Shah Syed Muhammad Nurbakhsh Qahistani

Mir Sayyid Muhammad Nurbakhsh Qahistani (1392-1464; ) was a mystic (Sufi) who laid the foundation of the Noorbakshia school of Islam. He authored several books like al Fiqh al-Ahwat (Moderate Islamic Jurisprudence) and Kitab al-Aetiqadia (Book of Faith).

Life Nurbakhsh's real name was Muhammad bin Abdullah. His father was born in Qain and his grandfather in al-Hasa, whence in some ghazals (lyrics) he styles himself as Lahsavi (one from al-Hasa). His father migrated from Bahrain to Qain in Qahistan, where Nurbakhsh was born in 795 A.H. (1393 C.E.). Thus his full name as appeared in his prose works is Sayyid Muhammad Nurbakhsh Qahistani.

Nurbakhsh became a disciple of Sayyid Ishaq al-Khatlani, himself a disciple of Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani. Through his writings Nurbakhsh made an attempt to bridge the gap between the orthodox Sunni'ism and Shi'ism and gave an Islamic Fiqh of religious moderation in his book titled Al-Fiqh al-Ahwat (Moderate Islamic Jurisprudence).

His tomb is in Suleqan near Tehran.

Works

Syed Muhammad Nurbakhsh wrote about 150 works in Arabic or Persian.

Al-Fiqh Al-Ahwat (Islamic Jurisprudence) Kitab al-Aetiqadia (Book of Faith) Silsila Dhahab (in Arabic and Persian) Risal fi Ilm Firasat or Insan-nama Kashf al-Haqaeeq Risala Maash al-Salikeen Makarim al-Akhlaq Silsila al-Auliya (Arabic) Risala Nooria or Nur al-Haq Risala Miraajia (Persian) Risal al Huda (Arabic) Risala Aqsam-e-Dil (Persian)