Indexed OCR Text

Abū Hāmid al-Ghazālī
needed was an illuminated and inspired mentor who held sway with the
people, one who could spellbind and fill them with faith and enthusiasm,
zeal and self-confidence. The autocratic governments of the previous four
hundred years had definitely had a dissolving influence on the spiritual and
moral life of the community. These had produced a class which, although
claiming to profess Islam, took self-aggrandizement, acquisition of material
success, and pursuit of wealth, power, and honor as its ultimate end. Foreign
cultural influences had, on the one hand, made inroads into Muslim society,
while, on the other, paganism of pre-Islamic ignorance were again reassert-
ing themselves. The ostentatious, conceited, and dissolute manners of elitist
grandees and imperial retinues had become a model for the common folk.
Unmindful of the humble and poor, who led a discontented and frustrated
life, those who had money to squander were busy in their own pleasure
pursuits. The affluent were gradually losing the good qualities of humanity,
generosity, and benevolence, while the poorer classes were losing qualities
like patience and contentment, confidence and self-respect. Torn between a
moral crisis on the one hand and social injustice on the other, Muslim society
was threatened with disintegration. What this critical situation demanded
was an invigorating call inviting the people back to the faith, cutting at the
pulls of worldly temptation and benefit, rekindling the desire for salvation
and blessedness, for achievement of the true knowledge of Allah, and for
inculcating an ardent desire to submit oneself to His command. To achieve
this it was necessary to impress upon people the true meaning of tawhid-the
oneness of Allah Almighty-along with an awareness of the fleeting nature
of earthly pleasures and the inefficacy of power and wealth.
At the same time, the fifth/eleventh century also saw a diffusion of arts
and sciences in the world of Islam. We find during this period some of the
greatest intellectual leaders brought forth by Islam: Abū Ishaq al-Shīrāzī (d.
476/1083) and Abū Hāmid Muhammad al-Ghazālī (d. 505/1111) in the field
of religious sciences, Abū 'l-Wafa' ibn 'Aqil (d. 513/1119) and 'Abd al-Qahir
al-Jurjānī (d. 471/1078) in jurisprudence and literature, Abū Zakariyyā
al-Tabrīzī (d. 502/1109) in grammar and lexicography, and Muhammad ibn
al-Qasim al-Hariri (d. 516/1112) in literature. Each of these was a pioneer in
his own field, and every one of them remained unrivaled for centuries to
come. During such a period of intellectual awakening, no religious mentor
could have hoped to achieve any success unless he was himself well versed
in all the prevalent sciences. It was essential that the person should be as rec-
ognized for his literary distinction and brilliance of mind as for his spiritual
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and moral excellence. This was indeed necessary if he was not to be brushed
aside as an illiterate fanatic.
These were the qualities demanded of a man who could fill the hearts of
the people with faith and knowledge, cure them of their scepticism, provide
solace to the spiritually distressed, and fire them with a burning desire for
moral and spiritual uplift.
The Two Preachers of Baghdad
Allah Almighty brought forth during this period two outstanding person-
ages who devoted their life for the religious and spiritual revivification of the
Muslims. These were 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilanī and 'Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Jawzī.
Their fields of activity were different, but both of them deeply influenced the
lives of Muslims in their time. It was also a blessing from Allah that both of
them had Baghdad, then the metropolis of the Islamic world, as their center,
and were blessed with long life to accomplish the task to which they addressed
themselves. It is also a matter of pride for the Hanbali school of jurisprudence
that both of these great luminaries belonged to it.
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CHAPTER 8
Abd al-Qadir al-Jīlānī
OUR MASTER SHAYKH 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilanī was born in Gilan1 in 470/1077.
He was an Arab by descent, being the tenth descendent of Hasan ibn 'Ali
but hailed from Persia by migration of his ancestors. He came to Baghdad
in 488/1095, at the age of eighteen. It was perhaps not mere coincidence
that he arrived in Baghdad to acquire knowledge at almost the same time
another renowned scholar, Ghazalī, was leaving the city in search of truth.2
Although inclined to worship and religious exertion from an early age, he
addressed himself wholeheartedly to acquire education under the most
reputed teachers of the time, such as Abū'l-Wafa' ibn 'Aqil, Muhammad ibn
al-Hasan al-Bāqillānī, and Abū Zakariyyā al-Tabrīzī. Thereafter, he turned
to mysticism and was guided in its tenets and practices by Shaykh Abū
'1-Khayr Hammad ibn Muslim al-Dabbas.3 He attained completion of this
path through Qādī Abū Sa'id al-Makhrami4 and was granted authorization
from him in the mystic order.5
Popular Enthusiasm
After completing his education of religious sciences and his training in mys-
tic disciplines, 'Abd al-Qadir began his career as a teacher in the seminary
of his own teacher Qādī Abū Sa'id al-Makhrami. His sermons, which were
1 Gilan is a northwestern province of Iran, south of the Caspian Sea and north of the Elburz
mountain chain. It is bounded in the east by Tabaristan (or Mazandran) and its northern border
is marked by the juncture of the Kura and the Aras Rivers. Its political boundary with Russia is
marked by the Astara stream. It is one of the most beautiful areas of Iran.
2 Al-Bidāya wa 'I-Nihāya, 12:149.
3 Sha'ranī writes that most of the mystics belonging to Baghdad were his disciples. He died
in 525/1131. See Sha rānī, Al-Țabagāt al-Kubrā, 1:134.
