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Akhundzada Pir Saif ur Rahman Mubarak (آخوندزاده سيف الرحمان مبارك(رحمةالله عليه also known as Mubarak Sarkar) is a Sufi sheikh of the Naqshbandi Mujaddadi Tariqa, the founder of the Saifiya Tariqah. He belongs to the Hanafi school of Islam.

He is famous for activating the hearts of disciples so that a clear vibration can be seen in the chests of many of his followers. Many people have accepted Islam through him. His followers practise strict compliance with Sunnah, acquire activation of Lataif and experience Wajad during Zikr.

Early life

He was born in a small village named Baba Kalai, about 20 km from Jalalabad on Muharram 20, 1344 A.H. (August 10, 1925 C.E.). His father, Sufi Hafiz Qari Muhammad Sarfraz Khan, a disciple of Sheikh Haji Muhammad Amin, a sheikh from Qadiriyah sufi order. At the very first sight the Sheikh predicted that the child would be the Sultan of all the Auliya' of his time and would be renowned throughout the world.

Education

Akhundzada Saif ur Rahman Mubarak's basic education from his father included Qur'an study. When he was 13 his mother died. At that time, areas now included in Pakistan were famous for religious education and attracted seekers from Afghanistan. Akhundzada Saif ur Rahman Mubarak travelled to Peshawar in the early 1940s and stayed there for many years, gaining knowledge of Tafseer, Hadith, Usul-e-Fiqah, Aqaid and Tajweed from eminent scholars.

After completion of his education he returned to Afghanistan, living in Qandooz. He was allotted land by Afghan Government in Archi where he built his house. Dasht-e-Archi (desert of Archi) was soon populated. Akhundzada Saif ur Rahman Mubarak, now a religious scholar, constructed a beautiful mosque and himself became Imam and Khateeb of the mosque. He also started offering free Dars-e-Nizami courses to the students, both beginners and advanced.

Entry into Sufism

The sufi scholar Sheikh-al-Mashaikh Shah Rasul Taloqani, a Naqshbandi sheikh, one of the great Auliya-Allah, visited the area. Akhundzada Saif ur Rahman Mubarak, who had already developed a special interest in Sufism and had resorted to private study for a conceptual understanding of the subject, was among the audience. The virtues of the sheikh made an impression on him and he requested bay'ah. He was instantly granted Qalbi Zikr and bay'ah in Naqshbandiyah order. During the very first sitting all five Lataif of Aalim-e-Amr were activated and he was placed at higher spiritual status. At that time he was 32 years of age.

Shah Rasool Taloqani being old and weak, had instructed his Salikin to remain in the company of his favourite murid, Maulana Muhammad Hashim Samangani, after his departure. After his death in 1381 A.H., Akhundzada Saif ur Rahman Mubarak got bay'ah from Samanagani, who renewed the zikr and started guiding Akhundzada Saif ur Rahman Mubarak in his spiritual journey. The disciple in turn held fast onto his Murshid so long as he lived.

Akhundzada Saif ur Rahman Mubarak purchased land for his Murshid and built a meeting-house for him where a great number of people entered the Naqshbandi order. Maulana Hashim Samangani, in 1387 A.H., fell ill and called for Akhundzada Saif ur Rahman Mubarak, who had been granted limited Khilafat, to share the responsibilities of training the salikeen. This not only provided opportunity to Akhundzada Saif ur Rahman Mubarak to enjoy the company of his Murshid, but also gave an implicit indication of his superiority over other Salikeen, in the eyes of the Murshid. Akhundzada Mubarak performed his duties with such vigour and sense of responsibility that his Murshid gave him Mutliq (autonomous) Khilafat.

He spent 3 years in service of his Murshid after which he was directed to Sheikh Haji Pachero for training in the Qadiriyah. Soon he was bestowed with Khilafat of that order too. He then went to Nowshehra, Pakistan, where he spent some time and imparted coaching to the salikeen in the vicinity. After some time, he returned to Afghanistan and travelled in various parts of the country including Nangarhar, Jalalabad and Nauman. On instructions by his Murshid, Akhundzada Saif ur Rahman Mubarak returned to Archi where he remained busy spreading the essence of the religion.

