ʿAbd al-Razzāq b. ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī (c. Dhu al-Qi'dah 528 AH – 6 Shawwal 603 AH/9 September 1134 – 7 May 1207),[3] 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 Muslims, was a Persian Sunni Muslim Hanbali theologian, jurist, traditionalist and Sufi mystic based in Baghdad. [4] He received his initial training in the traditional Islamic sciences from his father, Abdul-Qadir Gilani (d. 1166), the founder of the Qadiriyya order of Sunni mysticism, prior to setting out "on his own to attend the lectures of other prominent Hanbali scholars" in his region. [5] 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.[5]

Abdul Razzaq Gilani
Full nameAbdul Razzaq Gilani
Born18 Zil Qa’dah 528 AH
(9 September 1134)
FiqhHanbali[1][2]
BirthplaceBaghdad, Iraq
Died6 Shawwal 603 AH
(7 May 1207)
Place of BurialTomb of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Baghdad, Iraq
FatherAbdul-Qadir Gilani
Son(s)
  • Abu Saleh Gilani
  • Abu'l-Qasim Abdul Rahim Gilani
  • Abu Muhammad Isma'il Gilani
  • Abu Mohasin Fazal-e Allah Gilani
  • Jamal Allah Gilani
  • Abdul Aziz Saiduddin Gilani
KhalifaAbdul Jabbar Gilani
Other Titles
  • Sheikh (Leader)
  • Abdur Razzaq (Servant of the All-Provider)
  • Al-Jilani (One Who Is from Gilan)
  • Taj-ud-Din (Crown of the Religion)
  • Abu Bakr (Father of Bakr)
  • Sultan ul Faqr IV (The Fourth of the Seven Sacred Souls)

Family edit

Abdul Razzaq Gilani was born on 9 September 1134 (18 Dhu al-Qadah 528 AH) in Baghdad.[6] His father Abdul Qadir Gilani[7] was regarded as a Hasani and Husayni Sayyid, i.e. his maternal and paternal ancestry included Hasan and Husayn ibn Ali, the sons of Ali, cousin of Muhammad, and Fatimah, Muhammad's daughter.[8][9][10]

Name edit

His full name is, Sultan-ul-Faqr IV Abu Bakr Taj-ud-Din Shaikh Syed Abdul Razzaq Jilani, the word Syed denotes his descent from Muhammad.[11] The name Taj-ud-Din describes him as a "crown of religion" as he was the Mufti of Iraq.[12] The phrase, al-Jilani refers to Gilan, the place of his father's birth and he carried the family name.[13][14] However, Abdul Razzaq also carried the epithet, Sultan ul Faqr IV, referring to his spiritual status.[15] His patronymic is Abu Bakr although rarely included as part of his name.[16]

Life edit

He received religious and spiritual education directly from his father. He gained knowledge of hadith and Fiqh from his father, muhaddiths and a learned group of scholars. Being a Mufti 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’.[17] He was known for his abstinence and renunciation spending most of his time in prayers and dhikr. 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".[18]

The Incident of Celestial Beings edit

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:[19]

“Today, a few such people are also present here who live across the mountain of Qa'f Qudas, their foot steps are in the air, their cloaks and the crowns of love of Allah on their heads are burning due to the extreme fire of Divine passion." Shaikh Abdul Razzaq was sitting close to the chair of Shaikh Abdul Qadir Gilani, listening to his words, he lifted his head and gazed at the sky. In a moment his cloak and turban started burning and he fainted. Abdul Qadir Gilani rose up and put the fire out with his hands saying "Oh Abdul Razzaq you are also one of them". Abu Zura'a says that "after the sermon I asked Shaikh Abdul Razzaq about the incident. He explained that when he gazed at the sky he saw some celestial spiritual people in the air whose cloaks and turbans were blazing with the extreme fire of Divine passion and they were circling and dancing in the air, they were thundering like clouds with the ache of Divine love. Seeing them he also felt the same".

Descendants edit

Syed Khair ud Din noted that Abdul Razzaq Gillani had five sons;[20]

  • 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, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir and in some other parts of India.[21]

Bahauddin Naqshband edit

Baha' al-Din Naqshband's mother Arifa descended from Abdul Razzaq in a matrilineal line. Through his mother Bahauddin was influenced by his ancestor´s teachings, which is the reason why Bahauddin´s descendants today, the Hazrat Ishaans, claim to lead the Qadiri Sufi Order as spiritual successors of Abdul Razzaq Gillani through their patriarch Bahauddin.[22][23][24]

Spiritual Sufi Order edit

The founder of the Qadiriyya, Abdul Qadir Gilani, was a respected scholar and preacher.[25] Having been a pupil at the school (madrasa) of Abu Saeed Mubarak Makhzoomi 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 institution. By the end of the fifteenth century the Qadiriyya had distinct branches and had spread to present-day Morocco, Spain, Turkey, India, Ethiopia, Somalia and Mali.

On the Indian subcontinent, 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 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.[citation needed]

Spiritual Lineage edit

The saintly lineage of Faqr reached Syed Abdul Razzaq Gilani in the following order:[26]

  1. Muhammad
  2. 'Alī bin Abī Ṭālib
  3. al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī
  4. Habib al Ajami
  5. Dawud Tai
  6. Maruf Karkhi
  7. Sirri Saqti
  8. Junaid Baghdadi
  9. Abu Bakr Shibli
  10. Abdul Aziz bin Hars bin Asad Yemeni Tamimi
  11. Abu Al Fazal Abdul Wahid Yemeni Tamimi
  12. Mohammad Yousuf Abu al-Farah Tartusi
  13. Abu-al-Hassan Ali Bin Mohammad Qureshi Hankari
  14. Abu Saeed Mubarak Makhzoomi
  15. Shaikh Abdul Qadir Gilani
  16. 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.[15]

Death and Shrine edit

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 Baghdad. Few visitors and devotees are able to pay their regards due to the flow of river Tigris. 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.[27][28]

Works edit

The following book is found to be Shaikh Abdul Razzaq’s work:

  • Jala-ul-Khawatir : "(The Removal of Cares)" [29]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ John Renard, The A to Z of Sufism. p 142. ISBN 081086343X
  2. ^ Juan Eduardo Campo, Encyclopedia of Islam, p. 288. ISBN 1438126964
  3. ^ The works of Shaykh Umar Eli of Somalia of al-Tariqat al-Qadiriyyah.
  4. ^ W. Braune, Abd al-Kadir al-Djilani, The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Vol. I, ed. H.A.R Gibb, J.H.Kramers, E. Levi-Provencal, J. Schacht, (Brill, 1986), 69.
  5. ^ a b 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.
  6. ^ Ohlander, Erik S. (2010). "ʿAbd al-Razzāq b. ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī". In Kate Fleet; Gudrun Krämer; Denis Matringe; John Nawas; Everett Rowson (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE. Brill. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  7. ^ "'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. I: A-Ak – Bayes (15th ed.). Chicago, Illinois: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2010. pp. 16. ISBN 978-1-59339-837-8.
  8. ^ Biographical encyclopaedia of sufis: central asia and middle east, pg 123, Vol 2. Hanif N. Sarup and Sons. (2002) ISBN 81-7625-266-2, 9788176252669.
  9. ^ The Election of Caliph/Khalifah and World Peace pg 176. Mowla, Khondakar G. (1998).
  10. ^ R. F., Burton. ""Arabian Nights" Vol 5, Chapter 61-Footnote 466".
  11. ^ Muslim communities of grace: the Sufi brotherhoods in Islamic religious life pg 94, Abun-Nasr, Jamil M. Columbia University Press. (2007). ISBN 978-0-231-14330-1.
  12. ^ Taj-ud-Din, The Mufti of Iraq. "...title was Taj-ud-Deen. He was born on 18th of Zil Qaadah 528 A.H. He was a great Saint and appointed as Mufti of Iraq..." Archived from the original on 2015-12-10. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  13. ^ Encyclopaedia of religion and ethics: volume 1. (A – Art). Part 1. (A – Algonquins) pg 10. Hastings, James and Selbie, John A. Adamant Media corporation. (2001), "and he was probably of Persian origin."
  14. ^ The Sufi orders in Islam, 2nd edition, pg 32. Triingham, J. Spencer and Voll, John O. Oxford University Press US, (1998), "The Hanafi Qadirriya is also included since 'Abd al-Qadir, of Persian origin was contemporary of the other two."
  15. ^ a b Abdul Razzaq Al-Kailani. Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani. PT Mizan Publications. p. 119. ISBN 978-6-028-23638-6.
  16. ^ Prince, Darashikoh. Safina tul Auliya (1986 ed.). Pakistan: Nafees Academy Karachi.
  17. ^ Taj-ud-Din, The Mufti of Iraq. "...title was Taj-ud-Deen...He was a great Saint and appointed as Mufti of Iraq..." Archived from the original on 2015-12-10. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  18. ^ "Book - bahjat ul asrar - Nafeislam.Com | Islam | Quran | Tafseer | Fatwa | Books | Audio | Video | Muslim | Sunni - Nafseislam.Com". books.nafseislam.com.
  19. ^ The Sultan of the Saints: Mystical Life and Teaching of Shaikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jilani, pg 244, Riyāz Qādrī, Muhammad. Abassi publications, University of Michigan (2000), “My sermon is for the hidden men in whose hearts fire of love is raging.”
  20. ^ Khair ud Din, Syed (2004). تحفۃ القادریہ سوانح عمری سیدنا شیخ عبدالقادر جیلانی [Tohfa-tul-Qadria] (in Urdu). Translated by Fazal ud Din, Malik. Lahore: Qadri Rizwi Kutub Khana.
  21. ^ Book, Tuhfat-ul-Qaderia. "Syed Abdul Razzaq Jilani was the father of five sons". Archived from the original on 2015-12-10. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  22. ^ Tazkare Khwanadane Hazrat Eshan(genealogy of the family of Hazrat Eshan)(by author and investigator:Muhammad Yasin Qasvari Naqshbandi company:Edara Talimat Naqshbandiyya Lahore)
  23. ^ Khatme Ziarate Sharife hazrat eshan Bukhari(written and investigated by Mian Ahmad Bader Akhlaq(BSC)) printed the second time in 1988 Writer and inspector Mian Muhammad Hasan Akhlaq(M.Km) 1988 company: Koperatis Lahorin
  24. ^ Prince Sayyid Raphael Dakik in Dastoor Jalwah, Book Baath Sayadat, chapter The Qadiriyya Sufi Order
  25. ^ Omer Tarin, Hazrat Ghaus e Azam Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani sahib, RA: Aqeedat o Salam, Urdu monograph, Lahore, 1996
  26. ^ Sult̤ān Bāhū (1998). Death Before Dying: The Sufi Poems of Sultan Bahu. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-92046-0.
  27. ^ "Shrine of Syed Abdul Razzaq Jilani". Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  28. ^ Ilmi Encyclopedia of General Knowledge, pg 427. Zāhid Ḥusain Anjum, Ilmi Kitab Khana, original from the University of Virginia, " Abdur Razzaq Gilani Syed, Hazrat ( —978 A.H.). He was the son of Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani Sani, his Mazar is situated in Uch Sharif. Abdur Razzaq Qadiri Shah, ...."
  29. ^ Jilani, Shaikh Syed Abdul Razzaq (2000). Jala-ul-Khawatir. Maktaba Nabaviyya, Lahore.

Further reading edit