Research at ICONS
Research at ICONS seeks to contribute to the field of Islamic studies in general, with a particular focus on Noorbakhshi Sufi tradition: its intellectual, spiritual and cultural heritage, its history and the communities that carry it today. Our work focuses on the lands where the tradition took root and endures, from Iran and Central Asia to Kashmir, Baltistan, and Kargil-Ladakh, while placing it within the wider history of Sufism and Islamic thought.
The tradition takes its name from Shah Syed Muhammad Noorbakhsh (1392–1464), a Sufi master (Sheikh) of the Kubrawi lineage. It reached Kashmir in the late fifteenth century through Mir Shamsuddin Iraqi and spread from there to Baltistan and Ladakh. Its khanqahs, devotional texts and practices have shaped religious life in these valleys for more than five centuries. Much of this heritage survives in manuscripts, oral memory and historic buildings that have received little scholarly attention.
Our approach is interdisciplinary and grounded in primary sources. We study history, texts, Sufi thought and practice, and the material and living heritage of the community. We share our findings with scholars and the wider public through critical editions, translations, studies and open digital resources.
Research Areas
Research Area | Brief Introduction |
Noorbakhshi History in the Middle East and Central Asia | Traces the origins of the Noorbakhshi tradition in fifteenth-century Iran and Central Asia, from Shah Syed Muhammad Noorbakhsh and his Kubrawi teachers to the spread of his disciples across Iran and Anatolia. |
Noorbakhshi History in Kashmir, Baltistan and Ladakh | Follows the tradition from its arrival in Kashmir in the late fifteenth century to Baltistan, Purig and Ladakh, where it has endured as a distinct community for five centuries. |
Islamic Thought and Sufi Heritage | Explores the spiritual teaching of Shah Syed Muhammad Noorbakhsh and his Kubrawi predecessors, including Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani, and the Golden Chain (Silsilat al-Dhahab) that links the tradition to the Prophet (PBUH). |
Manuscripts, Editions and Translation | Locates, catalogues and preserves Noorbakhshi manuscripts in Persian and Arabic, and prepares critical editions and translations into Urdu and English. |
Built Heritage and Material Culture | Documents the khanqahs, mosques and astanas (tombs) of the tradition, with their distinctive blend of Kashmiri and Tibetan design, and their wood carving and inscriptions. |
|
|
Our Publications
ICONS publishes critical editions, translations and studies of the Noorbakhshi tradition, as well as accessible introductions for students and the wider community. Our publications appear in English and Urdu, and draw on manuscripts and sources preserved in Kashmir, Baltistan and beyond.
Proposed ICONS series | What it publishes |
| |
Research Journal | A bi-annual research journal comprising articles on a range of topics on Islam, Sufism and Noorbakhshi Sufi order. |
| |
Noorbakhshi Texts and Translations (start here) | Critical editions of Persian and Arabic texts with facing translations and contextual introductions, beginning with works of Shah Syed Muhammad Noorbakhsh. |
| |
Noorbakhshi Heritage Studies (start here) | Monographs and edited volumes on history, Sufi thought, architecture and society. |
| |
Research Papers (online) | Open-access articles, field reports and conference papers by ICONS researchers and fellows. |
| |
Reference and Guides | Manuscript catalogues, a bibliography of Noorbakhshi studies, reading lists and a glossary of terms. |
| |
Manuscripts, Archives and Digital Resources
The written heritage of the Noorbakhshi tradition survives in manuscripts copied and kept in khanqahs and family homes across Kashmir, Baltistan and Ladakh. ICONS works with their custodians to locate, catalogue and digitally preserve these texts, while the originals remain with the families and institutions that hold them. Our aim is an open online catalogue and digital library, and a steady flow of editions and translations drawn from it.
The program will be implemented in five stages:
Survey: identify collections in khanqahs, madrasas and private homes, starting with Khaplu, Shigar, Skardu and Kiris, and record what each holds.
Catalogue: create a standard record for every manuscript (title, author, scribe, date, place, condition) and publish it as an online union catalogue.
Digitise and preserve: photograph manuscripts on site, keep the originals with their owners, and give each custodian a copy of the images.
Edit and translate: select priority texts for the Noorbakhshi Texts and Translations series.
Share: publish images, catalogue records and translations through an ICONS digital library, with access terms agreed with each custodian.
An oral history strand, would record elders, religious scholars and reciters before their knowledge is lost.