Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm
(Select your preferred language by clicking the top right of this page.)
The 27th Jumada al-Awwal marks the blessed Urs of Mawlana Shaykh Sharafuddin ad-Daghestaniق, the 38th Grandshaykh of the Naqshbandi Golden Chain, and the beloved teacher of Mawlana Shaykh Abdullah al-Fa’iz ad-Daghestaniق.
Mawlana Shaykh Sharafuddin ad-Daghestaniق was a saint whose life unfolded during a time of great difficulty, when religion was banned and spirituality had nearly disappeared. He was born in the village of Kikunu in Daghestan on the third of Dhul Qi’da 1292 AH, corresponding to December 1875 CE.
His noble lineage traces directly to the Holy Prophet ﷺ through the blessed ancestry of the Companion Miqdad ibn al Aswadر. His father was a man of integrity and light, and his mother was known for her purity and fear of Allah ﷻ.
From his earliest days, his life was surrounded by miraculous signs. While his mother nursed him, he would recite la ilaha illallah, his tiny lips moving in remembrance. Whenever she held him, his right index finger would be raised in the position of tawhid, drawing women from across the district to witness this wonder.
Even as a child, he could hear the dhikr of trees, stones, mountains, animals, and birds, sensing the life and remembrance within all creation.
His spiritual upbringing was nurtured by his uncle and future father-in-law, the 37th Grandshaykh of the Golden Chain, Shaykh Abu Muhammad al-Madaniق, and his master, the 36th Grandshaykh of the Golden Chain, Shaykh Abu Ahmad as-Sughuriق.
From a young age, Shaykh Sharafuddinق would attend their gatherings and grasp their teachings with a depth far beyond his years. His soul was already awakened, ready for the lights descending upon him.
One day, when he was seven, he asked his mother for the newborn calf of the family’s ox. She told him she would give it to him only if it was male. The young Shaykh Sharafuddinق replied gently, saying that it would indeed be male and that he had already seen what was in its womb. It happened exactly as he said.
He sold the calf and bought two sheep to offer as a gift to his Shaykh, but they escaped along the way. Saddened, the young Shaykh Sharafuddinق reached his Shaykh’s house, and at that moment a shepherd arrived, saying he found two sheep wandering among his flock. They were the same two sheep.
His Shaykh smiled knowingly, for such incidents were only the beginning of the signs of greatness surrounding him.
Even in his youth, Shaykh Sharafuddinق lived in conscious awareness of Divine Presence. When collecting firewood with his friends, he would never cut from living trees, taking only fallen branches. His father, concerned, complained to Shaykh Abu Ahmad as-Sughuriق, who asked the boy why he acted this way.
Shaykh Sharafuddinق replied, “How can I cut the green tree when it is making dhikr of la ilaha illallah? I prefer to gather the dead branches, not burn the branches that are making dhikr.”
His childhood unfolded in an era of hardship as Russian oppression intensified in Daghestan. Eventually he and his family undertook a long and dangerous journey on foot through winter mountains, travelling at night and hiding by day.
After months of hardship, they reached Turkey, settling first in Bursa, then in Yalova, and finally in the village of Rashadiya, where his uncle had established a center for the Naqshbandi Order. Refugees from Daghestan gathered there, finding solace in the presence of the saints.
By this time, young Shaykh Sharafuddinق had already received the secret of the Naqshbandi Way from Shaykh Abu Ahmad as-Sughuriق.
Then in Rashadiya, he was trained further by his uncle, Shaykh Abu Muhammad al-Madaniق, who poured into him the lights of six Sufi Orders: Naqshbandi, Qadiri, Rifai, Shadhili, Chishti, and Khalwati.
By the age of twenty-seven, Shaykh Sharafuddinق had become a Master in all six Sufi Orders, a rare and distinguished station.
He then helped his uncle establish a madrasah and build the village’s first mosques and khaniqah. His uncle welcomed all immigrants escaping tyranny, while students from across Turkey flocked to study under him.
As the village and surrounding areas grew, Shaykh Sharafuddinق became highly respected, more so after marrying his uncle’s daughter. Stories of his miraculous powers spread throughout Turkey, and scholars sought his guidance, drawn by his knowledge of both the exoteric and esoteric dimensions of religion.
Shaykh Sharafuddinق undertook long periods of seclusion. One seclusion in Daghestan lasted three years. Others took place in the mountains of Rashadiya, where he would remain in retreat for months.
One day, during a six-month seclusion, as he was about to go into prostration, he found a large snake in his place, poised to bite him. He said to himself, “I am not fearing anyone but Allah ﷻ,” and he placed his head down directly on the head of the snake. Immediately the snake vanished.
During that seclusion, many states of Divine Love appeared in him. Upon emerging, his Shaykh withdrew from guiding others, entrusting Shaykh Sharafuddinق with the full responsibility of the Naqshbandi Way.
