Qasaaid on Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani(r.a)

The Qasaaid on Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani
In a short article like this, it is not possible to give any detailed appreciation of all the poetry in honour of� Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu. It suffices to give a sprinkling of a few verses from some of the mashaayikh in various languages beginning with Arabic.
In a qasida raaiyya of 33 verses which rhyme in the letter “raa”, Imam ‘Abdallah ibn ‘Alawi al-Haddad, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu, praises Allah, the Glorified and the Exalted; invokes the blessings of Allah on the beloved holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, on his family and companions; and then eulogizes on Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani in 11 verses, four of which are:
Wa bi sibtihim wa hafidihim wa salilihimAsh-Shaykh Muhyiddin-i ‘Abdul Qadiri
Al-Jiliyyi’l mash-huri fardu zamanihiShaykh u’sh shuyukhi bi-batinin wa bi-zahiri
Ghawth u’l bilaadi wa Ghaythuha wa Mughithuha‘An idhn Sayyidi-hi’l Maliki’l QahiriTawdush-shari’a wa’t tariqa wa’l hudaaBahru’l Haqiqa’l Khadmi’z zakhiri
(Ad-Durr u’l Manzum li-Dhawi’l ‘Uqul wa’l Fuhum, p. 240)
For the sake of his (The Prophet’s) grandson, his descendant,The Reviver of the faith, Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir
The famous Jilani, unmatched in his time

The master of the spiritual masters, hidden as well as manifest
The helper of the country and its refreshing rain and succour

With the permission of his Lord, Allah, who is The King, The Supreme
A towering peak of sacred law, the spiritual path and guidance

A vast overflowing ocean of spiritual realities
Next we come to Shaykh ‘Afif ud-din al-Yafi’i al-Yamani Rahmatullahi ‘alayh who overflows in superlative praise of the Shaykh in his book entitled Ta’rikh (History). He has perhaps identified his main quality as the ‘abid (worshipper) of Allah, that is why he begins with the word ‘abduka (Your servant, O Allah).
‘abduka fawqa’l ma’ali rutbatanwa lahu’l mahasinu wa’l fakhar al-afkharu
wa lahu’l haqaiqu wa’t taraiqu fi’l madawa lahu’l ma’arifu ka’l kawakibi tazharu
wa lahu’l fadailu wa’l makarimu wa’n nidawa lahu’l manaqibu fi’l mahafili tunsharu
wa lahu’t taqaddumu wa’l ma’ali fi’l ‘alaawa lahu’l maratibu fi’n nihayati takthuru
ghawthu’l waraa gaithu’n nada nuru’l hudabadr u’d duja shams u’d duha bal anwaru
qata’al ‘uluma ma’al ‘uquli fa-asbahatatwaruha min dunihi tatahayyaru
ma fee ‘ulahu maqalatun li-mukhalifinfa-masailu’l ijma’i feehi tusattaru
Your servant is above the highest heights in rankand his are all the virtues and the finest glory
The realities and the paths are his to the fullest extentand the intimate forms of knowledge shine for him like stars
His are all the merits, the graces and the calland in his gatherings, his marvels are renowned
Preeminence is his and the high points in nobilityand many are his degrees in ultimate achievement
The helper of mankind, the rain of generosity, the light of guidancethe full moon of the night, the sun of the fore-noon – nay, even brighter
He traversed all the sciences with the faculties of reasonso their mountain peaks are in confusion far below him
No one can bring an argument, disputing his high standingfor consensus of opinion on the matter has duly been recorded
(Transliteration and translation by Shaykh Muhtar Holland, in Qalaid al-Jawahir, p. 552).

Let us conclude the recitation of the poetry in Arabic with a very popular chorus of an anonymous Qasida in the Diwan of Tariqatu’l Qadiriyya.
Bi Rasulillahi wa’l JilanWa Rijaalin min Bani Adnan

Salaku fee Manhaj i’r RahmanBi Rasulillahi wa’l Jilan.
For the sake of the Holy Prophet and Shaykh Jilani

And those in the tribe of Adnan

They have treaded the Path of the Merciful Lord

For the sake of the Holy Prophet and Shaykh Jilani.(O Allah hear our prayers)
Next, let us savour the following four lines in the Indonesian language from Shaykh Hamzah Fansuri, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh, as given by Prof. Sayyid Muhammad Naquib al-‘Attas in Some Aspects of Sufism as Understood and Practiced Among the Malays, p. 22.
Hamzah nin asalnya Fansuri

