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"Wisdoms is not obtained by man, but is given to him by Allah. After having been elevated to that state, the wise become intimate with the secrets of Allah. Allah brings one to His secrets only if one's heart is alive and conscious with the rememberance of Him, and if that conscious heart has the wish to recieve the truth."
- The Secret of Secrets ( Sirr al-Asrar )

 

Parents and early life

 In Persia, in a place called Naif in the district of Jilan, in the South of the Caspian Sea, there lived a pious and God fearing man. He was Hazrat Abu Saleh Jangi Dost. He used to spend most of his time in the contemplation and love of Allah (God). Once he was sitting on the bank of a river in deep contemplation, when upon opening of his eyes, he saw an apple floating down the river. The apple, which reached him near the bank, was taken up and eaten by him.

Soon after, his conscience questioned the propriety whether the apple eaten by him was lawful. He got up and walked along the bank of the river towards the sides from where the apple had come, in order to find out the owner of the garden where from the apple had fallen into the river. He  intended to pay him the price for the apple in order to make the energy derived from that apple lawful, since he had eaten it, without permission. After a long journey, he reached a spot where appeared a large garden on the bank of the river, which convinced him that the apple eaten by him had fallen from that garden.

Upon inquiry he learnt that the garden belonged to Hazrat Abdullah Sawmai.  Hazrat Abu Saleh approached him and begged his pardon for eating the apple of his garden without his prior permission. Such approach made Hazrat Abdullah Sawmai to perceive that Hazrat Abu Saleh was a pious and a noble man. He therefore, asked him to pay the price of the apple before his request for pardon was considered. The price was to serve under him as long as he desired. Hazrat Abu Saleh agreed to serve Hazrat Abdullah Sawmai for as long a period as his service was considered necessary.

 After a few years service, Hazrat Abu Saleh asked the owner of the garden to grant him pardon and release him. Hazrat Abdullah Sawmai, before pardoning and allowing him to leave, asked Hazrat Abu Saleh to agree to marry his daughter who, he was told, was blind, deaf, lame and paralytic of hands. After marriage he was also to stay with them until a child was born to them. These were the qualifying conditions of his release. In order to obtain his pardon, Hazrat Abu Saleh Jangi Dost agreed to the proposal and the marriage was accordingly fixed up. When he entered the chamber of the bride, he saw instead a beautiful and healthy lady. He turned his eyes from he assuming that he had entered a wrong chamber because the lady before him did not tally with the description given to him. By his Kashf (Clairvoyance) Hazrat Abdullah Sawmai understood the predicament of Hazrat Abu Saleh about his bride. He called him and explained to him that he had stated that his daughter was blind, because her eyes never fell upon any outsider other than members of their family; she was said to be deaf, because she had never heard untruthful statements; she was supposedly lame, because she never undertook and stepped on towards committing acts, alien to the laws of Islam. Such a description of his wife enlightened Hazrat Abu Saleh with a new light and he began to live happily with his wife whose name was Umul Khair Fatima. She was the pious daughter of Hazrat Abdullah Sawmai, who was himself a great Sufi and Saint of his time and was a direct descendent of Hazrat Sayidina Imam Hussain (R.A)

 In this Saiyed family of Saints, Hazrat Umul Khair Fatima gave birth to a son in 470 Hijri during the month of Rabi-ul-Akhir. The child was named Abu Muhammad Abdul Qadir. Abu Muhammad was his Kuniet that is the name by which he was familiarly called by relatives and neighbours. It will appear that Saiyidina Abdul Qadir Jilani was a direct descendent of Hazrat Imam Hassan Ilaihe-salam (R.A) on his father’s side. From his mother’s side he descended from Saiyidina Imam Zainul Abedin Ilaihe-salam son of Hazrat Imam Hussain Ilaihe-salam. He was therefore both a Hassani and Hussaini Saiyed tracing his lineage thereby to the two grandsons of Nabi Muhammad Mustafa (Sallalahu Alaihi Wa Sallam). All the writers agree that the age of Hazrat’s mother was much above the normal age of child bearing, when this great Saint of Jilan was born to her. Despite having taken birth in such an advanced age of his mother, he was nevertheless, possessed of all the good faculties normally expected of a healthy child.

