The Shattariyyah tradition is largely shaped by a Transoxanian tradition of Central Asia, but over time it has also come under Indian and Arab influences (Trimingham 1998: 96-104). The tradition has also been ‘domesticated’ in Indonesia in order to meet local needs. In the Shattariyyah’s silsilah we can sense these dynamics.
The silsilah is linked to Abu Yazid al-Ishqiyyah of Transoxania, who was influenced by Imam Jafar al-Sidiq (d. 146/763) and Abu Yazid al-Bistami (d. 260/874). Abu Yazid al-Ishqiyyah’s order was known as the Ishqiyyah in Iran and the Bistamiyyah in Ottoman Turkey. The Ishqiyyah was popular in 15th century Central Asia. After the Qadiriyyah-Naqshabandiyyah order began to receive more attention in the same area, the Ishqiyyah’s popularity decreased (Trimingham, 1998: 41). One of Abu Yazid’s successors, Shah Abd Allah al-Shattar (d. 1428–9) who appears in the genealogy of Pamijahan manuscripts as the ninth master before Shaykh Abdul Muhyi, brought the order to more prosperous soil for his teachings, namely India. There, Shah Abd Allah became associated with the Shattariyyah, which had then become another name for ‘Ishqiyyah (Rizvi 1983).
After ‘Abd Allâh al-Shattar, the Shattariyyah was led by Shaykh Hidâyat Allâh Sarmat (the eighth predecessor), and Shaykh Hâjji Udârî (the seventh predecessor). The most important of ‘Abd Allâh al-Shattar’s successors was the famous Muhammad Gawth of Gwalior (d. 1562–3). According to Rizvi (1983), he extended the popularity of the Shattariyyah among the local population by retranslating Yogi’s manuscript, the Amritkunda and incorporating its practices into Shattariyyah dikir formulae. He was known as a Sufi who respected the followers of Hinduism. Furthermore, he was a writer of numerous mystical works. During his period the doctrine of the Shattariyyah was codified and strengthened, as may be seen in his work Jawâhir al-Khamsah (The Five Precious Things). Another factor which stimulated the Shattariyyah tradition was that its leaders were able to co-operate with the royal courts of North India. This can be seen in the period of the great Moghuls, Shâh Jahân and Aurangzeb. Shâh Jahân and Aurangzeb granted recognition to the order as one of the official orders of the empire (Rizvi 1983).
After Muhammad Gawth of Gwalior, the order was continued by Shaykh Wajih al-Dîn Gujarati (the fifth predecessor) (d. 1018/1609) who succeeded in promoting the Shattariyyah order throughout the Indian subcontinent (Rizvi 1983: 166). Its method of contemplation, which shows similarity with yogic practices, and the eccentric behaviour of its master, were important factors in the Shattariyyah’s development in India. Furthermore, through Shaykh Wajih al-Din Gujarati’s successor, Sultan Arifin Sibghat Allah b. Ruh Allah and Shaykh Ahmad al-Nashawi, the order spread to Mecca and Medina (Rizvi 1983). In the 17th century these two holy cities emerged as sanctuaries of various Sufi orders and became great centres of diffusion. It was through this line that Ahmad Qushashi, the immediate predecessor of Indonesian Shattariyyah, obtained his silsilah.
Even though some scholars have classified the Shattariyyah as a minor order in India (Rizvi 1983), it emerged as an important order in the Indonesian archipelago during the 17th century, particularly in Sumatra. Its followers became key players in local social transformations further afield. The king of Buton in Eastern Indonesia, for example, adopted the symbolism of the Seven Levels of Being to impose a hierarchical social order within his realm (Ikram 2001). In Ulakan, Minangkabau, the Shattariyyah imbued rebels with spiritual powers in their struggle against the Dutch (Steenbrink 1984). The same situation was also found in Java, where Shaykh Abdul Muhyi provided the prominent rebel Shaykh Yusuf of Sulawesi with accommodation and political sanctuary. Abdul Muhyi’s followers also took up arms against the Dutch (Kraus 1995).