4 His name was Mubarak ibn 'Ali ibn al-Husayn. As reported by Ibn Kathir, he was a hadith
scholar and mystic belonging to the school of Ahmad ibn Hanbal. He died in 511/1117.
5 For details, see Ibn Rajab, Al-Dhayl 'alā Țabagāt al-Hanābila.
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delivered on the premises of the same institution, attracted such a rush of
people that extensions had to be carried out in the building of the institu-
tion. It appeared as if the whole of Baghdad assembled at his congregations.
At the same time, he commanded such attention and deference from the
people attending his lectures that even kings would have envied it. Shaykh
Muwaffaq al-Din ibn Qudama, author of the Mughnī, records that he had
not seen a man more revered for his piety and religious learning than 'Abd
al-Qadir. The ruler, together with chief and ministers, attended his sermons
alongside the rank and file and used to sit in a corner without any fanfare.
Scholars and jurists rubbed shoulders with students. The enthusiastic devo-
tion of the people who attended his lectures can be well imagined by the fact
that often as many as four hundred inkpots were counted being brought in
to take down the notes of his sermons.
Moral Excellence
Notwithstanding the implicit reverence people had for 'Abd al-Qadir, he
remained ever modest, humble, and unpretentious. He often left his work to
attend to the needs of a child, a poor person, or a slave girl. Never evading
the company of the poor, he even washed their clothes or performed similar
personal services for them, yet he never stood up in honor of any member of
the elite. If the caliph ever paid him a visit, the historians of his time report,
he deliberately went inside his quarters so that he would not have to stand
up to welcome the ruler. He would then come to the receiving area after the
caliph had seated himself. 'Abd al-Qadir never paid back the courtesy call to
any vizier or the ruler.1
Those who saw 'Abd al-Qadir paid glowing tribute to his moral excellence,
magnanimity, modesty, hospitality, generosity, and goodness of heart. One
contemporary who had the opportunity to enjoy his company said that he
had not seen a man more polite, large-hearted, and charitable than Shaykh
'Abd al-Qadir. Despite his erudition and eminence, he respected his elders,
met youngsters with good grace, was always the first to greet, and hailed the
poor courteously with deference. But he never stood to welcome grandees
or nobles, nor did he ever pay a visit to any minister or ruler.2
Another contemporary, Hafiz Abū 'Abdillah Muhammad ibn Yusuf
al-Birzālī al-Ishbīlī, reports:
1 Al-Țabagāt al-Kubrā, 1:127.
2 Ibid., 1:127.
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'Abd al-Qadir al-Jīlānī
His prayers were readily answered. Extremely tenderhearted, he could weep
when something to soften the heart was mentioned. More often he was to be
found immersed in meditation and remembrance of Allah. He was softhearted,
courteous, cheerful, generous, compassionate, very knowledgeable and of
sublime character. He was the offspring of a noble family, and was at a high
level in his worship and efforts.1
The testimony of Muhy al-Din Abu 'Abdillah Muhammad ibn Hamid
al-Baghdadi, the jurisconsult (muftī) of Iraq, runs as follows:
Always disposed to avoid things unseemly and vulgar, he only pressed for the
desirable and befitting. He would boil with indignation if the divine com-
mandments were overstepped, but remained indifferent to wronging and ill-
treatment to his own person. He would never seek revenge save for the sake
of Allah Almighty nor send back a beggar without giving him something. If
he had nothing to give he would part with the clothes he had on.2
Abd al-Qadir took pleasure in feeding the poor and spending freely to meet
the needs of the destitute. Ibn al-Najjar reports that 'Abd al-Qadir often used
to say, "If I were given the treasures of the whole world, I would spend it all on
feeding the poor." Sometimes he said, "It seems that I have a hole in my hands.
I cannot keep anything with me. If I had a thousand dinars, I would spend
every single penny by daybreak."3 He had given instructions to his servants
that as many guests as possible should be invited for dinner. During dinner
he would always sit with the poor and lowly, chat with his students, or inquire
after the welfare of those who were unable to be present. His behavior was
so affectionate that everyone who met him gained the impression that 'Abd
al-Qadir had the highest regard for him. He overlooked the faults of others
and if anyone stated something on oath, he readily accepted this statement.
He never gave out the secrets of others nor said anything before others that
might put someone to shame.4
Reassurance to the Dejected
The historians of his time agreed that Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir had quite a
number of miracles. Shaykh al-Islam 'Izz al-Din ibn 'Abd al-Salam and
1 Tādifi, Qalā'id al-Jawahir, 9.
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid., 10
4 Ibid., 9.
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SAVIOURS OF ISLAMIC SPIRIT
Ibn Taymiyya are of the view that Abd al-Qadir was a worker of numerous
miracles, but his miracle of miracles was filling the hearts of the desperate
and brokenhearted with faith, hope, and enthusiasm. He breathed new life,
zeal, and self-confidence into countless people through his power of speech
and the spiritual power of his heart. He was truly a blessing for the world of
Islam, for he renewed and revived the true content of the faith and tapped the
sources of moral and spiritual strength for a religious renaissance.1 Shaykh
Amr al-Kaysānī reports that there was hardly a sermon 'Abd al-Qadir delivered
after which a number of Jews and Christians did not embrace Islam, murder-
ers and robbers did not repent of their sins, and heretics and apostates did
not renounce their false beliefs.2
'Abdullah ibn Abī'l-Hasan al-Jubbā'ī (d. 605/1208) relates that Abd al-Qadir
once told him that he wished to lead the life of a recluse in the wilderness,
that he see no one, nor anyone him; but Allah had willed that people should
benefit from him. He writes, "It is a blessing granted to me that more than
five thousand Jews and Christians embraced Islam at my hand and about
a hundred thousand sinners and criminals repented of their misdeeds.
