After the departure of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, from this world his Sunnah (Way of Life) was cultivated and emulated by his descendants, close friends and companions (Sahabah). Among the Prophet’s closest friends and disciples were Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah accept and bless them in abundance.

Abu Bakr and Ali were teachers and transmitters of the spiritual teachings of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Before they left this world, they nominated their most successful students to pass on the Sunnah to the next generation. Thus, the tradition passed down from one generation to the next through an authentic chain of Awliya Allah (Friends of God, or ‘saints’). The chain of transmission is known as a Silsilah. As Tassawuf (Sufism) spread, and spiritual guides chose more than one successor, the tree branched out, thus today the silsilahs diverge and vary according to the Sufi tariqah (order).

Traditionally, Muslims interested in developing spiritually would make bayah (pledge of allegiance) to a Sufi murshid (spiritual teacher). The silsilah records these pledges of allegiance, and the transmission of spiritual guidance through time, from Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, to the Sufi guides of today. In the Holy Qur’an, Allah Almighty refers to this bayah as follows:

“Behold, all who pledge their allegiance to thee pledge their allegiance to God: the hand of God is over their hands. Hence, he who breaks his oath, breaks it only to his own hurt; whereas he who remains true to what he has pledged unto God, on him will He bestow a reward supreme.”
~ Holy Qur’an 48:10 (M. Asad)

Naqshbandi-Ghamkolvi Silsilah:

1. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
2. Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
3. Salman al-Farsi
4. Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr
5. Jafar al-Sadiq
6. Tayfur Abu Yazid al-Bistami
7. Abul Hassan Ali al-Kharqani
8. Abul-Qasim ibn Ali ibn Abdullah Gurgani
9. Abu Ali al-Farmadi al Tusi
10. Abu Yaqub Yusuf al-Hamadani,
11. Abdul Khaliq al-Ghujdawani
12. Muhammad Arif al-Riwakri
13. Mahmoud al-Anjir al-Faghnawi
14. Azizan Ali al-Ramitani
15. Muhammad Baba as-Samasi
16. As-Sayyid (Shams al Deen) Amir Kulal
17. (Imam al Tariqah) Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari
18. Alauddin al Bukhari al Attar
19. Yaqub al Charkhi
20. Ubaydullah al Ahrar
21. Muhammad Zahid
22. Darwish Muhammad
23. Muhammad Khwaja al-Amkanaki
24. Muhammad al-Baqi Billah
25. Mujaddid Alf-i Thani Ahmad Sirhindi
26. Muhammad Shah Hussain
27. Syed Abdul Basit
28. Abdul Qadir
29. Syed Mahmood
30. Khwaja Abdullah
31. Shah Inayatullah
32. Hafiz Ahmed
33. Abdul Saboor
34. Gul Mohammed
35. Abdul Majeed
36. Abdul Aziz
37. Mohammed Shah Malook
38. Shah Nizamuddin
39. Mohammed Qasim of Mohra Sharif
40. Zinda Pir Sahib of Ghamkol Sharif
41. Baadshah Sahib of Ghamkol Sharif
42. Sufi Muhammad Abdullah Khan

Naqshbandi-Haqqani Silsilah:

1. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
2. Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
3. Salman al-Farsi
4. Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr
5. Jafar as-Sadiq
6. Tayfur Abu Yazid al-Bistami
7. Abul Hassan Ali al-Kharqani
8. Abu Ali al-Farmadi
9. Abu Yaqub Yusuf al-Hamadani
10. Abul Abbas, al-Khidr (peace be upon him)
11. Abdul Khaliq al-Ghujdawani
12. Arif ar-Riwakri
13. Khwaja Mahmoud al-Anjir al-Faghnawi
14. Ali ar-Ramitani
15. Muhammad Baba as-Samasi
16. as-Sayyid Amir Kulal
17. Muhammad Baha’uddin Shah Naqshband
18. Ala’uddin al-Bukhari al-`Attar
19. Yaqub al-Charkhi
20. Ubaydullah al-Ahrar
21. Muhammad az-Zahid
22. Darwish Muhammad
23. Muhammad Khwaja al-Amkanaki
24. Muhammad al-Baqi bi-l-Lah
25. Ahmad al-Faruqi as-Sirhindi
26. Muhammad al-Masum
27. Muhammad Sayfuddin al-Faruqi al-Mujaddidi
28. as-Sayyid Nur Muhammad al-Bayadouni
29. Shamsuddin Habib Allah
30. Abdullah ad-Dahlawi
31. Khalid al-Baghdadi
32. Ismail Muhammad ash-Shirwani
33. Khas Muhammad Shirwani
34. Muhammad Effendi al-Yaraghi
35. Jamaluddin al-Ghumuqi al-Husayni
36. Abu Ahmad as-Sughuri
37. Abu Muhammad al-Madani
38. Sharafuddin ad-Daghestani
39. Abdullah al-Fa’iz ad-Daghestani
40. Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqani