Bismi-llahi–Rahmani-R-Raheem
Ash-Sheikh Muhaiyuddin Abdul Qadir Jeelaanee Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho has been famous for centuries as the most popular and revered Saint of Islam. He was the founder of the Qadriya order, the most tolerant and charitable of the Sunni order of the dervishes.”>
A Great Saint: Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani
Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho
Sheikh Muhi Uddin Abdul Qadir Jilani Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho has been famous for centuries as the most popular and revered Saint of Islam.
He was the founder of the Qadriya order, the most tolerant and charitable of the Sunni order of the dervishes. This order claims countless followers throughout the Muslim world. His adherents, who knew him as ‘Ghaus-e-Azam’ Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho (the highest in the hierarchy ofSaints) revere him for his piety, humility, learning and gentleness of spirit.
Sheikh Abdul Qadir was born in 1077 in Nif, a village in the district of Gilan , Persia (to the north of current Iran ). On his father’s side, his Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho ancestry can betraced back in the direct line to Hazrat Imam Hassan Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho and hence The Prophet Muhammad SSALLALLAAHO A`LAIHE WA AALIHEE WA SALLAM . His mother Radiyallaaho T`aalaa A`nhaa was a saintly lady and also the daughter of a famous saint of that time.
Sheikh Abdul Qadir Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho left his home at the age of eighteen in the pursuit of knowledge and he went to Baghdad, the great centre of learning. He attended the classes held by Tibrizi, the well-known Arab Philologist of the age. There he was initiated into the Sufism of the Abul Khair Muhammed School. This was a special mode of religious thinking and feeling. A Sufi lives rather a retired life in voluntary poverty in order to be better able to meditate on the Holy Qur’an by seeking to draw closer to Allah in prayer.
Sheikh Abdul Qadir Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho received the Sufi dress called the ‘Khirka’, from his leader and patron Sheikh Qazi Abu Sa’ad Mubarak Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho, head of the Muslim School of the Hambalite law. Not long afterwards,a Khanqah ( monastery ) was built for him. In 1134, the school of Mubarak al Mukharrini was enlarged by public subscription and the popular Sheikh was appointed as its head.
The Sheikh was a great theologian and an earnest, sincere and eloquent preacher. He prayed for all of mankind without distinction of race or creed. Hissermons which he gave regularly in the School on Friday mornings and Monday evenings, and in the Khanqah on Sunday Mornings, breathed the spirit ofcharity and philanthropy. Some of his sermons which are entitled ‘Futuh al Ghaib’ are considered to be among the best pieces of Islamic literature ever written due to its matter and style and one of the great educative values to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. A considerable number of Christians and Jews were deeply influenced by his preaching and accepted the Divine faith.
His fame as a scholar and theologian spread far and wide. People from all parts of the world addressed him with their queries on religious and legal problems, and he never failed to answer these to their entire satisfaction. Many people including rulers and wazirs figured among his disciples venerated the Saint for his unaffected simplicity, deep humanity and steadfastness of purpose.
In his childhood, his saintly mother had always counselled him to remain truthful, frank and honest whatever might happen, and like a dutiful son he made his mother’s advice his watchword for life and acted upon his mother’s advice.
Once, when he was going on a journey, she gave him a few gold pieces. The caravan was overtaken by robbers. When they asked him about what valuables He Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho had with him, He Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho showed them the gold pieces. The robbers were taken aback and asked him why he did not try to hide his money. He Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho replied, “I hold the noble advice of my mother dearer than these few pieces of gold.” The robbers were so moved by the noble spirit shown in this answer that they gave back all the property they had taken from him.
Ash-Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelaanee Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho is considered the patron Saint of the Kurds and is held in great veneration by the Muslims of the Indo-Pak sub-continent.
The Prophet Muhammad Ssallallaaho A`laihi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam says, ‘The perfect shaykh is like a prophet to his people’{Ulmaa-e-ummatee Ka-Ammbiyaa-e-baniIsraa-eel}.Indeed Hadrat ‘Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho was one of those perfect shaykhs who opened to people the gates of felicity in this world and the gates of Paradise in the next.
Hadrat ‘Abdul-Qadir al-JilaniRadiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho was the greatest example of the fact that in Islam,to seek knowledge is a sacred obligation—- for all men and women,from the cradle to the grave.
