A brief account of the modern Ṣúfís in different countries
Translation: R. A. Nicholson (trans.), The Kashf al-Mahjúb, E. J. W. Gibb Memorial Series vol. XVII, Leiden: Brill / London: Luzac, 1911. Public domain (Project Gutenberg #64786).
I have not space enough to give biographies of them all, and if I omit some the object of this book will not be accomplished. Now, therefore, I will mention only the names of individual Ṣúfís and leading spiritualists who have lived in my time or are still alive, excluding the formalists (ahl-i rusúm).
1. SYRIA AND `IRÁQ.
Shaykh Zakí b. al-`Alá was an eminent Shaykh. I found him to be like a flash of love. He was endowed with wonderful signs and evidences.
Shaykh Abú Ja`far Muḥammad b. al-Miṣbáḥ al-Ṣaydalání was one of the principal aspirants to Ṣúfiism. He discoursed eloquently on theosophy and had a great fondness for Ḥusayn b. Manṣúr (al-Ḥalláj), some of whose works I have read to him.
Shaykh Abu ´l-Qásim Suddí was a director who mortified himself and led an excellent spiritual life. He cared tenderly for dervishes and had a goodly belief in them.
2. FÁRS.
The Grand Shaykh, Abu ´l-Ḥasan b. Sáliba, spoke with the utmost elegance on Ṣúfiism and with extreme lucidity on Unification (tawḥíd). His sayings are well known.
The Shaykh and Director (murshid) Abú Isḥáq b. Shahriyár was one of the most venerable Ṣúfís and had complete authority.
Shaykh Abu ´l-Ḥasan `Alí b. Bakrán was a great mutaṣawwif, and Shaykh Abú Muslim was highly esteemed in his time.
Shaykh Abu ´l-Fatḥ b. Sáliba is an excellent and hopeful successor to his father.
Shaykh Abú Ṭálib was a man enraptured by the words of the Truth.
I have seen all these except the Grand Shaykh, Abú Isḥáq.
3.QUHISTÁN, ÁDHARBÁYAJÁN, ṬABARISTÁN, AND KISH.
Shaykh Faraj, known as Akhí Zanjání, was a man of excellent disposition and admirable doctrine.
Shaykh Badr al-Dín is one of the great men of this sect, and his good deeds are many.
Pádsháh-i Tá´ib was profoundly versed in mysticism.
Shaykh Abú `Abdalláh Junaydí was a revered director.
Shaykh Abú Ṭáhir Makshúf was one of the eminent of that time.
Khwája Ḥusayn Simnán is an enraptured and hopeful man.
Shaykh Sahlagí was one of the principal Ṣúfí paupers (ṣa`álík).
Aḥmad, son of Shaykh Khurqání, was an excellent successor to his father.
Adíb Kumandí was one of the chief men of the time.
4. KIRMÁN.
Khwája `Alí b. al-Ḥusayn al-Sírgání was the wandering devotee (sayyáḥ) of his age and made excellent journeys. His son, Ḥakím, is held in honour.
Shaykh Muḥammad b. Salama was among the eminent of the time. Before him there have been hidden saints of God, and hopeful youths and striplings are still to be found.
5. KHURÁSÁN (where now is the shadow of God’s favour).
The Shaykh and Mujtahid Abu ´l-`Abbás was the heart of spiritualism (sirr-i ma`ání) and had a goodly life.
Khwája Abú Ja`far Muḥammad b. `Alí al-Ḥawárí is one of the eminent theosophists of this sect.
Khwája Abú Ja`far Turshízí was highly esteemed.
Khwája Maḥmúd of Níshápúr was regarded as an authority by his contemporaries. He was eloquent in discourse.
Shaykh Muḥammad Ma`shúq had an excellent spiritual state and was aglow with love.
Khwája Rashíd Muẕaffar, the son of Abú Sa`íd, will, it may be hoped, become an example to all Ṣúfís and a point to which their hearts will turn.
Khwája Shaykh Aḥmad Ḥammádí of Sarakhs was the champion of the time. He was in my company for a while, and I witnessed many wondrous experiences that he had.
Shaykh Aḥmad Najjár Samarqandí, who resided at Merv, was the sultan of his age.
Shaykh Abu ´l-Ḥasan `Alí b. Abí `Alí al-Aswad was an excellent successor to his father, and was unique in the sublimity of his aspiration and the sagacity of his intelligence.
It would be difficult to mention all the Shaykhs of Khurásán. I have met three hundred in that province alone who had such mystical endowments that a single man of them would have been enough for the whole world. This is due to the fact that the sun of love and the fortune of the Ṣúfí Path is in the ascendant in Khurásán.
6. TRANSOXIANA.
The Khwája and Imám, honoured by high and low, Abú Ja`far Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn al-Ḥaramí, is an ecstatic (mustami`) and enraptured man, who has a great affection towards the seekers of God.
Khwája Abú Muḥammad Bángharí had an excellent spiritual life, and there was no weakness in his devotional practices.
Aḥmad Íláqí was the Shaykh of his time. He renounced forms and habits.
Khwája `Árif was unparalleled in his day.
`Alí b. Isḥáq was venerated and had an eloquent tongue.
I have seen all these Shaykhs and ascertained the “station” of each of them. They were all profound theosophists.
7.GHAZNA.
Abu ´l-Faḍl b. al-Asadí was a venerable director, with brilliant evidences and manifest miracles. He was like a flash of the fire of love. His spiritual life was based on concealment (talbís).
Ismá`íl al-Sháshí was a highly esteemed director. He followed the path of “blame” (malámat).
Shaykh Sálár-i Ṭabarí was one of the Ṣúfí divines and had an excellent state.
Shaykh Abú `Abdalláh Muḥammad b. al-Ḥakím, known as Muríd, was a God-intoxicated man, and was not rivalled by any contemporary in his own line. His state was hidden from the vulgar, but his signs and evidences were conspicuous, and his state was better in companionship (ṣuḥbat) than in casual meeting (dídár).
Shaykh Sa`íd b. Abí Sa`íd al-`Ayyár was a recorder (ḥáfiẕ) of Apostolic Traditions. He had seen many Shaykhs and was a man of powerful spirituality and great knowledge, but he took the way of concealment and did not exhibit his true character.
Khwája Abu ´l-`Alá `Abd al-Raḥím b. Aḥmad al-Sughdí is honoured by all Ṣúfís, and my heart is well-disposed towards him. His spiritual state is excellent, and he is acquainted with various branches of science.
Shaykh Awḥad Qaswarat b. Muḥammad al-Jardízí has a boundless affection for Ṣúfís and holds every one of them in reverence. He has seen many Shaykhs.
In consequence of the firm convictions of the people and divines of Ghazna, I have good hope that hereafter persons will appear in whom we shall believe, and that those wretches (parágandagán) who have found their way into this city and have made the externals of Ṣúfiism abominable will be cleared out, so that Ghazna will once more become the abode of saints and venerable men.