Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani (Radi Allahu Anhu) is Both Hasani and Husaini.

[Attari.Rafique]

Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani (Radi Allahu Anhu) is Both Hasani and Husaini.

The most universally acclaimed saint of all times and the most celebrated in all the ‘aalamin (worlds), among jinn and men as well as among the arwaah (souls), the malaaika (angels), and the rijaal u’l ghayb (men of the unseen), the beloved of Allah Ta'ala who throughout history has been showered the titles of Muhiyuddin (reviver of the faith), Qutb Rabbani (the spiritual axis established by the Lord), and Ghousul A'zam (the greatest helper, the greatest saint), Sayyidi wa Imami Abu Muhammad ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, Radi Allahu ‘Anhu was born in Ramadan 470 A.H/1077 C.E in Jilan, Persia. His father, Abu Salih, was a man of taqwa (piety) and a direct descendant of Sayyidina Imam Hasan ibn ‘Ali Radi Allahu ‘Anhu. His mother, Ummu’l Khair Fatima was a saintly daughter of a saintly father Shaikh ‘Abdullah Sawma'i who was a direct descendant of Sayyidu’sh shuhadaa Imam Husain ibn ‘Ali Radi Allahu ‘Anhu.

Thus Muhiyuddin Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani was both Hasani and Husaini, a descendant of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam from his beloved daughter Sayyidatina Fatima az-Zahra, Radi Allahu ‘Anha. For this reason, the Sindhis for example, lovingly call him "putar mithe mahbub jo" (the blessed son of the sweet beloved Holy Prophet), Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam.

The genealogical roots of Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Radi Allahu ‘Anhu can be traced to Habib u’l A’zam Sayyidina Muhammad, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam, as follows:

Ghousul A’zam Sayyidina Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, son of

As-Sayyid Abu Salih Musa, son of

As-Sayyid ‘Abdallah al-Jili, son of

As-Sayyid Yahya as-Zahid, son of

As-Sayyid Muhammad, son of

As-Sayyid Dawud, son of

As-Sayyid Musa, son of

As-Sayyid Abdallah, son of

As-Sayyid Musa al-Jawn, son of

As-Sayyid ‘Abdallah al-Mahd, son of

As-Sayyid al-Hasan al-Muthanna, son of

Sayyidina al-Imam al-Hasan, Radi Allahu ‘Anhu, son of

Imam u’l mashariqi wa’l magharib, Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, Radi Allahu ‘Anhu, and of Sayyidatina Fatima az-Zahra, Radi Allahu ‘Anha, the blessed daughter of Khaatam an-Nabiyyin Habibi Rabbi’l ‘aalamin Sayyidina wa Mawlana Muhammad ibn ‘Abdillah, Nurin min Nurillah, Allahumma Salli wa Sallim wa Baarik ‘alayh.

(Cited by Shaikh ‘Abdur Rahman ibn Shaikh ‘Umar ‘Ali al-Qadiri, in Al-Jawhar u’n Nafis, The Most Precious Pearls, p. 29).

What better way is there to end this section and indeed all the remaining sections than with this hymn which is full of blessings and mercy of Allah.

Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Attained the Spiritual Station of Siddiqin

The Holy Prophet Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam is the last Prophet and there is no prophet after him. But people can still aspire to spiritual progress, acquire taqwa (piety) and saintliness and become awliya Allah (friends of Allah). And the highest spiritual state after the anbiya (prophets) belongs to the siddiqin (the truthful). That is why the Holy Prophet Muhammad taught us to make the supplication: Allahummaj 'alnaa min-as-siddiqin (O Allah make us among the truthful). Well, Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Radi Allahu ‘Anhu manifested to the world that he ranked among the siddiqin at the ripe age of 18. At that age, his thirst for knowledge and eagerness for the company of the awliya Allah (friends of Allah) took him to the city of Baghdad.

