Sahibzada Mian Jamil Ahmad Sharqpuri Naqshbandi Mujaddadi, Aasta-na-e-Alya Sharqpur Sharif, beside his mission to spread Deen-e-Islam according to Quran and Sunna in and outside Pakistan, has been duty bound throughout his life to create awareness amongst the Muslims about the gigantic task performed by great Sufis in spreading Islam in various parts of the world. Sufis of each Silsila i.e. Chishtia, Qadria, Naqshbandia and others have equ-ally played the pivotal role in sprea-ding Islam in Central Asia, Turkey, Iran, India and some parts of Arab, and their devotees are carrying out this duty regularly. Since Sahib-zada Mian Jamil Ahmad Sharqpuri belongs to Naqshbandi Silsila, it is his utmost desire that the people should be reminded about the role played by Sufis of Naqshbandi Silsila as most of them do not find a place in literature.

Although Kh. Bahauddin Naqsh-bandi is the founder of the ‘tariqa’ which bears his name and the lines of ascription, (silsila at-tarbiya), Fakhr-ud-Din Ali bin Hussain, who wrote a history of the ‘tariqa’ called ‘Rshahat ‘Ain al-Hayat’, begins it with Abu Yaqub Yusuf al-Hamadani (d.A.D.1140), whilst his Khalifa (by spiritual appointment), Abdul Khaliq Ghujadwani (d.A.D 1220), may be re-garded as the organizer of its special tendencies. He is responsible for the stress placed upon the purely mental ‘Zikr’, and he also formula-ted the rules, which governed Tariqat al-Khwajgan. Abdul Khaliq was taught the tariqa’s special form of ‘habs-i-dam’, or ‘restraint of the breath’.

The noble course is based on eleven expressions out of which eight are reported from the saint of saints Hazrat Abdul Khaliq Ghujd-wani and three from Bahauddin Naqshband. These expressions are:

1. Keeping awake during the breaths: This means being awake and aware of the traveller in every breath so that he should not be-come listless. We draw 24,000 brea-ths or a little more in 24 hours.

2. Eyes set on steps: This means that the traveller while going on should set his eyes on the hind of his feet so that he is not confused by various things scattered around him and should not cast his glance at anything undesirable.

3.Travelling in One’s Home-land: This means that the traveller moves from human qualities to angelic ones and from angelic qualities to divine ones. He emerges from low morals to celestial ones implied in ‘Imbue your selves with divine morals’.

4. Isolation in company: This means that when one is in a dis-turbing atmosphere, in the midst of others or an assembly, heedlessness and dispersion should not find a way into the private chamber of one’s heart. Apparently he is with people but inwardly he is with Allah. A Sufi is both in company as well as out of it.

5. Casting off Heedlessness in Remembrance: This means giving up heedlessness in the process of remembrance of the Divine Personal Name or Negation and Affirmation. Whether with the heart or tongue, sleeping or awake, by speech or si-lence, in motion or by speech or rest, there should be no intermissions.

6. Post-Remembrance: This means what comes after rememb-rance. Whether it is the Divine Name Proper or Negation and Affirmation, one should after repeating them several times, beseech and implore Allah saying: “O’ Allah! You alone and Your pleasure are my objectives; grant me Your love and cognition.”

7. Safeguarding: This means guarding one’s cognition and pre-sence acquired by Remembrance in such a way that nothing beside Allah creeps into the mind.

8. Stabilization of Safeguar-ding: This means the stabilization of Yad Kard (Abandoning Inadver-tence) and Guarding bazgasht, (Post-Remembrance Supplication) and Nigahdasht (Safeguarding). The first means leaving striving in rememb-rance, the second leaving formal efforts, and inclining towards Allah one should think in one’s mind: you are my object. The third, that is safeguarding means the presser-vation and maintenance of the tur-ning toward Allah.

9. Consciousness of States: It has two meanings. One: that the traveller is aware of his breaths and keeps them constantly in view, noticing as to whether he is living in presence or is inattentive. Secondly, the traveller should al-ways be conscious of his state; he should thank Allah in the case of devotion and seek forgiveness in case of sinfulness.

10. Consciousness of Numbers: This means the Minus/Plus of Faith La Ilaha Illallah (There is no God except Allah) with particular attention to the odd number in every breath. Withholding the breath is not necessary.

11. Mental Concentration: This bears many meanings. First: Right in the midst of Remembrance we acquire connection with and cognition of the aforementioned court of the Almighty; the heart is cognizant of Him. This is known as ‘Shuhud’ (Perception) and ‘Wusul’ (Attainment) of Existence. Second: the reciter in the course of Remem-brance attends to the pinecone heart which is the total reality located in the subtlety of the heart so that this piece does not remain unmind-ful of Remembrance; on the other hand, it utters the Divine name.