Shajra-e-Tasawwuf of Sayyiduna AlaHadrat Imam Ahmad Rida Khan al-Baraylawi Alaihir raHmah

Spiritual Allegiance and Successorship of AlaHadrat
Imam Ahmad Rida Khan al-Baraylawi Alaihir raHmah

In the year 1294 A.H., at the age of 22 years, Sayyiduna A'la Hadrat (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) became the Mureed (Disciple) of Imam al-Asfiya, Sayyiduna Shah Aal-e-Rasool Mahrerwi (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu). The incident surrounding the Bai'at (Spiritual Allegiance) and Khilafat (Spiritual Successorship) of A'la Hadrat (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) is as follows:

Once Hadrat Maulana Abdul Qaadir Badayouni (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) came to Bareilly Shareef. He invited A'la Hadrat (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) to go to Mahrera Shareef with him. Sayyiduna A'la Hadrat (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) accepted his invitation and they both set off to Mahrera Shareef. When they arrived at the station in Mahrera Shareef, A'la Hadrat (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) said,

"I am receiving the scent of my Murshid."

When they reached the Khanqah al-Barakatiyah and entered, Sayyiduna Shah Aal-e-Rasool (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) saw A'la Hadrat (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) and said,

"Come In!! I have been awaiting your presence for a long time."

Sayyiduna Shah Aal-e-Rasool (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) immediately made A'la Hadrat (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) a mureed and blessed him with Khilafat and Ijazat in all the Sufi Salasil (Spiritual Orders).

Hadrat Sayyadina Abul Hussain Noori Barakati (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu), who was also the Peer-o-Murshid of Mawlana Mustafa Rida Khan (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu), was also present in this spiritual gathering. He was also a great Wali Allah and needed no introduction to Sayyiduna A'la Hadrat (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu). For the benefit of the others who were present and to make them aware of the exalted calibre and status of A'la Hadrat (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu), he asked Hadrat Sayyiduna Shah Aal-e-Rasool (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) a question. He asked,

"Huzoor! The ritual here at Mahrehra Shareef is that if any person comes here, and after becoming Mureed desires to gain Khilafat and Ijazat, and then we ask him to perform Mujahida (Struggle in the Path of Allah). We also give him dried bread to eat as part of his Spiritual training. After this, if we find him worthy enough, then we grant him Khilafat and Ijazat of all Salasil, and even commanded him to look at and verify all the books that you have written, Why is this so?"

Sayyiduna Shah Aal-e-Rasool (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) answered with the following words:

"O People! You do not know Ahmad Rida. Others, who come here, need to be prepared before gaining Ijazat and Khilafat. But Ahmad Rida Khan has come prepared from Almighty Allah. All he needed was a link and this is why I made him Mureed... I always shed tears through the fear of Almighty Allah that if on the day of Qiyamah, He questioned me concerning what I had brought for him from the world, then I would have no answer. But today, that fear no longer exists. If one the day of Qiyamah the Almighty asks, 'O Aal-e-Rasool! What have you brought for me?' then, I will immediately present Ahmed Rida Khan (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) to my creator."

This highly spiritual incident alone explains the status of A'la Hadrat, Azeem al-Barkat, Imam Ahmad Raza Khan (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu).

Imām Ahmad Rīdā’s (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) Spiritual Qādiriyyah Silsilā and Golden Chain of Mashā’ikh