It is related that as he was about to leave home on this momentous journey, his widowed mother sewed forty gold coins inside his coat as part of his inheritance, and as parting advice told him to be forever truthful. The caravan with whom he was travelling had gone as far as Hamadan when it was attacked by a gang of robbers. In the course of their loot, one of the robbers asked him whether he had anything with him and he truthfully replied that he had forty gold coins sewn in his coat. The robber obviously thought he was joking and narrated this incident to his chief who decided to see this young man. When his coat was torn open, sure enough there were forty gold coins. The gang leader was astounded. He asked Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani as to why he revealed this when he could have kept it secret. Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani told him that his mother had advised him not to lie and he was duty bound to obey his mother, Hearing this, the gang leader was overtaken with remorse, repented, accepted Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani as his Shaikh and so did all his followers and they went on to acquire wilayah (sainthood) themselves. This is how Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani came to be ranked among the Siddiqin. Allahummaj 'alnaa min-as-Siddiqin, Aameen Yaa Rabbal 'Aalamin.

This incident has been narrated in almost all the biographies of the Shaikh, among them being Qalaid al-Jawahir (Necklaces of Gems, p. 33), one of the earliest and major biographies, by Shaikh Muhammad ibn Yahya at-Tadifi, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh (passed away 963 A.H, 1556 C.E)

Sayyid ‘Abdur Rahim ibn Muhammad Isma’il Shirazi Rahmatullahi ‘alayh has captured the essence of this incident most beautifully in the following verse of his Urdu poem on the Ghousul A'zam:

Choron pay tum nay kar kay tawajjoh

Abdal banaaya 'aali shaan

Yaa Ghousul A'zam ajab tumhaaree shaan

Focusing your spiritual glance at the thieves

you turned them into great saints

O, the great helper, your stature is truly astounding

(Gulzare Tayyiba, The Pleasant Garden, vol. 3, p. 18)

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The Tariqa of Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani.

 

 

Muslims follow Tariqa (spiritual path leading to Allah Ta’ala) based on Shari’a (sacred Muslim law).

In matters of Shari’a (sacred Muslim law), Mahbub Sub-hani Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Radi Allahu ‘Anhu was an authority in the Hanbali madhhab (school of sacred Muslim law) as well as the Shafi’i madhhab, and a chief exponent of the Ahl u’s-Sunnah wa’l Jama'ah (the people who follow the lifestyle of the Holy Prophet Muhammad and of his blessed Companions).

The way to draw nearer to Allah Ta'ala is through the fulfilment of obligatory religious duties, additional voluntary prayers day and night, through constant remembrance (zikr) of Allah, unceasing salawaat (invocations of blessings) on the Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam, Sunnah fasting, charity, zuhd (abstinence) and juhd (exertion in the way of Allah Ta'ala) as exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad himself. This then is the tariqa (spiritual path leading to Allah Ta'ala) which is rooted in shari’a (sacred Muslim Law).

Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani learned about the mysteries of tariqa and imbibed spiritual culture (tasawwuf) at the hands of Shaikh Hammad ibn Muslim al-Dabbas, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh. Traditionally, when someone is initiated into a tariqa, he is given a khirqa (Sufi robe). Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani was bestowed the khirqa by Shaikh Qadi Abi Sa’id al-Makhzumi, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh, (referred to as Al-Mukharrimi or Al-Makhrimi in some texts).

A Shaikh (spiritual master), musk-scented in shari’a, tariqa and haqiqi ma'rifa (knowledge of spiritual realities), is able to ascertain the spiritual level of a murid (spiritual seeker/disciple) and can assign additional awraad and azkaar (regular voluntary invocations) to be performed to attain spiritual progress. Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani went on to become the epitome of such spiritual masters.