Mendapat wujud ditanah Shahar Nawi

Beroleh Khilafat ilmu yang ali

Daripada Abdul Qadir Sayyid Jilani
I Hamzah who am of Fansur a son

At Shahar Nawi my being have won

The knowledge sublime I acquired from one

Called Abdul Qadir Sayyid of Jilan.
This is the opening couplet of a Turkish poem on the internet web-site Tarikat-i Aliyye-i Rifaiyye.
Medhi mumkin olmadi Sultan Abdulkadir’in

Gun gibi bak asikar burhani Abdulkadir’in
It is impossible to adequately praise Shaykh ‘Abdul QadirAs clear as daylight is the Proof of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir
Now we come to the translation of the abyaat (couples) of Sultan u’l ‘Arifin Sultan Bahu, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh in Champay Dhee Bootee (The Jasmine Plant, p. 33), a classic in kalaamu’l ma'rifa in the Punjabi language.
Taalib Ghawthu’l A'zam waalay

Shaalaa kadhay na howan paandhay hu
Jendhay andhar ‘ishq dhee rattee

Rayn sadha kur landhay hu
Jenun shawq dha howay

Lay khushyaan nit aandhay hu
Dhono jahan naseeb tunhandhay Bahu

Jehray zaati alam kamaandhay hu
Followers of the Gawthul A'zam:Would God, they are never ill!
Those who have one grain of loving,Ever are in pang and chill.
Lured by chances of a meetingHopeful in their joyous drill
Lucky in both worlds are Bahu!Lovers who gain Allah's Will.
(Translation by Maqbool Elahi, The Abyat of Sultan Bahu, p 103)
There is so much manqabat on the Ghawth al-A’zam that it is not possible to do justice to it all. But perhaps we can get the blessings of the opening quatrain of this “Salaam” (Salutations) on him by an anonymous poet.
Abu Salih kay ghar may woh Ghawth-e-zamaan

Laa-aye tashrif woh hadiye ins-o-jaan

Warith-e anbiyaa shaahe kawno makaan

Jaane iman awr nur-e jaan-e-jahaan

Ghawth-e A’zam ki hurmat pay lakhon salaam

Qutb-e-‘alam ki nusrat pay lakhon salaam
In the house of Abu Salih arrived

The Spiritual Helper of the age, the guide for humans and jinns

The inheritor of the Prophets, the prince of the planets

The life of faith and the light of the soul of existence
A million salutations in honour of the greatest saint

A million salutations to the help of the spiritual pillar of the world.
It is fitting to conclude this section with an appreciation of at least some of the manqabat of A’la Hadrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh on the Ghawth a’l A’zam. Some of these manqabat are so popular that they are recited in all the majalis (spiritual gatherings). The opening verses of one of these manqabat are:
Tu hay wo Ghawth kay har Ghawth hay shayda teraa

Tu hay wo Ghayth kay har Ghayth hay pyasa teraa
You are the spiritual helper for whom every spiritual helper melts in admirationYou are the refreshing rain for whom every rain-shower thirsts
Finally, let us benefit from the Salaams of Imam Ahmad Raza Khan. He composed Salaams on the Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam in which after profuse salutations on the Holy Prophet, he also sent salaams on the Ahl u’l Bayt and the Sahaba, Rady Allahu ‘Anhum, as well as on the Imams of madh-hab, the awliya Allah and the salihin (the pious), Rahmatullahi ‘alayhim ajma'een.
Consider just two verses from A'la Hadrat on the Ghawth al A'zam to appreciate his love for the Shaykh.
Ghawth al A'zam Imam ut tuqaa wan-nuqaa

Jalwa-aye Shaanay Qudrat pay lakhon salaam

Jis ke minbar banay gardanay awliya

Us qadam ki karamat pay lakhon salaam(Hadaaiq-i-Bakhshish, p 149)
Ghawth al A'zam Imam of the saints and the pious

A million salutations on him who was pure by nature

The one for whom the necks of saints became a pulpit

A million salutations on the miracle of his feet
Tazkiratu’l awliya (the zikr of the friends of Allah) is truly unending. May Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala forgive us and give us the hidaya (guidance) to live Islam according to the Qur'an and the lifestyle of the beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam as explained and exemplified by Ghawth al A'zam Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu, Aameen Yaa Rabbal ‘Aalamin.
Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa QayyumYaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum