Ḥaḍrat Khwāja Muḥammad Bābā Sammāsī qaddas-Allāhu sirruhu was the most distinguished deputy of Khwāja ʿAzīzān quddisa sirruhu. He was born in Sammās, a village near Rāmītan, about ten miles from Bukhārā (Uzbekistan). His tomb also lies there.
He had a small orchard in the village of Sammās, where he would often prune the shoots with his own hands. He did this with great pleasure. Whenever he clipped a branch, a spiritual state will overwhelm him and the knife would fall from his hand [Rashahāt].
Whenever he would pass from the birthplace of Khwāja Naqshband called Qaṣr-i Hindwān (the pavilion of the robbers), he would say that I smell the scent of a hero from here, soon this place will turn into Qaṣr-i ʿĀrifān (the palace of the gnostics).
One day while he was passing from there, he told his companions that the hero, whose scent I used to smell, has in fact arrived in this world. Then he went to the house of Khwāja Naqshband, and asked to see the child. The grandfather of Shāh Naqshband brought the new born baby to Khwāja Bābā Sammāsī, who said: “This is my son. We accepted him as such a long time ago.”
Then he turned to his companions and told them: “This is the hero whose scent we noticed. Before long, this child will become the paragon of the age and the saving guide of the people of Love!” He then directly spoke to Sayyid Amīr Kulāl, who was to be his deputy in the future, and said: “Do not refuse to undertake the training of my son Bahāʾ ad-Dīn, and be sure to treat him with kindness and affection. If you are negligent in this, I shall not make any right of mine lawful to you!” Sayyid Amīr Kulāl replied: “I am no man if I fail you in the slightest!” [Rashahāt]
He passed away on 10th Jamādā ath-Thānī 755H (2/3 July 1354) [Umdat as-Sulook].
Four of his deputies are mentioned in the book Rashahāt:
- Sayyid Amīr Kulāl quddisa sirruhu, the chief deputy and spiritual successor
- Khwāja Muḥammad Bābā Sūfī Sūkhārī quddisa sirruhu, born and died in village Sūkhār close to Bukhārā
- Khwāja Muḥammad Sammāsī quddisa sirruhu, son of Khwāja Muḥammad Bābā Sammāsī
- Mawlānā Dānishmand ʿAlī quddisa sirruhu
The next in the Naqshbandī Mujaddidī Tāhirī spiritual golden chain is Sayyid Amīr Kulāl.