Afew decades ago Hazrat Azad Rasool (ra), the previous Shaykh of this Sufi order, noticed that many people were visiting India seeking spiritual advancement and enlightenment, but often got side-tracked or found it difficult to meet a trustworthy and authoritative spiritual guide who could teach them the subtle intricacies of the spiritual path. In order to address this problem, Hazrat Azad Rasool (ra) established a new Sufi school, the Institute of Search for Truth in New Delhi, India in 1975 with the consent of his own Shaykh, Maulvi Muhammad Sa’id Khan (ra).

The Institute is based on the firm conviction that as atoms have unlimited potentialities and powers hidden within them, the most evolved form of matter – the human body – is bound to be a reservoir of greater powers and wonders. To search out this wonderful treasure is the aim of our Institute. The existence of a human being’s inner powers is not a figment of the imagination. Modern psychology, particularly the psychology of the unconscious, points to such vistas of human nature which can reveal many hidden facts and secrets of the human self. By way of illustration, we may refer to the discoveries of C. G. Jung who in his investigations uncovered aspects of human nature that brought his psychology very close to mysticism. His work paved the way for the modern investigators of the mind and brain such as Robert Ornstein and Arthur Deikman.

Hazrat Azad Rasool (ra) passed away on the 7th of November 2006.  He spent more than fifty-five years of his life working tirelessly to spread the message of Sufism across the world, and in particular, the West. Traveling not only through the length and breadth of India but also to Australia, East Asia, Europe and North America, today his following includes seekers from all over the world. The Institute, under the name of The School of Sufi Teaching, now has branches around the world, with students from countries as far as the USA, Canada, Brazil, Russia, Uzbekistan, Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey, Poland, UK, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Egypt, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Singapore, Oman and Kyrgyzstan. See the contacts page on how to reach each center.

The number of seekers who have benefited from Hazrat’s (ra) teaching continues to grow and his work continues through the Institute of Search for Truth and the School of Sufi Teaching.  As is the tradition in Sufi orders, the work continues uninterrupted.  Hazrat’s son and deputy (khalifa), Shaykh Hamid Hasan now leads the Institute of Search for Truth and the School of Sufi Teaching and provides initiation and guidance to people on the path of Sufism.

The School of Sufi Teaching offers instruction in teachings of five main Sufi Orders – the Naqshbandi, Mujaddidi, Chishti, Qadiri and Shadhili – with special emphasis on the Mujaddidi.