bismillahirrahmaanirraheem alhamdulillahi rabbil alameen allahumma salle aala sayyidina muhammadin wa aala aalihi wa ashaabihi wa baarik wa sallim ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------AL

GHAWTH AL AAZAM Sayyadina as-Shaykh Abd 'al-Qadir al Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INTRODUCTION

Mehboob al Subhani, al Ghawth al A'zam Sayyadina as-Shaykh Abd 'al-Qadir al-Jila ni Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu was a noted Hanbali preacher, Sufi shaykh and the epo nymous founder of the Qadiri Sufi order (silsila). He was born in Ramadan AH 470 (CE 1077) in the Persian province of Jilan (Iran) south of the Caspian sea. His contribution and renown in the sciences of Sufism (tasawwuf) and Sharia (Islami c Law) was so immense that he became known as the spiritual pole of his time, al -Ghawth al Azam (the "Supreme Helper" or the "Mightiest Succour").

Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani radi Allahu ta'ala anhu is Both Hasani and Husayni 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), t he malaaika (angels), and the rijaal ul ghayb (men of the unseen), the beloved o f 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 Lor d), and Ghawth al-A'zam (the greatest helper, the greatest saint), Sayyadi wa Im ami Abu Muhammad Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu was born in Rama dan 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 Anh u. His mother, Ummul Khayr Fatima was a saintly daughter of a saintly father Sha ykh Abdullah Sawma'i who was a direct descendant of Sayyad ash-shuhadaa Imam Hus ayn ibn Ali Radi Allahu Anhu. Thus Muhyiddin Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala Anha was both Ha sani and Husayni, a descendant of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu 'ala yhi wa Sallam from his beloved daughter Sayyidatina Fatima az-Zahra (Rady Allahu Anha). For this reason, the Sindhis for example, lovingly call him "putar mithe mahbub jo" (the blessed son of the sweet Beloved Prophet - Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam). -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The genealogical roots of Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu Anhu can be

traced to Habib ul-A'zam Sayyaduna Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam as follows: Ghawth al A'zam Sayyadina Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani, son of As-Sayyad Abu Salih Musa, son of As-Sayyad Abdallah al-Jili, s/o As-Sayyad Yahya as-Zahid, s/o As-Sayyad Muhammad, s/o As-Sayyad Dawud, s/o As-Sayyad Musa, s/o As-Sayyad Abdallah, s/o As-Sayyad Musa al-Jawn, s/o As-Sayyad Abdallah al-Mahd, s/o As-Sayyad al-Hasan al-Muthanna, s/o Sayyadina al-Imam al-Hasan, Radi Allahu Anhu, son of Imam ul mashariqi wal magharib, Sayyaduna Ali ibn Abi Talib, Radi Allahu Anhu, Sayyadatina Fatima az-Zahra, (Radi Allahu Anha) the blessed daughter of Khaatam an-Nabiyyin Habibi Rabbil aalamin Sayyadina wa Mawlana Muhammad ibn Abdu llah, Nurin min Nurillah, Allahumma Salli wa Sallim wa Baarik alayh. (cited by Shaykh Abdur Rahman ibn Shaykh Umar Ali al-Qadiri, in Al-Jawhar un Naf is, The Most Precious Pearls, p. 29). What better way is there to end this section and indeed all the remaining sectio ns than with this hymn which is full of blessings and mercy of Allah. Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum O The Ever-Living, O The Ever-Living, O The Self-Subsisting by whom all subsist O The Ever-Living, O The Ever-Living, O The Self-Subsisting by whom all subsist ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Spiritual Roots of Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu)

Any tariqa has a silsila or spiritual chain linking the teachings of the Shaykh to the teachings of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu 'alayhi wa Sallam. The spiritual roots of Shaykh 'Abd al Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu 'Anhu are trac ed back to the Beloved 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 Husayn 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 Shaykh Ma'ruf al-Karkhi (passed away 201 A.H/817 C.E), the master of Sayyidina Shaykh as-Sari as-Saqati (passed away 251 A.H/866 C.E), the master of Sayyidina Shaykh Abu'l Qasim, Junayd al-Baghdadi (passed away 298 A.H/910 C.E), the master of Sayyidina Shaykh Abu Bakr ibn Jahdar ash-Shibli (passed away 334 A.H/945 C.E), the master of Sayyidina Shaykh 'Abdul Wahid at-Tamimi, the master of Sayyidina Shaykh Abu'l Faraj at-Tarsusi (Abu'l Farah according to some narrations, instead of Abu'l Faraj), the master o f Sayyidina Shaykh Abu'l Hasan, al-Qurashi al-Hakaari, the master of Sayyidina Shaykh Qadi Abu Sa'id al-Mubarak al-Makhzumi (passed away 513 A.H), the master of Sayyidina Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (470-561 A.H; 1077-1166 C.E). (Cited in al-Jawhar u'n Nafis, The Most Precious Pearls p. 34). Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum O The Ever-Living, O The Ever-Living, O The Self-Subsisting by whom all subsist O The Ever-Living, O The Ever-Living, O The Self-Subsisting by whom all subsist

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Station of Siddiqin Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani radi Allahu ta'ala anhu Attained The Spiritual Sta tion of Siddiqin The Beloved Prophet Muhammad Mustafa Salla Allahu ta'ala 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 Alla h (friends of Allah). And the highest spiritual state after the anbiya (prophets ), belongs to the siddiqin (the truthful). That is why the Beloved Prophet Muha mmad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam taught us to make the supplication:

Allahummaj 'alnaa min-as-siddiqin - O' Allah make us among the truthful

Well, Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu manifested to the wo rld that he ranked among the siddiqin at the ripe age of 18. At that age, his th irst 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 which he was travelling had gone as far as Hamadan when it was attacked by a gang of r obbers. 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 i n his coat. The robber obviously thought he was joking and narrated this inciden t to his chief who decided to see this young man. When his coat was torn open, s ure enough there were forty gold coins. The gang leader was astounded. He asked Shaykh Abd'al Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu as to why he revealed this when he could have kept it secret. Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu ta 'ala anhu told him that his mother had advised him not to lie and he was duty bo und to obey his mother, Hearing this, the gang leader was overtaken with remorse , repented, accepted Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu as hi s Shaykh and so did all his followers and they went on to acquire wilayah (saint hood) themselves. This is how Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala a nhu came to be ranked among the Siddiqin. Allahummaj 'alnaa min-as-Siddiqin, Aam een Yaa Rabbal 'Aalamin.

This incident has been narrated in almost all the biographies of the Shaykh, amo ng them being 'Qalaid al-Jawahir' (Necklaces of Gems, p. 33), one of the earlies t and major biographies, by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Yahya at-Tadifi Rahmatullahi ala yh (passed away 963 A.H, 1556 C.E)

Sayyad Abdur Rahim ibn Muhammad Ismail Shirazi Rahmatullahi alayh has captured t he essence of this incident most beautifully in the following verse of his urdu poem on Hadrat Ghawth al A'zam: Choron pay tum nay kar kay tawajjoh Abdal banaaya 'aali shaan Yaa Ghawth al 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)

Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------BIRTH

He was born in Ramadan AH 470 (CE 1077) in the Persian province of Jilan (Iran) south of the Caspian sea.

His mother was Umm al-Khair [Mother of Goodness] Amat al-Jabbar [Maidservant of the All-Compelling One] Fatima, the daughter of Shaykh 'Abdu'llah as-Sawma'i alHusaini az-Zahid. She had an abundant share of goodness and righteousness. It is related of her that she used to say: "When I gave birth to my son, 'Abd al-Qadi r, he would not suck my breast during the daytime of Ramadan. The new moon of Ra madan was hidden by clouds, so people came and asked me about him, and I told th em: 'He has not sipped a breast today.' It thus became obvious that the day was the first of Ramadan." The word then spread throughout the towns of Jilan, that a son had been born to the nobles, and that this was a child who refused to be s uckled during the daytime in Ramadan. It was also said that his mother had becom e pregnant with him when she was sixty years of age. It is said that no woman of sixty carries a child, unless she be a woman of Quraish, and no woman of fifty carries a child, unless she be an Arab woman.

When she gave birth to him (may Allah be well pleased with him), he was received by the hand of gracious favour, and he was surrounded by enabling guidance, beh ind him and in front of him. He never ceased to be nurtured (may Allah be well p leased with him) in the lap of noble kindness, nourished with the milk of blessi ngs, guarded in safekeeping, watched over with providential care.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Education

Through the mists of legend surrounding the life of Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jila ni [May Allah sanctify his secret] it is possible to discern the outlines of the following biographical sketch: In 488h, at the age of eighteen, he left his native province to become a student in the great capital city of Baghdad, the hub of political, commercial and cult ural activity, and the center of religious learning in the world of Islam. After studying traditional sciences under such teachers as the prominent Hanbali juri st [faqih], Abu Sa'd 'Ali al-Mukharrimi alayhir rahman, he encountered a more sp iritually oriented instructor in the saintly person of Abu'l-Khair Hammad ad-Dab bas alayhir rahman. Then, instead of embarking on his own professorial career, h e abandoned the city and spent twenty-five years as a wanderer in the desert reg ions of 'Iraq. He was over fifty years old by the time he returned to Baghdad, in A.H. 521/1127 C.E., and began to preach in public. His hearers were profoundly affected by th e style and content of his lectures, and his reputation grew and spread through all sections of society. He moved into the school [madrasa] belonging to his old teacher al-Mukharrimi, but the premises eventually proved inadequate. In A.H. 5 28, pious donations were applied to the construction of a residence and guesthou se [ribat], capable of housing the Shaykh and his large family, as well as provi ding accommodation for his pupils and space for those who came from far and wide to attend his regular sessions [majalis]. He lived to a ripe old age, and conti nued his work until his very last breath, as we know from the accounts of his fi nal moments recorded in the Addendum to Revelations of the Unseen. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FAMILY

Shaykh Abd 'al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu had four wives, each a mo del of virtue and devoted to him. He had forty-nine children, twenty-seven sons and twenty-two daughters. Four of his sons, Shaykh Abd 'al-Wahhab, Shaykh Isa, S haykh Abd 'al-Razzaq and Shaykh Musa became famous for their education and learn ing. This is how Shaykh Tosun al-Halveti explains about the daily life of Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu : "He himself had given all of h imself to Allah. His nights passed with little or no sleep in secluded prayer an d meditation. He spent his days like a true follower of the Most Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam in the service of humanity. Th ree times a week he would deliver public sermons to thousands of people. Every d ay in the morning and the afternoon he gave lessons in Quranic commentary, Proph etic traditions, theology, religious law and tasawwuf. He spent the time after t

he midday prayer giving advice and consultation to people, whether beggars or ki ngs, who would come from all parts of the world. Before sunset prayers, rain or shine, he took to the streets to distribute bread among the poor. As he spent al l his days in fasting he would eat only once a day, after sunset prayer, and nev er alone. His servants would stand at his door asking passers-by if they were hu ngry, so that they could share his table." (Sirr al-Asrar, p XLIV)

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Spread of Islam Through Sufi Saints

Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu as the model of a Sufi sa int, through his nasiha, azkaar and salawaat, through giving a living reality to Islam, in his complete surrender to the Will of Allah and in his showing of taw akkul (trust in Allah) and through his teachings and preachings converted more t han five thousand Jews and Christians to Islam while more than a hundred thousan d ruffians, outlaws, murderers, thieves and bandits repented and became devout M uslims and gentle dervishes, explains Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti in his Introduction to Sirr al-asrar, p xxxi. And the halaqa of zikr (DHIKR cong regations) which he instituted have continued to attract millions of people to I slam through centuries and will continue to do so, Insha-Allah, till the Day of Judgement, Aameen.

