Abdul Qadir Gilani (; ; c. 1077/78 – 1166) was a

Hanbali The Hanbali school or Hanbalism is one of the four major schools of Islamic jurisprudence, belonging to the Ahl al-Hadith tradition within Sunni Islam. It is named after and based on the teachings of the 9th-century scholar, jurist and tradit ...

scholar, preacher, and

Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

leader who was the

eponym An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...

of the

Qadiriyya The Qadiriyya () or the Qadiri order () is a Sunni Sufi order (''Tariqa'') founded by Abdul Qadir Gilani (1077–1166, also transliterated ''Jilani''), who was a Hanbali scholar from Gilan, Iran. The order, with its many sub-orders, is widesp ...

, one of the oldest Sufi orders. He was born c. 1077/78 in the town of Na'if, Rezvanshahr in

Gilan Gilan Province () is one of the 31 provinces of Iran, in the northwest of the country and southwest of the Caspian Sea. Its capital is the city of Rasht. The province lies along the Caspian Sea, in Iran's Region 3, west of the province of ...

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

, and died in 1166 in

Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

.W. Braune, ''Abd al-Kadir al-Djilani, The Encyclopaedia of Islam'', Vol. I, ed. H.A.R Gibb, J.H.Kramers, E. Levi-Provencal, J. Schacht, (Brill, 1986), 69; "authorities are unanimous in stating that he was a Persian from Nayf (Nif) in Djilan, south of the Caspian Sea." Gilani (

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

: ''al-Jilani'') refers to his place of birth,

. He also carried the epithet ''Baghdadi'', referring to his residence and burial in Baghdad.

Titles

He had the honorific title of ''Muḥi al-Dīn'', denoting his status according to many Sufis as a reviver of Islam.''Mihr-e-munīr: biography of Hadrat Syed Pīr Meher Alī Shāh'' pg 21, Muhammad Fādil Khān, Faid Ahmad. Sajjadah Nashinan of Golra Sharif, Islamabad (1998). Abdul Qadir Gilani held the highest position in the hierarchy of

Sufi saints Sufi saints or wali (, plural ʾawliyāʾ أولياء) played an instrumental and foregrounding role in spreading Islam throughout the world. In the traditional Islamic view, a saint is portrayed as someone "marked by pecialdivine favor ... ...

(Awliya) having achieved the rank (

Maqam Maqam, makam, maqaam or maqām (plural maqāmāt) may refer to: Musical structures * Arabic maqam, melodic modes in traditional Arabic music ** Iraqi maqam, a genre of Arabic maqam music found in Iraq * Persian maqam, a notion in Persian clas ...

) of the succour ('' Ghawth''). He famously declared that: "My foot is raised over the neck of every

saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...

Allah Allah ( ; , ) is an Arabic term for God, specifically the God in Abrahamic religions, God of Abraham. Outside of the Middle East, it is principally associated with God in Islam, Islam (in which it is also considered the proper name), althoug ...

", in reference to his station of ''Ghaus-al-Azam''.

Family background

Gilani was born in 1077 or 1078. Despite his popularity, his background is uncertain. His father (or perhaps grandfather) had the Iranian name of Jangi Dust, which indicates that Gilani was of Persian stock. His '' nisba'' means "from

", an Iranian region located on the southwestern coast of the

Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, described as the List of lakes by area, world's largest lake and usually referred to as a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia: east of the Caucasus, ...

. During his stay in

, Gilani was called ''

ajam (, ) is an Arabic word for a non-Arab, especially a Persian. It was historically used as a pejorative—figuratively ascribing muteness to those whose native language is not Arabic—during and after the Muslim conquest of Iran. Since the ea ...

i'' (non-Arab), which according to

Bruce Lawrence Bruce Bennett Lawrence (born August 14, 1941) is the Nancy and Jeffrey Marcus Humanities Professor of Religion at Duke University. He has taught at Duke since 1971. Education A graduate of Fay School and Princeton University, with a Master of D ...

may be because he spoke Persian alongside Arabic. According to the ''al-Nujūm al-ẓāhira'' by the 15th-century historian

Ibn Taghribirdi Jamal al-Din Yusuf bin al-Amir Sayf al-Din Taghribirdi (), or Abū al-Maḥāsin Yūsuf ibn Taghrī-Birdī, or Ibn Taghribirdi (2 February 1411— 5 June 1470; 813–874 Islamic calendar, Hijri) was an Islamic historian born in the 15th century i ...

