Ismail al-Khalidi al-Minangkabawi

Ismail al-Khalidi al-Minangkabawi was an Islamic scholar who belonged to the Khalidiyya branch of the Naqshbandi tariqa in the 18th to 19th century. He hailed from today's Tanah Datar Regency, West Sumatra. He is regarded as the pioneer of the tariqa in Minangkabau region, as well as the whole Indonesian archipelago. He was also known as a scholar of Islamic jurisprudence, kalam theology and tasawwuf (the science of Islamic mysticism).

In Mecca, Ismail studied under the several renowned scholars who had expertise in their respective fields. He learned kalam theology under Sheikh Muhammad Ibn 'Ali Assyanwani. In the field of jurisprudence, he studied under Sheikh al-Azhar and Sheikh Abdullah ash-Syarqawi, both renowned as scholars of the Shafi'i school of jurisprudence. Ismail also studied the science of Sufism under two great Sufis named Sheikh 'Abdullah Afandi and Sheikh Khalid al-Uthmani al-Kurdi (Sheikh Dhiyauddin Khalid). Both were murshid (teacher of the spirituality) of Naqshbandi order.