A Muslim Convert Once Before

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Dr. Habib Swiddiqi, in “A Brief History of Islam in Central Asia”, wrote, “Islam influenced Central Asia during the middle of the eighth century through Persia.   This period coincided with the Abbasid regime that came to power overthrowing the Umayyads.   The Samanids, a Muslim dynasty of Persian origin, ruled the Central Asia as early as 874 CE.   During the Mongol invasion of Central Asia, from 1218 to 1260 CE, all these territories came under Mongol rule.   After the death of Genghis Khan, his territories were divided into 5 Khanates: the Khanate of Mongolia in the east, the Middle Kingdom, the Golden Horde in the west, the Khanate of Siberia in the north, and the Khanate of Il Khans in the south.   Subsequently, however, Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, who was then the Mongol ruler in China, nominated Mubarak Shah as the Khan of the Chagtais, whose territories, the so-called ‘Middle Kingdom,’ include...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Dr. Habib Swiddiqi, in “A Brief History of Islam in Central Asia”, wrote, “The history of the Muslims in the former Soviet Union is largely but not entirely the history of the Muslim descendants of Genghis Khan, the Mongol conqueror.  Daghestan was the gate through which Islam entered the territory of Russia.  The first Muslims were the envoys of Caliph ‘Umar ibn al-Khaththab ( r.a. ) who came to Daghestan in 23 AH.  Bodies of forty followers and companions of the Prophet Muhammad ( s.a.w. ) are buried in Daghestan, and Qurayshi descendants of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) still live in the Republic today.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The history of Muslim resistance against the Czarists, the Soviets and their successors is inextricably the history of the Sufi orders and their muridun .  And the most prominent order in the region until today is the Naqshbandi, including the Naqshbandi Haqqani, followed closely by the Qadiri.  If we had to fight to believe, would we take your religion for granted?   Much of Central Asia is the heartland of the Naqshbandi.  This was the land of Shah Baha’ ad-Din Muhammad an-Naqshband al-Bukhari ( q.s. ), the Imam of the Thariqa’ and the Ghawts al-Khaliqah .  The Naqshbandi shuyukh of Central Asia from the 10 th to 16 th century were known as the Khwajanagan or Khwajagan .  It is for this reason that the dzikr of the Naqshbandi is known as the Khatm Khwajanagan - it is the completion of the wisdom of the Masters.  “ Khwaja ” itself is a Persian title meaning “Master”.  Other prominent Masters of the...