The tariqa followed by Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Radi Allahu ‘Anhu came to be called after him as the Qadria tariqa and it came to be universally accepted as a divinely-guided path to spiritual progress through zikr (remembrance) of Allah to cleanse one's heart of all evil, to lead a virtuous life, to attain the love of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam, the love of the Ahl u’l Bayt (the Prophet's blessed Household), the love of his Sahaba (Companions) and the love of the awliya Allah (friends of Allah); and to follow the shari’a (sacred Muslim law) according to the teachings of any one of the four Imams of madhhab, that is Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Shafi’i, Imam Malik and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah Ta'ala be pleased with them all.

[Attari26]

subhanallah

[Sister RBatool]

 

 

Jazak Allahu khair

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The Spiritual Roots of Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani

 

Any tariqa has a silsila or spiritual chain linking the teachings of the Shaikh to the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam. The spiritual roots of Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Radi Allahu ‘Anhu are traced back to the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, as follows:

Imam u’l Anbiya, Sayyidina wa Mawlana Muhammad ibn ‘Abdillah, Nurin min Nurillah,

(53 B.H-11 A.H; 571-632 C.E), the master of

Sayyiduna’l Imam ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (23 B.H-40 A.H; 600-661 C.E), the father of

Sayyid-ush-shuhadaa Imam Husain ibn ‘Ali (4-61 A.H), the father of

Sayyidina Imam Zayn u’l ‘Abidin ‘Ali ibn Husayn (38-94 A.H), the father of

Sayyidina Imam Muhammad al-Baqir ibn ‘Ali (59-114 A.H), the father of

Sayyidina Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (83-148 A.H), the father of

Sayyidina Imam Musa al-Kazim (passed away 182 A.H), the father of

Sayyidina Imam ‘Ali ar-Rida (passed away 203 A.H), the master of

Sayyidina Shaikh Ma’ruf al-Karkhi (passed away 201 A.H/817 C.E), the master of

Sayyidina Shaikh as-Sari as-Saqati (passed away 251 A.H/866 C.E), the master of

Sayyidina Shaikh Abu’l Qasim, Junayd al-Baghdadi (passed away 298 A.H/910 C.E),

the master of

Sayyidina Shaikh Abu Bakr ibn Jahdar ash-Shibli (passed away 334 A.H/945 C.E),

the master of

Sayyidina Shaikh ‘Abdul Wahid at-Tamimi, the master of

Sayyidina Shaikh Abu’l Faraj at-Tarsusi

(Abu’l Farah according to some narrations, instead of Abu’l Faraj), the master of

Sayyidina Shaikh Abu’l Hasan, al-Qurashi al-Hakaari, the master of

Sayyidina Shaikh Qadi Abu Sa’id al-Mubarak al-Makhzumi (passed away 513 A.H),

the master of

Sayyidina Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani (470-561 A.H; 1077-1166 C.E).

(Cited in al-Jawhar u’n Nafis, The Most Precious Pearls p. 34).

Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Rahmatullahi ‘alayh, (1272-1340 A.H, 1856-1921 C.E) has versified on these spiritual roots in “Shajara Qadria” (“The Spiritual Tree of the Qadria Spiritual Masters”), in Hadaaiqi Bakhshish (The Gardens of Gifts, p. 65-66).

It has been narrated in Qalaid al-Jawahir (Necklaces of Gems) by Shaikh Muhammad ibn Yahya at-Tadifi, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh that Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani did not start preaching in Baghdad until he reached the age of 50. Before that, for many years, he was a wandering darwish in the wilderness of Iraq practicing zuhd (abstinence), totally immersed in the worship of Allah. Then the Holy Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad, peace be upon him, and Amir u’l Mu’minin Sayyidina ‘Ali, may Allah ennoble his face, came to him in a dream to bless him and to encourage him to start preaching in Baghdad. This then was the direct ijaza (permission) to him to preach from the Beloved Prophet himself who is the Madinat u’l ‘ilm (the City of Knowledge) as well as from Sayyidina ‘Ali who is Bab u’l ‘ilm (the Gate of Knowledge). With such an ijaza, was there anything that the beloved Piran-e-Pir (Shaikh of Shaikhs), Dastagir (the helping hand) could not accomplish?

