Meaning of Abdaal According to Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani (rahimahullah)
We don’t need to debate whether the Ahadith are authentic, fabricated, or weak that is a separate discussion. Let us instead focus on what Shaykh Abdul Qadir himself said about the Abdaal.
In simple terms, Abdaal are Auliya. However, later some Sufis distorted this meaning, claiming that they should be called upon for help. In fact, Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani stated that they are intercessors on the Day of Judgment and do not engage in shirk. He said:
قل بسم الله , إسم الذى أجرى الأنهار وأنبت الأشجار اسم من عمر البلاد بأهل الطاعة من العباد لها أوتاد كالجبال فصارت الأرض بهم لمن عليها كالمهاد فهم الأربعون الأخيار من الأبدال المنزهون الرب عن الشركاء والأنداد وملوك فى الدنيا وشفعاء الأنام فى يوم التناد إذ خلقهم ربى مصلحة للعالم ورحمة للعباد
Say: In the name of Allah, the Name that made rivers flow and caused trees to grow; the Name that populated the lands through obedient servants. For them are pegs like mountains, so the earth became for those upon it like a cradle because of mountains. They (Auliya) are the forty chosen ones from the Abdāl (the righteous Auliya), who declare Allah free from partners and equals. They are kings in the world and intercessors for creation on the Day of Calling (Qiyamat) for my Lord created them as a benefit for this Aalam and a mercy for the servants. [Ghuniya 1/226]
Mulla Ali al Qari also mentioned what Shaykh Abdul Qadir jilani believed.
وَقَالَ الْقُطْبُ الْحَقَّانِيُّ الشَّيْخُ عَبْدُ الْقَادِرِ الْجِيلَانِيُّ: إِنَّمَا سُمُّوا أَبْدَالًا لِأَنَّهُمْ فَنُوا عَنْ إِرَادَتِهِمْ فَبُدِّلَتْ بِإِرَادَةِ الْحَقِّ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، فَيُرِيدُونَ بِإِرَادَةِ الْحَقِّ أَبَدًا إِلَى الْوَفَاةِ، فَذُنُوبُ هَؤُلَاءِ السَّادَةِ أَنْ يُشْرِكُوا إِرَادَةَ الْحَقِّ بِإِرَادَتِهِمْ، عَلَى وَجْهِ السَّهْوِ وَالنِّسْيَانِ وَغَلَبَةِ الْحَالِ وَالدَّهْشَةِ، فَيُدْرِكُهُمُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِرَحْمَتِهِ بِالْيَقَظَةِ وَالتَّذْكِرَةِ، فَيَرْجِعُونَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ رَبَّهُمْ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ.
“And the Qutb al-Haqqani, Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: they are called Abdal because they have renounced their own personal will, which has been replaced by the Will of the Truth (Allah Almighty). They desire always to live according to the Will of Allah, until death.
The faults of these noble ones occur only when, unintentionally through forgetfulness, oversight, being overcome by circumstances, or astonishment they mix their own will with the Will of Allah. But Allah, in His mercy, reaches them with wakefulness and reminder, so they turn back from this error and seek forgiveness from their Lord, the Exalted.”
[Mirqaat al Mafateeh 8/3441]
He never said that one should ask for help from them after their death. Nor did he believe that the Abdal were given control over the universe, as some of the ghulat of Sufism claim. The following quote refutes those who believe that the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Auliya were given such powers:
Shaykh Abdul Qadir al Jilani rahimahullah said about false beliefs of a doomed sect:
وأما المفوضية: فهم القائلون إن الله فوض تدبير الخلق إلى الأئمة، وإن الله تعالى قد أقدر النبي -صلى الله عليه وسلم- على خلق العالم وتدبيره، وإن كان ما خلق الله من ذلك شيئًا،
As for the Mufawwadiyya: they are those who say that Allah delegated the management of creation to the Imams, and that Allah Almighty actually empowered the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with the ability to create and manage the world even though what Allah created of that is nothing at all. Ghunia Tul Talibeen 1/182
Abd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī – رحمة الله عليه– said:
فتشت الأعمال كلها ، فما وجدت فيها أفضل من إطعام الطعام ، أود لو أن الدنيا بيدي فأطعمها الجياع ، كفي مثقوبة لا تضبط شيئا ، لو جاءني ألف دينار لم أبيتها ، وكان إذا جاءه أحد بذهب ، يقول : ضعه تحت السجادة .
“I examined all the deeds and found none better than feeding people. I wish the whole world were in my hand so that I could feed the hungry.
(Muhammad ibn Shakir d 764 AH in Fawātu al-Wafayāt – al-Kutubī 1/703 , Dhahabi in Siyar A’lam al nubala 20/447 )
Shaykh rahimahullah was asked about the year of his birth and he said:
This is a clear proof that Shaykh Abdul Qadir al Jilani rahimahullah is neither a Mushkil Kusha, nor control the worlds.
This aligns perfectly with what the Qur’an says about the Auliya:
“No doubt! Verily, the Awliya’ of Allah no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve.
Those who believed and used to fear Allah much (by abstaining from evil deeds and sins and by doing righteous deeds).
For them are glad tidings, in the life of the present world, and in the Hereafter. No change can there be in the Words of Allah. This is indeed the supreme success.”
Yunus 10:62-64
a) Ibn Al wardi (691h – 749 h)
Abdul Hai Lucknowi Hanafi said:
ذكر ابن الوردي في تاريخه إن في البهجة أمورا لا تصح
ومبالغات في شأن الشيخ عبد القادر لا تليق إلا بالربوبية انتهى أي كلام ابن الوردي
Ibn Al wardi (691h – 749 h) mentioned in his tareekh that in Behjat (of Shatnoofi) the things are not authentic, And extremism in praise of Shaykh Abdul Qadir which are not applicable for anyone other than Rububiyah. [Athaar Al Marfua fe akhbar Al madhua page 66]
It is interesting to note that even Al-Shatanoofi never claimed that he (Abdul Qadir) was Al-Ghawth al-A’zam (the Supreme Helper). Yet, Ibn al-Wardi (691–749 AH) said the bool attributed to him qualities that are applicable only to Rububiyyah (Divine Lordship).
b) Ibn Kathir said:
وكان له سمت حسن، وصمت غير الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر، وكان فيه تزهد كثير وله أحوال صالحة ومكاشفات، ولأتباعه وأصحابه فيه مقالات، ويذكرون عنه أقوالا وأفعالا ومكاشفات أكثرها مغالاة، وقد كان صالحا ورعا، وقد صنف كتاب (الغنية) و(فتوح الغيب) وفيهما أشياء حسنة، وذكر فيهما أحاديث ضعيفة وموضوعة، وبالجملة كان من سادات المشايخ، توفي وله تسعون سنة ودفن بالمدرسة التي كانت له.
He was known for his noble character and for his silence, except when commanding good and forbidding evil. He was extremely ascetic, had righteous states, and spiritual unveilings. His followers and companions narrated many accounts about him, including sayings, actions, and spiritual experiences, most of which were considered exaggerated. Nevertheless, he was pious and devout.