A few examples suffice to illustrate this. The first example is that of KHAWAJA MUIN AL-DIN CHISTI Rahmatullahi ta'ala alaih who acknowledged Shaykh Abd' al-Qad ir al-Jilani as his Shaykh and spread Islam in India among the Hindus. He achiev ed such a high spiritual stature that he is called Sultan al Hind (the sultan of saints in the Indian sub-continent) and all the saints in that region are under his banner while he is under the banner of the Ghawth al-A'zam. In the same way Shaykh Uways ibn Muhammad Rahmatullahi alaih of Somalia became a khalifa in Tar iqat al Qadiriyya at the shrine of Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani in Baghdad and spread Islam in the whole of Eastern Africa through congregations of Dhikr. And Shaykh Hamzah Fansuri, considered to be the greatest saint in Indonesia and Mala ysia proudly proclaimed that he learned Islam from Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani .

It can truly be said that the mureedeen and muhibbeen (loving disciples) of Shay kh barakaat Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu have spread Islam thr oughout the world through Dhikr. The (blessings) of Dhikr are truly unending. Ma y Allah Ta'ala make us among the Zaakireen, Aameen.

And the granting of wilayah (the stature of a saint) by Allah Ta'ala to the Zaak ireen (those who remember Him), aabideen (those who worship Him) and muhibbeen ( those who love the Beloved Prophet) is in all instances mediated by the Most Bel oved Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wa Sallam, Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani and one' s own Shaykh. After all the awliya and the ulama (learned) are the Khalifatullah , vicegerants of Allah. And one must always aspire to wilayah so that one become

s 'Aarif Billah (knower of Allah). Allahummaj 'alna minal 'aarifeen, Aameen Yaa Rabbal Aalameen.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Preachings

"Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, the first and last, outwardly and i nwardly, as many times as the number of His creations and equal to the measures of His words and to the weight of His throne, and to the extent of His own pleas ure and to the number of all thins single and in pairs, and things that are wet and dry, and of all that our Lord has created and spread for ever, and in all it s purity and blessedness. Praise be to Him, Who has created and then made comple te and who has made thins according to their measure and guided them to their go al; to Him who cause death and gives life, who makes one laugh and weep; who giv es food and drink; who gives one good and bad luck; by Whose command, the seven strong heavens stand and the mountains are fixed like pegs, and the spread out o f the earth is staged and in Whose mercy no one can be disappointed and from Who se planning and enforcement of order and dignity and command, no one can escape, and to Whose service no one can be averse, and of Whose blessings no one can be devoid of.

He is praised, because He has been loving and is offered thanks, because he affo rds safety. He confers benefits on us, protects and keeps us safe, gives us life and keeps away from us all that injures and gives us trouble, and all these jus t out of His mercy and compassion and as an act of absolute favour, and because of His will to give us standing protection in our expressions and actions both p rivate and open and in our reticence and in our plight and in our pleasure."

"Surely he is the Absolute Doer of whatever He likes and orders whatever He will s, and knows whatever is hidden, and is informed of all affairs and conditions, both of sins and errors as well as acts of obedience and states of nearness of H im, and I ears and accepts all prayers from whomsoever, He likes and wills, with out any contentions and hesitation. His favours on his servants are in abundance and ceaselessly at all hours of nights and day and in all conditions, as He has said If you enumerate the favours of Allah you will not be able to count them And whatever of blessings is with you, it is from Allah."

Blessings be then upon His chosen Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be upon him), and any one who follows what he has pronounced receives guidance and whoev er turns away from him is misguided and perishes, the truthful Prophet of recogn ized truthfulness, abstainer from the World, and seeker of the High, the one who has been, from among all his creatures, the selected one, with whose advent the Truth has come and with whose appearance, falsehood has disappeared and with wh

ose light the earth is illuminated. Blessings pure and abundant are upon him as also on the pure among his offsprings and companions, and his followers, togethe r waits His favour. "Three things are indispensable for a believer in all conditions of life" said H adrat Ghawth al Azam. He should: 1. Keep the commandments of Allah; 2. Abstain from forbidden things; and 3. Be pleased with the decree of Providence.

"A Muslim" he said, should follow faithfully, in the footsteps of the Prophet (P eace and Blessings be upon him) and should not create innovations and remain obe dient to Allah and His Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him). He should not ascribe any partner to Him nor ascribe any evil to Him but should maintain His t ruth without any doubt, and remain patient and firm without running away.

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Karamat The Walis (saints) of Allah, acting on behalf and under the stamp of the Beloved Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) and not proclaiming their existence a nd position' until commanded by Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala serve humanity, by the ir preccipts and examples and pray incessantly for the general forgiveness of hu man sins.

The idea regarding the existence of such Walis and their approach towards some f orm of intercession for humanity is borne out by Verses 20-27 of Sura Yasin, a p erusal of which will show that even among a nation doomed to destruction for its inequities, there live persons who testify to the truth of a Prophet appearing among them by their powers of reality, recognising the will of Allah Subhanahu w a Ta'ala. The event is begun with the following words, "And from the remote part of the country there came a man running who said, O' my people follow this Mess enger, "The story of the Prophet Loot alayhi asalam given in Sura Hud, gives an indication to the effect that punishment for the sin of a nation is averted by t he presence of an eminent man of spiritually.

The defernment of such punishment is out of deference to a spiritual personality living in its midst. The punishment of the Quraysh was deferred till the migrat ion of the Beloved Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) from Makkah. The Qu r'an al kareem lay down this principle in so many words: "Nor is Allah going to chastise them while you are among them" (8:33).

The well known hadith ascribing to Allah the Words "One who is hostile to my Wal i receives an announcement of War from me" presents only the counterpart of this idea. Because if hostility to a Wali excites the wrath of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta 'ala it follows that the attention and prayers of the Wali can induce the mercy of Allah. Of course the Awliya spoken of are Walis of the Eminence like that of Hadrat Ghawth al A'zam Sayyadina Shaykh 'Abd 'al-Qadir Muhiy al-Din al Jilani Ra di Allahu ta'ala anhu.

Miracles are abnormal and extra-ordinary acts that can only be performed by the privileged few like the Prophets and Walis of Allah. Perhaps such acts may sound illogical to the rationalist. But they do occur and are beyond ordinary compreh ensive. The parting of the Red Sea for the Prophet Musa alayhi asalam and such l ike events are examples. Even in the life of ordinary mortals, miracles occur, b y the mercy of Allah, to save them from catastrophes or accidents. The miracles (karamat) of Hadrat Ghawth al A'zam Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu recorde d are innumerable, when compared to other Saints. Of these innumerable miracles, a few are given below.

After Hadrat Ghawth al Azam Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu settled down in Baghdad rema rkable stories about his power circulated in Baghdad. The day to day increase in the circulation of such stories made a large number of great scholars of the to wn to decide to visit him, altogether in other to test his knowledge by posing o ne, hundred difficult questions. On their arrival, Hadrat foretold them of their purpose and gave each question the correct answer, even profounding to them exp lanations beyond the limits of their comprehension on their own special subjects . This thought reading was daily manifested by him. It was not necessary for the visitors who came with petitions of desires to tell him, for he looked straight at them and gave them the answers.

On one occasion; two weary and hungry travellers from Arabia had joined his audi ence unobtrusively. Hadrat Ghawth al Azam Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu immediately st opped his discourse saying "Poor travellers; they have just come a long way and have had practically nothing to eat." He then described correctly their last mea l to the astonishment of all oncerned.

One of the most remarkable things we hear from this Saint's life is that even a man's destiny could be deflected from conscious life into the dream state. A mer chant of Baghdad one day approached Shaykh Hammad Al-Dabbas for his blessings be fore taking a caravan to Syria. Shaykh Hammad forbade him to undertake the propo sed journey because he foresawthat the merchant was likely to be robbed and murd ered by highway men. The merchant very much depressed, met Hadrat Ghawth al Azam Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu on the way and informed him what the Shaykh had told hi m. Hadrat Ghawth al Azam Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu promised the merchant his perso nal responsibility for his safe journey and asked the merchant to proceed. He re ached his destination safely with his goods. On his journey the merchant forgot to take back his money kept in the place where he had performed his 'ablution. O n going to bed he was murdered. On waking he saw blood round his neck and also f

elt the pain of the blow. However, he realised that what he had seen was a mere dream, but remembering his lost purse, he went back to the place and recovered i t. While he was returning to Baghdad he was confused in his mind to decide whether seeing Shaykh Hammad first would be proper, as he was the senior Shaykh or seein g Hadrat Ghawth al A'zam Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu first was appropriate as it was his predictions had proved true. He suddenly saw Shaykh Hammad. He asked him in stead to first go to Hadrat Ghawth al A'zam by whose prayers his predistened mur der had been changed into a dream and the loss of property the purse changed int o forgetfulness. One of Hadrat's own servants, who visited his master complained that he had, in a dream slept with many women. Upon this, Hadrat said that it was the servant's destiny to sleep with all those women but this misdeed had been transformed into a dream. Before the servant began to describe the event, Hadrat gave him a list of the names of all the women including those he knew and those he did not.

Khalifa Aimustanjid Billah once came to Hadrat and presented him some bags of go ld. He refused, the gift but when the Khalifa begged and pleaded for their accep tance the Hadrat took two bags and pressed them. Blood seemed to ooze out of the m, which was indicative of the fact that the wealth had been amassed by oppressi ng people, which was represented by the blood seen.

On one occasion a Christian Clergyman came from Yemen and accepted Islam from hi m in an assembly where he had delivered a sermon. After his conversion, he volun tarily stood up and related to the assembly that he was a man of Yemen and had d ecided to accept Islam from the hands of the most eminent Muslim in Yemen. He re ported that had seen Prophet Isa [Jesus] alayhi asalam in a dream who directed h im to proceed to Baghdad and accept Islam from Hadrat Abd 'al Qadir, who was the most eminent at the time in the whole world. Once three Faqihs, who came to see Hadrat Ghawth al A'zam Radi Allahu ta'ala anh u offered their prayers under his Imamat (leadership). They did not like his rea ding of the Qur'an and formed a low opinion of him. They slept that night and we nt to the spring for a bath late at night. Suddenly a wild tiger appeared and cl ung to their clothes and cought hold of them. The Faqihs became afraid for their lives. Then Hadrat at that moment arrived on the scene. The tiger became subdue d and crawled at Ghawh al A'zam Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu's feet. Hadrat sternly l ooked at the tiger as if to question why it had interfered with his guests even though they had formed a low opinion of himself earlier. The Faqihs came to him and repented for their conduct and begged his pardon. Hadrat then addressed his guests remarking that while he had been improving his heart, they had only been 'improving' their tongues by speaking ill of him and by using slander.

Shaykh Shahib'al-Din Umar Suhrawardi Radi Allahu anhu in his youth used to read voraciously books on scholasticism, inspite of the advice of his uncle to the co ntrary. Once his uncle took him to Hadrat Ghawth al Azam and informed him that t he boy was devoting all his time to scholasticism. Upon this Hadrat asked Shaykh Shahib al-Din what books he had read on the subject. On getting a reply, he pla ced his palm on the breast of Shaykh Shahib'al-Din. No sooner was the palm remov

ed; he surprisingly forgot all he knew of scholasticism. But in lieu of it, he f elt his mind replaced by the knowledge of Allah. Shaykh Shahib'al-Din Umar Suhra wardi ultimately became the Imam of the Suharwardi Order and is the author of th e famous book on tasawwuf by the name of "Awariful Maarif."