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The ‘Aqida of Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani

 

His ‘aqida (tenets of belief) was that of the Ahl u’s-Sunnah wa’l Jama'ah, based on the Qur'an, and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam. All the sufi saints and mashaayikh (spiritual masters) through centuries have expounded on and lived by this ‘aqida, foremost among them being Imam ul A’zam Imam Abu Hanifa (80-150 A.H), Imam Abu’l Hasan al-Ash’ari (260-324 A.H, 874-935 C.E), and Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi (passed away 332 A.H, 944 C.E), Rahmatullahi ‘alayhim ajma’in. Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Radi Allahu ‘Anhu has explained it in Al-Ghunya Li Talibi Tariqi’l Haqq (Sufficient Provision for Seekers of the Path of Truth).

The foundation of this aqida is the belief that Allah Ta’ala is the only One worthy of worship and that Prophet Muhammad is His Divinely Ordained Final Prophetic Messenger (Rasul). Its nurturing is with Asma u’l Husna and mahabba (love) of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, his Pure Household and Blessed Companions. Its manifestation is the spontaneous pride felt in the achievements of the Khulafa ar-Rashidun, that is, Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, Sayyidina ‘Umar al-Faruq, Sayyidina ‘Usman Dhun-Nurayn, and Sayyidina ‘Ali al-Murtada, Radi Allahu ‘Anhum. Its daily life is governed by shari’a (sacred Muslim law). Its spread is through nasiha (good advice), zikr of Allah Ta'ala and salawaat and salaam on the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam. Its peak is jihad (battle to eliminate oppression of Muslims by non-Muslims and to establish Islamic justice), and its ultimate is fana Fillah (annihilation of oneself for the sake of, and in the love of Allah Ta'ala), after which Allah Ta'ala showers you with Baqa Billah (spiritual life everlasting) in His Rida (Pleasure).

So you begin with rida’l waalidayn (living in the pleasure of your parents) and end with Ridallah (living to please Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala). And the Sahaba (Companions) of the Holy Prophet Muhammad are referred to as Radi Allahu ‘Anhum wa Radu ‘Anhu (Allah is well pleased with them and they are pleased with Him as their Lord). And according to Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, his own position is equal to the dust under the feet of the Sahaba. If that is the case, then what is the stature of the blessed Sahaba of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam? Their spiritual stature derives from the fact that they were blessed with the opportunity of beholding the Holy Prophet Muhammad with the eyes of iman (faith). That being the case, how can anyone be capable enough to explain in full the sifat (attributes) of Muhammad ‘Arabi, Rasuli Rabbi’l ‘Aalameen, Rahmatullil ‘Aalamin. Only Allah Ta’ala is aware of what He bestowed on His beloved Prophet Muhammad, Allahumma salli wa sallim ‘alayh.

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The Nasiha of Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani

Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Radi Allahu ‘Anhu taught Muslims and preached to non-Muslims in Baghdad. His nasiha (advices) and mawa’iza (sermons, discourses) were written down by scribes as he delivered them and they have been compiled and handed down through centuries as classics of Muslim spirituality. One of the beauties of his discourses is that you feel he is addressing you directly.

His major spiritual works, that is, the kutub (books) he wrote, as well as collections of his discourses are:

Al-Ghunya Li Talibi Tariqi’l Haqq (Sufficient Provision for Seekers of the Path of Truth)

This kitab (book) is a comprehensive explanation of Arkan al-Iman (Pillars of Faith), Arkan al-Islam (Pillars of Islam), and Ihsan (Spiritual Excellence). It is a kitab (book) on Hanbali fiqh (jurisprudence) with special emphasis on salah (obligatory five times daily prayer). It is indispensable for those who want to do tabligh (propagate Islam) as it deals with amr bi’l ma’ruf wa nahi anil munkar (enjoining good and forbidding evil).

