A NOTE ON HAZRAT ABDUL QADIR JILANI
Hazrat
Abdul Qadir Jilani was the son of Hazrat Abu Saleh, was born on the
eleventh of the Rabiul-Sani, the fourth Arabic month, in 470, Hijri in
Jilan , Iran. Contemporary historians admits that Abdul Qadir was a
born saint.
At the age of six, his own mother taught him the holy Quran and some theological books dealing with daily religious observances. In the year 488 Hijri, when he came of age at 18, he was advised to proceed to Baghdad to complete his education. His mother gave her permission and escorted him as far as the first caravan station. When the caravan brought him to Baghdad, he got himself admitted into Madarsai Nizamia, which had a unique distinction of being the greatest seminary of its time during the heydays of Islam. In a few years’ time, he completed his education, and was looked upon as one of the greatest exponents of Islamic theology and exegesis. Having attained the highest degree of scholarship in various branches of learning in vogue in those days, he turned his attention wholeheartedly towards spiritual realization. He was duly initiated by his spiritual teacher Abu Said Fakhravi, and under his guidance, he proceeded on the path of renunciation, asceticism, and intense devotion to God. He underwent the strictest discipline and occupied himself with single-minded devotion to the pursuit of the higher purpose in life.
He was endowed with a loving heart, and treated the high and the low, the rich and the poor alike. He never looked upon anyone as an inferior being. Every one was impressed by his humility, sincerity, and uprightness .He was ever solicitous about poor people’s welfare, and never spared himself in serving them. He always responded to the call of needy people, whom he helped generously. He often visited disabled and sickly persons. He was quite contented with all that he had, and deliberately avoided cultivating the acquaintance of rich people; and he never accepted any gifts offered by wealthy people. On a number of occasions, some rich and propertied people offered to reserve for him good portions of their money and income, but he invariably declined to accept them. His means of livelihood was trade. During winter season, he bought and sold warm clothing and made good profit. Throughout the whole night, at stated times, he was deeply and uninterruptedly devoted to the worship of God, and never granted an interview to anybody, including the Caliph of Baghdad. He advised his followers in these words, ’The world is a perishable inn, where people come and go. There is no stability in any of its work. Your life, your comfort, your wealth and possession are all transitory. Those who occupy themselves with the passing sense of pleasures, in preference to the attainment of divine wisdom, are never happy and contented. Devoted people should never seek any assistance from wealthy people’.
He invariably emphasized the need of self surrender to the will of God. He was of the opinion that complete resignation to the will of God was just like a ball which moved to and fro by the stroke of a bat, or like a dead body in the hands of one who bathes it before it is buried. This virtue of self –surrender grants to man God’s highest grace, and he feels that no will of his own separate from God’s. This is the only and the best way to the realization of God, as enjoined by him. The spiritual teacher should have five qualities in him:1.One who does not possess any one of them may be treated as ‘dajjal’(that is, he is not genuine) 2.The ‘pir’(teacher)should have full knowledge of the Shariat of Islam, and should have enough knowledge of the divine wisdom.3.He must treat his visitors nicely and with a broad smile, and should ever be ready to entertain travellers.4.He should treat poor and indigent people with utmost consideration and humanity.5.He should have enough spiritual advancement to be able to teach and guide his disciples, and his character should be free from jealousy, hypocrisy, greed, self-complacency, indifference and love of luxury.
He said ,’I do not consider anything better than feeding the poor and general public and treating high and low alike. If I ever become the lord of the whole world, I would give away all my property in charity to the needy and deserving people. I do not keep any money with me. I receive money of different values from morning till evening and not a trace of it remains in my house. Everything is distributed to the poor’.
One who seeks assistance from a being other than God has failed to understand the true nature, glory, and grace of God. A devout Muslim’s first duty is to seek the right way of livelihood, and not pass his time in idleness. No one can set his will against God’s will because He is all- powerful, and controls the outer as well as the inner world. His thoughts runs like this.
Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani died on the eleventh of Rabiul-Sani ,561.
At the age of six, his own mother taught him the holy Quran and some theological books dealing with daily religious observances. In the year 488 Hijri, when he came of age at 18, he was advised to proceed to Baghdad to complete his education. His mother gave her permission and escorted him as far as the first caravan station. When the caravan brought him to Baghdad, he got himself admitted into Madarsai Nizamia, which had a unique distinction of being the greatest seminary of its time during the heydays of Islam. In a few years’ time, he completed his education, and was looked upon as one of the greatest exponents of Islamic theology and exegesis. Having attained the highest degree of scholarship in various branches of learning in vogue in those days, he turned his attention wholeheartedly towards spiritual realization. He was duly initiated by his spiritual teacher Abu Said Fakhravi, and under his guidance, he proceeded on the path of renunciation, asceticism, and intense devotion to God. He underwent the strictest discipline and occupied himself with single-minded devotion to the pursuit of the higher purpose in life.
He was endowed with a loving heart, and treated the high and the low, the rich and the poor alike. He never looked upon anyone as an inferior being. Every one was impressed by his humility, sincerity, and uprightness .He was ever solicitous about poor people’s welfare, and never spared himself in serving them. He always responded to the call of needy people, whom he helped generously. He often visited disabled and sickly persons. He was quite contented with all that he had, and deliberately avoided cultivating the acquaintance of rich people; and he never accepted any gifts offered by wealthy people. On a number of occasions, some rich and propertied people offered to reserve for him good portions of their money and income, but he invariably declined to accept them. His means of livelihood was trade. During winter season, he bought and sold warm clothing and made good profit. Throughout the whole night, at stated times, he was deeply and uninterruptedly devoted to the worship of God, and never granted an interview to anybody, including the Caliph of Baghdad. He advised his followers in these words, ’The world is a perishable inn, where people come and go. There is no stability in any of its work. Your life, your comfort, your wealth and possession are all transitory. Those who occupy themselves with the passing sense of pleasures, in preference to the attainment of divine wisdom, are never happy and contented. Devoted people should never seek any assistance from wealthy people’.
He invariably emphasized the need of self surrender to the will of God. He was of the opinion that complete resignation to the will of God was just like a ball which moved to and fro by the stroke of a bat, or like a dead body in the hands of one who bathes it before it is buried. This virtue of self –surrender grants to man God’s highest grace, and he feels that no will of his own separate from God’s. This is the only and the best way to the realization of God, as enjoined by him. The spiritual teacher should have five qualities in him:1.One who does not possess any one of them may be treated as ‘dajjal’(that is, he is not genuine) 2.The ‘pir’(teacher)should have full knowledge of the Shariat of Islam, and should have enough knowledge of the divine wisdom.3.He must treat his visitors nicely and with a broad smile, and should ever be ready to entertain travellers.4.He should treat poor and indigent people with utmost consideration and humanity.5.He should have enough spiritual advancement to be able to teach and guide his disciples, and his character should be free from jealousy, hypocrisy, greed, self-complacency, indifference and love of luxury.
He said ,’I do not consider anything better than feeding the poor and general public and treating high and low alike. If I ever become the lord of the whole world, I would give away all my property in charity to the needy and deserving people. I do not keep any money with me. I receive money of different values from morning till evening and not a trace of it remains in my house. Everything is distributed to the poor’.
One who seeks assistance from a being other than God has failed to understand the true nature, glory, and grace of God. A devout Muslim’s first duty is to seek the right way of livelihood, and not pass his time in idleness. No one can set his will against God’s will because He is all- powerful, and controls the outer as well as the inner world. His thoughts runs like this.
Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani died on the eleventh of Rabiul-Sani ,561.
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