Shaykh Muzzafar bin Mansur said that in his youth he saw Hadrat in the company o f a large number of persons. When he sat down with a book on spiritual philosoph y, Hadrat without seeing the book but questioning him said that the book was not a good one for him and should be discarded. However, be did not like to discard it owing to his love for the book, but at the same time he neither desired to i ncur the displeasure of Hadrat also by retaining that book. So he decided to kee p it somewhere else and tried to get up to do so. But he could not. He felt as i f he was planted to the ground. Hadrat then asked him to show the book to him. I t was given. Hadrat passed his hand over it and said that the book was Ibuzari's "Fazil-ul-Quran" and then returned it to him. I opened it and saw that it was " Fazil-ul-Quran'' but without the chapter on spiritual subject and philosophy "co ntained therein earlier. Hadrat asked him to repent for what had passed through his mind He first repented and then got up, but found that he could not thereaft er remember a single portion of that book.

A relation of the Khalifa was once taken to Hadrat Ghawth al A'zam Radi Allahu t a'ala anhu. The man was suffering from 'dropsy' and had an enormously swollen st omach. He desperately sought relief. Hadrat passed his hands over his stomach, u pon which it contracted to its normal size.

Hadrat Ghawth al Azam Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu had spiritual powers to hasten to the rescue of those who called him in an hour of emergency or adversity even fro m afar, such as the hearing of a thundering shout that rang, to frighten away ma rauders who tried to molest and loot owners of a caravan in the desert of Samara kand, who, in their hour of peril, called and appealed for the aid of Hadrat.

Shaykh Shahib al-Din Umar Suhrawardi's parents were for a very long time childle ss, until his mother approached Ghawth al A'zam and begged of him to pray to tha t she may be blessed with a son. Raising His hands in supplication he prayed and said that Allah the Beneficient would grant her wish. Hadrat desired the child when born to be named Shahab'ad-Din and predicted that the child would rise up t o be a 'Shaykh of Shaykhs.' In the course of time she bore a son even though she was above the normal age of child bearing.

Hadrat Ghawth al Azam Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu's powers over the souls of his dis ciples extended beyond the grave. One day in Baghdad a man informed him that his deceased father in a dream had desired him to appeal to him to pray for (the re demption of his dead father's soul, as he was suffering. Hadrat asked the visito r "Did your father ever visit my Madrassa?" Yes he answered. Hadrat remained sil ent for a while and referred no further on the matter. A few days latter, the ma n returned to Hadrat saying that his father appeared to him in a dream wearing a green robe and had told him that his punishment has been lifted due to Hadrat G hawth al Azam's prayers.

Abd 'allah Zayyat once said that one night Hadrat came out of his closet with a walking stick in his hand. Abd 'allah within himself at that moment wished to se e Hadrat performing some miraculous act. No sooner had this thought occured to h im, then Hadrat set up his stick on ground and it became luminous and began to g low. Soon it became so bright that it illuminated the entire house. He then took up his stick, and looked at Abd 'allah and remarked you desired this sort of ac t. Abd 'allah was amazed. A mother once arrived and left her son with the Shaykh to become a murid (discip le). A few months later she returned and saw him looking under nourished. She co mplained that Hadrat was himself partaking on a delicious daily dish of chicken whereas her poor son had been made to keep up on a diet of dry bread. Hadrat on this complaint picked up the bone of a chicken and suddenly transformed it into a live cock, which crowed as if to testify that there is no God but Allah and Mu hammad is His Prophet "and Shaykh Abd al-Qadir is His Wali". Addressing the terr ified woman he commented -"when your son is able to do this, then there will be no reason why he should not eat the same as I do."

Ghawth al Azam Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu once asked nearly three hundred residents of a dwelling place to vacate it immediately. No sooner had these people vacate d, the building fell to the ground. He had foreseen the occurance and warned the m in time.

Shaykh al Arabi of Andalusia [Spain] had no children. At the instance of a Majzo ob (a sufi totally absorbed in his Love for Allah) the Shaykh approached Hadrat Ghawth al Azam Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu for his blessings and prayers for a son. Hadrat said I have one more son yet unborn in my destiny. I shall give it to you . Rub your back against mine and name him when born Muhammad Muhiy 'al-Din. He w ould rise up to be a Qutb of his time. The child was eventually born and was nam ed accordingly. He became a great philosopher and attained high spiritual advanc ement. He gained the title of 'Shaykh al Akbar' and is commonly known as IBN AL'ARABI, MUHIY AL-DIN [1240 C.E] Radi Allahu anhu.

During a famine in Baghdad, Abd'al Abbas Ahmed, the servant of Hadrat Ghawth al Azam complained to him of the need for funds and of food grains. Hadrat gave him a reasonable quantity of wheat and asked him to store the grain in a covered re ceptacle and never to weigh it, but to take out according to necessity, by openi ng out a small portion of the container. He used to draw grains in this way for an unusually large period. The wife of the servant of Hadrat at last felt very m uch curious about it and in order to satisfy herself opened the mouth of the con tainer. She surprisingly found almost the same quantity of grain as was kept in the beginning, still remaining and unexhausted. Once the water in the river Tigris rose to an extra-ordinary high level on accou nt of an unprecedented flood. The inhabitants of Baghdad became frightened of th e imminent danger. They came to Sayyadina Hadrat Ghawth al Azam and solicited hi s help. Thereupon Hadrat went up to the riverside and planting his stick on the riverbank said " Remain within this limit." The flood then began to recede slowl y and came down to the limit demarcated by Hadrat.

Once a resident of Baghdad approached Sayyadina Ghawth al Azam and stated that h is son has been getting a fever for a year and a quarter, and could not shake it off by any means. Hadrat instructed him to speak into the ears of his son and s ay 'O fever! leave my son and go from this village.' He acted accordingly, and t he fever left his son at once. It is related on the authority of Shaykh Adi Bin Musafir that once Hadrat Ghawth al Azam was conversing with some persons assembled to hear his sermon when it b egan to rain. Hadrat looked upon the sky and solicited "I call together men for your (Allah's) sake but you disperse them." As soon as he had uttered this, the clouds disappeared and rain ceased in the precints of the Madrassa of Hadrat, th ough it was raining outside.

Shaykh Osman Sayrifini and Shaykh Abdul Haq Harimi Radi Allahu anhum stated: "We were present before Sayyadina Hadrat Ghawth al Azam in his Madrassa on the t hird of Safar 555 AH, when Hadrat suddenly got up with his wooden sandals under his feet and performed ablution. He offered two Rakats of prayers and with a lou d shout, threw one of the sandals into the air. It disappeared from our sight. W ith another shout, his Holiness threw the other sandal into the air, which also disappeared. None present dared question 'Ghawth al Azam' on the incident. But t hirty days after this incident a caravan came to Baghdad from Ajam and said that they had brought some presents for Hadrat. Hadrat permitted the acceptance of t he presents of valuable things but these the same pair of sandals which were thr own in the air by Hadrat. They related that on the third of Safar when they were travelling, a gang suddenly attacked them and plundered their merchandise and m urdered some of them in the caravan. The gang then entered the jungle to divide the booty. Then they had halted at the outskirts of the jungle and it struck the m to solicit the help of Hadrat Ghawth al Azam. Just at that time they had heard two loud shouts which reverberated throughout the jungle. They had mistaken the shouts as the aftermath of a scuffle between the gang that attacked us and a st ronger gang of Arabs. We were terror stricken. Some members of the gang came to us and said that a calamity had befallen them and requested us to take back the plundered goods. We went to the place where the booty was lying divided and saw two of their leaders lying dead and the two sandals lying close by.

Shaykh Abd 'al Hassan commonly known as Ibn Astantana of Baghdad stated: "When I used to live in the Madrassa of Sayyadina Ghawth al Azam for the acquisition of learning, I generally used to stay awake at night in order to serve Hadrat, if and when required. One night in 553 AH Hadrat came out of his room, presuming he required water for ablution, I took it to him but his holiness did not take it. Instead, he proceeded towards the gate of the Madrassa. I quietly followed him. The gate automatically opened and when he passed on, it closed itself. He then went towards the gate of the city which also similarly opened and closed automat ically. Shortly after this we reached a town, which I had not seen before. On re aching the town he went to a house which was similar to his own Ribat in appeara nce. There were six persons in the house, who saluted him. He proceeded further on and I, stood, by a pillar. I heard the groaning of a person in a low voice. A fter a few minutes, the groaning ceased and another person went to the place whe nce the groaning came and carried away a dead body on his shoulder. Shortly afte r this, another person bare headed and with long whiskers, came there. The man s at down in front of Hadrat who made him recite the declaration of faith used in converting one to Islam. Hadrat then cut off his whiskers, put a cap on his head

and named him Muhammad. He said that he had appointed him in place of the decea sed. The persons residing in the house accepted the decision submissively. He th en left the place and in a short time came to the gate of Baghdad, which opened and closed automatically as before. His holiness then entered his Madrassa. In t he morning when I resumed taking lessons from Hadrat I asked him to explain the incident of the previous night. Whereupon he said that the town I had seen was N ehawand a distant city in the outskirts of the empire under the Khalif of Baghda d. The six persons in the Ribat, were Abdul and Nujaba. The man who died was one of them. The man with long whiskers was a Christian of Constantinople who accep ted Islam and was appointed by him to fill the place of the deceased. The man wh o carried away the corpse was Hadrat Khizar alayhis salam.

It seems desireable here to explain that according to the Sufis, there exists a sort of hierarchy of Saints at all times in the world through whom Allah manifes ts His Mercy to the world of humanity. In the absence of the Beloved Prophet Sal la Allahu 'alayhi wa 'alihi wa Sallam, they are the vicegerents of Allah on ear th on the Prophet's behalf. They are of three different grades, Abd'al is a plur al of Badal meaning literally "substitute", so called because should any one of these saints die, Allah immediately substitutes him by another (Sihah). They are righteous persons of whom the world is never destitute. But on more authoratati ve view is that they are given this name, because of their ever changing spiritu al condition. They are in a flux; and are not allowed to remain in one state. Be ing on their way to Realisation, they are not allowed to settle down at any inte rmediate point. As to their exact number and their locations, opinion, is divide d. They seem to be the lowest in rank amongst the spiritual successors of the Pr ophet Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa 'alihi wa Sallam, 'Ghawth al Azam' and Qutbs. According to the best authorities they are a hirearchy of the saints of a partic ular generation and are supposed to be pre-eminently endowed with sanctity and f aculties to even perform miracles. If anybody is a Qutb or a Ghawth, he is recog nised as such only by his agents. Abd'als, themselves reveal their position to a . particular person. The literal meaning of Qutb is axis or pivot, the point upo n which a thing turns, the chief around whom the state of affairs turns. So a Qu tb is he, whose attention and prayers decide the course of events in a particula r society of people? He may be regarded as a kind of spiritual agent in a partic ular community. The literal meaning of Ghawth is 'AID' or 'Succour' in the midst of difficulties . So Ghawth is a kind of intercessor, who intercedes at a moment when the sins o f a nation or humanity are at the point of being punished. These great men appea r to be particularly tender hearted like the Most Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ' alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam. Their hearts melt at the woes and sufferings of hum anity and as such become a means to be able to avert Divine punishment. With the assurance of acceptability of their prayers, their prayers become a plea for Di vine forgiveness and mercy. Hadrat Ghawth al Azam has once said that the Almighty has given him the knowledg e of all his murids up to the end of the world, and His Holiness has proclaimed that none of his murids would die without repentance, and attain the seventh deg ree to alude in paradise. Once he remarked that he would not have the presence of Allah unless He did not accompany him and his murids to enter paradise. His Holiness was once questioned as to the position of a devotee who has regard and love for him, but was not ac

