The Shaikh's Life in Baghdaad
The Shaikh's Life in Baghdaad
Through the mists
of legend surrounding the life of Shaikh 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, it is
possible to discern the outlines of the following biographical sketch:
In A.H. 488, at
the age of eighteen, he left his native province to become a student in the
great capital city of Baghdaad, the hub of political, commercial and cultural
activity, and the center of religious learning in the world of Islaam.
After studying traditional sciences under such teachers as the prominent
Hanbalii jurist [faqiih], Abuu Sa'd 'Alii al-Mukharrimii, he encountered a more
spiritually oriented instructor in the saintly person of Abu'l-Khair Hammaad
ad-Dabbaas.
Then, instead of
embarking on his own professorial career, he abandoned the city and spent
twenty-five years as a wanderer in the desert regions of 'Iraaq. He was
over fifty years old by the time he returned to Baghdaad, in A.H. 521/1127
C.E., and began to preach in public. His hearers were profoundly affected
by the 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-Mukharrimii, but the premises eventually proved
inadequate.
In A.H. 528,
pious donations were applied to the construction of a residence and guesthouse
[ribaat], capable of housing the Shaikh and his large family, as well as
providing accommodation for his pupils and space for those who came from far
and wide to attend his regular sessions [majaalis].
He lived to a
ripe old age, and continued his work until his very last breath, as we know
from the accounts of his final moments recorded in the Addendum to Revelations
of the Unseen.
In the words of
Shaikh Muzaffer Ozak Efendi: "The venerable 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani
passed on to the Realm of Divine Beauty in A.H. 561/1166 C.E., and his blessed
mausoleum in Baghdaad is still a place of pious visitation. He is noted
for his extraordinary spiritual experiences and exploits, as well as his memorable
sayings and wise teachings. It is rightly said of him that 'he was born
in love, grew in perfection, and met his Lord in the perfection of love.'
May the All-Glorious Lord bring us in contact with his lofty spiritual
influence!"
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