Sofia Noorbakshia Youth Federation Ladakh (S.N.Y.F.L)
Sufia Nurbakhshia
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Sufia Nurbakhshiya also written as Sufia
Noorbakhshiya , is an Islamic sect. The followers of
this sect are called Nurbakhshis .
Doctrine
*******
The most important sources of Nurbakhshi
doctrines are two books: the "al-Fiqh al-Ahwat", or
all-encompassing jurisprudence, and the "Kitab al-
Aitiqadia," meaning book of Faith or doctrines. Both
of these books are written by Mir Syed Muhammad Nurbakhsh Qahistani, the founderof Sufia
Nurbakhshiya school of thought of Islam.
History
******
Nurbakhshiya emerged in 15th century Iran , Central
Asia , Kashmir , Baltistan and Ladakh as a branch of the Kubravia Sufi order.
It was in the valley of Kashmir , Ladakh and in
Baltistan where the Nurbakhshiya gained
theirgreatest prominence in the early 16th
century.This was due to the missionary efforts of
Mir Shamud-Din Iraqi, himself a disciple of Sayyid Muhammad Nurbkhsh's son and spiritual heir,Shah
Qasim Faizbakhsh.
In its country of origin, Iran, the order
became outright Shi'a some decades after the
Safavid dynasty made twelver Shi'ism the religion
of the state in 1501, and the same happened in Kashmir, either during the life time of Shams ud-Din
Iraqi, who died in 1527, or in the following decades
during the the brief interlude of the Chak dynasty's
reign.But in Baltistan , Drass and Nubra Valleys of
Ladakh the Nurbakhshiya has survived until this day
as a sect with doctrines of its own, combining elements of both Shi'ism and Sunni
Islam..Ghousulal-Mutakharin Sayyid al Arifin Mir
Sayyid Muhammad Nurbakhsh was the 9th century
missionary Sufi master on whom the researchers
have paid less attention. That is why we could not
trace a detailed biography on his life. Although Nurbakhsh had many scholar-disciples including
Assiri lahiji, but non of his disciples made any
serious effort to write Nurbakhsh's biography and to
preserve his teachings. However it is a wonderful
miracle that hundreds of thousand of his followers
are still present in a very far-flung and the most backward areas of Islamic Republic of Pakistan and
some thousands in Drass and Nubra Valleys of
Ladakh and Ambadi Dehra-Dun (Uttranchal) in India
who are practicising his teachings in in its entirety
and who are the custodians of his works and
teachings even these days when five centuries have been passed after Nurbakhsh.
Nurbakhsh's Genealogy *******************
Silsila Dhahab meaning the golden chain starts
from the Muhammad . The genealogy as given by
Nurbakhsh himself in his works is as follows:
1.Hazrat Muhammad(saw)
2. Hazrat Ali Ibn Abi Tal;ib(as)
3. Hazrat Imam Hassan(as)
4. Hazrat Imam Hussain(as)
5. Hazrat Imam Ali Zain-Ul-Abideen(as)
6. Hazrat Imam Muhammad Baqir(as)
7. Hazrat Imam Jafar Al-Sadiq(as)
8. Hazrat Imam Musa Kazim(as)
9. Hazrat Imam Ali Raza(as)
10. Hazart Shayk Maruf al Kurkhi(ar)
11. Hazart Shaykh Sari as-Saqti(ar)
12. Hazart Shaykh Junayd Baghdadi(ar)
13. Hazart Shaykh Abu ali al Rudbarai(ar)
14. Hazrat Sheikh Abu Ali Katibi(ar)
15. Hazart Shaykh Abu Usman Maghribi(ar)
16. Hazart Shaykh Abu al-Jurjani(ar)
17. Hazart Shaykh Abu Bakr Annasaji(ar)
18. Hazart Shaykh Ahmed Ghazali(ar)
19. Hazrat Shaykh abu Najeeb al-suharwardi(ar)
20. Hazrat Shaykh ammaar yasir al-Badeesi(ar)
21. Hazrat Shaykh al-Najm-ud-din al–kubra(ar)
22. Hazrat Shaykh Ali al-Lala(ar)
23. Hazrat Shaykh Ahmed zakir al Jurjani(ar)
24. Hazrat Shaykh Abud al- Rahman Asfariyeni(ar)
25. Hazrat Shaykh Alla al-Dula as-Samnani(ar)
26. Hazrat Shaykh Mehmood al Muzdiqani(ar)
27. Hazrat Shaykh Amir al-kabir sayyid Ali Hamadani
(ar)
28. Hazrat Khawaja Ishaq al –Khutalni(ar)
29. Hazrat Mir Sayyid Muhammad Nurbakhsh al- Qahistani(ar)
The fact that these practices are not an assemblage
of his personal view but the practices were
originally conceived to him from Muhammad
through the masters of the spiritual chain. If any
reader feels doubt in this connection, we would invite them to travel on the long road through the
history of mysticism and to compare it with that of
Nurbakhsh’s teachings. The research it self will tell
you the fact.
Beliefs
******
The Noorbakshis like other Muslims
believe and have faith in ALLAH(SWT),
The Angels, the Holy Books revealed
by Allah(SWT)(Taur ah, Engeel, Zabur and Qura'an), the holy Prophets of Islam
(1,24,000) , and the Dooms Day.
The Noorbakshis also believe that
Hazrat Muhammad(SAW) is the last
and final messenger of Islam
(Khatimul Anbiya) and also that Imam Mehdi(AS) is in occultation and will come
and remove injustice and
fight against the oppressors of islam
and will spread Islam all around the
world. The Noorbakshis have due
respect and reverence to all the progeny of the holy prophet (Ahlul bait), the 12
Imams and his
companions (Sahaba). According to
Noorbaskshi teachings Hazrat Ali(AS)
is the Aadamul-aolia, the supreme
wali, the first Imam and the deputy (wasi) of the holy prophet(SAW) who also resumed
the office of the
guided caliphate as the fourth caliph.
Religious Practices
***************
In routine religious practices after performing obligatory and regular
prayers and fasting, Aura'ad/
Taqeebat, Nawafil, zikir and Aetiqaaf are still the
salient features of the
Noorbakshi practitioners.
Notes and References ******************
1. Kitab ul Aetiqadia by Shah Syed Muhammad
Nurbaksh(ar)
2. Dawat e Sufia
3. Tohfat ul Ahbaab by Muhammad Ali Kashmiri
4.Reick Andreas: "The Nurbakhshis of Baltistan- Revival of the Oldest Muslim Community in the
Northern Areas of Pakistan", Paper read at the
International Confernce "Karakurum-Hima laya-
Hindukush- Dynamics of Change", Islamabad,
national Library, 29.9-2.10.1995 and published in
The Monthly Nawa-i-sufia Islamabad, Issue No. 28, march, 1997.
5. Dr. Naeem, G: "Mir Sayyid Muhammad Nurbakhsh
and Nurbakhshiya Sect", "Shah-e-Hamadan
Publications, Islamabad, Pakistan, 2000"
6. Balghari S.H."Shah Syed Muhammad Nurbakhsh
Qahistani","Mon thly Nawa-i-Sufia Islamabad",Issu e No.28., 1996/>.
