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

He is a descendant of Hadhrat Imam Hasan (May Allah be well pleased with him) from the side of his father and a descendant of Imam Hussain (May Allah be well pleased with him) through his mother.  He was born in the area of Jilan near Baghdad.  His Kuniyyah is Abu Muhammad.  He is famously known in the whole Muslim community as Muhiyuddin, Mahboob Subhani, Ghouth Uth Thaqlain, Ghouth Ul A’adham and many other such titles.  He passed away in 561 A.H.     His birth and childhood    The night preceding the birth of Hadhrat Ghouse ul A'adham (May Allah shower His Mercy on him), his father Hadhrat Abu Saleh Syed Moosa Jangidost (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) saw in a dream that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), along with the Sahabah, the Imams and the Elite among the Auliya, graced his house with His presence.  He gave glad tidings to him in the following words: Translation: O Abu Saleh! Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) has granted you such a son who is a saint. He is My son.  He is the beloved of My Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) and very soon, his glory among the saints will be like My glory among the Prophets. Apart from the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) all other Prophets gave him glad tidings that all the saints will be followers of his son and his foot will be on their neck. The night when Hadhrat Muhiyuddin (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) was born, that night in Jilan every lady who delivered was granted a baby boy and each of them grew up to be a saint. He was born in the month of Ramadhan and he fasted from the first day itself. He would not have milk from Sahr until Iftaar. His mother herself says: When my son Abdul Qadir (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) was born, he would not have anything from morning to sunset. (Tabaqat al kubra, vol 1, Pg No: 126, Bahjatul asrar Pg No: 89, qalaidul jawahir, Pg No: 3, Nafahatul uns, Pg No: 251, Jame Karamatul Auliya. Vol 2, Pg No: 205, Nuzhatul Khatir al fatir, Pg No: 32, Akhbaar ul Akhyaar, Pg No: 22, Safinatul Auliya, Pg No: 33) Being aware of his Wilayah from childhood itself Somebody asked Hadhrat Muhiyuddin (May Allah shower His Mercy on him): When did you first become aware that you are a Wali (Lit. friend) of Allah Ta'ala? Hadhrat Muhiyuddin (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) replied: When I was 12 years old and I used to go to a Madarsa in my city, I would see angels walking around with me. When I would enter the Madarsa, the angels would call out: “Move aside! Make room for the Wali of Allah Ta'ala to sit! Hadhrat Muhiyuddin (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) also said: Once a person passed by me. He asked one of the angels around me, “Whose boy is this?” An angel replied: This boy is from the house of the Saadaat i.e. descendants of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  That person said: Very soon, great glory will be conferred on him. Hadhrat Muhiyuddin (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) says: As a child, whenever I would decide to play with the children, I would hear a voice: O privileged and fortunate!  Come to Me, and I would run to the lap of my mother. Hadhrat Muhiyuddin (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) also said: In my early youth, whenever I would be overwhelmed by sleep, I would hear a voice: O Abdul Qadir! We have not created you for sleep. Sign to acquire the knowledge of Deen  Shaykh Muhammad bin Qadi (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) says: Hadhrat Mahboob Subhani (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) told us: Once by chance I went into the forest on the day of Haj i.e. 10th Dhul Hijjah.  I was walking behind a bull.  The bull turned to me and said: O Abdul Qadir! You were not created for this!  I was shaken and returned and climbed on the terrace of the house.  I saw people standing on the plain of Arafaat.  Then I went to my mother and told her:  Please give me up for the path of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) and permit me to go to Baghdad and acquire Islamic knowledge and meet the virtuous (Saliheen).  She asked me the reason for it and I told her the incident about the bull and seeing the plain of Arafaat. There were tears in her eyes. She brought for me 80 Dinar, which were what my father had left.  I took 40 for myself and left the other half for my brother Syed Abu Ahmed (May Allah shower His Mercy on him). My mother sewed the money in my tunic and instructed me to always speak the truth always. Then Hadhrat Muhiyuddin (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) started for Baghdad.  