14th Muharram: Birth of Maulana Shaykh Baha’uddin Shah Naqshband, 17th Grandshaykh of the Naqshbandi Golden Chain

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

The 14th of Muharram marks the blessed birth of Maulana Shaykh Baha’uddin Shah Naqshbandق.

Heق was the 17th Grandshaykh of the Naqshbandi Golden Chain.

Maulana Shaykh Baha’uddin Shah Naqshbandق is an Ocean of Knowledge without shore. Its waves are woven with pearls of Heavenly Wisdom. He cleansed humanity through his innocence and purity. He quenched the thirst of souls with the water of his spiritual support.

He uplifted hearts and caused them to soar in the sky of spirituality. He made kings stand humbly at his door. His guidance spread from North to South, from East to West. He left no soul without heavenly support, not even the wild animals of the forests.

He is the greatest Ghawth, the Arch-intercessor, the Sultan of Saints, the Necklace that holds the spiritual pearls bestowed on this world by the Divine Presence. Through the light of his guidance, Allah ﷻ caused the good to become excellent and transformed evil into goodness.

He is the Master of this Tariqah, the Shaykh of the Golden Chain, and the finest of those who carried the lineage of the Khwajagan.

He was born in the month of Muharram, in the year 717 Hijri (1317 CE), in the village of Qasr al-ʿArifan near Bukhara. Allah ﷻ granted him miraculous gifts even in his childhood. He first received instruction in the secret of the path from Sayyid Muhammad Baba as-Samasiق. He was then given full mastery and transmission of the Order by his Shaykh, Sayyid Amir al-Kulalق.

He was also Uwaysi in his connection to the Prophet ﷺ, as he was raised in the spiritual presence of Abdul Khaliq al-Ghujdawaniق, who preceded him by 200 years.

During the first seven years of his initiation into the Sufi path, Shah Naqshbandق lived a life defined by khidmah. He served the sick, the weak, injured animals, and even cleaned the streets. All of this was done to reach the state of ‘nothingness’, the complete opposite of pride and conceit.

Heق said,

“For a long time I worked on the road as my Master had commanded, fulfilling all services required from me. There came a point where, on seeing any creation of Allah ﷻ whatsoever, I would stand still where I was in humility and wait for it to walk past. This lasted seven years, and in return I was engulfed by such a spiritual mindset that I could feed their inner moans of anguish, pleading to the Lord ﷻ.”

Shah Naqshbandق’s state cannot be described and the extent of his knowledge is beyond expression. One of his greatest miracles was simply his existence. Though he often hid his actions and avoided outward displays of miraculous power, many of his miracles were recorded.

Shaykh ʿAli Damman, one of his close attendants, said, “The Shaykh once ordered me to dig his grave. When I finished, I wondered in my heart, ‘Who will be his successor?’ He lifted his head from the pillow and said, ‘O my son, do you not remember what I told you when we were on the way to the Hijaz? Whoever wishes to follow me must follow Shaykh Muhammad Parsaق and Shaykh Alauddin Attarق.’”

In his final days, he remained in his room. Pilgrims came to visit him and he gave each one the advice they needed. When his final illness came, he locked his door and continued receiving waves of followers. He eventually instructed them to recite Surah Ya Sin. When they completed it, he raised his hands in prayer to Allah ﷻ, then raised his right index finger and pronounced the Shahada. As soon as he finished, his soul returned to his Lord.

He passed away on the night of Monday, the 3rd of Rabiʿ al-Awwal, 791 Hijri (1388 CE). As he had requested, he was buried in his garden. The kings of Bukhara continued to care for his school and mosque, expanding and endowing them with generous Waqf support.

ʿAbdul Wahhab ash-Shaʿrani, the Qutb of his time, said, “When the Shaykh was buried, a window to Paradise was opened in his grave, and it became a garden from Heaven. Two beautiful spiritual beings entered his presence and greeted him, saying, ‘Since the moment Allah created us, we have waited to serve you.’ He replied, ‘I seek nothing but Him. I do not need you. I need only my Lord.’”

Shah Naqshbandق left behind many noble successors. The most distinguished were Shaykh Muhammad bin Muhammad Alauddin al-Khwarazmi al-Bukhari al-Attarق and Shaykh Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Mahmoud al-Hafiziق, known as Muhammad Parsaق, author of Risala Qudsiyya.

It is to the first that Shah Naqshbandق passed on the secret of the Golden Chain.

Barakah of Shah Naqshband’sق Du’a Tonight

Shah Naqshbandق made this du’a,
“O my Lord ﷻ, do not let any one who takes me as a guide and those who came after me or before me, exist without support from You ﷻ.”

All the angels of the skies said, “Ameen”.

Grandshaykhق said the barakah of that du’a appears four times a year, and its protection is sent to the followers of Shah Naqshbandق four times a year.

✅ One is the fourteenth of Muharram, Shah Bahauddin Naqshband’sق birthday;
✅ on the first day of Ramadhan,
✅ the fifteenth of Ramadhan,
✅ and Laylatul-Qadr (LLQ).

The 14th of Muharram falls on Tuesday, 8th July after Maghrib following Mawlanaق’s calendar.

The barakah of that du’a descends on this night, ask to be given a share of it.

Do send gifts of Surah Al-Fatiha and Yasin to our 17th Grandshaykh of the Golden Chain, Maulana Shaykh Baha’uddin Shah Naqshbandق.

With Love, Al-Fatiha.

To learn more about the month of Muharram and the day of Ashura, please click here.

Wassalam.