Nazim Al Haqqani

Names

Shaykh Nazim was active in Turkish and Arabic language contexts. His name was therefore transliterated into English in various ways: Nazim Qibrisi (Turkish: Nazım Kıbrısi), indicating his homeland of Cyprus (Turkish: Kıbrıs), and Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Qubrusi al-Haqqani an-Naqshbandi (Arabic: محمد ناظم عادل القبرصي الحقاني النقشبندي‎‎). His name al-Haqqani is an honorific granted by his Sufi teacher Abdullah Fa'izi ad-Daghestani. He has no connection with the Islamic insurgent group known as the Haqqani network.

Early life

Shaykh Nazim was born in Larnaca, Cyprus, on April 21, 1922 CE (Sha'ban 23, 1340 AH). He traced his paternal lineage to the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, through the Sufi saint Abdul Qadir Jilani. He further traced his maternal line to Muhammad's companion Abu Bakr as-Siddiq – who has special significance in the Naqshbandi Sufi order (tariqa) – through the Sufi saint and poet Jalaluddin Rumi. He was first exposed to Sufism as a young child by his paternal grandfather, who was a Sufi shaykh in the Qadiriyya order.

He moved to Istanbul, Turkey, in 1940 to study chemical engineering at Istanbul University. He would later state, "I felt no attraction to modern science; my heart was always drawn to the spiritual sciences."

In Turkey

In Istanbul, Shaykh Nazim studied Classical Arabic and Islamic Jurisprudence (fiqh) under Shaykh Jamal al-Din al-Alsuni (d. 1955 CE/1375 AH) and received an ijaza (permission to teach) in these subjects from him. He was initiated in Naqshbandi Sufism by Shaykh Sulayman Arzarumi (d. 1948 CE/1368 AH), who eventually directed him to Damascus, Syria, to continue his studies with his destined sheykh. He left Istanbul and arrived in Syria in 1944.

In Syria

In Syria, Shaykh Nazim continued his sharia studies in Aleppo, Hama, and Homs. In Homs, he studied at the madrasa adjoining the burial shrine and mosque of Muhammad's companion, Khalid ibn al-Walid. There, he received further ijazas in Hanafi jurisprudence (fiqh) from Shaykh Muhammad 'Ali' Ayoun al-Soud and Shaykh Abdul Jalil Murad. He also studied and received ijaza in hadith studies from the Muhaddith Shaykh Abdul Aziz ibn Muhammad Ali Ayoun al-Soud al-Hanafi.

Following the end of the unrest in the region due to World War II, Shaykh Nazim was able to enter Damascus in 1945. There, he met his destined Naqshbandi Sufi Shaykh Abdullah Fa'izi ad-Daghestani, and they exchanged the Sufi oath of mutual allegiance (bay'ah). He trained him well in naqshbandi sufi path and poured divine knowledge in his heart. Shaykh Nazim would consider Shaykh Abdullah as his primary spiritual director (murshid) until the latter's death in 1973.

Islamic Missionary Activity

Shaykh Nazim returned to Cyprus and began Islamic missionary activity. Whilst there, he came into conflict with the Kemalist governing body of the Turkish community of the island. The government had enacted laws forbidding the public performance of the Islamic call to prayer (adhan) in its traditional Arabic form. Regardless, Shaykh Nazim continued to do so. The conflict was resolved with the coming to power of Adnan Menderes in Turkey, whose government chose a more tolerant approach to Islamic traditions.

Shaykh Nazim took up residence in Damascus in 1952 to continue his studies with Shaykh Abdullah, though he continued to spend three months or more each year in his native Cyprus. Shaykh Nazim would eventually become the Grand Mufti of Turkish Cyprus.

International mission

Following the death of Shaykh Abdullah Fa'izi ad-Daghestani in 1973, Shaykh Nazim was made his spiritual successor about his Shaykhs will to head the Sufi order by Shaykh Abdullah's small network of students. From 1974, he began to visit Western Europe, traveling every year to London, England, for the month of Ramadan. He would gain a large following of spiritual seekers from Western Europe and North America, many of whom converted to Islam after encountering his teaching. From 1980, his lectures on Islam and Sufism were published in English and other European languages.

Shaykh Nazim's transnational appeal was facilitated by his ability to speak English, Turkish, Arabic, and Greek.

In 1991, Shaykh Nazim visited the United States for the first time at the invitation of his son-in-law and representative Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani. At that time, he made the first of four nationwide tours.

In 1997, Shaykh Nazim visited Daghestan, the childhood home of his primary Sufi shaykh, Shaykh Abdullah Fa'izi ad-Daghestani. He also made several visits to Uzbekistan where he made pilgrimage to the tomb of the eponymous founder of the Naqshbandi Order, Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari.

In 1998, Shaykh Nazim was the guest of honor at the Second International Islamic Unity Conference, held in Washington, D.C. Later in the same year, he traveled to South Africa, visiting Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. Where ever he went he was respected a lot.

Notable Followers

Among Shaykh Nazim's Sufi Muslim students is the current successor of the Naqshbandi Tarriqa Mehmet Adil, and his brother Bahauddin Adil, also Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, Muhammad Adnan Kabbani, Gibril Haddad, and the late Raja Ashman Shah and Abdul Kerim Kibrisi. Among his other noteworthy students is also Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah,. Due to his influential teachings and leading spread of Sufism for the West, among public figures that derived inspiration from some of his teachings though notably vary in their own paths are people as diverse as author Stephen Suleyman Schwartz, the late author Hasan Lutfi Shushud and British teacher of spirituality John G. Bennett.

Political Opinions

Shaykh Nazim was involved in the political realm as well. He had close ties with several notable politicians, notably the late president of Turkey, Turgut Ozal, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktaş. Born just before the fall of the Ottoman Empire, he praised Ottoman history and civilization, contrasting its culture to its successor, the modern-day Republic of Turkey.

Shaykh Nazim also repudiated terrorism as a key feature of his teachings. He said:

Those who plant bombs and kill the innocent are not Muslims. A Muslim defends the faith by fighting face to face, not by cowardly means.

To this end, Shaykh Nazim had expressed ardent support for George W Bush and Tony Blair's "War on Terror", to the extent of declaring them as achieving sainthood due to their efforts in "fighting tyrants and evil and devils". Shaykh Nazim also most notably predicted that the regimes in the Middle East would be replaced by one ruling sultanate before the end of 2011. Shaykh Nazim also claimed that Prince Charles had "really embraced Sufism and Islam in his heart" and would forcibly dissolve the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Honors

Shaykh Bahauddin adil (Pingat Darjah Kebesaran DKA) from Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak in 2009.

Recognition

In his later years, Shaykh Nazim was regularly recognized among the world's 50 most influential Muslims in the annual publication, The 500 Most Influential Muslims: he was ranked 49th, 49th, 48th, 45th, and 42nd in the 2009-2013 editions, respectively.

Death

Shaykh Nazim had been receiving intensive care since April 17, 2014, when he was rushed from his home in Lefke to the Near East University Hospital in North Nicosia, Northern Cyprus, after suffering from respiratory problems. He left this world to eternity there on May 7, 2014, (8 Rajab 1435) aged 92. His grave and burial shrine is located in Lefke, Cyprus, at his Sufi lodge and former home. Shaykh Nazim appointed Sheikh Hisham, Sheikh Adnan and his son Sheikh Mehmet as his successors.

Published works