Chishti Order

Chishti order
AbbreviationChishti
Formationc. 930 CE
TypeSufi order
HeadquartersHerat, Afghanistan
Key people
Abu Ishaq Shami – founder

The Chishti order (Persian: چشتی طريقة, romanizedChishtī ṭarīqa) is a Sufi order of Sunni Islam named after the town of Chisht where it was initiated by Abu Ishaq Shami. The order was brought to South Asia by Mu'in al-Din Chishti in the city of Ajmer.

The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness.[1] The Chishti order is primarily followed in Afghanistan and the Indian subcontinent. It was the first of the seven main Sufi orders (Chishti, Qadiri, Suhrawardi, Madariyya, Kubrawiyya, Qalandariyya and Naqshbandi) to be established in this region. Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti introduced the Chishti Order in Ajmer (Rajasthan, India) sometime in the middle of the 12th century. He was eighth in the line of succession from the founder of the Chishti Order, Abu Ishaq Shami. There are now several branches of the order, which has been the most prominent South Asian Sufi brotherhood since the 12th century.[2]

Tomb of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, renowned saint of Chishti order

In the 20th century, the order has spread outside Afghanistan and the Indian subcontinent. Chishti teachers have established centers in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, Eastern and Southern Africa.

  1. ^ Ernst, Carl W. and Lawrence, Bruce B. (2002) Sufi Martyrs of Love: The Chishti Order in South Asia and Beyond Palgrave Macmillan, New Yorks 1234567 4039-6026-7
  2. ^ Rozehnal, Robert. Islamic Sufism Unbound: Politics and Piety in Twenty-First Century Pakistan. Palgrave MacMillan, 2007. Print.