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The
founder of popular Sufi order "Qadri" is Shaykh Abu
Mohammad Muhyi al-Din Abd al-Qadir bin Mosa al-Gilani al-Hasani
Known as Ghawth al-Azam,Mehboob-e-subhani. He was born on 11th
rabi al-Thani (or, 11th Ramadan) 470/1177-78 in "Niq"
or "Nif" in the province named Gilan in Iran.
Long
before his birth many renowned Sufis especially Sayyid Al-Taifa
Abu al-Qasim Junaid Bin Muhammad Al-Baghdadi (D. 298/910) predicted
his birth and his greatness. In "Munaqib-e-Ghawthia"
it stated that, on the night his birth took place, his father
saw the great Prophet Muhammad in his dream. The Holy Prophet
(S.A.W) along with his companions came and said "O, Abi Saleh
God has, through his kindness, gifted you a pious and well fortuned
son, he will be like my son and beloved of Allah, and his states
in all the "Awliya" (Sufis) will be the top most and
pre-eminent". His line of descent (through his father) is
traced to Imam Hasan bin Ali (the grand son of The Holy Prophet)
and through his mother traced to Imam Hussain Bin Ali (The Younger
Brother of Imam Hasan).
Abd
al-Qadir's father having died early, suma'i, his maternal grandfather,
sayyid abd allah suma'i, a pious and saintly person, looked after
the orphan's upbringing. When he became five years old he was
enrolled in a local school. It was the age of eighteen in (488/1095),
that Abd al-qadir left home to Baghdad, which was then humming
with unprecedented intellectual activity and where the renowned
Nizamiyyah college, founded in (457/1065), was in its full bloom.
He did not, however, like to study at this seminary and completed
his education with other teachers in Baghdad. His truthful character
and the impact that it was to make on those who happened to come
into contact with him were evident from his very early years.
It
is said that when he left his native place for Baghdad, his mother
gave him forty gold coins; his share in the patrimony and safely
stitched them in his cloak. Her parting advice to her son was
to always be truthful and honest. Abd Al-Qadir promised to abide
by this. On the way robbers intercepted the caravan and plundered
it. One after the other robbers asked Abd Al-Qadir if he had any
thing with him. He replied that he had forty gold coins. The robber
did not believe him and moved on. One after the other robbers
asked him and he gave the same reply. The leader of the gang interrogated
him further and asked him to show where the money was. He placed
his cloak before him and the robber found the money concealed
there. Startled and puzzled at this truthfulness, the robber asked
him why he had disclosed them; he could have said that he had
nothing and thus save this money Abd Al-Qadir replied that he
had made a promise to his mother to be truthful under all circumstances.
The revelation came as a terrible shock to the leader of the gang
and he fell at his feet and repented for his conduct saying: "You
keep the promise you made to your mother and we forget the promise
that we made to our creator." The gang returned the entire
plunder to the owners and repented for their sins. |
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