SHEIKH ABDUL QADHIR JEELANI (Q A)

[Habeeb Rahman]

Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani (R.A)

Among the above mentioned ever-gleaming leaders, by all aspects, Abdul Qadir Jeelani (R.A) is exclusively worth mentioned. He emerged with full blaze by the fifth century of Hijra as the reformer of Islam. He fanned the renaissance of Islam into flame. With marvelously terse and comprehensive words he delivered the profound spiritual truth, لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله.

At the end of elongated and troublesome journey in search of spiritual solace, he met with the sixteenth delegate of Prophet T in the series, Sheikh Aboo Saeed Mubarak Al-Maqsoomi (R.A). Accepted the perfect Thouheed from his august presence. Swore the oath by his hands. Achieved the necessary practical training to establish the Thouheed in his inmost being. Performed the bylaw of Sharia. Later, at the age of fifty, he got the Consent to invite humanity towards Eiman. Then he comes down amidst to the people.

Therein he has to come upon an Islam which has lost its life and soul. It has gone a wick flame that is out of oil and yet not extinguished. Yea, Islam was there, but has lost its spirit. It had gone a long distance in power, prosperity, civilization, intellectual advancement and cultural development. Nevertheless, the Muslim had chosen the crooked path of discord. Ignorance and hatred had poisoned his life. Despair and disbelief were in pursuit of his mental peace. The selfish pride of birth and hoarding of power and wealth had confined    the thought and decision. Spiritual deterioration and mental decomposition had begun showing its awful consequences on the living humanity.

Abdul Qadir Jeelani (R.A) comments on the real condition of Islam and Muslim as it was in 521 AH: “Here, the Islam is breathing its last sigh.”

What was the disease that paralyzed Islam therein? Lack of what did persuade him to deliver such an opinion?

We have some general and well-acquainted criteria to remark the background of a society or a community as passing through the obstacles of  backwardness in educational scientific field., though less in number, their awful absence in political arena and power ,

Was it based on any of these standards that Abdul Qadir Jeelani (R.A) commented on the Islamic world of that time? Let us analyze the history truthfully and without any prejudice which may lead to misconceptions and negative notions. The more our approach to the study of a matter becomes free of pre concepts and misunderstandings, the more perfect the result will be. The society today is in great need of such a straightforward analysis of history.

Long before 521AH, Islam has been spread all through the three continents, Asia, Africa and Europe, under the royal power and administration of Abbasid, Umayyad, Seljuk, Ghazni, Murabith and Mavahidheen governments. The regions under Abbasids lie through 5000 miles from the river Sindh to Atlantic Ocean. Really, the cause of the paralysis of Islam was not low number of Muslims, not the lack of presence in power and political and social mainstreams. Then what would be the causes of this deterioration.