It was on this journey that the famous incident of the gang of dacoits repenting on Hadhrat Muhiyuddin’s (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) hands took place.  The whole gang of dacoits repented seeing the truthfulness of Hadhrat Muhiyuddin (May Allah shower His Mercy on him). Reason for the title of “Muhiyuddin” Hadhrat Muhiyuddin (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) himself says the reason for this title. He says: I was coming to Baghdad barefooted that I met a person who was very weak and almost near death.  He called me by my name and asked me to come closer.  When I went closer, he asked me to support him.  Before my very eyes that person’s body started becoming healthy.  His face became fresh and bright.  I got frightened seeing this.  He asked me: Do you know who I am?  I expressed my lack of knowledge.  He said: Anad Deen! I am the religion of Islam.  I was near death.  Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) granted me life through you.  I left that person and came to the grand mosque, the Jama Masjid.  Here a person met me and clutched my shoes and addressed me as “Ya Sayyidi Ya Muhiyuddin.  Then when I started praying, people came from all sides and started kissing my hands and calling me as "Ya Muhiyuddin."  Before this nobody had called me with this title. (Qalaidul Jawahir, Pg No: 57, bahjatul asrar, 54, 55, khazeenatul asfiya, Vol 1, Pg No: 94, nuzhatul khawatir Pg No: 51, safeenatul auliya, Pg No: 61)   Fear of Allah (SubhanahuWa Ta'ala) : Iman is between fear and hope of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala).  The auliya of the Lord are so much engrossed in His fear and Mercy that they pay no attention towards the hardships of life.  Hadhrat Shaykh Sa’adi Shirazi (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) says: People saw Hadhrat Ghouse ul A'adham (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) in front of the Ka’aba.  He (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) was prostrating on bare ground and saying: O Lord! Forgive me and if I am liable of being punished, then on the Day of Judgment, raise me blind so that I don’t have to be ashamed of those who are virtuous.” Indifference towards the ruling class: Hadhrat Khidhr says: I have been with Hadhrat Ghouse ul A'adham 13 years.  I never saw that Hadhrat Ghouse ul A'adham ul A’adham ever stood up to respect any ruler or noble or that he went to the door of any king or that he ever sat on a royal rug.  Excepting once, he never partook of the food of rulers.  Whenever any ruler came to meet him, he would go to his house.  When they would come and sit, then he would come and meet them, so that he (Hadhrat Ghouse ul A'adham) would not have to stand up to meet them.  When he would talk to them, he would be very stern and he would advise them in a powerful way.  They used to remain humble before him, with their eyes lowered and head down.” Love for the poor: In spite of this awe and grandeur, even if a child would talk to him, Hadhrat Ghouse ul A'adham would listen to the child attentively.  He would respect elders.  He would be the first person to greet others with Salaam.  He would sit among the poor and infirm and he would never stand for a misguided or a rich person. Whenever any person would gift something, Hadhrat Ghouse ul A'adham would not touch it himself, but order the person to keep under the prayer mat.  Then he (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) would order his servant to distribute it to among the poor. Hadhrat Shaykh Abdur Razzaq (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) says: While coming from Haj, my father stopped at a place.  He (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) inquired as to which house was the poorest in that area.  A certain house, which was really a tent, was pointed out to him.  With the permission of the master of the house, Hadhrat Shaykh Ghawth ul A’adham spent the night there.  He did not accept the request of many rich and affluent people to spend the night in their house.  His lovers started bringing many kinds of dishes, animals and gold, silver etc. to give to the Shaykh. Hadhrat Ghouse ul A'adham gave everything to the old couple living there and he left the area in the morning. Halal food: Hadhrat Ghouse ul A'adham (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) had some Halal wheat which he had given to a farmer.  He would sow it every year.  Some of the Shaykh’s lovers would grind it and prepare bread (roti) for him.  