The Nimatullahi Order

‍Oh heart, there is but one Path of loving; In the country of love the slave and the King are one. Not until you give up duality on the Path of love, Can you grasp that Nimatullah is but one.
— Shah Nimatullah Wali

In common with all Sufi orders, the Nimatullahi Order stems from an initiatic chain, going back to the beginning of Islam, with the Prophet being considered the first Sufi master. The word 'Nimatullahi' is derived from the name of Shah Nimatullah Wali, who founded the order at the end of the 14th century A.D. and was one of the great Sufi masters of Iran.

Shah Nimatullah Wali was born in 1330 A.D. (731 A.H.) in Aleppo, Syria. His father, Mir Abdullah, was himself a Sufi master and a descendant of the Prophet. His mother was from a noble family of Fars in southern Iran. Shah Nimatullah travelled extensively in the Islamic world and met numerous masters, becoming acquainted with the important ideas of his time, especially the philosophical views of Ibn Arabi. He studied Ibn Arabi's Fusus al-Hikam extensively and later in his life wrote several commentaries on this book. Towards the end of the first period of his travels he met Shaykh Abdullah Yafei in Mecca and became his disciple. After studying under Shaykh Yafei for seven years, Shah Nimatullah began a second period of travelling within the Islamic world. This time, however, he did not go as a dervish in search of a perfect master, but as a perfect master quenching the spiritual thirst of others. In this second period of travels, Shah Nimatullah first set out for Egypt, then went on to Transoxiana, where he settled in Shahr-e Sabz near Samarqand. It was here that he met the great conqueror, Tamerlane who, however, was unable to appreciate Shah Nimatullah, and so, to avoid trouble, Shah Nimatullah decided to leave Shahr-e Sabz and journey to Herat. From there he travelled to Mashhad, then resided for a while in Baft near the city of Yazd, then stayed for a while in Kuh-banan in the vicinity of Kerman. From there he went to Kerman and finally settled in nearby Mahan, where he remained for most of the last twenty-five years of his life. During Shah Nimatullah's stay in Mahan, his fame spread throughout the regions of Iran and India, with pilgrims coming from all over to visit him. Shah Nimatullah lived nearly a hundred years. He died in 1431 A.D. (834 A.H.) and was buried in Mahan.

In the realm of Sufism, the endeavors of Shah Nimatullah brought new respect for Sufism and the Sufis, enriching the culture of Islam, particularly in Iran. In addition to guiding a large following of disciples, he engaged in farming, serving as a model to his disciples in pursuing a profession as the best form of self-discipline. He actively demonstrated that the way to purifying the heart and purging the self lay in service to society and kindness to other human beings. Under his guidance, disciples learned to occupy themselves with God while living in the midst of society, putting into practice the principle of 'solitude in the company of others'. Following his example, his disciples abandoned seclusion and retreat as their primary spiritual mode and embraced lives of constructive occupation. Shah Nimatullah's opposition to apathy and lethargy extended to his banning of the use of opium and hashish among his disciples at a time when these were commonly used by both ordinary people and Sufis.

Another of Shah Nimatullah's innovations, related to his instruction that his disciples should have an occupation, was his prohibition of the wearing in public of any particular costume which would draw attention to them. It was his view that to develop inwardly, the Sufi must be free of any kind of show or pretence; he should strive for 'colorlessness'. For Shah Nimatullah nobility consisted in one's becoming graced by Divine Attributes, not in attachment to a particular form of dress. Shah Nimatullah not only opened the door of his bounty to all seekers and aspirants, as well as to his own followers, but he also paid respect to all nations and peoples and to other Sufi orders of his time, basing his actions on a code of purity and fidelity. Shah Nimatullah followed his predecessors in not separating the tariqat (the spiritual path) from the shariat (the Islamic law) because of his belief that the haqiqat (Reality) could be attained only through the integration of the two.

