Though the light of Islam reached the Subcontinent in the first century of al-Hijra but preaching of Islam gained momentum only when the Sufis and Saints embraced this Subcontinent with their arrival from parts of Arab, Iran and Central Asia. A large number of local populace embraced Islam of their own free will in result of preaching of the pious Sufis and Saints. Thus spread of Islam in the Subcontinent is very much due to the relentless efforts of these people. Islam’s four main Sufi Orders are practiced in the Subcontinent. But Qadri Order is largely followed of whose Naushahi is a sub branch.  Founder of this order, his followers and affiliates rendered great services regarding preaching the peaceful message of Islam to the people of the Subcontinent. This article reviews the services of the Naushahi Order and relevance of their teachings in today’s changed scenario of the world.

(1)   The Qadiriyya: This derives its name from Syed Abdul Qader Gilani.  (1077–1166).The order relies strongly upon adherence to the fundamentals of Islam. The order, with its many offshoots, is widespread, particularly in the Arabic-speaking world, and can also be found in Turkey, Indonesia, Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Balkans, Palestine, China, East and West Africa.

(2)   The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. Moinuddin Chishti introduced the Chishti Order in Lahore (Punjab) and Ajmer (Rajasthan), sometime in the middle of the 12th century CE.

(3)   The Suhrawardiyya is a Sufi order founded by the Sufi Ziya al-din Abu 'n-Najib as-Suhrawardi (1097 – 1168 CE). It is guided by the Shafi`i school of Islamic law, and, like many such orders, traces its spiritual genealogy (silsila) to Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib through Junayd Baghdadi and al-Ghazali.

(4)   Naqshbandi is a major spiritual order of Sufism. It is the only Sufi way that traces its spiritual lineage through Abu Bakr(R.A). Some Naqshbandi orders trace their lineage through Ali (R.A), in keeping with most other Sufi paths.

(5)   Misl Haqqayit, Revenue Department, Phalia, Gujrat.           

(6)   Shahabuddin Muhammad Shah Jahan (1592 – 1666) was the fifth Mughal Emperor of India. He is also known as Shah Jahan . He ruled from 1628 until 1658. Like Akbar, he was eager to expand his vast empire. In 1658, he fell ill and was confined by his son Aurangzeb in Agra Fort until his death in 1666.

(7)  Hashim Shah Tharpalvi: Chahar Baagh, Center for Research in Persian Pakistan and Iran. Islamabad, 198. p20

(8)   Hafiz Muhammad Hayat: Tazkira Naushahi (Manuscript1733/1148) Punjab University Library, Shirani Collection No. 6188, p 160

(9)   Akbar( 1542 –1605) He is also known as Akbar the Great or Akbar I. He was a Mughal Emperor from 1556 until his death. He was the third and one of the greatest rulers of the Mughal Dynasty in India. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun. He established a centralised system of administration throughout his empire and adopted a policy of conciliating conquered rulers through marriage and diplomacy.

(10) Garcin de Tassy( 1794- 1878): Garcin was a French orientalist. He first received prominence through general works on Islam and translations from Arabic. Later, he devoted himself to the study of the Urdu language. His major works include: Mémoires sur les particularités de la religion musulmane dans l'Inde (1832); Les aventures de Kamrup (translation, 1834); translations of works by the poet Wali (1834); the Histoire de la littérature hindoue e hindoustani (2. Ed. 1871, 3 Vols.); Rudiments de la langue hindouie (1847); Rhétorique et prosodie des langues de l'Orient musulman (1848, 2. Ed. 1873); Chrestomathie hindie et hindouie (1849); La doctrine de l'amour (translation from Hindi, 1859); Cours d'hindoustani (1870) and La langue et la littérature hindoustanies 1850-69 (2. Ed. 1874).

(11) Thomas Arnold (1795 –1842) was an English educator and historian. Arnold was an early supporter of the Broad Church Anglican movement. He was the headmaster of Rugby School from 1828 to 1841, where he introduced a number of reforms.

(12) 12-Nausha Ganj Bakhsh: Ganj Sharif, Maaraf-e-Naushahia, Sahanpal, Gujrat, 1980, p320

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