tually his murid nor wore Khirqa from him. He said that such a person was also h is murid although the real process of his becoming a murid was not complete. Eve n a person who had love and reverence for him would not be disappointed by the g raciousness of the Almighty. As for SHAYKH SAYYID ABDUL QADIR JILANI About his station he himself said "Every saint is at the foot of a prophet and I am at the foot of my grandfather the Apostle Muhammad s.w. Whatever steps my gr andfather took I put my step over there, but I could not get to the way of proph ethood for only Prophets have access there." God Most High on account of his mys tical state, bestowed a sublime authoritative rank on him. He being on the foots teps of the Prophet s.w. is also understood in the context of the hierarchical c onstruction of the hidden spiritual council. According to Ibn Arabi there are twelve Qutbs or poles in all equaling the numbe r of the twelve constellations. All of them are under the command of the twelve prophets respectively, Hazrat Nuh, Hazrat Ibrahim, Hazrat Musa, Hazrat Isa, Hazr at Daud, Hazrat Suleman, Hazrat Ayub, Hazrat Ilyas, Hazrat Lut, Hazrat Hud, Hazr at Salih and Hazrat Shuayb. They are the analogues in the absent domain of the twelve constellations that ru le over the witnessed domain. The Qutbs are upon the hearts or footsteps of all the corresponding Prophets according to the twelve earthly divisions that they a re given to supervise. This means that they are the inheritors of the knowledge, stations and states of these specific Prophets. The Qutb al Aqtab is at the head of all these Qutbs and is the inheritor of the Muhammadan Knowledge. The whole council functions with mutual consultation and a greement, the final command coming from the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasa llam). Ghous as Saqlain, Ghous al Azam meaning the helper of man and jinn, the g reat helper was given command over the communities of man and jinn. The rank of Ghausiyyat-i-Uzma that was conferred on him is free from the constraints of time and space. He was made the sultan of the saints among all the walis who came be fore and after him, apart from the descendants Imams of the Prophet s lineage. The invisible hierarchy of Auliya Allah has at it s head the Prophet s.w under who m is the viceregency of Hazrat Ali. Then there is the office of Ghous al Azam, H e holds sway over the whole spiritual administration below him. All appointments , promotions and demotions are done by his recommendation, and he in turn takes the command from the Prophet s.w. The Qutb al Aqtab is the pivot or highest spir itual authority under him. He is chief of the temporal world in regard to it s gov ernance, whereas the Ghous al Azam is the chief in the spiritual realm. Abd (Ghous al Azam) The Qutb is surrounded by three nuqba [ watchers], four awtad [ pillars ], seven abrar [ pious ones ], forty abdaal [substitutes ], three hundred akhyaar [ good ones ], and four thousand hidden saints whose saintship is not even known to themselves. According to Haal-e Safar by Professor Bagh Hussain Kamal (RA), each level has 100 times the power of the level immediately below it. In other words "1 x Tawajjuh" of a Ghawth is equal to the "100 x Tawajjuh" of the Qutbul Aqtaab. In general, it is believed that there has been only one 'Abd so far: Sayyidina ' Abdul Qaadir Jilani (RA), s econd will be Imaam Mahdi (AS) and there is no third .

In the case of Sayyidina Abd ul-Qadir Jilani (RA) majority of Mashaikh (RA) from almost all Silaasil have accepted him to be Sardaar ul-Awliya (Leader of the Awli ya) . Although there have been exceptions to this belief, but because the majority has accepted him to be, so it is an Ijma a. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shariah, Tariqah & Haqeeqi Ma'rifah

In matters of Shariah (sacred Muslim law), Ghawth al A'zam Shaykh Abd al-Qadir a l-Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu followed the Hanbal Madhhab (school of sacred M uslim law) but was an authority on the Shafi-i-Madhhab as well, and a chief expo nent of the Ahl as-Sunnah wal Jama'ah (the people who follow the Sunnah of the B eloved Prophet and the Jama'ah of his blessed companions). The way to draw neare r to Allah Ta'ala is through additional voluntary prayers day and night, through constant remembrance (Dhikr), unceasing salawaat (Durood) on the Most Beloved P rophet, Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam, Sunnah fasting, charit y, zuhd (abstinence) and juhd (exertion in the way of Allah Ta'ala) as exemplifi ed by the Beloved Prophet, Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam hims elf. This then is the tariqa (spiritual path leading to Allah Ta'ala) which is r ooted in sharia (sacred Muslim Law).

A Shaykh, musk-scented in shariah, tariqa and haqeeqi-ma'rifa (knowledge of Alla h Ta'ala) is able to ascertain the spiritual level of a mureed (disciple) and ca n assign additional awraad and azkaar (voluntary prayers) to be performed to att ain spiritual progress. Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu le arned tariqa at the hands of Shaykh Hammad Bin Muslim al-Dabbas, Rahmatullahi al aih. Traditionally when someone is appointed a khalifa of a Shaykh in tariqa, he is given a khirqa. Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu was be stowed the khirqa by Shaykh Qadi Abi Said al-Mukhrami, Rahmatullahi alaih.

The tariqa followed by Ghawth al A'zam Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu came to be called after him the Qadiriya tariqa and it came to be u niversally accepted as a divinely-guided path to spiritual progress through dhik r of Allah to polish one's heart of all evil, to lead a virtuous life, to attain the love of the Beloved Prophet, Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sall am, the love of the sahaba (companions) and the Ahl al-Bayt (the Prophet's bless ed household), the love of the awliya (saints), and to follow the sharia (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 bin Hanbal, Ma y Allah Ta'ala be pleased with them all.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------AQEEDA

His aqeeda (beliefs) was that of the Ahl as-Sunnah wal Jama'ah based on the Qur' an al kareem, and the Sunnah of the Most Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'al ayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam. All the Sufi Saints through centuries have expounded on and lived by this aqeeda. Its cornerstone is Tawheed (Unity of Allah), its nu rturing is with Asma ul Husna and Ishq (love) of the Beloved Prophet Salla Allah u ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam; its daily life is governed by shariah (sa cred Muslim law); its growth and spread is through nasiha (good advice), Dhikr o f Allah Ta'ala and salawaat and salaam on the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'al a 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam, its peak is jihad and its ultimate is Fana Filla h (annihilation of oneself in the Love of Allah Ta'ala) after which Allah Ta'ala showers you with Baqa Billah (spiritual life everlasting) in His Ridha (pleasur e).

So you start with Ridhal Waalidain (in the pleasure of your parents) and end wit h Ridhallah (pleasure of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala). And the sahaba (companions) of the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam are ref erred to as Radi Allahu Anhum wa Radhu Anh (Allah is well pleased with them and they are pleased with Him). And according to Shaykh Abd al Qadir al-Jilani, his own position is equal to the dust under the feet of the sahaba. If that is the c ase, what of the stature of the blessed sahaba of the Beloved Prophet Salla Alla hu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam? Their spiritual stature derives from the fact that they were blessed with the opportunity of beholding the Beloved Proph et Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam with the eyes of imaan (fait h). That being the case how can anyone be capable enough to explain in full the sifat (attributes) of Muhammad-e-Arabi, Rasule-Rabbil Aalameen, Rahmatullil Aala meen. Only Allah Rabbul Izzat is well aware of what he bestowed on His Beloved P rophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam, Allahumma Salli wa sall im alayh. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wissal The Shaykh's passing away; Excerpted from 'Futuh al-Ghaib' [Revelations of the Unseen]. The Shaykh's final advice to his sons (sanctified be their innermost secrets); some valuable remark s he made; his last illness and death (may Allah be well pleased with him, and g rant him contentment.) When the Shaykh (may Allah be content with him and grant him contentment) was in the throes of the illness of which he died, his son 'Abd al-Wahhab (sanctified be his innermost secret) said to him: "O my master, leave me with some advice to put into practice after you are gone." To this he replied (may Allah be well pl eased with him, and grant him contentment): "You must observe your duty to Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He), fear no one

but Allah, pin your hopes on no one but Allah, and entrust all your needs to All ah (Almighty and Glorious is He). Do not rely on anyone but Him, address all you r requests to Him (Exalted is He), and put your trust in no one other than Allah (Glory be to Him). Affirm His Oneness. All is contained within the affirmation of His Oneness." He (may Allah be well pleased with him, and grant him contentment) also said: "When the heart is as it should be with Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He), it wants for nothing and contains nothing superfluous." He (may Allah be well pleased with him, and grant him contentment) said further: "I am a kernel with no shell." To his sons he (may Allah be well pleased with him) said: "Keep your distance from me, for I am with you outwardly, but inwardly I am with others." He (may Allah be well pleased with him) also said: "Others have come into my presence, so make room for them and treat them courteo usly. A very great kindness here. Do not crowd their space." He (may Allah be well pleased with him) kept saying: "On you be peace, and Allah's mercy and His blessings. May Allah forgive me and you. May Allah relent toward me and toward you. In the Name of Allah, farewell!" He said this for a day and a night. He (may Allah be well pleased with him) also said : "Woe unto you! Nothing worries me, not the angel, not even you, O' angel of deat h! He who cares for us has blessed us with something beyond you." Then died aykh the and he uttered a loud cry. This was on the day in the late evening of which he (may Allah be well pleased with him). It is reported by two of his sons, Sh 'Abd al-Razzaq and Shaykh Musa (sanctified be their innermost secrets) that venerable Ghawth (may Allah be well pleased with him) would raise his hands stretch them out, while saying:

"On you be peace, and Allah's mercy and His blessings! Repent and get into line when it comes to your turn."

He (may Allah be well pleased with him) was saying: "Wait!" Then came to him the moment of truth and the pang of death. He (may Allah be well pleased with him) said : "Between me and you and all other creatures there is a distance like that betwee n heaven and earth, so do not compare me to anyone, and do not compare us with a nyone." Then his son Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz (sanctified be his innermost secret) asked him again about his suffering and how he felt, but he (may Allah be well pleased wi th him) said: "Let no-one ask me anything. I am basking in the knowledge of Allah (Almighty an d Glorious is He)." Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz (sanctified be his innermost secret) asked him again about his illness, and he (may Allah be well pleased with him) replied : "No one knows the nature of my sickness, and nobody understands it, be he human, jinn, or angel. Allah's knowledge is not diminished by Allah's decree. The decr ee may change, but the knowledge is unchanging. 'Allah effaces or confirms whatever He will, and with Him is the Essence of the Book,' (13:39). 'He will not be questioned as to what He does, but they will be questioned.' (21 :23)." The following descriptions have also been reported: His son Shaykh 'Abd al-Jabba r (sanctified be his innermost secret) asked him: "Which part of your body gives you pain?" He (may Allah be well pleased with him) replied : "All my organs are hurting me except my heart. There is no pain there, for it is with Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He)." Then death came to him, as he (may Allah be well pleased with him) was saying: "I seek help in the words: 'There is and Exalted is He, the Ever-Living, o Him Who exults in His omnipotence, is none worthy of worship but Allah. none worthy of worship but Allah, Glorified Who has no fear of passing away. Glory be t and subdues His servants with death. There Muhammad is Allah's Messenger.'"

His son Shaykh Musa (sanctified be his innermost secret) told us that when death approached the presence of the Shaykh (may Allah be well pleased with him, and grant him contentment), he was trying to say the word "ta'azzaza" ["exults"], bu t could not get the pronunciation right, so he kept on repeating "ta-'az-za-za," slowly and emphatically, until his tongue shot it out. Then he said: "Allah, Al lah, Allah," till his voice grew faint and his tongue was cleaving to the roof o

f his mouth. Then his noble spirit went forth. The good pleasure of Allah (Exalted is He) be upon him!

