Chishti Order
The
Chishti Order was founded by Khwaja Abu Ishaq Shami ("the Syrian") (d. 941 C.E.) who brought
sufism to the town of Chisht, some 95 miles east of
Herat in present-day
Afghanistan. Before returning to the Levant, Shami initiated, trained, and deputized the son of the local Amir, Khwaja Abu Ahmad Abdal (d. 966). Under the leadership of Khwaja Abu Ahmad’s descendants, the
Chishtiyya as they are also known flourished as a regional mystical order specializing in
sema -- ritual music and
islamic prayer combined with sacred dancing.