Book excerpt: The Naqshbandi Sufi Tradition is one of the most distinguished and respected schools of Islamic spirituality. Its long and glorious history stretches back to the earliest days of Islam and it has always played a central, pivotal role in the life of the Muslim world. Led by the shaykhs of the Golden Chaininheritors of the secret knowledge of the prophets and saintsthe Naqshbandi Order survived the turmoil and tribulations of the past century and remains one of the few authentic mystical traditions that still maintains a living link with its ancient past. Now, for the first time,the history and teachings of the Naqshbandi Way are being made available to the public.Classical Islam and the Naqshbandi Sufi Tradition is the most detailed and authentic book ever written about a Sufi order in English. Providing a comprehensive history of the Naqshbandi Tradition, the author Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, one of the most respected teachers of Islamic spirituality in the world today, traces the lives of its foremost teachers from Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be peace, to the present. Their life stories are intimately woven with landmark events of history, from the time of the Companions to the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the reemergence of Islam in the former Soviet Union. However, this book also contains much more. It details the fundamental principles of the Sufi path and the primary teachings of the Naqshbandi Order, exploring the doctrines and philosophy behind this important current in spiritual thinking.