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Marvels

The Marvels of Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) Sayyadi wa Imami, Imam Abdallah ibn Alawi al-Haddad, Rady Allahu Anhu, (1044-1132 A .H) in expounding on tawakkul (trust and reliance on Allah) in his spiritual mas terpiece Risalat u l Mu awanah (The Book of Assistance) explains the signs of tawakk ul and supports his position with the example of Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani, ( Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) whom he calls sayyadi ( my master ). The one whose reliance is sincere has three marks. The first is that he neither h as hopes in nor fears other than God. The sign of this is that he upholds the tr uth in the presence of those in whose regard people usually have hope or fear, s uch as princes and rulers. The second is that worrying about his sustenance neve r enters his heart, because of his confidence in God s guarantee, so that his hear t is as tranquil when in need as when his need is fulfilled, or even more. The t hird is that his heart does not become disturbed in fearful situations, knowing that that which has missed him could never have struck him, and that which has s truck him could never have missed him. An example of this was related of my lord Abdal-Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu), may God spread his benefit. He w as once discoursing on Destiny when a great viper fell on him, so that his audie nce panicked. The viper coiled itself around the shaykh s neck, then entered one o f his sleeves and came out from the other while he remained firm and unperturbed , and did not interrupt his discourse . (Risalat al-Mu awanah, The Book of Assistanc e, translated by Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi, p. 121-122). This incident demonstrates that Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) was matchless in a very special way. It also reminds us about the followin g verses of the Qur an al-Kareem on the Awliya Allah (friends of Allah): Surely, on the friends of Allah, there is no fear, nor do they grieve. Those who believed and guarded (against evil). For them are glad tidings in this world s li fe and in the Hereafter; there is no changing the words of Allah; that is the Su preme Triumph. (10:62-64) It has been narrated in the biographies of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) that once he saw a dazzling light which filled the whole sky. Then a human frame appeared in it and told him he was his lord and that he had made e verything that was prohibited in Islam lawful for him. Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jil ani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) recognized him as the devil and told him to get los t. Then the sky turned dark and the human frame fizzled out into smoke. Followin g this, Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani(Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) heard someone say t o him that he had misled seventy people in this way but that his knowledge and p iety had saved him. To this the Shaykh responded that it was through the Grace o f Allah that he had been saved! The machinations of shaytan could obviously neve r make Shaykh Abd'al- Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) abandon the shari ah (sacred Muslim law). Professor Shetha al-Dargazelli and Dr. Louay Fatoohi explain in their Introductio n to the translation of Jila al-Khatir how Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani (Radi All ahu ta'ala Anhu) came to be called Muhiyuddin. Once on a Friday in the year 511 A .H, Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) came across a frail ol

d invalid who greeted him and asked him to help him to sit up. When he helped hi m to sit up, he became well again and his whole condition improved. He told Shay kh Abd'al- Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) that he was the religion of I slam which had been forgotten but which he had helped to revive. Following this incident, Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) went to the cong regational mosque where people greeted him as Muhyid Din (Reviver of Religion). He had never been called by that name before! All the biographers of Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) mar vel at his miracles. Dr. Muhammad Haroon Rahmatullahi alayh of the Raza Academy i n England has described the miracles of the Shaykh in detail in "The World Impor tance of Ghawth al A zam Hadrat Shaykh Muhiyuddin Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani". To gain baraka (blessings), let us at this juncture recall one of these miracles which relates to fasting in the month of Ramadan. It is related that as it was cloudy, the new moon had not been sighted and people were confused whether to fast or n ot to fast. They came to Ummu l Khayr and asked if the child had taken milk that d ay. As he had not, they surmised that they had to fast. His mother relates; "My son 'Abd'al-Qadir was born in the month of Ramadan. No matter how hard I tried h e refused to suckle in the daytime. Throughout his infancy he would never take f ood during the month of fasting." (Sirr al-Asrar, Introduction by Shaykh Tosun alJerrahi al-Halveti, p. XIII) This is how Shaykh Tosun al-Jerrahi al-Halveti explains about the daily life of Shaykh Abd'al Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu): "He himself had given all of himself to Allah. His nights passed with little or no sleep in secluded pray er and meditation. He spent his days like a true follower of the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam) in the service of humanity. Three times a week he would deliver public sermons to thousands of people. Every day in the morning and the afternoon he gave lessons in Qur'anic commentary, Prophetic trad itions, theology, religious law and sufism. He spent the time after the midday p rayer giving advice and consultation to people, whether beggars or kings, who wo uld come from all parts of the world. Before sunset prayers, rain or shine, he t ook to the streets to distribute bread among the poor. As he spent all his days in fasting he would eat only once a day, after sunset prayer, and never alone. H is servants would stand at his door asking passers-by if they were hungry, so th at they could share his table." (Sirr al-Asrar, p. XLIV) Shaykh Hammad al-Dabbas Rahmatullahi alayh had predicted that one day Shaykh Abd'a l-Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu)would be commanded to proclaim that hi s foot is on the neck of every Waliyallah (friend of Allah). This prediction was fulfilled when Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) declared a t one of his majalis (religious sessions) in the presence of more than forty mas haykh (spiritual masters) of Iraq that his foot was on the neck of every Waliyal lah. All the mashaykh, those that were present as well as those in far off lands and places acknowledged and accepted this fact. Qutb u l Irshad Imam Abdallah ibn A lawi al-Haddad has versified on this spiritual reality in one of his qasaaid (eu logies) in Ad-Durr ul Manzum li Dhawil Uqul wa l Fuhum (Poetic Pearls For Discernin g and Understanding Minds). A la Hadrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Rahmatullahi alayh has versified on it in his Salaams , while Shaykh Abdul Haqq Muhaddith Dehlawi (Radi Al lahu ta'ala Anhu) has expounded on its spiritual reality in Akhbar u l Akhyar (Narr ations About The Chosen Ones). But the initiate sometimes wonders why Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) revealed so many spiritual secrets when most other shuyukh (spiritu al masters) are reticent. To answer this question, we will need to turn to Sayyi di wa Imami Qutb u l Irshad al-Habib Mawlana Abdallah ibn Alawi al-Haddad (Radi Alla hu ta'ala Anhu). In It-haaf i s-saail (Gifts for the Seeker), he explains that Shay kh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani, Radi Allahu Anhu had received permission to divulge the se spiritual secrets - "for the man who receives such permission is under an ord er which he can but obey - and the secret of the permission granted in such matt ers is itself one that cannot be divulged." (Gifts for the Seeker, translation b y Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi, p.11). Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum

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Praise How the Mashaykh Praise Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) Imam Muhiyuddin an-Nawawi Rahmatullahi alayh (631-676 A.H) wrote the following ab out Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) in his kitab (book) en titled Bustan u l Arifin (Garden of the Spiritual Masters): In all that has reached us from trustworthy reporters, concerning the charismatic talents of the saints (karamat al-Awliya), we learn of none more numerous than the charismatic talents of the Cardinal Pole (Qutb), the Shaykh of Baghdad, Muhy i d Din Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (may Allah be well pleased with him). He was the Shaykh of the principle Shafi i and Hanbali authorities in Baghdad. Lea dership in the sphere of knowledge devolved upon him in his day and age. More th an a few of the notable figures received their education in his fellowship, and most of the preeminent Shaykhs of Iraq became affiliated with him. His teaching w as propagated by a host of those endowed with splendid spiritual states. His cou ntless students included many of the masters of exalted spiritual stations. The Shaykhs and scholars (may Allah be well pleased with them all) were unanimous in declaring him worthy of the greatest honour and respect, in confirming his auth ority, in referrring to his statements, and in having recourse to his judgement .. He had an exalted way of speaking about the esoteric sciences ( ulum al-ma arif). Hi s anger was intense whenever the sanctuaries of Allah (Glory be to Him and Exalt ed is He) were violated. He was openhanded and magnanimous in the most beautiful way. To put it in a nutshell, there was none like him in his day and age. May Allah be well pleased with him! (Here ends this abridged quotation.) (Qalaid al-Jawahir, Necklaces of Gems, p. 555-556, translated by Shaykh Muhtar H olland, whose translation has been adopted henceforth). Once Shaykh Abu Madyan Shu ayb al-Maghribi Rahmatullahi alayh asked Hadrat Khidr ala yhissalam about Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) to which h e replied: He is the leader of the champions of truth, and the competent authority of those who know by direct experience. He is a breath of life in the sphere of direct kn owledge, and his business is intimate converse between all the saints (may Allah be well pleased with them all) . (Qalaid al-Jawahir, p. 325-326). The following is a very short excerpt of what Shaykh Afif ud-Din al-Yafi i al-Yaman i Rahmatullahi alayh had to say about Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu t a'ala Anhu) in his Ta rikh (History). He roamed inside the natures (nufus) of human beings as freely as breaths roam in their breasts, and he made their hearts fragrant with the scent of gardens show ered by rain. He cured their natures of their sicknesses, and cleared their mind s of their illusions. No one who heard him failed to declare his commitment to r epentance, or to make his eyelids sore from weeping. How many a sinner he brought back to Allah (Exalted is He)! How many a fainthear ted weakling he reinvogorated! How many drunkards he rescued from the wine of pa ssion! How many prisoners he released from the shackles of their lower selves (n ufus)! How many mainstays (awtad) and spiritual deputies (abdal) did Allah choos e because of him! On how many men did Allah confer a spiritual station because o f him! The thoroughbred steeds of spiritual talents never ceased to ride toward him. My Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) bestow His mercy upon him! (Qalaid al-J awahir, p. 551-552).

Shaykh al-Mu ammar al-Jarrad once said: These two eyes of mine have never set sight on anyone of better moral character, nor of broader inner feeling, nor of nobler personality nor of kinder heart, nor of greater loyalty and affection, than Shaykh Abd al-Qadir. Without regard for t he majesty of his stature, the exalted nature of his rank, and the vast extent o f his knowledge, he would support the lowly and challenge the great. He would al ways be the first to offer the greeting of peace (salam), and treat the poor wit h humble respect, though he would not stand up for any of the high and mighty an d the notables, nor would he go knocking at the doors of any minister (wazir) or ruler (sultan). (Qalaid al-Jawahir, p. 80) Shaykh Baqa ibn Batu, Rahmatullahi alayh, said that the tariqa (spiritual path) o f Shaykh Abd al-Qadir consists of the unifications of word and deed, the unificati on of the self (nafs) and the moment, the embracing of sincere devotion (ikhlas) and submissive resignation (taslim), harmonious compliance with the Book and th e Sunna in every thought, every glance, every state, as well as steadfast consta ncy in relation to Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) (Qalaid al-Jawahir, p. 87) Al-Hafiz Imad-ud-Din ibn Kathir Rahmatullahi alayh described the admonitions of S haykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) in his Ta rikh (History) enti tled Al-Bidaya wa n Nihaya, saying: "He enjoined the people to do what is good and abstain from what is evil. His admonitions addressed caliphs, ministers, people in authority, judges, companions and the masses. Standing on the pulpits of the mosques, he reprimanded them in the presence of witnesses as well as during his public addresses. He disavowed the civil appointment of any unjust person, chos e Allah's blessings over anyone else's wrath, and was not affected by any reproa ch." (Quoted by Shaykh Muhammad Al-Akili in the Preface to his translation of Al-F ath-ur-Rabbani, p. X) Imam Shihabuddin Umar ibn Muhammad as-Suhrawardi Rahmatullahi alayh in his univers ally acclaimed classic Awarif ul Ma'arif (The gnosis of the gnostics) refers to Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani as "Our Shaykh" and quotes his advice. Al-Baz Publishing company which has taken the lead in translating and publishing the works of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu), quotes the foll owing words of Shaykh Muzaffar Ozak Efendi fromZiynet ul Qulub (The Adornment of Hearts), in introducing the works of the Shaykh to the public: The venerable Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) passed on to the Rea lm of Divine Beauty in 561 A.H/1166 C.E, and his blessed mausoleum in Baghdad is still a place of pious visitation. He is noted for his extraordinary spiritual experiences and exploits and wise teachings. It is rightly said of him that he wa s born in love, grew in perfection, and met his Lord in the perfection of love. M ay the All-Glorious Lord bring us in contact with his lofty spiritual influence! Aameen.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------LOVE OF GHAUS E AAZAM

