Shaykh Osman Sayrifini and
Shaykh Abdul Haq Harimi Radi ALLAH u anhum stated:
"We were present before Sayyedina Hazrat Ghaus al Azam (RA) in his Madrassa on
the third of Safar 555 AH, when Hazrat suddenly got up with his wooden sandals
under his feet and performed ablution. He offered two Rakats of prayers and with
a loud shout threw one of the sandals into the air. It disappeared from our
sight. With another shout, his Holiness threw the other sandal into the air,
which also disappeared. None present dared question 'Ghaus al Azam' on the
incident. But thirty days after this incident a caravan came to Baghdad from
Ajam and said that they had brought some presents for Hazrat. Hazrat permitted
the acceptance of the presents of valuable things and there were also the same
pair of sandals which were thrown in the air by Hazrat. They related that on the
third of Safar when they were travelling, a gang suddenly attacked them and
plundered their merchandise and murdered some of them in the caravan. The gang
then entered the jungle to divide the booty. They then had halted at the
outskirts of the jungle and it struck them to solicit the help of Hazrat Ghaus
al Azam(RA). 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 stronger 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.
We owe the following report to the three Sheikhs Abu 's-Sa'ud 'Abdu'llah,
Muhammad al-Awani, and 'Umar al-Barraz (may ALLAH be well pleased with them
all):
"Our master Shaikh 'Abd al-Qadir has guaranteed to his pupils, until the Day of
Resurrection [Yawm al-Qiyama], that not a single one of them will die without
being in a state of repentance. He has also given the assurance that his pupils,
and his pupils' pupils through seven stages of succession, will enter the Garden
of Paradise. He said: 'I am a surety for my pupils' pupils through seven stages.
If a defect became apparent in a pupil of mine in the West, while I was in the
East, I would cause it to be concealed. We must make it our business to direct
our endeavors, to the fullest possible extent, toward safeguarding the welfare
of our companions. Fortunate indeed is he who has seen me, and how sorry I feel
for him who has not seen me!'
"May ALLAH be well pleased with him, and may He also be well pleased with us,
because of him!"
Shaikh 'Ali al-Qurashi has told us: "Our master Hazrat Shaikh 'Abd al-Qadir (may
ALLAH be well pleased with him) once said: 'I was handed a scroll [sijill] that
stretches as far as the eye can see, containing a list of the names of my
companions and my pupils till the Day of Resurrection [Yawm al-Qiyama], and I
was told: "They have all been granted to you."'"
“My Foot is on the necks of all Awliya”
Huzoor Sheikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jilani Al-Hassani wal Hussaini- (RA) son, Shaikh
'Abdu'llah, was present when his father made his famous declaration.
[Shaikh Majid al-Kurdi added]: "When I asked Shaikh 'Abdu'llah, the son of our
master Hazrat Shaikh Sayyed Abd al-Qadir (may ALLAH be well pleased with him):
'Were you present at the session [majlis] at which your father said: "This foot
of mine is upon the neck of every saint of ALLAH ,"' he replied: 'Yes I was, and
those in attendance at that session included approximately fifty Sheikhs, from
among those most highly distinguished.'"
It was Shaikh al-Qudwa [the Exemplary Guide] Abu Sa'id al-Qailawi who said:
"When Huzoor Shaikh 'Abd al-Qadir (may ALLAH be well pleased with him) declared:
'This foot of mine is upon the neck of every saint of ALLAH ,' the Lord of Truth
(Almighty and Glorious is He) made Himself manifest upon his heart, and a robe
of honor was conveyed to him from ALLAH 's Messenger (ALLAH bless him and give
him peace), through the agency of a party of the angels who are brought near [to
the Lord].
"He donned this robe in the presence of all the saints [Awliya'], those of
former times and those more recent, those still alive in their physical bodies
and those [physically] dead [but alive] in their spirits. The angels and the men
of the Unseen [rijal al-Ghaib] were circling around his session, stationed in
the air in ranks, so that the horizon was obstructed by them. There was not a
single saint [Wali] anywhere on the earth, who did not bend his neck toward him.
May ALLAH be well pleased with him!"
"'More than one of them asserted that Huzoor Sheikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jilani Al-Hassani
wal Hussaini- (Radi ALLAH-u ta'ala anhu)did not utter this declaration without
having received a command [from the Lord] to do so. Among those who made this
assertion are:
*Shaikh 'Adi ibn Musafir *Shaikh Abu Sa'id al-Qailawi *Shaikh 'Ali ibn al-Hiti *Shaikh
Ahmad ibn ar-Rifa'i *Shaikh Abu 'l-Qasim al-Basri *Shaikh Hayat al-Harrani.
"'They also maintained that he was given permission to dismiss [from their
position of sainthood] any of the saints [Awliya'] who might find fault with him
for making his declaration.'"
According to another report, Shaikh Lu'lu' al-Armani said: "I saw the saints in
the East and the West, all bowing their heads in profound humility, with the
solitary exception of a man in Persia. He did not do it, so his spiritual state
evaporated and deserted him. Among those Sheikhs who did bend their necks at
that moment, we should mention:
*Shaikh Baqa ibn Batu *Shaikh Abu Sa'id al-Qailawi *Shaikh 'Ali ibn al-Hiti *Shaikh
Ahmad ibn ar-Rifa'i, who stretched out his nape and exclaimed: '[That foot is]
upon my neck!' When someone asked him what he was doing, he explained: 'Just
now, in Baghdad, Huzoor Sheikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jilani Al-Hassani wal Hussaini-
(Radi ALLAH-u ta'ala anhu) has declared: "This foot of mine is upon the neck of
every saint of ALLAH."' *Shaikh 'Abd ar-Rahman at-Tafsunji *Shaikh Abu 'n-Najib
as-Suhrawardi, who tilted his head so low that it almost touched the ground, as
he exclaimed: '[That foot is] upon my head!'
Conclusion
It was Shaikh 'Ali ibn Idris al-Ya'qubi who said: "Shaikh 'Ali ibn al-Haiti was
once asked a question, while I was listening, about the spiritual path [Tariqa]
of our master, Huzoor Sheikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jilani Al-Hassani wal Hussaini- (Radi
ALLAH-u ta'ala anhu). He said in reply: 'His first step was the delegation [of
all authority to the Lord] [tafwid], and compliance [with His decree] [muwafaqa],
in the complete renunciation of all claims to personal power and strength. His
procedure consisted in the shedding of attachments [tajrid], the affirmation of
Divine Oneness [tawhid], and total concentration on singular devotion [tafrid],
combined with presence at the time of worshipful servitude ['ubudiyya], standing
with an innermost being [sirr] in the position of servanthood ['abdiyya], not
because of anything, nor for the sake of anything [other than ALLAH ]. His
worshipful servitude ['ubudiyya] was derived from the sheer perfection of
Lordship [Rububiyya], for he was a servant ['abd] who had transcended the
companionship of differentiation [musahabat at-tafriqa] and risen to the
celestial spheres of unification [matali' al-jam'], in full conformity with the
rules of the Sacred Law [ahkam ash-Shar'].'"
The Sheikh’s passing away;
Excerpted from 'Futuh al-Ghaib' [Revelations of the Unseen]. The Sheikh’s final
advice to his sons (sanctified be their innermost secrets); some valuable
remarks he made; his last illness and death (may ALLAH be well pleased with him,
and grant 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
pleased 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
ALLAH (Almighty and Glorious is He). Do not rely on anyone but Him, address all
your 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."
The following descriptions have also been reported: His son Shaykh 'Abd al-Jabbar
(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 none worthy of worship but ALLAH, Glorified
and Exalted is He, the Ever-Living Who has no fear of passing away. Glory be to
Him Who exults in His omnipotence, and subdues His servants with death. There is
none worthy of worship but ALLAH. 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"],
but 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,
ALLAH, ALLAH," till his voice grew faint and his tongue was cleaving to the roof
of his mouth. Then his noble spirit went forth. The good pleasure of ALLAH
(Exalted is He) be upon him!
Celebration Of Giyarveen Shareef
Hazrat Sheikh Sayyed Abdul Qadir Jilani (RA)- is also lovingly referred to as
the “Giyarveen wala Peer” in the sub-continent region. Celebrations of Giyarveen
Shareef- which is the day of birth of Huzoor Sayyedina Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani
(RA)- should be done with respect and love and honour and dignity owing to the
blessedness of this occasion. There are 3 ways (Tariqa) of celebrating this
blessed event:
The celebrations can start on the 10th of Rabi-ul-thaani in the night leading to
the day of 11th Rabi-ul-thaani.
The celebrations can start on the day of 11th rabi-ul-thaani continuing to the
night of 12th rabi-ul-thaani
Giyarveen Shareef can be celebrated any day in the holy month of Rabi-ul-thaani
(rabi-ul-aakhir).
Certain sects of people claim that the celebration of this blessed event is
haram and has no connection with Islam or the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH). Firstly- such people should be asked to produce any supporting
evidence either from the Holy Quran or in the Sunnah of our Beloved Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH)- because to state whether something is halal or haram- one has
to offer proof in support of their claims. But alas! For them- they have no
claim to back their baseless and unjustified words.
Giyarveen Shareef is a “Khairaat”- which means precious blessings or blessed
treasures- which is done in the name of ALLAH (SWT) and on the instructions and
the Sunnah of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). All arrangements are made for
this blessed occasion because Huzoor-e-Kareem –Muhammad (PBUH) has mentioned
that there are two duties in Islam incumbent on every muslim which if he/she
does- will be the basis of Infinite blessings and mercy. They are:
To say salaam (greetings) on everyone- whom you know and whom you don’t know.
To serve/feed food or to share food with others.
If the above two duties are done with the sole intention of earning ALLAH’s(SWT)
pleasure and Mercy- then a reward is generated in the ‘bargah-e-Ilaahi’ – Court
of ALLAH(SWT) which is endless in nature and bountiful in means and is full of
purity and nobleness due to the deed that is carried out- if accepted. Then this
good deed of a person is presented in the court of Ghaus-paak (RA) as a gift, a
present. So, the question now is, is this legitimate, a ‘jaiz’ act as per the
Sharia’h and Quran. Yes, indeed it is.
The Holy Quran says; “Fastabiqul-khairaat” – this is a general order for one and
for all, which is to race with each other in the act of carrying out good deeds
and every good deed is considered to be a blessed treasure in the eyes of ALLAH
(SWT).
The Holy Quran also mentions; “Yusaarioona fil-khairaat” – to carry out good
deeds in an infinite manner and the deeds can be either in the form of clothing
someone, feeding someone, praying or giving Giyarveen Shareef – such are the
signs of pious and God-fearing people who want to increase the taqwa in their
hearts. A person cannot limitise good deeds or actions as ALLAH’s religion is
comprehensive and simple- hence to say that good deeds Only refer to praying or
clothing, etc is wrong.
The basic difference between Sadaqah and Khairaat is that while Sadaqah is
limited to only the needy, the poor, orphans and widows who are financially weak
or physically impaired and that Sadaqah is given as a means to ward off evil or
some other problems or calamity that might affect a person and to earn the
contentment of ALLAH (SWT) whereas Khairaat can be given or shared with everyone
irrespective of their financial status or needs. And Khairaat is done solely
with the intention of pleasing ALLAH (SWT) and in reward of this act of good
deed- ALLAH (SWT) in HIS Infinite Glory and Might removes calamities and other
problems and hardships that might have otherwise come our way.
The people who claim that Giyarveen Shareef is haram since, anything is haram if
the act is done for anyone else except ALLAH (SWT). So, lets clear out a main
issue where the Quran mentions that anything done for “Ghair-ul-ALLAH” is
forbidden- Awliya ALLAH are different from Ghair-ul-ALLAH as Ghair-ul-ALLAH are
the ones with no connection to ALLAH (SWT). Nabi-ul-ALLAH and Rasool-ul-ALLAH
are different than Ghair-ul-ALLAH. The merits and benefits of the companionship
and remembrance of Nabi-ul-ALLAH and Rasool-ul-ALLAH is different from
Ghair-ul-ALLAH. The association of Awliya ALLAH, swaliheen, shuhadaa and its
benefits are different from that of Ghair-ul-ALLAH. In the Holy Quran –wherever
the term, “Ghair-ul-ALLAH” has been mentioned- it refers to idols, statues.
Because the Glaring truth is that Nabi-ul-ALLAH, Rasool-ul-ALLAH, Awliya ALLAH,
Swaliheen. Shuhadaa, Siddiqeen are all made and created by ALLAH whereas the
idols, statues- which are the Ghair-ul-ALLAH are created and made by human
beings.
Hence, to say that those created by ALLAH (SWT) and owned by HIM and loved by
HIM are the same as the ones created by man himself and thereby disowned and
shunned by ALLAH are the same is not only Ignorance at its heights but also it
is baseless, unjustified and absolutely senseless and pure rot.
The Holy Quran commands everyone to keep company with the pious, the good-
whilst mentioning at the same time that the pious, the good are the Swaliheen,
Siddiqeen, Shuhadaa and the Awliya ALLAH. So, how is it possible that the Quran
commands us to carry out one act whilst some people say that the Quran condemns
it!
In Surah Yunus- ALLAH (SWT) says that:
"Ala inna Awliya
'ALLAH-i la khawfun aalayhim waa la hum yahzanoona"
"Lo! Verily the friends of ALLAH! No fear comes upon them, nor
shall they grieve."
(Quran-10:62)
Surah Yunus
In the above-mentioned ayahs- the friends of ALLAH (SWT) – the Awliya ALLAH are
given protection and guarantee from ALLAH-The Almighty Himself. ALLAH- Exalted
is HE- goes on to say in the same Surah that such people are promised good
tidings here and in the hereafter.
People say that partaking of the food of Giyarveen Shareef is haram because this
is done on the name of Hazrat Sheikh Sayyed Abdul Qadir Jilani (RA). This is a
blasphemous lie! Everything prepared for the Giyarveen Shareef and included in
the Giyarveen Shareef is done in the name of ALLAH (SWT) and as mentioned
earlier is done as per the commands and instructions of our Beloved Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) and is the “husn”- beauty of our religion.
This is the Sunnah not only of our Beloved –Leader of the Worlds- Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) but also a practice, a Sunnah of Hazrat Sayyedina Ibrahim (AS).
When any animal is slaughtered for the purpose of consumption in the Giyarveen
Shareef- takbeer is read over it- Bismillahi ALLAH-u-Akbar. So, the animals
slaughtered for the occasion of Giyarveen Shareef are slaughtered the same way
as animals are slaughtered for the occasion of Aqeeqa and the animals are
slaughtered the same way for the occasion of Giyarveen Shareef as animals
slaughtered for ritual or obligatory sacrifices as done in the blessed month of
Dhul-Hijjah.
Animals slaughtered for Aqeeqa are done on behalf of the child in the name of
ALLAH and animals slaughtered as obligatory sacrifices are done as per the
Sunnah of Hazrat-e-Sayyedina Ibrahim (AS) Khalil-ul-ALLAH and the Leader of
Prophets- Huzoor-e-Kareem, rauf-ur-raheem Muhammad-e-Mustafa (PBUH) from our
sides in the name of ALLAH (SWT). The same way for Giyarveen Shareef- it is done
from our side as per the Islamic Tariqa to earn the pleasure and contentment of
ALLAH and is sacrificed in the name of ALLAH and to follow the practices of our
beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) practically-& to send the sawaab to Hazrat
Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (RA).
