Nazim Al-Haqqani
Encyclopedia
Mehmet Nâzım Adil complete Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Qubrusi al-Haqqani, best known as Shaykh Nazim, is a Turkish Cypriot Sufi and leader of the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Order.
Born in Larnaca
, Cyprus, Nazim traces his lineage back to the 11th-century Sufi Saint Abdul Qadir Jilani and 13th-century mystical poet Jalaluddin Rumi. His maternal and paternal grandfathers were sheikh
s in the Qadiri and Mevlevi
orders, respectively. As a child, the young Nazim showed a propensity towards spirituality that would determine his future. His father sent him to school to study secular knowledge during the day, followed by the evening in which he studied Islam
at the local maktab. This is where he would learn the basics of Islamic law
, jurisprudence
, the hadith
and Qur'anic exegesis.
, where two brothers and a sister were living. He studied chemical engineering at Istanbul University
. While advancing in his non-religious studies, Nazim continued his education in Islamic theology
and the Arabic language under the tutelage of Cemalettin Elassonli (d. 1955 CE). Nazim received a degree in chemical engineering, yet he would later state, "I felt no attraction to modern science. Rather, my heart was always drawn to the spiritual sciences." He later came to master not only his native tongue Turkish
, but Arabic, English
, and Greek
as well.
At some point during his first year of life in Istanbul, Nazim met his first spiritual guide, Suleyman Erzurumi (d. 1948), who was a murshid
in the Naqshbandi
Order.
Nazim attended the gatherings of this particular shaykh which were held in the Sultan Ahmed Mosque
. Here he learned the basic spiritual methods of the Naqshbandi Order, in addition to those of the Qadiri and the Mevlevi
. His focus on spirituality was further reinforced by the unexpected death of an elder brother who died serving as a doctor in World War II
. Shortly after obtaining his degree, Nazim received inspiration to go to Damascus in order to find the famed Naqshbandi master, Abdullah al-Fa'izi ad-Daghestani
. He obtained permission from Shaykh Erzurumi to leave Istanbul and in 1944 he arrived in Syria, although the unrest caused by the Vichy French
government prevented his entry into Damascus until 1945. Upon meeting with the master, whose tekke is located on the slopes of the Jabal Qasyoun, Nazim took his hand in bay'ah
, or initiation.
Shortly thereafter Abdullah Daghestani ordered Nazim to return to his native Cyprus
to deliver spiritual guidance. Abdullah also reportedly conferred the title of "Shaykh" to Nazim, thus giving him the legitimacy to speak on behalf of the Naqshbandi Order.
While in Cyprus, Nazim came into conflict with pro-Atatürk governing body of the Turkish community of the island. His repeated act of making the adhan
in Arabic rather than the prescribed Turkish brought several lawsuits against him and there were some 114 cases lodged against him for crimes against the secular order. Nevertheless all these were dropped shortly thereafter with the coming to power of Adnan Menderes
in Turkey, whose government opted for a more tolerant approach to Islamic traditions.
Nazim moved back to Damascus
in 1952, when he was wed to the daughter of one of the murid
s of Abdullah Daghestani, Amina Adil, whose family came to settle in Syria
after fleeing Soviet rule of their native Kazan
. From that time, Nazim took up residence in Damascus
, and every year he would visit Cyprus for at least three months. The couple have two daughters and two sons.
in 1973, Nazim began visiting Western Europe, travelling every year from the Middle East to London. On his return trips to Damascus, he would often drive by car through the former Yugoslavia
, spending time visiting the Muslim communities there. It became his practice to spend the month of Ramadan
in the large centre established in London. In 2000 this practice was discontinued.
In 1997, Nazim visited Daghestan, the homeland of his murshid, Abdullah Fa'izi ad-Daghestani
. He also made repeated visits to Uzbekistan
were he made the pilgrimage to the tomb of the eponymous founder of the Naqshbandi Order, Shah Baha'uddin Naqshband
.