Hadhrat Ghouse ul A'adham would keep some for himself and distribute the rest among those who are present. Hadhrat Ghouse ul A'adham (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) says: I have searched through all actions (a’amaal) and did not find any thing better than feeding the poor.  He (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) also said: There is a hole in my hand.  Even if a 1000 Dinar come to me, they cannot be with me for even one night. (i.e. he would spent them in charity and on the poor). His nights: Hadhrat Abul Fatah (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) says: I lived with Hadhrat Ghouse ul A'adham (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) for 40 years.  He (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) would offer the Salaat of Fajr with the Wudhu of Isha. If his Wudhu broke, he would perform a new one and offer 2 Raka'at of Salaat. After Isha, Hadhrat Ghouse ul A'adham (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) would go to his room, where no one else was allowed to go.  He would return from there before Fajr.  Many times, the Caliph came to meet him and could not meet him before Fajr. Hadhrat Abul Fatah (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) says: I had the privilege of spending some nights with Hadhrat Ghouse ul A'adham (May Allah shower His Mercy on him).  In the early part of the night, he would offer Salaat and engage in some Dhikr until the second part of the night started.  In the second part of the night, he would offer Salaat.  In the last part of the night, he would perform Muraqaba until Fajr. His forgiving nature: Hadhrat Ghouse ul A'adham (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) was a shining example of good manners (akhlaaq-e-husna).  Everybody present would think that the Shaykh loved him the most.  He would forgive the mistakes of his people.  If anybody said something on oath, he would accept it and would not reveal what he knew about it. Respect for elders: It is the belief of Ahle Sunnah that no one, irrespective of what level of knowledge and piety they are at, can even reach the status of the Prophets. In the time of Hadhrat Ghouse ul A'adham (May Allah shower His Mercy on him), a certain person who was famous for his piety said: I have crossed Hadhrat Yunus (Peace be upon him) in piety. When this talk reached Hadhrat Ghouse ul A'adham (May Allah shower His Mercy on him), he was reclining on a pillow.  He sat up straight.  His face was aglow with anger.  He slammed the pillow in front of him and said: I have hit him on his heart. People ran to the place of that person and found that he was dead, although he was hale and hearty. Later on through the prayers of Hadhrat Ghouse ul A'adham (May Allah shower His Mercy on him), that person was forgiven.  Passing away  After spreading both Shariah and Tariqah for 40 years, the time had come when Ghouse ul A'adham, the Emperor of the Saints, the Pole of the world should, as per the promise of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) , pass through the doors of death and enter the presence of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala). Two narrations have been mentioned in regard to the passing away of Hadhrat Ghouse ul A'adham (May Allah shower His Mercy on him). The second one is the night of 10th Rabe’e Thani, 561 A.H. or 1166 A.D. His last rites were performed the same night. His eldest son Hadhrat Abdul Wahab (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) lead the funeral Salaat of the Shaykh. The crowd was such that they had to close the door of the Madarsa, where the Shaykh was interred. On every 11th, the kings and the elite of the city would offer their respects to Hadhrat Ghawth ul A’adham (May Allah shower His Mercy on him).  They would congregate on the shrine of the Shaykh.  They would recite the Holy Quran, recite poetry of the Shaykh without any musical instruments.  After maghrib, all the mureedeen (disciples) would sit around the grave and the leader of the group would stand and perform dhikr bil jahr (dhikr in a loud voice).  Here, some people would be overcome with ecstasy.  After this, whatever food or sweet was brought would be distributed among those present.  The people would leave after offering the Salaat of Isha. Gyarwhin shareef is nothing but isaal e thawab (gifting of thawab).  The date for this has not been decided by the Shariah.  It is up to the people. That is why, in the whole year, whenever the Ahle Sunnah perform any isaale e thawab, they call it Gyarwhin shareef.

Dr. Mufti Syed Ziauddin Naqshbandi Mujaddidi Qadri

Shaykh Ul Fiqh, Jamia Nizamia; Founder - Director

Mufti Maulana Syed Zia Uddin Naqshbandi Quadri

Shaik-ul-Fiqh - Jamia Nizamia

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