Sheikh Abd al-Qadir al Jilani[ born 471 Hijrah- died 561 Hijrah ]
Many present day people remembered him from the wrong perspective, walking on 'water' and ability to be in Mekkah at the wink of an eye etc etc. In essense he was one of Islam's greatest teacher, an ulama' par excellence, and a prolific writer of his time. Amongst his many pearls and gem are:
Futuh al Ghaib ie Revelations of The Unseen, a collection of seventy eight short discourses, translated into beautiful English by Muchtar Holland, one of the foremost leading translators of classical Arabic. Highly recommended reading, as a primer to al Jilani's voluminous work.
Malfuzat ie Utterances [ of Sheikh Abdul Qadir al Jilani ]
Jala' Al Khawatir [ The Removal of Cares ], a collection of forty five discourses.
Al Fath Al Rabbani, ie Sublime Revelations, a more voluminous work consisting of a collection of 62 longer discourses.
If you would like to enjoy al Jilani for 'dinner' may I suggest you start him with Futuh al Ghaib as a starter, then progress to Malfuzat and proceed to Jala al Khawatir and only after that finally 'wash up your thirst' with the much longer Sublime Revelations.
This will open a bright new world to Sufism and give you a different perspective, rather an academic one instead of the usual 'pseudo magical and pseudo religious' impression one usually attach to the higher 'gurus' of the sufis.
Ustaz Rasul Dahri's negative views and impression of the sufis are quite well known in this Nusantara . The 'Wahabbis' people or people with 'Wahabbi leaning' or for want of other terms, 'THE PURISTS' take it as their God given duty on this face of the earth to keep reminding others of 'bidaah, bidaah and bidaah' in order to safeguard other people's aqidah.'If you do not think my way, your aqidah is suspect! '. What better way to know more on al Jilani than to listen to Rasul Dahri [ the purist ] himself......
This is 'Faces in Islam', an educational academic trip into posterity, and thus we need to open ourselves to the various spectrum within what encompasses the Muslim world today with our eyes and mind open :
Rasul Dahri on Sheikh Abd al Qadir al Jilani[ part 1 of 6 parts]
click here
Sheikh Abd al Qadir al Jilani : A life story [ translation in Malay ]
click here
Related Articles in the blog :
Muhammad Ibnu Abdullah, messenger of God
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Prof Muhammad al Mahdi : Quantum physics validating God, and the nature of Reality
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Science and Islam
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The Power of Doubt
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Imam al Ghazali
click here
Quotable Quote:
" ..all I have been acquiring throughout my life is a bunch of lecture notes and knowledge,it is of no use to me if all these have not transformed my life ! "
al Ghazali
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