Futuh al-Ghaib (Revelations of the Unseen), a collection of 78 discourses.

Al-Fath ur Rabbani (The Endowment of Divine Grace).

This a collection of 72 discourses, the main message of which is to raise yourself up to such spiritual heights as to devote your whole life in worshipful service of Allah, purely to earn His Rida (Pleasure) and His Qurb (Nearness) without hoping for any other reward in the Hereafter. In these discourses, he admonishes the munafiqin (hypocrites) who forget their religion and who cringe before kings and princes for worldly gain.

Jila al-Khatir (Purification of the Mind), a collection of 45 discourses.

Sirr al-Asrar (The Secret of Secrets).

This kitab (book) explains matters related to shari’a (sacred law), tariqa (spiritual path), haqiqi ma’rifa (knowledge of spiritual realities) and tasawwuf (spiritual culture).

Malfuzat (Talks and Sayings).

Khamsata ‘Ashara Maktuban (Fifteen Letters).

These were written in Persian and translated into Arabic by ‘Ali ibn Husam ud-Din al-Muttaqi, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh (passed away 977 A.H/1569 C.E).

Besides the Qur'an Karim and Hadith Sharif, these can be considered to be required minimum reading for someone who aspires to be an ‘aalim (scholar).

To catch a glimpse of his nasiha (advice), perhaps the best place to begin is to see how he advises his own son Shaikh ‘Abdur Razzaq, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh. He advised him to acquire eight character traits that are basic to tasawwuf (spiritual culture). These are:

Sakha (generosity) of Nabi (Prophet) Ibrahim, ‘alayhissalam (peace be upon him)

Rida (joyful contentment with whatever Allah ordains) of Nabi Is-haq, ‘alayhissalam

Sabr (patience) of Nabi Ayyub, ‘alayhissalam

Ishara (symbolic instruction) of Nabi Zakariyya, ‘alayhissalam

Ghurba (life as a stranger in far-off lands) of Nabi Yusuf, ‘alayhissalam

Lubs us suf (the wearing of Sufi clothes) of Nabi Yahya, ‘alayhissalam

Siyaha (wandering travel) of Nabi ‘Isa, ‘alayhissalam

Faqr (worldly poverty with spiritual riches) of Nabiyyuna wa Habibuna wa Shafi’una Muhammad Mustafa, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam.

(Cited by Al-Hajj Isma’il ibn as-Sayyid Muhammad Sa’id al-Qadiri, in al-Fuyudaat ur Rabbaniyya, Emanations of Lordly Grace, p. 40).

His mawa’iza (exhortations, discourses) deal with various subjects) For example, the first few discourses in Futuh al-Ghaib (Revelations of the Unseen) are on “The essential tasks of every believer”, “Sharing good advice”, “Being tried and tested”, “Spiritual death”, “The nature of this world, detachment from which is strongly advised”, “Passing beyond the creation”, “Removing the cares of the heart”, “Drawing near to Allah”, “Disclosure and contemplation”, “The self and its states”, and “Controlling carnal desire”.

The theme of each discourse is supported with verses of the Holy Qur’an and Hadith Sharif. For example, in the First Discourse of Al-Fath ur Rabbani (The Endowment of Divine Grace), he quotes the following verse of the Holy Qur’an:

Surely, Allah is with those who are patient. (2:153)

And in the Sixth Discourse of Futuh al-Ghaib (Revelations of the Unseen, p. 17-18), he quotes this Hadith Qudsi which is dear to the heart of every Muslim (translation is by Shaikh Muhtar Holland).

In a sacred tradition (hadith qudsi) the blessed Prophet related that Allah (Exalted is He) says, “My servant constantly approaches Me through supererogatory acts of worship until I love him, and when I love him, I become his eyes with which he sees, his hands with which he holds, and his legs with which he walks.” In another version, the wording is: “So through me he hears, through me he sees, and through me he understands.”

