Firdausi Silsila
By SYED AMJAD HUSSAIN
published March 7, 2025
The Firdausiyya order or Firdausi Silsila is an offshoot of the Suhrawardiyya order and a branch of the Kubraviyya order[b] of Sufism that took deep roots in India, flourishing particularly in the states of Bihar, Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh. It traces its origins to the revered Sufi saint, Shaikh Syed Badruddin Samarqandi, [f], who was not only a contemporary of Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya but also a close companion. Some traditions, however, suggest that the order was originally established by Shaikh Najmuddin Kubra. Regardless of its precise beginnings, the Firdausiyya order became a significant spiritual movement, shaping the mystical landscape of Bihar and leaving a lasting legacy of devotion and wisdom.[1]
Shaikh Syed Badruddin Samarqandi was a devoted disciple of Saifuddin Bakharzi, a distinguished Sufi master. The name Firdausiyya is derived from the title of Hazrat Najmuddin Kubra, Shaykh al-Firdaus, reflecting the deep spiritual lineage of the order. The first Sufis to adopt 'Firdausi' in their name were two of Samarqandi’s disciples, Shaikh Ruknuddin Firdausi and Shaikh Najibuddin Firdausi, who played a crucial role in shaping and spreading its teachings. The Firdausiyya order is recognized as a branch of the Suhrawardiyya order, carrying forward its mystical traditions with a unique spiritual essence.[2][3]
The Firdausiyya order rose to prominence during the time of Makhdoom-e-Jahan. Shaikh Sharfuddin Ahmed Yahya Maneri, a devoted disciple of Shaikh Najibuddin Firdausi and one of the known Sufis of Bihar. Maneri hailed from the distinguished lineage of Imam Muhammad Taj Faqih Zubairi Hashmi, a revered Sufi saint who journeyed from al-Quds al-Khalil, Jerusalem, to Bihar, India, and is said to have defeated Raja Manyar, the ruler of the Maner region in Bihar, along with his disciples and Momin Arif al-Ansari Yemeni. His father, Shaikh Kamaluddin Yahya Maneri bin Shaikh Israil, was himself a respected saint of the Suhrawardiyya order, further enriching Maneri’s spiritual heritage. Through his wisdom and teachings, Shaikh Sharfuddin Ahmed Yahya Maneri played a pivotal role in elevating the Firdausi Silsila, shaping its influence across Bihar, Bengal, and beyond.[4]
Origin
In Bihar
The Firdausiyya order flourished in Bihar under the guidance of Shaikh Sharfuddin Ahmad Yahya Maneri, a distinguished disciple of Shaikh Najibuddin Firdausi bin Imaduddin Dehlvi. According to Dr. Taiyab Abdali, he had over one lakh disciples, including members of royal families. He appointed 313 Khalifas (spiritual successors) within the Firdausiyya order, who played a significant role in expanding its influence beyond Bihar into the Bengal region of India. [16]
The first Khanqah of the Firdausiyya order in Bihar was established by Zainuddin Majd-ul-Mulk, the Muqti (Governor) of Bihar under the orders of Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq of the Tughlaq dynasty for Shaikh Sharfuddin Ahmed Yahya Maneri. [14] Shaikh Sharfuddin Ahmad Yahya Maneri was granted the Jaagir of Rajgir, but after the death of Muhammad bin Tughlaq, he returned it to Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq upon his ascension to the throne. [15]
In Bengal
The Firdausiyya order flourished in the Bengal region under the guidance of Shaikh Habibuddin, the younger brother of Shaikh Sharfuddin Ahmad Yahya Maneri, and Shaikh Zakiuddin, the only son of Shaikh Sharfuddin Ahmad Yahya Maneri. Both are buried in Makhdum Nagar, Birbhum district, West Bengal. Even today, devoted followers (aqeedatmand) actively participate in the Urs celebrations, and the Khanqah remains active, preserving the spiritual traditions of the order. [g]
Notable Sufis
Shaikh Syed Badruddin Samarqandi
Shaikh Syed Badruddin Samarqandi Dehlvi is recognized as the eponymous founder or one of the key founders of the Firdausiyya order of Sufism in India. He was among the esteemed 22 Khwajgaan of Delhi, a revered group of Sufi saints collectively known as 22 Khwaja Ki Chaukhat. This sacred site is located at the foot of Firoz Shah Kotla in Delhi, where the Kotla itself was constructed with a passage leading to the dargah. Originally from Samarkand, he was a close companion and contemporary of Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya of the Chishtiyya order, further enriching the spiritual tapestry of the time.[7]
