The Naqshbandiyya: Orthodoxy and Activism in a Worldwide Sufi Tradition

by Itzchak Weismann

The Naqshbandiyya is one of the most widespread and influential Sufi orders in the Muslim world. Having its origins in the Great Masters tradition of Central Asia almost a millennium ago, it played a significant role in the pre-modern history of the Indian subcontinent and the Ottoman Empire, and is still spreading today. This volume seeks to present a broad picture of the evolution of the ideas and organizational forms of the Naqshbandi order throughout its history. It combines a synthesis of the vast literature on the order with original research, and shall be an important contribution for those interested in Sufism, Islamic history and Muslim-Christian relations.

Genres: Islam

224 pages, Hardcover

First published June 25, 2007

About the author

Itzchak Weismann is Professor of Islamic studies and Director of the Jewish-Arab Center at Haifa University, Israel. His research focuses on modern Islam, including Islamic movements in the Middle East and South Asia, and interfaith dialogue.

Reviews

[Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Itzchak Weismann’s The Naqshbandiyya: Orthodoxy and Activism in a Worldwide Sufi Tradition is a phenomenal history of one of the most influential and wide spread Sufi brotherhoods. Weismann, an associate professor at Haifa University and board member of Journal of Sufi Studies, focuses on covering the history of the group’s spread from its emergence in the oasis cities of Central Asia in the Middle Ages to its present global presence in over eighty countries across the globe. At the same time, he demonstrates how the group adapted itself to be an influential force in various societies, while maintaining its strong orthodox character. The book has many strengths. Weismann manages to give a brief, yet thorough, history while at the same time writing in a captivating style. He is especially adept at showing the diversity in practice and method that can exist in a Sufi order through biographies of the great minds of the order and their works. He is also able to introduce a great deal of both primary and secondary source material concerning the group, while at the same time pointing out the flaws of earlier studies and where more scholarship is required.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to broaden their understanding of Sufi brotherhoods and their influence on politics and society through the centuries. I would caution that one should have a basic understanding of common Sufi terminology and history before jumping into this this more in-depth and specific book.

[J.M. Hushour · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew this would be a palliative to the string of crappy books on Sufism in the Ottoman Empire I've read recently. Weismann is a fine scholar and an excellent writer and tells it like it is. Straightforward and informative look at the Naqshbandiyya, their Central Asian roots, their percolation in that region and eventual spread east into Turkestan (Xinjiang), south into India, and, most importantly for my purposes, west into the Ottoman and Arab lands. Nothing wacky here, just a streamlined look at their practices and adaptability which fed into the development of a Sufi activism in its later centuries.