(d. 1470), Gilani was born in Jil in

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

, but this account is questioned by French historian

Jacqueline Chabbi Jacqueline Chabbi (born in 1943) is a historian and a professor of Arab Studies at the University of Paris-VIII (Paris Saint-Denis). Her research concerns the history of the medieval Muslim world. Biography Chabbi holds a graduate agrégée of Ar ...

. Modern historians (including Lawrence) consider Gilani to have been born in Gilan. The region was then politically semi-independent and divided between local chieftains from different clans. Gilani is claimed to have been a descendant of

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

's grandson

Hasan ibn Ali Hasan ibn Ali (; 2 April 670) was an Alids, Alid political and religious leader. The eldest son of Ali and Fatima and a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, Hasan briefly ruled as Rashidun caliphate, Rashidun caliph from January 661 unt ...

; this claim is generally considered genuine by the Muslim community, including the ''Qadiriyya''. Lawrence finds this claim inconsistent with Gilani's apparent Persian background, and considers it to have been "traced by overzealous hagiographers."

Education

Gilani spent his early life in Gilan, the province of his birth. In 1095, he went to Baghdad where he studied

law under

Abu Saeed Mubarak Makhzoomi Abu Saeed Mubarak Makhzoomi (), known also as Mubarak bin Ali Makhzoomi and Abu Saeed and Abu Sa'd al-Mubarak (rarely known as Qazi Abu Sa'd al-Mubarak al-Mukharrimi) was a Sufi saint as well as a Muslim mystic and Traditionalist. He was an Isl ...

and

ibn Aqil Ibn Aqil (1040–1119) was an Islamic scholar and theologian from Baghdad, Iraq. He was trained in the tenets of the Hanbali school for eleven years under scholars such as the Qadi Abu Ya'la ibn al-Farra'. Despite this, Ibn Aqil was forced in ...

. He studied

hadith Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...

with Abu Muhammad Ja'far al-Sarraj. His Sufi spiritual instructor was Abu'l-Khair Hammad ibn Muslim al-Dabbas. After completing his education, Gilani left Baghdad and spent twenty-five years wandering in the deserts of

School of law

Gilani belonged to the

school of law. He placed Shafi'i jurisprudence (

Fiqh ''Fiqh'' (; ) is the term for Islamic jurisprudence.Fiqh
Encyclopædia Britannica ''Fiqh'' is of ...

) on an equal footing with the Hanbali school (

madhhab A ''madhhab'' (, , pl. , ) refers to any school of thought within fiqh, Islamic jurisprudence. The major Sunni Islam, Sunni ''madhhab'' are Hanafi school, Hanafi, Maliki school, Maliki, Shafi'i school, Shafi'i and Hanbali school, Hanbali. They ...

), and used to give

fatwa A fatwa (; ; ; ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (sharia) given by a qualified Islamic jurist ('' faqih'') in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist issuing fatwas is called a ''mufti'', ...

according to both of them simultaneously. This is why

al-Nawawi Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi (;‎ (631A.H-676A.H) (October 1230–21 December 1277) was a Sunni Shafi'ite jurist and hadith scholar. Ludwig W. Adamec (2009), ''Historical Dictionary of Islam'', pp.238-239. Scarecrow Press. . Al-Nawawi died at ...

praised him in his book entitled ''Bustan al-'Arifin'' (Garden of the Spiritual Masters), saying:

Influence

In 1127, Gilani returned to Baghdad and began to preach to the public. He joined the teaching staff of the school belonging to his teacher, al-Makhzoomi, and was popular with students. In the morning he taught

Hadith Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...

and

Tafsir Tafsir ( ; ) refers to an exegesis, or commentary, of the Quran. An author of a ''tafsir'' is a ' (; plural: ). A Quranic ''tafsir'' attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, interpretation, context or commentary for clear understanding ...

