One of the most famous saints in the history of Sufism was Sayyid Shah Ni’matullah Wali (A.H. 731-831/1338-1428 C.E.), and all Shi’ia orders of Sufism trace their ancestry to the his Order, which has subsequently become known as the Ni’matullahi Order. The uninterrupted record of the chain of authorization of this Order can be traced to Ma’ruf Karkhi, who was the authorized sheikh of Imam Reza (A.H. 148-202/765-818 C.E.). Shah Ni’matullah Wali is the author of more than three hundred works about the mysteries of Sufism according to a Shi’ia interpretation. He was the renewer of this Order, and most of the Sufis of his day in the other orders submitted to him. Most of The Shi’ia Sufis after him have followed his way and have even followed his style and method in their writings.

In more recent centuries, one of the vicegerents of Shah Ni’matullah Wali is Hajj Mullah Sultan Muhammad Gonabadi, whose spiritual title is Sultan ‘Alishah (A.H. 1251-1327/1835-1909 C.E.).

The Master of all Gnostics, pride of all the Sages, head of all jurisprudents, the perfect ascetic and great moralist, His Holiness Sultan Ali Shah Gonabadi.

His noble name was Hajj Sultan Mohammad son of Mulla Hydar Mohammad an inhabitant of Baydukht Gonabad. His esteemed father Mulla Hydar Mohammad was taken captive in one of the raids made by the Turkamens who had come to Gonabad for robbery and plunder, after sometime in captivity, his relatives paid a ransom and he was set free and chose to live in Noodeh farm, and during the same time, had the honor to meet His Holiness Nour Ali Shah the first and be initiated into dervish hood or Sufism. Then in the year 1254 AHL. with the intension of visiting the Holy Shrines and the purposes of visiting and being in the presence of His Holiness Hussain Ali Shah to renew the covenant started the journey by way of India and did not return back from the journey, never to be seen again.

His Holiness Sultan Ali Shah was born on the 28th Jaumadi-al-ula 1251 AHL and from the age of 3 years was deprived of seeing his father; His Holiness till the age of 6 years grew up in the care of his mother, who was a devoted believer, then, his mother entrusted him to a school, overflowing intelligence and a strong memory made him capable to recite the Koran and read books in less than six months.
He was one of the most famous Gnostics (‘Urafa) and ‘Ulama in Iran. His chain of authorization has been recorded from Shah Ni‘matullah Wali. During his time, the Ni‘matullahi Order became more famous and popular. He is also the author of many books on Islamic, especially Sufi, topics, including an exegesis (tafsir) of the Qur’an called Bayan al-Sa‘adah (four volumes, in Arabic).

The fire of jealously in the resentful set ablaze and specially enmity in the pretending to be learned and devoid of senses increased and enmity reached its zenith and with the instigation of a group outside of Gonabad and jealously of some persons from Gonabad, who were unaware and ignorant of God, and that a few of them were under the shelter of His Holiness. In the early dawn on Saturday the 26th Rabi al-Awwal 1327 AHL during the time of performing the ablution in the garden connected to his house, His Holiness was attached and with sinful hands, his blessed throat which was a passage of the remembrance of God was so much squeezed that His Holiness was martyred and was united with his beloved. During this time, his blessed age was 76years, out of which 34 years of his life he sat independently on the throne of guidance and was engaged in the guidance of the worshippers and seekers.

His Holiness in the year 1314 AHL according to his own handwriting appointed his son His Eminence Mulla Ali as his Caliphate and successor with the spiritual title Nour Ali Shah(d. A.H. 1337/1918 C.E.), who in turn was succeeded by Hazrat Hajj Muhammad Hassan Saleh ‘Alishah (d. A.H. 1386/1966 C.E.), author of Salehi’s Advice,[2] followed by Hazrat Hajj Sultan Hussein Tabandeh Gonabadi, whose spiritual title is Reza ‘Alishah. He is the great grandson of Hazrat Sultan ‘Alishah, and is also one of the famous Islamic Gnostics and ‘Ulama. He has written many books, including commentaries on parts of the Qur’an. He passed away on the eleventh of Rabi’ al-Awwal, A.H. 1413, the ninth of September 1992, may he rest in Peace. He was succeeded by his son, Hazrat Hajj ‘Ali Tabandeh, whose title in Tariqaht is Mahboub ‘Alishah. He is the author of Khorsid-e Tabandeh, a detailed biography of his father along with a detailed introduction to Sufism, as well as several other unpublished works. He passed away on the sixth of Ramadan 1417, the sixteenth of January 1997, may he rest in Peace.

MASTER’S OF NEMATULLAHI SOLTAN ALI SHAHI GONABADI ORDER:

The Holy Prophet Muhammad ibn Abdullah Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Imam Hasan ibn Ali Imam Husain ibn Ali Imam Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin Imam Muhammad ibn Ali al-Baqir Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq Imam Musa ibn Jara al-Kazim Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Rida Imam Muhammad ibn Ali al-Jawad Imam Ali ibn Muhammad al-Naqi Imam Hasan ibn Ali al-Askari Imam Hujjat ibn al-Hasan al-Mahdi Shaykh of Shaykhs Abu al-Qasim Junayd Shaykh Abu Ali Rudbari Shaykh Abu Ali al-Katib Shaykh Abu Uthman al-Maghribi Shaykh Abu al-Qasim Gurkani Shaykh Abu Bakr al-Nassaj Shaykh Ahmad Ghazzali Shaykh Abu al-fadl Baghdadi Shaykh Abu al-Barakat Shaykh Abu Masud al-Andalusi Shaykh Abu Madyan al-Maghribi Shaykh Abu al-Futuh al-Baghdadi Shaykh Kamal al-Din al-Kufi Shaykh Abu Bakr Salih Barbari Shaykh Abdullah Yafii Shah Nimatullah Wali Shah Khalilullah I Shah Muhibbullah I Shah Atiyyatullah I Shah Khalilullah II Shah Shams al-Din Muhammad I Shah Muhibbullah II Shah Shams al-Din Muhammad II Shah Atiyyatullah II Shah Shams al-Din Muhammad III Shaykh Mahmud Deccani Shaykh Shams al-Din Deccani Shaykh Rida Ali Shah Deccani Shaykh Masum Ali Shah Deccani Shaykh Nur Ali Shah I Shaykh Husayn Ali Shah Shaykh Majdhub Ali Shah Shaykh Mast Ali Shah Shaykh Rahmat Ali Shah Shaykh Muhammad Kazim Saadat Ali Shah Shaykh Haj Molla Soltanmohammad e Bidokhti e Gonabadi (SoltanAliShahi), Thirty-Fourth Qutb, Martyr in 1909; Haj Molla Ali e NurAliShah Gonabadi (NurAliShah II), Thirty-fifth Qutb, Martyr in 1918; Haj Sheykh Mohammadhasan e Bidokhti e Gonabadi (SalehAliShah), Thirty-Six Qutb, Died in 1966; Haj Soltanhussain e Tabande Gonabadi (RezaAliShah II), Thirty-Seven Qutb, Died in 1992; Haj Ali Tabande (MahbubAliShah), Thirty-Eight Qutb, Died in 1996.

Majzooban Noor, Nematollahi Gonabadi Order News Site, would like to express their sincere condolences at this grievous loss to the presence of the Holy great Pole of Nematollahi Gonabadi Order, Haj Dr.Noor Ali Tabandeh, “MajzoobAliShah” and all the brothers and sisters in faith.