Silsilah

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions | 1997 | 565 words | Copyright

Silsilah (Arab., salsala, ‘make a chain’). The chain of transmission in Sūfī Islam from the initial blessing (baraka) of God, running down in succession to the present shaykh. Most silsilahs are traced back to Muḥammad, one (the Tijāniy(y)a) claiming to be derived from a direct vision of Muḥammad to the founder. The Khāḍiriy(y)a claim to be founded directly by Khiḍr. It is an initial obligation on joining an order to learn the silsilah in order to understand how the baraka has been transmitted.

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JOHN BOWKER. "Silsilah." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Silsilah." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Silsilah.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Silsilah." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Silsilah.html

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