1) Mujaddid Ash-Shah Imam Ahmad Rida (1272-1340 /1856-1921) Murid of
2) Khatim al-Akabir Sayyid Shah Aal-e-Rasool Ahmadi al-Husani Qadiri (1209-1296/1795-1879) Murid & nephew of
3) Ghawth al-Waqt Sayyid Shah Aal-e-Ahmad Ache Mia al-Husani Qadiri (1160-1235/1747-1820) Murid and son of
4) Asad al-‘Arifin Sayyid Shah Hamza al-Husani Qadiri (1131-1198/1719-1783) Murid and son of
5) Burhan al-Muwahhidin Sayyid Shah Aal-e-Muhammad al-Husani Qadiri (1111-1164/ 1700-1751) Murid and son of
6) Sahib al-Barkat wa al-Darajat Sayyid Shah Barkat Allah al-Husani Qadiri (1070-1142/1659-1729) Murid of
7) Sayyid Jalil al-Shan Shaykh Fadl Allah al-Husani Qadiri (1111 Hijri /1700 AD) Murid and son of
8) Sayyid Mir Ahmad al-Husani Qadiri (1084 Hijri / 1673 AD) Murid and son of
9) Sayyid Jalil al-Qadar Mir Muhammad al-Husani Tirmidi Qadiri (1006-1071/1598-1661) Murid of
10) Hadrat Shaykh Sayyid Jamal al-Awliya al-Qadiri Jahanabadi (973-1047/1565-1638) Murid of
11) Qadi Diya al-Din Shaykh Jiya al-Qadiri Newtanwi (925-989/1519-1581) Murid of
12) ‘Arif Billah Muhammad Bhikari Sayyid Nizam al-Din al-Qari al-Qadiri (890-981/1485-1574) Murid of
13) Shams al-‘Arifin Maulana Sayyid Ibrahim Iraji al-Qadiri (953/1546) Murid of
14) ‘Arif Billah Hadrat Shaykh Baha al-Millat al-Din Shattari al-Qadiri (921/1516) Murid of
15) Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad al-Jilani al-Qadiri (853/1449) Murid of
16) Shaykh Sayyid Hasan al-Jilani al-Qadiri (781/1379) Murid of
17) Shaykh Sayyid Moosa al-Jilani al-Qadiri (763/1362) Murid of
18) Shaykh Sayyid ‘Ali al-Jilani al-Qadiri (739/1339) Murid of
19) Shaykh Sayyid Muhiyy al-Din Abu-Nasr Muhammad al-Jilani al-Qadiri (656/1258) Murid and son of
20) Shaykh Sayyid Qadi al-Imam Abu-Swaleh Habat Allah al-Jilani al-Qadiri (562-632/1167-1235) Murid and son of
21) ‘Arif al-Jalil al-Imam Sayyid Abu-bakr ‘Abd al-Razzaq al-Jilani al-Qadiri (528-623/1134-1226) Murid and son of
22) Ghawth al-Aghyath Sultan al-Awliya Taj al-‘Urafa Qutb al-Irshad Marja‘ al-Awtad Shaykh al-‘Alamin Ghawth al-Konayn Sayyid Abu-Muhammad ‘Abd al-Qadir Jilani al-Hasani al-Husaini (470-561/1078-1166) Murid of
23) Qadi al-Qodat Imam al-Ajal Shaykh Abu Sa‘id al-Mubarak al-Makhzoomi (513/1119) Murid of
24) Shaykh al-Islam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali al-Qarshi al-Amawi al-Hakkari (409-486/1017-1093) Murid of
25) Al-Imam Shaykh Muhammad Yusuf Abu al-Farah Tartusi (447/1055) Murid of
26) Al-Imam Shaykh Abu al-Fadl ‘Abd al-Wahid Tamimi (425/1033) Murid of
27) Taj al-‘Arifin al-Imam Shaykh Abu-Bakr Shibli (247-334/861-946) Murid of
28) Sayyid al-Ta’ifah al-Oliyah Abu al-Qasim Junaid al-Baghdadi (218-297/833-910) Murid and nephew of
29) ‘Arif al-Jalil Shaykh Sirr al-Din Abu al-Hasan Sirri al-Saqati (155-253/771-867) Murid of
30) Al-Imam al-Mutasarrif Abu-Mahfooz Shaykh Asad al-Din Maroof al-Karkhi (200/815) Murid of
31) Sayyid al-Ajal Ibn Rasoolillah al-Imam ‘Ali al-Rida (153-208/770-824) Murid and son of
32) Sayyiduna wa Maulana al-Imam Moosa al-Kazim (128-183/745-799) Murid and son of
33) Sayyiduna wa Maulana al-Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (80-148/699-756) Murid and son of
34) Sayyiduna wa Maulana al-Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (57-114/676-733) Murid and son of
35) Sayyiduna wa Maulana al-Imam al-Sajjad Zain al-‘Abidin (38-94/659-712) Murid and son of
36) Sayyid al-Shuhadah Sayyiduna al-Imam Husain Shahid al-Karbala (4-61/626-680) Murid and son of
37) Zoaj al-Batool Akh al-Rasool Bab al-Wilayah Amir al-Mu‘minin Sayyiduna wa Maulana al-Imam ‘Ali al-Murtudah. Murid and Son-in-Law of
38) Khatim al-Nabiyyeen Sayyid al-Mursaleen Rahmat al-‘Alameen Sayyiduna wa Maulana wa Shafi‘ina Abi al-Qasim Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah Rasool Rab al-‘Alameen Alaihi Afdalus Salati wat Tasleem [Ridwanullahi Tabaraka wa Ta'ala Alaihim Ajma'een]

