Imam Hasan al Basri (may Allah be pleased with him) is the Sultan ul Faqr 2nd. The seed of Sufism is said to have existed from the beginning of human creation with the an-Nur of Prophet Mohammad. The origin of Sufism in the Sarwari Qadri order started with Prophet Mohammad. The real definition of Sufism is Faqr which is transferred by Prophet Mohammad. The status of Sultan ul Faqr is granted by the holy Mohammadan assembly.
Imam Hasan of Basra was first person after People of the Cloak (Ahl al-Bayt) who attained the extreme status of Faqr. He got a cloak (khirqah) of spiritual succession (khilafat) from Ali ibn Abi Talib. Thereafter, Ali also passed on the heritage of Divine knowledge of Prophet Mohammad and Trust of Faqr to him. Hence, he is the medium who transferred Faqr of Prophet Mohammad from People of the Cloak to Muslim umma. In other words, he transferred Faqr in Islam to Umma.

Hasan al Basri Biography
The patronymic name of Sultan ul Faqr 2nd Imam Hasan of Basra was Abu Mohammad, Abu Saeed, Abu Nasar, and also Abu Ali. His father’s name was Yasar who was a freed slave of Zayd ibn Thabit. While, name of his mother was Khaira and she was the maid of Prophet Mohammad’s wife Umm-e-Salma. Umm-e-Salma was Hasan’s foster mother as she fed him her milk and also brought him up.
Hasan of Basra was born in the caliphate of Umar ibn Khattab in 21 Hijri in Madina. Since birth he had an enlightened beauty. When he was brought to Umar for blessings, he said, “Name this child Hasan as he is very beautiful”. Also, Umar prayed for him, “O Allah bless him with perfect knowledge of Islam and make him beloved among people”. Allah granted his prayer and Hasan attained highest status in Faqr as well as in religious knowledge. This page showcase Hasan al Basri biography as Sultan ul Faqr 2nd in the Sarwari Qadri order.
EDUCATION
Al Hasan al Basri was brought up and educated among the sacred Companions of Holy Prophet. He also gained the exoteric as well as esoteric knowledge of Islam from the Companions. Particularly, from Ali ibn Abi Talib, Umar ibn Khattab, Usman ibn Affan, Anas ibn Malik and Hasan ibn Ali. He used to say, “I have had the privilege of seeing and meeting hundred and thirty Companions of Holy Prophet. Among them seventy were those who fought the battle of Badr”. Hence, the status of Sultan ul Faqr 2nd is highest amongst the Tabi’un (generation of Muslims who followed the Companions of Prophet Mohammad).
OATH OF ALLEGIANCE (BAYAT / AL-BAYAH)
The Sufi books Siyar-ul-Auliya and Sair-ul-Aqtab state about the oath of allegiance and spiritual succession of Sultan ul Faqr 2nd:
- Hasan of Basra took oath of allegiance at the hands of Ali ibn Abi Talib. Ali granted him special cloak and turban which Holy Prophet had granted him thus appointed him his superior spiritual successor. Also, he passed on complete knowledge of Divine secrets to Hasan, hence transferred the Trust of Faqr to him. Furthermore, Ali taught him the real method of invocation of Islamic creed (Kalma Tayyab) as Prophet Mohammad had taught him. That is, through negation of everything other than Allah (nafi) and verification by heart of His Essence (Asbat). Afterwards, Hasan introduced this method in the world of Islam.
Contribution of Sultan ul Faqr 2nd as Universal Divine Man
After getting the Trust of Faqr Hasan el Basri achieved the status of Universal Divine Man (al-Insan al-Kamil) of his era. Sultan ul Faqr 2nd then established a grand system of spiritual orders and mystic ways. This system spread in the whole Muslim world through his spiritual successors. It still exists and spiritual guides grant gnosis and closeness of Allah to true seekers following any of its chain. All the existing mystic orders trace back to Sultan ul Faqr 2nd and through him to Ali ibn Abi Talib. Specifically, the orders namely Qadiriya, Soharwardia, Chishtia, Nizamia, Rifa’iyah, Shadhiliya, Al-Maghribia and Kalabia trace back to Ali through Hasan. However, the Naqshbandi order reaches Abu Bakr Siddiq through Salman the Persian.
CONTROVERSY REGARDING HASAN’S ALLEGIANCE TO ALI
Although, all Sufis and Saints unanimously accept that every spiritual order reaches Ali ibn Abi Talib through Hasan of Basra. Yet some scholars and traditionalists disagree upon the fact that Hasan ever met Ali or heard any Hadith from him. The reason for this disagreement is that these scholars could not find any Hadith which Sultan ul Faqr 2nd had related from Ali. He never quoted the name of Ali ibn Abi Talib while narrating a Hadith. From this they conclude that Sultan ul Faqr 2nd never met Ali. If we accept the argument of these scholars, then the whole system of spiritual orders and mystic ways collapse. Because if Hasan of Basra never met Ali, neither took oath of allegiance on his hands nor got cloak of succession and Trust of Faqr from him than how could all the orders reach from him to Ali and then to Prophet Mohammad?
Hasan of Basra is the main link which connects every Sufi order to Ali ibn Abi Talib and Prophet Mohammad. If this link is not there, it becomes questionable that through whom Divine knowledge of Prophet Mohammad was transferred to umma. The circumstances and evidences also prove that it is not possible that Sultan ul Faqr 2nd never met Ali.