Hazrat Pir Meher Ali Shah and Hazrat Ghaus-e-Azam (R.A) Hazrat Syedna Pir Meher Ali Shah (R.A) had boundless love for Hazrat Ghaus-e-Aza m (R.A). Hazrat (R.A) was a descendent, on his father s side, of Hazrat Syedna Gha us-e-Azam Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A) in the 25th generation. On the side of

his mother, he descended from Hazrat Ghaus-e-Azam (R.A) in the 24th generation. Hazrat Pir Meher Ali Shah (R.A) was in bai'at with Hazrat's maternal uncle, Haz rat Fazl Din Shah (R.A) in the Qadriyah Silsila (spiritual school). Hazrat Syedn a Pir Meher Ali Shah (R.A) was also one of the most illustrious of the latter s sp iritual beneficiaries especially in the Indo-Pak subcontinent. Hazrat Ghaus-e-Azam Abdul Qadir Jilani stands out as the great guide who imparte d a new life to the Islamic faith. Syedna Ghaus-e-Azam (R.A) is universally acce pted as the greatest of all Awlia- Allah ( friends of Allah ), and occupies the place of surpassing spiritual eminence that has not been vouchsafed to any other personality in the entire Islamic Ummah. "Muhyuddin" He was born in 471 A.H (After Hijrah ), and passed away in 562 A.H at the age of 91. Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani is also known as Muhyuddin (Life Giver of the Din Islam ). He himself described the brief background to this development as follo ws : One Friday in 511 A.H, when I was returning bare footed to Baghdad from a journey , I came across an extremely weak and emaciated man who looked really ill. The m an greeted me by name and requested me to help him get up. When I did so, his co ndition instantly underwent a dramatic change, and he started looking like a com pletely healthy person. Seeing my expression of surprise at the sudden transform ation he explained that he was in fact a personification of the Din Islam that wa s on the verge of Death but had been given a new life by me. He then called me b y the title of Muhyuddin . When I entered the premises of the Jamia mosque of Bagh dad , an unknown person , seeing me bare footed , gave me his own shoes to wear and also addressed me by the title 'Muhyuddin'. At the end of the Friday prayers , the entire congregation rushed towards me , kissing my hands and calling me by the same title, even though no one had used this title for me ever before . Historian and biographers of all shades of religious thought are agreed about th e amazing frequency with which karamat (mini-miracles used to emanate from Hazra t Shaikh Abdul Qadir Gilani (R.A). Countless karamat of various descriptions are attributed to him. The most outstanding of these, however, and one which establ ished him as indisputably the greatest of all Awlia-Allah, past or present, is t he following pronouncement that he made while giving a preaching session one day in the guest-house of his Khankah (shrine).

Translation: "This foot of mine is on the neck of every wali-Allah". Hearing this pronouncement, which signified the spiritual ascendancy of Hazrat S haikh (R.A) over every other wali-Allah, most of the eminent mashaikh present at the time bowed their heads in deference to its truth. Other mashaikh, far or ne ar, did the same to acknowledge the spiritual supremacy of the great Shaikh (R.A ). Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (R.A) of Ajmer, the great saint who is credit ed with having pioneered the missionary activity that led to the spread of Islam in what was the India, and who was at that time engaged in spiritual contemplat ion hundreds of miles away in the hills of Khorasan (Iran), was one of those who heard this pronouncement of Hazrat Ghaus-e-Azam (R.A). He not only bowed his he ad to acknowledge its truth, but also added the words: Translation: "Your step be on my head and my eyes!" When this was reported to Hazrat Ghaus-e-Azam (R.A), he expressed happiness and predicted the Muinuddin would soon be blessed with the Wilayat (sainthood) of In dia - a prediction that was proved correct before long.

On the other hand, when a wali-Allah of Isphahan named Shaikh Sanan hesitated to defer to the pronouncement, it reportedly resulted in the forfeiture of his sai nthood, which was restored to him only at the intercession of one of the murids of Hazrat Ghaus-e-Azam (R.A). In acknowledgment of the supremely unique position of the great Shaikh Hazrat Ab dul Qadir Jilani (R.A), many eminent Awlia-Allah have written poems, couplets an d other forms of verse eulogizing his various various attributes and accomplishm ents. These included Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (R.A) of Ajmer, Khwaja Qutb uddin Bakhtiar (R.A) of Delhi, Shaikh Shahabuddin Umar Suharwardi (R.A) of Baghd ad, Hazrat Bahauddin Zakaria (R.A) of Multan, Hazrat Makhdum Alauddin Sabir (R.A ) of Kaliar Sharif (Saharanpur, India), Haji Imdad-ullah Muhajir of Makkah, and many others. An Incident of Qaseeda-e-Ghausia Hazrat (R.A) had intense love and reverence for Hazrat Ghaus-e-Azam (R.A) and ca lled him his Pir (spiritual guide). During Hazrat Pir Meher Ali Shah s (R.A) stay in Angah in a madressah, an amil (a person indulging in charms and incantations) came in the mosque. He was popular for his exploitations of the Qaseeda-e-Ghausia to good effect as a vehicle for his activities. This had earned him a modicum of esteem in the area, and people used to rise and kiss his hands as a mark of respect whenever he came to any ass emblage. One day this man came to the mosque at Angah, and everyone rose to him as usual. Hazrat, however, remained seated. The amil was so annoyed by Hazrat s be haviour that he threatened to recite the Qaseeda unless the boy (Hazrat) stood up to greet him. Unmoved by this threat Hazrat said: You read the Qaseeda and I sha ll call its author (i.e. Syedna Ghaus-e-Azam) himself. These words produced an i nspiring effect on the amil, who immediately apologized to Hazrat. From the beginning Hazrat Syedna Pir Meher Ali Shah (R.A) had love for Hazrat G haus-e-Azam (R.A). This was also because Hazrat s father Hazrat Nazr Din and Hazra t himself was a disciple of Hazrat Fazal Din in the Qadriyah Silsila. Hazrat wro te many poems in love of Hazrat Syedna Ghaus-e-Azam Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A). A verse about this goes as :

Translation: "For me de-anthropomorphism has become one with anthropomorphism, l eading to the union( in my view ) of the Ultimate Truth ( i.e. Allah ) into one entity; All this (spiritual elevation) is due to the Grace of Hazrat Ghaus-e- Az am our patron and benefactor." Refusal to participate in the Delhi Darbar in the Coronation of Henry VIII Once, when Hazrat (R.A) was asked to attend the Royal Coronation of the King Hen ry VIII, in Delhi and Hazrat (R.A) was also invited to attend the Darbar and to offer a salaam and pray for the King. On Hazrat's (R.A) refusal to attend the Ro yal procession on the account that dervishes do not attend Kings' Darbars. The G overnment decided to take action against the refusal of Hazrat. Around this time a Muslim government official met Hazrat who had never met him before but was ne vertheless his devotee at heart. He informed Hazrat that the Government had deci ded to deport Hazrat from the sub-continent. Hazrat smiled at this disclosure an d said: "The Government which is planning to deport me does not seem to know wha t Providence plans to do with itself". Not long after this, the British Government got involved in a life-death struggl e with Germany as a result of the World War I of 1914-1918, and the government f

ile pertaining to Hazrat's proposed deportation had to be put in indefinite cold storage. During this time period, Hazrat (R.A) wrote Punjabi verses by way of supplicatio n addressed to Syedna Ghaus-e-Azam Shaikh Abdul Qadir Gilani (R.A) as follows:

Translation: "O letter that I have written with tears in my eyes, go and seek ou t the whereabouts of the one who lives in Baghdad! "Convey to him the poignant message of these eyes of mine longing to see him! "My sadness has reached such proportions that painful sighs are constantly emana ting from my burning breast! "People are now threatening thy old-time slave with (retribution through) the or derlies (of persons of high office!) "O thou who hold the hand (of thy distressed devotees!), Who can they look to ex cept thyself (for solace and support in their plight?)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------King of JinnS It is the statement of Bashir bin Mahfooz that once my daughter Fatima was on th e house roof when all of a sudden she disappeared. I became worried and present ed the problem to the King of Baghdad Huzoor Sayyiduna Ghaus-e-Paak (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu). He (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu) told me to go to KARKH and to sit i n a deserted place during the night and to form a fort around myself. Think abo ut me and say BISMILLAH. During the night many groups of Jinn will pass by you, their faces will be very strange but do not get scared. At the time of SEHRI t he KING OF JINNS will come to you and will ask you about your requirement. Say to him that Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu) has sent me from Baghdad and I want you to search for my daughter. Following the orders of Huzoor Ghaus-e-Azam (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu) I went to KARKH and formed a fort around myself in a deserted place and waited. During th e silence of the night horrifying Jinnaat kept on passing my fort. The faces of the Jinnaat were so horrifying that I could not bear to look at them. At the t ime of sehri the KING OF JINNS came riding on a horse surrounded by a crowd of J inns. From outside the fort he asked what I wanted. I said that Huzoor Ghaus-e -Azam (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu) has sent me to you. As soon as he heard this, h e got down from the horse and sat on the ground. The other Jinns also sat outsi de the fort. I told him the incident of the disappearance of my daughter. He a nnounced amongst all the Jinns, "Who has taken the steak?" Within moments the J innaat caught a Chinese Jinn and presented him as the culprit. The KING OF JINN S asked him, ?Why did you kidnap the steak from the city of the Qutub (Highest C adre in Spiritual Pivot) of this time?? Whilst shivering he said, ?Your Highnes

s! I fell in love with her upon seeing her.? The King ordered the Chinese Jinn to be beheaded and returned my beloved daughter back to me. Upon thanking the KING OF JINNS I said ?Masha-Allah (az?zawajal)! You are a great lover of Sayyid una Ghaus-e-Paak (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu).? Upon hearing this he said ?I SWEAR UPON ALLAH (az?zawajal)! WHEN HUZOOR GHAUS-E-PAAK (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu) LO OKS TOWARDS US, ALL THE JINNAAT BEGIN TREMBLING. WHEN ALLAH (az?zawajal) NOMINA TES A QUTUB OF THAT TIME THEN ALL THE JINNS AND HUMANS ARE ORDERED TO FOLLOW HIM .? The spouted jug turned towards the Qibla Once a group of Saints (Rahim-hu-mullah) from Jilan Shareef visited the blessed presence of Huzoor Sayyiduna Ghaus-e-Azam (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu). They found that the spouted jug was not in the direction of the Qibla so drew the attentio n of Ghaus-e-Azam (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu) to this. He (radi Allahu ta?ala anh u) looked at his servant in a wrathful way and not bearing this look; the servan t fell to the ground and trembled to death. Huzoor Ghaus-e-Azam (radi Allahu ta ?ala anhu) looked towards the spouted jug and it automatically turned and faced the Qibla. (Bahja-tul-Israr) Keep the spouted jug facing the Qibla Oh lovers of the King of Baghdad (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu)! Indeed the highest status of love that we can have is to follow each and every action of our belove d with an open heart; therefore, if possible, we should always keep the spout of the jug facing the Qibla. Huzoor Muhaddis-e-Azam Pakistan Hazrat?e Moulana Sar dar Ahmad Sahib (rehmatullahi ta?ala alay) use to keep their shoes facing the Qi bla as well as the spout of the jug. Alhamdu-Lillah (az?zawajal) SAG-E-MADINA ( ghufiya anhu) follows these Auliya-e-Karam (rehmatullahi ta?ala alay) by keeping the spout of the jug and the shoes facing the Qibla, but it is the wish of SAGE-MADINA that everything faces the Qibla. Freedom from the punishment of the grave A distressed young man once came to Huzoor Ghaus-e-Azam (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu ) and said, ?Huzoor! I saw my late father in my dream last night and they were saying ?Oh son! I am entangled in the punishment of the grave, go to Sayyiduna Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu) and request them to do dua f or me.?? After listening to this, the King of Baghdad (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu) enquired, ?Did your late father ever pass by my Madrassa?? He replied yes. Gh aus-e-Azam (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu) became silent. The young man went away and came back the next day looking extremely happy and said ?Oh Murshid! Last nigh t my late father came in my dream wearing green clothes and he was really happy. He said ?Oh son! By the blessing of Sayyiduna Ghaus-e-Azam (radi Allahu ta?al a anhu) I have been from the punishment and in exchange have been given these gr een clothes. My dear son! You should always remain in their presence.?? After listening to this, Ghaus-e-Azam (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu) said, ?My Lord (az?za wajal) has promised me that punishment will be reduced of that Muslim who passes by your Madrassa.? (Bahja-tul-Israr) Screams of a dead body Once some people came to the presence of Ghaus-e-Azam (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu) and requested, Your Highness! There are sounds of screams of a dead person comi ng from a grave in the ?Baab-ul-Azj? graveyard. Huzoor! Please bestow some mer cy on the unfortunate so that his punishment is abolished. Ghaus-e-Azam (radi A