In 1991, Nazim visited the United States for the first time. At that time Nazim made the first of four nationwide tours, during the course of which he brought several hundred individuals into the fold of Islam.
In 1996, Nazim was guest of honour at the First International Islamic Unity Conference. Over 8,000 people attended this conference, which included major Islamic scholars from around the world and whose theme focused on Islamic spirituality. While in the United States, Nazim gave widely attended speeches and associations and dhikr
gatherings in a number of venues, including churches, temples, universities, mosques and New Age centres.
In 1998, Nazim was again chief guest of honour at the Second International Islamic Unity Conference
, held in Washington DC. Attended by over 6000 people, the highlight of this conference was the ringing denunciation of terrorism by Nazim to the 160 Islamic scholars and VIPs from around the world, including the current Grand Mufti
of Egypt, Grand Muftis of Russia and neighbouring nations and dignitaries from Malaysia, Indonesia
, the Middle East and Africa.
Later in 1998, Nazim traveled to South Africa, accompanied by a large contingent of students from around the globe. There he visited Cape Town
, Johannesburg
and Durban
, in each city giving lectures in mosques filled to capacity.
In 2001, Nazim, made the 2001 "Naqshbandi-Haqqani Eastern World Tour of the Muslim World", starting in Uzbekistan
, from where he then travelled to Japan
, Singapore
, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka
and Pakistan. In the course of this journey, Nazim met with people of all walks of life, from the highest dignitaries and leaders to the common folk. The Shaykh, despite his advanced age, was able to maintain an incredibly hectic schedule of meetings, speeches, dhikr gatherings and spiritual gatherings with little or no rest for a period of forty days and covering a distance of over 15,000 miles.
Nazim made his last trip to the United States in 2000, during which he was invited to speak at a United Nations conference on Religion and Spirituality.
Nazim has had close relations with several notable politicians, notably the late president of Turkey, Turgut Ozal
, as well as the ex Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktaş
. During his travels in Southeast Asia he gave his spiritual blessings to His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
of Brunei. His Highness Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X
of Yogyakarta and several members of Malaysia's royal families, including His Highness Prince Raja Dato' Seri Ashman Shah have taken initiation into the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Order at his hand. He also traveled on numerous occasions to India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka where he has been received with great fanfare. In the late 1990s he visited South Africa where he established contacts with the Sunni Muslim community. Nazim has made the pilgrimage to Mecca
(hajj
) some 27 times.
Nazim rarely travels abroad nowadays. As of 2010 he mainly resides in his family home and spiritual dergah
in the town of Lefke
, Northern Cyprus, where he is still visited by hundreds of murids each week.
A website which is authorized by and dedicated to Maulana Nazim is Sufilive.com. In 2010 his own official online journal Saltanat.org went online. It provides articles written by him and broadcasts his lectures via livestream. For a comprehensive account of the teachings of Sheikh Nazim, a website approved and authorized by Sheikh Nazim, which is also often referred to as the Sheikh Nazim Website is also online. See http://sheiknazim.ws. This website has the distinction of being the first website through which ONLINE BAYYATH was given on the specific instructions of Sheikh Nazim.
Nazim and his organisations are not connected to the Haqqani network
that is active in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Saltanat, as a subject, is led by Sheikh Nazim Al-Haqqani Saltanat of the Naqshbandi
Golden Chain Sufi Order but was also supported by previous Sultans of the Ottoman Empire. Saltanat is different from Sultanate. According to an authorized deputy of Nazim, "The ministers of the Sultanate are kings, and the Ministers of the Saltanat are the Awliya...Saltanat, not Sultanate, is correctly defined as the Islamic doctrine of Imamate"
Born in Larnaca
Larnaca
Larnaca, is the third largest city on the southern coast of Cyprus after Nicosia and Limassol. It has a population of 72,000 and is the island's second largest commercial port and an important tourist resort...
