Ni'matullāhī

The Ni ʿ matullāhīya (Persian نعمتاللهیه ) is a Shia Sufi order (or tariqa ) of Iranian origin. The after its founder Shah Wali Nimatullah (d. 1431) named medals won in Iran and India in popularity. Reza Alischah Dakani was the leader ( qoṭb / "pole" ) of this Sufi Order in the years 1741-1799 in Hyderabad ( Deccan ), India. He was responsible for the revival of the Order in Persia by sending ma'sum Alischah Dakani.

The number of followers of the Order in Iran was estimated recently to 50,000 to 350,000. After the emigration of Javad Nurbakhsh and other dervishes after the Iranian revolution in 1979, the tariqa found many followers outside Iran, mostly in North America, Western Europe and West Africa.

History

The Order is named after its founder, the poet and mystic Shah Wali Nimatullah, named, even a sympathetic to the Sunni Shiism, in Mahan, Kerman Province, Iran, lived and is buried there. His grave is still an important place of pilgrimage. Shah Nimatullah was a student of the Qadiri Sufi Sheikh Abdollah Yafe'i in Mecca. A chain of succession of masters ( Silsilah ) claims to back first stretch up to Maruf Karkhi.

Javad Nurbakhsh took over in 1953 the leadership of the Order after the death of his predecessor Du'l - Riasatayn. After his death in 2008 was succeeded by his son Alireza Nurbakhsh.

The branches of the Order are:

• Gunabadi branch
• Kawthar 'Ali Shahi - branch
• Dhu'r - Riyasatayn branch
• Safi 'Ali Shahi - branch
• Schamsu'l - ' urafa branch