A Brief Biography of
Sultan al-Awliya Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani
by Shaykh Muhammad al-Akili
“The walls of the religion of Muhammad, upon whom be peace, are falling and its foundation is cracking. Let us come together, O people of the earth, and rebuild what was ruined, reestablish what fell! This is not acceptable! O Sun! O Moon! O Day! All of you come! O ye people! Islam is crying for help, holding its hands over its head in distress from these profligates and insolent ones, from those inventors, perverts and heedless ones, the unjust ones, the tyrants, those who wear forged garments of theologians and claim to have knowledge which they do not possess!” — Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani
Shaykh Abu Muhammad Muhyiddeen Abd al-Qadir was born in the city of Gilan, in the northwestern part of Persia, in the year 1077. Guided by the hand of providence, he entered the city of Baghdad in 1095 at the age of eighteen to seek knowledge. Incidentally, this was the year in which Imam Al-Ghazali also left Baghdad in his quest for greater spiritual knowledge.
Quest for Knowledge
To satisfy his thirst for knowledge, Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir went to nearly every renowned Shaykh of the time including, Shaykh Abul Wafa Ibn `Aqil, Shaykh Muhammad Bin Al-Hassan Al-Baqlani and Abu Zakariya Tabrizi. He learned the tariqa at the hands of Shaykh Hammad Bin Muslim Al-Dabbas, then completed his initiation at the hands of Shaykh Qadi Abi Sa’id Al-Mukhrami (d. 1127), a renowned Shaykh who was the headmaster and teacher of seekers on the path, under whom many of the renowned shaikhs of Baghdad had studied.
Embraced by the People
Also known as Shaykh Al-Mubarak Sa’id bin Al-Hassan, he was the one who handed down the order’s traditional cloak (sijjada) to Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir Jilani who was then over fifty years old. Shaykh Sa’id also commissioned him to head his then modest fellowship and school in Baghdad. Shaykh Abi Sa’id once said:
“Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir received the cloak at my hand, but in fact, I also received my cloak at his hand. The school became known as the fellowship, also known as the Madrasa of Shaykh Muhyiddeen `Abd al-Qadir Jilani.”
Shaykh `Abd al-Qadi once related: “At the beginning only two or three people came to hear me, then others heard about me and the place was soon crowded. After that, I used to sit in the mosque at bab al-hilba, which became too small to handle the large crowds of people who would come even at night, carrying candles and torches to see their way. My chair then was carried to the main street, then to the outskirts of the city, which became the new gathering place. People would come on foot, on horses, mules, mares, and camels. You could see them standing in a huge circle numbering nearly seventy thousand at some meetings.” His regular meetings gathered more than four hundred scribes.
Tariqat
Shaykh Al-Sha’rani described Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir’s fellowship (tariqa) as follows: “His practice was based on the foundation of God Almighty’s Oneness (tawhid) in description, jurisdiction, and performance. He used to address his companions saying: ‘Follow and do not invent; obey and do not pervert.’ (Futuh Al-Ghaib, Chapter 15). “If you find in yourself a failure to comply with an obligatory precept of the shari’a, then you should realize that satan has played a trick on you and allured you.” (Al-Tabaqat Al-Kubra, page 129). He firmly stated: “Any truth (haqiqa) which is not supported by the active testimony of the divine laws (shari’a) is atheism.” (Al-Fathu Rabbani, p. 152).
Broad Wisdom and Adherence to Islamic Tenets
Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir spoke in thirteen different religious sciences, including Qur’anic commentaries, prophetic traditions, theology, religious laws, the science of hadith, seerah (the leading example and history of the Prophet’s life), grammar and philology, among other branches of religious science. In the afternoons, he would read the Holy Qur’an in the seven different recitation forms. He also would deliver legal opinions in religious matters (fatwa) including interpretation of the Shafi`i and Hanbali schools of thought. He himself followed the school of Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal. Describing his tariqa, Ibn Rajab once related: “He strictly followed the precepts of the Prophetic sunnah in any commentaries concerning the Divine Attributes (sifat), the Divine Decree (qadar) and other related subjects, and he was vehement in responding to those who followed other interpretations.”
Greatness Translated to Humble Leadership
In his greatness, he stood humbly with children and servants and spoke kindly to them. He frequently sat in the company of poor people and befriended them, stroking their shoulders. He never knocked at the door of any minister or sultan. When the Caliph or his ministers visited him, he would leave the room before their arrival, then afterwards reenter to avoid standing up for them.
In his book Qala’idul Jawahir, Harada described him as follows: “I have never seen anyone of better character, more magnanimous, more generous, kinder at heart, more trustworthy or loyal to his promise and friendships than our master, Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir. Despite his revered status, profound knowledge and exalted station, he would stand and converse with the common people, honor the elders, initiate greetings, sit with the meek and humble himself to the poor.”
