Religion Islam, Sunni Name Shahab Abu | Title Shaykh al-Islam Died 1234
Baghdad | |
 | ||
Other names Shahabudin, Shahabuddin, Soharwardi, al-Suhrawardi, Soharwardy, Shahab ad-Din | ||
Period in office 12th-13th century | ||
Shaykh Shahab al-Din Abu Hafs Umar Suhrawardi (c.1145-1234) was a Kurdish Sufi and nephew of Abu al-Najib Suhrawardi. He expanded the Sufi order of Suhrawardiyya that had been created by his uncle Abu al-Najib Suhrawardi, and is the person responsible for officially formalizing the order. Suhrawardi is the author of the Awarif ul-Maarif, which is recognized as a masterpiece work in Tasawwuf.
Contents
Other transliterations: Shaykh Shihab al-Din ‘Umar al-Suhrawardi, Shaykh 'Abu Hafs al-Suhrawardi, Hadrat Shaykh Shihab al-Din `Umar b. `Abd Allah al-Suhrawardi, Shaykh Shahabuddin Abu Hafs Umar Suhrawardi, Shaykh Shahabuddin Abu Hafs Umar Soharwardi, Shaykh Shahabuddin Abu Hafs Umar Soharwardy, Shaykh Shahabuddin Soharwardi, Shaykh Shahabuddin Soharwardy, Shaykh Umar Shahabuddin Soharwardi.
Life
Suhrawardi traces his lineage back to Abu Bakr, the first Caliph. From an early age onwards, Suhrawardi studied Islamic jurisprudence, law, logic, theology, Quranic studies and Hadith studies. Suhrawardi quickly excelled in his studies and mastered, at an early age, the Shafi'i and Hanbali madhabs. One of his most notable teachers was the famous Sufi, Abdul Qadir Jilani. Suhrawardi was eventually designated as Shaykh al-Islam by al-Nasir under the Abbasids.
The Awarif ul Maarif
Suhrawardi wrote the Awarif ul-Maarif, or "The Knowledge of the Spiritually Learned." The Awarif ul-Maarif quickly became one of the most popular books on Sufism throughout the Muslim world. This book was translated into English by Henry Wilberforce-Clarke and published as "A Dervish Textbook" in 1891. It was reprinted by Octagon Press in 1980.