Historians report that a large segment of Baghdad's inhabitants were inspired
by him to repent and a large number of Christians, Jews, and others were
honored with Islam.3
Teaching and Propagation Work
Gifted with divine grace and illumination, Abd al-Qadir was ever conscious
of the purification of spirit and rectitude of morals, yet he did not lose sight
of the importance of teaching, issuing legal rulings, or fatāwa, and dissemi-
nating the correct doctrines of the faith. Being a follower of Imam Ahmad
and the hadith scholars in theology, the doctrine of the predecessors and
the Ahl al-Sunna was greatly strengthened through him, and the trend of
innovation and deviation in faith and practice was diminished. Because of
him, reports Ibn al-Sam'anī, the followers of the Sunna came to be held in
high esteem by the masses.
1 Ālūsī, Jalā'al-Aynayn, 130. A miracle can be expressed in Arabic by both mu jiza and karāma,
and both signify an act contrary to the usual course of nature. However, a mu'jiza is a term used
only for the miraculous acts caused by Allah to confound the adversaries of a prophet and to make
them acknowledge the truth of prophecy. A karama, on the other hand, is a wonder wrought by
Allah through a saint or pious person for the good of the people, as well as proof of his sainthood
as a miracle of divine favor. These are of a lower order than the miracles of a prophet.
2 Qalā'id al-Jawāhir, 8.
m
, Ibid.
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Abd al-Qadir al-Jīlānī
Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir used to teach daily classes on the topics of Qur'anic
exegesis, hadith, and jurisprudence, in which he also explained the differences
between various juristic schools of Islam. The classes were held in the morn-
ing and evening, and 'Abd al-Qadir listened to the recitation of the Qur'an
after the midday prayers and thereafter dictated rulings on religious or legal
questions referred to him. In formulating his answers, Abd al-Qadir gener-
ally followed the Shafi'i and Hanbali schools of jurisprudence. His juristic
opinions were highly praised by the scholars of Iraq, for they provided a
striking example of the acuteness of his intellect.1
Once a question was referred to him about a man who had taken an oath
to perform a religious observance in such a manner as nobody else in the
whole world would be able to share the privilege with him, but if he failed
to fulfill his undertaking it would mean an irrevocable separation between
him and his wife. The scholars were confounded by the strange oath taken
by the man and could not suggest a worship which could be performed by
him alone in the whole world. Abd al-Qadir, however, replied that the man
should be allowed to circumambulate the Ka'ba alone seven times to per-
form the tawaf. Everyone agreed that this was the only authorized religious
observance he could perform alone at a time when nobody else would be
engaged in the same worship.2
Certitude of Knowledge
Profound knowledge of the religion and meticulous observance of the Sunna,
aided by the grace of Allah, unveiled the mysteries of the celestial world to
Abd al-Qadir, who reached the stage where discrimination between truth
and untruth, divine intuition and demonic insinuation, becomes as though it
were inborn. He had acquired the certitude of knowledge that the Shari'a of
the Final Prophet was perfect and unchangeable, and that any claim made
contrary to the divine edict was simply a satanic suggestion. 'Abd al-Qadir
himself related an incident that he had once experienced:
Once I saw a dazzling light that filled the entire sky. Then a human apparition
appeared therein and said, "O 'Abd al-Qadir! I am the Lord, your god. I have
made lawful unto you everything." "Get away from me, Devil!" I replied. As
soon as I uttered these words, the luster in the sky turned into darkness and
the apparition began to dissipate into a smoke vapor. Then I heard someone
1 Al-Țabagāt al-Kubrā, 1:126.
2 Ibid., 1:126.
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SAVIOURS OF ISLAMIC SPIRIT
saying, "Abd al-Qadir, I have misled seventy mystics with this trick, but Allah
saved you on account of your knowledge and piety." To this I responded, "No.
It was simply a grace of Allah." After 'Abd al-Qadir had related the incident,
someone asked, "How did you know that it was the devil?" "He told me,"
replied 'Abd al-Qadir, "that he had made the prohibited things lawful for me."1
He used to tell his disciples that if any action transgresses the commandments
of Allah, it is surely an insinuation by the devil. In such cases, one should
return to the tenets of the Shari'a, inculcate an unflinching faith, and firmly
reject the temptations of self-indulgence; for whatever is not permitted by
the Shari'a is decidedly misleading.2
Trust in Allāh
The unfailing and penetrating vision into the tawhid, or oneness of Allah,
had conferred upon 'Abd al-Qadir that sublime piety which produces a total
resignation to Allah's will. He explains the state of resignation in these words:
When a man finds himself in trouble, he first endeavors to get rid of it. If he
fails, he seeks the help of others, such as kings, officials, grandees, the rich,
or, in the case of illness, physicians. When this effort also fails him, he turns
to Allah with invocations and praises, and not infrequently with tears and
lamentations. In other words, he does not look for the assistance of others so
long as he can obtain the requisite help from his own self. Similarly, he does
not implore Allah if he can get help from His creatures. And finally, when he
does not get any help from that source either, he surrenders completely to
Allah Almighty. It is only at this stage that man seeks the help of Allah with
prayers and invocations, lamentations and tears, but Allah does not accept his
entreaties until he gets tired of these, too. Then, being completely dejected and
brokenhearted, he is permeated by an illumination of spirit that makes him
indifferent to the causes and effects. Now he has a sublimated soul, unconscious
of everything save the Divine Being and aware of the true content of divine
oneness. He now has a certitude of knowledge that nothing save Allah has any
power to do or undo anything; to Him belongs the power to move a thing or
keep it stationary, to uplift or debase, to benefit or harm, to give life or death,
to give honor or indignity, and to enrich or impoverish. The man is now like
a ball in the hands of a player, or a child in the lap of a nurse, or a corpse in
1 Ibid., 1:127.
2 Ibid., 1:126.
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the hands of those who bathe it; for these are completely at the mercy of those
who possess them. Likewise, the man thus loses his identity in the will of his
Master. Immersed in his higher self, he has no comprehension of anything
save the acts of his Lord, nor does he witness or hear or think anything else.
If he seeks anything, it is the handiwork of the Supreme Creator; if he hears,
it is His voice; if he comprehends, it is by the knowledge vouchsafed by Him;
and if he is enlivened, it is only by His nearness. Thus, in this state of total
absorption, he gets peace only through the grace and blessings of Allah. He is
loath to depend on anything save his Lord. He surrenders himself completely
before the will of Allah, acquires the knowledge of mysteries hidden from
the senses through intuition and illumination of heart, and overflows with
gratitude to the Lord for His countless blessings."1
Love of Humanity
Love for humanity in general and affection for the Umma in particular were
characteristic of 'Abd al-Qadir's sublimated soul and indicative of his close
affinity to the successors of the Prophet
. In one of his sermons he delin-
eated the object and the mental states of different types of persons visiting
a market. Coming to the last category, he was perhaps describing his own
feelings with these words:
And there is the fifth man whose heart, when he enters a market, is sufficiently
filled with awe and reverence for the Almighty to seek His blessings for those
at the market. He becomes oblivious of everything else save his compassion
for the people. He remains immersed, from the time of his entry into the
market till he comes out of it, in the solemn invocation of divine blessings
and in repenting for the sins of those who happen to be there, and thus he
hardly gets any time to see what they are buying or selling. His heart bleeds
and eyes shed tears over the ingratitude of man, while his tongue remains
busy in thanking Allah over what He has bestowed upon His bondsmen."2
The Times of 'Abd al-Qadir
'Abd al-Qadir spent seventy-three years of his life in Baghdad. When he came
to Baghdad, the Abbasid caliph Mustazhir bi-'Llāh Abū 'l-Abbās (r. 487-
512/1094-1118) was the reigning monarch, and after him four caliphs acceded
to the throne one after another: Mustarshid bi-'Llah (r. 512-529/1118-1135),
1 Jilānī, Futūh al-Ghayb, "Lecture 3," 11-13.
2 Ibid., "Lecture 72," 175.
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SAVIOURS OF ISLAMIC SPIRIT
Rashid bi-'Llah (r. 529-530/1135-1136), Muqtafī li-Amri'Llāh (r. 530-555/1136-
1160), and Mustanjid bi-'Llah (555-566/1160-1170).
This was one of the most troublesome times for the Abbasids, when the
caliphs and Seljuq kings vied for supremacy. The former, having been shorn
of their temporal power, were prevailed upon by the Seljuq kings, sometimes
with their permission but often through coercion, to accept their domina-
tion. This also sometimes pulled the Islamic world into fratricidal conflicts
in which Muslims shed the blood of one another.
Several such incidents took place during the reign of Caliph Mustarshid.
He was a brave and wise administrator who won numerous battles, but he
was finally defeated by the Seljuq king Mas'ud in 529/1135. Ibn Kathir, giving
an account of the caliph's defeat, wrote:
The sultan [Mas'ud] gained victory and the caliph [Mustarshid] was taken
prisoner. Baghdad was ransacked, plunging the city into sorrow. The people
dismantled the pulpits of the mosques and gave up attending congregational
prayers, and women came out lamenting for the caliph and other captives.
The people in other parts of the country followed suit, and Sultan Sanjar had
to ask his nephew to reinstate the caliph. Mas'ud acted on his uncle's request,
but the caliph was assassinated by Batini emissaries while on his way back
to Baghdad.1
Abd al-Qadir was a witness to these heart-rending incidents. He saw the
Muslims engaged in internal strife and bloodshed. The ghastliness of these
feuds and forays; the cruelty, savagery, and treachery of those who engaged
in them; and the miseries they inflicted upon their foes for the temporary
pleasures of power, position, and riches, deeply saddened him. It is true that
he had nothing to do with these struggles for power, but he was neverthe-
less alive to the miseries inflicted on the people and the evil effects of the
unsettled conditions during his time. Through his sermons he tried, with
the seriousness of purpose and ardent zeal characteristic of his style, to give
a call for moral propriety and rectitude of the self. He vividly explained the
temporary nature of the world and its fleeting pleasures, the need for coveting
eternal bliss and preparing for the life to come, and the importance of faith
and a sound mental attitude consisting of right conduct in speech, livelihood,
and ethical behavior.
1 Al-Bidāya wa 'I-Nihaya, 12:207-208.
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Sermons of 'Abd al-Qadir
Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir's words had a magnetic quality still felt in them now.
Abd al-Qadir is at his best in Futūh al-Ghayb (The Revelations of the Unseen)
and Al-Fath al-Rabbanī (The Lordly Revelation). In describing the love and
oneness of the Divine Being, he appears to be inspired by higher sources. The
reader can still find the spirit of sincerity and enthusiasm running through
these sermons.
