and Kubrawiyya . The Shattariyya subscribed to six fundamental principles: (i) One should not believe in self-negation but adhere to self-affirmation. (ii) Contemplation

799-730: The Qur'anic context, without clinging to a particular school in exegesis, grammar, or theology. On the nature of Divine Attributes, Shah Waliullah held the positions of the Ash'ari creed. Shah Waliullah held to the position that ta'wil (alternative interpretation) of the Divine Attributes is permissible within limits. He writes in Hujjatullah al-Balighah : "It is our right to interpret them (the attributes of God) in senses more easy to comprehend and more suitable than what they said, for clarity’s sake, since holding these (specific) meanings

846-487: The Qur'anic teachings was made vital to Muslims, he translated Arabic Qur'an into Persian. Few Muslims spoke Arabic and so the Qur'an had not been widely studied previously. Some Ulama criticized Shah Waliullah, but his work proved very popular. In addition to translating the Quran , Shah Waliullah wrote 51 books in Persian and Arabic. Amongst the most famous were Hujjat Allah al-Baligha and Izalat al-Khafa . He felt

893-544: The age of 29 years in 1732. His grandson was Shah Ismail Dehlvi who had a huge impact on the Deobandi movement. He died on Friday the 29th of Muharram 1176 AH, or 20 August 1762 at the time of Jummah prayer in Old Delhi , aged 59. He was buried beside his father Shah Abdur Rahim at Mehdiyan , a graveyard to the left of Delhi Gate . Shah Waliullah defined Sunni Islam in broad terms, rather than confining it to

940-470: The attributes of the lower self (nafs) and the passing away of the repugnance to, and reliance upon, anything that may happen. Al-Hujwiri states the following: One may speak, however, of an annihiliation that is independent of annihiliation: in that case annihilation (fana) means 'annihilation of all remembrance of other' and subsistance (baqa) means 'subsistence of the remembrance of God' (baqa al-dhikhr al-haqq) So according to these early Sufis, Fana

987-509: The cultural practises (adab) that differentiated that faithful from non-Muslims. Besides these, he is also credited being the first to translate the Quran into Persian in the Indian subcontinent . Shah Waliullah worked hard to ensure that he was a role model for other Muslims . His deep understanding of the Qur'an, Hadith, Fiqh, and Tasawwuf made him a highly knowledgeable scholar at an early age. Since he believed that an emphasis on

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1034-441: The differences between them are only over secondary issues of valid Ikhtilaf ; while on fundamental issues they remain united. He believed that leaders should rule in accordance with the precepts of Islam and the teachings of Islam should be purified by teachers with ijtihad based on the basis on which the Quran and Hadith is founded on. He believed that there are certain bounderies that must be placed on Sufism and that

1081-399: The fifteenth century. His procedure was to approach the chief of a Sufi group and say, 'Teach me your method, share it with me. If you will not, I invite you to share mine.'" One of the order's distinguished masters was the 16th century Sufi, Shah Muhammad Ghawth (d. 1562/3 C.E.) (14th Ramadan 970 hijri). Ghawth developed the Shattariyya more fully into a "distinctive order"; and also taught

1128-683: The first three successors of the Prophet Muhammad) in the streets or bazars. Shah Waliullah strongly advocated against adopting non-Islamic customs, and argued for commitment to Arabic Islamic culture. Shah Waliullah believed that: “ Muslims, no matter where they live, wherever they spend their youthful days, they should in any case be completely separated from the natives of that country in their culture, traditions and mannerisms. And wherever they are, they must be immersed in their Arabic splendor and Arabic trends ” . On adherence to Arab culture , he insists: “ Beware! The rich intend to adopt

1175-458: The following regarding the limits of interpretation and its speculative nature: "There is no ruling to the effect that God meant what we hold, nor is there a consensus that one should believe in them and acknowledge them; such a thing would be absurd." His dislike of the Marathas is expressed in one of his dreams that he narrated in “Fuyooz-ul Haramain” where he said "And I saw that the king of

1222-477: The four main Madhahib were to be mixed into one system of law and moral codes. He said: "There are numerous benefits in it that are no secret to anyone. These are especially required in these days when people lack courage, when carnal passions have taken deep root in people's souls and whenever a person is obsessed only with his opinion." In his work Tahfimat al-Ilahiyya , Shah declared his conviction that