The child was a born Wali (Saint). From the very birth, he was endowed with germs of Psychic powers. His Wilayat was obviously felt from his infancy. His first Karamat was witnessed, when as an infant child during the month of Ramadhan, he would take his mother’s milk only at night and not during daytime. This fact has been proved on the evidence of his mother. Once the new moon of the month of fasting was not visible in the evening on account of clouds. In the morning people came to his mother to inquire whether the day was the first of Ramadhan. She replied that her child did not take her milk during daytime, which indicated that the day was the first of Ramadhan. As a child, Saiyidina Hazrat Abdul Qadir would not play with other children. The Psychic powers, which were exhibited by him in his infancy, naturally developed as he grew up, and were visible in all the stages of his holy life. Once the children of the vicinity, where Saiyidina Abdul Qadir with his mother was living, invited him to play. He led the game and asked all the children to say IL-LAL-LAH, when he would recite LA-ILAHA. This play of the children reciting LA-ILAHA-ILLALLAH (There is no God but God) could very well show the inclination and pursuits of the Leader. He was quiet and sober from his early childhood and was generally disposed towards contemplation.  At the age of ten, however, he attended school. The teacher would ask his fellow students to make room for the Wali of Allah to sit in the class.

From Jilan to Baghdad

He lived in Jilan up to the age of 18 years. In one day Hazrat would learn by heart as much of his lessons as others would take a week to master. One day, he was going to the fields for an excursion. A plough bullock was ahead of him. The animal suddenly turned round and seemed to tell him that he was not born for the purpose of utilising his time on excursions. Frightened at this incident, he turned back to his house and climbed its roof. With his spiritual vision, he saw vast assembly standing on Jabl-ul Arafat. He then requested his mother to dedicate him to ALLAH (GOD) and also allows him to proceed to Baghdad, which was then famous in the Muslim World as a great seat of learning for the acquisition of knowledge.When his mother heard the proposal, she shed silent tears as she perceived that on account of her old age, she was not destined to see her dear son again, whom she had brought up so carefully and tenderly, after the death of her husband long age. She sewed forth dinars (Gold Coins) into his garment, so that they might not easily be lost. It was his half share of the money left by his father. The other half was kept for his brother.

He soon joined a small caravan, which was going to Baghdad. From the time of his childhood, he had never uttered falsehood, but despite this trait of his character, his mother at the time of parting, took a vow from him that he should not tell even one lie under any circumstances.. The caravan passed quite safely as far as Hamadan, but beyond that place, a gang of sixty robbers fell upon the caravan and plundered it, but none laid violent hands upon Hazrat, taking him to be a penniless, religious youth. One robber however, questioned him whether he had anything with him. He readily said he had forty dinars sewed into his garment. The man took it as a joke and went away. Another robber also asked him, and on receiving the same reply, moved off. They reported the incident to the leader of the gang, who ordered the production of they youth before him. Accordingly, when he was taken before the gang leader, he said the same thing, which he had stated before. The garment was then cut open and the forty dinars were found. On seeing the "dinars" the leader was astounded and asked  what had made him to tell the truth when he knew that he too would be robbed. He replied that he had promised his mother not to tell a lie under any circumstances. He  added that if he had told a lie on the very first stage of his journey undertaken for the sake of acquiring knowledge of religion, he would obviously have no chance of acquiring any real knowledge of religion at subsequent stages of his career. Upon this, the robber realizing the felonious life he and his companions lad led, burst into tears and said that he had been breaking the commands of God throughout his life, while a youth was so conscientiously fulfilling his vow made to his mother. By placing his hands upon the hands of Hazrat, the leader of the robbers solemnly vowed to give up robbery. The other robbers also followed their leader and repented. The robbed belongings were returned to their owners.


In Baghdad, Hazrat studied several subjects, under many famous Savants of Islam. He studied Fiqah under Qazi Abu Saeed Mubarak bin Mokarrimi, Abu Ofa Ali Bin Aqil and very many other learned teachers. He learned Hadith and his teachers included the famous Abu Ghalib Ahmed and Abu Qasim Ali. He acquired proficiency in Arabic literature under the learned Abu Zakaria Yahya Tabrizi, who was at that time the principal of Madrasa Nizami.

During his stay in Baghdad, he established, by his conduct, that he was truthful and extremely charitable. During his stay, although he had to endure great hardships, by dint of the natural talents and devotion, he very soon became the Master of Quran, Fiqh, Hadith and Arabic literature, with all its connected branches.

When his devotion towards "Mujahida" increased , instead of embarking on his own professorial career, he abandoned the city and spent twenty-five years as a wanderer in the desert regions of 'Iraaq. He left Baghdad and went to a place called Sauster. He explained "All that will be found in you, after spiritual existence is breathed into you, because all these things constitute a screen between you and your Lord. You should consider your whole being and your parts as idols together with the rest of the creation and you should not obey any of them. Then you will learn the secrets of divine knowledge and acquire extraordinary powers". "Then you will truly become a manifestation of the powers of God; you will hear, see, speak, and understand through God, and will have comfort and rest through Him. Thus you will be blind and deaf to any thing besides Allah, so that you will not find anything existing besides Him".