Following in the footsteps of Allah's Messenger , his successors and the
illuminated saints of the past, Abd al-Qadir touched on the current problems
of his day, analyzed the reasons for the miseries and maladies of the people,
and provided answers to their doubts and deficiencies. Along with this, the
tremendous sincerity and earnest zeal for the welfare of the people fired his
speeches with a frenzy of enthusiasm and magnetic effect capable of pulling
the strings of any heart.
Oneness of the Divine Being
The forces of worldliness had become so strong during Abd al-Qadir's time
that the entire social and economic life of the community appeared to be
woven into the context of the political situation. People had developed a
tendency of depending on various individuals and nobles for realization of
their worldly ends and had begun to treat them as ultimate dispensers of
benefits and harm. To counteract this mistaken tendency of the people, 'Abd
al-Qadir said in one of his sermons:
This entire creation is like a man who has been imprisoned and chained by a
king whose dominions are vast and countenance awesome. The prisoner has
been hanged from a pine tree beneath which overflows a river wide and deep.
The king is seated on an elevated chair, having arrows and bows, javelins and
spears by his side. He hits the captive with whatever weapon he desires. Now,
would it be prudent for anyone witnessing the scene to divert his attention
from the king and expect harm or favor from the captive instead of the king?
Would not such a man be deemed a fool or even mad? O Allah, I seek your
refuge from blindness after having being given eyes, from being cast off after
getting near to You, from regression after being promoted to Your favor, from
being misled after obtaining Your guidance, and from apostasy after having
been granted faith.1
1 Futūh al-Ghayb, "Lecture 17," 49.
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In another sermon, he asked his listeners to inculcate the love of Allah to the
exclusion of everything else besides Him:
Keep your eyes fixed on Him who is looking at you. Keep yourself before One
who keeps Himself before you. Love Him who loves you. Hark unto Him who
calls you. Seek help from Him who can save you, take you out of the darkness
of ignorance, cleanse you of the impurity of your soul, and redeem you from
the baser self and misleading temptations, despair, and timidity. Your earthly
desires are like your foolish friends who keep you off the righteous path and
deprive you of things pleasing and desirable. How long would you remain
slaves of your desires, temptations, greed, pride-in short, this transitory
world? How long would you remain forgetful of the Hereafter and of your
Creator, the Fashioner of everything, the First and the Last, the Manifest and
the Hidden? Everything is within His grasp, from which emanates the love
within your heart, peace and solace, blessings and favors.1
He threw light on the same topic in another lecture:
The whole of creation is helpless. Nothing can do good or harm to you. It is
only Allah who lets a thing be done by you, or, in other words, the will of Allah
finds expression through you or somebody else. Allah has already destined
whatever is to happen to you, be it beneficial or harmful; and this destiny can-
not be changed. Those who are faithful and virtuous set an example for other
creatures. There are a few among these who have so purified their heart that
their inner and outer selves have become one; even if they have riches, their
desires never seethe for worldly attachments. Verily, only those are courageous,
valiant, and powerful who have purified their hearts and attained this stage of
illumination. Unto these alone belongs the kingdom of Heaven and Earth, for
they have cleansed their heart of everything but Allah. They are like a soldier
who guards the door of his heart, with the saber of Divine Oneness and the
Shari'a in hand, to bar the entry of all creatures to a place reserved for the
Creator. Since they have attuned their hearts to the ultimate source of power,
the Shari'a beautifies them outwardly while Divine Oneness and the wisdom
of Allah's knowledge adorns them inwardly.2
Explaining what is meant by false objects of worship, he said:
You put your trust in your own self, in others, in your wealth, in your rites and
1 Ibid., "Lecture 62," 157.
2 Jūlānī, Al-Fath al-Rabbānī, "Lecture 13," 89.
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customs, in your trade and business, or in your rulers; but in whatever object
you place your reliance, it becomes, to say the truth, your object of worship.
If you fear someone, or expect harm or favor from him or else deem him as
an intercessor with Allah, then he is the object of your worship.1
On another occasion, 'Abd al-Qadir vividly described the protectiveness
and pride (ghayra) of Allah and His abhorrence of all associates, as also the
wisdom lying behind the loss of the things adored and loved by man:
You often complain, as you would ever do, that you have to suffer the loss of
whatever you set your affections on. The object of your fancy, if it is a human
being, either separates or dies. If it is wealth that you care for, you either incur
some loss or are stripped of it altogether. Then, I should tell you that Allah is
in love with you, and He is jealous, too! He has created you for Himself but
you want to be enraptured by others! Have you not heard what Allah has
said? "He holds them dear and they Him" (Q 5:54) and also, "I created jinn
and humankind only that they might worship Me" (Q 51:56). And are you
not aware of what the Prophet once said: "When Allah loves someone, He
places him in affliction, but if he puts up with it with endurance and forbear-
ance, Allah then sets him apart for Himself." Requested to elucidate what he
meant by "setting him apart," the Prophet replied, "Allah deprives him
of his possessions and progeny." This is so because it is natural for a man to
love his offspring and possessions and thus his love, which should have been
for Allah alone, is divided between the Creator and the created, between the
eternal and the finite.