Shaikh Ruknuddin Firdausi
Shaikh Ruknuddin Firdausi bin Shaikh Imaduddin Dehlvi was one of the three prominent disciples of Shaikh Syed Badruddin Samarqandi Dehlvi. He played a significant role in the development of the Firdausiyya order and was instrumental in spreading its teachings. Notably, he was also the stepbrother of Shaikh Najibuddin Firdausi bin Shaikh Imaduddin Dehlvi and served as his spiritual guide, further strengthening the lineage and influence of the order.[8]
Shaikh Najibuddin Firdausi
Shaikh Najibuddin Firdausi was the son of Shaikh Imaduddin Dehlvi [c] and a distinguished figure in the Firdausiyya order of Sufism. He was the devoted disciple and successor of his stepbrother, Shaikh Ruknuddin Firdausi bin Shaikh Imaduddin Dehlvi. As the second Sufi of this order to adopt Firdausi as a surname, he played a crucial role in strengthening and expanding its spiritual influence. Among his many disciples were the renowned Shaikh Sharfuddin Ahmed Yahya Maneri, Maulana Fariduddin Ahmad Indrapati, along with several other Sufi luminaries. Shaikh Najibuddin Firdausi passed away in 1332 or on 13 Muharram 761 Hijri (5 December 1359) [d] in Delhi and was laid to rest beneath the eastern side of Auliya Masjid in Mehrauli, a place that remains a site of reverence to this day. [9]
Shaikh Sharfuddin Ahmed Yahya Maneri
Shaikh Sharfuddin Ahmed Yahya Maneri, widely revered as Makhdoom-e-Jahan and Makhdoom-ul-Mulk Bihari by his followers, was born in 1263 in Maner, near Patna, Bihar. He was the son of Kamaluddin Yahya Maneri bin Shaikh Imaduddin Israil Maneri and Syeda Bibi Raziya bint Syed Shahabuddin Peer Jagjot.
In his early years, he traveled to Sonargaon, now in Bangladesh, where he became a student of Shaikh Abu Towama, a renowned scholar and a companion of Shaikh Kamaluddin Yahya Maneri. During his time in Bangladesh, he married Bibi Badaam, the daughter of Shaikh Abu Towama Bukhari, and they were blessed with a son, Shaikh Zakiuddin, and two daughters, Bibi Fatima and Bibi Zahra.[e]
With a strong foundation in both spiritual and scholarly traditions, he later sought to become a disciple of Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya. However, recognizing his true spiritual path, Nizamuddin Auliya directed him to Shaikh Najibuddin Firdausi, a distinguished saint of the Firdausiyya order. Under Najibuddin Firdausi’s guidance, Maneri embarked on a profound spiritual journey, eventually emerging as one of the most influential Sufis of Bihar.[11][12]
Muzaffar Shams Balkhi
Maulana Burhanuddin Muzaffar Shams Balkhi was born to Sultan Shamsuddin Balkhi and is believed to be a descendant of the renowned Sufi saint Shaikh Ibrahim Bin Adham. As a prince of Balkh, he renounced his royal status and chose the path of spiritual devotion, eventually journeying to India. In Bihar Sharif, he became a devoted disciple of Shaikh Sharfuddin Ahmed Yahya Maneri and later succeeded him as his Janasheen (spiritual successor). He also served as the first Sajjadanasheen (custodian) of Maneri’s Khanqah Muazzam, carrying forward his master's spiritual legacy and guiding countless seekers on the path of Sufism.[5] Maulana Burhanuddin Muzaffar Shams Balkhi passed away in Aden, Yemen, while returning to India after completing his Hajj pilgrimage. He was laid to rest there, far from the land where he had devoted himself to the spiritual teachings of Shaikh Sharfuddin Ahmed Yahya Maneri and Syed Ahmed Chiramposh.[6] After Maulana Burhanuddin Muzaffar Shams Balkhi’s passing, his nephew, Makhdoom Hussain Nausha-e-Tauheed Balkhi bin Muiz Balkhi, succeeded him as the Sajjadanasheen (custodian) of the Khanqah.[10]
Maulana Muzaffar Shams Balkhi had several distinguished Firdausi Sufi disciples who carried forward his spiritual legacy:
Maulana Qamruddin Balkhi, a devoted disciple who played a significant role in spreading the teachings of the Firdausiyya order.
