Mind blowing story of the Priest & The King of all Saints Hazrat Sayyid Abdul-Qādir Jillani! (a thread)
There was a very wise and influential priest in Baghdad who had many followers. This man had vast knowledge not only of the Judaic and Christian traditions but also of Islam;
There was a very wise and influential priest in Baghdad who had many followers. This man had vast knowledge not only of the Judaic and Christian traditions but also of Islam;
He knew Islam and the Holy Qur'ān and had great love and appreciation for the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The Caliph respected the priest & hoped that he and his followers would become Muslims one day. Indeed, he was ready to accept the religion, except for one thing.
The thing that prevented him, which he could neither accept nor understand, was the physical ascension of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ to the heavens during his lifetime.
The Ascension took place when one night, the Prophet of Mercy ﷺ was brought body and soul from Medina to Bayt al Maqdas/Jerusalem (Al-Quds) and from there to the seven heavens, where he saw many things.
He visited Paradise and Hell, and went beyond these to meet his Lord, Who spoke ninety thousand words with him. He returned before his bed had cooled, and before a leaf which he had touched in passing had stopped trembling.
The mind of the priest could not accept the ascension of the Prophet. Indeed, when the Prophet ﷺ himself declared it the day after it happened, many Muslims did not believe and left their religion. This then is a test of true faith, for the mind cannot conceive of such a thing.
Caliph introduced all the wise men & teachers of his time to the priest in order to eliminate his doubts, but none of them succeeded. Then one evening he sent word to Hadrat Sayyid Abdul-Qādir Jillani, asking him if he could convince the priest of the truth of the Holy Ascension.
When Hadrat Abdul-Qādir came to the palace, he found the priest and the caliph playing chess. As the priest lifted a chess piece to move it, his eyes met those of the Shaykh. He blinked his eyes and as he opened them again he found himself drowning in a rapidly running river!
He was shouting for help when a young shepherd jumped into the water to save him. As the shepherd held onto him, he realized that he was naked and had been transformed into a young girl!
Shepherd pulled her out of the water and asked her whose daughter she was & where she lived.
When the priest mentioned
Baghdad, the shepherd said that they were then at a distance of a few months journey from that city. The shepherd honoured her and kept her and protected her, but eventually as she had nowhere to go, he married her. They had three children, who grew up.
Baghdad, the shepherd said that they were then at a distance of a few months journey from that city. The shepherd honoured her and kept her and protected her, but eventually as she had nowhere to go, he married her. They had three children, who grew up.
One day as she was washing laundry in the same river where she had appeared many years before, she slipped and fell in. As she
opened her eyes. .. he found himself sitting across from the caliph, holding the chess piece and still looking up into the eyes of..
opened her eyes. .. he found himself sitting across from the caliph, holding the chess piece and still looking up into the eyes of..
Hadrat 'Abdul-Qādir, who said to him, 'Now, venerable priest, do you stil disbelieve?'
The priest, unsure of what had happened to him and thinking that it was a dream, responded with the words, 'What do you mean?'
The priest, unsure of what had happened to him and thinking that it was a dream, responded with the words, 'What do you mean?'
'Perhaps you would like to see your family?' the saint inquired. As he opened the door, there stood the shepherd and the three children. Seeing this, the priest believed. He & his congregation number among the 5000 Christians who became Muslim by the hands of Hadrat ´Abdul-Qādir.
In the hierarchy of Saints in Islam, Sayyidna Abdul Qadir Jillani RadiAllah Anhu is at the very top. He is the King of All Saints (Awliyah) and indeed once he declared: "My foot is upon the neck of all Awliyah". Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jillani was a Hassani and Husaaini Syed.
Mevlana Rumi says : The rank of Hazrat Abdul Qadir among the Awliyah is similar to the rank of Prophet Muhammad among the Prophets. Which means that Hazrat Abdu Qadir Jillani is the leader of all Saints just like Prophet Muhammad Alahis Salam is the leader of all Prophets.
Source: The Secrets of the Secrets, Book by Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jillani RadiAllah Anhu.
It should be noted that Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jillani is the leader of all Awliyah after the Sahaba e Kiraam and Ahle Bayt since their status is much superior to Sainthood (Waliyat e Khaas)
It should be noted that Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jillani is the leader of all Awliyah after the Sahaba e Kiraam and Ahle Bayt since their status is much superior to Sainthood (Waliyat e Khaas)