The fact that the Nimatullahi order became so widespread and popular during the time of Shah Nimatullah is due primarily to his approach to Sufism and his charismatic personality. Succeeding masters of the Nimatullahi Order have continued to maintain this tradition of integrating the social and the spiritual life¹. In general, the spiritual method of the Nimatullahi Order is based on invocation and remembrance of God (dhikr), reflection (fikr), self-examination (muhasaba), meditation (muraqaba) and litany (wird), while the important social and ethical aspects of this order, along with some rules and regulations for the management of the spiritual centers (khaniqah-s), are as follows²:

1. Rejection of seclusion, with preference for inward retreat in the company of others. There are, however, certain exceptions, such as when an individual may be asked to spend time in retreat by way of therapy, in order to regain his or her psychological health.
2. Stern disapproval of the use of hashish and addictive drugs of this nature.
3. Requirement of constructive activity on the part of Sufis, with discouragement of idleness.
4. Wearing of conventional clothing, so that one may not stand out as an object of attention or be subject to affectation.
5. Warm respect for seekers of every faith and ethnic group, while one's life is devoted to kindness towards God's creatures.
6. The Master and the shaykhs of the Order initiate and guide all seekers who are worthy, turning no one away.
7. Tendency towards the practice of dhikr in the heart in gatherings of the Order, rather than vocal dhikr.
8. Advocacy of peace, fraternity and equality on the part of the Sufis of the Order. In particular, there is no distinction made between men and women.
9. The Master and the shaykhs of the Order neither receive money from nor give money to their followers. In addition, the disciples are not required to pay a regular fee, and whatever contribution an individual makes is used for the community as a whole.
10. The spiritual and financial affairs of khaniqah-s are usually managed by shaykhs who are appointed by the Master. In cases where there are no shaykhs, a person will be appointed by the master to oversee such affairs.
11. A khaniqah is a non-profitable charity which belongs to all members and is run by the Master and the shaykhs of the Order in accordance with the laws of the country in which it is located.
12. On certain occasions, such as eating in the presence of or traveling with the Master or a shaykh, certain individuals are chosen to serve. Such individuals are usually selected on the basis of their spiritual progress on the Path. The Nimatullahi dervishes view serving other human beings as an opportunity for spiritual advancement.
13. When Sufis congregate or live together, their relationship is based on equality. In particular, no Sufi has the right to give orders to other Sufis, and everyone's contribution is based on his or her capability.

After Shah Nimatullah the masters of the Nimatullahi Order resided in India until the end of the 18th century A.D. (12th century A.H.). The center of the Nimatullahi Order then shifted back to Iran with the arrival of Sayyed Ma'sum 'Ali Shah Dakkani in Iran in 1775 A.D. (1190 A.H.). Until recently the Nimatullahi Order was based solely in Iran, and the majority of Nimatullahi Sufis were Iranians and lived in Iran.

Dr. Nurbakhsh became the Master of the Nimatullahi order in 1953, when his master, Munis 'Ali Shah Dho'r-Riyasatain passed away. For the last 35 years Dr. Nurbakhsh has established more than a hundred khaniqah-s and numerous libraries and museums throughout Iran. In the 1970's a number of Americans and Europeans came to Iran and were initiated into the Nimatullahi Order. On their return to their respective countries they needed a place to congregate. Accordingly, the first khaniqah outside Iran was founded in San Francisco in 1975. Since that time eight more khaniqah-s in the United States and three in Western Europe have been established. These spiritual centers are founded as non-profit charities and their financial affairs are inspected by the government agencies which are responsible for such organizations. The financial needs of each khaniqah are handled by the Sufis who live in them in such a way that the resident Sufis make a monthly contribution, which is used to meet the expenses of the khaniqah. Whatever surplus may be accrued is used towards the establishment of new khaniqah-s.

Dr. Nurbakhsh has been residing in London for the last six years. He receives people from all over the world and has published a number of books on Sufism.

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Notes

1. For more information about the masters of the Nimatullahi order, see Masters of the Path (1980) by Dr. Nurbakhsh, Khaniqahi Nimatullahi Publications, New York.
2. For more information about the spiritual practices of the Nimatullahi Order, see In the Tavern of Ruin (1978) and In the Paradise of the Sufis (1979) by Dr. Nurbakhsh, Khaniqahi Nimatullahi Publications, New York.