Shihab al-Din 'Umar al-Suhrawardi
Shaykh Shahab al-Din Abu Hafs Umar Suhrawardi (c. 1145 – 1234) was a Persian Sufi and nephew of Abu al-Najib Suhrawardi. He expanded the Sufi order of Suhrawardiyya that had been created by his uncle Abu al-Najib Suhrawardi, and is the person responsible for officially formalizing the order. Suhrawardi is the author of the "Awarif ul-Maarif", which is recognized as a masterpiece work in Tasawwuf. Other transliterations: "Shaykh Shihab al-Din ‘Umar al-Suhrawardi", "Shaykh 'Abu Hafs al-Suhrawardi", "Hadrat Shaykh Shihab al-Din `Umar b. `Abd Allah al -Suhrawardi," "Shaykh Shahabuddin Abu Hafs Umar Suhrawardi," "Shaykh Shahabuddin Abu Hafs Umar Soharwardi," "Shaykh Shahabuddin Abu Hafs Umar Soharwardy," "Shaykh Shahabuddin Soharwardi," "Shaykh Shahabuddin Soharwardy," "Shaykh Umar Shahabuddin Soharwardi." Life. Suhrawardi traces his lineage back to Abu Bakr, the first Caliph. From an early age onwards, Suhrawardi studied Islamic jurisprudence, law, logic, theology, Quranic studies and Hadith studies. Suhrawardi quickly excelled in his studies and mastered, at an early age, the Shafi'i and Hanbali madhabs. Suhrawardi was eventually designated as "Shaykh al-Islam" by Caliph al-Nasir under the Abbasids. The Awarif ul Maarif. Suhrawardi wrote the "", or "The Knowledge  of the Spiritually Learned." The "Awarif ul-Maarif" quickly became one of the most popular books on Sufism throughout the Muslim world. This book was allegedly translated into English by Henry Wilberforce-Clarke and published as "A Dervish Textbook" in 1891, although the Persian text which was the basis for this translation is likely to have been misattributed. It was reprinted by Octagon Press in 1980.