Sufi Order Transmission Traditions

Timeline

1. c. 1100–1180West Asia–North Africa · EgyptSufi shaykhs took in disciples at khanqahs, forming communities of practice beyond a single mosque; poetry, dhikr (remembrance), and charity became publicly visible Sufi practices.
2. 1190–1200Baghdad · BaghdadAbu Najib al-Suhrawardi founded the Suhrawardi order in Baghdad and wrote Awarif al-Ma'arif, systematically regulating shaykh–disciple relations, khanqah management, and stages of practice, promoting the order model across the Abbasid world.
3. c. 1195–1250Islamic world · West AsiaThe Suhrawardi lineage and contemporary orders extended into Syria, Egypt, and Persia, deeply integrating with urban religious life during the Fatimid–Ayyubid periods, paving the way for later larger orders (such as the precursor networks of the Qadiri and Naqshbandi orders).