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{{Short description|Muslim preacher, mystic and theologian (1078–1166)}}
{{pp|small=yes}}
{{Infobox religious biography
| religion           = [[Sunni Islam]]
| region             = 
| era                = 
| image              = Shaykh 'Abd al Qadir Jalani.jpg
| caption            = Imaginary depiction of Abdul Qadir Gilani. Created in [[Mughal Empire|Mughal India]] in {{circa|1680}}
| honorific_prefix   = 
| name               = Abdul Qadir Gilani
| native_name        = 
| birth_date         = 1077 or 1078 (1 [[Ramadan]] 470 AH)
| birth_place        = [[Gilan province|Gilan]], [[Seljuk Empire]]
| death_date         = 1166 CE (11 [[Rabi' al-Thani]] 561 [[Hijri year|AH]])
| death_place        = [[Baghdad]], [[Abbasid Caliphate]]
| resting_place      = [[Baghdad]], [[Iraq]]
| children           = [[Abdul Razzaq Jilani]]
| Sufi_order         = [[Qadiriyya]] {{small|(''founder'')}}
| main_interests     = [[Fiqh]], [[Sufism]]
| title              = 
| denomination       = [[Sunni]]
| jurisprudence      = [[Hanbali]]
| creed              = 
| works              = 
}}
{{Sufism}}

'''Abdul Qadir Gilani''' ({{lang-ar|عبد القادر الجيلاني}}, {{lang-fa|{{Nastaliq|عبدالقادر گیلانی}}}}) was a [[Hanbali]] scholar, preacher, and [[Sufism|Sufi]] leader who was the [[eponym]] of the [[Qadiriyya]], one of the oldest Sufi orders.{{sfn|Chabbi|2009}}

He was born in 1077 or 1078 in the town of Na'if, [[Rezvanshahr County|Rezvanshahr]] in [[Gilan Province|Gilan]], [[Persia]], and died in 1166 in [[Baghdad]].<ref name="W. Braune, 1986">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; "authorities are unanimous in stating that he was a Persian from Nayf (Nif) in Djilan, south of the Caspian Sea."</ref><ref name="EB">{{Britannica|693|'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani}}</ref>

==Name==
The honorific ''Muhiyudin'' denotes his status with many Sufis as a "[[Mujaddid|reviver of religion]]".<ref name="Hadrat pg 21">''Mihr-e-munīr: biography of Hadrat Syed Pīr Meher Alī Shāh'' pg 21, Muhammad Fādil Khān, Faid Ahmad. Sajjadah Nashinan of Golra Sharif, Islamabad (1998).</ref> Gilani ([[Arabic]] ''al-Jilani'') refers to his place of birth, [[Gilan province|Gilan]].<ref>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."</ref><ref>''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."</ref> However, Gilani also carried the epithet ''Baghdadi'', referring to his residence and burial in Baghdad. He was also known as Gauth Al-Azam.<ref>''Devotional Islam and politics in British India: [Ahmad Riza Khan] Barelwi and his movement, 1870–1920'', pg 144, Sanyal, Usha Oxford University Press US, 19 August 1999. {{ISBN|0-19-564862-5}} {{ISBN|978-0-19-564862-1}}.</ref><ref>''Indo-iranica'' pg 7. The Iran Society, Calcutta, India. (1985).</ref>

==Family background==
Gilani was born in 1077 or 1078. Despite his popularity, his background is uncertain.{{sfn|Chabbi|2009}} His father (or perhaps grandfather) had the Iranian name of Jangi Dust,{{sfn|Chabbi|2009}}{{sfn|Lawrence|1982|pp=132–133}} which indicates that Gilani was of Persian stock.{{sfn|Lawrence|1982|pp=132–133}} His ''[[Nisba (onomastics)|nisba]]'' means "from [[Gilan province|Gilan]]", an Iranian region located on the southwestern coast of the [[Caspian Sea]].{{sfn|Chabbi|2009}} 

During his stay in the city of [[Baghdad]], Gilani was called ''[[ajam]]i'' (non-Arab), which according to [[Bruce Lawrence]] may be because he spoke Persian alongside Arabic.{{sfn|Lawrence|1982|pp=132–133}} According to the ''al-Nujūm al-ẓāhira'' by the 15th-century historian [[Ibn Taghribirdi]] (died 1470), Gilani was born in Jil in [[Lower Mesopotamia|Iraq]], but this account is questioned by French historian [[Jacqueline Chabbi]].{{sfn|Chabbi|2009}} Modern historians (including Lawrence) consider Gilani to have been born in Gilan.{{sfn|Lawrence|1982|pp=132–133}}{{sfn|Anwar|2009}}{{sfn|Jonathan|Karamustafa|2014}} The region was then politically semi-independent and divided between local chieftains from different clans.{{sfn|Madelung|2001|pp=634–635}}

Gilani is claimed to have been a descendant of [[Muhammad]]'s grandson [[Hasan ibn Ali]]; this claim is generally considered genuine by the Muslim community, including the ''Qadiriyya''.{{sfn|Chabbi|2009}} Lawrence finds this claim inconsistent with Gilani's apparent Persian background, and considers it to have been "traced by overzealous hagiographers."{{sfn|Lawrence|1982|pp=132–133}}