Allah is, however, extremely proud and mighty, and He therefore destroys
whatever threatens to become an associate in love for Him. It is only then
that the heart of the man whom He loves becomes attuned to Him. And then
this man can claim to enjoy the distinction of what has been described thus
by Allah: "He holds them dear who love Him." It is the stage when the heart
of the man is cleansed of all such idols and associates as offspring, riches,
pleasures, and desires. It has now no yearnings, no longings left, worldly or
otherwise-not even those relating to piety and miraculous powers, stations
and states, nearness and remoteness; the heart becomes a bottomless vessel in
which nothing can be kept. Allah Almighty, being extremely proud and jealous,
makes the heart of His beloved incapable of nourishing any other desire; He
shrouds the heart of His devotee with His awe and a gasp of admiration and
1 Ibid., "Lecture 20," 137.
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guards it with His glory and might so that nothing can get inside this heart;
nor can possessions and riches, family and progeny, friends and relations, piety
and miraculous powers do any harm to it. None of these finds a place in the
heart of such a man, nor then does Allah remain, jealous of them. Whatever
is granted thereafter to this man is a gift or reward from his Lord so that he
may be of help to those who are around him or visit him."1
Refuge of the Brokenhearted
The Muslim society in 'Abd al-Qadir's time could be divided broadly into two
classes. The first comprised the men of means who were deficient in faith and
virtuous behavior. In contrast, there was another class who were poverty-
stricken and down-trodden but endowed with faith and a spirit of righteous-
ness, moral strength, and uprightness. These people feeling disconcerted and
brokenhearted, sometimes viewed the rich with jealousy and mistrust and
regarded themselves as deprived and discarded. 'Abd al-Qadir held out hope
and cheer to these people in one of his sermons. He said:
O empty-handed beggarly fellows! The world would appear to be at odds with
you. You are barefooted, unclothed, and unfed, brokenhearted and unfortunate,
evicted from every place and deprived of your longings and fancies. But do
not say that Allah has reduced you to poverty, turned the world against you,
abandoned, maligned, or persecuted you, that He did not assign the portion
of earthly pleasures due to you, or did not bestow honor and fame upon you.
Nor is it proper for you to complain that Allah has granted His favors to others,
made them reputed and honored, although they belong to the same faith as
you do and are the progeny of Adam and Eve like you.
It is really so because you are like a fertile land on which Allah is send-
ing down the rains of endurance and resignation, of conviction and faith,
of knowledge and grace. The tree of your faith is taking root and sprouting
forth its branches; its shade is closing over you, pushing out new shoots and
fruits, getting higher and bigger without your providing any fertilizer to it.
Allah Almighty knows what you really need. He has therefore assigned a
befitting place for you in the Hereafter. He has made you a lord in the life to
come, where His bounties are countless, inconceivable, and unheard of. As
Allāh has said, nobody knows what delights have been stored for your eyes
in Paradise. This shall be your recompense for the faithful performance of
1
Futūh al-Ghayb, "Lecture 32," 84-86.
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Abd al-Qadir al-Jīlānī
what has been enjoined on you, and for your endurance, resignation, and
submission to the will of Allah.
As for those who have been well-afforded in this world, they have been
placed in easy circumstances; for they are like a barren land, rocky and sandy,
which neither stores nor absorbs the rains, and it is difficult to plant the tree
of faith in it. It has therefore to be provided with fertilizers so that the weak
saplings of their faith may get nourishment and push out the shoots of righ-
teous action. So if wealth, honor, and fame are taken away from them, the tree
of their faith shall waste away and its leaves and fruits shall wither although
Allah intends to make it strong. Therefore, my poor brethren, you ought to
know that the faith of the wealthy does not have deeper roots, it lacks that
strength which has been endowed to you, and it needs riches and earthly
prizes for its nourishment. If these gifts were to be taken away from them, their
faith would give way to blasphemy, and they would join the ranks of infidels,
apostates, and hypocrites, unless, of course, Allah bestows on them spiritual
light and illumination, endurance, and resignation to strengthen their faith."1
Worldly Pleasures
Abd al-Qadir did not preach asceticism, nor did he exhort people to give
up their worldly possessions. What he emphasized in his sermons was that
one should use them to the extent he needs them but never allow himself
to become a slave of his desires and temptations, nor should he hold the
earthly gifts dear to his heart. Explaining the purport of the hadith which
says, "Verily, the world has been created for you, and you have been created
for the Hereafter," he said:
Do not try to obtain your share of worldly gifts in a way that you have to keep
standing before it like a beggar. You ought to be like a sovereign who keeps
himself seated while gifts are presented before him. This world acclaims those
who stand and wait at the door of Allah Almighty, but it demeans those who
wait upon the world. Therefore, get your share of worldly benefits without
demeaning yourself or compromising your dignity. This is what Allah expects
of you.2
In another sermon he said:
It is perfectly lawful to lay hands on the world and its gifts, to possess it or
1 Ibid., "Lecture 25," 65-67.
2 Al-Fath al-Rabbanī, "Lecture 21," 145.
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SAVIOURS OF ISLAMIC SPIRIT
even to accumulate it for a commendable purpose, but it is forbidden to set
your heart upon it. You may allow it to stand at the door of your heart but it
is prohibited to allow it to get inside, for it shall not bring any honor to you.1
Critique of the Kings
Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir did not sermonize and admonish the populace alone.
He fearlessly performed the duty made incumbent by the Shari'a of enjoining
the right and forbidding the wrong; and whenever he considered it necessary,
he publicly denounced the actions and policies of kings, nobles, and officials.
