Noorbakshia Islam
Noorbakhshia or Nurbakhshia is a distinct Sufi order primarily practiced in the Baltistan region of Pakistan. It places significant emphasis on the concept of Muslim unity and on "Fiqh ul Ahwat", a concept by Muhammad Nurbakhshi.
The Nurbakhshia tradition is distinguished by its spiritual lineage known as the Silsila-e-Zahab, or the Golden Chain. This spiritual lineage claims to trace its origins back to the Imam Haqiqi, spanning from Imam Ali to Imam Mahdi. Notably, Noorbakhshia stands out among Sufi orders within Islam for its foundational principles deeply rooted in the teachings of the Aima Tahirreen, or Fourteen Infallibles. The followers of this lineage are known as Sufia Noorbakhshia.
Doctrine
The primary doctrinal sources of Noorbakhshi teachings are encapsulated within three key things: "Al-Fiqh al-Ahwat" and "Kitab al-Aitiqadia," created by Muhammad Nurbakhsh Qahistani, and "Dawat-e-Noorbakhshia".History
In its country of origin, Iran, the Noorbakhshia underwent a transition towards Shia Islam, particularly Twelver Shi'ism, several decades after the Safavid dynasty officially established Twelver Shi'ism as the state religion in 1501. A similar transformation occurred in Kashmir, either during the lifetime of Shams ud-Din Iraqi, who died in 1527, or in the subsequent decades, coinciding with the brief reign of the Chak dynasty. The order began declining in the mid-16th century in Kashmir and persecution by Sunni authorities led to its eventual demise. Eventually, the order was assimilated into mainstream Twelver Shia Islam.In regions such as Baltistan and Purig in the Kargil district, the Nurbakhshia persisted as a distinct sect with its own doctrinal framework, blending elements of both Shi'ism and Sunni Islam although much of its teaching, law and doctrine is derived from Imami Shia doctrine.
Muhammad Nurbakhsh Qahistani, a Sufi master of the 15th century, has received relatively little attention from researchers despite his significant influence. Although Nurbakhsh had numerous scholar-disciples, such as Shaikh Asiri Lahiji, none of them undertook substantial efforts to document Nurbakhsh's biography or to preserve his teachings.
Nurbakhshis believe that the practices are not an assemblage of his personal views but were originally conceived by him from Muhammad through the masters of the spiritual chain. They state that anyone who questions this connection is invited to travel on the long road through the history of mysticism and to compare it with that of Nurbakhsh's teachings.