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The
Founder of the famous Sufi Order, "Suhrawardi" is Shaykh
al-Shayyukh Shihab al-Din Abu Hafs 'Umer Bin Muhammad al-Bakari
Al-Suhrawardi, al-Shafi'i,Mohadith Baghdadi. He was born in "Suhraward"
A town at that time situated near Zanjan in Iran, Unfortunately
today it is impossible to even identify the site of this ancient
town for certain. His date of birth is most probably at the end
of "Rajab"(7th Islamic month) or the beginning of "Sha'ban"
(8th month) in 539/1145.
His
lineage starts from Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddique (the first caliph
of Islam). According to "Munaqib-e-Ghawthia" his parents
did not have a child. Disappointed enough one day his mother took
an opportunity and reached the holy "khanaqah" (Sufi
centre) of Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani al-Hasani popularly known
as Ghawth al-Azam (the founder of "Qadri" Sufi order
D.561/1167), and requested him to pray to God for her to bear
a child. At this the Shaykh made a prediction about a very special
son for her. According to another assumption Shaykh also suggested
the good name of the child as Shihab al-Din Umer.
Shihab
al-Din Umer took his early education at home, Like his uncle Shaykh
Dia al-Din Abu al-Najib Abd al-Qahir Bin Abdullah al-Bakari al-suhrawardi(D.563/1165),
in his Child hood he traveled to Baghdad for studies. There he
had an apportunity to study The Quran (The holy book of Islam),
Hadith (sayings of Prophet), Fiqh (juridco-canonical system of
Islam) and other on going subjects which were essential at that
time, from famous, authentic, skillful and centrally figured teachers
of that age, including his uncle. After the completion of his
studies, he then came under his uncle's supervision for spiritual
knowledge and the development of his inner-self. He also had Shaykh
Abd al- Qadir al-Gilani as his spiritual benefactor, and he wore
the khirqah-e-khilafat (khirqa:a dervish's patched garment, symbol
of his vows of obidience to the rule of his order, khilafa: vicarship)
in Qadria, from shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani in 560/1162. On
the other hand According to "Qala 'd al-Jawahir" "He
is one who has been approached by the Great Shaykh Jilani himself
who said 'O, Omar! you will be well renowned in the later saints
of Iraq.'
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