He authored the books “Al-Ghaniyah” and “Futuh al-Ghayb”, which contain many good points, although they also include weak and fabricated hadiths. In summary, he was one of the foremost of the Shaykhs. He passed away at the age of ninety and was buried in the school that had belonged to him. [al Bidaya wal Nihaya Vol 12 Biography of Shaykh Abdul Qadir]
c) Imam Al-Dhahabi said:
ليس في كبار المشايخ من له أحوال وكرامات أكثر من الشيخ عبد القادر لكن كثيرا منها لا يصح وفي بعض ذلك أشياء مستحيلة
“Among the great Sheikhs, none has more states and miracles attributed to him than Sheikh Abdul-Qadir. However, many of them are not authentic, and among them are impossible things.” [Siyar A’lam al-Nubala: Vol. 20, p. 450]
d) Al-Dhahabi, commenting on Bahjt al Asrar, the first book written on the karaamt of Shaykh, said:
كان الشيخ رضي الله عنه عديم النظير ، بعيد الصيت ، رأسا في العلم والعمل جمع الشيخ نور الدين الشطنوفي المقري كتابا حافلا في سيرته وأخباره في ثلاث مجلدات ، أتى فيه بالبرة وأذن الجرة ، والصحيح والواهي والمكذوب ، فإنه كتب فيه حكايات عن قوم لا صدق لهم ، كما حكوا أن الشيخ مشى في الهواء من منبره ثلاث عشرة خطوة في المجلس ومنها أن الشيخ وعظ ، فلم يتحرك أحد فقال : أنتم لا تتحركون ولا تطربون يا قناديل اطربي قال : فتحرك القناديل ورقصت الأطبقاق وفي الجملة فكراماته متواترة ولم يخلف بعده مثله
“The Shaykh—may Allah be pleased with him—was peerless, of great fame, a leader in knowledge and action. Shaykh Nur al-Din al-Shattanawfi al-Muqri compiled an extensive book in three volumes about his biography and accounts, bringing in it the authentic and allowing the jar to overflow, mixing the sound, the weak, and the fabricated. He wrote in it narrations from people whose truthfulness is not reliable, such as their narration that the Shaykh walked in the air from his pulpit thirteen steps during a gathering, and that the Shaykh gave a sermon and no one was moved. So he said: ‘You do not move nor rejoice? O lamps, rejoice!’ They said: Then the lamps moved and the dishes danced. In summary, his miraculous graces (karamat) are recurrently transmitted (mutawatir), and he had no equal after him.” [Tarikh al-Islam, p. 100/39]
e) Qāḍī Iyāḍ (d 544 AH) said:
أَو نَزَع مِن الْكَلَام لِمَخْلُوق بِمَا لَا يَلِيق إلَّا فِي حَقّ خالِقِه غَيْر قاصِد لِلْكُفْر والاسْتِخْفَاف وَلَا عامِد لِلْإلْحَاد فَإِن تَكَرّر هَذَا مِنْه وَعُرِف بِه دَلّ عَلَى تلاعبه بدينه واستخفافه بحُرْمَة رَبّه وَجَهْلِه بِعَظِيم عِزَّتِه وكِبْرِيائِه وَهَذَا كُفْر لَا مِرْيَة فِيه
“Whoever attributes to a created being something that is only appropriate for the Creator WITHOUT intending disbelief, mockery, or deliberate heresy if this occurs repeatedly and becomes known as a habit, it indicates that he is playing with his religion, showing disregard for the sanctity of his Lord, and ignorance of His great Majesty and Glory. This constitutes clear kufr (disbelief) without any doubt.” [al Shifa 2/299]
Qāḍī Iyāḍ warned that using language proper only for Allah such as addressing a created being with divine supplications is impermissible like “Heal me and grant me wellness” etc. Thus, reducing disbelief to only denying Allah’s Lordship is invalid, as true disbelief includes attributing Allah’s exclusive rights to creation. This violation disregards the sanctity reserved for Allah alone.
f. 𝐀𝐛𝐮 𝐚𝐥-𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐥-𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐢 (𝟒𝟔𝟕 𝐀𝐇 – 𝟓𝟒𝟖 𝐀𝐇) 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝:
ومن رفع الحاجة إلى من لا تُرفع إليه الحوائج فقد أشرك كلَّ الشرك
“Whoever directs a need to someone to whom needs are not to be directed has committed all forms of shirk.” [Al-Milal wa al-Nihal, al-Shahrastani 2/36]
g) We have mentioned many times that the Shaykh himself was free from this evil; rather, he was a man of pure tawhid (monotheism).
In short:
Even though we do not concern ourselves with the numbering of the Abdaal, the point is that Abdaal are Auliya pious individuals who do not engage in haram and do not commit shirk. They are not given powers to control the universe, nor are they to be called upon. On the Day of Judgment, they will act as intercessors with the permission of Allah. In this world, one may ask Auliya who are present and alive to pray to Allah on their behalf, but not those who have passed away. Reliance should always be on Allah alone. Those who believe otherwise belong to a misguided sect, as stated by Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani (rahimahullah).
It has been mentioned several times that, according to Shaykh Abdul Qadir, if one says “Allah, Allah” but relies on others, they are a mushrik. Help should be sought only from Allah (Ta’ala), not from creation. His teacher, Ibn Aqil, clearly stated that whoever asks for help at graves, saying, “O so-and-so, do such and such,” is like the mushrikeen who used to call upon Lat and Uzza.