Q. Is it permissible to recite Nad e ‘Ali (the Imaginary call to ‘Ali) and if so, is this practice limited to the Indian Sub-continent, and if indeed it is permissible to recite, is there any precedence by the elders of the Naqshbandiyya establishing its recital?
A. In his book “Intibiah fi salasil awliya Allah” [Urdu], Hadrat Shah Wali Allah Muhaddith ad-Dahlawi includes the chain of his Ijazah in the Khalwati Ishqi Shattariyya Tariqat and its awrad and wadhaif. According to Hadrat Shah Wali Allah Muhaddith ad-Dahlawi in the same book, its awrad and wadhaif include Nad e ‘Ali. The Khalwati Ishqi al-Shattariyya Tariqat is traced back to Sultan ul-‘Arifin Abu Yazid al-Bistami through Khwaja Abul Hasan ‘Ali al-Kharqani.
Furthermore, in the Shama i-Shabastaan of Imam Ahmad Rida Khan Qadiri, Sufi Iqbal Ahmed Nuri lists fifteen benefits of Nad e ‘Ali narrated by Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq on page 49 of volume 1 (Urdu), the fifth GrandShaykh of one version of the widely published Naqshbandi Golden Chain. This establishes its recital as permissible, not limited to the Indian Sub-continent, and as a practice of the elders of the Naqshbandiyya, since Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, Sultan ul-‘Arifin Abu Yazid al-Bistami, and Khwaja Abul Hasan ‘Ali al-Kharqani are all in the earliest generation of the Naqshbandi Golden Chain.
Ibn Asakir was a Sunni Islamic scholar, a historian and a disciple of the Sufi Master Abu al-Najib Suhrawardi. In his book Tarikh Dimashiq (History of Damascus), he narrates from Imam Ash-Sha’bi who met and learnt from the Sahabah including – ‘Ali b. Abi Talib, Sa’d b, Abi Waqqas, Sa’eed b. Zaid, Zaid b. Thabit, Qais b. Sa’d b. ‘Ubadah, Qaradha b. Ka’b, ‘Ubadah b. Saamit, Abi Musa Al-Ash’ari, Abi Mas’ood Al-Ansari, Abu Hurayra, Mughirah b. Shu’bah, Nu’man b. Bashir, Jabir b. ‘Abdullah, Zaid b. Al-Arqam, ‘Aishah b. Abu Bakr, and many others, who narrated from Hadrat ‘Ali b. Abi Talib who said, “It is better for me than having the whole world’s weight in gold that someone’s wish is fulfilled by Allah through by my agency. This brings me a feeling of great happiness.”
