Saving Grace: Saqshbandi Spiritual Transmission in the Asian Sub-Continent, 1928-1997 Item Type text; Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Lizzio, Kenneth Paul Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 04/10/2021 09:49:29 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/270114 INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. 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UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA ® GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Final Examination Committee« we certify that we have read the dissertation prepared by Paul T.i y.zin entitled ga^o^^ng Spiritual Transmission in hhP Asian Sub-Continent. 1928-1997 and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degree of p>,^ i nqr>pTiy Charles D. Smith r Bate y/f. G/jaaA/H- dlrvStC //ho [tf\ yu^iia A. Cl,aqfcy-jB^mitl^ Date Ludwig Adamec DateMM * 4/rF Da6e Date Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate's submission of the final copy of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement. /I / /g /9/^ pissertation Director Charles D. Smith Date/ Julia A. Clancy-Smith 3 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from tnis dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgement of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the copyright holder. SIGNED 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Field research tends to be more of a collaboration than the product of a single individual. First and foremost, I wish to thank Pir Saiflir Rahman and his disciples. They accepted me unquestioningly into their fold and gave generously of their time and themselves. Through instruction and example, they showed me an approach to human development grounded in the ecstatic and mysterious life of the spirit. I would also like to thank the Fulbright Foundation/Pakistan, which made this research possible during the academic year 1996-97. That no other funding agency would support such a study reflects the Foundation's open-mindedness and courage. From the design to completion of this project, I was both expertly guided and morally supported by my adviser. Dr. Julia Clancy-Smith. A historian. Dr. Clancy-Smith has such a broad view of the issues surrounding Sufism—anthropological, philosophical, historical—that she was able to be many things to me at once. Extensive gratitude is also due to committee members Dr. Charles D. Smith and Dr. Richard M. Eaton. Despite the many other demands on their time, they reviewed the text with an attention to detail that was much appreciated. Their comments were always insightful, prompting me to clarify ambiguous points or re-examine overlooked details of my own data. The result is a greatly improved dissertation. Thanks is also due to Dr. Ludwig Adamec for graciously agreeing to sit on the committee on short notice. In the field I had so much support that 1 could not possibly thank everyone involved. Dr. Azmat Hayat Khan, Chair of the Department of Central Asian Studies at Peshawar University, gave generously of his time, and his personal contacts were indispensable. Sayyid 'Umar Mujaddidi, a member of the Mujaddidi family, worked with me painstakingly with many of the Persian texts, responding calmly and thoughtfully to my sometimes impatient questions. He and many other Afghans like him helped sensitize me to the richness of Afghan social, cultural, and religious life. Megan Camahan gave the graphics a decidedly professional appearance; Jim Gessler carefully proofread the text. During the crucial early transmission of the draft from the field, Ba^ara Cook, secretary of the Department of Near Eastern Studies, dealt deftly with the task of converting the manuscript diskette from an incompatible software program. I also wish to thank the National Geographic Society for permission to use their map of South Asia. Finally, in spite of the help of so many, the responsibility for errors in fact or any other shortcomings is, of course, entirely my own. 5 NOTE ON TRANSLITERATION Transliteration of technical terms in Arabic, Persian, and Pashtu follows the conventions of the International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies. When quoting another writer, however, I have been obliged to use his or her system. I have tried to remain consistent with the spelling of personal names but did not feel justified in rewriting an author's name for the sake of consistency. Similarly, with regard to transliteration of other persona] names, I have made exceptions where transliteration would have substantially altered the manner in which it is pronounced in the sub-continent. Generally, this applies to names in which the Arabic article "al" is elided. Thus, while the name "Saifur Rahman" properly transliterated is "Saif al-Rahman," I have retained the spoken form of the name. 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 4 NOTE ON TRANSLITERATION 5 LIST OF FIGURES 9 ABSTRACT 10 INTRODUCTION 12 CHAPTER ONE INTERPRETING SUFISM 16 The Literature: 1988-1998 16 Methodology 39 Conclusion 57 CHAPTER TWO THE NAQSHBANDI ORDER, PAST AND PRESENT 59 Revival, Reform, and Radicalism 60 Revival Islam: The Naqshbandiyya/Mujaddidiyya TarTqa 64 Afghanistan: Responding to the Secular State, 1919-1929 75 The Mujaddidiyya Family and Political Islam, 1929-1997 80 Islamic Radicalism: the Taliban, 1994-1997 86 Reform in the Sub-continent, cl750-1997 90 Conclusion 104 CHAPTER THREE EMBODYING HISTORY: PORTRAIT OF A NAQSHBAIMDI SHAIKH OF AFGHANISTAN, 1928-1997 107 Early Life, 1928-1947 107 Migration to Kunduz and the Start of Spiritual Education, 1948-1970 116 Expanding the Order, 1971-1978 128 The Communist Take-over and the War, 1978-81 134 A Guest of the Afiidi, 1982-1997 141 Conclusion 142 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS - Continued CHAPTER FOUR BETWIXT AND BETWEEN: THE SAEFIYYA KHANAQAH 146 Social Setting: the Khyber Tribal Agency 146 The Khdnaqah: Physical Layout and Characteristics 159 Organizational Structure 166 Econoniic Aspects 180 Qufb al-Irshdd 184 Conclusion 192 CHAPTER FIVE THE BLESSING PRESENCE OF MUBARAK SAHIB 194 The Spiritual World of the Naqshbandiyya/Mujaddidiyya/Saifiyya 194 Spiritual Ascent: the LatS 'if. 201 Activating the Laid 'if 208 The Opening of the Laid 'if 223 Conclusion 233 CONCLUSION 236 APPENDIX A LIST OF INTERVIEWS 240 APPENDIX B LIST OF PUBLICATIONS OF THE MUJADDIDTYYA/SAIFrfY\KHANAQAH ... 242 APPENDIX C THE MURAQABAT OR NAQSHBANDI CONTEMPLATIONS 243 APPENDIX D DESCRIPTION OF A NAQSHBANDI INITIATION CEREMONY (BAY'A) 250 APPENDIX E PERMISSIONS 253 s TABLE OF CONTENTS - Continued GLOSSARY 254 REFERENCES 260 LIST OF HGURES FIGURE 2.1, Spiritual Genealogy of the Naqshbandi JarTqa FIGURE 2.2, Map of Afghanistan and Northern Pakistan FIGURE 2.3, Genealogy of the Naqshbandiyya/Mujaddidiyya/Saifiyya in Afghanistan.... FIGURE 3.1, Provinces of Afghanistan FIGURE 3.2, The Khyber Tribal Agency FIGURE 4.1, Site Layout of the Bara KhOimqOh FIGURE 4.2, Geographic Distribution of the Mujaddidiyya/Saifiyya Order ... FIGURE 5.1, The Naqshbandi Cosmology FIGURE 5 .2, The Spiritual Morphology of the Naqshbandiyya/Mujaddidiyya 10 ABSTRACT This dissertation is an ethnohistorical study of an Afghan branch of the Naqshbandiyya/Mujaddidiyya order, the Saifiyya.