Atlas
About this atlas
The atlas holds the chains of transmission from the Prophet as the standard references and the classical sources record them: the Sufi orders, the chains of Qurʾān recitation, the teachers of the schools of law and ḥadīth, and the lines of the Prophet's family, with the places they spread and the living houses and teachers who carry them today. Every link shows its sources; where they differ, both readings are shown, and we do not rule on any community's claims. Ibn ʿArabī's own life, teachers and readers are on their own page.
عبيد الله أحرار
ʿUbaydullāh Aḥrār
Died 895/1490 · born 806/1404 · Tashkent region, Samarkand
Founder of the Aḥrāriyya
Sources for this person
The chain up to the Prophet
Dates are given where the sources give them. Years are CE; the Hijri year is in each name's detail.
Route 1 of 3, the best-sourced: Naqshbandiyya. Tap a rule to read its basis, sources and checks.
Sources differ on 10 links of this route.
- The Prophet Muhammadمحمد632
- Amīr Kulālأمير كلال1370
two sourcesin Naqshbandiyyasources differ
initiation · Amīr Kulāl to Bahāʾ al-Dīn Naqshband · Two independent sources
Kulāl oversaw Naqshband's spiritual education; Sammāsī had adopted him as an infant.
TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, 'Hâcegân'TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, 'Bahâeddin Nakşibend' (Hamid Algar)Checked against
- Trimingham, Sufi Orders in Islam (1971), trimingham_sufi-orders-in-islam_1971.txt#L3928-3934 · agreesBahāʾ al-Dīn served his apprenticeship under both al-Sammāsī and Kulāl.
- Jāmī, Nafaḥāt al-uns (the edition in this reader), pp. 437 ff. · agreesKulāl taught him outward manners of the path; Sammāsī accepted him as a son.
- Encyclopaedia Iranica, 'BAHĀʾ-AL-DĪN NAQŠBAND' (Hamid Algar), Vol. III, Fasc. 4, pp. 433-435 · agreesBahāʾ al-Dīn took companionship, adab and dhikr instruction from Amīr Kulāl, his principal teacher on the path.
- Arthur F. Buehler, Sufi Heirs of the Prophet (Univ. of South Carolina Press, 1998), ch. 4, pp. 89, 94 n. 22 · agreesKulāl was Bahāʾ al-Dīn's living preceptor for ṣuḥba, adab and dhikr, though Ghujduwānī was his primary guide.
Where the sources differ, side by side. We do not rule between them.
- Jāmī: Muḥammad Bābā al-Sammāsī accepted Naqshband as a son and Amīr Kulāl taught him the outward manners (Nafaḥāt p. 437 ff.).See checks
Bahāʾ al-Dīn Naqshbandبهاء الدين نقشبند1389two sourcesin Naqshbandiyya
initiation · Bahāʾ al-Dīn Naqshband to Yaʿqūb-i Charkhī · Two independent sources
Named by TDV among Naqshband's khalifas; Charkhī's disciple Aḥrār spread the order.
TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, 'Bahâeddin Nakşibend' (Hamid Algar)Checked against
- Encyclopaedia Iranica, 'BAHĀʾ-AL-DĪN NAQŠBAND' (Hamid Algar), Vol. III, Fasc. 4, pp. 433-435 · agreesYaʿqūb Charkhī (d. 851/1448) a third khalifa, who initiated Aḥrār.
Yaʿqūb-i Charkhīيعقوب الچرخي1447two sourcesin Naqshbandiyya
initiation · Yaʿqūb-i Charkhī to ʿUbaydullāh Aḥrār · Two independent sources
Aḥrār joined Charkhī's circle in 834/1431 and received the khilāfa.
TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, 'Ubeydullah Ahrâr'Checked against
- Encyclopaedia Iranica, 'AḤRĀR, ḴᵛĀJA ʿOBAYDALLĀH' (John Michael Rogers), Vol. I, Fasc. 6, pp. 667-670 · agreesAḥrār found his pīr at Chaghāniyān in the Naqshbandī Yaʿqūb Charkhī of Badakhshān.