This Hadith Qudsi has been narrated by Hadrat Abu Hurayra, Radi Allahu ‘Anhu and reported by Imam Bukhari, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh (194-256 A.H, 810-870 C.E).

The essence of his teaching is to achieve qurb Ilallah (nearness to Allah) in the sense of achieving His love, as He is our Khaliq (Creator) and the Musabbib ul Asbab (the Original Cause of all the causes). The description of someone who has attained nearness to Allah is succinctly summarised in Futuh al-Ghaib (Revelations of the Unseen, p. 12, translation is by Shaikh Muhtar Holland).

“Gone forth from his own self out into his Master’s work, he now sees nothing but that Master and His work, and neither hears nor comprehends from any other source. If he perceives at all, if he does hear and learn, His speech is what he listens to, and His knowledge is what he comes to know. His favour he enjoys, through His nearness he prospers, through His proximity he is graced and honoured, by His promise he is pleased and reassured. With Him he feels at peace, and in His discourse he takes delight, while from all others he recoils and shrinks away. In remembrance of Him he finds refuge and support. In Him, the Almighty and Glorious, he puts his faith and in Him he places his trust. By the light of His awareness he is guided as he wraps and clothes himself therein. Strange marvels of His science he discovers, and of the secrets of His power he is apprised. To Him he listens and from Him he learns, then for all this he offers praise, gives thanks, and turns to prayer.”

The next step to take is perhaps to open another of the compilations of his mawa’iza (discourses). This is a suggested interpretation of the opening of his first discourse in Al-Fath ur Rabbani (The Endowment of Divine Grace).

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

O Allah! O You Who know my inability to praise You,

I ask of You – for the sake of the most perfect of all those who praise You,

(that is, Sayyidina Muhammad),

to whom You unveiled the realities of Your Names and Your Attributes,

and the subtleties of the emanations of Your Essence,

so that he came to know You in a manner befitting Your Perfection,

and whom You thereupon inspired with Your praises

as You inspired none other than him,

as You will inspire him many times more

on the Day when his uniqueness will be manifested,

(that is, on the Day of Judgement),

when his glorious character will be manifested in all its glory,

(I ask of You, O Allah!)

to bestow upon him,

who is more precious than any other being,

such blessings and salutations that befit Your most Sanctified Perfection,

and let the noble blessings and peace You confer upon him,

encompass the whole of his physical being as well as his essence,

as well as everything that pertains to him

in the world of creation and in the world of the Divine Command,

so that, O our Lord, You leave out none of

Your Prophets, Your Messengers, Your Angels and Your righteous servants,

but include them all

within the compass of Your Tremendous Grace.

Sallu ‘ala’r Rasul

Allahumma Salli wa Sallim ‘alayh.

We find that Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Radi Allahu ‘Anhu begins his discourse with an exalted, inspiring and comprehensive salaat (invocation of blessings on Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him) in which he manifests his deep love for him. In one breath he tells us that Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, praised Allah as no one else did, that he knew Allah as no one else did and that he was inspired by Allah as no one else was. He reminds us that the grandeur of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, has already been manifested in this world and is yet to be revealed in all its glory on the Day of Judgement.

The salaat begins with the Name of Allah and uses the wasila (means) of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. In the same breath, it breathes in the Asma and Sifat of Allah, the Most Beautiful Names and Attributes of Allah, Wahdahu laa sharika lahu. The salaat is on the reality and essence of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, as well as everything that pertains to him or is connected with him in the world of creation and in the world of Allah’s Commad. And all the Prophets, as well as the Messengers of Allah, the angels and the pious people are connected with him. So the salaat is on all of them as well. In one sweep, both the reality and the essence of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, have been linked to the two worlds of Allah’s creation and Allah’s Command. When you have completed reciting this salaat, you know for sure that you are in the presence of a shaykh, a man of Allah, and you want to establish ta’alluq (connection) with him, as you know that following his teaching and obtaining his baraka (blessings), coming as they do from the pure fount of his blessed ancestor, will lead you to salvation. Aameen.