For one year, he lived mainly on vegetables. In the next year, he mainly lived on liquid. In the third year, he barely ate drank or slept. Cravings were thus brought to the very minimum. This “Mujahida” was undertaken to assume the attributes of Allah, who neither eats nor drinks nor sleeps. Hazrat wandered in the jungles of Iraq in a state that neither he knew anything about the people nor anybody knew anything about him. People thus took him for a dumb and insane person. He lived for many years in the ruins of Madain in Jazab. He moved about alone for about twenty-five years amidst the ruins of Iraq. Thought insane and taken for treatment, his condition would worsen and outwardly to those around him he would appear to be dead. When the people prepared to wash his body prior to burial, he would suddenly regain consciousness and movements. Such was his physical state.

For about forty years he performed morning prayers with the ablution (wuzoo) taken for the previous night prayers. After night prayers, he would stand holding a post to avoid sleep and recite the Quran till the time for morning prayers. Hazrat Sheikh said, “whoever preferred sleep to wakeful prayers at night would lose alertness, towards approach to Allah, who nor his angels needed sleep. Thus merit lies in keeping awake for prayers at night, denying slumber”.

The later years

He was over fifty years old by the time he returned to Baghdaad, in A.H. 521/1127 C.E., 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. In 521 Hijri, Hazrat Abu Saeed Mubarik Bin Mokarrimi made over his Madrasa to Saiydina Abdul Qadir.At first he began to preach in this Madrasah made over to him. In the beginning only two or three persons formed his audience.  But on account of his profound learning, piety, spirituality, adherence to truth, strict observance of the ‘Shariat”, avoidance of “Bidat” (innovations) and his eloquence, his fame spread through out the different quarters of Baghdad and all the Muslim world. Crowds began to flock to hear his sermons. As there was not sufficient accommodation in the Madresa. People used to sit outside the Madresa on the road up to the entrance to the Serai. As the audience still increased the houses adjacent to the Madresa were acquired and the Madresa was extended in 528 A. H. Even then, the Madresa and its percents were not large enough for the audience. It was then in the Idgah outside the City, that Hazrat used to address mammoth audiences. Subsequently a monastery was built for this purpose, which was also known as Musafir Khana.

For thirty-three years between 528 and 561, he devoted himself to the cause of Education. He himself taught Muslim Law, commentaries on the Quran, Hadith, Syntax (grammar) and other Islamic subjects. Students from every part of Iraq and all over the Muslim world came to his Madrasa, where they received free education with boarding and lodging provided. After completing their course of studies, these students either returned to their own countries or went to some other lands in order to spread the knowledge and virtues acquired . Education thus spread throughout Iraq and other Muslim Countries to achieve Saiyidina’s sole object of the revival of Islam. Most of his students later became famous Saints and Savants of Islam. Among them were Sheikh Ali bin Hiti-a- Qutub of his time – Sheikh Baqir bin Batu, the head of the Autad, Sheikh Shahabuddin Umar Suharwardy the author of the well known book on Sufism, “Awarif-ul-Maarif” and Head of the Suharwardy Order, Sheikh Abdul Hassan the famous preacher of Egypt and very many others.

Miracles are abnormal and extra-ordinary acts that can only be performed by the privileged few like the Prophets and Walis of Allah. Perhaps such acts may sound illogical to the rationalist. But they do occur and are beyond ordinary comprehensive. The
The miracles of Hazrat Ghousul Azam recorded are innumerable.

He lived to a ripe old age, and continued his work until his very last breath, as we know from the accounts of his final moments recorded in the Addendum to Revelations of the Unseen. His son Abdul Jabbar asked him what part of his body was ailing? He said "All parts of my body are ailing excepting my heart which has no pain in it. It is in sound condition with Allah. As death approached Him he was saying, I seek the help of Allah with "LA-ILA.HA.ILLALLAH MUHAMADUR RASOOL ALLAH". There is no object of worship excepting Allah and Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah. Glory be to Him and be He exalted, the Everlasting, who does not fear annihilation. Glory be to Him who has established His superiority through His power and over powered His servants by means of death. There is no object of worship excepting Allah and Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon Him) is the Prophet to Allah. He was continuously repeating Allah, Allah, Allah and his voice grew fainter and fainter and stuck to his palate, then came to him the ultimate moment to breath away from this world of woe to the Infinite Beyond. His breath ebbed out slowly and peacefully. His exalted soul then loft his body He was no more. It was 11th Rabi-ul-Akhir.