, Cyprus, Nazim traces his lineage back to the 11th-century Sufi Saint Abdul Qadir Jilani and 13th-century mystical poet Jalaluddin Rumi. His maternal and paternal grandfathers were sheikh
Sheikh
Not to be confused with sikhSheikh — also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, or transliterated as Shaykh — is an honorific in the Arabic language that literally means "elder" and carries the meaning "leader and/or governor"...
s in the Qadiri and Mevlevi
Mevlevi
The Mevlevi Order, or the Mevlevilik or Mevleviye are a Sufi order founded in Konya by the followers of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi-Rumi, a 13th century Persian poet, Islamic jurist, and theologian. They are also known as the Whirling Dervishes due to their famous practice of whirling as a form...
orders, respectively. As a child, the young Nazim showed a propensity towards spirituality that would determine his future. His father sent him to school to study secular knowledge during the day, followed by the evening in which he studied Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
at the local maktab. This is where he would learn the basics of Islamic law
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
, jurisprudence
Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
, the hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
and Qur'anic exegesis.
Biography
At a very young age, Nazim displayed unexplained talents in the form of explaining to his teachers what they were going to teach before it was introduced. After completing secondary school in 1940, at the age of 18 Nazim moved to IstanbulIstanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, where two brothers and a sister were living. He studied chemical engineering at Istanbul University
Istanbul University
Istanbul University is a Turkish university located in Istanbul. The main campus is adjacent to Beyazıt Square.- Synopsis :A madrasa, a religious school, was established sometime in the 15th century after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. An institution of higher education named the...
. While advancing in his non-religious studies, Nazim continued his education in Islamic theology
Islamic theology
Islamic theology is a branch of Islamic studies regarding the beliefs associated with the Islamic faith. Any religious belief system, or creed, can be considered an example of aqidah. However, this term has taken a significant technical usage in Islamic history and theology, denoting those...
and the Arabic language under the tutelage of Cemalettin Elassonli (d. 1955 CE). Nazim received a degree in chemical engineering, yet he would later state, "I felt no attraction to modern science. Rather, my heart was always drawn to the spiritual sciences." He later came to master not only his native tongue Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
, but Arabic, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, and Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
as well.
At some point during his first year of life in Istanbul, Nazim met his first spiritual guide, Suleyman Erzurumi (d. 1948), who was a murshid
Murshid
Murshid is Arabic for "guide" or "teacher". Particularly in Sufism it refers to a Sufi teacher. The term is used by other branches of Islam as well, e.g. by the Nizaris, the main school of Ismā‘īlī Shiites....
in the Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi is one of the major Sufi spiritual orders of Sufi Islam. It is considered to be a "Potent" order.The Naqshbandi order is over 1,300 years old, and is active today...
Order.
Nazim attended the gatherings of this particular shaykh which were held in the Sultan Ahmed Mosque
Sultan Ahmed Mosque
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is a historical mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire . The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior....
. Here he learned the basic spiritual methods of the Naqshbandi Order, in addition to those of the Qadiri and the Mevlevi
Mevlevi
The Mevlevi Order, or the Mevlevilik or Mevleviye are a Sufi order founded in Konya by the followers of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi-Rumi, a 13th century Persian poet, Islamic jurist, and theologian. They are also known as the Whirling Dervishes due to their famous practice of whirling as a form...
. His focus on spirituality was further reinforced by the unexpected death of an elder brother who died serving as a doctor in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Shortly after obtaining his degree, Nazim received inspiration to go to Damascus in order to find the famed Naqshbandi master, Abdullah al-Fa'izi ad-Daghestani
Abdullah Fa'izi ad-Daghestani
Abdullah Fa'izi ad-Daghestani Shaykh of the Naqshbandi Haqqani Sufi order. He was born in the Caucasian region of Daghestan in 1891. He had never received Sufi ijazah, and he is not recognized as Sufi Shaykh in Dagestan...