As we read his masterpieces, we are struck by the fact that his style of expression is different from that of any other shaikh, ‘aalim or wali. He is so much saturated with the spiritual power of Tawhid (monotheism) that his exposition and its flow has a spiritually confident personality all its own so that anyone who reads his nasiha spontaneously admits that he is the Qutb-al-aqtaab (the centre of all spiritual pillars), the Shaikh-ul-Mashaaikh (the spiritual master of all spiritual masters), the Gousul A'zam (the greatest helper) and much more.... a Shaikh who epitomised mujaddidiyyah (faith revival) and wilayah (sainthood), Qaddas Sirrahu’l ‘aziz (may Allah sanctify his sublime innermost being)

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The Salawaat of Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani

Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Radi Allahu ‘Anhu has composed so many salawaat on the beloved holy Prophet Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam that their compilation would fill a volume. His three most well-known salawaat are:

As-Salaat u’l Ghousia, named after him as it is the most famous.

As-Salaatu Kibriti’l Ahmar which means red sulphur or “the Philosopher’s Stone”, or something that is very rare to come by.

As-Salaat u’l Kubra or the “big salaat”. This looks like a bouquet of flowers straight from Paradise consisting of 33 salawaat, and du’a (supplication), all richly interspersed together with 25 verses of the Holy Qur’an.

Muslims love these salawaat so much that they make them their wazifa (regular voluntary devotion). For this reason, spiritual masters as well as spiritual seekers include them in their books of salawaat. Two such great Muslim luminaries who have included As-Salaat u’l Ghousia in their compilations of salawaat are Imam Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli (passed away 870 A.H/1465 C.E) in Dalaail u’l Khayraat (Proofs of Good Deeds), and Hadrat Mulla ‘Ali al-Qaari (passed away 1014 A.H/1606 C.E) in Hizb u’l A’zam (The Exalted Supplication).

Some of the kutub (books) that contain all three of these salawaat (and more) are:

Al-Fuyudaat u’r Rabbaniyya (Emanations of Lorldly Grace) of al-Hajj Isma’il ibn as-Sayyid Muhammad Sa’id al-Qadiri,

Awraad u’l Qadiriyya (Regular Voluntary Invocations of the Qadria) of Muhammad Salim Bawwab, and

As-Salawaat li’l Awliya wa’s Salihin (Invocations of Blessings by the Saints and the Pious), published by Iqra Islamic Publications in Toronto.

At this juncture, let us seize the opportunity of reciting his most famous salaat, that is, As-Salaat u’l Ghousia.

Allahumma Salli ‘alaa Sayyidina Muhammad-in

as-Saabiqi li’l khalqi nuruhu

wa Rahmatulli’l ‘aalamina zuhuruhu

‘adada man madaa min khalqiqa wa man baqiya

wa man sa’ida minhum wa man shaqiya

Salaatan tastaghriqu’l ‘adda wa tuhitu bi’l haddi

Salaatan laa ghaayata lahaa wa laa muntahaa wa lanqidaa’a

Salaatan daaimatan bi-Dawaamika? ?

wa ‘alaa aalihi wa sahbihi

wa sallim tasleeman mithla dhaalik.

O Allah! Bestow blessings on our master Muhammad

whose light was created first,

and whose appearance is a mercy for all the worlds,

as many times as the number of Your creations past and yet to come

among those that are blessed and those that are unfortunate;

such blessings that are unlimited and unbounded,

countless, endless, never finishing;

such blessings that are permanent by virtue of Your permanence,

and on his family and companions,

and in the same manner complete salutations as well.

