Often, there is a misconception that the celebrated eleven principles of the Naqshbandi order, which guide the dervishes of this tradition, originated directly from Al-Shah Bahauddin Naqshband. However, this is not accurate.
Al-Shah was a towering figure who stood on the shoulders of other giants, about whom we have scant information. The first eight of the eleven Naqshbandi principles, as they are known today, were actually formulated by Khwāja Abd al-Khalik Ghijduvani, a preeminent Sufi of the 12th century from the lineage of the Khwajagan Masters. Born in the village of Ghijduvan, he was known among the people as Khwāja-i-Jahan, meaning «Teacher of Teachers.»
Khusḥ dar Dam – Conscious Breathing: The term «Khusḥ» means awareness, «dar» means in, and «Dam» means breath. According to Khwāja Abd al-Khalik Ghijduvani, this principle instructs the seeker to guard their breath with full attention, keeping the heart always in the highest Presence. Any breath performed without this awareness is considered dead and disconnected from Presence.
Nazar bar Qadam – Observing the Steps: This principle emphasizes maintaining awareness of the Presence at every moment of life, being attentive to opportunities for actions leading to God, and avoiding missteps.
Safar dar Watan – Journey in the Homeland: This means to observe one’s inner world, or «homeland.» It involves studying oneself, monitoring personal reactions, and learning from one’s mistakes.
Khilwat dar Anjuman – Maintaining Inner Solitude Among People: «Khilwat» refers to solitude. Prior to Ghijduvani, dervishes practiced Khilwat or Chilla – a forty-day retreat for communion with the Divine in complete seclusion within isolated cells known as Chillahans. In Uzbekistan, one can still find such cells in Sufi Khanqahs (places where dervishes stayed).
The Khwajagan and later the Naqshbandi tradition did not support asceticism; instead, they believed it was possible and necessary to achieve non-attachment to the external world while actively engaging in society and fulfilling worldly responsibilities.
«Khilwat dar Anjuman» means to be outwardly among people while remaining internally detached from worldly matters. This aligns with the Prophet’s words: «I have two sides: one turned towards the Creator, the other towards people.» Khwāja Auliya Kabir, a close companion of Ghijduvani, explained this principle as a state where a person remains immersed in the remembrance of God to the extent that they can walk through a noisy marketplace without being disturbed by any sound. Such individuals are with their Lord while interacting with people.
Khwāja Abd al-Khalik Ghijduvani himself said: «Close the door of Khilwat (solitary contemplation) and open the door of Suhbat (spiritual closeness with the Teacher and other dervishes).»
These four principles were based on practices passed down to Ghijduvani by his Teacher, the founder of the Khwajagan, the great Sufi Master Khwāja Yusuf Hamadani (d. 1140), with whom Ghijduvani studied from the age of twenty-two alongside another eminent Sufi, Ahmad Yasawi.
Tradition holds that Khwāja Abd al-Khalik Ghijduvani received a string of prayer beads (tasbih) from his Teacher Hamadani, which had been brought from a pilgrimage to Mecca. This divine gift was kept in a special box throughout Ghijduvani’s life, entrusted to the care of one of his disciples.
Few great Sufis can rival Yusuf Hamadani in terms of teaching. He was a true patriarch of the Sufi orders. From Yusuf Hamadani, the Naqshbandi, Yasawi, and, consequently, the Bektashi orders trace their lineage. Today, the followers of Khwāja Yusuf Hamadani extend from the Balkans to the Caucasus and from the Volga region to eastern China.
Yād Kard – Memorizing or Creating a Memory of Experiences: This involves recalling and retaining the subtle influences received from people, places, objects, and practices of the Tradition.
Bāz Gasht – Self-Restraint: This principle concerns controlling undesirable impulses and consistently redirecting one’s feelings, thoughts, and actions towards God.
Nīgāh Dasht – Vigilance: «Nīgāh» means sight, and «Dasht» means to have. It refers to being alert to positive influences and opportunities.
Yād Dasht – Remembering and Evoking Positive Situations: This principle involves retaining and recalling positive experiences associated with people, places, objects, and practices of the Tradition.
Khwāja Abd al-Khalik Ghijduvani led an ascetic life, possessing neither family, possessions, nor a permanent residence. However, he did not regard his choice of a life of hardship and suffering as an absolute method to be followed under all circumstances. This is illustrated by the following story:
A dervish asked Abd al-Khalik Ghijduvani: — If Allah granted me the choice between Hell and Heaven, I would choose Hell. For Heaven is what my nafs (lower self) desires. I wish to fight against the impulses and desires of my nafs.
