class to be committed to observing the law in this regard. He therefore
usually refrained from mixing with them or having food with them.
The Pioneers of the Order
The order into which Bahauddin Naqshbandi was initiated, and which
he was to reorganize to become one of the most popular orders of the day
was known as
silsila-i
-
khwajgan
. It traced its origins to the first caliph, Abu
Bakr, and another senior companion of the Prophet, Salman Farsi. It was
founded by Khwaja AbuYaqubYusuf al-Hamadani (d. 1140), who studied in
Baghdad and went on to live in Herat and Marw, where he died. Of his
disciples four are known by name: Khwaja Abdullah Barqi, Khwaja Hasan
Andaqi, Khwaja Ahmad Yiswi, and Khwaja Abd al Khaliq Ghujdawani.
Khwaja Abdul Khaliq bin Abul Jamil (d. 1179), who came from
Ghujduwan near Bhukhara, was the true originator of the features unique
to the
silsila
. He wrote in Persian, both poetry and prose, and is credited
with having written a number of treatises defining his views of the Sufi
way. Of these the most famous are:
Risala-i-Tariqat
(‘Treatise on the Spiritual
Path’),
Nasihat-namah
(‘Treatise of Advice’) and
Risala-i Sahibiyyah
(‘The
SahibiyyaTreatise’). Most of his works did not survive but his teachings are
accessible in a later work,
Rashahat-i ‘Ainul Hayat
(‘Tricklings from the
Fountain of Life’) by Fakhruddin Husain Kashfi (d. 1516), a brother-in-law
of Jami. This work dates back to 1504 and is a mine of fairly reliable
information on the Naqshbandis. Bahauddin’s spiritual will (
Nasihat-namah
),
which is contained therein, gives the following instructions to his disciples:
‘Familiarize yourselves with Islamic jurisprudence (
fiqh
) and the
traditions of the Prophet (
hadith
). Do not consort with mystics who are
illiterate. Say your prayers in congregation. Do not crave renown. Reject