==Education==
Gilani spent his early life in Gilan, the province of his birth. In 1095, he went to Baghdad. There, he pursued the study of [[Hanbali]] law under [[Abu Saeed Mubarak Makhzoomi]] and [[ibn Aqil]].<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |last=Campo |first=Juan Eduardo |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OZbyz_Hr-eIC |entry=Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani |title=Encyclopedia of Islam |date=2009 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=9781438126968 |page=4 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Brill">{{Cite encyclopedia |last=Gibb |first=H.A.R. |entry= |title=Encyclopaedia of Islam |last2=Kramers |first2=J.H. |last3=Levi-Provencal |first3=E. |last4=Schacht |first4=J. |date=1986 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-9004081147 |edition=New |volume=I (A-B) |location=Leiden, Netherlands |page=69}}</ref> He studied [[hadith]] with Abu Muhammad Ja'far al-Sarraj.<ref name="Brill" /> His Sufi spiritual instructor was Abu'l-Khair Hammad ibn Muslim al-Dabbas.<ref>Malise Ruthven, Islam in the World, p 243. {{ISBN|0195305035}}</ref> After completing his education, Gilani left Baghdad. He spent twenty-five years wandering in the deserts of [[Iraq]].<ref>Esposito J. L. ''The Oxford dictionary of Islam.'' p160. {{ISBN|0199757267}}</ref>

== School of law ==
Gilani belonged to the [[Shafi'i]] and [[Hanbali]] schools of law. He placed Shafi'i jurisprudence ([[fiqh]]) on an equal footing with the Hanbali school ([[madhhab]]), and used to give [[fatwa]] according to both of them simultaneously. This is why [[al-Nawawi]] praised him in his book entitled ''Bustan al-'Arifin'' (Garden of the Spiritual Masters), saying: {{quote|We have never known anyone more dignified than Baghdad's Sheikh Muhyi al-Din 'Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani, may Allah be pleased with him, the [[Sheikh]] of Shafi'is and Hanbalis in Baghdad.<ref>{{Cite book |last='Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani |date=20 January 2019 |editor-last=Jamal al-Din Faleh al-Kilani |editor-link=:ar:جمال الدين فالح الكيلاني |title=Futuh al-Ghayb ("Revelations of the Unseen") |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sVqEDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA8 |language=ar}}</ref>}}

==Later life==
In 1127, Gilani returned to Baghdad and began to preach to the public.<ref name="EB" /> He joined the teaching staff of the school belonging to his teacher, al-Mazkhzoomi, and was popular with students. In the morning he taught [[hadith]] and [[tafsir]], and in the afternoon he discoursed on the science of the heart and the virtues of the [[Quran]]. He was said to have been a convincing preacher who converted numerous Jews and Christians and who integrated Sufi mysticism with Islamic Law.<ref name=EB/>

==Death and burial==
[[File:ETH-BIB-Bagdad - grosse Moschee aus 200 m Höhe-Persienflug 1924-1925-LBS MH02-02-0036-AL-FL.tif|thumb|[[Mausoleum of Abdul-Qadir Gilani|Sheikh Abdul Qadir Gilani Mosque]] in Baghdad in  1925]]
Al-Gilani died in 1166 and was buried in Baghdad. His ''[[urs]]'' (death anniversary of a Sufi saint) is traditionally celebrated on 11 [[Rabi' al-Thani]].{{sfn|Lawrence|1982|pp=132–133}}

During the reign of the [[Safavid dynasty|Safavid]] Shah [[Ismail I]], Gilani's shrine was destroyed.<ref>A.A. Duri, ''Baghdad, The Encyclopaedia of Islam'', Vol. I, 903.</ref> However, in 1535, the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] emperor [[Suleiman the Magnificent]] had a dome built over the shrine.<ref>W. Braune, ''Abd al-Kadir al-Djilani, The Encyclopaedia of Islam'', Vol. I, 70.</ref>

== Influences ==
Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani converted thousands of people to Islam through his compassionate and inclusive approach to Inner purification and devotion towards Allah. His emphasis on inner purification, divine love, and ethical living resonated deeply with many, attracting followers from diverse backgrounds.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Renard |first=John |title=Knowledge of God in Classical Sufism: Foundations of Islamic Mystical Theology |publisher=Paulist Press |year=2004 |isbn=978-0809140305 |publication-date=July 1, 2004 |pages=202-205 |language=English}}</ref>  One of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani's most significant contributions was the establishment of the Madrasah al-Qadiriyya in Baghdad. This institution became a center for Islamic learning and spirituality, attracting students from various regions. The curriculum included the study of the Qur'an, Hadith, Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), and [[Sufism|Tasawwuf]] (Sufism), providing a comprehensive religious education.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Algar |first=Hamid |title=Sufism: Principles & Practice |publisher=Islamic Pubns Intl |year=1999 |isbn=978-1889999029 |publication-date=January 1, 1999 |pages=103-106 |language=English}}</ref>   The influence of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani extended to political and military leaders of his time. His teachings inspired rulers to adopt more just and ethical governance. Prominent figures such as [[Nur al-Din Zengi|Nur ad-Din Zangi]] and [[Saladin|Salahuddin Ayyub]]<nowiki/>i were known to respect and follow the principles advocated by the Shaykh, which contributed to their own reforms and successes.<ref>{{Cite book |last=W. Ernst |first=Carl |title=The Shambhala Guide to Sufism |publisher=Shambhala |year=1997 |isbn=978-1570621802 |publication-date=September 23, 1997 |pages=124-126 |language=English}}</ref>

