9
The Firdausi Order
The Origin of the Order
The Firdausi order traces its origins to Najmuddin Kubra (d 1221)
through his disciple, Saifuddin Sa’id Bakharzi (d. 1260). Najmuddin Kubra’s
pirs
(spiritual mentors) were all either companions or disciples of Abu Najib
Suhrawardi (d. 1168), the spiritual founder of the Suhrawardi
silsila
and for
this reason the Kubrawiya and the Firdausiya are considered to be collateral
lines of the Suhrawardiya.
Najimuddin Kubra called his disciple Saifuddin Bakharzi, ‘The Shaykh of
Paradise’, and hence his spiritual lineage is known as Firdausi. Shaykh
NizamuddinAwliya narrates the story of Bakharzi’s conversion to Sufism. In
his youth Shaykh Bakharzi was opposed to Sufism, going to the extent of
condemning the Sufis publicly in his lectures. Once Shaykh Bakharzi was
delivering a lecture full of venom against Sufism, with Shaykh Najmuddin
Kubra part of the audience. He never even once contradicted the speaker
but while leaving the mosque, he asked, ‘Where is that Sufi?” meaning
Bakharzi.At this Barkhazi fell down at his feet and became his disciple.After
giving him spiritual training, Shaykh Najmuddin sent him to Bhukhara,
where he died in 1260.
However, before he died he sent one of his disciples, Khwaja Badruddin
of Samarqand, to settle in Delhi and propagate the spiritual message in
India. He arrived in Delhi at a time when Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar
Kaki was already settled there. Khwaja Badruddin maintained good relations
