The Chain of Transmission within a Sufi order is of central importance in the Sufi work. It is a major conduit of the baraka of any genuine Sufi school, and links the mureeds of that order with the combined spiritual power of their spiritual antecedents and with the unseen transformative forces that transpire behind the outward manifestation of the Chain, which is called the Silsila ("chain" or "pedigree"). The Silsila is recited at pivotal occasions such as the group Dhikr of the order, or at initiations. Working backward, experientially contacting and effacing oneself in each being in the chain is considered a necessary development of the practice known as Tasawwuri Murshid.
The representation of the chain of transmission is called the Shajara (tree). The Shajara which appears here is that of Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid ‘Inayat Khan, who was, in fact, initiated into the four major Sufi lineages in India. It is worth noting that at any juncture, there may be several shaykhs authorized to carry on a lineage. A Shajara is a tracing of initiatic ancestry rather than a representation of the full flow of baraka from the Source. Pir Zia has given a number of talks on the Shajara. Tapes of these talks can be ordered through the North American Secretariat.
- Hazrat Muhammad Rasul Allah
- Hazrat ‘Ali Wali Allah
- Hazrat Khwaja Hasan Basri
- Hazrat Khwaja ‘Abd al-Wahid bin Zayd Basri
- Hazrat Khwaja Fuzayl bin ‘Ayaz
- Hazrat Khwaja Ibrahim ibn Adham Balkhi
- Hazrat Khwaja Huzayfa Mar'ashi
- Hazrat Khwaja Hubayra Basri
- Hazrat Khwaja Mumshad 'Ulu Dinwari
- Hazrat Khwaja Abu Ishaq Shami Chishti
- Hazrat Khwaja Ahmad Abdal Chishti
- Hazrat Khwaja Muhammad Chishti
- Hazrat Khwaja Nasiruddin Yusuf Chishti
- Hazrat Khwaja Qutbuddin Mawdud Chishti
- Hazrat Khwaja Sharif Zindani
- Hazrat Khwaja ‘Usman Harvani
- Hazrat Khwaja Mu‘inuddin Hasan Sijzi-Ajmiri
- Hazrat Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki
- Hazrat Khwaja Fariduddin Mas‘ud Ganj-i Shakar Ajhodani
- Hazrat Khwaja Nizamuddin Mahbub-i Ilahi Badauni
- Hazrat Khwaja Nasiruddin Chiragh Dihlavi
- Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Kamaluddin ‘Allama
- Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Sirajuddin
- Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh ‘Ilmuddin
- Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Mahmud Rajan
- Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Jamaluddin Jamman
- Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Hasan Muhammad
- Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Muhammad A‘zam
- Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Yahya Madani
- Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Shah Kalimullah Jahanabadi
- Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Nizamuddin Awrangabadi
- Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Maulana Fakhruddin Dihlavi
- Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Ghulam Qutbuddin
- Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Nasiruddin Mahmud Kale-Miya
- Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Muhammad Hasan Jili Kalimi
- Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Muhammad Abu Hashim Madani
- Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid ‘Inayat Khan
- Hazrat Pir Vilayat ‘Inayat Khan