Sheikh Maulana Muhammad Nazim Al Haqqani

Peace Mala Endorsement

Grand Sheikh of the Golden Chain of the Naqshbandia Tariqat

Sheikh Mawlana Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani was a Sufi master and the Grand Sheikh of the Golden Chain of the Naqshbandia Tariqat until 7th May 2014 when he passed away at the age of 92. He was the 40th Grand Sheikh in a line that leads directly back to the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). His mother was a direct descendant of the mystical Persian poet Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi and the lineage of his father to Sayidina Abdul Qadir Jilani, the founder of the Qadri Sufi Order.

Imam Shakir Alemdar, the vice grand mufti of Cyprus, confirmed the death. He called Sheikh Nazim one of the world's great Islamic scholars and a spiritual leader to followers of Sufism, which traces its origins to the roots of Islam itself about 1,500 years ago.

Sheikh Nazim had been aware of the vision of the Peace Mala for some time and in Easter of 2004, Pam Evans travelled to Lefke in Turkish Cyprus to meet him. She spent some time with the Grand Sheikh and was invited to stay with him for evening prayers. Pam was struck by Sheikh Nazim's tremendous sense of humour, his sharp intelligence, his kindness and his humility.

Whilst alive Sheikh Nazim gave his blessings and full support for the Peace Mala project. It is the belief of Sufi's that Sheikh Nazim's support continues in the afterlife. This is similar to Christian beliefs concerning Saints. Sheikh Nazim was considered a great saint by his hundreds of thousands of followers world wide.

Peace

Everyone wants to have peace and at the same time they are sending it away. In their words they are saying "Peace, peace!" but in their actions they are kicking peace away.

Peace is a Heavenly Blessing to earth. The opposites are punishments and curses from Heavens to earth. The most important condition to establish peace on earth is to know that Allah the Almighty is the Sultan. His Kingdom surrounds the whole universe. His Divine Rules are in act in Heaven and on earth.

In opposition to this Divine Kingdom is the Kingdom of Satan. His helpers say, "Ask for anything you want and we will give it to you."

'Freedom' is put on a hook and used as bait. By using this imitated freedom people have lost their real freedom and have become slaves of their endless desires. "You must help to destroy the Kingdom of Satan, and then the peaceful Kingdom of the Lord of Heavens can be established. We ask for Divine Help. Amin.

Sheikh Nazim's Mission

"The sun will rise in the West!" proclaimed the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). And so, Sheikh Nazim was sent to Europe to prepare the people for these new enlightened times. People are starting to realise that their mind-produced systems are not leading them to the happiness and the peace they are looking for. The West is yearning for a spiritual sign, for some connection to a reality beyond the never-satisfying materialism.

Maulana Sheikh Nazim al Haqqani is such a connection. The wisdom he shares with us is not his own. He is the 40th Sheikh in the Golden Chain of the Naqshbandia Tariqat, which leads back to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as the first recipient of Divine Knowledge within this line.

Sheikh Nazim has been coming regularly to London for the Holy Month of Ramadan since 1974. He was given this order by Sheikh Abdullah Daghistani. He was told that the Last Days had begun and truth would once more become apparent, this time coming from the West.

Sheikh Nazim was born on the 21st April 1922 in Larnaca, Cyprus. Although known to have been a pious child, his complete dedication to a spiritual life did not come until he was in his twenties. He was studying chemistry in the University of Istanbul when his brother, who was suffering with TB, died in his arms. This changed his whole life. He realised how limited medicine, science and this worldly life is in general, and began his spiritual quest.

Sheikh Nazim as a young student

His first step was a year-long seclusion in Aleppo, spent in a cellar, praying and eating only 7 olives a day. After a year the sheikh there told him he had reached such a level, that there was only one sheikh who could now help him: Sheikh Abdullah Daghistani in Damascus. Sheikh Nazim set out at once to meet this sheikh and had only one wish, to ask Sheikh Abdullah for permission to spend the rest of his life in seclusion at the tomb of Muhammad (pbuh) in Medina. Instead, he was sent off to be constantly surrounded by people, to train them and to be an example for them, first in Cyprus, then in London. He was told that people in the West need holy inspiration to illuminate their hearts and lead them out of the abyss of darkness.

What are Holy People?

For most people in the West, Holy People are something of the past, people engraved in statues or captured on paintings. The presumption of holy people still being alive today in our secularised world seems out of time. Yet there are 124,000 Holy People alive all the time. So what are their particulars?

The word 'holy' comes from whole, complete. It signifies a person who has reached wholeness, who is complete in the sense that he is following the Will of the Creator in everything. Allah Almighty has regularly sent down exact instructions of how we can attain holiness, by following His Holy Rules. After all, we were created in His Image, to be His representatives, His caliphs, here on earth.

This is the good news. The Creator did not just dump us here on earth and leave us to ourselves. We were given rules and instructions of how to live in peace, by following His Rules and so fulfilling our purpose here on earth.

Sheikh Nazim

Information on Sheikh Nazim's Mission was kindly written by Zero Thyra Quensel.

For information on the Naqshbandia Sufi please visit http://www.naqshbandi.org/

Obituary by Athar Yawar published in The Guardian