, and in the afternoon he discoursed on the science of the heart and the virtues of the

Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...

. He was said to have been a convincing preacher who converted numerous Jews and Christians and who integrated Sufi mysticism with Islamic Law. Shaykh Abdul Qadir Gilani converted thousands of people to Islam through his compassionate and inclusive approach to inner purification and devotion towards Allah. His emphasis on inner purification, divine love, and ethical living resonated deeply with many, attracting followers from diverse backgrounds. One of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Gilani's most significant contributions was the establishment of the Madrasah al-Qadiriyya in Baghdad. This institution became a center for Islamic learning and spirituality, attracting students from various regions. The curriculum included the study of the Quran, Hadith, Fiqh (jurisprudence), and

Tasawwuf Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

(Sufism), providing a comprehensive religious education. The influence of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Gilani extended to political and military leaders of his time. His teachings inspired rulers to adopt more just and ethical governance. Prominent figures such as

Nur ad-Din Zangi Nūr al-Dīn Maḥmūd Zengī (; February 1118 – 15 May 1174), commonly known as Nur ad-Din (lit. 'Light of the Faith' in Arabic), was a Turkoman (ethnonym), Turkoman member of the Zengid dynasty, who ruled the Syria (region), Syrian province ...

and Salahuddin Ayyubi were known to respect and follow the principles advocated by the Shaykh, which contributed to their own reforms and successes.

Death and burial

Al-Gilani died in 1166 and was buried in Baghdad. His ''

urs Urs (from ''‘Urs'') or Urus (literal meaning wedding), is the death anniversary of a Sufi saint, usually held at the saint's dargah (shrine or tomb). In most Sufi orders such as Naqshbandiyyah, Suhrawardiyya, Chishtiyya, Qadiriyya, etc. ...

'' (death anniversary of a Sufi saint) is traditionally celebrated on 11

Rabi' al-Thani Rabiʽ al-Thani (, also known as Rabi' al-Akhirah (), Rabi al-Akhir (), or Rabi' II is the fourth month of the Islamic calendar. The name ''Rabī' al-Thani'' means "the second spring" in Arabic, referring to its position in the pre-Islamic Arabi ...

. During the reign of the

Safavid The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the begi ...

Shah

Ismail I Ismail I (; 17 July 1487 – 23 May 1524) was the founder and first shah of Safavid Iran, ruling from 1501 until his death in 1524. His reign is one of the most vital in the history of Iran, and the Safavid period is often considered the beginn ...

, Gilani's shrine was destroyed. However, in 1535, the Ottoman emperor

Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I (; , ; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the Western world and as Suleiman the Lawgiver () in his own realm, was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman sultan between 1520 a ...

constructed a new shrine over his grave, which still exists.

Books

* ''Kitab Sirr al-Asrar wa Mazhar al-Anwar'' (The Book of the Secret of Secrets and the Manifestation of Light) * ''Futuh al ghaib'' (Secrets of the Unseen) * ''Jila' al-Khatir (The Purification of heart)'' * ''Ghunyat al-Ṭalibeen'' (Treasure for Seekers) * ''Al-Fuyudat al-Rabbaniya'' (Emanations of Lordly Grace) * Fifteen Letters: ''Khamsata 'Ashara Maktuban'' * ''Kibriyat e Ahmar'' * A Concise Description of Jannah & Jahannam * The Sublime Revelation (''al-Fatḥ ar-Rabbānī'')

OTHER

* In Indian Subcontinent He Is Famous With The Name " GAUS PAK PEER"

References

Sources

* * * * *

External links

* Internet Archive
The Sufi Order of Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilani, Abdul Qadir Iranian Sunni Muslims Iranian Sufi religious leaders 12th-century Muslim scholars of Islam Hanbalis Sunni Sufis Hashemite people 1078 births 1166 deaths Iranian emigrants to Iraq People from Gilan province People from Amol 11th-century Iranian people 12th-century Iranian people Hasanids Iranian Sufi saints 12th-century jurists Founders of Sufi orders Qadiri order Iranian Muslim mystics