Bismillahi rahmani raheem, assalmau alaikum.
Sayudina Uwais al Qarni (ra) was a contemporary of the prophet Muhammad (saws) who lived in Yemen but never had the chance to meet the prophet (saws) because he had duties towards his mother, which he could not leave. So Allah taught Him about Islam from a distance, whilst in Yemen He would often hear the Khutba’s of the prophet (saws), receive news about events and see them, hear the Adhan and pray with the congression in Madina from a distance, and after the prophets (saws) death the companions would visit Him (as) on the instruction of the prophet (saws).
The prophet (saws) said about Him (ra) “He is the best of the Tabiin.”
What we should understand is that Allah used the faculties inherent in Man which Allah displayed to the Angels, His physiological ability to receive revelation and inspiration, to connect Him to Ahl Madina from Yemen and this was wasn’t a miracle like people think of Magic today, in other words it had scientific basis in the systems of the universe like every miracle of Allah.
The spiritual manner in which Allah taught Him (as) about Islam would mark the foundation for how many scholars and awliyah in Islam would be taught over the next 1400 years, the prophet (saws) famously said Allah takes the souls of the believers whilst they are asleep, at this time the souls talk to each other, consider that deeply and what they are doing at this time and the fact the souls of people had a life long before they entered bodies to be born, because, that is the crux of how spiritual knowledge is passed on from one person to the next, from the Angels to the prophets and from the prophets and awliya to people.
This was the manner in which I was raised into the Naqshbandi Tariqah by the prophet (saws) and was given a unique Naqshbandi silsila going back to Him (saws), and this is the manner in which many scholars, Imam’s, Awliyah where raised before me in the past, by either the prophet Muhammad (saws) or Sayidinah al Khidr (as).
Here is an explanation of this by the scholars of the Naqshbandi Tariqah;
The ‘Uwaysi’ Transmission of Spiritual Knowledge
[http://naqshbandi.org/golden-chain/uwaysi-connection/]
Sayyidina Shah Bahaudin Naqshband al-Uwaysi al-Bukhari received the silent dhikr from the spiritual presence (ruhaniyya) of Khwaja Abdul Khaliq Ghujdawani. He did not meet with him physically because there were five shaykhs between them in the Golden Chain. Similarly Sayyidina Abul Hasan al-Kharaqani took spiritual guidance and initiation in the Naqshbandi Order from the spiritual presence of Bayazid Bistami.
In this form of spiritual transmission, the spirits meet in the world called calam al-arwah (the world of spirits) which is beyond calam al-ajsam (the material plane). Whoever takes knowledge through spirituality from a deceased Master in the Naqshbandi Way, is called both Uwaisi and Naqshbandi. That spiritual connection is as powerful and effective as the physical connection.
The sign of the Favor of Allah Almighty and Exalted on his servant is to authorize one of His saints to uplift that servant to the Divine Presence. That is why many saints who came in previous times were guides for those who came after through this spiritual (Uwaysi) connection. It is known that many saints have been under the guidance and training of prophets and other saints that lifted them up.
As we mentioned, Sayyidina Abdul Khaliq al-Ghujdwani was raised up by Sayyidina al-Khidr (s), Sayyidina Uways al-Qarani, and the spiritual Presences of Sayyidina Ali and Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq. Then Sayyidina Abdul Khaliq raised Shah Naqshband, who also received guidance from Sayyidina Uways al-Qarani, Sayyidina Ali, Sayyidina Abu Bakr, and the Prophet (s). Sayyidina Jafar as-Sadiq raised up Sayyidina Bayazid al-Bistami. Sayyidina Bayazid al-Bistami raised up Sayyidina Abul-Hasan al-Kharaqani. Sayyidina Ubaidullah al-Ahrar was raised up by the spiritual connection to Sayyidina Isa (s) and to Shah Naqshband. It is known that Sayyidina Ahmad al-Faruqi, in addition to the spiritual power he was receiving from Shah Naqshband, was also receiving spiritual support and power from Sayyidina Ali (r). Sayyidina Shaykh Sharafuddin ad-Daghestani was raised through spirituality by Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (r) and by Sayiddina Muhammad (s). Sayyidina Shaykh Abdullah Daghestani was under the spiritual guidance of Sayyidina Uwais al-Qarani (r), of Sayyidina Abdul Khaliq al-Ghujdawani, and of Sayyidina Shah Naqshband and Sayyidina Ali. Shaykh Nazim received, in addition to the guidance received by Shaykh Abdullah and Shaykh Sharafuddin, additional guidance from Sayyidina Jalaluddin Rumi and Sayyidina Abdul-qadir al-Gilani, who were his grandfathers on his father’s and his mother’s side.
These are the shaykhs of the Naqshbandi Order mentioned by Shaykh Abdullah ad-Daghestani, who have, in addition to their physical connection, received the Uwaisi connection. They are known as the Shaykhs of the Two Wings (Dhul Janahain), meaning that both the physical lineage and the spiritual lineage are combined in them. These saints are only nine in number. Each one represents one of the nine spiritual points on the chest of the human being. Through these points these saints can reach their followers at any time. Because they have the authority of these nine points, they consider all of humankind to be their followers, whether they are aware of their spiritual connection to them or not. Through these points, which are of ‘Uwaysi’ nature, they can reach and affect any human being, intercede for them, and inspire their hearts in order to direct them to the Divine Love, although they have never met physically.
Shaykh Rami Al Rifai.