Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm
The 12th of Rabi’ al-Awwal marks the blessed Urs of Khwāja Abū Yaʿqūb Yūsuf al-Hamadaniق, the 9th Grandshaykh of the Naqshbandi Golden Chain. His blessed life was like a radiant lamp, casting light across the lands of Central Asia and beyond, guiding seekers to Allah ﷻ through deep wisdom, purity of heart, and the living inheritance of the Prophets.
Khwāja Abū Yaʿqūb Yūsuf al-Hamadaniق was born in the blessed city of Hamadan, a place whose soil had long been perfumed by the presence of Saints and scholars. Those who knew him as a child would later recall the serenity on his face, the quiet depth in his gaze, and the remarkable way he avoided anything that would distract from the Divine.
His early years were spent in the pursuit of knowledge, and Allah ﷻ opened for him both the outer and inner sciences. He mastered the Shariah under great scholars, but his soul yearned for the ocean beyond the shore.
It was this yearning that drew him into the company of the Saints. He traveled through many lands, seeking out the inheritors of the Prophetic light, until he came under the guidance of Khwaja Abu Ali al-Farmadiق, who was himself a fountain of both knowledge and deep spiritual reality.
Under his watchful care, Khwāja Abū Yaʿqūb Yūsuf al-Hamadaniق polished his heart until it shone like a mirror, free from the rust of the ego. The path was not without its struggles. As he would later tell his students, “The ego does not hand over its kingdom willingly. It must be conquered with patience, hunger, and remembrance.”
When Khwaja Abu Ali al-Farmadiق passed from this world, Khwāja Abū Yaʿqūb Yūsuf al-Hamadaniق inherited the trust of guiding seekers of the Naqshbandi Way. His journey took him far and wide, from Hamadan to Bukhara, from Samarqand to the villages of Khurasan.
Wherever he went, people were drawn to him as if pulled by a hidden rope of love. His gatherings were filled with the fragrance of dhikr, and his words would pierce the heart like arrows of light. One seeker described his Sohbah as, “a breeze from Paradise that carries away all heaviness from the soul.”
He was known not only for his deep spiritual insight but also for his strict adherence to the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ. His students would observe that he never let a single Sunnah pass him by, whether in prayer, in eating, in dressing, or in speaking.
He often reminded them, “The straight road to Allah ﷻ is the road of His Beloved ﷺ. Whoever leaves that road will not reach the destination.” His discipline was not harsh but full of mercy, for he knew that the heart blossoms under gentle rain more than under thunder.
Stories of his karamat spread across the lands. Once, during a harsh winter, a caravan of travelers found themselves stranded without food. They came to his Zawiyah, cold and desperate.
Without hesitation, Khwāja Abū Yaʿqūb Yūsuf al-Hamadaniق welcomed them, and though his place seemed to have little, food was prepared in abundance. The travelers later swore that the pot from which they were fed never emptied, no matter how many were served.
To him, this was no miracle to boast of, but the natural generosity of Allah ﷻ toward those who trust in Him ﷻ completely.
He placed great emphasis on the purification of intention. “Do not seek to be seen,” he told his mureeds, “for the gaze of people will not benefit you. Seek only to be seen by Allah ﷻ, for His ﷻ Gaze is life itself.” This teaching shaped the hearts of countless disciples, many of whom went on to become beacons of guidance in their own regions.
Toward the end of his life, Khwāja Abū Yaʿqūb Yūsuf al-Hamadaniق withdrew more into seclusion, yet his presence continued to be felt powerfully among his students. It is said that even when he was not physically among them, they would feel a sudden stillness and sweetness in their hearts, as if he were quietly making du’a for them from afar.
On the 12th of Rabi’ al-Awwal, his soul was called to the eternal presence of Allah ﷻ. It was a day of deep sorrow for his students, yet also a day of joy, for they knew their beloved Shaykh had returned to the company of the Prophets and the Awliya.
His blessed resting place became a source of barakah for generations, a place where the breeze of his prayers still seems to move through the hearts of visitors.
Khwāja Abū Yaʿqūb Yūsuf al-Hamadaniق left behind no worldly wealth, but he gave an inheritance far greater. He carried the living light of the Golden Chain, the fragrance of sincerity, and the sweetness of Divine love.
Through him the secret of the Naqshbandi Way was passed to the next successor, so that seekers in every generation could still drink from the same fountain of guidance that we turn to today.
His life reminds us that the true wealth in the sight of Allah ﷻ is not what we hold in our hands, but what we plant in the hearts of others.
May Allah ﷻ raise his station ever higher, and allow us to drink from the same cup of love that nourished his soul.
Al-Fatiha.
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