Manqabat I Sarkaar e Ghouse Aazam Nazre Karam Khudara I Qaasim Imtiaz I Bushra Lanaa.

Shaykh Abdulqadir Jailani on his Mother's Advice.

It was such a time where parents in their old age usually depend on their children for moral and financial support, but this pious and pure servant of Allah only wanted the pleasure of Almighty Allah and His Rasool ﷺ. Whilst she was very attached to Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, she did not let her personal feelings come before the pleasure of Allah. She wanted her son to be a man of knowledge and wisdom. In those days, people used to travel either by foot or by camel or another animal. The roads passed through dense forests and jungles and there was always the danger of travellers being robbed and killed by bandits. Sayyida Ummul Khair Fatima knew of the dangers but still supported her son. She wished him well with her Du’as. She said: “O my dear son! I have now become very old and I do not think I will ever get to see you again, but my Du’as will always be with you. May Almighty Allah grant you success in your quest for academic and spiritual knowledge.”

She then said: “Your deceased father left eighty Dinars from which I am giving you forty Dinars for your journey and forty Dinars I will keep for your younger brother, Sayyid Abu Ahmad Abdullah.” She took the forty Dinars and sewed them under the arm of his coat. She once again made Du’a for him. On bidding him farewell, she gave him the following advice: “O’ my beloved son! Let this advice, which I am about to give you be an important part of your life. Always speak the truth! Do not even think of lies.” The young Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani said, “My dear mother! I promise from my heart that I will always act upon your advice.” Sayyida Fatima then embraced the apple of her eye with love and motherly gentleness for the last time, and with the words, “Go! May Allah be with you. It is He who is your Helper and Protector”. The journey to Baghdad began.

A famous incident which illustrates his obedience to his mother occurred shortly after him leaving for Baghdad when his caravan was attacked by a sixty man band of highwaymen.

After bidding farewell to his mother, Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani joined a caravan, which was on its way to Baghdad. In those days, people travelled in groups for the sake of safety. The caravan of al-Ghawth al-A’zam reached the city of Hamdaan without incident. After leaving Hamdaan, they journeyed further.

The journey took them into a vast forest wherein they were attacked by sixty bandits. The leader of this band of robbers was a very notorious person called Ahmad Badawi. The travellers did not have the means to defend themselves against the bandits and were forced to surrender their belongings and valuables to them. After raiding the travellers, the bandits gathered together all the loot and began to distribute it amongst themselves. Whilst all this was happening, al-Ghawth al-A’zam was standing very calmly amongst the travellers.

None of the bandits approached him as he was regarded as just a young boy, until one of them decided to approach him. He went up to Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani and asked him if he had any valuables. Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani said that he had in his possession forty Dinars. When he heard this, the robber laughed at the young Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani and walked away, thinking that he was lying.

After some time, another robber asked him the same question and he received the same answer. He too dismissed the reply of al-Ghawth al-A’zam as a joke. When the bandits gathered together, then both these bandits began to joke about the young boy who said he had forty Dinars. Their leader, Ahmed Badawi, asked them to bring the young Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani to him. When he was brought before Ahmed Badawi, the leader of the bandits asked him if he had any valuables in his possession. The young Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani replied that he had forty Dinars on him.

Ahmed Badawi asked for the forty Dinars and Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani showed him where he had hidden it. When they tore open the coat of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani they found the forty Dinars sewn under the armpits. When they saw this, Ahmed Badawi and his bandits were taken aback. Ahmed Badawi asked:


"O young man, none of us knew that you had any money. Knowing that we are bandits, why did you still tell us where the money was hidden?"


The young Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani replied by saying:


"When I had left on this journey, I had promised my elderly and pious mother that I would never lie. How then could I break this promise just for the sake of sixty bandits?"

When Ahmed Badawi heard this, he felt great shame and, in tears, said,


"Oh young boy! You are so loyal in your promise to your mother. Shame on me, that for years I have been disloyal to my promise with my Creator Almighty Allah."


After saying these words, the bandit cried bitterly and then fell to the feet of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani and repented for his sins.