Shaikh Jamal Auliya Audhi, a revered Sufi saint who remained closely associated with the Khanqah and was buried near the grave of Shaikh Sharfuddin Ahmed Yahya Maneri, in Badi Dargah, Bihar Sharif.
Makhdoom Shaikh Husain Nausha-e-Tauheed Balkhi bin Muiz Balkhi (d. 1440), who succeeded Maulana Muzaffar Balkhi as the Sajjadnasheen.
Sufi Shijra (Spiritual Genealogy)
The below is the Shijra of the Firdausiyya order.[13]
- Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa ﷺ
- Hazrat Imam Ali
- Hazrat Imam Hussain
- Hazrat Imam Zainul Aabedeen
- Hazrat Imam Muhammad Baaqar
- Hazrat Imam Jaafar Saadiq
- Hazrat Imam Musa Kaazim
- Hazrat Imam Ali Raza
- Hazrat Maroof Karkhi
- Hazrat Sirri Sakti
- Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi
- Hazrat Mumshad Dinawri
- Hazrat Muhammad bin Abdullah al-Maroof
- Hazrat Wajihuddin Abu Hafs
- Hazrat Najmuddin Kubra
- Hazrat Saifuddin Bakhari
- Shaikh Syed Badruddin Samarqandi
- Shaikh Ruknuddin Firdausi
- Shaikh Najibuddin Firdausi
- Shaikh Sharfuddin Ahmed Yahya Maneri
Notes
[a] Imam Taj Faqih was a descendant of Zubair Ibn Abdul Muttalib, the grandfather of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). This esteemed lineage is reflected in his full name, which includes Zubairi and Hashmi, signifying his noble heritage.
[b] The Kubraviyya and Firdausiyya orders trace their origins to Hazrat Najmuddin Kubra, whose spiritual teachings laid the foundation for both Sufi traditions.
[c] Shaikh Najibuddin Firdausi was the son of Shaikh Imaduddin Dehlvi, whose mother was the daughter of Syed Amir Khurd.
[d] The website Shaneghous states that Shaikh Najibuddin Firdausi passed away on 13 Muharram 761 Hijri (5 December 1359), while other sources mention the year of his death as 1332.
[e] Shaikh Zakiuddin bin Shaikh Sharfuddin Ahmed Yahya Maneri is buried at Makhdoom Nagar, Birbhum, West Bengal. His two sisters are buried next to the tomb of Kamaluddin Yahya Maneri at Badi Dargah, Maner Sharif, Bihar.
[f] also spelt Samarkandi.
[g] Collected insights from Zayereen at the Dargah Makhdoom Zakiuddin Maneri at Makhdum Nagar, Birbhum district of West Bengal.
References
Mishra, Yogendra. (1985) Homage To Vaisali. Research Institute of Prakrit, Jainology, and Ahimsa p. 423
Mahajan, V. D. (2007). History of Medieval India. S. Chand. pp. 418-419.
Raychoudhry, S. C. (1978) Social, Cultural, and Economic History of India: Medieval Age. Surjeet Publications pp 112-113
Grewal, J. S. (2006) Religious Movements and Institutions in Medieval India Volume 3, Part 2. Oxford University Press p. 325
Makhdoom Shah Shuaib Firdausi, Manaqib-ul-Asfiya p. 151 Urdu edition
Communication with Janab Syed Absaruddin Balkhi Sahab, grandson of Syed Aleemuddin Balkhi, a known Sufi from Bihar who belonged to Khanqah Balkhiya Firdausiya, Fatuha.
Nishat Manzar (2022) Sheikh Badruddin Samarqandi: Founder of the Firdausi Silsilah in India published in Sufism in India and Central Asia by Routledge.
Syed Yusuf Shahab (2020) The Lost Sufis of Delhi: Forgotten Sufis & Heritage Encyclopedia. OrangeBooks Publication
Maksud Ahmad Khan (1989) Firdausia Silsila During The Sultanate Period. Department of History, Aligarh Muslim University. P. 57
Dr. Shakir Khaliq (1993) Hussain Nausha Tauheed Balkhi: Hayat Aur Karname
B. Lawrence Mak̲h̲dūm al-Mulk S̲h̲araf al-Dīn Aḥmad b. Yaḥyā Manīrī or Manērī Encyclopaedia of Islam New Edition Online (EI-2 English), BRILL
Mohammad Akram Raza (2017) Firdausi Silsila E Tasawwuf Shaikh Sharfuddin Ahmad Yahya Maneri Ke Hawale Se. Jamia Millia Islamia