1269-434: The individual ego and a recognition of the fundamental unity of God, creation, and the individual self. However, persons having entered this enlightened state are said to obtain absolute awareness of an intrinsic unity ( Tawhid ) between God ( Allah ) and all that exists, including the individual themselves. This second interpretation is condemned as heretical by many orthodox Muslims. Similar to other Sufi doctrines, Fana

1316-469: The infidels took over the land of the Muslims and looted their property. He enslaved their women and children and in the city of Ajmer he declared the rites of disbelief". In one of his letters available in manuscripts collection at Rampur , he asks Muslim rulers led by Ahmad Shah Bahadur to put a ban on public religious ceremonies by non-Muslims and to issue strict orders against certain ceremonies by

1363-465: The late sixteenth/early seventeenth century C.E. a secondary branch of Shattariyya was formed in Medina by Sibghatallah ibn Ryuhallah al-Hindi al-Barwaji (d.1606 C.E.), a Naqshbandi shaykh. His disciple Abu'l-Mawahib al-Shinnawi (d. 1619) continued the order there. The Shattaris went on to play an important role in Medina through the seventeenth century C.E. under Ahmad al-Qushashi , al-Shinnawi's successor, and then Ibrahim al-Kurani (d. 1689 C.E.) who

1410-433: The manner of the philosophers, nor through the claims of union brought by al-Bistami and al-Hallaj, rather God could be known through his self-unveiling (khasf) through the personal process of observation (mushahadah). Al-Sarraj condemned the idea of incarnation and fusion (the unionist interpretation below): Some mystics of Baghdad have erred in their doctrine that when they passed away from their qualities they enter into

1457-468: The more usual and less intense 'jurist' Sufi methods or orders of Iraq, Arabia, Turkey and northern Africa. Sheikh Baha' al-Din Shattari (d. 1515 C.E.) incorporated Indian spiritual practices into his Risala-i Shattariyya (The Shattari Treatise). Later The Pool of Nectar (traced by Carl Ernst to the Hindu Amrtakunda ), was translated into Persian by Muhammad Ghawth . This translation

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1504-496: The other in whom annihilation takes place, which is dualism and not unity. (vi) One should not abstain from eating certain foods but instead should consider one's ego, its attributes and actions as identical with those of the Universal Ego. The animal soul is not an obstacle for reaching God. The Shattariyya held to the principle of wahdat al-wujud (Unity of Existence) expounded by Ibn Arabi . Abu'l-Mawahib al-Shinnawi

1551-458: The qualities of God. This involves incarnation or leads to the Christian belief concerning Jesus. The doctrine in question has been attributed to some of the ancients, but its true meaning is that when a man goes forth from his own qualities and enters into the qualities of God, he goes forth from his own will, which is a gift to him from God, and enters into the will of God, knowing that his will

1598-525: The reality behind the world is not emptiness, but God. Shah Waliullah Dehlawi Qutb ud-Din Ahmad ibn ʿAbd-ur-Rahim al-ʿUmari ad-Dehlawi ( Arabic : قطب الدين أحمد بن عبد الرحيم العمري الدهلوي , romanized :  Quṭb ad-Dīn Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd-ur-Raḥīm al-ʿUmarī ad-Dehlawī ‎; 1703–1762), commonly known as Shah Waliullah Dehlawi (also Shah Wali Allah ), was an Islamic Sunni scholar and Sufi reformer, who contributed to Islamic revival in

1645-477: The schools of law. He said: "The entire Ummah , or rather those of them who are dependable, are unanimous about the fact that it is permissible to follow one of these four Madhahib that have been methodically systemized and recorded. This unanimity remains to this day." Shah Waliullah placed emphasis on a direct understanding of the Qur'an , maintaining that those students with sufficient knowledge must work with

1692-581: The soul is faith in God and belief in his unity (tawhid) and reverence for the thought of him. This visionary interpretation has been qualified by some thinkers as a "moderate form of Islamic mysticism", whereas the next interpretation is considered an "extravagant form of mysticism". Another interpretation is that of Fana as being united with the One or the Truth. The two famous exponents of this who contended that fana

1739-475: The standard curriculum of Hanafi law, theology, geometry, arithmetic and logic; two years later after the demise of his father he succeeded him as the dean of his Madrasah-i Rahimiyah. His father, Shah Abdur Rahim was the founder of the Madrasah-i Rahimiyah . He was on the committee appointed by Aurangzeb for compilation of the code of law, Fatawa-e-Alamgiri . Shah Waliullah visited Makkah at

