ʿAbd al-Razzāq b. ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī (c.

Dhu al-Qi'dah Dhu al-Qa'dah (, ', ), also spelled Dhu al-Qi'dah or Zu al-Qa'dah, is the eleventh month in the Islamic calendar. It could possibly mean "possessor or owner of the sitting and seating place" - the space occupied while sitting or the manner of t ...

528 AH – 6

Shawwal Shawwal () is the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. It comes after Ramadan and before Dhu al-Qa'da. ''Shawwāl'' stems from the Arabic verb ''shāla'' (), which means to 'lift or carry', generally to take or move things from one place to an ...

603 AH/9 September 1134 – 7 May 1207),''The works of Shaykh Umar Eli of Somalia of al-Tariqat al-Qadiriyyah.'' also known as Abū Bakr al-Jīlī or ʿAbd al-Razzāq al-Jīlānī (often simplified as Abdul-Razzaq Gilani) for short, or reverentially as Shaykh ʿAbd al-Razzāq al-Jīlānī by

Sunni Muslim Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Musli ...

s, was a Persian

Hanbali The Hanbali school or Hanbalism is one of the four major schools of Islamic jurisprudence, belonging to the Ahl al-Hadith tradition within Sunni Islam. It is named after and based on the teachings of the 9th-century scholar, jurist and tradit ...

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

jurist A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyzes and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal education in law (a law degree) and often a Lawyer, legal prac ...

, traditionalist and Sufi mystic based in

Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

. He received his initial training in the traditional Islamic sciences from his father, Abdul-Qadir Gilani (d. 1166), the founder of the

Qadiriyya The Qadiriyya () or the Qadiri order () is a Sunni Sufi order (''Tariqa'') founded by Abdul Qadir Gilani (1077–1166, also transliterated ''Jilani''), who was a Hanbali scholar from Gilan, Iran. The order, with its many sub-orders, is widesp ...

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

of Sunni mysticism, prior to setting out "on his own to attend the lectures of other prominent Hanbali scholars" in his region. Ohlander, Erik S., “ʿAbd al-Razzāq b. ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī”, in: ''Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE'', Edited by: Kate Fleet, Gudrun Krämer, Denis Matringe, John Nawas, Everett Rowson. He is sometimes given the Arabic honorary epithet ''Tāj al-Dīn'' (''Crown of the Religion'') in Sunni tradition, due to his reputation as a mystic of the Hanbali school.

Family

Abdul Razzaq Gilani was born on 9 September 1134 (18 Dhu al-Qadah 528 AH) in

. His father

Abdul Qadir Gilani Abdul Qadir Gilani (; ; c. 1077/78 – 1166) was a Hanbali scholar, preacher, and Sufi leader who was the eponym of the Qadiriyya, one of the oldest Sufi orders. He was born c. 1077/78 in the town of Na'if, Rezvanshahr in Gilan, Persia, ...

was regarded as a Hasani and Husayni

Sayyid ''Sayyid'' is an honorific title of Hasanid and Husaynid lineage, recognized as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and Ali's sons Hasan ibn Ali, Hasan and Husayn ibn Ali, Husayn. The title may also refer ...

, i.e. his maternal and paternal ancestry included Hasan and

Husayn ibn Ali Husayn ibn Ali (; 11 January 626 – 10 October 680 Common Era, CE) was a social, political and religious leader in early medieval Arabia. The grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and an Alids, Alid (the son of Ali ibn Abu Talib ibn Abd a ...

, the sons of Ali, cousin of

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

, and

Fatimah Fatima bint Muhammad (; 605/15–632 CE), commonly known as Fatima al-Zahra' (), was the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his wife Khadija bint Khuwaylid, Khadija. Fatima's husband was Ali, the fourth of the Rashidun caliphs and ...

, Muhammad's daughter.''Biographical encyclopaedia of sufis: central asia and middle east'', pg 123, Vol 2. Hanif N. Sarup and Sons. (2002) , 9788176252669.''The Election of Caliph/Khalifah and World Peace'' pg 176. Mowla, Khondakar G. (1998).

