Shaykh Nazim al-Haqqani
Biography
Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqani al-Qubrusi (1922–2014) was the forty-first grand master of the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Sufi Order, one of the most widely followed Sufi orders in the world. Born in Larnaca, Cyprus, he studied Islamic sciences in Istanbul and Damascus before becoming the spiritual heir of Grandshaykh Abdullah al-Fa'iz ad-Daghestani.
For over six decades, Shaykh Nazim travelled extensively throughout Europe, the Americas, and the Muslim world, bringing the teachings of the Naqshbandi path to seekers of all backgrounds. His dergah in Lefke, Cyprus, became a centre of pilgrimage for hundreds of thousands of followers from dozens of countries.
His teaching style was distinctive: accessible, humorous, and deeply rooted in the Quran and the Prophetic traditions, yet always pointing toward the interior dimensions of the path — the purification of the self, the polishing of the heart, and the cultivation of love for the Divine. He spoke in Turkish, Arabic, and English, and his discourses were translated into scores of languages.
Shaykh Nazim passed from this world on 7 May 2014, in Lefke, Cyprus. He was buried there, and his maqam continues to receive visitors from around the world. He is succeeded as grand master by his son, Shaykh Mehmet Adil.
Notable Quotes
"Poverty is not the absence of money. It is the presence of Allah."
"When a person truly sees his own nothingness, he is standing at the door of everything."
"The nafs says: I am. The ruh says: He is. The work of the path is to move from the first sentence to the second."
"The heart is a mirror — polish it with the remembrance of your Lord and it will reflect what is Real."
"Sincerity is not a station you arrive at once. It is a river you must return to every morning."