Maulana Hashim Samangani died in 1391 A.H. Before his death, he had ordered all his disciples to keep the company of Akhundzada Pir Saif ur Rahman Mubarak. In 1398 A.H. Akhundzada Mubarak performed Hajj. He also visited Madinah and visited various regions on his journey back to Afghanistan.

Emigration to Pakistan

When Afghanistan came under Russian control many religious leaders and Sufi saints were arrested or killed. Akhundzada Pir Saif ur Rahman Mubarak was arrested on 27 April 1987. Once released, he decided to leave Afghanistan for Pir Swat, a small town near Nowshehra, where for three years he provided religious guidance. In 1409-1410 A.H., Afridi tribes of Bara offered him land for a meeting house, which he accepted. At this juncture the Saifi order originated. He built a mosque, Dar-ul-Ulum and khanqah for a place where he could continue spiritual training of his disciples.

In Bara his preaching was opposed by Mufti Munir Shakir, a Deobandi cleric, backed by activists of his armed group, Lashkar-e-Islam, who had earlier been expelled from Kurram Agency by the Political Agency due to his active involvement in sectarian violence and who resorted to violence against Pir Saif ur Rahman Mubarak including initiation of FM-based propaganda attacking and burning property.

While Akhundzada Pir Saif ur Rahman Mubarak has been linked by some to Tanzeem Ansar ul Islam, as its leader or founder, it has been strongly denied by Tanzeem Ansr ul Islam itself. The fact that Akhundzada Saif ur Rahman Mubarak and Ansar ul Islam influence two rival sects of the region, Barelvi and Deobandi, both in strong opposition of each other, also contradicts this ungrounded linkage.

Due to tense situation in Bara owing to conflict with Mufti Munir Shakir, Akhundzada Saif ur Rahman Mubarak moved to Lahore. Since then he lived in Faqirabad, Lahore. On Sunday, June 27, 2010, at 2:00 am, Akhundzada Saif ur Rahman Mubarak died; he was buried in Faqirabad, Lahore.

References

1. Muḥammad ʻĀmir Rānā, Rohan Gunaratna. Al-Qaeda fights back inside Pakistani Tribal Areas. Pak Institute for Peace Studies, 2007
2. Ken Lizzio, Ph.D. Ritual and Charisma in Naqshbandi Sufi Mysticism page 21 and elsewhere
3. Ken Lizzio, Ph.D., Ritual and Charisma in Naqshbandi Sufi Mysticism page 16
4. ^ Ken Lizzio, Ph.D., Ritual and Charisma in Naqshbandi Sufi Mysticism
5. ^ Quarterly Anwar-e-Riza, 3rd Quarter, 2008 (سه ماهى, انوار رضا, ٢٠٠٨ كا تيسرا شماره)
6. Allama Ali Muhammad Balkhi, Tareekh-e-Auliya
7. Quarterly Anwar-e-Riza, Volume 4, No. 3, 2010 (سه ماهى, انوار رضا, جلد نمبر 4، شمارہ نمبر3، ۲۰۱۰ٔ؁)
8. ^ Pak Refugee Tribunal, Australia RRT Research Response Number PAK31546
9. James Town Foundation, Terrorism Monitor Vol: 7 Issue: 14, The FM Mullahs and the Taliban’s Propaganda War in Pakistan, sub-heading 'The Original FM Mullah'
10. Asia Times, October 4, 2007, Pakistan's grip on tribal areas is slipping by Hassan Abbas, See sub-heading Khyber Agency]
11. www.khyber.org, Tanzeem Ansar-al Islam, From the Ansar Itself, 2007
12. Global Security, Barelvi Islam

• Pakistani religious leaders
• Hanafis
• Sufi religious leaders
• Sunni Sufis
• Pakistani Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam
• Mujaddid