Imam Al-Hafiz Abu `Abdullah Al-Birzali described him as follows: “His prayers were always answered. He was easily inclined to shed tears, contemplative, and continually invoking God’s remembrance. He was cheerful, generous, and magnanimous. He possessed vast knowledge, honorable character, and maintained an ever increasing devotion and steadfastness in his studies.”
‘Follow and do not invent; obey and do not pervert.’
The grand mufti of Baghdad, Abu `Abdullah Al-Baghdadi, described him saying: “He was the furthest person from wrongdoing and the closest to righteousness. He was the bravest in standing for the truth in regard to God’s rights on us. He never got angry for himself and never took the side of anyone except his Lord.”
Ibn Kathir described the admonitions of Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir saying: “He enjoined the people to do what is good and to abstain from what is evil. His admonitions addressed caliphs, ministers, people in authority, judges, companions and the masses. Standing in the pulpits of the mosques, he reprimanded them in the presence of witnesses, as well as during his public addresses. He disavowed the civil appointment of any unjust person, chose God’s blessings over anyone else’s wrath, and was not affected by any reproach.”
In the book Qala’idul Jawahir, it is related: “When the Caliph Al-Muqtadi li-Amrillah appointed Judge Abil-Wafa’, Yahya Bin Sa`id Al-Muzaffar—who was known to be an unjust person—to fill the position of chief justice, Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir stood on the pulpit of the grand mosque in Baghdad during his Friday sermon (khutba), and addressed the Caliph saying: “The worst of the unjust ones to judge over the Muslims! What will be your answer tomorrow before the Lord of the universes, the Most Merciful of the merciful ones?” The Caliph shook in fear at hearing that, cried, and immediately dismissed the aforementioned judge.
Moral and Spiritual Leadership
As the Shaykh of Baghdad, then the capital of the caliphate, Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir was distressed by the degenerating moral behavior of society. He fought in every way to vanquish hypocrisy and wickedness and called upon the people to return to the judgment of the Book and the leading example of the Prophet r. He was an Imam who was able to bind the Muslim society back together and help it to cleanse itself from evil. In fact, it was God Almighty’s design, work and mercy that made it all possible, for what comes from God will remain and what comes from anyone else will vanish.
Revival of Purity in Faith
As the teachings of Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir spread over the land, he taught and appointed many deputies to carry the work from the East to the West. He reopened the door for the renewal of one’s covenant with God Almighty, and Muslims came forward in crowds to repent, agreeing not to associate partners with God Almighty, not to deny God’s favors, not to reject the faith, not to create divisiveness, not to invent new ways of life, not to introduce new ideas into God’s perfect religion, not to be unjust, not to neglect what God Almighty enjoined upon them, not to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the world, and not to forget the hereafter.
His students were among the poor and the rich, the ruler and the subject, and after their repentance and renewing their faith, they followed his teachings with great love, sincerity and devotion, and thus regained their dignity and integrity as human beings. For over half a century, Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir was able by God’s leave to revive an entire generation, and the repercussions of such work are still being felt.¹
His Call to Piety and Allah-Consciousness
Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir called upon the people to correct themselves, to cleanse their hearts, to dispel the love of the world from their hearts and instead to fill them with the love of God Almighty. He exhorted them to follow the Messenger, upon whom be peace, to abstain from affectation, to dispel arrogance, hatred, jealousy, envy, perfidy, hypocrisy and falsehood. He called upon them to break their attachments to the world and dependence on its patrons, and instead turn to God Almighty for all their needs, for He is the Sustainer and Cherisher of the universes.
Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir stated in one of his talks: “O Man! How hardened is your heart! Even a dog serves his master! He guards him, accompanies him in the fields and hunts for him, guards his herd and looks up to him with loyalty and hope that his master may give him a couple of bites from his dinner or put something aside for later. Ponder on that and compare it with your fattening yourself on God’s favors and fully satisfying your desires in them, but never doing what He asks you to do! You do not pay Him what you owe, you neglect His orders and do not guard the limits which He ordained for you!” (Al-Fathu Rabbani, p. 661 ) He objected strongly to people who did not care to work to earn their livelihood, who lived dependent on others’ donations, and encouraged people to earn their livelihood with their own sweat.
In his book Zail Tabaqat Al-Hanabila, Ibn Rajab quoted Shaykh Muwaffaq Al-Deen, author of the book Al-Maghni, saying: “I have never heard of anyone having as many noble deeds and miraculous blessings (karamat) as those attributed to Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir.”
Excerpts from Al Fathu Rabbani wal Faidhu Rahmani “The Endowment of Divine Grace and The Spread of Divine Mercy.” Copyright Pearl Publishing House, Philadelphia, 1997; reprinted here with permission.
Related Articles:
