Tawhid and tawbah: The legacy of Shaykh Abd Al Qadir Jilani (RA)

Shaykh Abd Al Qadir Jilani (RA) brought many people into the fold of Islam through his beautiful character and wisdom. Despite his fame and status, he was able to connect with people regardless of their socio-economic status, level of education or faith.

By SALEEMAH JAFFER
‘WHEN you see that all things proceed from Allah, that He has given you success to perform acts of goodness, and when you rid yourself from duality, only then will you be safe from conceitedness.’
These words are attributed to Shaykh Abd Al Qadir Jilani (RA) – the saint, scholar and Sufi Master – when he was asked about how one acquires sincerity.
In a home where Shaykh Abd Al Qadir Jilani (RA) was loved and revered, and his practices were celebrated and followed, I heard countless tales of his excellent character, his intellectual brilliance and his many miracles. In fact, as a child, if anyone had asked me who Shaykh Abd Al Qadir Jilani (RA) was, I would probably have answered that he was related to my grandfathers. Surely someone they loved dearly, and who brought them together must be their relative? We are, much to my dismay, not related to the honourable Shaykh by blood, but hearts and hands connect us to him despite the centuries, and thousands of kilometres, between us.
Among the recorded miracles of Shaykh Abd Al Qadir Jilani (RA) was his special ability to guide people to the path of sincere tawbah (repentance) to Allah ta’ala. Shaykh Abd Al Qadir Jilani (RA) inspired people around him to want to be better people, and he treated them with transparency, compassion and kindness.
Shaykh Abd Al Qadir Jilani (RA) did not judge or humiliate people, and his priority was to guide them to Allah ta’ala. The honourable Shaykh’s manner attracted people to him, making them seek his company in the hopes of improving their own character.
The honourable Shaykh is attributed to have compared sins to weeds, explaining that they cannot simply be trimmed or cut, but need to be removed from the roots so they do not grow again. Similarly, with sincere tawbah or repentance, one makes the intention and effort to stay away from repeating the sinful action, not allowing it to ‘grow again’. The only way fruit-bearing plants and beautiful flowers can thrive is if the weeds are carefully and consistently removed. Our homes, hearts, lives and livelihoods will blossom when we consciously and sincerely repent to Allah ta’ala for any transgressions and work hard to avoid repeating them. Shaykh Abd Al Qadir Jilani (RA) is reported to have said that the sign that one’s repentance has been accepted by Allah ta’ala is that the sin never occurs again.
In Surah Al-Furqan, verse 70, Allah ta’ala says: ‘As for those who repent, believe, and do good deeds, they are the ones whose evil deeds Allah will change into good deeds. For Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.’ This ayah gives us hope that with sincere repentance and Allah’s Mercy, our weeds (evil deeds) can be turned into beautiful flowers (good deeds).
Shaykh Abd Al Qadir Jilani (RA) brought many people into the fold of Islam through his beautiful character and wisdom. Despite his fame and status, he was able to connect with people regardless of their socio-economic status, level of education or faith. Shaykh Abd Al Qadir Jilani (RA) recognised this as a gift and opportunity from Allah ta’ala. This humility and sincerity made him a light for the message of tawhid in a time when vices and distractions were veering people off the path of Allah.
Every year hundreds of thousands of people commemorate and celebrate Shaykh Abd Al Qadir Jilani (RA) on the 11th of Rabi Al Aakhir, with thousands flocking to his final resting place in Baghdad, Iraq.
Shaykh Abd Al Qadir Jilani (RA) has touched the hearts and shaped the spiritual path of many people all over the world. One of the miracles of the honourable Shaykh is that people from all walks of life still feel the connection to the path he carved, and follow it diligently, despite the fact that the vast majority of these people have not visited Jilaan or Baghdad, with many not understanding Persian or Arabic.
This path is a path pursuing closeness to Allah ta’ala, a path carved from the tools and instructions within the Quran and authentic Prophetic Sunnah. A path of tawhid and tawbah.
Saleemah Jaffer is a PhD candidate and a student of the Alawi Husayni Ninowi Zawiyah.

This article was first published in the September 19, 2025 edition of Muslim Views under Saleemah Jaffer’s monthly column, ‘THE ROAD WELL TRAVELLED – exploring issues of social responsibility, spirituality and agency’.