Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
Biography
Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani was born in 1945 in Beirut, Lebanon. He studied Islamic jurisprudence, theology, and classical Sufi sciences in Beirut, Damascus, and at al-Azhar University in Cairo, before receiving authorisation to teach on the Naqshbandi path from Grandshaykh Abdullah al-Fa'iz ad-Daghestani and subsequently from Shaykh Nazim al-Haqqani.
In 1990, at the direction of his master Shaykh Nazim, Shaykh Hisham settled in the United States, where he founded the Islamic Supreme Council of America and the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Sufi Order of America. His work in America focused on building bridges between Muslim communities and American institutions, presenting Sufi spirituality to Western audiences, and countering extremist interpretations of Islam.
He is the author of numerous books on Islamic spirituality, including works on the Naqshbandi Order, the Islamic understanding of angels, and the spiritual significance of the Quran and Prophetic tradition. His discourses, delivered in English and Arabic, are known for their depth of scholarship combined with spiritual directness and warmth.
Shaykh Hisham continues to teach from his zawiya in Fenton, Michigan, and travels internationally to deliver lectures and lead spiritual retreats.
Notable Quotes
"Gratitude is not a feeling. It is a practice — the practice of seeing what is already there."
"Al-Shakur: Allah is the All-Thankful. He thanks His servant for every breath spent in His direction."
"The grateful person does not wait for something good to happen in order to feel grateful. He finds, in this very moment, something that was always there."
"When the door of every created thing closes against you, know that the door of the Creator is always open."
"Tribulation is not punishment from Allah — it is a conversation. He is saying: come back to Me."