Selections from Revelations of the Unseen by Shaikh ‘Abd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī: Discourses 1-6, Part 1 of 2

al-Ghawth al-A’zam Shaikh ‘Abd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī was born in the year 1078 in the Persian province of Gilan (present-day Iran), to parents who were blessed with direct lineage to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). Shaikh ‘Abd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī left home at the age of 18 to seek higher knowledge of Islamic scriptures and law. Seeking a deeper connection with Allah, He then studied with Sufi instructors, Shaikh Abu’l-Khair Hammad ad-Dabbas and Shaikh Abu Saeed Al-Mukharrami. For the next few years, Shaikh ‘Abd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī renounced everyday life to practice spiritually in the desert regions of Iraq. After returning to Baghdad, He began to write and lecture. Shaikh ‘Abd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī became known as a “Reviver of the Religion” (Muhyi'd-Din) due to His continuous reaffirmation of traditional Islamic teachings. Among the main themes He highlighted was the spiritual upliftment that comes from conquering one's ego to submit to God's will. Today we will share selections from one of Shaikh ‘Abd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī’s best-known works, “Revelations of the Unseen.” “The Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him, and grant him contentment) said: ‘Three things inevitably demand the attention of every believer under all circumstances: A commandment to be obeyed, a prohibition to be respected, and a divine decree to be accepted with good grace. In even the most trivial situation, at least one of the three is bound to apply. The believer must therefore keep his mind and feelings focused upon them, talk to himself about them, and practice the physical self-discipline they require of him at all times.’” “Gone forth from his own self, out into his Master’s work, he now sees nothing but that Master and His work, and neither hears nor comprehends from any other source. If he perceives at all, if he does hear and learn, His [Allah’s] speech is what he listens to, and His knowledge is what he comes to know.” “With Him he feels at peace, and in His discourse he takes delight, while from all others he recoils and shrinks away.”