چشتیہ = قادریہ = نقشبندیہ = سہروردیہ

‘Following the usual practice of his Shaykh Haji (Imdadullah mohajir Makki) sahib, Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on them) used to initiate the seekers in the four major Sufi lineages (that is, Chishtiya, Qadiriya, Naqshbandiya and Suharwardiya).

This was to establish a connection with all the pious predecessors and gain their spiritual blessings.

Moreover, this was also to maintain an equivalent reverence for all pious predecessors and not to give preference to a saint over another. The latter is not allowed because it usually results in denigration of other saints. This is impermissible and very dangerous. Holding a bad opinion (su-e-dhan) about the pious sometimes results in a bad ending (of life, su-e-khatama, i.e. without faith), whereas it surely results in being bereft of their spiritual blessings.

Ashraf us-Sawanaih, part 3, page 185