llahu ta?ala anhu) asked, did he receive caliphate from me? The people replied we don't know. He (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu) asked, did he ever attend my gather ings? People said they did not know. He (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu) asked, did h e ever eat my food? People again said they did not know. He (radi Allahu ta?al a anhu) asked, did he ever perform Namaz behind me? The people gave the same an swer. He (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu) lowered His blessed head and signs of anger and prestige were seen on His face. After sometime He (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu) said, ?the angels have just told me that he had visited you and he had a firm b elief in you, therefore Allah (az?zawajal) bestowed mercy upon him". Alhamdu-Li llah (az?zawajal) the sounds that were coming out of his grave stopped. (Bahja-tul-Israr) What greatness of Ghaus-e-Azam (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu) Someone narrated an incident, which took place in Kutyaana (India), the ancestra l village of Sag-e-Madina (ghufiya anhu), that a person used to live there who w as a great lover of Ghaus-e-Paak (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu). He used to celebrat e Ghyarveen Shareef. One other quality which was present in him was that he sho wed a great deal of respect to Sayyids. He used to be so kind and caring toward s young Sayyids that he used to life them up and carry them around and would buy sweets for them. On his death a sheet was placed on the body. People came to grieve when suddenly the lover removed the sheet and sat upright. People got sc ared and started running. He cried out, don't be scared, just listen to me! Wh en people came closer he said, "The thing is that just now my Murshid, Al-Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu) came. He kicked me and said "BEIN G MY MUREED YOU DIED WITHOUT REPENTING! GET UP AND REPENT". Therefore, the sou l re-entered my body so that I could repent.? After saying this, the lover aske d for forgiveness of his sins and read the Kalima-e-Paak. Suddenly, his head we nt on one side and he died. Congratulation to the lovers and mureed of Huzoor Ghaus-e-Paak (radi Allahu ta?a la anhu) because the King of Baghdad (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu) said: "My mureed no matter how sinful he is, will not die until the time he does not repent". (Al-akhbaar-ul-akhyaar) Hearts are in the fist Hazrat?e Sayyiduna Umar bin Bazzaaz (rehmatullahi ta?ala alay) stated that once on a Friday I was going towards Mosque along with Huzoor Ghaus-e-Paak (radi Alla hu ta?ala anhu). A thought came in my heart that it is strange that whenever I go to the Mosque on Friday with my Murshid, people gather around either to say s alaam or to shake hands and it becomes difficult to pass through them but today no one is even looking. As soon as this thought came in my heart, Huzoor Ghause-Paak (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu) looked towards me and smiled and suddenly peopl e started leaping quickly to shake hands with the Lord of Baghdad (radi Allahu t a?ala anhu). There were so many people that there was a huge crowd between me a nd my merciful Murshid (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu). I thought in my heart that it was much better before. As soon as this thought came in my heart He (radi Alla hu ta?ala anhu) said: "O UMAR! YOU WERE THE ONE WHO WANTED THE CROWD, DON'T YOU KNOW THAT THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE ARE IN MY FIST, IF I WANT I CAN PULL THEIR H EARTS TOWARDS ME AND IF I WANT I CAN PUSH THEM AWAY FROM ME". (Zubda-tul-Aasaar) Oh Ghous (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu) help "THE ONE WHO CRIES OUT FOR MY HELP DURING SOME PROBLEM THE PROBLEM GETS SOLVED, THE ONE WHO CALLS OUT MY NAME IN ANY HARDSHIP THAT HARDSHIP GETS DISMISSED, THE ONE WHO USED ME AS A SOURCE TO ASK ALLAH (az?zawajal) FOR SOME NEED IT WILL BE F

UFILLED. THE PERSON WHO PRAYS TWO RAK'AT OF NAFL AND IN EACH RAK'AT AFTER SURAH FATIHA RECITIES SURAH IKHLAS ELEVEN TIMES, AFTER SAYING SALAAM SENDS DUROOD-O-S ALAAM ON THE KING OF MADINA (sallallahu ta?ala alaihi wa aalihi wa?sallam) AND T HEN WALKS A DISTANCE OF ELEVEN STEPS TOWARDS BAGHDAD SHAREEF AND CALLS OUT MY NA ME AND PRESENTS HIS NEED, INSHA-ALLAH (az'zawajal) THAT NEED WILL BE FULFILLED?. (Bahja-tul-Israr)

My Dear Islamic Brothers! It is possible that in someone's mind a thought may a rise that we should only ask Allah (az'zawajal) for help and no one else because when Allah (az'zawajal) is the One who helps then why should we ask anyone else for help? The answer to this is that this is the way Shaitaan makes an unknown number of people go astray. When Allah (az?zawajal) has not refrained from ask ing for help from someone else then how can someone get the right of saying that don't ask for help from anyone but Allah (az'zawajal)? Look in the Holy Qur?an , where Allah (az'zawajal) has in various verses allowed asking for help from so meone else. Even though being the Omnipotent in every way, He (az'zawajal) has asked for help from His beings.

TSayyiduna Imam-e-Azam Abu Hanifa has, while requesting for help from the Holy P rophet (sallallahu ta?ala alaihi wa?sallam), requested in QASEEDA-E-NOMAN:

'O, the One better than humans and jinn?s, and the One who is the treasure of th e Bounty of Allah (az'zawajal) please also give me from what Allah (az'zawajal) has bestowed on You (sallallahu ta?ala alaihi wa?sallam) and how Allah (az'zawaj al) has satisfied you. You (sallallahu ta?ala alaihi wa?sallam) also make me satisfied. I am a candida te of Your shower of generosity. There is no one for Abu Hanifa in the entire c reation except you (sallallahu ta?ala alaihi wa?sallam).

Sayyiduna Imam Shara fud-Din Busairi has requested for help from the Lord of Mad ina (sallallahu ta?ala alaihi wa?sallam) in the famous QASEEDA-E-BURDA by reques ting:

The One better than all creations, there is no one of mine except for you. The One whose shelter I can take in the time of trouble

Imda-dullah Muhajir Makki (rehmatullahi ta?ala alay) has requested in NAALA-E-IM DAD:

I am sleeping day and night on the pillow of sins. Wake me up from the dream of ignorance Ya RasoolAllah (sallallahu ta?ala alaihi wa?sallam).

Hazrat?e-Shah Wali-ullah Muhaddis Dehlvi (rehmatullahi ta?ala alay) has written the following about the grand supremacy of Ghaus-e-Paak (radi Allahu ta?ala anhu ): That is Sheikh Mohi-ud-din Abdul Qadir Jilani, therefore says that even in His G rave he has authority like the ones alive.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Nasiha 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 al-Karim and Hadith Sharif, these can be considered to be req uired 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 Shaykh Abdur Razzaq, Rahmatullahi alayh. He advise d him to acquire eight character traits that are basic to tasawwuf (spiritual cu lture). These are: Sakha (generosity) of Nabi (Prophet) Ibrahim, alayhissalam (peace be upon him) Rida (joyful contentment with whatever Allah ordains) of Nabi Is-haq, m Sabr (patience) of Nabi Ayyub, alayhissalam alayhissalam alayhissalam alayhissala

Ishara (symbolic instruction) of Nabi Zakariyya,

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

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, (Salla allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam). Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum ------------------------------------------------------------------------------SAYINGS ? Knowledge is useless without action. ? Be a doer and not an illiterate deliberately. One who knows and acts according ly is a viceroy of Allah. ? Allah is such a name that eases every difficulty and relieves of all kind of w orries and grieves and this is a great name. ? Whoever keeps Allah his friend, he is under His protection and passes his life under His benign benevolence. ? Beggar is the one who perpetually engages himself in the prayer and in contemp

lation. He is truthful, capacious, and courageous. He regards his 'self' the mea nest; what he does not know, tries to know; teaches the ignorant, and advises th e careless. ? The faithful is one, who seeks lawful living, and is not a fatalist. If succee ds in getting a job, he shall get lawful living and compensation for search of a living. ? For patience he said; the faithful perseveres in difficulty and distress and d oes not forsake the Shairah; submits to the will of Allah; is not perturbed from poverty and grief but remains composed, patient, and thankful. ? The patience of a beggar as against the thankfulness of a rich man, and the be ggar's thankfulness as against the rich man's patience is larger. ? The war of the inner is better than that of the outer. ? Don't complain of Allah's slave ( men ). ?Think great so long as you live.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Even today people continue to witness his innumerable karaamats and receive his help and call out for him throughout the world who hold great love and respect f or him irrespective of their silsilas to which they belong and celebrate gyaarwi h and sing his qaseedas in his praise. raziallahu taala anhu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Shaykh's Names & Titles

To those familiar with the religious and spiritual tradition of Islam, here is a list of Shaykh Abd 'al-Qadir al Jilani's Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu names, surname s, and the many titles conferred upon him by his devoted followers and contempor aries.

Al-Ghawth al-A'zam "The Supreme Helper" (or, "The Mightiest Succour"). Ghawth is an Arabic word mea ning: [1] A cry for aid or succour. [2] Aid, help, succor; deliverance from adversity. [3] The chief of the Saints, who is empowered by Allah to bring succour to suff ering humanity, in response to His creatures' cry for help in times of extreme a dversity.

Sultan al-Awliya'

"The Sultan of the Saints." This reinforces the preceding title, emphasizing th e supremacy of the Ghawth above all other orders of sanctity.

Qutb al A'zam The Greatest Qutb and the biggest helper of people in need.

Qutb al Rabbani The Divine or Devout Qutb

Qutb "Pole" .... One or more human beings who occupy a pivotal spiritual position in the world. Synonymous with Ghawth according to al-Shafi'i.

Piran-e- Pir The pir of pirs. Pir is persian for spiritual guide.

Mehboob-e-Subhani Mahboob [mahbub] means The one who is the Beloved of Allah

Shaykh A term applied throughout the Islamic world to respected persons of recognised s eniority in learning, experience and wisdom. Its basic meaning in Arabic is "an elder; a man over fifty years of age. (The spellings Sheikh and Shaykh may also be encountered in English language publications.)