Certificates of Khilāfah of various Silsilas Imām Ahmad Rīdā was bestowed with by his Murshid al-Kāmil:

1) Sisilah Tareeqah ‘Aliyyah Qadiriyyah Barkatiyyah Jadidah
2) Sisilah Tareeqah Qadiriyyah Abaiyyah Qadimah
3) Sisilah Tareeqah Qadiriyyah Ahdaliyyah
4) Sisilah Tareeqah Qadiriyyah Razzaqiyyah
5) Sisilah Tareeqah Qadiriyyah Munawwariyyah
6) Sisilah Tareeqah Chishtiyyah Nizamiyyah ‘Atiqiyyah
7) Sisilah Tareeqah Chishtiyyah Mehbobiyyah Jadidah
8) Sisilah Tareeqah Sohrawardiyyah Wahidiyyah
9) Sisilah Tareeqah Sohrawardiyyah Fadliyyah
10) Sisilah Tareeqah Naqshabandiyyah ‘Ula’iyyah Siddiqiyyah
11) Sisilah Tareeqah Naqshabandiyyah ‘Ula’iyyah (the chain linked to the illustrious Sufi Master Sayyid Moula Abu al-‘Ula Naqshabandi Akbarabadi)
12) Sisilah Tareeqah Badi‘iyyah
13) Sisilah Tareeqah ‘Uloh’wiyyah Manamiyyah

These also include the 4 Mystical Musafahas viz;

1) The Sanad of Musafaha Jinniyyah
2) The Sanad of Musafaha Khidriyyah
3) The Sanad of Musafaha Mu‘ammariyyah
4) The Sanad of Musafaha Manamiyyah

List of Ijazāt of all the Duas, Awrād (Litanies) and Ash’ghāl that was bestowed by Spiritual Inspiration directly into his Heart from the Hearts of his Mashā’ikh

1) The Secrets of the Holy Quran
2) Asma-e-Ilahiyyah
3) Dalail al-Khayrat
4) Hisn-e-Hasin
5) Qasr-e-Matin
6) Asma-e-Arba‘inah
7) Hisb al-Bahr
8) Hisb al-Barr
9) Hisb al-Nasr
10) All the Ah’zab of Silsila Shazaliyyah
11) The Hirz of 104,000 Awliya
12) Hirz al-Amirayn
13) Hirze Yamani (also known as Du‘a-e-Saifi Sharif)
14) Du‘a-e-Mughni
15) Du‘a-e-Haydari
16) Du‘a-e-Izra’ili
17) Du‘a-e-Suryani
18) Qasidah Khamriyyah also famously known as Qasidah Ghawthiyyah
19) Salat al-Asrar or Salat Ghawthiyyah
20) Qasidah Burda
21) Du‘a-e-Bashmakh
22) Takbir-e-‘Ashikan
23) Nim Takbir
24) Irsal al-Hawatif

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Extracted from:
Al-Ijazāt al-Matīnah li-‘Ulamā Bakkatā wa al-Madīnah
Compiled by Imām Ahmad Rīdā in 1324 Hijrī in Makka al-Mukarramā
on occasion of 2nd Hajj 1969 Edition Published by Maktabah Hāmidiyyah, Lahore, Pakistan.