Qutb-e-Rabbani, Ghouth-e-Samadani, Mehboob-e-Subhani, Miran Mohayy-ud-Din, Syed Abd-ul-Qadir Jailaani, Al-Hasani, Al-Husaini, Al-Hanbali, Al-Baghdadi Radi Allahu Anhu.
Blessed Birth
The most acclaimed and the most celebrated of all Auliya, in all Aalameen, among Jinns and Men, Arwaah and Malaika, the beloved of Allah Taala Who blessed him further with titles of Muhayy-ud-Din, Qutb-e-Rabbani and Ghouth-e-Azam, Jaddi wa Imami, Shaykh-ul-Akbar, Abu Muhammad Abd-ul-Qaadir Jailani, Radi Allahu Anhu, was born in Ramadan 470 A.H/1077 CE in Jilan, Persia.
Al-Hasani, Al-Husaini
His father’s name was Abu Saalih, a man of taqwa, and a direct descendant of Hz. Imam Hasan ibn Ali a.s. His mother Umm-ul-Khair Fatima was a saintly daughter of a saintly father Shaykh Abdullah Sawma’ee, a direct descendant of Hz. Imam Husain ibn Ali a.s.Thus Muhayy-ud-Din Shaykh Abd-ul-Qaadir Jailani was both Hasani and Husaini, a descendant of the Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi wa Aalihi wasallam.
Among Siddiqeen
The Holy Prophet Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu alaihi wa Aalihi wasallam is the last Prophet, there is no prophet after him. But people can still aspire to spiritual progress, acquire taqwa and divinity and become Auliya of Allah Taala. The highest spiritual state after Anbiya, is of Siddiqeen (the truthful). That is why the Holy Prophet taught us to make the Dua — Allahumma -j’alna min-as-Siddiqeen (O Allah make us among the truthful). Syed Abd-ul-Qaadir Jailaani Radi Allahu Anhu proved his rank in Siddiqeen at the ripe age of 18. At that age, his thirst for knowledge and eagerness for the company of the Auliya Allah took him to the city of Baghdad.
Religious Background
In matters of Shari’at, Syed Abd-ul-Qaadir Jailaani Radi Allahu Anhu followed the Hanbali Fiqh, but in maturer years became an authority on the Shafii, Maaliki and Hanafi Fiqhs as well. In Tariqa, however, he gave bay’at to Shaikh Hammad Bin Muslim al-Dabbas Rahmatullahi alaih, and received Khirqa from Shaikh Abu Sa’eed al-Mukhrami Rahmatullahi alaih.
In tariqat, however, the Silsila — the disciplinary chain that links the teachings of a Shaikh to the teachings of Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihi wa Aalihi wasallam – of Shaikh Abd-ul-Qaadir Jailaani Radi Allahu Anhu is traced back to Rasulullah as under:
- Ghouth-e-Samadaani, Mahboob-e-Subhaani, Miran Muhayy-ud-Din, Syed Abd-ul-Qaadir Jailaani, disciple of
- Shaikh Abu Sa’eed Ali Mubarak al-Mukhrami, disciple of
- Shaikh Abu-al-Hasan Ali Ahmad al-Hankari, disciple of
- Shaikh Abu-al-Farah Muhammad at-Tartusi, disciple of
- Shaikh Abu-al-Fazl Abd-ul-Wahid Abdul Aziz, disciple of
- Shaikh Abu Bakr Abdullah ash-Shibli, disciple of
- Shaikh Ab-ul-Qaasim Junaid al-Baghdadi, disciple of
- Shaikh Abu-al-Hasan Siri Saqti, disciple of
- Shaikh Ma’roof Al-Karkhi, disciple of
- Shaikh Sulaiman Dawood Tai, disciple of
- Shaikh Habeeb al-Ajami, disciple of
- Shaikh Hasan al-Basri, disciple of
- Sayyid-ul-Auliya, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taalib Karramallahu Wajhah-ul-Kareem, Khalifa of
- Sayyid-ul-Anbiyaa wa al-Mursaleen, Abu-al-Qaasim Muhammad ibn Abdillah, Noorun-min-Noorillah, (Sallallahu alaihi wa Aalihi wasallam).
Later Years
Having completed his education, Syed Abd-ul-Qaadir Jailaani abandoned Baghdad, and spent twenty-five years, as a wanderer and recluse, in the deserted regions of Iraq.
He was over fifty years old when he returned to Baghdad, probably in 1127, and began to preach in public. He moved into the school of his old teacher al-Mukharrimi, and engaged himself in teaching there. Soon he became popular with his pupils. In the morning he taught hadeeth and tafseer, and in the afternoon held discourses on the science of hearts (tasawwuf), and the virtues of Quraan.
He remained busy in this routine, or the service of Islam, nearly for forty years — from 521 to 561 of Hijra — the period in which thousands of people embraced Islam, and hundreds of others went abroad, at his orders, for Tableegh.
Wisaal
Syed Abd-ul-Qaadir Jailaani took his wisaal on Saturday night 1166, according to 11th Rabi’-uth-Thani 561 of Hijra, at the age of eighty-nine years, and was laid buried in his Madrassa in Baghdad. His Shrine and Mosque are in what used to be the school he preached in, located in Bab-ul-Shaikh, Risafa, east of Tigris, in Baghdad, Iraq.
Family and Children
The Shaikh had four virtuous wives and forty-nine children, twenty-seven sons and twenty-two daughters. The most famous of his sons are Shaikh Abd-ul-Wahhaab, Shaikh Abd-ul-Razzaaq, Shaikh Abd-ul-Azeez, Shaikh Iisa, Shaikh Musa, Shaikh Yahya, Shaikh Abdullah, Shaikh Muhammed and Shaikh Ibrahim.
His sons and grandsons reached the Indian sub-continent throughout the years onward, and preached Islam to the people there. As for the Western part of the Muslim world, they reached North Africa, Morocco, and parts of the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia, Eriteria etc.).
Books
The Khutbas and Nasaaih of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani Radi Allahu Anhu, compiled and handed down onward, are classics of Tasawwuf (Muslim Spiritualism). His major works are as under:
- Sirr-ul-asrar (The secret of secrets)
- Futuh-ul-Ghayb (Revelations of the Unseen)
- Ghunyat-ut-Taalibeen (Wealth for Seekers)
- Al-Fat’h-ur-Rabbani (The Endowment of Divine Grace)
Azkaar, Salawaat and Qasaaid
The Azkaar, Awraad and Salawaat of Shaykh Abd-ul-Qaadir Jailaani Radi Allahu Anhu or Silsila Qaadiriyya, have been compiled in many kutub of Siyar and Tasawwuf. Fuyudhaat-e-Rabbaniyya is but one of them.