He bitterly criticized the faults of the great ones without the slightest consid-
eration of their power or position. Ibn Kathir, a later historian, put it like this:
He admonished all-caliphs, viziers, kings, jurists, elites, and laity-to adopt
the righteous course and forsake things forbidden. He openly and unspar-
ingly criticized everyone to his face in his discourses. He used to denounce the
authorities sternly if they appointed a tyrant to public office. He never cared
for anyone if he saw the commands of Allah being overstepped.2
The author of Qala'id al-Jawahir writes that when Caliph Muqtafi li-Amri
'Llah appointed Abū'l-Wafa' Yahya, a man notorious for his cruelty, as chief
justice, 'Abd al-Qadir admonished the caliph in these words:
You have appointed a man notorious as the "most tyrannical" to rule over
the Muslims. What would your answer be tomorrow on the Day of Judgment
before the Lord of the Worlds, the Most Merciful?3
The author further says that when the caliph came to know of the admonition
of 'Abd al-Qadir, he burst into tears and immediately dismissed Abū'l-Wafa'
Yahya from the office.
'Abd al-Qadir also vigorously condemned the worldliness of those schol-
ars, jurists, and saints who were prepared to accept office from or to join the
entourage of a ruler. He held this class responsible for the waywardness of the
kings and ruling chiefs. In one of his addresses he rebuked these elements thus:
Ha! You are the one who have misused your knowledge and wisdom. What
have you to do with your predecessors? You are enemies of Allah and His
Apostle; you are no more than robbers, tyrants, and hypocrites! How long
1 Ibid., "Lecture 51," 363.
2 Al-Bidaya wa 'I-Nihaya, 12:252; Qala'id al-Jawahir, 8.
3 Qalā'id al-Jawahir, 8.
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'Abd al-Qadir al-Jīlānī
will you persist in your pious fraud? How long will you continue to don this
shroud of affected piety for the sake of your kings and rulers? How long will
you remain a slave of power and position, passions and desires? Verily, you
and most of your kings are tyrants and traitors to Allah and His bondsmen.
O Allah, our Lord, either degrade these transgressors and humiliate them or
make them repent of their sins. Either mortify the tyrants and efface them
from Your earth or let them mend their ways.1
On another occasion he addressed a religious scholar with these words:
Are you not ashamed that your avarice has forced you to serve these tyrants
and acquire the unlawful? How long shall you hold on to your mean pursuits?
The kingdom of the rulers to whom you are playing second fiddle shall shortly
be no more, and then you shall be presented before Allah Almighty, who is
Eternal, Almighty.2
Concern for Moral Rectitude
Extremely solicitous of eradicating the moral laxity and viciousness produced
by ever-increasing opulence, luxury, and indolence in the metropolis of
Islam, 'Abd al-Qadir sometimes came out with the severest criticism of the
then society, giving expression to his heartfelt misery over the sinful ways
of the people. This was the impassioned appeal 'Abd al-Qadir made in one
of his sermons:
The edifice of faith built by the Apostle of Allah is being demolished, brick
by brick, and now it is about to fall to pieces. Come, O mankind, to rebuild
what has been dismantled and renovate what has been laid waste. Until this
task is completed, we have to work jointly as a team. Come to my aid, O Sun,
O Moon, O Stars.3
Similarly, in another sermon. he said:
Islam is shedding tears. Its wail of woe is on account of the blasphemous
hypocrites and innovators who are practicing a pious fraud by attributing
things that do not belong to Islam. Look at your predecessors. They lived like
you but enjoined the right and prohibited the wrong. But you have forgotten
them altogether so soon after their death! Do you not know that even a dog
1 Al-Fath al-Rabbanī, "Lecture 51," 363.
2 Ibid., "Lecture 52," 371.
3 Ibid., 649.
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SAVIOURS OF ISLAMIC SPIRIT
is faithful to its master? He guards his fields and the cattle, is pleased to see
his master although he does not get more than a few crumbs in the evening.
You are favored with the bounties of Allah, but, quite the other way, you are
neither thankful to Him nor do you dutifully perform the task assigned to
you. Instead, what you do is to break His commands and transgress the limits
of the Shari'a.1
Reform and Renovation
Abd al-Qadir's impressive sermons were a source of inspiration to innumer-
able people in Baghdad. These sermons enabled thousands to offer earnest
repentance of their sins. But in order to build up a movement aiming at a
widespread and permanent reform of the social, moral, and spiritual life of
the people, it was necessary to find a way whereby more durable relations
could be fostered between mentor and disciple and, at the same time, arrange-
ments could also be made for the religious education and training of disciples.
As they were, the discourses did not provide a permanent link between the
speaker and the audience. People came to these meetings, listened to the
sermons, and left to return or not as they wished. Many of them persisted
on the path they had been treading without paying any heed to the call of
the reformer to purify their souls and to rectify their moral behavior.
Religious seminaries and educational institutions likewise did not provide
an answer to the problem because of the vast population of Muslims and the
mundane preoccupations of the people. The problem of making arrange-
ments for a continued and concerted effort for the education and training
of the people in religious tenets and practices-and infusing a breath of
new life in the vast numbers spread over far-off lands-defied a solution in
the absence of a truly Islamic state. The foremost business of the caliphate
was, in the words of Caliph 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-Aziz, to guide the people in
moral rectitude rather than to collect revenues for the conduct of adminis-
tration. The then Muslim states, however, were not only indifferent to this
fundamental objective, but were also extremely resistant to any movement or
criticism on this score that might pose a threat to their political supremacy.
These governments were thus suspicious of all efforts toward the resurgence
of the Islamic spirit and, erroneously taking them as movements designed
to build up political leadership, lost no time in crushing them.