. He obtained permission from Shaykh Erzurumi to leave Istanbul and in 1944 he arrived in Syria, although the unrest caused by the Vichy French
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
government prevented his entry into Damascus until 1945. Upon meeting with the master, whose tekke is located on the slopes of the Jabal Qasyoun, Nazim took his hand in bay'ah
Bay'ah
Bay'ah , in Islamic terminology, is an oath of allegiance to a leader. It is known to have been practiced by the Islamic prophet Muhammad...
, or initiation.
Shortly thereafter Abdullah Daghestani ordered Nazim to return to his native Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
to deliver spiritual guidance. Abdullah also reportedly conferred the title of "Shaykh" to Nazim, thus giving him the legitimacy to speak on behalf of the Naqshbandi Order.
While in Cyprus, Nazim came into conflict with pro-Atatürk governing body of the Turkish community of the island. His repeated act of making the adhan
Adhan
The adhān is the Islamic call to prayer, recited by the muezzin at prescribed times of the day. The root of the word is meaning "to permit"; another derivative of this word is , meaning "ear"....
in Arabic rather than the prescribed Turkish brought several lawsuits against him and there were some 114 cases lodged against him for crimes against the secular order. Nevertheless all these were dropped shortly thereafter with the coming to power of Adnan Menderes
Adnan Menderes
Adnan Menderes was the first democratically elected Turkish Prime Minister between 1950–1960. He was one of the founders of the Democratic Party in 1946, the fourth legal opposition party of Turkey. He was hanged by the military junta after the 1960 coup d'état, along with two other cabinet...
in Turkey, whose government opted for a more tolerant approach to Islamic traditions.
Nazim moved back to Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
in 1952, when he was wed to the daughter of one of the murid
Murid
Murid is a Sufi term meaning 'committed one' from the root meaning "willpower" or "self-esteem". It refers to a person who is committed to a Murshid in a Tariqa of Sufism. Also known as a Salik , a murid is an initiate into the mystic philosophy of Sufism. When the Talib makes a pledge to a...
s of Abdullah Daghestani, Amina Adil, whose family came to settle in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
after fleeing Soviet rule of their native Kazan
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
. From that time, Nazim took up residence in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, and every year he would visit Cyprus for at least three months. The couple have two daughters and two sons.
Worldwide mission work
In the year following the death of Abdullah Fa'izi ad-DaghestaniAbdullah Fa'izi ad-Daghestani
Abdullah Fa'izi ad-Daghestani Shaykh of the Naqshbandi Haqqani Sufi order. He was born in the Caucasian region of Daghestan in 1891. He had never received Sufi ijazah, and he is not recognized as Sufi Shaykh in Dagestan...
in 1973, Nazim began visiting Western Europe, travelling every year from the Middle East to London. On his return trips to Damascus, he would often drive by car through the former Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, spending time visiting the Muslim communities there. It became his practice to spend the month of Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
in the large centre established in London. In 2000 this practice was discontinued.
In 1997, Nazim visited Daghestan, the homeland of his murshid, Abdullah Fa'izi ad-Daghestani
Abdullah Fa'izi ad-Daghestani
Abdullah Fa'izi ad-Daghestani Shaykh of the Naqshbandi Haqqani Sufi order. He was born in the Caucasian region of Daghestan in 1891. He had never received Sufi ijazah, and he is not recognized as Sufi Shaykh in Dagestan...
. He also made repeated visits to Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
were he made the pilgrimage to the tomb of the eponymous founder of the Naqshbandi Order, Shah Baha'uddin Naqshband
Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari
Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari was the founder of what would become the Naqshbandi. He was born in Bukhara which is located in Uzbekistan...
.
In 1991, Nazim visited the United States for the first time. At that time Nazim made the first of four nationwide tours, during the course of which he brought several hundred individuals into the fold of Islam.
