Full Name:Zaffry Ikram

Question:Often

scholars are raised above their status by those

who follow them blindly. Attributes exclusive for ALLAH have

been attributed to some of them
A. Write a short biography on Abdul Qadir Jeelani.
B. The reality behind his belief.
C. Did he propagate that which his followers ascribe to him?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah the Most Merciful the Most Gracious. Who is Abdul
Qadir Jeelani ? whenever I come across his name people often ask me
why do you want to study about the master of Awliyas and raise the
question are you are you a Sufi. When we do a Google search on
Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani most of the times we end up with things
that a impossible to believe. People claim that he did miracles and he
was the greatest intercessor between Allah and the believer and you
should pray through him to Allah (Swt). Lets take a look at a short
history of Sheikh Abdul Qadir and find out if any of it is true whether he
claimed this status

Abdul Qadir Jeelani (rah) was born in 470AH in Gilaan. He is a

descendent of Ali ibn Abu Taalib. He went to Baghdad at the age of
18years in 488AH. Sheikh Abdul Qadir had strong religious observance
and his only goal was acquire education. His teachers are some the of
the best in that time such as Muhammad ibn Hasan Al-Baqillaani, Abul
Wafaa and Abu Zakariya Tebrezi. Soon after this he turned to mysticism
and was guided in its practices and beliefs byCadi Abu Saeed

Makhrami and Abul Khair Hammaad ibn Muslim al-Dabbas. Shekih

Abdul Qadir Jeelani was a follower of the Hanbali School.
After his education in both religious science and training in mystical
disciplines he began to teach the seminary of his teacher Cadi Abu
Saeed Makhrami. His sermons became so famous he had to move out
of the institution of his teacher`s to a bigger building. It looked like the
whole of Baghdad would attend his lectures. People were so eager to
learn from Abdul Qadir even the kings and their ministers would be
among the students. There would be no rank from king to servants and
from scholars to students everyone would be rubbing shoulders with
each other during his lectures.

Sheikh Abdul Qadir was cherished by the people for this moral
excellence. He was humble, modest and kind to everyone, He often
used to leave his work behind to attend anyone who is in need. He
always loved the company of the poor he often used to wash their
clothes or performed other personal services. When a caliph used to
visit he will deliberately go outside so that he wouldnt have to stand
up to welcome him. He would never send back a beggar empty
handed if he had nothing to give he would give away the clothes that
he was wearing. He always took pleasure in feeding the poor and
spending freely to meet the needs of the people. Abdul Qadir often
used to say If I were given treasures of the whole world, I would spend
it all on feeding the poor.
The annalists of his time agree that Abdul Qadir worked a quite a larger
number of miracles. (Qalaad al-Fawaahir,P 167 and Fala ul Ainain p
130). Ibn Taymiyah and Sheik-ul-Islam Izz ud-din ibn Abdul-Salam are
of the view that Abdul Qadir was a worker of incessant miracles. He did
miracles to fill the heart of the despaired with hope and faith. He
changed the lives of so many with his powers of speech and the
spiritual powers of his heart. Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani revived the
faith in the hearts of the people in a time where people were going
astray from the religion Allah(swt). Sheikh Amr al-Kaisaani reports that
there were hardly any lectures in which where a number Christians and
Jews did not embrace Islam, robbers, apostates and heretics who
repented for their mistaken beliefs. About a Hundred thousand sinners

and criminals repented for their misdeeds on the account of him.(Ibid,

P8).

With his gifted mind he worked on solving the problems of innovations

and deviations in the religion being a hanbali scholar he used to
explain to the people about the difference of the jurists schools and
educate them about the correct Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad
(Sal). He often used to dictate fatwas regarding any questions posted
to him. While giving fatwas he generally followed the Hanbalite School
and the shafi schools of jurisdiction. Abdul Qadir Himself relates an
incident that he once came across he says
Once I saw a dazzling light which filled the entire sky. Then a human
frame appeared therein and said, O Abdul Qadir, I am Lord, thy God I
have made everything prohibited lawful unto thee I replied get away
from me, O Devil As soon as I uttered these words, the luster in the
sky turned in to darkness and the human frame began to fizzle into
smoke.(Tabqaat ul-Kubra) He was a firm believer of Islam and he
knew at that point when someone makes prohibited things lawful to
him its not from God. Abdul Qadir was a man of strong belief in Allah
where whatever sickness or calamity comes to him he always turns to
Allah.
Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani`s main concern was to revive Islam as it
was taught by the prophet. So Abdul Qadir founded a new mystic order
called Qaadiriyah. He systemized the mystic practices and made it
more harmonious with the rules of Shari`ah. His followers took this
order to almost all the countries and helped innumerable people come
back to the path of Loyalty to God. Abdul Qadir died at the age of 90 in
561 AH an account of his death was preserved by his son Sharaf ud-din
Isa.
When we look at the life of Abdul Qadir we can clearly see that he
never claimed sainthood among the people and never asked the
people or his followers to pray through him. But in time people started
stray away from both the teachings of Prophet Muhammad(sal) and
also the teachings of Abdul Qadir, Yes Abdul Qadir did some miracles
which were given to him the miracles are known as karaamah which
Allah give to the pious person but this doesnt make them a intercessor
we should always only direct the pray to Allah (swt). Its out duty to

educate the people the truth about Abdul Qadir Jilani because most
people think that he is a apostate but indeed he was a person who was
sent by Allah(swt) to revive Islam.