Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi


Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi was a Sufi saint of the Qadri Order in the Indian Subcontinent. His predecessors include Abdul Qadir Jilani, who initiated the silsila of the Qadri order. He helped to establish the order in Delhi.

Life

Abdul Rehman Jilani was born in 1615 in Hama, Syria. He was the son of Abdul Qadir, a dervish from whom he received his early education. At 35, he chose to stay at the tomb of Abdul Qadir Jilani in Baghdad for three years. On 15 October 1652, during the Mughal era of emperor Shah Jahan, he went to India to meet Abdul Jaleel. He pledged allegiance on 10 Dhu al-Hijjah 1062 AH and went to Delhi on 8 January 1653. Here he resided himself and made a Khanqah. This is where his shrine is built as well as a mosque called Shah Abdul Rehman Mosque. Present Sadar station and quarters of Muslim Waqf board are built on his land.
At the age of 41, Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi married Zahida who belonged to Jilani Sadaats and had 2 sons: Taj-ul-Arifeen and Abdul Aziz. In 1075, Taj-ul-Arifeen died of complications from diarrhea. Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi lived a life of anonymity not giving attention to fame or the royal court of the Delhi Sultanate.
He stayed within Delhi and guided people spiritually, never leaving the city. Hence, he is also termed as Qaim Maqam Faqeer. His descendants preserved his teachings, notably his great grandson Abdullah Shah Madni Jilani in Ahmadpur Sharqiah, Bahawalpur district, Pakistan.
Dehlvi died on 16 November 1677 during the reign of Mughal Emperor Alamgir. His shrine is in Delhi. His successor Mohammad Siddique was its first caretaker.

Ancestral lineage

Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi is the descendant of Abdul Qadir Jilani in the following order:
Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi son of Abdul Qadir son of Sharf-ud-Din son of Ahmed son of Alla-ud-Din Sani son of Shahab-ud-Din Sani son of Sharaf-ud-Din Qasim son of Mohi-ud-Din Yahya son of Badar-ud-Din Hussain son of Alla-ud-Din son of Shams-ud-Din son of Saif-ud-Din Yahya son of Zaheer-ud-Din son of Abi Nasar son of Abu Saleh Nasar son of Syed Abdul Razzaq Jilani son of Abdul Qadir Jilani.

Spiritual Lineage

The saintly lineage of Faqr reaches Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi from Abdul Qadir Jilani in the following order:
  1. Muhammad
  2. 'Alī bin Abī Ṭālib
  3. al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī
  4. Habib al Ajami
  5. Dawud Tai
  6. Maruf Karkhi
  7. Sirri Saqti
  8. Junaid Baghdadi
  9. Abu Bakr Shibli
  10. Abdul Aziz bin Hars bin Asad Yemeni Tamimi
  11. Abu Al Fazal Abdul Wahid Yemeni Tamimi
  12. Mohammad Yousaf Abu al-Farah Tartusi
  13. Abu-al-Hassan Ali Bin Mohammad Qureshi Hankari
  14. Abu Saeed Mubarak Makhzoomi
  15. Abdul Qadir Jilani
  16. Abdul Razzaq Jilani
  17. Abdul Jabbar Jilani
  18. Mohammad Yahya Sadiq Jilani
  19. Najam-ud-Din Burhan Puri
  20. Abdul Fattah
  21. Abdul Sattar
  22. Abdul Baqqa
  23. Abdul Jaleel
  24. Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi

    Students

Abdul Rehman Jilani‘s senior successor was Sultan Bahoo. His junior successors included Shah Habib Allah Qadri and Mohammad Siddique, who was the first caretaker of his shrine and had no children. Sultan Bahoo‘a disciple was Abdul Rehman Jilani, a saint of the Qadri family.

The Qadri order

Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi is one of the most recognized Sufis of the Qadri order after its founder Abdul Qadir Jilani.
The Qadri order branched with Sultan Bahoo to form the Sarwari Qadri order. Its disciples started adding Sarwari Qadri to their name. Many Sufi students and descendants became prominent from this order.

Death anniversary

Abdul Rehman Jilani's death anniversary is celebrated on 21 Ramadan.