One day the shaykh Abdul-Qadir al Jilani Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho and some of his followers were traveling on foot in the desert.It was the month of Ramadan and the desert was hot.He related:
I was exceedingly tired and thirsty.My followers were walking ahead of me.All of a sudden a cloud appeared overhead,like an umbrella protecting us from the hot sun.In front of us appeared a gushing spring and a date-palm laden with ripe fruit.Finally there came a round light,brighter than the sun and standing apart from it.A voice came from its direction.It said, ‘O people of Abdul Qadir al-Jilani Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho,I am your Lord! Eat and drink,for I have made lawful for you what i have made unlawful for others! My people,who were ahead of me,rushed to the spring to drink, and to the date-palm to eat from it.I shouted at them to stop,and lifting my head towards the direction of the voice I shouted, ‘I take refuge in Allah from the accursed Devil !’
The cloud,the light,the spring and the date-palm all disappeared.The devil stood in front of us in all his ugliness.He asked,How do you know that it was me?’I told the Accursed one who has been thrown out of Allah’s mercy that the address of Allah is not a sound heard with the ears, nor does it come from outside.Further more,I knew that Allah’s laws are constant and are meant for all.He neither changes them,nor renders that which is unlawful lawful to the ones He favours.
Upon hearing this,the devil tried his last temptation of arousing pride. ‘O ‘Abdul-Qadir al- Jilani Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho I have fooled seventy G`ous with this trick.Your knowledge is vast,your wisdom is greater than that of the G`ous!’Then pointing to my followers he went on, ‘Is this handful of fools only following you? The whole world should follow you,for you are as good as prophet’.
I said, ‘I take refuge from you in my Allah who is All hearing and all knowing.For it is not my knowledge,nor my wisdom,which saved me from you,but the mercy of my Allah.
He saw everything as from Allah,did every thing for Alla’s sake,and attributed nothing to any created being,including himself.
What he said he did.Compliment or criticism,benefit or loss,were the same to him.His knowledge was all-encompassing and his wisdom supreme.
Ash-Sheikh Muhaiyuddin Abdul Qadir Jeelaanee Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho has been famous for centuries as the most popular and revered Saint of Islam. He was the founder of the Qadriya order, the most tolerant and charitable of the Sunni order of the dervishes.”>
A Great Saint: Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani
Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho
Sheikh Muhi Uddin Abdul Qadir Jilani Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho has been famous for centuries as the most popular and revered Saint of Islam.
He was the founder of the Qadriya order, the most tolerant and charitable of the Sunni order of the dervishes. This order claims countless followers throughout the Muslim world. His adherents, who knew him as ‘Ghaus-e-Azam’ Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho (the highest in the hierarchy ofSaints) revere him for his piety, humility, learning and gentleness of spirit.
Sheikh Abdul Qadir was born in 1077 in Nif, a village in the district of Gilan , Persia (to the north of current Iran ). On his father’s side, his Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho ancestry can betraced back in the direct line to Hazrat Imam Hassan Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho and hence The Prophet Muhammad SSALLALLAAHO A`LAIHE WA AALIHEE WA SALLAM . His mother Radiyallaaho T`aalaa A`nhaa was a saintly lady and also the daughter of a famous saint of that time.
Sheikh Abdul Qadir Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho left his home at the age of eighteen in the pursuit of knowledge and he went to Baghdad, the great centre of learning. He attended the classes held by Tibrizi, the well-known Arab Philologist of the age. There he was initiated into the Sufism of the Abul Khair Muhammed School. This was a special mode of religious thinking and feeling. A Sufi lives rather a retired life in voluntary poverty in order to be better able to meditate on the Holy Qur’an by seeking to draw closer to Allah in prayer.
Sheikh Abdul Qadir Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho received the Sufi dress called the ‘Khirka’, from his leader and patron Sheikh Qazi Abu Sa’ad Mubarak Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho, head of the Muslim School of the Hambalite law. Not long afterwards,a Khanqah ( monastery ) was built for him. In 1134, the school of Mubarak al Mukharrini was enlarged by public subscription and the popular Sheikh was appointed as its head.