Name

His full name is, ''Sultan-ul-Faqr IV Abu Bakr Taj-ud-Din Shaikh Syed Abdul Razzaq Jilani'', the word ''

Syed Syed may refer to: * Seyd, alternative for Sayyid (name) * Alternative for Sayyid, an honorific title * Ahsan Ali Syed (born 1973), Indian businessman * Ghulam Murtaza Syed (1904-1995), prominent Sindhi politician * Ibrahim Bijli Syed (born 1939) ...

'' denotes his descent from Muhammad. The name ''Taj-ud-Din'' describes him as a "crown of religion" as he was the

Mufti A mufti (; , ) is an Islamic jurist qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion ('' fatwa'') on a point of Islamic law (''sharia''). The act of issuing fatwas is called ''iftāʾ''. Muftis and their ''fatāwa'' have played an important role thro ...

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

. The phrase, ''al-Jilani'' refers to Gilan, the place of his father's birth and he carried the family name. However, Abdul Razzaq also carried the epithet, ''Sultan ul Faqr IV,'' referring to his spiritual status. His patronymic is Abu Bakr although rarely included as part of his name.

Life

He received religious and spiritual education directly from his father. He gained knowledge of hadith and Fiqh from his father,

muhaddith A muhaddith () is a scholar specialized in the study, collection, and interpretation of hadiths, which are the recorded sayings, actions, and approvals of the Prophet Muhammad. The role of a muhaddith is central to the science of hadith (ʻilm a ...

s and a learned group of scholars. Being a

of Iraq and due to his excellence as a jurist and scholar, he received the title of ‘Taj-ud-Din’ which literally means ‘the crown of religion’. He was known for his abstinence and

renunciation Renunciation (or renouncing) is the act of rejecting something, particularly something that the renunciant has previously enjoyed or endorsed. In religion, renunciation often indicates an abandonment of pursuit of material comforts, in the inte ...

spending most of his time in prayers and

dhikr (; ; ) is a form of Islamic worship in which phrases or prayers are repeatedly recited for the purpose of remembering God. It plays a central role in Sufism, and each Sufi order typically adopts a specific ''dhikr'', accompanied by specific ...

. He only met people to preach, turning many devotees into notable scholars and mystics. Hafiz Imad-ud-Din Ibn-e-Kathir wrote: "Hazrat Abdul Razzaq was a perfectly accomplished mystic, ascetic and pious person. No one among the children of Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jillani was more learned and accomplished than he. He rejected worldly riches, status and high posts. He was least interested in worldly pleasures and always looked forward to the hereafter. He listened and learnt Hadith from many scholars and many people learnt Hadith from him".

The Incident of Celestial Beings

One day Shaikh Abdul Razzaq was present in the assembly of his father. Some mysterious and invisible beings were flying across the sky. When he feared what he saw, but Abdul Qadir Gilani told him not to worry as he was one of them. Hazrat Abu Zura'a Zahir Bin Al-Muqqadas Al-Dari was reported to have said:

Descendants

Syed Khair ud Din noted that Abdul Razzaq Gillani had five sons; * Syed Imaad ud deen Abu Saleh Abdullāh Nasr Jilani * Syed Abul Qasim Abdul Raheem Jilani * Syed Abu Muhammad Ismāeel Jilani * Syed Abu Mohsin Fazlullāh Jilani * Syed Jamalullāh Jilani (famous as Hayat Al Meer) Syed Abdul Razzaq Jilani is the ancestor of the Jilanis of

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ; , ; abbr. KP or KPK), formerly known as the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Northern Pakistan, northwestern region of the country, Khyber ...

Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...

and in some other parts of India.

Spiritual Sufi Order

The founder of the Qadiriyya, Abdul Qadir Gilani, was a respected scholar and preacher. Having been a pupil at the school (''

madrasa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes Romanization of Arabic, romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any Educational institution, type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whet ...