ʿUbaydullāh Aḥrārعبيد الله أحرار1490
Other routes (2)
Route 2 of 3: Naqshbandiyya
Sources differ on 9 links of this route.
- The Prophet Muhammadمحمد632
- Amīr Kulālأمير كلال1370
two sourcesin Naqshbandiyyasources differ
initiation · Amīr Kulāl to Bahāʾ al-Dīn Naqshband · Two independent sources
Kulāl oversaw Naqshband's spiritual education; Sammāsī had adopted him as an infant.
TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, 'Hâcegân'TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, 'Bahâeddin Nakşibend' (Hamid Algar)Checked against
- Trimingham, Sufi Orders in Islam (1971), trimingham_sufi-orders-in-islam_1971.txt#L3928-3934 · agreesBahāʾ al-Dīn served his apprenticeship under both al-Sammāsī and Kulāl.
- Jāmī, Nafaḥāt al-uns (the edition in this reader), pp. 437 ff. · agreesKulāl taught him outward manners of the path; Sammāsī accepted him as a son.
- Encyclopaedia Iranica, 'BAHĀʾ-AL-DĪN NAQŠBAND' (Hamid Algar), Vol. III, Fasc. 4, pp. 433-435 · agreesBahāʾ al-Dīn took companionship, adab and dhikr instruction from Amīr Kulāl, his principal teacher on the path.
- Arthur F. Buehler, Sufi Heirs of the Prophet (Univ. of South Carolina Press, 1998), ch. 4, pp. 89, 94 n. 22 · agreesKulāl was Bahāʾ al-Dīn's living preceptor for ṣuḥba, adab and dhikr, though Ghujduwānī was his primary guide.
Where the sources differ, side by side. We do not rule between them.
- Jāmī: Muḥammad Bābā al-Sammāsī accepted Naqshband as a son and Amīr Kulāl taught him the outward manners (Nafaḥāt p. 437 ff.).See checks
Bahāʾ al-Dīn Naqshbandبهاء الدين نقشبند1389two sourcesin Naqshbandiyya
initiation · Bahāʾ al-Dīn Naqshband to Yaʿqūb-i Charkhī · Two independent sources
Named by TDV among Naqshband's khalifas; Charkhī's disciple Aḥrār spread the order.
TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, 'Bahâeddin Nakşibend' (Hamid Algar)Checked against
- Encyclopaedia Iranica, 'BAHĀʾ-AL-DĪN NAQŠBAND' (Hamid Algar), Vol. III, Fasc. 4, pp. 433-435 · agreesYaʿqūb Charkhī (d. 851/1448) a third khalifa, who initiated Aḥrār.
Yaʿqūb-i Charkhīيعقوب الچرخي1447two sourcesin Naqshbandiyya
initiation · Yaʿqūb-i Charkhī to ʿUbaydullāh Aḥrār · Two independent sources
Aḥrār joined Charkhī's circle in 834/1431 and received the khilāfa.
TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, 'Ubeydullah Ahrâr'Checked against
- Encyclopaedia Iranica, 'AḤRĀR, ḴᵛĀJA ʿOBAYDALLĀH' (John Michael Rogers), Vol. I, Fasc. 6, pp. 667-670 · agreesAḥrār found his pīr at Chaghāniyān in the Naqshbandī Yaʿqūb Charkhī of Badakhshān.
ʿUbaydullāh Aḥrārعبيد الله أحرار1490
Route 3 of 3: Naqshbandiyya
Sources differ on 8 links of this route.
- The Prophet Muhammadمحمد632
- Amīr Kulālأمير كلال1370
two sourcesin Naqshbandiyyasources differ
initiation · Amīr Kulāl to Bahāʾ al-Dīn Naqshband · Two independent sources
Kulāl oversaw Naqshband's spiritual education; Sammāsī had adopted him as an infant.
TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, 'Hâcegân'TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, 'Bahâeddin Nakşibend' (Hamid Algar)Checked against
- Trimingham, Sufi Orders in Islam (1971), trimingham_sufi-orders-in-islam_1971.txt#L3928-3934 · agreesBahāʾ al-Dīn served his apprenticeship under both al-Sammāsī and Kulāl.
