The Naqshbandi Path: Key Spiritual Benefits and Legacy

What Are the Benefits of the Naqshbandi Path?

Shaykh Abdurrahman at-Tahi [quddisa sirruhu] said:
"This path is the path of the companions. It brings the servant closer to their Lord and distances them from His wrath. It is a path of divine attraction (jazbah), love (muhabbah), and spiritual joy and serenity. By walking this path, one’s hardships at the time of death (sakarat), loneliness in the grave, and the questioning by the angels Munkar and Nakir become easier.

This path removes the love of the world from the heart and replaces it with the love of Allah and His Messenger. It transforms the love of wealth and children into acts of worship.

By associating with the great leaders of this path (sadat al-kiram), one gains protection from the loss of faith. These great leaders are friends of Allah (awliya), and those who befriend them also become friends of Allah.

The smallest benefit of this path is that whoever joins it will have the companionship of their murshid in the grave until the Day of Resurrection. As recorded in the books, a person will find companionship in the Hereafter with what they were attached to in this world. If someone was attached to worldly possessions, those possessions will become their companions in the grave. For example, the cow will urinate on their head, the horse will trample their chest, the sheep will defile their grave, the dog will howl and bite them, and the donkey will expel foul air into their face."

Whoever enters this path embarks upon the way of the awliya (friends of Allah) who are in the station of the muqarrabin—those brought near to Allah. The reward for a single prayer offered by individuals in this station is equivalent to seventy prayers offered by the ascetics. This path is the way of divine attraction (jazbah), and the spiritual focus of its leaders is exalted beyond measure. Compared to the ocean of their spiritual depth, all worldly matters amount to no more than a single drop.

Whoever adheres to their commands and prohibitions will find success in both this world and the Hereafter. Their wealth will increase, and, by Allah’s will, they will pass their test on the Day of Judgment and enter Paradise in the company of these luminaries.

Ghawth al-Hizani [quddisa sirruhu], quoting his guide Sayyid Taha [quddisa sirruhu], said:
"The benefits of this path extend to the parents of the murid. Even if they are far away, the blessings granted by the murshid reach the murid’s mother and father."

Imam Rabbani [quddisa sirruhu] stated:
"The main highway of this path is the 'Siddiqiyyah,' which originates from Abu Bakr al-Siddiq [radiyallahu anh]. In this path, the spiritual rewards and stations that are only reached at the end of other paths are granted at the very beginning. Resting places have been established along this highway. Without it, such spiritual heights would not have been attainable.

The seeds of these delightful fruits we now enjoy were brought from Bukhara and Samarkand and planted in the soil of Hindustan. This soil was taken from the gardens of Madinah and Makkah. For years, it was irrigated with the water of virtue and nurtured with divine generosity (ihsan).

As a result, these fruits of knowledge (ilm) and divine insight (ma‘rifah) have grown and ripened. All praise is due to Allah, who has granted us this straight path! Had Allah not guided us, we would not have found it on our own."

Imam Rabbani [quddisa sirruhu] further explained:
"Among the paths of walayah (being a friend of Allah), the 'Golden Chain' (silsilat al-dhahab)—which originates from Abu Bakr al-Siddiq [radiyallahu anh]—is the path of wakefulness and clarity. This is why it is the most superior of all paths. How can the awliya of other paths compare to the spiritual completeness of this path? How can they comprehend its inner realities?

The awaited Mahdi [alayhissalam], whom the Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] foretold, will reach the highest rank of walayah through this path. He will complete and refine it.

All other paths of walayah are subordinate to this path. The spiritual stations achieved through them contain only a small portion of the spiritual excellence (kamal) derived from prophethood. However, in the walayah attained through the Siddiqiyyah path, which originates from Abu Bakr al-Siddiq [radiyallahu anh], there is an abundant share of that spiritual excellence."