'') of

Abu Saeed Mubarak Makhzoomi Abu Saeed Mubarak Makhzoomi (), known also as Mubarak bin Ali Makhzoomi and Abu Saeed and Abu Sa'd al-Mubarak (rarely known as Qazi Abu Sa'd al-Mubarak al-Mukharrimi) was a Sufi saint as well as a Muslim mystic and Traditionalist. He was an Isl ...

he became the leader of this school after Makhzoomi's death in 1119. Being the new sheikh, he and his large family lived comfortably in the ''madrasa'' until his death in 1166, when his son, Abdul Razzaq, succeeded his father as the sheikh. The Qadiriyya flourished and remained an influential

Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...

institution. By the end of the fifteenth century the

had distinct branches and had spread to present-day

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

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Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

and

Mali Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...

. On the Indian

subcontinent A continent is any of several large geographical regions. Continents are generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria. A continent could be a single large landmass, a part of a very large landmass, as in the case of A ...

, Sultan Bahoo spread the Qadiriyya order. His method of spreading the teachings of the Sufi doctrine of Faqr was through his Punjabi couplets and through his more than written works. He used the method of

Dhikr (; ; ) is a form of Islamic worship in which phrases or prayers are repeatedly recited for the purpose of remembering God. It plays a central role in Sufism, and each Sufi order typically adopts a specific ''dhikr'', accompanied by specific ...

and stressed that the way to reach Divinity was not through asceticism or excessive or lengthy prayers but through selfless love carved out of annihilation in Allah called

Divine Love Love of God can mean either love for God or love by God. Love for God (''philotheia'') is associated with the concepts of worship, and devotions towards God. The Greek term ''theophilia'' means the love or favour of God, and ''theophilos'' me ...

Spiritual Lineage

The saintly lineage of Faqr reached Syed Abdul Razzaq Gilani in the following order: #

# 'Alī bin Abī Ṭālib # al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī # Habib al Ajami #

Dawud Tai Abu Sulaiman Dawud ibn Nusair al-Tā'ī, () usually referred to as Dawud Tā'ī, (died between 776 and 783 CE) was an Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic. He resided in Kufa and was a prominent student of Abu Hanifa. His disciples included many inf ...

Maruf Karkhi Ma'ruf ibn Firuz al-Karkhi () was a Sufi Muslim saint. Biography Maruf was born in the district of Wasit or Karkh in Baghdad. According to some sources, he is of Mandaean origin. His father's name was Firuz, which suggests that he was of ...

# Sirri Saqti # Junaid Baghdadi # Abu Bakr Shibli # Abdul Aziz bin Hars bin Asad Yemeni Tamimi # Abu Al Fazal Abdul Wahid Yemeni Tamimi # Mohammad Yousuf Abu al-Farah Tartusi # Abu-al-Hassan Ali Bin Mohammad Qureshi Hankari #

#Shaikh Abdul Qadir Gilani #Shaikh Abdul Razzaq Gilani Shaikh Abdul Razzaq Gilani led the Qadiriyya order after his father and Shaikh Abdul Razzaq Gilani granted khilafat of Faqr to his grandson Abdul Jabbar Gilani.

Death and Shrine

His death date is mostly noted to be 6 Shawwal 603 AH. His shrine is besides the shrine of Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal near Baab-e-Harm in

. Few visitors and devotees are able to pay their regards due to the flow of river

Tigris The Tigris ( ; see #Etymology, below) is the eastern of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian Desert, Syrian and Arabia ...

. He died on a Saturday, the 7 Shawwal 613 AH (some books mentioned 595 H, 1198 A.D) in Baghdad. A large crowd attended his funeral prayers, which were held also in many other places in Baghdad.

Works

The following book is found to be Shaikh Abdul Razzaq’s work: * ''Jala-ul-Khawatir'' : "(The Removal of Cares)"