To this, Khwāja replied: — Your opinion is mistaken and incorrect, as it stems from the nafs. What significance does the will or choice of a servant hold? Our duty is to follow wherever the Lord directs us. Whatever He commands, we must fulfill. This alone constitutes true servitude and resistance to the nafs.
Due to his exceptional spiritual powers, Khwāja Ghijduvani possessed extraordinary abilities, allowing him to make contact with other Masters of the Tradition, both during his life and after his death.
Bahauddin Naqshband recounted his spiritual initiation with the following story: «I often fell into ecstatic states that I tried to hide from those around me, going to the main cemetery of Bukhara. One night, I approached three graves and saw a lamp filled with oil but burning without a wick at each grave. I went to the grave of Khwāja Muhammad Wazi and received instructions to visit the grave of Khwāja Faghnaawi. I saw two men with swords who mounted me on a horse. By the end of the night, we arrived at the tomb of Mezdakhkhan. There, I saw the same lamps. I bowed towards the qibla and fell into such ecstasy that I could see through the world. Then, the wall around the qibla dissolved, and I saw a grand throne with a distinguished person seated on it, but a green veil prevented me from identifying him.
The throne was surrounded by a crowd. Among them, I saw Khwāja Muhammad Samasi, the great saint. I wondered who was on the throne. One of those present said, ‘The person on the throne is Khwāja Abd al-Khalik Ghijduvani, and around him are his successors and followers.’»
Another common misconception regarding the Naqshbandi practices is the belief that the practice of silent dhikr (remembrance of Divine names in secrecy) originated with Bahauddin Naqshband himself. In fact, Khwāja Abd al-Khalik Ghijduvani introduced this practice in the 12th century, and Al-Shah revived it two centuries later.
To understand this innovation by Ghijduvani, it is important to note that by the beginning of his teachings, the old formulations of the order had become ineffective, turning into relics that still seemed alive to uninitiated followers. Dervishes of that time practiced group gatherings with loud dhikr and music. These ceremonies often served to stimulate ordinary emotions and passions rather than achieving the desired effect.
In his will to his spiritual son, Ghijduvani wrote: “Avoid prolonged stays at gatherings, as this fosters hypocrisy and kills the heart (capable of dhikr); but do not reject gatherings entirely—if you lack the capacity to perceive their benefits, there may be a group of people who should attend them; perhaps their passions have died, and their hearts are alive. But for those whose passions are not subdued by their higher self, attending gatherings is harmful.”
According to tradition, the technique of silent dhikr was passed to Khwāja Abd al-Khalik Ghijduvani by Khizr («The Green»), a mysterious guardian of the Sufis who appears in human form during critical moments to guide the development of Sufi Tradition.
The technique of silent dhikr was associated with breath retention. Khwāja Ghijduvani compared this practice to immersing one’s head in water and, while unable to inhale, uttering the name of God as if it were coming directly from the heart. The method of breath retention during dhikr, introduced by Ghijduvani, was called «habs-i dam, habs-i nafs,» which literally means «restricting the breath, restricting the nafs.» The term «nafs» means both «breathand «self,» referring to one’s lower self. As nafs is inseparable from breathing, when breath is held, the lower self cannot affect the prayer, allowing it to be uttered solely from the heart.
Khwāja Abd al-Khalik Ghijduvani was a pivotal figure in preserving and transmitting the Sufi Tradition. He was not only the Guardian of the Tradition but also the Teacher of the Age of Turkistan. Thanks to his efforts, the Khwajagan did not lose their role during the Mongol invasions but rather strengthened their presence across the vast region extending from the Great Steppe in the north to Persia in the south, and from the Caspian Sea to the eastern regions of China.
This was not achieved by aligning with the powerful rulers of the time. Quite the opposite, Ghijduvani himself advised: «Fear the sultan as you fear his lions.» True Masters and Teachers of the Khwajagan altered the course of history and influenced events discreetly, without leaving their workshops. Abd al-Khalik Ghijduvani remarked: «We can be found working anywhere and at any time. People imagine that a person’s usefulness is determined by their fame. However, the opposite can also be true.«
Khwāja Abd al-Khalik Ghijduvani passed away in 1220 and was buried in his native village of Ghijduvan, located 40 kilometers from Bukhara, Uzbekistan. A mausoleum and madrasah were constructed at his burial site in the 15th century and have been beautifully restored in recent decades. His contributions continue to be celebrated and honored, marking a profound impact on the Sufi Tradition and the broader spiritual landscape.