Khawaja Muhammad Masum

Khawāja Muḥammad Maʿṣūm (Urdu/Persian: خواجہ محمد معصوم ;1599–1668), also known as Maʿṣūm-i Thānī (“the Second Maʿṣūm”), was an Indian Naqshbandī-Mujaddidī Sufi master, Islamic scholar and the son and principal successor of Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi (d. 1624), the founder of the Mujaddidi branch of the Naqshbandi order.^[2] He is widely revered in South Asian Islamic history as the Urwat-ul-Wuthqa (The Unbreakable Bond/Rope of Allah) and the Qayyum-i-Thani (The Second Qayyum).^[3]

Masum was the third son of Ahmad Sirhindi. He was born on Monday, 6th May 1599 CE (11th Shawwāl 1007 Hijrī) in Sirhind, Lahore Subah, Mughal Empire (modern-day Punjab, India).^[4] It is said that his birth coincided with his father's spiritual ascension, leading Shaykh Ahmad to view his son's birth as a source of immense blessings. He received a comprehensive education in Islamic sciences (Qurʾān, ḥadīth, fiqh) alongside intensive Sufi training under his father.

Khawaja Muhammad Ma’sum played a critical role in consolidating and expanding the Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi order across the Islamic world, particularly in the Mughal Empire and Central Asia. Under his leadership, the Mujaddidi order grew rapidly. Historical records suggest he appointed thousands of deputies (khalifas) who traveled to various regions to teach Islamic spirituality and jurisprudence. Like his father, he emphasized the integration of Tasawwuf (Sufism) with strict adherence to the Sharia (Islamic Law) and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad. He argued that true spiritual realization could not be separated from religious observance. He is known to have had a significant influence on the Mughal court. He was a spiritual guide to the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, encouraging the emperor to implement orthodox Islamic policies.

His most famous written legacy is the collection of his letters, known as Maktubat-i Ma’sumiyya: A three-volume collection of letters addressed to disciples, scholars and rulers. These letters discuss complex topics of theology, Sufi metaphysics (such as Wahdat ash-Shuhud), and spiritual mentorship.

Masum had six sons and six daughters. The sons were:^[4][5]

1. Shaykh Muḥammad Ṣibghat-Allāh Sirhindī
2. Shaykh Muḥammad Ḥujjat-Allāh Sirhindī
3. Shaykh Muḥammad ʿUbayd-Allāh Sirhindī
4. Shaykh Muḥammad ʾAshraf Sirhindī
5. Shaykh Muḥammad Saif ad-Dīn Sirhindī
6. Shaykh Muḥammad Ṣiddīq Sirhindī

He died on 16th August 1668 CE (9th Rabīʿul ʾAwwal 1079 Hijrī). He was buried alongside his father.^[4]

He was succeeded by his son, Khawaja Muhammad Saif ad-Dīn, who continued his father's work.^[5] His shrine serves as a major site of reverence in Sirhind, located near his father's mausoleum. His descendants became known collectively as the Maʿṣūmī family, many of whom remained important religious figures.