Qalandar Baba Auliya

Imam Hassan Ukhra Muhammad Azeem Barkhiya (1898 – 27 January 1979) , commonly referred to as Qalandar Baba Auliya , was the founding Imam of the Azeemiyya sufi order. The title Qalandar reflects his recognized authority in Tasawwuf, and he is also regarded as an Abdāl, commonly known by the honorific "Abdāl Haqq" . He received supervision in spiritual matters by his maternal grandfather, Tajuddin Baba, who oversaw his early spiritual development for nine years. A second initiation is mentioned in some accounts from 1956, when he sought discipleship under Abul Faiz Qalandar Ali Suhrawardi, a Pakistani Sufi figure of the Suhrawardiyya. He also oversaw the training of his main student and spiritual inheritor Khawaja Shamsuddin Azeemi for 16 years, who went on to lead Silsila Azeemia for over 45 years.

Muhammad Azeem Barkhiya traced both his paternal and maternal ancestry to Imam Hasan al-Askari. and has inspired a substantial body of literature on Sufism. Accounts of mystical experiences attributed to him are recorded in Tazkirah Qalandar Baba Awliya. The Silsila also marks his Urs annually as a two-day series of workshops and seminars, which is attended by thousands of supporters from around Pakistan and abroad. His resting place is located in the Shadman district of Karachi, Pakistan.