The Sheikh was a great theologian and an earnest, sincere and eloquent preacher. He prayed for all of mankind without distinction of race or creed. Hissermons which he gave regularly in the School on Friday mornings and Monday evenings, and in the Khanqah on Sunday Mornings, breathed the spirit ofcharity and philanthropy. Some of his sermons which are entitled ‘Futuh al Ghaib’ are considered to be among the best pieces of Islamic literature ever written due to its matter and style and one of the great educative values to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. A considerable number of Christians and Jews were deeply influenced by his preaching and accepted the Divine faith.
His fame as a scholar and theologian spread far and wide. People from all parts of the world addressed him with their queries on religious and legal problems, and he never failed to answer these to their entire satisfaction. Many people including rulers and wazirs figured among his disciples venerated the Saint for his unaffected simplicity, deep humanity and steadfastness of purpose.
In his childhood, his saintly mother had always counselled him to remain truthful, frank and honest whatever might happen, and like a dutiful son he made his mother’s advice his watchword for life and acted upon his mother’s advice.
Once, when he was going on a journey, she gave him a few gold pieces. The caravan was overtaken by robbers. When they asked him about what valuables He Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho had with him, He Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho showed them the gold pieces. The robbers were taken aback and asked him why he did not try to hide his money. He Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho replied, “I hold the noble advice of my mother dearer than these few pieces of gold.” The robbers were so moved by the noble spirit shown in this answer that they gave back all the property they had taken from him.
Ash-Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelaanee Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho is considered the patron Saint of the Kurds and is held in great veneration by the Muslims of the Indo-Pak sub-continent.
The Prophet Muhammad Ssallallaaho A`laihi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam says, ‘The perfect shaykh is like a prophet to his people’{Ulmaa-e-ummatee Ka-Ammbiyaa-e-baniIsraa-eel}.Indeed Hadrat ‘Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho was one of those perfect shaykhs who opened to people the gates of felicity in this world and the gates of Paradise in the next.
Hadrat ‘Abdul-Qadir al-JilaniRadiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho was the greatest example of the fact that in Islam,to seek knowledge is a sacred obligation—- for all men and women,from the cradle to the grave.
One day the shaykh Abdul-Qadir al Jilani Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho and some of his followers were traveling on foot in the desert.It was the month of Ramadan and the desert was hot.He related:
I was exceedingly tired and thirsty.My followers were walking ahead of me.All of a sudden a cloud appeared overhead,like an umbrella protecting us from the hot sun.In front of us appeared a gushing spring and a date-palm laden with ripe fruit.Finally there came a round light,brighter than the sun and standing apart from it.A voice came from its direction.It said, ‘O people of Abdul Qadir al-Jilani Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho,I am your Lord! Eat and drink,for I have made lawful for you what i have made unlawful for others! My people,who were ahead of me,rushed to the spring to drink, and to the date-palm to eat from it.I shouted at them to stop,and lifting my head towards the direction of the voice I shouted, ‘I take refuge in Allah from the accursed Devil !’
The cloud,the light,the spring and the date-palm all disappeared.The devil stood in front of us in all his ugliness.He asked,How do you know that it was me?’I told the Accursed one who has been thrown out of Allah’s mercy that the address of Allah is not a sound heard with the ears, nor does it come from outside.Further more,I knew that Allah’s laws are constant and are meant for all.He neither changes them,nor renders that which is unlawful lawful to the ones He favours.
Upon hearing this,the devil tried his last temptation of arousing pride. ‘O ‘Abdul-Qadir al- Jilani Radiyallaho T`aalaa A`nho I have fooled seventy G`ous with this trick.Your knowledge is vast,your wisdom is greater than that of the G`ous!’Then pointing to my followers he went on, ‘Is this handful of fools only following you? The whole world should follow you,for you are as good as prophet’.
I said, ‘I take refuge from you in my Allah who is All hearing and all knowing.For it is not my knowledge,nor my wisdom,which saved me from you,but the mercy of my Allah.
He saw everything as from Allah,did every thing for Alla’s sake,and attributed nothing to any created being,including himself.
What he said he did.Compliment or criticism,benefit or loss,were the same to him.His knowledge was all-encompassing and his wisdom supreme.
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