The name of the Sufi School (Zāwiya) indicates its spiritual significance, affiliation and spiritual lineage.
1. ‘Alawī: means the school’s/Zāwiyah first leader and highest spiritual authority after the Prophet Muhammad-sallallahu Taʾāla ʾalayhi wa Ᾱlihi wa sallam, is Sayyiduna ʾAlī ibn Abi Ṭālib (d. 661). There should be no confusion that our school/Zāwiyah of Iḥsān/Tazkiyah (Sufism) is a Sunnī Sufī school, as almost all Sunnī Sufī schools consider Sayyiduna ʾAlī their second highest authority in spiritual matters after the Prophet, sallallahu Taʾāla ʾalayhi wa Ᾱlihi wa sallam.
One of the focuses of our Zāwiya is to rekindle the spiritual and academic connection with Ahl al-Bayt (Ahl al-Kisāʿ) obliged by the authentic Mutawātir Prophetic Ḥadīth: (Whom I am his Mawla, ʿAlī is his Mawla) and the authentic Prophetic Ḥadīth: (I left you two heavy weights; the Book of Allah and Ahl Bayt).
2. Ḥusaynī: means that our school/Zāwiya’s spiritual leadership after ʾAlī is inspired by the life, mission, vision, struggle, and sacrifices of al-Ḥ̣asan then al-Ḥ̣usayn (d. 680). Al-Ḥ̣usayn’s life was an example of selflessness, continuous struggle, firm adherence to non-violence in the face of violent tyranny, proactiveness, and unconditional love to those who fought and killed him and his family.
3. Nīnowī: refers to the valley of Nineveh where al-Ḥ̣usayn was martyred. It is a symbol of sacrifice, honor, dignity, nobility, chivalry, and altruism. The valley of Nineveh housing Al-Husayn’s sacrifice is a symbol of peace extinguishing violence by non-violence, love extinguishing hate, sharing extinguishing opportunism, selflessness extinguishing selfishness, and hope extinguishing despair. Additionally, Ninveh is another ancient city of monks and mystics mentioned in the bible. Nīnowī or Nunowī also refers to the Shaykh ʾAlī, the father of Saʿīd; whose great grandson is the current Shaykh of the Zāwiya.
In summary, The ‘Alawī Ḥusaynī Nīnowī Zāwiya is a Sufi school which is a continuation of the schools of various lines of Islamic Sufism/mysticism (schools of Iḥsān/Tazkiyah). The ‘Alawī Ḥusaynī Nīnowī Zāwiyah is authorized in and honors the codes and teachings of the major Sufi scholars throughout the Muslim history, such as:
1. The Sufi and academic school founded by the great Sufī Shaykh Abd Al-Qadir al-Jaylānī (d. 1166) in Iraq.
2. The Sufi and academic school founded by the great Sufī Shaykh Aḥmad al-Rifā‘ī (d. 1182) in Iraq.
3. The Sufi and academic school founded by the great Sufi Shaykh Bahā’uddin Naqshband (d. 1389) in Uzbekistan.
4. The Sufi and academic school founded by the great Sufi Shaykh Abu al-Ḥasan al-Shādhilī (d. 1258) in Egypt.
5. The Sufi and academic school founded by the great Sufi Shaykh Muḥammad al-Khalwatī (d. 1578) in Egypt.
6. The Sufi and academic school founded by the great Sufi Shaykh Mu‘īnuddīn Chisti (d. 1236) in India.
7. The Sufi and academic school founded by the great Sufi Shaykh Muḥammad ibn ‘Abd al-Karīm al-Sammān (d. 1189) in Medina.
The ‘Alawī Ḥusaynī Nīnowī Zāwiya combines in its own unique way the main teachings of all above major Sufi schools in addition to many smaller Sufi schools and traditions taking place around the world in the past 1000 years, forming its own Sufī school which carries out its vision and activities. The ‘Alawī Ḥusaynī Nīnowī Zāwiya upholds its methodology in honoring that which is prioritized in the Qur’an and authentic Prophetic Sunnah as a foundation and accepts Ijtihādī views and practices of our righteous forebears so long they are not inconsistent with the Qur’an and authentic Prophetic Sunnah.
The ‘Alawī Ḥusaynī Nīnowī Zāwiya provides a manual for Suluk (wayfaring or Foundations on the Spiritual Journey to The Beloved) and litanies named: Haqiqat al-Tasawwuf fi al-Kitab wa al-Sunnah, authored by Sidi Shaykh Muhammad. The Zawiya trains all seekers and students in the Shādhilī guidelines in Suluk (practical spiritual journeying) and litanies as outlined by the commentary on the Hikam of Ibn ‘Ata’ authored by Sidi Shaykh Muhammad.
The ‘Alawī Ḥusaynī Nīnowī Zāwiya does not ask its students to admit any weak Prophetic Ḥadīth, let alone build a case or an obligatory practice based on it. All cases must be built on the Qur’an and authentic Prophetic Sunnah. The rest (non-authentic based cases/practices) maybe admissible if they fall among the Mubāḥat (المباحات) without prioritizing any Mubāḥ over the Qur’an and Prophetic Sunnah.
The ‘Alawī Ḥusaynī Nīnowī Zāwiya is guided and framed by the Qur’an and the authentic Prophetic Sunnah, then seeks authentic examples from the ‘Itra (The Five Prophetic household members: Ahlul Kisa’).
The ‘Alawī Ḥusaynī Nīnowī Zāwiya while seeking to open houses for Allah Ta’ala everywhere, does not ask, let alone demand of any member, seeker, or student to pay any money towards anything, or any of its projects, in return for teachings or guidance. Acts of charity must be individually intended and selflessly offered in order for them to bear fruits and be eligible for acceptance. The objective of our school is self-purification (Ihsan, Tazkiyah, Dhikr, and Love) based on the Qur’an and authentic Prophetic Sunnah, ethical refinement, and illumination.