[Mushtaq_Attari26]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Attari.Rafique]

 

The Zikr and Du’a of Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani

 

The Qadria tariqa is one of Zikrullah, remembrance of Allah. The plural of zikr is azkaar. The azkaar and du’a (supplications) of Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Radi Allahu ‘Anhu have been compiled in many kutub (books), one of which is al-Fuyudhaat ur Rabbaniyya (Emanations of Lorldly Grace). It gives the invocations and supplications of Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani to be recited after every salah (regular obligatory prayer), for each day of the week, as well as for various special occasions.

The zikr mainly consists of the recitation of the Kalima Shahada (Declaration of Faith), Asma u’l Husna (the Most Beautiful Names of Allah) and of salawaat (invocation of blessings on the beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him). One of the voluntary zikr recommended to be recited individually after every salah (regular obligatory prayer) is as follows:

After Fajr: Yaa ‘Azizu Yaa Allah (100 times)

(O The Mighty, O Allah)

After Zuhr: Yaa Karimu Yaa Allah (100 times)

(O The Generous, O Allah)

After ‘Asr: Yaa Jabbaru Yaa Allah (100 times)

(O The Compeller, O Allah)

After Maghrib: Yaa Sattaru Yaa Allah (100 times)

(O The Concealer of faults, O Allah)

After ‘Isha: Yaa Ghaffaru Yaa Allah (100 times)

(O The Forgiver, O Allah)

A short article such as this one cannot explain in any detail all the invocations and supplications of the Shaikh. But we can perhaps benefit from reciting at least one of his du’a (supplications). His du’a entitled Du’a u’l Jalalah (The Majestic Supplication) is so rich and rewarding that many mashaayikh choose to include it in their kutub (books),

Bismillah i’r Rahman i’r Rahim

Allahumma inni as’aluka

bi-Sirri-dh-Dhaati wa bi-Dhaat-is-Sirri

Huwa Anta wa Anta Huwa

ihtajabtu bi-Nurillah

wa bi-Nuri ‘Arshillah

wa bi-kulli Ismillah

min ‘aduwwee wa ‘aduwwillah

bi maa’ati alfi

Laa hawla walaa quwwata illaa Billah

khatamtu ‘alaa nafsi wa ‘alaa ahli

wa ‘alaa kulli shay-in A’taaneehi Rabbi

bi-Khaatamillahi’l manee’illadhi

khatama bihi aqtaar-as-samaawaati wa’l ard, wa

Hasbunallahu wa Ni’mal Wakil

Ni’mal Mawlaa wa Ni’man Naseer

Wa laa hawla walaa quwwata illaa Billahi’l ‘Aliyyi’l ‘Azim

wa Sallallahu ‘alaa Sayyidina Muhammad-in

wa ‘alaa aalihi wa sahbihi wa sallama ajma’een. Aameen

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. (1:1)

O Allah! I ask of You

for the sake of the Mystery of the Essence

and for the sake of the Essence of the Mystery,

both the Essence and the Mystery being Yours,

that may I be protected by the Sacred Light of Allah,

by the Light of the Throne of Allah

and by all the Names of Allah

from my enemies and from all the devils (enemies of Allah),

(I supplicate to You O Allah)

with a hundred thousand times recitation of (this glorification of Yours):

“There is no strength nor power except with Allah”.

I have sealed myself and my family

and all the things that my Lord has given me,

with the impregnable seal of Allah with which

He has sealed all the regions of the heavens and the earth, and

Allah is sufficient for us and what an excellent Trustee is He. (3:173)

What an Excellent Patron and what an Excellent Helper. (8:40)

“And there is neither strength nor power except with Allah, the Exalted, the Almighty”.

And may Allah bestow blessings and peace on our master Sayyidina Muhammad,

on his family and all his companions, Aameen.

Such was the spiritual status of Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani that in response to his du’a (supplication), Allah would turn a shaqiy (unfortunate person) into a sa’id (someone destined for salvation). Indeed he has so spiritually transformed the lives of so many Muslims in such significant ways that they never forget to mention him in their du’a (supplications to Allah). May Allah, the Glorified and the Exalted make us benefit from him, Aameen.