1786-571: The station of " ma'rifah " ( gnosis ), until it one arrives at haqq al-yaqin (reality of certainty), the stage of the friends of God ( Wali Allah ). This stage of Haqq al-Yaqin is what Al-Ghazali expressed as fana' kulli and fana fi al-tawhid. For Al-Ghazali, as with Al-Junayd before him, this meant recognition of God as the sole agent of the Universe. However Fana fi al-Tawhid does not mean 'fusion', 'identification', 'incarnation' etc. Rather, for Al-Ghazali, God could not be known through speculation in

1833-514: The text, rather than previous commentaries. He argued that Qurʾān is clear to any student with sufficient knowledge of Arabic , just like it was understandable to its first recipients and scholars, including those parts that are mutashābih (unclear). Shah believed that one should prefer the interpretation that is closest to the literal meaning ( ẓāhir al-maʿnā ) of the Qurʾān and the Sunnah which fits

1880-502: The unity of Hanafi and Shafi'i schools of law was essential for Indian Islamic revival. Thus, many of his legal positions aligned with the views of Imam al-Shafi'i . Shah Waliullah sought the reconciliation of differences of the Shafi'i and Hanafi schools of Fiqh as his duty. He was particularly concerned with the pervasive Hanafi fanaticism prevalent in his community, which he rebuked, and called for an inclusive association of all of

1927-547: The ways of strangers and non-Arabs and those who deviate from the right path, and tries to mix and be like them ” . In his own words, he sought to conform to the habits and customs of the early Arabs and Muhammad, and to "abstain from the customs of the Ajam and the Indians." The only logical hikmat-i-amali, or practical wisdom for Muslim rulers, was to strengthen community boundaries by conducting Jihad against opponents and promoting

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1974-653: Was four , then became three , afterwards two and when I got out of Doi (being two), I became one with Allah." Hossein Nasr insists that this interpretation is the highest spiritual truth. The idea of fanāʾ in Sufism has been compared to Samadhi in Hinduism and Buddhism . Others compared fanāʾ to the Buddhistic concept of Śūnyatā "emptiness of all things" beyond reality. In contrast, according to Sufism,

2021-486: Was a systematic account of yogic mantras and visualization practices, assimilated and incorporated into the conceptual structure of Sufi tradition, and included an account of the chakras together with the practices required to activate them, with Sufi wazifas substituted for the traditional yogic mantras . Fana (Sufism) Others In terms of Ihsan : Fanaa ( Arabic : فناء fanāʾ  ) in Sufism

2068-569: Was also initiated into other orders including the Naqshbandiyya, Qadiriyya and Chishtiyya . Al-Kurani's disciple Abd al Ra'uf Singkel was authorised by him to introduce the Shattariyya to Indonesia. The Shattariyya became popular in Aceh and Java, particularly in Pamijahan and Cirebon (where it became closely associated with the court). Ibrahim al-Kurani's son, Muhammad Abu'l Tahir al-Kurani (d.1733 C.E.) inherited his father's position as head of

2115-452: Was an outspoken adherent of this doctrine. And Shinnawi's successor, Ahmad al-Qushashi was described by the contemporary Damascene scholar Muhammad Amin al Muhibbi as "The Imam of those who expound the unity of existence". Some aspects of Shattari teaching sought to utilize parts of Nath Yoga and other forms of yogic mystical practice to give rise to a highly sophisticated, distinct and intense Indian 'mystical' Sufi method, as compared to

2162-515: Was honored with Khilafat (Spiritual Deputyhood) from all of the 14 Sufi Tayfuriya orders (Khanwaads or Gharaanaas). Shattar was deputized and given the honorific "Shattar" by his teacher Sheikh Muhammad Taifur in recognition of the austerities he faced in achieving this station ( maqām ). Originating in Persia , the order and its teachings were later brought to India by Sheikh Abdullah Shattar. According to Idries Shah , Shattar made India his home in

2209-409: Was interpreted as a recognition of the will of God, or the abandonment of being conscious of ones self, replacing this with contemplation on God alone. However, according to Al-Hujwiri, vision of the divine can not occur without hard work on the part of the seeker. Such vision is combined with "ilm al-yaqin" or knowledge of certainty. This station leads to "ayn al-yaqin" (vision of certainty) and then

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