- Jāmī, Nafaḥāt al-uns (the edition in this reader), pp. 437 ff. · agreesKulāl taught him outward manners of the path; Sammāsī accepted him as a son.
- Encyclopaedia Iranica, 'BAHĀʾ-AL-DĪN NAQŠBAND' (Hamid Algar), Vol. III, Fasc. 4, pp. 433-435 · agreesBahāʾ al-Dīn took companionship, adab and dhikr instruction from Amīr Kulāl, his principal teacher on the path.
- Arthur F. Buehler, Sufi Heirs of the Prophet (Univ. of South Carolina Press, 1998), ch. 4, pp. 89, 94 n. 22 · agreesKulāl was Bahāʾ al-Dīn's living preceptor for ṣuḥba, adab and dhikr, though Ghujduwānī was his primary guide.
Where the sources differ, side by side. We do not rule between them.
- Jāmī: Muḥammad Bābā al-Sammāsī accepted Naqshband as a son and Amīr Kulāl taught him the outward manners (Nafaḥāt p. 437 ff.).See checks
Bahāʾ al-Dīn Naqshbandبهاء الدين نقشبند1389two sourcesin Naqshbandiyya
initiation · Bahāʾ al-Dīn Naqshband to Yaʿqūb-i Charkhī · Two independent sources
Named by TDV among Naqshband's khalifas; Charkhī's disciple Aḥrār spread the order.
TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, 'Bahâeddin Nakşibend' (Hamid Algar)Checked against
- Encyclopaedia Iranica, 'BAHĀʾ-AL-DĪN NAQŠBAND' (Hamid Algar), Vol. III, Fasc. 4, pp. 433-435 · agreesYaʿqūb Charkhī (d. 851/1448) a third khalifa, who initiated Aḥrār.
Yaʿqūb-i Charkhīيعقوب الچرخي1447two sourcesin Naqshbandiyya
initiation · Yaʿqūb-i Charkhī to ʿUbaydullāh Aḥrār · Two independent sources
Aḥrār joined Charkhī's circle in 834/1431 and received the khilāfa.
TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, 'Ubeydullah Ahrâr'Checked against
- Encyclopaedia Iranica, 'AḤRĀR, ḴᵛĀJA ʿOBAYDALLĀH' (John Michael Rogers), Vol. I, Fasc. 6, pp. 667-670 · agreesAḥrār found his pīr at Chaghāniyān in the Naqshbandī Yaʿqūb Charkhī of Badakhshān.
ʿUbaydullāh Aḥrārعبيد الله أحرار1490
How to read the marks
- Two sources: a solid rule. Two independent references give the same link.
- One source: a lighter rule, so labelled.
- The community's own account: a dotted rule. The order tells it; we have not yet read it against a reference source.
- A gap in the rule: the sources omit names between the two. The label says which.
- The sources differ: tap the ≠ to read each reading with its source.
- A ring: a spiritual link, without a meeting (uwaysī).
Who received from ʿUbaydullāh Aḥrār
1 recorded, each with the chain set it belongs to.
- Muḥammad al-Zāhidمحمد الزاهد
two sourcesin Naqshbandiyya
initiation · ʿUbaydullāh Aḥrār to Muḥammad al-Zāhid · Two independent sources
Order's own chain lists Muḥammad al-Zāhid after Aḥrār (state: order's own account).
the community's own account: naqshbandi.org, 'Origins' (Naqshbandi Haqqani Order's own golden chain)Checked against
- Encyclopaedia Iranica, 'BĀQĪBELLĀH NAQŠBANDĪ' (Johan ter Haar), Vol. III, Fasc. 7, pp. 728-729 · agreesMuḥammad Zāhed Vakhshī is named as one of Aḥrār's principal khalifas.
How to cite
Mashraba Reader, Atlas of transmission, “ʿUbaydullāh Aḥrār”, https://www.mashraba.org/atlas/figure/ubaydullah-ahrar (data of 31 October 2026).