Shaqiq al-Balkhi [quddisa sirruhu]

Shaqiq al-Balkhi [quddisa sirruhu] was born in Balkh. It is said that he was engaged in trade and possessed considerable wealth. A conversation with an idolater during one of his business trips to Turkistan is narrated as the turning point that led him towards the path of zuhd. According to the account, Shaqiq al-Balkhi [quddisa sirruhu] urged the idolater to abandon the worship of lifeless idols and instead believe in Allah, the All-Knowing and All-Powerful. In response, the idolater asked, “If that is so, was Allah not capable of providing sustenance for you in your own land?” Struck by this remark, Shaqiq al-Balkhi [quddisa sirruhu] abandoned trade and returned to his homeland.

He later performed Hajj, traveled in pursuit of knowledge, and met Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq [quddisa sirruhu]. He studied under Abu Hanifa, Abu Yusuf, and Imam Zufar [quddisa sirruhu]. Initially affiliated with the Iraqi school of legal reasoning, he later inclined towards the hadith scholars. It is recorded that he received hadith from Isra’il b. Yunus al-Sabi‘i, ‘Abbad b. Kathir, and Kathir b. ‘Abdullah, and that he adhered strictly to the Sunnah. Shaqiq al-Balkhi [quddisa sirruhu] participated in the military campaigns in the region of Mawara’ al-Nahr and was martyred in the battle of Kulan in 194 AH (810 CE).

He is recognized as one of the first zahids to deeply explore the nature, causes, and wisdom of reliance on Allah (tawakkul) and its impact on the spiritual journey of a seeker. It is reported that during Hajj, he asked Ibrahim b. Adham how he earned his livelihood. When Ibrahim replied that he expressed gratitude when he received provision and exercised patience when he did not, Shaqiq al-Balkhi [quddisa sirruhu] responded, “That is what the dogs of Balkh do as well.” Upon being asked the same question, Shaqiq al-Balkhi [quddisa sirruhu] answered, “When we receive, we give; when we do not receive, we remain grateful.” Following this exchange, he became a disciple of Ibrahim b. Adham. It is also recorded that he met Rabi‘a al-‘Adawiyya and conversed with Malik b. Dinar [quddisa sirruhu].

Shaqiq al-Balkhi [quddisa sirruhu] was the first mystic in Khurasan to discuss spiritual states and made significant contributions to the integration of chivalry (futuwwa) into Sufi teachings. His disciple Hatim al-Asamm considered him one of the people of futuwwa. Al-Qushayri, in narrating the famous exchange between Shaqiq and Ibrahim b. Adham [quddisa sirruhu], attributed it instead to Ja‘far al-Sadiq and Shaqiq [quddisa sirruhuma] in the context of futuwwa. According to this version, Ja‘far al-Sadiq asked Shaqiq [quddisa sirruhuma] what futuwwa meant, to which he replied, “To eat when given, and to be patient when deprived.” Ja‘far al-Sadiq [radiyallahu anh] responded, “That is what the dogs of Medina do.” He then defined futuwwa as “to give when given and to be grateful when deprived.”

The essence of Shaqiq al-Balkhi’s [quddisa sirruhu] zuhd lay in unwavering submission to the divine will, avoidance of fame, silence, minimal consumption, solitude, fear of Allah, and spiritual poverty (faqr). He believed that a true ascetic is too occupied with his own shortcomings to notice the faults of others. In contrast, one who preoccupies himself with the flaws of others is merely feigning asceticism. He stated, “Worship consists of ten parts: nine of them involve avoiding people, and one is maintaining silence.” He considered detachment from people a means of protecting oneself from evil and advised, “Associate with people as you would with fire—benefit from its warmth, but guard yourself against its flames.”

He warned against openly discussing spiritual experiences, considering it a form of self-exposure. He advised his disciple Hātim to guard his tongue and think carefully before speaking. Preferring silence was a cornerstone of his asceticism. He remarked, “The zahid” expresses his renunciation through deeds, whereas the one who pretends to be an zahid does so through words.”

Shaqiq al-Balkhi [quddisa sirruhu] believed that only through rigorous self-discipline and purifying the heart from worldly desires could one attain true spiritual knowledge (ma‘rifa). His understanding of ma‘rifa encompassed four elements: knowing Allah, knowing oneself, knowing Allah’s commands and prohibitions, and recognizing both Allah’s enemies and one’s own. He held that knowledge is valuable only to the extent that it serves as a means of drawing closer to Allah. His approach to ma‘rifa influenced not only the Sufi tradition in Khurasan but also the mystical thought of Baghdad. One of the leading figures of Baghdadi Sufism, Harith al-Muhasibi, systematically elaborated on these concepts, reflecting the breadth of Shuqayq’s impact.

He regarded spiritual poverty (faqr) as an integral part of ma‘rifa. In his view, a person is not truly poor unless he fears losing his poverty as much as he fears losing his wealth. True knowledge of Allah’s power, he asserted, comes from recognizing that Allah alone possesses the authority to grant or withhold provisions. A person who attains this realization sees no independent existence within himself and acknowledges that all dominion belongs to Allah, who disposes of it as He wills.

• "Mankind is afflicted by three calamities: they commit sins while counting on repentance; they delay repentance, believing they still have time; and they rely on divine mercy without seeking forgiveness."
• "If you wish to truly know a person, observe whether he places greater trust in what Allah has promised or in what people have promised."