Hadhrat Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jeelani (May Allah be well pleased with him)

Hadhrat Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jeelani

(May Allah be well pleased with him)

 

Ghouse Azam Hadhrat Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jeelani (May Allah be well pleased with him) was born in 470 Hijri and he passed away to the eternal realm in 561 Hijri.

 

His paternal lineage is:

 

Abu Saleh ‘Abdul Qadir Jeelani bin Hadhrat Moosa bin ‘Abdullah bin Yahya Zahid bin Muhammad bin Dawood bin Moosa bin ‘Abdullah bin Moosa bin ‘Abdullah Mahadh bin Hasan Muthanna bin Hasan bin ‘Ali bin Abi Talib (May Allah be well pleased with them).

 

Hadhrat ‘Abdul Qadir Jeelani (May Allah be well pleased with him) says:  Hadhrat Hussain bin Mansoor Hallaj (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) slipped in an era when there was no one to hold him.  I am the succor of my companions, disciples and my lovers until the Day of Judgment.

 

O you, listen!  My horse is saddled, my spear is ready, my sword is unsheathed and the arrow is nocked.  You are heedless and I keep watch over you.

 

The Shaykh would wear a robe, like the scholars.  He would travel on a pony…he would sit on a high chair and speak.  Sometimes, he would step on air in public and ascend and then he would come back to the chair.

 

The Shaykh says:  I didn’t have anything for a long time.  Then a man brought a bag full of money to me.  I bought something with it and sat down to eat it.  I noticed a piece of paper on which was written:  Allah Most High revealed in one of His books that the Lord Almighty made desire for his weak servants so that they could gain strength for obeying him through it.  As for the strong servants, what do they have to do with desire?  I immediately stopped eating and walked away.

 

The Shaykh says:  Such a burden was laid on me that if it were laid on a mountain, it would have burst open.  When I would feel burdened, I would lie on the ground and recite:

 

So surely ease (comes) with every hardship.  Verily, with (this) hardship (too) there is ease.  Surah Alam Nashrah (94: 5, 6)

 

Then when I would raise my head, I would not feel burdened anymore.

 

[Excerpted from Tabaqaat Imam Sha’arani]