Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqani was born in Larnaca, Cyprus, on the 23rd of April 1922. His lineage from his father’s side traces its roots to Sayiddina `Abdul Qadir Jilani, founder of the Qadiri Order. His lineage from his mother goes back to Sayiddina Jalaluddin Rumi, founder of the Mevlevi Order. He is Hassani-Hussaini, related to the Prophet through the lineages of his grandfathers to the family of the Prophet. 

During his childhood in Cyprus he sat with his grandfather, who was a Shaykh of the Qadiri Tariqat, to learn its discipline and its spirituality. His grandfather from his father’s side and his grandfather from his mother’s side trained him for the spiritual path.

His father sent him to school to study secular knowledge during the day, and in the evening he studied the religious sciences. He was a genius among his fellow students. After completing his high school studies every night, he would devote his time to studying the Mevlevi and Qadiri Tariqats. He was conducting the Qadiri and Mevlevi circles on Thursday and Friday.