In these circumstances there was no way left to revivify the religious
1 Ibid., 661.
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"Abd al-Qadir al-Jīlānī
spirit and fill the people with an enthusiasm, zeal, and self-confidence for
reintroducing the precepts of religion in their daily life. The only remain-
ing alternative was to call upon the people to take an oath of allegiance for
the purpose. Following in the footsteps of the Messenger of Allah , it had
become necessary that a guide of spiritual and moral excellence should obtain
a pledge, or bay'a, from the people willing to offer sincere repentance and to
lead a virtuous life in the future in accordance with the directions of their
mentor. If placing oneself under the instruction of an inspired guide meant
that one was fairly started on his journey to the end of purification of spirit
and moral rectitude, the pledge of allegiance enjoined a much more onerous
responsibility on the mentor. The guide or spiritual teacher had to lead the
wandering soul of the disciple who took the pledge, stage by stage: cleansing
oneself of spiritual impurities; renouncing the love of worldly temptations
and desires, wealth, and celebrity; infusing a spirit of moral uprightness and
correct ethical behavior; following the teachings contained in the Qur'an and
the Sunna; and illumination of the soul. This was, in truth, what the pledge
meant and the means by which the inspired souls tried to infuse into their
disciples-through preaching and personal example, loving care and unal-
loyed sincerity-an inner vitality of spirit and strength of moral integrity.
As experience shows, the reformers and renewers of faith succeeded in
reviving the true faith and tapping new sources of popular strength in their
own times through this tried and unerring method, which merely copied the
procedure and technique of the Messenger of Allah . Countless individuals
have not only been provided the opportunity to adopt a virtuous life through
this method, but have even been led to attain the stage of "the reality of faith"
(haqīqat al-īmān) and of "beautification and excellence" (ihsan) by inspired
guides and mentors, of whom the exemplar of the time was the Reviver of
the Faith, Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani. The history of peoples subscribing
to the faith of Islam will bear witness that no guide with an illuminated soul
was more successful than 'Abd al-Qadir in bringing about a revival and resur-
gence of the true Islamic spirit. At the same time, the method he followed
is still the easiest and most effective way, in a time of chaos, of filling people
with faith and enthusiasm aimed at reforming their lives in accordance with
the tenets of Islam.
A few divines and mystics had employed the method of bay'a before Abd
al-Qadir, as historians report, but none achieved such success as his. With
his profound knowledge, intellectual gifts, charming and loving personality,
and spiritual excellence, he renovated the system of bay'a and founded a
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SAVIOURS OF ISLAMIC SPIRIT
new mystic order now known as the Qadiris. 'Abd al-Qadir elaborated and
systematized mystic practices, broadened their scope, and developed them to
make them more harmonious with the tenets of the Shari'a. Within his own
lifetime, countless people were guided through this path of self-discipline,
devotion to Allah, and virtuous living, and after him his disciples propagated
the Qadiri order in almost every Muslim country. Branches of the order
were founded in Yemen, India, Indonesia, and in several countries of Africa,
where it helped innumerable people to come back to the path of loyalty and
obedience to Allah and His Apostle.' 'Abd al-Qadir and his disciples were also
successful in converting a considerable number of non-Muslims to Islam.
May Allah be pleased with him and make him pleased, and grant him an
excellent reward on behalf of Islam.
'Abd al-Qadir's Influence
The moral and spiritual excellence of 'Abd al-Qadir, his unflinching devotion
to Allah, the efficacy of his sermons, the inspiring and rejuvenating influence
he exercised over the people in his own time, and the upright character and
moral rectitude of those who had an opportunity to be instructed by him,
mark him as one of the most eminent men of Allah born to Islam. He was
not only a worker of many miracles, as the chroniclers of his time report, but
his miracle of miracles lay in his inspiring and impressive teachings, which
caused thousands to turn away from the lust of power and wealth and to
inculcate the true spirit of faith through self-correction and purification of
the soul. In short, his was a striking example of the innate power of Islam
1 Among the disciples of 'Abd al-Qadir who devoted their life to the cause of preaching and
inviting people through precept and practice to spiritual and moral purification, the most notable
was Shaykh Shihab al-Din 'Umar al-Suhrawardī (d. 632/1234), the spiritual successor and nephew
of Shaykh Abū 'l-Najib al-Suhraward. He was the founder of another mystical order known as
the Suhrawardis. He also wrote a very popular work on mysticism entitled Awarif al-Ma arif (Gifts
of Gnostic Sciences). Ibn Khallikan writes that during his old age he was the greatest mystic of
Baghdad and there was no one as pious and popular (Wafayat al-A'yan, 3:119). Another writer, Ibn
al-Najjar, has left records about his immense popularity and preaching (Yafi'ī, Mir'āt al-Jinan, 4:81).
Ibn Khallikän writes that mystics from far-off places visited him for guidance and spiritual light,
adding that his sermons were highly effective (Wafayat al-A'yan, 3:119-120). His Awarif al-Ma'arif
has pride of place among mystic works. One of its distinguishing features is that unlike the writ-
ings of the earlier mystics, it upholds the tenets of the orthodox school and cleanses the Shari'a of
all innovations. Nawab Șiddīq Hasan Khan says, "There is no book as good as the Awarif in Sunni
mysticism" (Tiqsār Juyūd al-Ahrar, 63). Suhrawardī was also fortunate in having some very notable
personages among his disciples. One of these, Baha' al-Din Zakariyya al-Mulțānī, was a well-known
and eminent saint of his time in India. The outpouring that came from him in India and the
guidance that was disseminated by him is enough evidence of his high position and raised status.
180