The Names and Titles

Shaikh -
A term applied throughout the Islamic world to respected persons of recognized seniority in learning, experience and wisdom. Its basic meaning in Arabic is "an elder; a man over fifty years of age. (The spellings Sheikh and Shaykh may also be encountered in English language publications.)

'Abd al-Qadir -
This is the author's personal name, meaning "Servant [or Slave] of the All-Powerful." (The form 'Abdul Qaadir, which the reader may come across elsewhere, is simply an alternative transliteration of the Arabic spelling.) It has always been a common practice, in the Muslim community, to give a male child a name in which 'Abd is prefixed to one of the Names of Allaah.

Al-Jilani -
A surname ending in -ii will often indicate the bearer's place of birth. Shaikh 'Abd al-Qaadir was born in the Iranian district of Giilaan, south of the Caspian Sea, in A.H. 470/1077-8 C.E. (In some texts, the Persian spelling Giilaanii is used instead of the arabicized form al-Jiilaanii. The abbreviated form al-Jiilii, which may also be encountered, should not be confused with the surname of the venerable 'Abd al-Karim al-Jiilii, author of the celebrated work al-Insaan al-Kaamil, who came from Jiil in the district of Baghdaad.)

Let us now consider a slightly longer version of the Shaikh's name, as it occurs near the beginning of Al-Fath ar-Rabbaanii [The Sublime Revelation]: Sayyidunaa 'sh-Shaikh Muhyi'd-Diin Abuu Muhammad 'Abd al-Qaadir (Radiya'llaahu 'anh).

Sayyidunaa 'sh-Shaikh -
"Our Master, the Shaikh." A writer who regards himself as a Qaadirii, a devoted follower of Shaikh 'Abd al-Qaadir, will generally refer to the latter as Sayyidunaa [our Master], or Sayyidii [my Master].

Muhyi'd-Diin -
"Reviver of the Religion." It is widely acknowledged by historians, non-Muslim as well as Muslim, that Shaikh 'Abd al-Qaadir displayed great courage in reaffirming the traditional teachings of Islaam, in an era when sectarianism was rife, and when materialistic and rationalistic tendencies were predominant in all sections of society. In matters of Islamic jurisprudence [fiqh] and theology [kalaam], he adhered quite strictly to the highly "orthodox" school of Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal.

Abu Muhammad -
"Father of Muhammad." In the Arabic system of nomenclature, a man's surnames usually include the name of his first-born son, with the prefix Abuu [Father of-].

Radiya'llaahu 'anh -
"May Allaah be well pleased with him!" This benediction is the one customarily pronounced-and spelled out-in writing after mentioning the name of a Companion of the Prophet (Allaah bless him and give him peace). The preference for this particular invocation is yet another mark of the extraordinary status held by Shaikh 'Abd al-Qaadir in the eyes of his devoted followers.

Finally, we must note some important elements contained within this even longer version: al-Ghawth al-A'zam Sultaan al-Awliyaa' Sayyidunaa 'sh-Shaikh Muhyi'd-Diin 'Abd al-Qaadir al-Jiilaanii al-Hasanii al-Husainii (Radiya'llaahu 'anh).

Al-Ghawth al-A'zam -
"The Supreme Helper" (or, "The Mightiest Succor"). Ghawth is an Arabic word meaning: (1) A cry for aid or succor.
(2) Aid, help, succor; deliverance from adversity.
(3) The chief of the Saints, who is empowered by Allaah to bring succor to suffering humanity, in response to His creatures' cry for help in times of extreme adversity.

Sultaan al-Awliyaa' -
"The Sultan of the Saints." This reinforces the preceding title, emphasizing the supremacy of the Ghawth above all other orders of sanctity.

al-Hasanii al-Husainii -
"The descendant of both al-Hasan and al-Husain, the grandsons of the Prophet (Allaah bless him and give him peace)." To quote the Turkish author, Shaikh Muzaffer Ozak Efendi (may Allaah bestow His mercy upon him): "The lineage of Shaikh 'Abd al-Qaadir is known as the Chain of Gold, since both his parents were descendants of the Messenger (Allaah bless him and give him peace). His noble father, 'Abdullaah, traced his descent by way of Imaam Hasan, while his revered mother, Umm al-Khair, traced hers through Imaam Husain."

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