In obedience, Shaykh Sharafuddinق conveyed the teachings of the Golden Chain even in the presence of his own master, who would sit humbly among the disciples, becoming the first Shaykh to take his own disciple as his guide.
His spiritual station was vast, with spiritual support from Shaykh Jamaluddin al-Ghumuqiق and Shaykh Abu Ahmad as-Sughuriق. From his ancestor Miqdad ibn al Aswadر, he inherited the mark of the blessed hand of the Prophet ﷺ on his back, granting him the ability to see behind as clearly as before him.
Constantly supported by the lights of these saints, he overflowed with Divine Love, touching all who came near.
During these years, refugees poured into Rashadiya, and Shaykh Sharafuddinق would welcome every emigrant with mercy. He built roads, brought water, and supported families without asking anything in return.
As a result, the Daghestani people found a new home in place of the home they had left to the Russians, and they found happiness and peace in the new land.
Scholars travelled from distant cities to hear his discourses, which were filled with wisdom yet delivered with humility. His gatherings were places of tranquility, where hearts softened and tears flowed in remembrance of Allah ﷻ.
He taught them the Sultan of Dhikr, the silent remembrance of the heart, and the seven stages of ascent through purification until the heart becomes a polished mirror reflecting Divine Unity.
He would remind his disciples, “Never sit without the remembrance of Allah ﷻ, for death is always near.” He taught that the happiest moment for a believer is death, for sins die with the body while the soul rises to light.
He would also tell his mureeds, “Every seeker who doesn’t accustom and train himself to fast during the day, wake for worship at night and serve his brothers, will achieve no good in this Way.”
In his presence, love for dunya left the heart. His discipline was firm but rooted in compassion. If he told a person, “Do as you wish,” that person would not succeed, for it meant the person had ignored guidance. If he instructed them directly, they flourished.
Among his most prominent students was Mawlana Shaykh Abdullah al-Fa’iz ad-Daghestaniق, the beloved teacher of Mawlana Shaykh Nazimق. Even before Shaykh Abdullahق was born, Shaykh Sharafuddinق had a vision of the future disciple who would carry his legacy forward.
He spoke to his sister, saying, “This child will bring a light that will reach beyond these mountains. His heart will belong wholly to Allah ﷻ, and many will follow the path he illuminates.”
Shaykh Sharafuddinق’s miracles were many. His mureeds narrated countless stories of protection, healing and spiritual transformation.
One of his oldest disciples, Eskici Ali Usta of Bursa, recounted a striking incident from his youth. After taking initiation with Shaykh Sharafuddinق, he met a friend from Daghestan who mocked Sufism. Instead of softening his friend’s heart, Ali’s own faith wavered. He hung his prayer beads on the wall, abandoned dhikr, and soon fell into two major sins.
A week later in Istanbul, he suddenly encountered Shaykh Sharafuddinق. Trying to avoid him, he slipped into a side street only to feel a hand on his back and hear Shaykh Sharafuddinق say, “Where are you going, O Ali?”
Realising nothing was hidden from his master, he walked with him in shame until they met a man named Huseyyin Effendi.
There, Shaykh Sharafuddinق told him, “When you first came to me, I saw both good and bad character in you. Through your initiation, all your past wrongs were changed into good except two: desire and anger. Last week, by Allah ﷻ’s permission, these two were removed from your heart.” Hearing this, Ali understood the Shaykh had witnessed his sins, and he wept uncontrollably.
After some time the Shaykh Sharafuddinق said, “Enough crying. Allah ﷻ has forgiven you, and the Prophet ﷺ has forgiven you.” Overwhelmed, Ali asked how he could show gratitude through charity, sacrifice, or mawlid.
Shaykh Sharafuddinق replied, “We ask only this. Remain constant in the dhikr of the Naqshbandi Way.”
Eskici Ali Usta also told of a companion from Daghestan who once received a letter from Shaykh Sharafuddinق warning him to leave the land before tyranny overtook it. The man dismissed the advice, unwilling to abandon his property.
Soon the Russians seized his town, and he lost everything. Only after escaping to Rashadiya did he realise the Shaykh’s warning had been a mercy he had ignored.
One of the most profound miracles was narrated by his successor, Shaykh Abdullahق. During a long seclusion, Shaykh Sharafuddinق visited him spiritually and spoke about the immense authority granted to Imamul Tariqah, Muhammad Baha’uddin Shah Naqshbandق on the Day of Judgement.
He described how Shah Naqshbandق would release a light from his blessed gaze that would encircle countless souls at the Great Gathering, saving them by permission of the Prophet ﷺ.
As Shaykh Sharafuddinق spoke, Shaykh Abdullahق was taken into a powerful vision. He witnessed the Judgement Day and saw Shah Naqshbandق sending forth that light, embracing the believers with Divine Mercy.
Shaykh Abdullahق’s spirit was taken from his body and accompanied Shah Naqshbandق on a journey beyond space and time for several days.
In that journey, Shah Naqshbandق showed him the tremendous spiritual rank of Shaykh Sharafuddinق, revealing that he had been granted a unique authority: to cleanse the sins whispered by Shaytan from the hearts of believers, cast them back upon their source, and present the people pure before the Prophet ﷺ.
With his spiritual power he elevates their hearts, preparing them for salvation, so that they may be included within the circle of light that Shah Naqshbandق will spread on the Day of Judgement.
On that Day, Shah Naqshbandق will fill four Paradises through this light. Those left outside these four Paradises will enter through Shaykh Sharafuddinق’s Intercession, by the permission of the Prophet ﷺ, who received this authority from Allah Almighty.
This is the exalted authority Shaykh Sharafuddinق has been given. As he is chaining the neck of Shaytan, he is limiting the influence of sins on this earth.
Shah Naqshbandق instructed Shaykh Abdullahق never to divide his spiritual love, for the love of the disciple must remain fully with his own Shaykh. He explained that the love held for one’s master ascends through the Golden Chain until it reaches the Prophet ﷺ, and that through this loyalty the seeker is lifted and protected.
After several days of travelling through the unseen realms, Shaykh Abdullahق returned to his body, deeply aware of the vast spiritual authority carried by Shaykh Sharafuddinق and the heavenly trust placed upon him for the salvation of countless souls.
In the final years of his life, Shaykh Sharafuddinق faced imprisonment in Eskisehir alongside his khalif, Shaykh Abdullahق, and other disciples. Yusuf Effendi, who worked as a prison guard, recalled the extraordinary events.
Another great personality, Shaykh Said Nursiق, was imprisoned there with his disciples. When Said Nursiق became aware of Shaykh Sharafuddinق’s imprisonment in the same place, he sent his disciples to ask him if he needed anything and offered their help.
Shaykh Sharafuddinق replied, “Thank you, but we have nothing and we are in need of nothing.”
He explained that his being in prison was divinely appointed: he was sent to carry the secrets of many unjustly imprisoned souls and to support them spiritually.
He told the disciples, “I am here to say farewell, for soon we will be leaving this world. We are always in the Divine Presence and unaffected by any jail. All of you will leave in time, and your paths will cross again when an important soul departs.”
After three months, he was released. He told Shaykh Abdullahق, “I am going to pass away soon, having spent much of my power extracting the secrets of Surat al-Anam.” He wrote his will, appointing Shaykh Abdullahق as his successor on the Throne of Guidance.
Three days before passing, he explained, “For three months I have been diving into the Ocean of Surat al-Anam to bring out the names of all the saints of the Naqshbandi Order, numbering 7,007. Alhamdulillah, I have recorded them in my private notebook, which I entrust to my successor. It contains the names of all the different groups of saints who are going to be present in the time of Mahdi (AS).”
The next day, he appointed Shaykh Abdullahق as heir to the Naqshbandi Order and the five other Sufi Orders, transferring all powers and secrets.
He then told Shaykh Abdullah ق that his destiny lay beyond Daghestan. “When the time comes,” he said, “you must leave these mountains, for your service to Allah ﷻ will take you to distant lands. The path is set before you, and many will be guided through your heart.”
Shaykh Abdullah ق recalled, “He gave me that will, and I tried to hide it as I wished to hide myself.”
Shaykh Sharafuddinق passed away on the 27th of Jumada al-Awwal, 1355 AH / 1936 CE in Rashadiya. When the news of his death became known, more than three hundred thousand people came for his funeral. Even Ataturk, the president of the new Republic of Turkey, sent a delegation out of respect.
It was narrated that when his disciples washed his body, he moved his hands to cup the water that poured from him, allowing all his disciples to drink from it. When every disciple had passed and drank from his blessed hands, he moved his hands back to their original place.
That was a miracle from his ocean of miracles, and it happened after his death.
Mawlana Shaykh Sharafuddin ad-Daghestaniق was buried atop a hill in the Rashadiya cemetery. Today, his mosque and zawiya remain open, and the beads he used for the Khatm-i-Khwajagan still hang on the wall, a tangible reminder of his love and sincere devotion.
May Allah ﷻ sanctify his noble soul, bless his secret, and allow his light to continue illuminating the hearts of all who seek truth until the end of time.
May we be embraced by his intercession and counted among his devoted followers in the eternal circles of Dhikrullah.
Al-Fatiha.
Du’a of Mawlana Shaykh Sharafuddin ad-Daghestaniق can be found here.
To receive daily Sultan Sohbahs and reminders of important dates delivered to your inbox, do subscribe to our website below.
Discover more from SufiHub - Tariqatul Naqshbandiyyatil Aliyyah (Sheikh Muhammad 'Adil)
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.