Muhaddithun Who Were Affiliated With Tasawwuf

1 & 2. The forerunners in tariqah, Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani (Demise: 561 A.H.) and Shaykh Shihabud Din Suhrawardi (Demise: 632 A.H.) (rahimahumallah), were also Muhaddithun.

Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani (rahimahullah) narrated Hadith. Hafiz ‘Abdul Ghani Al Maqdisi and Muwaffaqud Din ibn Qudamah (rahimahumallah) were among those who narrated from him.

(Siyar A‘lamin Nubala, vol. 20, pgs. 439-440)

‘Allamah Dhahabi (rahimahullah) describes Shaykh Shihabud Din Suhrawardi (rahimahullah) as a Muhaddith and as unique among the Sufis. He took tasawwuf from his uncle, Shaykh Abun Najib, and also spent some time with Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir (rahimahumallah). Hafiz Ibn Nuqtah, Hafiz Ibnun Najjar and Hafiz Diyaud Din Al Maqdisi (rahimahumullah) narrated from him.

(Siyar A‘lamin Nubala, vol. 22, pgs. 373-374)

3. Shaykh Ma‘ruf Karkhi (Demise: 200 A.H.) (rahimahullah), the famous sage of his time, who was much earlier than the above two, also narrated a few Hadiths. Khalaf ibn Hisham was among those who narrated from him.

(Siyar A‘lamin Nubala, vol. 9, pgs. 339-340)

4. Shaykh Abul Qasim Nasrabadi (Demise: 367 A.H.) (rahimahullah).
Imam Hakim (rahimahullah) described him as the spokesman of the people of spiritual realities in his time, who gathered many narrations and travelled in pursuit of Hadith.

(Siyar A‘lamin Nubala, vol. 16, pg. 265)

5. Imam Abul Qasim Al Qushayri (Demise: 465 A.H.) (rahimahullah). He took the khirqah from Abu ‘Ali Daqqaq, who took it from Abul Qasim Nasrabadi, in a chain that goes back to Ma‘ruf Karkhi (rahimahumullah). He also conferred it on his grandson.

(Siyar A‘lamin Nubala, vol. 16, pg. 266)

6 & 7. Shaykhul Islam Abu Isma‘il Al Harawi (Demise: 481 A.H.) and Shaykh Abul Waqt As Sijzi (Demise: 553 A.H.) (rahimahumallah). Abul Waqt, the famous narrator of Sahih Bukhari, was among the murids of Shaykhul Islam Abu Isma‘il Al Harawi. Among his Hadith students were Hafiz Ibn ‘Asakir and Hafiz Ibnul Jawzi (rahimahumallah).

(Siyar A‘lamin Nubala, vol. 20, pgs. 303-304)

8. Shaykh ‘Abdul Wahhab ibn Sukaynah (Demise: 607 A.H.) (rahimahullah). He was a peer of Hafiz Ibn ‘Asakir and Hafiz Ibnus Sam‘ani (rahimahumallah), and would attend Hadith lessons with them. He took the khirqah from his maternal grandfather, Abul Barakat Naysaburi, and kept his company. Hafiz Ibnun Najjar (rahimahullah) described him as reliable (thiqah hujjah). Ibnus Salah and Hafiz Diyaud Din Al Maqdisi (rahimahumallah) were among those who narrated from him.

(Ma‘rifatul Qurra-il Kibar, pg. 317)

9. Hafiz Taqiyyud Din Al Yunini (Demise: 658 A.H.) (rahimahullah). He had memorised Sahih Muslim, and took the khirqah from Shaykh ‘Abdullah Bata-ihi, a companion of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir (rahimahumallah). Hafiz ‘Umar ibnul Hajib (rahimahullah) said that he combined the knowledge of Shari‘ah and Haqiqah.

He is the father of the famous Sharafud Din Al Yunini, whose copy of Sahih Bukhari is considered among the best and most reliable up to this day.

(Tadhkiratul Huffaz, vol. 4, pgs. 1439-1440, number: 1145)

‘Allamah Sakhawi (rahimahullah) has named the following latter-day Hadith Masters among those who wore the khirqah, and also conferred it on others:

10. Hafiz Dimyati (Demise: 705 A.H.) (rahimahullah)

11. Hafiz Dhahabi (Demise: 748 A.H.) (rahimahullah)

12. Hafiz ‘Alai (Demise: 761 A.H.) (rahimahullah)

13. Hafiz Mughlatay (Demise: 762 A.H.) (rahimahullah)

14. Hafiz Ibnul Mulaqqin (Demise: 804 A.H.) (rahimahullah)

15. Hafiz ‘Iraqi (Demise: 806 A.H.) (rahimahullah)

16. Hafiz Ibn Nasiriddin Ad-Dimashqi (Demise: 842 A.H.) (rahimahullah)

(Al-Maqasidul Hasanah, Hadith: 852)

Notes

1. The word “khirqah” used above can be understood as “bay‘ah” or even “khilafah” in current tasawwuf terms.
2. The sixteen names cited above are merely examples. Tariqah and tasawwuf, in essence, are the practical and spiritual implementation of the Shari‘ah. Formally being identified as part of a tariqah is not a requirement. Hence, even those whose names are not cited here should not be considered as being opposed to tasawwuf as such.
3. Imam Junayd Baghdadi (Demise: 298 A.H.) (rahimahullah) said: “Whoever has not memorised the Quran and has not written Hadith should not be followed in this path, because this knowledge of ours is bound by the Quran and Sunnah.”

(Ar-Risalatul Qushayriyyah, vol. 1, pg. 79)

In fact, he himself was also one who acquired and transmitted Hadith and can be considered a seventeeth example.

(Siyar A‘lamin Nubala, vol. 14, pgs. 66-67)

4. Mawlana ‘Abdul Hafiz Makki (rahimahullah) has written a book linked to this topic titled: Mawqif A-immatil Harakatis Salafiyyah minat Tasawwufi was Sufiyyah.

And Allah Ta’ala knows best.

Answered by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar