Do Sufi Tariqas Have Legitimate Chains to the Prophet?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
I have heard from a scholar that Sufi Tariqas such as the Qadiri and Shadhili tariqas have legitimate chains going back to their founders, in these cases Shaykh Abdul Qadir al Jilani and Imam Abul Hasan ash Shadhili. But, beyond that, the chains were invented in order to give legitimacy to the tariqas because other Islamic Sciences had such chains.
Thus, it is said, that there is no narration to prove that Hasan al Basri took from Imam Ali, and so on until it reached Shaykh Abdul Qadir al Jillani. How would these tariqa chains be proven until the point of Shaykh Abdul Qadir al Jilani?
Answer
Thank you for your question. See the following about Hasan al-Basri.
“Hasan has been described as “an outstanding intermediary figure” in Sufi history, for although “he grew up in the apostolic age [the age of the ṣaḥābah], “the nature of the mystical body in early Islam had changed “by the time of his own death at the age of 86,” by which point “the mystics of Islam had become a distinct class.”According to traditional Sunni mystical works, Hasan learnt a great deal of his inward knowledge from Ali, which is why “many of the Sufi orders trace their spiritual descent back to ‘Ali, and thus to the Prophet” through Hasan. [Martin Lings (Abu Bakr Siraj ad-Din), What is Sufism? (Lahore: Suhail Academy, 1975)]
Hasan, revered for his austerity and support for “renunciation” (zuhd), preached against worldliness and materialism during the early days of the Umayyad Caliphate, with his passionate sermons casting a “deep impression on his contemporaries.” His close relationships with several of the most prominent companions of the Prophet Muhammad only strengthened his standing as a teacher and scholar of the Islamic sciences. The particular disciplines in which he is said to have excelled included exegesis (tafsīr) of the Quran, whence his “name is invariably encountered in” classical and medieval commentaries on the scripture, as well as theology and mysticism. Regarding the last of these, it is important to note that Hasan became a tremendously important figure in the development of Sufism with his name occurring “in many mystical silsilas (chains of teachers and their disciples) going back to Muḥammad” in the writings of Sunni mystics from the ninth-century onwards. In the words of one scholar, Hasan stands as the “great patriarch” of early Sufism.“
[Ritter, H., “Ḥasan al-Baṣrī”, in: Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs. Brill Online]
[S. H. Nasr, The Garden of Truth: The Vision and Promise of Sufism, Islam’s Mystical Tradition (San Francisco: HarperOne, 2008)]
Sheikh Nuh Keller says, in his article, The Place of Tasawwuf in Traditional Islamic Sciences,
“And follow the path of him who turns unto Me” (Qur’an 31:15).
These verses indicate the teaching and transformative role of those who convey the Islamic revelation to Muslims, and the choice of the word ittiba‘ in the second verse, which is more general, implies both keeping the company of and following the example of a teacher. This is why in the history of Tasawwuf, we find that though there were many methods and schools of thought, these two things never changed: keeping the company of a teacher, and following his example—in exactly the same way that the Sahaba were uplifted and purified by keeping the company of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and following his example.
And this is why the discipline of Tasawwuf has been preserved and transmitted by Tariqas or groups of students under a particular master. First, because this was the sunna of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in his purifying function described by the Qur’an. Secondly, Islamic knowledge has never been transmitted by writings alone, but rather from ‘ulama to students. Thirdly, the nature of the knowledge in question is of hal or ‘state of being,’ not just knowing, and hence requires it be taken from a succession of living masters back to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), for the sheer range and number of the states of heart required by the revelation effectively make imitation of the personal example of a teacher the only effective means of transmission.
The Place of Tasawwuf in Traditional Islamic Sciences
It is widely accepted that Hasan al Basri had learned about Tasawwuf from `Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah illuminate his countenance, and it is also widely accepted that Hasan continued to train his students in mysticism, asceticism, and otherworldliness, being a role model himself. The subsequent passing on of knowledge and ijaza between teacher and student was largely oral.
“An ijazah (Arabic: الإِجازَة, “permission”, “authorization”, “license”) is a license authorizing its holder to transmit a certain text or subject, which is issued by someone already possessing such authority. It is particularly associated with transmission of Islamic religious knowledge. The license usually implies that the student has acquired this knowledge from the issuer of the ijaza through first-hand oral instruction. [Encyclopaedia of Islam (2nd ed.). Brill.]
The chains of transmission between teacher and student all the way back to the Prophet Muhammad, are not made up but have been honored and revered for centuries. I pray that the above helps or at least points you in the right direction. Please see the Sheikh Nuh Keller’s article above in full.
What Are the Conditions for a True Spiritual Guide?
What Is the Benefit of Reciting the Chain of Transmission of a Sufi Tariqa?
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied Aqidah, Fiqh, Tajweed, Tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied Fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