Hazrat Imam-ul-waqt Peer Syed Mahmood Shah Muhaddis Hazarvi said in his Urdu
poetry in which he quotes about Giyarveen Shareef:
Teri Giyarveen ki mashoor hain barkaten
Kab maanta hain koi bekaar- ghous-e-azam
Translated:
The blessings of Giyarveen Shareef are famous
But where do the useless & nonsense people believe- Ghaus-ul-Azam
Giyarveen Shareef principally is that table-cloth of blessings in abundance
which Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) asked ALLAH (SWT) for his progeny in his dua- “Ya
ALLAH- inspire love in the hearts of your “makhluq” beings for my progeny so
that people come towards them and give them sustenance from fruits so as to
serve the ones who come towards them”. Hazrat Sheikh Sayyed Abdul Qadir Jilani
(RA) is from the line of Ibrahim (AS) and Ismail (AS) which connects to our
beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) & the duas which Ibrahim (AS) asked for his
progeny- reaches Huzoor-e-Kareem Muhammad (PBUH) & then gets distributed from
there onwards which includes many barakaat & blessings and there is an increase
in the blessings and rehmat owing to our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)- it
then reached to Hazrat Sayyedina Imam Hassan (AS) & Sayyeda-as-Shuhadaa Imam
Hussein (AS) which then goes on to Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (RA). This is the
same table cloth of blessings which ALLAH (SWT) placed in the hujuraat (private
residences) of Hazrat Sayyed Ibrahim (AS)-Khalil-ul-ALLAH & then spread its
length and barakaat till the darbar of Huzoor–e-Kareem Rauf-ur-raheem Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) & then from the blessed darbar (courts ) of our Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) it has reached the blessed darbar of Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir
Jilani-(RA) so the reality is ONE- wherever this One table-cloth of goodness and
blessing has reached- the names have changed but the reality remains the same.
Just like water- if it is evaporated then it becomes clouds & if it falls then
we call it rain & if it seeps into the ground then it becomes an underground
well and if its emerges from a small nook or a cranny up high in the mountains
then it is termed as a waterfall & if it falls somewhere where it starts to flow
it becomes a lake and if many lakes join together-then it becomes a river & if
rivers come together they form a sea. Now, everywhere- the taste of water is
different be it as rain, waterfall, streams, rivers or seas & if it comes from
Hazrat Ismail (AS) heels- then it is called “aabe zam-zam”. The same way- Water
is in English, ‘aab’ is in Farsi, ‘maa’ is in Arabic & ‘paani’ is in Urdu or
Hindi- just by changing the name the essence of it does not change. The same way
Giyarveen Shareef is “the table-cloth of blessings and abundance” of Ibrahim
(AS) & Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)- ,i.e. langare- Ibrahimi & Langare
Muhammadi(PBUH). And which with special love and respect and as a reward has
been called- langar-e-Ghausia & this fact is also prevalent because only in
lineage- inheritance is given, i.e ‘nasal main hi wirasat jaati hai’ and on the
possessions of ones’ parents- the rights and the names of the children are only
kept.
Hence, don’t deny Giyarveen Shareef and keep proper respect of it –for the sake
of ALLAH (SWT) & HIS beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and for the love of HIS
Awliya. Accept the Sunnah of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) & ALLAH’s Beloved Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) and do this good deed as a Muslim gets multiple and ongoing
benefits and sawab from these good deeds.
So, go ahead- spread that table-cloth and invite one and invite all in the name
of ALLAH (SWT), to earn HIS pleasure and contentment and to follow the
practices/ Sunnah of Hazrat Sayyed Ibrahim (AS)-Khaleel-ul-ALLAH and
Huzoor-e-Kareem Muhammad-e-Mustafa (PBUH). Declare your love for ALLAH (SWT) by
associating with the ones HE loves and declaring this through good deeds done in
ALLAH’s way Only but by sending the sawaab to HIS loved ones.
May ALLAH (SWT) strengthen our Imaan and Taqwa and keep us on the Straight path
and may HE bestow HIS endless blessings during this blessed month for the sake
of the progeny of HIS beloved Messenger- Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)- Sheikh Abdul
Qadir Jilani (RA).
Ya Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani Shai-an-Lillah!