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Shaykh Abu al-Fuyuzat Karim al-Din Muhammad al-Khwarizmi, known in the Khalwati chain as Akhi Muhammad; deputy (khalifa) of Ibrahim Zahid al-Gilani, and uncle and shaykh of 'Umar al-Khalwati, founder of the Khalwatiyya order. What the sources say of him appears within the history of his nephew and of the order; he has no separate biography.
As deputy of Ibrahim Zahid al-Gilani he carried out spiritual guidance in Khwarazm. His nephew 'Umar had in his youth entered the service of the Ilkhanids and been taken captive while fighting in the army of Amir Chupan; freed from captivity, he came to Khwarazm, took initiation from him and completed his spiritual path under him. Afterwards he returned with his nephew to Lahijan in the Gilan region and settled in the town of Heri.
He died in 780 (1378); the article on the Khalwatiyya gives his death as 780/1378-79 and states that he died at Heri in Gilan. On his death his nephew 'Umar al-Khalwati succeeded to his seat of guidance.
His Circle of Influence — 'Umar al-Khalwati's Sufi chain joins, through his shaykh Akhi Muhammad, the Zahidiyya chain, which is attributed to Ibrahim Zahid al-Gilani but never became an institutionalized order. In 'Umar al-Khalwati this chain turned into the Khalwatiyya order, and the Khalwatiyya, from which many branches arose, became the most widespread order of the Islamic world. The article on the Khalwatiyya cites the death of Akhi Muhammad, who held an important place in the order, at Heri in Gilan, the birth of 'Umar al-Khalwati at Lahijan in the same region, and the birth of Sayyid Yahya al-Shirwani at Shamakhi and his death at Baku, as the reason why the order was founded and developed in Azerbaijan.
Differing Scholarly Views
The deputy in whom it became the Safawiyya — The two TDV articles name differently the deputy in whom the Zahidiyya chain turned into the Safawiyya order: the article on 'Umar al-Khalwati says “Safi al-Din Ardabili”, the article on the Khalwatiyya says “Sadr al-Din Ardabili”. The atlas records the two statements side by side and does not choose.
'Umar al-Khalwati's shaykh and the founder of the order — According to the article on 'Umar al-Khalwati, some sources regard as founder (pir) of the order, instead of 'Umar al-Khalwati, Ibrahim Zahid al-Gilani, the shaykh of his uncle Akhi Muhammad, or Sayyid Yahya al-Shirwani, or Muhammad b. Nur al-Balisi al-Khalwati, who is named as 'Umar al-Khalwati's shaykh. That is, a name other than Akhi Muhammad is also given as 'Umar al-Khalwati's shaykh. The atlas does not choose between these views.
Burial place — The sources give only the place of his death (Heri in Gilan); they do not state where his grave is or whether there is a tomb. For this reason the atlas has given this record no coordinates.
Sources
- TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi (DİA) · vol. 15, pp. 393-395, entry “Halvetiyye”
- TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi (DİA) · vol. 34, p. 65, entry “Ömer el-Halvetî”
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