-4The Lying Thief

 -5Madani Infant

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                                                صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Dear Islamic brothers! In Baghdad, Shaykh ꜤAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه  sought Islamic knowledge from the most skilled and renowned scholars.  He underwent extreme hunger and untold difficulties in this time, but his passion did not waiver.

Let us now look at the Shaykh’s love for Islamic knowledge and the patience he displayed when encountering difficulties on this path.

Hunger and patience

Shaykh Abū Bakr al-Tamīmīرَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه  relates how Shaykh ꜤAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه himself stated:

Once, a drought took place in Baghdad, due to which I faced severe hardships. I went days at a time without eating. Severely hungry, I went to the Tigris river, searching for edible greenery like spinach or something similar.  

Wherever I went, I saw many poor people gathered, rushing wherever anything edible was found. I returned to the city, but could not find anything there either.

When hunger overwhelmed me entirely, I went to a masjid and sat in a corner. After a while, a non-Arab young man arrived with bread and roasted meat. He began to eat, and with every bite he took, I unconsciously opened my mouth as though I was eating.  Yet, I controlled my nafs.