Sayyaduna 'ash-Shaykh "Our Master, the Shaykh." A writer who regards himself as a Qadiri, a devoted f

ollower of Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir, will generally refer to the latter as-Sayyaduna [our Master], or Sayyidii [my Master].

Abu Muhammad "Father of Muhammad." In the Arabic system of nomenclature, a man's surnames us ually include the name of his first-born son, with the prefix Abuu' [Father of ].

Muhiy ud-Din "Reviver of the Religion." It is widely acknowledged by historians, non-Muslim as well as Muslim, that Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir displayed great courage in reaffirm ing the traditional teachings of Islaam, in an era when sectarianism was rife, a nd when materialistic and rationalistic tendencies were predominant in all secti ons of society. In matters of Islamic jurisprudence [fiqh] and theology [kalaam] , he adhered quite strictly to the highly "orthodox" school of Imam Ahmad ibn Ha nbal.

'Abd 'al-Qadir This is the author's personal name,meaning "Servant [or Slave] of the All-Powerf ul." (The form 'Abdul Qadir, which the reader may come across elsewhere, is simp ly an alternative transliteration of the Arabic spelling.) It has always been a common practice, in the Muslim community, to give a male child a name in which 'Abd is prefixed to one of the Names of Allah.

Al-Jilani A surname ending in -i will often indicate the bearer's place of birth. Shaykh ' Abd al-Qadir was born in the Iranian district of Gilan, south of the Caspian Sea , in A.H. 470/1077-8 C.E. (In some texts, the Persian spelling Gilani is used in stead of the arabicized form al-Jilani. The abbreviated form al-Jili,which may a lso be encountered, should not be confused with the surname of the venerable 'Ab d al-Karim al-Jili, author of the celebrated work al-Insan al-Kamil,who came fro m Jil in the district of Baghdad) Let us now consider a slightly longer version of the Shaykh's name, as it occurs near the beginning of Al-Fath ar-Rabbani [The Sublime Revelation]: Sayyaduna 'a sh-Shaykh Muhiyu'd-Din Abu Muhammad 'Abd al-Qadir (Radi allahu ta'ala 'anhu).

al-Hasani w'al-Husayni

"The descendant of both al-Hasan and al-Husayn, the grandsons of the Most Belove d Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)." To quote the Turkish author, Sh aykh Muzaffer Ozak Efendi (may be pleased with him) : "The lineage of Shaykh 'Ab d al-Qadir is known as the Chain of Gold, since both his parents were descendant s of the Most Beloved Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace). His noble father, 'Abdullah, traced his descent by way of Imam Hasan (Allah bestow His mer cy upon him): while his revered mother, Umm al-Khair, traced hers through Imam H usayn (Allah bestow His mercy upon him)."

As for the many other surnames, titles and honourific appellations that have bee n conferred upon Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, it may suffice at this point to mention al-Baz al-Ashhab [The Gray Falcon].

Radi allahu ta'ala 'anhu "May Allah be well pleased with him!" This benediction is the one customarily p ronounced and spelled out in writing after mentioning the name of a Companion of the Most Beloved Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). The preference for t his particular invocation is yet another mark of the extraordinary status held b y Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir in the eyes of his devoted followers.

Finally, we must note some important elements contained within this even longer version: al-Ghawth al-A'zam Sultan al-Awliya' Sayyaduna 'ash-Shaykh Muhiyi'd-Din 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani al-Hasani al-Husayni (Radi allahu ta'ala 'anhu).

Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------QASEEDA E GHOUSIYA

QASEEDA GHOUSIA SAQAANIL HUBBU KASAATIL WISAALI FAQULTU LIKHAMRATI NAHWI TA AALI SA?AT WAMASHAT LINAHWI FI KU?OOSIN FAHIMTU BISUKRATI BAYNAL MAWAALI FAQULTU LISAA?IRIL AQTAABI LUMMU BIHAALI WAD KHULU ANTUM RIJAALI

WAHUMMU WASHRABU ANTUM JUNUDI FASAAQIL QAWMI BIL WAAFI MALAALI SHARIBTUM FUDLATI MIM BA?DI SUKRI WALA NILTUM ULOOWI WAT TISAALI MAKAAMUKUMUL U?LA JAM?AW WALA KIN MAQAAMI FAWQAKUM MA ZAA LA AA?LI ANA FI HAZRATIT TAQREEBI WAHDI YUSARIFUNI WAHASBI ZUL JALAALI kosher BAAZIYU ASHHABU KULLI SHAYKIN WAMAN ZAA FIR RIJAALI U?TIYA MISAALI KASAANI KHILATAN BITIRAAZI AZMIN WA TAWWAJANI BITIJAANIL KAMAALI WA?ATLA ANI ALAA SIRRIN QADEEMIN WAQALLADANI WA A?TAANI SU?AALI WA WALAANI ALAL AQTAABI JAM?AN FAHUKMI NAAFIZIN FI KULLI HAALI WALOW ALQAYTU SIRRI FI BIHAARIN LASAARAL KULLU GHAWRAN FIS ZAWAALI WALOW ALQAYTU SIRRI FI JIBAALIN LADUKKAT WAKHTAFAT BAYNAR RIMAALI WALOW ALQAYTU SIRRI FAWQA NAARIN LAKHAMIDAT WANTAFAT MIN SIRRI HAALI WALOW ALQAYTU SIRRI FAWQA MAYTIN LAQAAMA BIQUDRATIL MAWLA TA?AALI WAMAA MINHA SHUHURUN AW THUHUURUN TAMURRU WATANQADI ILLA ATAALI WATUKHBIRUNI BIMAA YA?TI WA YAJRI WATU?LIMUNI FA?AQSIR AN JIDAALI MUREEDI HIM WATIB WASHTAH WAGANNI WA?IF?AL MA TASHAA?U FALISMU AALI MUREEDI LA TAKHAF ALLAHU RABBI ATAANI RIFATAN NILTUL MANAALI TUBU LI FIS SAMAA?I WALARDI TUQQAT WASHAA?OOSUS SA?AADATI QAD BADAALI BILAADUL LAAHI MULKI TAHTA HUKMI WA WAQTI QABLA QALBI QAD SAFAALI NAZARTU ILAA BILAADIL LAAHI JAM?AN KAKHARDALATIN ALAA HUKMIT TISAALI DARASTUL ILMA HATTA SIRTU QUTBAN WANILTUS SA?DA MIM MAWLAL MAWAALI

FAMAN FI AWLIYAA?IL LAAHI MISLI WAMAN FIL ILMI WAT TASRIFI HAALI RIJAALI FI HAWA JIRIHIM SIYAAMUN WAFI ZULAMIL LAYAALI KAL LA AALI WAKULLU WALIYIN LAHU QADAMUN WA INNI ALAA QADAMIN NABBIYI BADRIL KAMAALI MUREEDI LA TAKHAF WA? SHIN FA INNI AZOOMUN QAATILUN INDAL QITAALI kosher JEELIYU MUHAYUDEENI LAQAABI WA?ALAAMI ALAA RA?SIL JIBAALI kosher HASANIYU WAL MUKHDA? MAQAAMI WA?AQDAAMI ALAA UNUQIR RIJAALI WA ABDUL QAADIRIL MASHOORU ISMI WA JADDI SAAHIBUL AYNIL KAMAALI

QASEEDA GHOUSIA (TRANSLATION) Cups of union Beloved gave me to drink; So I told , Advance towards me. Then it moved and walked to me in cups; In my intoxication, I understood the friends in my midst. I said to all the Polar-turnips, Come and enter my State. And become my Companion. Be courageous and drink, you are my army, Because the Cup-Bearer of the Fraternity has filled my cup to the full. And you sipped from my cup, what I left after my deep ?intoxication?, But you neither attained my height nor my Union. All your stations are high, But mine is higher ever. I am singularly near to Him, The Mighty One who changes my state and suffices. I am a White Falcon of every Mystic. ?Who is there among the Saints, so gifted as me?? He enrobed me with determination embroidered, And he crowned me with the Crown of Perfection. Unto me He revealed the Ancient Secrets. He adopted me and granted my request. And He made me a Filter over all the Polar-turnips. So my Orders are effective under all circumstances.

Had I thrown my secret into the oceans, They would have at once dried up. Had I thrown my secret over mountains, They would have become pulverized. Had I thrown my secret into fire, It would have been at once extinguished by the secret of my mystic state. Had I thrown my secret over the dead, He would have stood up with the power of Exalted God. There are no months or ages, Which flow but with my knowledge. And they acquaint me with the present and the future, and they give me informati on. And so, will you terminate your wrangles with me. Be courageous my disciple, be cheerful and sing, in ecstasy And act without restraint, for His name is Exalted. Do not be frightened, my disciple, Allah is my Sustainer, He has granted me the status through which I have attained high eminence. My [url=http://www.drumandbass.org]drums[/url] have been beaten in the heavens a nd earth, And I have been given the rank of Good-Luck. The Empire of Allah is under my command, And my time has been purified before my birth. I cast a glance at the entire Empire of Allah, It is like a mustard seed alongside my sovereignty. I acquired knowledge till I became a Polar-Star, And I attained Good Luck through the Great Lord. They are companions remorseful like those who fast, And are like pearls in the darkness of the nights. Each Saint has a station, And I follow in the footsteps of the Holy Prophet, the Full Moon of Perfection. He is a prophet belonging to the family of Hashim and to Mecca and Hijaz, He is my ancestor, I achieve my objects through him. Do not be frightened, my disciple, of a Slanderer, For I am a determined combatant in banie. I am Al Jilani, my name is Muhiyuddin, And my banners fly on mountain tops. I am Hassani and my abode is my cell, And my feet are on the neck of each Saint. ABDUL QAADIR is my famous name. And my ancestor is one possessed of an insight Perfect.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Books by Shaykh Abd 'al Qadir al Jilani [Allah be pleased with him] Courtesy of Al Baz Publishing

Kitab Sirr al-Asrar wa Mazhar al-Anwar (The Book of the Secret of Secrets and the Manifestation of Lights) Futuh al-Ghaib (Revelations of the Unseen) 78 discourses, fairly short and to the point but very powerful. Al-Fath ar-Rabbani (The Sublime Revelation) 62 discourses definitely longer, given in the Ribaat and Madrasa in Baghdad AH 5 45-546. Jala' al-Khawatir (The Removal of Cares) 45 discourses, also in the same locations, given in the year AH 546. Malfuzat (Utterances of Shaikh 'Abd al-Qadir) This is a collection of various sayings and short sections of what the Shaikh sa id.Generally it is found at the end of the hand copied Arabic manuscripts of Fat h ar-Rabbani. Al-Ghunya li-Talibi Tariq al-Haqq (Sufficient Provision for Seekers of the Path of Truth) also known in the Indian sub-continent as Al-Ghunya li-Talibin These five volumes, written by the Shaikh at the request of one of his murids, i s a comprehensive guide to all aspects of Islam, both the inward and the outward . Khamsata 'Ashara Maktuban (Fifteen Letters) These are 15 letters originally written in Persian by Shaikh 'Abd al-Qadir to on e of his murids. Al-Fuyudat al-Rabbaniyya (Emanations of Lordly Grace) Bashair al-Khairat (Glad Tidings of Good Things) A Salawat by Shaykh Abd al-Qadir by way of inspiration from Allah. Answers to Various Important Questions by Shaikh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani Contains many concise answers to very important questions regarding a variety of topics. Special Prayers by Shaikh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani Contains many special invocations taught to us by the Shaikh for their special b

lessings. Shaikh Abd al-Qadir - Gate of Poverty Contains the story excerpted from Necklaces of Gems of the Shaikh's struggle wit h the Devil Armies, Iblis himself, and his lower self (nafs) -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------