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Abdul Qadir Jilani (Ghaus-al-Azam) was a noted Hanbali preacher, Sufi sheikh and the eponymous founder of the Qaderi Sufi order (selsela). He was born in Ramadan 470 A.H ( About 1077 AD) in the Persian province of Jilan (Iran) south of the Caspian sea.

Parents and Early Life

Abdul Qadir Jilani was a Syed (descendant of the Prophet Muhammad) from both his father and mother. His father Syed Abu Saleh Jangidost, was an illustrious and God-fearing man. Once he was engrossed in meditation by the bank of a river he saw an apple floating down the river. He picked it up and ate it. It struck to him that he ate the apple without paying for it so he set out in search of the owner, on the bank of the river and at last reached the owner of the apple orchard "Abdullah Somai" whom he requested to tell him the price of the apple, Abdullah Somai replied that it was an expensive thing. Syed Abu Saleh replied that he had not much by way of worldly material but he, could serve him for its compensation. Abdullah Somai then asked him to work for a year in the orchard. In course of time the duration was extended several times. In the end Abdullah Somai admitted that he had served him in excess of the price and desired to reward him. Abu Saleh hesitated in accepting it but when Abdullah Somai persisted, he relented. He said he had a daughter, blind of eyes, handicapped of hands and feet and wanted to give her in marriage to him. In this way Abdullah Somai was married to his daughter, Syeda Fatimah. To his astonishment Abu Saleh found her wondrously beautiful and wholesome. He complained to his father-in-law that he found her exactly the opposite to what he had described her. Abdullah Somai insisted on the truthfulness of his statement. She was blind because she had not seen any Ghair Mehram (a man who could marry her). She was mute because she had not uttered a word repugnant to the Shariah (Islamic law). She was deaf because she had not heard anything inconsistent with the Shairah. She was handicapped of hand and feet because she had never moved in the direction of evil.

Abdul Qadir Jilani's father died soon after and the young orphan was reared up by his mother and his grandfather, Abdullah Somai.

Adult Life

At the age of 18 he went to Baghdad on 488 Ah (1095 AD), where he pursued the study of Hanbalite law under several teachers. His mother sewed 40 gold coins in his quilt so that he might spend then when needed. The dacoits struck the caravan on the way, and looted all the travelers of their belongings and wealth. They asked him what he had. He replied that he had 40 gold coins. The dacoits took his reply for a joke and took him to their chief. The Chief of the dacoits asked him the same question and he again replied that he had 40 gold coins on him. He demanded him to show, upon whom he tore away, the quilt and produced the gold coins. He was surprised and asked him why he had given the hidden gold coins. He could have kept them and they could have never known about them. Young Abdul Qadir Jilani replied that he was travelling to Baghdad to receive education. His mother had instructed him to speak the truth and he had done it. This left a deep effect on the Chief of the dacoits and he gave up looting.

He received lessons on Islamic Jurisprudence from Abu Said Makhzoomi, Hadith from Abu-Bakra-bin-Muzaffar, and commentary (tafseer) from the renowned commentator, Abu Muhammad Jafar.

In Sufism, his Shaikh (Spiritual teacher) was Shaikh Hammad. From him, he received his basic training, and with his help he set out on the spiritual journey. Abu Shuja' was also a desciple of Shaikh Hammad, once he said: "Shaikh Abdul Qadir was in the company of Shaikh Hammad, so he came and sat in front of him, observing the best of good manners, until he stood up and took his leave. I heard Shaikh Hammad say, as soon as Shaikh Abdul Qadir had left: 'This non-Arab has a foot that will be raised, when the proper time comes, and placed upon the necks of the saints of that time. He will surely be commanded to say: This foot of mine is upon the neck of every saint of Allah. He will surely say it, and the necks of all the saints of his age will surely be bent at his disposal.'" Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi (d. 910 A.D.), who died about 167 years before the birth of Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, predicted about him on one occasion, when he was performing meditation & during that he said: "His foot will be over all Saints' necks." After finishing meditation, his desciples asked him about his words, he replied: "One Sufi would be born in the future, who would be greater than all saints." Thus, Shaikh Hammad proved the words of Hazrat Junaid as right. The historians says that, later Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani also repeated the same words on many occasion by himself.

Popular Sufi Sheikh

After completion of education, Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani abandoned the city of Baghdad, and spent twenty-five years as a wanderer in the desert regions of Iraq as a recluse. He was over fifty years old by the time he returned to Baghdad, in 521 A.H. (1127 A.D), and began to preach in public. His hearers were profoundly affected by the style and content of his lectures, and his reputation grew and spread through all sections of society. Not only Muslims, but also Jews and Christians, not only caliphs and viziers but also farmers, merchants and traders allegedly altered their lives in response to Abdul Qadir's perorations. He moved into the school belonging to his old teacher al-Mukharrimii, there he engaged himself in teaching. Soon he became popular with his pupils. In the morning he taught lessons on hadith and tafseer, and in the afternoon held discourse on mysticism and the virtues of the Qur'an. The number of students increased so much that the seminary could no more contain them. He, therefore, decided to extend the premises of the seminary. The students and the people willingly came forward with their wholehearted contributions. The campus buildings were ready in 528 Hijri and thereafter it came to be known as Madarsai-e-Qadriya.

Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani was a Non-Arab (ajami), so he wasn't fluent in Arabic and was having some difficulties because of it. Once The Holy Prophet came to him, before the time of the midday prayer (Zuhr), and he said him him: "O my dear son, why do you not speak out?" He replied: "O dear father, I am a Non-Arab man. How can I speak fluently in the classical Arabic language of Baghdad?" Holy Prophet said: "Just open your mouth!" He opened his mouth, and The Holy Prophet put his slavia seven times in his mouth. A few moments later, Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib also came & did the same to him six times. And from that time, Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani spoke classical Arabic language with fluency, his memory increased and he felt some great positve spiritual changes in him.

Once some one asked Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani about Mansur Al-Hallaj, he replied: "His claim extended too far, so the scissors of the Sacred Law (Shari'a) were empowered to clip it."

He busied himself for forty years in the service of the Islam from 521 to 561 Hijri During this period hundreds embarrassed Islam because of him and organized several teams to go abroad for the purpose. He arrived in Indian sub-continent in 1128 A.D., and stayed at Multan (Pakistan). He died in 561 A.H. (1166 A.D.) at the age of 91 years, and was buried in Baghdad.

Notes

Template:Explain-inote Template:Inote

  1. Abd-al-Haqq, Akbar, p.11
  2. Ibid, p. 13

See also

Sources

External links

Online resources

Imams on Sufism

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