Islamic Timeline of RevelationOpen in flowchart →
Religion / branch / eraPhase 4b · Caliphates, schools & sectsMajor figure

Major Sufi Orders (Qadiriyya, Chishtiyya, Suhrawardiyya, Naqshbandiyya)

الطرق الصوفية

12th-14th century CE onward

Organised spiritual brotherhoods (turuq) with chains of masters (silsilah). The Qadiri, Chishti, Suhrawardi and Naqshbandi orders were especially influential in spreading Islam in South Asia and beyond.

Biography

Qadiriyya: from Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani of Baghdad (d. 561 AH / 1166 CE), a Hanbali scholar. Chishtiyya: brought to India by Mu'in al-Din Chishti of Ajmer (d. 1236 CE). Suhrawardiyya: from Abu al-Najib and Shihab al-Din al-Suhrawardi (d. 1234 CE). Naqshbandiyya: from Baha' al-Din Naqshband of Bukhara (d. 1389 CE), noted for silent dhikr and tracing a chain through Abu Bakr; in India Ahmad Sirhindi (d. 1624 CE) led its Mujaddidi branch.

Many orders trace chains through Ali (often via al-Hasan al-Basri), a link hadith critics question. Both Deobandi and Barelvi scholars have Sufi affiliations, though they differ on practices.

Sources & explanation

۞ Qur'an

No specific verses cited for this node.

📜 Hadith verified on sunnah.com

  • Sahih al-Bukhari 50 Sahih

    Hadith of Jibril in Bukhari: Ihsan is 'to worship Allah as if you see Him; and if you do not see Him, He sees you'.

💬 Explanation Unverified

Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza's perspective

Methodological note (not a direct quote): Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza's widely known approach is to build narratives primarily on the Quran and Sahih Hadith, to set aside Israiliyat (Judeo-Christian lore absorbed into later tafsir) and weak or fabricated narrations, and to avoid sectarian framing. Applied to this node: Presented neutrally; evaluation of specific practices against the Quran and Sahih Hadith is unverified here.

Empires in their lifetime

  • Delhi Sultanate 1206 – 1526 CE
    The Chishti order spread widely in the subcontinent during the sultanate.
  • Ottoman Empire c. 1299 – 1922 CE
    Sufi orders such as the Mevlevi and Bektashi were prominent in Ottoman society.
  • Sokoto Caliphate 1804 – 1903 CE
    Usman dan Fodio was a member of the Qadiriyya order.

Further references

  • Historical consensus

Connections

Comes from

Linked with