==Books==
[[File:The Vision of Muhyi al-Din Ibn al-Jilani (CBL T 474, f.276a).jpg|thumb|''The Vision of Muhyi al-Din ibn al-Gilani''. Miniature from the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] (1595) manuscript of "Nafahat al-uns" (Breaths of Fellowship) of [[Jami]]. [[Chester Beatty Library]]]]

* ''Kitab Sirr al-Asrar wa Mazhar al-Anwar'' (The Book of the Secret of Secrets and the Manifestation of Light)
* ''[[Futuh al-ghaib|Futuh al ghaib]]'' (Secrets of the Unseen)
* ''[[Jila' al-Khatir]] (The Purification of heart)''
* ''Ghunyat  al-Talibeen (also spelled as : Ghunya- tut-talibeen)'' (Treasure for Seekers) <ref>{{Cite book |last=Al-Qahtani |first=Sheik Saeed bin Misfer |title=Sheikh Abdul Qadir Al-Jilani and his Belief and Sufi views |publisher=Library of Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah |year=1997 |pages=133 |language=ar}}</ref> غنیہ الطالیبین
* ''Al-Fuyudat al-Rabbaniya'' (Emanations of Lordly Grace)
* Fifteen Letters: ''Khamsata 'Ashara Maktuban''
* ''Kibriyat e Ahmar''
* A Concise Description of Jannah & Jahannam<ref>{{Cite web |title=A concise description of Jannah & Jahannam, the garden of paradise and the fire of hell: excerpted from 'Sufficient provision for seekers of the Path of Truth (Al-Ghunya li-Tālibi al-Ḥaqq) |website= WorldCat.org |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/1158643778 |access-date=2022-11-03 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Al-Fateh al-Rabbani|The Sublime Revelation]] (''al-Fatḥ ar-Rabbānī'')

==See also==
* [[Bibliography of Abdul Qadir Gilani]]
* [[Mausoleum of Abdul-Qadir Gilani]]
* [[Jilala]]
* [[Ahmad al-Rifa'i]]
* [[Ahmad al-Badawi]]
* [[Ibrahim al-Desuqi]]
* [[Moinuddin Chishti]]
* [[List of Sufi saints]]
* [[List of Sufis]]
* [[List of Ash'aris and Maturidis]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
{{wikiquote|Abdul Qadeer Gilani}}
{{sfn whitelist |CITEREFLawrence1982 |CITEREFMadelung2001}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Anwar|first1=E.|title=Jīlānī, ʿAbd al-Qādir al-.|year=2009|journal=The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World|url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195305135.001.0001/acref-9780195305135-e-1183}}
* {{EI3|last=Chabbi|first=Jacqueline|authorlink=Jacqueline Chabbi|year=2009|title=ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī|url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-3/abd-al-qadir-al-jilani-COM_22592}}
* {{Encyclopædia Iranica |volume=1 |fascicle=2 |title=ʿAbd-al-Qāder Jīlānī |last=Lawrence |first=Bruce |author-link=Bruce Lawrence |url=https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/abd-al-qader-jilani |pages=132–133}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Jonathan|first1=Allen|last2=Karamustafa|first2=Ahmet T.|title=`Abd al-Qadir al Jilani (Gilani)|year=2014|journal=Oxford Bibliographies|doi=10.1093/OBO/9780195390155-0100}}
* {{Encyclopædia Iranica | volume = 10 | fascicle = 6 | title = Gīlān iv. History in the Early Islamic Period | last = Madelung | first = Wilferd | url = https://iranicaonline.org/articles/gilan-iv | pages = 634–635 }}

{{Portal bar|Biography|Islam|Iran|Iraq}}
{{Sufi}}
{{Hanbali scholars}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilani, Abdul Qadir}}

[[Category:Iranian Sunni Muslims]]
[[Category:Iranian Sufi religious leaders]]
[[Category:12th-century Muslim scholars of Islam]]
[[Category:Hanbalis]]
[[Category:Sunni Sufis]]
[[Category:Hashemite people]]
[[Category:1078 births]]
[[Category:1166 deaths]]
[[Category:Iranian emigrants to Iraq]]
[[Category:People from Gilan province]]
[[Category:People from Amol]]
[[Category:11th-century Iranian people]]
[[Category:12th-century Iranian people]]
[[Category:Hasanids]]
[[Category:Iranian Sufi saints]]
[[Category:12th-century jurists]]
[[Category:Founders of Sufi orders]]
[[Category:Qadiri order]]
[[Category:Iranian Muslim mystics]]