In 1996, Nazim was guest of honour at the First International Islamic Unity Conference. Over 8,000 people attended this conference, which included major Islamic scholars from around the world and whose theme focused on Islamic spirituality. While in the United States, Nazim gave widely attended speeches and associations and dhikr
Dhikr
Dhikr , plural ; ), is an Islamic devotional act, typically involving the repetition of the Names of God, supplications or formulas taken from hadith texts and verses of the Qur'an. Dhikr is usually done individually, but in some Sufi orders it is instituted as a ceremonial activity...
gatherings in a number of venues, including churches, temples, universities, mosques and New Age centres.
In 1998, Nazim was again chief guest of honour at the Second International Islamic Unity Conference
Second International Islamic Unity Conference
From August 2 through the 4th, 1996, some 7,000 attendees and over 125 speakers from around the globe attended a three-day marathon of lectures, parallel workshop sessions, prayer, praise of Muhammad and Islamic social interaction...
, held in Washington DC. Attended by over 6000 people, the highlight of this conference was the ringing denunciation of terrorism by Nazim to the 160 Islamic scholars and VIPs from around the world, including the current Grand Mufti
Mufti
A mufti is a Sunni Islamic scholar who is an interpreter or expounder of Islamic law . In religious administrative terms, a mufti is roughly equivalent to a deacon to a Sunni population...
of Egypt, Grand Muftis of Russia and neighbouring nations and dignitaries from Malaysia, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, the Middle East and Africa.
Later in 1998, Nazim traveled to South Africa, accompanied by a large contingent of students from around the globe. There he visited Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
and Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, in each city giving lectures in mosques filled to capacity.
In 2001, Nazim, made the 2001 "Naqshbandi-Haqqani Eastern World Tour of the Muslim World", starting in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
, from where he then travelled to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and Pakistan. In the course of this journey, Nazim met with people of all walks of life, from the highest dignitaries and leaders to the common folk. The Shaykh, despite his advanced age, was able to maintain an incredibly hectic schedule of meetings, speeches, dhikr gatherings and spiritual gatherings with little or no rest for a period of forty days and covering a distance of over 15,000 miles.
Nazim made his last trip to the United States in 2000, during which he was invited to speak at a United Nations conference on Religion and Spirituality.
Turgut Özal
Halil Turgut Özal was Prime Minister of Turkey and President of Turkey . As Prime Minister, he transformed the economy of Turkey by paving the way for the privatization of many state enterprises.-Early life and career:...
, as well as the ex Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktaş
Rauf Denktas
Rauf Raif Denktaş is the founder and the first president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , a de facto state which is only recognized by Turkey...
. During his travels in Southeast Asia he gave his spiritual blessings to His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
Hassanal Bolkiah
General Haji Sir Hassan al-Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah GCB GCMG is the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, the 29th Sultan of Brunei and the first Prime Minister of Brunei Darussalam...
of Brunei. His Highness Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X
Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X
Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwana X is the current monarch of the historic Yogyakarta Sultanate in Indonesia, and is currently also the elected governor of the modern Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta Yogyakarta Special Region...
of Yogyakarta and several members of Malaysia's royal families, including His Highness Prince Raja Dato' Seri Ashman Shah have taken initiation into the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Order at his hand. He also traveled on numerous occasions to India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka where he has been received with great fanfare. In the late 1990s he visited South Africa where he established contacts with the Sunni Muslim community. Nazim has made the pilgrimage to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
(hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
) some 27 times.
Nazim rarely travels abroad nowadays. As of 2010 he mainly resides in his family home and spiritual dergah
Khanqah
A Khanqah, Khaniqah , ribat, zawiya, or tekke is a building designed specifically for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood, or tariqa, and is a place for spiritual retreat and character reformation...
in the town of Lefke
Lefke
Lefke may refer to two different Turkish cities;* It is the former name of Orhaneli, in Bursa Province* For the town in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, see Lefka...
