Brief Introduction of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (May Allah be pleased with him)

His name is Hazrat Abu Muhammad Muhiyuddin Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (may Allah be pleased with him). He was born in Jilan, Iran on Ramadan 1, 470 Hijri. He is the founder of the Silsila-e-Qadriya.

When Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (may Allah be pleased with him) was a young boy, on the day of `Arafah in his village of Jilan, he began ploughing the field behind a bull. The bull looked at him and said, “O Abdul Qadir! You weren’t created for this.” Startled, the young Shaykh returned home and asked his mother to send him to Baghdad to acquire knowledge. His mother was extremely pleased and prepared to send him off. She brought him the 80 dinars that his father had left her. The Shaykh left half of it for his brother and his mother sewed the other 40 dinars into his garments. She exhorted him to speak the truth under any circumstances. She bid him farewell for the sake of Allah and said that she would now see him on the Day of Judgement.

Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (may Allah be pleased with him) proceeded for Baghdad with a small caravan that was headed in that direction. On the way, the caravan was attacked by 60 bandits. One of them came to the young Shaykh and asked if he had anything on him, upon which the Shaykh replied that he had 40 dinars sewed into his garments. The bandit [not being able to believe the boy's honesty], thought that he was just joking. Another bandit came and had the same experience. They went and reported this to their leader who then called the boy and asked him what his motivation was in revealing his possession. The young Shaykh (may Allah be pleased with him) said that his mother had emphasized that he must always speak the truth and he couldn’t break his promise to her. These words penetrated and touched the heart of the leader of the bandits and he felt extreme remorse that this young boy was not breaking his promise to his mother whereas all these years he had been breaking his vows to his Lord. The leader of the bandits repented at the hands of the young Shaykh (may Allah be pleased with him) and all the other bandits followed suit.

The Shaykh passed into the realm of Divine Presence on Rabi-uth-Thaani 11, 561 Hijri at the age of 91 and rests in Baghdad Shareef, Iraq.