Maizbhandari Tariqah and Its Founder Syed Ahmad Ullah

Abstract

Sufism and its various types of Tariqahs (Sufi orders) are usually known to almost all the inheritors of south Asia since Islam entered this territory. Qaderiah, Chishtiyah, Naqshbandiah, and Mujaddediah are very famous and noted Sufi tariqahs all over the Indian subcontinent, especially in Bangladesh. Besides these, Bangladesh has produced an indigenous Sufi order of its own, the Maizbhandari tariqah. This Sufi tariqah is well-known at home because of its unique characteristics, which include Vilayat-e-Mutlaqa, Adl-e-Mutlaq, Maizbhandari songs, Usul-e-saba, Towhid-e-Adyan, humanity, pluralism, moderate secularism, and moral religion, all of which are supported by the Quran and Sunnah. Those indigenous features of this tariqah are not very well known outside of Bangladesh. It had introduced by great Sufi saint Syed Ahmad Ullah in Chittagong, the eastern port city of Bangladesh, as a unique Sufi order. Data has been analysed using qualitative, descriptive, and analytical research methods. The primary and secondary data sources have been combined to set the context for the study. The purpose of this article is to introduce this unique Bangladeshi Sufi order Maizbhandari tariqah and its founder Khatemul Awliya Gauth-al-Azam Syed Ahmad Ullah.