, Northern Cyprus, where he is still visited by hundreds of murids each week.
A website which is authorized by and dedicated to Maulana Nazim is Sufilive.com. In 2010 his own official online journal Saltanat.org went online. It provides articles written by him and broadcasts his lectures via livestream. For a comprehensive account of the teachings of Sheikh Nazim, a website approved and authorized by Sheikh Nazim, which is also often referred to as the Sheikh Nazim Website is also online. See http://sheiknazim.ws. This website has the distinction of being the first website through which ONLINE BAYYATH was given on the specific instructions of Sheikh Nazim.
Nazim and his organisations are not connected to the Haqqani network
Haqqani network
The Haqqani Network is an insurgent group fighting against US-led NATO forces and the government of Afghanistan. Originating from Afghanistan during the mid-1970s, it was nurtured by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence during the 1980s Soviet war in...
that is active in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Visiting Nazim Al Haqqani
Hundreds of people (from varying faith traditions) visit Nazim each month at his home and derga in Lefke, Cyprus where followers from every country come to share in the blessings of this living Sufi Master. The derga is a unique environment that must be experienced to be understood. Jokingly referred to as a 'mental house,' as most aspirants are struggling to let go of something, Nazim, now almost ninety, still greets his visitors and allows time to meet with most persons coming to see him. Men may stay in the Derga and enjoy at least one meal a day and women stay in the ladies guest house within walking distance and are permitted access to Nazim's home during part of the day. Many other accommodations run by his followers are available for people to stay if wishing for a more comfortable environment. Information about most places to stay can be found at Where to stay in Lefke.Saltanat
Saltanat is a life system to provide a safe way out for mankind. Saltanat addresses the situation humanity finds itself in. At the opposite end of the spectrum from Saltanat is Democracy. A system, some say, humiliates and oppresses mankind. Saltanat's aim is to bring humanity back to its honourable and lofty station.Saltanat, as a subject, is led by Sheikh Nazim Al-Haqqani Saltanat of the Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi is one of the major Sufi spiritual orders of Sufi Islam. It is considered to be a "Potent" order.The Naqshbandi order is over 1,300 years old, and is active today...
Golden Chain Sufi Order but was also supported by previous Sultans of the Ottoman Empire. Saltanat is different from Sultanate. According to an authorized deputy of Nazim, "The ministers of the Sultanate are kings, and the Ministers of the Saltanat are the Awliya...Saltanat, not Sultanate, is correctly defined as the Islamic doctrine of Imamate"
The Spiritual Ranks Of Sheikh Nazim
For information on the Spiritual Ranks of Moulana Sheikh Nazim one can read "HAQIQAT UL HAQQANI" written by one of Moulana Sheikh Nazim's most trusted Khaliphas, Sheikh Adnan Kabbani. The Concept of Sultan ul Awliya, the Power of the Naqshbandi Tariqa, the Spiritual Grants given to Sheikh Nazim by Allah Almighty,the Quality of Awliya and the Miracle of Miracles are some of the topics that are dealt with in this wonderful book. Sheikh Nazim has also endorsed and approved this book. See the link http://www.sheiknazim2.com/haqiqat.html may allah give him long life and good health and may be alive in the time of iman mahdi alay salamExternal links
- BeRabbani.com - Lefke International Rabbani Association - english and turkish 3000 sohbet lectures audios in MP3 of Sheikh Nazim since 1980-2010. All about Sheikh Nazim and his son and full successor Sheikh Mehmet Sultan. And much more...
- Saltanat - Official Journal of the Naqshbandi Order
- Sheik Nazim
- Sufi Live
- Naqshbandi in America
- Al Sunnah Foundation of Canada (ASFC)
- Saltanat definition according to Sheikh Nazim
- Sheikh Nazim's Saltanat Talks
- Visiting Sheikh Nazim
- Naqshbandi Sufis in North America: Going Back to Divine Presence
- Haqiqat ul Haqqani