The death of Shaykh ʿAbd al-Qadir al-Jilani

The Hanbali shaykh ʿAbd al-Qadir al-Jilani — the ascetic preacher whose renown filled the horizons and from whose gatherings countless people benefited — died in Baghdad. To him the Qadiri order is ascribed.

ʿAbd al-Qadir was born in Jilan near the Caspian Sea around 470 AH and came to Baghdad as a poor youth. He studied jurisprudence in the school of Imam Ahmad, along with hadith and literature, then devoted himself to asceticism and spiritual striving for years.

He sat to preach, and thousands gathered to his assembly; many embraced Islam at his hands and repented in his gatherings. He taught jurisprudence, tafsir and hadith in his famous school, and among his works are "al-Ghunya li-Talibi Tariq al-Haqq" and "Futuh al-Ghayb."

He died in Baghdad in 561 AH at about ninety years of age and was buried in his school. al-Dhahabi said: "Shaykh ʿAbd al-Qadir was of great standing, but after his death tales were ascribed to him that are not sound" — so his due is respect without excess.