Nisbat-e-Rasooli

Nisbat-e-Rasooli (Urdu: نسبت رسولی) is the name given to the Naqshbandia Sufi order that was first renamed and led by Pir Nazeer Ahmed at Mohra Sharif. Currently this order is being led by his youngest son Pir Haroon al Rasheed.

Reason for Renaming

In his own words Pir Nazeer Ahmed described the reason of naming the order to be "The real purpose of Tareeqat is to follow the Prophet Muhammad in every aspect of life. This is the teaching that was given by all the pious saints of Islam. Abdul Qadir Jilani never called himself Qadri neither did Shahab al-Din Suhrawardi called himself Suhrawardi nor Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari called himself Naqshbandi. Similarly Abu Ishaq Shami never called himself Chishti. Rather the only message that these people gave was to follow Prophet Muhammad completely and in every aspect of one's life. These names were given to these orders by the people who came later and in due course of time unfortunately they all fell victim to prejudice. So much so that they started to mock others and hence Tareeqat that was meant to promote brotherhood became a tool for propagating hatred. Since we do not want to indulge into all these minor differences and want to focus on the main objective of following Prophet Muhammad in every aspect of our lives, thus we call our order Nisbat-e-Rasooli."

History

Nisbat-e-Rasooli formerly originated after the death of Baba Ji Muhammad Qasim Sadiq in year 1943. According to the followers of the order Baba Ji Muhammad Qasim Sadiq publicly appointed his eldest son Pir Nazeer Ahmed his successor in 1925, however, familial disputes arose after his death and the order at Mohra Sharif split into two parts. Pir Nazeer Ahmed later renamed the order to Nisbat-e-Rasooli for the reason mentioned above. Pir Nazeer Ahmed led the order till his death on 22nd of July 1960. He appointed his youngest son Pir Haroon al Rasheed as his successor formally through a letter to then President of Pakistan Muhammad Ayub Khan. Since August 28, 1960 Pir Haroon al Rasheed is leading the order. During his speech in 1998 Pir Haroon al Rasheed appointed his eldest son Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Gauhar Nazeer his successor.

Ideology

The founder of the order Pir Nazeer Ahmed described the ideology of the order to be that "Real example of following the Prophet Muhammad can be found in his companions, most notably the first four Caliphs. And that is where every Muslim shall try to be at. By the passage of time, different variations start appearing that can be exemplified as when you throw a stone in the water. Stone being at the center, creates ripples that spread in circles around it and keep on moving further away. All these variations are like those ripple currents that although centered around the stone, are in fact away from it. We want to put our focus to the stone (center) rather than getting bogged by the ripples. This is why we call our order Nisbat-e-Rasooli." It is claimed that Pir Nazeer Ahmed was never into conflict with any other sect of Islam and for this he was sent honorary dresses by the caretaker of Karbala and the caretaker of the shrine of Abdul Qadir Jilani. These spiritual leaders of Muslims also were claimed to had sent their manuscripts to Pir Nazeer Ahmed for his help and guidance.

Religious Festivals

Twice a year, religious congregations are held in Mohra Sharif to commemorate its leaders and their teachings. The first meeting is held around early June to commemorate the founder of the order Pir Nazeer Ahmed, Khwaja Nizam ad Din and Abdul Qadir Jilani. The second meeting is held around early November in commemoration of Baba Ji Muhammad Qasim Sadiq and Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi. General public is invited to these meetings by publishing posters and flyers. Besides these two meetings, every 23rd of July, a congregation is held for Quran recitation at the death anniversary of the founder of the order Pir Nazeer Ahmed. No public announcements are done for this event but all are welcomed and encouraged to participate.

References

• Sufi Muhammad Rasheed (2006). Nisbat-e-Rasooli. Maktaba Nisbat-e-Rasooli. ISBN 969-8614
• http://www.mohrasharif.com.pk
• http://www.nisbat-e-rasooli.info