Sufi Thought of Sheikh ‘Abdu’l Qadir Jilani and its Impact on the Indian Sub-continent

by Manzoor Ahmad Bhat

The volume mainly deals with the Sufi thought of one of the most revered and influential Sufis, Shaikh A’bdu’l Qadir Jilani (eleventh-twelfth century), particularly its impact on the culture and tradition of the Indian subcontinent. It presents a historical perspective on the religious-political theorists of the time and pattern of administration then. In an interesting study, it deals with the life and works of the saint and emergence of Sufi thought and organization of Sufi silsilas. The focus is on the original utterances, sermons and discourses of the scholar-preacher and interpretation of the most recurring themes in Jilani’s vocabulary in a simple manner. The themes relate to unity of the Divine Being, enforcement of the lawful, love of humanity, polytheism, the spiritual struggle in man and different ahwal (states) and maqamat (stations) of the Sufi thought. It observes that Jilani has not deviated from the fundamental teachings of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. It discusses the impact of his teachings in terms of the emergence of various Qadiriyya centres in the subcontinent and flourishing of his thought after his time.
The volume will be useful to scholars of Islamic studies and general readers interested in understanding the evolution of Islamic thought in the Indian subcontinent.