~SHIJRA SHARÏF~

شِجرا خاندان نقشبندی

Naqshbandi Spiritual Lineage1

Written by Maulâna Fazl Ahmad Khan Sâhib2

﷽

In the name of Allâh, the All Merciful, the Munificent

Footnotes
  1. This prayer, albeit a unique piece of its kind, may be regarded as an equivalent of the Khatme Khwâjagân practice of other Sufi tariqas wherein the names of the Masters of the lineage are called out chronologically, preceded and interspersed by invocations to God and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This prayer was handed down to disciples to be recited individually and silently within the heart, in keeping with the Naqshbandiyya-Mujaddidiyya tariqa in which all practices are performed in silence.
  2. This prayer was composed in August 1887 by Maulâna Shah Fazl Ahmad Khan, also known as Hujûr Maharâj Sâhib. He wrote the first thirty-three verses of this prayer. He was born in Raipur, Uttar Pradesh, India, in 1837. He joined the Naqshbandi Sufi Order in 1856 under the tutelage of his Shaykh, Ahmad Ali Khan Sahib. Master Hujûr Maharâj Sâhib was the first within this particular Sufi Order to share its teachings to non-Muslims, predominantly amongst the Hindu community, according to a pre-ordained instruction given to him by his shaykh.
  3. The word imaan, translated sometimes as belief, also encompasses other aspects of faith such as inner trust, dependence upon God, spiritual practice, charity, and morality. It is said that God Himself grants the light of faith to the believer.
  4. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was referred to by many names, one of which, Mustafa, means “beloved” (of Allâh). The name Muhammad, given to him by his paternal grandfather Abd-al-Muttalib, means “praiseworthy”.
  5. In the original text the words marde khudaa are used which ordinarily means “man of God” but here refers to a state where only God exists such is the state of self-denial.
  6. The following saying is attributed to Abul Hassan Ali Al-Kharaqâni, “I feel, I hear, I speak, but I do not exist”.
  7. Khwâja means Master or Shaykh and now commonly used to refer to the Central Asian Sufi Masters (or Khwâjagân). Khwâja Ârif Riwgâri is the first Master to have been referred to in this way.
  8. From accounts Khwâja al-Faghnâwi was known for the clarity of his certainty and faith, which is expressed here metaphorically. The seeker is indirectly asking God’s help in purifying them through the intercession of one of His servants.
  9. In Islam it is understood that after death, on the Day of Resurrection, also referred to as the Judgment Day or the Last Day (when the souls will be returned to the body), there is a bridge that must be successfully crossed in order to enter Paradise. This bridge is said to be thinner than a strand of hair and sharper than the sharpest knife and tests the degree of faith and belief. The Sufi Path has also sometimes been described in this way.
  10. In the Qur’an (50:16), God’s proximity to His servant is described thus: “He is closer to you than your very neck vein.” Neck vein refers to the jugular vein.
  11. The Prophet (pbuh) is quoted as saying about Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi that “by his intercession many of his people will be saved”. In the original text Shaykh Ahmad is given the title ghawth-ul-adham, which means “the greatest helper”.
  12. In the closing verse Master Hujûr Maharâj Sâhib refers to himself in the third person. He was a writer and poet, and used the pen name Majruuh. There may also be an intended play on words here (though it cannot be verified), rûh meaning “soul”.