The Nurbakhshiya Corner

The Naksbandi Zawiya is one of the landmarks of Ottoman Jerusalem, and it is also known as the Azbaki or Bukharian Zawiya due to its founders. Many historians of Bethlehem have mentioned it, and it is believed to have been built in the late Mamluk period or early Ottoman era. It is located outside the Haram al-Sharif but within the old city walls, and contains a small mosque on Bab Hatta Street.

The Bukharian Tekke or Naksbandi Zawiya was established with the aim of housing visitors and feeding the poor, particularly those from Central Asia, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Turkey, the Caucasus, and other Islamic countries. In 1731 AD, Sheikh Osman Bek Bukhari, known as a Sufi, expanded the zawiya.

Later, Sheikh Rashid Bukhari took over the zawiya, followed by his son Sheikh Ya'qub Bukhari, who died in 1956. The leadership then passed to his son Sheikh Musa bin Ya'qub Bukhari, father of Abdul Aziz, who died in Jerusalem in 1973 and was a judge at the Acre Sharia Court at the time. Currently, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Musa Bukhari is in charge, having taken the oath from Sheikh Muhammad Naqib al-Hakim in Cyprus.

The Bukhari family came to Palestine from Uzbekistan in 1616 AD with the aim of representing their countries as embassies do today, and spreading part of their culture and knowledge through the Naksbandi Sufi method, which comes from the Uzbek word "naksband" meaning that God is inscribed on the heart of a believer, unaffected by worldly factors.

Spread

The zawiya has spread to several regions and countries in the Islamic world, including Central Asia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Turkey, Kurdish areas, Sunni Iraq, Al-Ahsa, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, UAE, Caucasus, Azerbaijan, and Muslim Russia.

Creed

The Naksbandi creed is Ahl al-Sunna (Matridi and Ash'ari).

Purpose of the Zawiya

The purpose of the zawiya was to establish Sufi principles, as Jerusalem is a city of pilgrimage and tourism. The zawiya, like others, serves as both a school and an embassy, but also provides hospitality to its sons or guests. For 400 years, from Thursday every week, the Naksbandi Zawiya hosted the people of Jerusalem and visitors on free tables, which decreased after the 1967 setback due to Israeli occupation and the takeover of Islamic endowments as charitable trusts, reducing the benefit from renting out houses for the zawiya's sake. Before 1967, the number of Uzbek, Turkish, and Afghan visitors to Palestine annually ranged between 30-80 people per year. The Naksbandi Zawiya has played a significant role in spreading Sunni doctrine and combating Shia and Salafi trends.

External links

* Sham al-Shamso - Naksbandi Haqqani Order website
* Al-Zawiya Mosque, Naksbandi Zawiya in Jerusalem

Palestinian Monuments
Landmarks of Jerusalem