Zulfiqar Ahmad Naqshbandi (Urdu: ذوالفقار احمد نقشبندی; 1 April 1953 – 14 December 2025) was a Pakistani Islamic scholar and a Sufi shaykh of the Naqshbandi mystic order. He was listed among The 500 Most Influential Muslims for 2013–2014.
Biography
Naqshbandi was born on 1 April 1953 in Jhang, Punjab, West Pakistan. He studied electrical engineering at the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, and worked as a General Manager (Planning and Development) before retiring at age forty to devote himself entirely to Islamic scholarship and spirituality.
He was formally granted authorization (ijazah and khilafat) in the Naqshbandi spiritual path (silsila). He founded Mahadul-Faqir Al-Islami in Jhang and was associated with the Deobandi school of thought within Sunni Islam, following the Hanafi school of jurisprudence.
Scholarly and Religious Work
Naqshbandi delivered religious addresses in Pakistan and abroad, including in India, where he spoke at institutions such as Darul Uloom Deoband and Darul Uloom Waqf, Deoband. He was widely regarded as a credible elder of the Naqshbandi order and maintained theological positions aligned with mainstream Deobandi scholars.
He authored over one hundred books on Islamic jurisprudence, spirituality, ethics, and social issues. According to WorldCat, he was the author of 118 books. Notable works include Fiqh ke bunyādī uṣūl, Zād-i ḥaram, Nurturing the Budding Rose: A Complete Guide to the Upbringing of Children, Tasawwuf wa Sulook, and Ishq-E-Ilahi (Urdu) / Love for Allah (English).
Notable Disciples
His disciples include A F M Khalid Hossain, Muhammad Ayoub Naqshbandi, Sajjad Nomani, Rahmatullah Mir Qasmi, Salman Bijnori, and Obaidullah Hamzah.
Death
Zulfiqar Ahmad Naqshbandi died on 14 December 2025 in Jhang, Punjab, Pakistan, at the age of 72.
