1) About Naqshbandi Tariqaah
Naqshbandiyya means to “tie the Naqsh very well.” The Naqsh is the perfect engraving of Allah’s Name in the heart of the murid. From the time of Sayyidina Ahmad al-Faruqi to the time of Shaikh Khalid al-Baghdadi it was called Naqshbandi-Mujaddidiyya. From the time of Sayyidina Khalid al-Baghdadi until the time of Sayiddina Shaikh Ismail Shirwani it was called the Naqshbandiyya-Khalidiyya. From the time of Sayyidina Isma’il Shirwani until the time of Sayyidina Shaikh ‘Abdullah ad-Daghestani, it was called Naqshbandi-Daghestaniyya. And today it is known by the name Naqshbandiyya-Haqqaniyya.
2) Divine Mission
There are many veils between us and our heavenly positions. The training that a Murid undergoes at the hands of his Shaykh is to prepare him for the Divine Presence. As the Murid passes each trial, veils are removed by his Shaykh until finally all veils are removed and the Murid is in the Divine Presence. Only someone who has attained to the Divine Presence and has been authorized by the Holy Prophet Muhammed (Sal) has the knowledge to remove these veils. Therefore,in Order for one to attain to the Divine Presence, one must give allegiance to the Shaykh of a Tariqat by taking Bayyath (Connection or Oath of Allegiance) from him and follow his teachings
Our destination is Heaven. We can’t see it unless by a distinguished Order from Allah and His Prophet (sal). Reality is a precious thing, not given to many. In this time, for a real connection to the Prophet Muhammed (Sal), the only way open is through the Naqshabandi Tariqat. The Holy Prophet (Sal) said of the last times that, the only gate open would be the gate of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (Ral) which is the origin of the Naqshabandi Tariqat.
The Naqshabandi Order originated in the Heart of the Prophet Muhammed (sal), and its authority was passed down through Abu Bakr (ral) from one Master to the next in an unbroken chain of succession reaching into our time. To the heart of Abu Bakr (ral), the first Khalipha, the Prophet passed on the full inner truth of his teachings. Since Abu Bakr, among all the Prophet’s (sal) companions, was the only one to receive the full inner truth from the Prophet’s heart, the Naqshabandi Order inherits the fullest and finest of these Prophetic teachings. For as the Holy Prophet, in a well-known tradition, said: “Everything that has been poured into my heart I have poured into the heart of Abu Bakr”. Abu Bakr (ral) was called “Siddiq” or “The Completely Veracious One”. The station of “Siddiq” is the highest of all stations after the Station of Prophethood. Whoever receives his spiritual education through the teachings of the Naqshabandi Order may hope to reach, finally, to the Station of “Siddiq”, the Station of Absolute Truthfulness. In every religion this Station of “Siddiq” is the utmost horizon of devotion to the Truth, particularly in Islam.
Therefore, the Tariqat-an-Naqshbandiyya, (as it is passed down through Abu Bakr As- Siddiq), activates the souls of the Murids to whatever extent the Murid can bring his desires to accord with the desires of his Shaykh. The first step though is to start on the lowest level, using the way of the four Imams. If you do not come down to the lowest level you can’t reach higher levels.
Mowlana Shaykh Nazim says, “I am someone who has been authorized as guidance on that perfect way of the distinguished Naqshabandi Order. The Naqshabandi Tariqat is like a sky covering the whole world. No-one can escape out of it because it includes all the ways, it is perfect and it is the shortest”. “I have been ordered to make clear to you, that anytime when anyone is losing control over themselves and is in a difficult position, they can be in contact with my heart immediately, if they just think about me, they will make a relation with me immediately. They just need to remember me, and that will make me look at him or her. That connection will make a power run through you quickly and you will be protected from falling into a dangerous situation. It is not my spiritual power, but I am in connection with a chain that is connected to our Lord through Saints. I am the last part of the chain which reaches you. It is like a plug which you can connect with electricity.” The ‘Naqsh’ is a tattoo or an impression. If we haven’t been patience enough to have this tattoo made, what about the “Naqsh” on the heart? The ‘Naqsh’ of the heart is “Allah”. Whoever wants that “Naqsh” on his heart will come to the Naqshabandi Way. It is the highest way in our religion. Once that tattoo is made, man will be always with his Lord. At that time his mortal personality will be effaced and he will be a representative of his Lord among Mankind. He will leave his ego behind and become a pure, purified, “private” servant of his Lord. No more personality, his heart is stamped, “Allah.”
The Naqshabandi Way is the Sufi Path adhering most closely to the practices of the Holy Prophet (Sal), and association in this manner was his way, and the way of his companions, as he always appointed a leader to preside in his absence.