'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi 'Amir

‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi ‘Amir (983 - March 3, 1009) was the son of Almanzor. He is known as Sanchuelo, “the little Sancho”, for being a grandson of King Sancho of Navarre. He succeeded his elder brother ‘Abd al-Malik al-Muzaffar as the “major domo” -- the chief minister -- of Hisham II, Caliph of Cordoba. In 1008, Sanchuelo obtained from the Spanish Umayyad Hisham II his designation as heir presumptive to the throne, but the population of Cordoba rose up against him. Led by Muhammad II al-Mahdi, Sanchuelo was executed shortly afterwards.

'Abd al-Rahman was born and died in Cordoba. He was the son of Almanzor and chief minister of Hisham II, Caliph of Cordoba. 

His originally Christian mother was Abda (born Urraca), daughter of Sancho II of Pamplona, after whom he was named; Sanchuelo (Arabic: Shanjoul‎) being the diminutive of Sancho; because he looked like his Christian grandfather.

Almanzor actually had all power in his hands but nominally recognized the suzerainty of the caliph. His son and successor 'Abd al-Malik al-Muzaffar acted in the same way.

When 'Abd al-Malik died, his younger brother 'Abd al-Rahman succeeded him on October 20, 1008. He used his great influence and forced the weak caliph to designate him as his heir (November 1008). Because of this, the population of Córdoba was very angry. They had already disliked the rule of Almanzor because he had recruited many Berbers as mercenaries. 'Abd ar-Rahman was accused of poisoning his brother 'Abd al-Malik.

When 'Abd al-Rahman went on an expedition against King Alfonso V of Leon (February 1009), the citizens of Córdoba rose up against him. They were led by Muhammad II al-Mahdi, a member of the dynasty of the Umayyads.  Muhammad II al-Mahdi dethroned his relative Hisham II, became new caliph and destroyed the residence of 'Abd al-Rahman called al-Madina al-Zahira -- "the flourishing city". On receiving this news, 'Abd al-Rahman returned to Córdoba but his troops abandoned him. He was arrested and later assassinated by the order of al-Mahdi.

Alternative names include:

'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi 'Amir
'Abd al-Rahman Sanchuelo
Ibn Abi 'Amir
Ibn Abi 'Amir, 'Abd al-Rahman
The Little Sancho
Sanchuelo
Sanchuelo, 'Abd al-Rahman
Shanjoul

'Abd al-Rahman, 'A'ishah

‘Abd al-Rahman, ‘A’ishah (1913 - December 1, 1998) was an Egyptian writer and professor of Arabic language and literature and Qur’anic studies. Under the pseudonym Bint al-Shati’ ("Daughter of the Riverbank" or "Daughter of the Shore"), ‘Abd al-Rahman was the author of more than sixty books on Arabic literature, Qur’anic interpretation, the lives of women of the early Muslim community (especially members of the Prophet’s family), contemporary social issues, and fiction.

Raised in the Delta port city of Dumyat (Damietta), she was taught the Qur’an and classical Arabic literature by her father, an al-Azhar educated teacher at a mosque-based religious institute. Although he educated her in the traditional style at home, mosque, and Qur’anic school (kuttab), he objected to her attendance at public schools. With the assistance of her mother and maternal great-grandfather, she managed to get a secular education (at El Mansurah) despite her father’s objections.

‘Abd al-Rahman began her literary career by writing poems and essays for Al-nahdah, a women’s magazine, and became a literary critic for the semi-official newspaper Al-ahram in 1936, the same year she entered the Faculty of Letters at Fu’ad I University. At this time, she assumed the pen-name Bint al-Shati’ (“Daughter of the Shore”) in order to conceal her identity from her father. Her first articles for Al-ahram focused on conditions in the Egyptian countryside, but she is best known for her later works on religious and literary topics. She received her doctorate in 1950 for a thesis on the poet Abu al-‘Ala’ al-Ma‘arri (d. 1058).

In 1951, ‘Abd al-Rahman became professor of Arabic language and literature at ‘Ayn Shams University in Cairo. Throughout the 1960s, she participated in international literary conferences, served on several government sponsored committees on literature and education, and was a visiting professor at the Islamic University in Ummdurman (Sudan), the University of Khartoum, and the University of Algiers. After retiring from her position at ‘Ayn Shams University, she became professor of higher Qur’anic studies at al-Qarawiyin University in Fez, Morocco. Her regular articles for Al-ahram, her biographies of the women of the Prophet’s household, and especially her exegesis of the Qur’an brought her recognition and distinction in Egypt and throughout the Arab world.

‘Abd al-Rahman’s pursuit of public education offered her little challenge after her early education at the hands of her father, until she met Professor Amin al-Khuli when she was a student at Fu’ad I University (later Cairo University). He introduced her to the literary analysis of the Qur’an that became her trademark. In 'Ala al-jisr, ‘Abd al-Rahman decribes her entire life as a path to this encounter with Amin al-Khuli, whom she married in 1945. Her work is seen as the best exemplification of his method, and she has been much more prolific than her teacher, who died in 1966.

‘Abd al-Rahman’s rhetorical exegesis of the Qur’an makes a plea for removing the Qur’an from the exclusive domain of traditional exegesis (commentary) and placing it within literary studies. Whereas some earlier exegetes allowed for a multiplicity of interpretations of any single Qur’anic verse, seeing in this multiplicity a demonstration of the richness of the Qur’an, ‘Abd al-Rahman argues that every word of the Qur’an allows for only a single interpretation, which should be elicited from the context of the Qur’an as a whole. She rejects extraneous sources, particularly information derived from the Bible or Jewish sources (Isra'iliyat), the inclusion of which in traditional Qur’anic exegesis she sees as part of a continuing Jewish conspiracy to subvert Islam and dominate the world. She also argues that no word is a true synonym for any other in the Qur’an, so no word can be replaced by another. Whereas many scholars believe certain phrases in the Qur’an were inserted to provide the text with its characteristic rhythm and assonance, ‘Abd al-Rahman insisted that every word of the Qur’an is there solely for the meaning it gives.

‘Abd al-Rahman was both deeply religious and very conservative, despite her active public life. On the subject of women’s liberation, she affirmed the principle of male guardianship over women but firmly rejected male responsibility for the behavior of women. She insisted that a proper understanding of women’s liberation does not abandon traditional Islamic values. She was consistently supported and honored by successive Egyptian regimes.

'A'ishah 'Abd al-Rahman died of a heart attack following a stroke in Cairo on December 1, 1998.

'A'ishah 'Abd al-Rahman was born in Damietta in the governate of Domyat. Her father taught at the Domyat Religious Institute. When she was ten, her mother, though illiterate, enrolled 'A'ishah in school while her father was traveling. Though her father objected, her mother later sent 'A'ishah to El Mansurah for further education. Later, 'A'ishah studied Arabic at Cairo University earning her undergraduate degree in 1939, and an M.A. degree in 1941.

In 1942, 'A'ishah began work as an Inspector for teaching of Arabic literature for the Egyptian Ministry of Education. She earned her Ph.D. with distinction in 1950 and was appointed Professor of Arabic Literature at the University College for Women of the Ains Shams University.  

'Abd al-Rahman wrote fiction and biographies of early Muslim women, including the mother, wives and daughters of the Prophet Muhammad, as well as literary criticism.  She was the second modern woman to undertake Qur'anic exegesis, and though she did not consider herself to be a feminist, her works reflect feminist themes. She began producing her popular books in 1959, the same year that Naguib Mahfouz published his allegorical and feminist version of the life of the Prophet Muhammad.

'Abd al-Rahman was married to Sheik Amin el-Khouli, her teacher at Cairo University during her undergraduate years. She died of a heart attack on December 1, 1998,  following a stroke in Cairo. She donated all her library to research purposes, and in 1985 a statue was built in her honor in Cairo.

A selective bibliography of her works reads as follows:

• The Egyptian Countryside (1936)
• The Problem of the Peasant (1938)
• Secret of the Beach and Master of the Estate: The Story of a Sinful Woman (1942)
• New Values in Arabic Literature (1961)
• Contemporary Arab Women Poets (1963)

Alternative names include:

'Abd al-Rahman, 'A'isha
'Abd al-Rahman, 'A'ishah
'A'isha 'Abd al-Rahman
'A'ishah 'Abd al-Rahman
Bint al-Shati’
Daughter of the Riverbank
Daughter of the Shore

'Abd al-Rahim Khan

‘Abd al-Rahim Khan (December 17, 1556, Lahore - 1627) was a general, statesman, scholar and poet in Mughal India. Also known as Rahim, he was a poet in the times of Mughal emperor Akbar, and one of Akbar's main ministers. He translated Babur’s autobiography into Persian and was a patron of the arts and letters. He is best known for his Hindi couplets and his books on astrology.

'Abd al-Rahim Khan (Mirza Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana) was the son of Akbar's trusted caretaker, Bairam Khan who had Turk ancestry. His mother was the daughter of Jamal Khan of Mewat. Abd al-Rahim was born in Lahore. After Bairam Khan was murdered, his wife became the second wife of Akbar, which made Abd al-Rahim Akbar's stepson. Later he became one of Akbar's nine prominent ministers -- the Navaratnas or "the nine gems."

Although a Muslim by birth, Rahim was a devotee of Krishna and wrote poetry dedicated to Krishna. He was also an avid astrologer, and the writer of two important works in astrology Khei Kautukam and Dwawishd Yogavali.

Rahim's two sons were killed by Akbar's son Jehangir and their bodies left to rot at the Khooni Darwaza because Rahim was not in favor of Jehangir's accession to the throne at Akbar's death.

The tomb of 'Abd al-Rahim Khan is located ahead of Humayun's tomb in New Delhi.

'Abd al-Rahim Khan is a renowned composer during the time of the Mughal emperor Akbar. 'Abd al-Rahim was one of the main nine ministers (Diwan) in Akbar's court, also known as the Navaratnas.  Rahim is famous for his Hindi couplets and his books on Astrology. The village of Khankhana, is named after him, which is located in the Nawanshahr district of the state of Punjab, India.

Rahim was the son of Bairam Khan, Akbar's trusted caretaker, who had Turkic ancestry. When Humayun returned to India, from his exile, he asked the nobles to forge matrimonial alliances with various zamindars and feudal lords, across the nation. While Humayun himself married the elder daughter of Jamal Khan of Mewat (present Mewat district of Haryana), he asked Bairam Khan to marry the younger daughter.

'Abd al-Rahim was born in Lahore in what is today Pakistan.

After Bairam Khan was murdered in Patan, Gujarat, his wife and young Rahim were brought safely to Ahmedabad. From Ahmedabad, they were brought to Delhi and presented to the royal courts of Akbar, who gave him the title of 'Mirza Khan', and subsequently married him to Mah Banu, sister of Mirza Aziz Kokah, son of Ataga Khan, a noted Mughal noble.

'Abd al-Rahim is well known for his strange manner of giving alms to the poor. He never looked at the person he was giving alms to, keeping his gaze downwards in all humility. When Tulsidas heard about Rahim's strange method of giving alms, he promptly wrote a couplet and sent it to Rahim.

The two sons of 'Abd al-Rahim were killed by Akbar's son Jehangir and their bodies left to rot at the Khooni Darwaza because Rahim was not in favor of Jehangir's accession to the throne at Akbar's death.

The tomb of 'Abd al-Rahim is situated in Nizamuddin on the Mathura road ahead of Humayun's Tomb in New Delhi.  It was built by 'Abd al-Rahim for his wife in 1598, and later he was himself buried in it in 1627. Later, in 1753-4, marble and sandstone from this tomb was used for the making of Safdarjung's Tomb, also in New Delhi.

Apart from writing various dohas, 'Abd al-Rahim translated Babar's memoirs, Baburnama from Chagatai language to Persian language.  Baburnama was completed in AH 998 (1589–90). His command of Sanskrit was very good. He also wrote two books on astrology,Kheta Kautukama and Dwawishd Yogavali.

Alternative names include:

'Abd al-Rahim
'Abd al-Rahim Khan
'Abd al-Rahim Khan-e-Khana
'Abd al-Rahim Khan-e-Khanan
Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khana
Khanzada Mirza Khan
Mirza Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana

'Abd al-Qadir ibn Ghaybi

'Abd al-Qadir ibn Ghaybi (b. c. 1350 - d. March 1435, Herat) was one of the greatest of the Persian writers on music. His works are of great importance in the history of Persian, Arabian and Turkish music.  

'Abd al-Qadir ibn Ghaybi was a Persian singer and musicologist, writing in Persian. 

'Abd al-Qadir came from a family of singers from Azerbaijan Maragia. At the end of the fourteenth century, 'Abd al-Qadir began his career singing in the courts of sultans. For a time, he lived at the court of the Turkish sultan, and then, from about 1393, he was associated with the court of Timur and his son Miranszaha.  He was also active in Baghdad and Samarkand  in the courts Khalil and Szahrucha.   

'Abd al-Qadir is the author of the following works on the theory of musical aesthetics: Jama al-alhan (Set of Tunes, 1405), dedicated to a discussion of the science of music and its nature and place in the religion of Islam and Arab and Persian culture; al-alhan Makasid ( Destiny tune, 1418), dedicated Timur's grandson; and al-adware Szarh (Commentary on the book of the key ).  His work Kanz al-alhan (Treasury melody) invoked the authority of later generations of artists and musicologists of the Arab world.

Alternative names include:

'Abd al-Qadir ibn al-Hafiz Ghajbi al-Maraghi
'Abd al-Qadir ibn Ghajbi
'Abd al-Qadir ibn Ghaybi
Ibn al-Hafiz Ghajbi al-Maraghi
Ibn al-Hafiz Ghajbi al-Maraghi, 'Abd al-Qadir
Ibn Ghajbi
Ibn Ghajbi, 'Abd al-Qadir
Ibn Ghaybi
Ibn Ghaybi, 'Abd al-Qadir

'Abd-al-Qadir Bedil

‘Abd-al-Qadir Bedil (b. [1642?] 1644 - d. [1720] 1721) was an Indo-Persian poet, comparable in output and influence to Rumi. Born in Azimabad (present day Patna, Bihar, India), his family was from Badakhshan (present day Afghanistan). According to some other sources, he was born in Khwaja Rawash, an area of Kabul province in today's Afghanistan.

Bedil was educated in traditional Islamic studies before coming to Delhi in 1665. In Delhi, he met an ecstatic Sufi saint who changed the course of his life. After disconsolate wanderings, Bedil married and returned to Delhi. In Delhi, he began to write the verse for which he became famous throughout central Asia.

Bedil mostly wrote ghazal and rubayee (quatrain) in Dari (Persian). He is considered to be one of the prominent poets of the Indian School of Poetry in Persian literature known for his own unique style. Both Mirza Ghalib and Iqbal-e Lahori were influenced by him. His books include Telesm-e Hairat, Toor e Ma'refat, Chahar Unsur, and Ruqa'at. Possibly as a result of being brought up in such a mixed religious environment, Bedil had considerably more tolerant views than his poetic contemporaries. He preferred free thought to accepting the established beliefs of his time, siding with the common people and rejecting the clergy who he often saw as corrupt. Bedil evolved a new, highly obtuse style of poetry, at once mystical and rational, beguiling and yet not fully comprehensible.

Upon his emergence as a poet, Bedil gained recognition throughout the Iranian cultural continent. However, after the late 18th century, his poetry gradually lost its position among Iranians, while it was much welcomed in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Pakistan. Bedil only came back to prominence in Iran in the 1980s. Literary critics Mohammad-Reza Shafiei-Kadkani and Shams Langrudi were instrumental in Bidel's re-emergence in Iran. Iran also sponsored two international conferences on Bedil.

Bedil was of Uzbek descent. He came early under the influence of the Ṣufis, refused to be attached to any court, and travelled widely throughout India during his long life. Bedil’s sixteen (16) books of poetry contain nearly 147,000 verses and include several masnavi.

Bedil was a famous Afghan poet and Sufi born to a family of Chaghatay Turkic descent. He was born in Khwaja Rawash, Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.

The Indian school of Dari (Farsi) poetry and especially Bedil's poetry is criticized for its complex and implicit meanings. It is much more welcomed in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan and India than in Iran. The main reason could be Bedil's style which is a bit Indian. In Afghanistan, a unique school in poetry studying is dedicated to Bedil's poetry called Bedil Shinasi (Bedil studies) and those who have studied his poetry are called Bedil Shinas (Bedil expert). His poetry plays a major role in the Indo-Persian classical music of central Asia as well.

Bedil's grave, called Bagh-e-Bedil (Garden of Bedil) is situated across Purana Qila, at Mathura Road in Delhi.

Alternative names include:

'Abd al-Qadir Bedil
'Abd-al-Qadir BedilAbdul-Qader Bedil
'Abdul Qadir Bedil
Abul Ma'ani Mirza Abdul-Qader Bedil
Bedil, 'Abd al-Qadir
Bedil, 'Abd-al-Qadir
Bedil, Abdul-Qader
Bedil, 'Abdul Qadir
Bedil, Abul Ma'ani Mirza Abdul-Qader
Bedil Dehlavi
Bedil, Mawlana Abul-Ma'ani Abdul Qader
Bedil, Mawlana Abul-Ma'ani Mirza Abdul-Qadir
Bedil, Mirza
Mawlana Abul Ma'ani Abdul Qader Bedil
Mawlana Abul-Ma'ani Mirza Abdul-Qadir Bedil
Mirza Bedil

'Abd-al-Qadir al-Jilani

‘Abd-al-Qadir al-Jilani (b. 1077/1078, Nif, Persia - d. 1166, Baghdad) was a Hanbalite theologian, preacher, and a Sufi mystic of legendary fame. Born in Jilan, Iraq, al-Jilani was raised by his mother and grandfather after his father's passing. Al-Jilani was descended from Hasan while his mother was descended from Husayn. At the age of eighteen, he went to Baghdad where he trained in Hanbalite law.

Around 1100, a Sufi teacher (Shaikh Abu'l-Khair Hammad ibn Muslim al-Dabbas) inspired al-Jilani to pursue the mystical path. Al-Jilani abandoned Baghdad and wandered in the desert regions of Iraq. After twenty-five years as a desert recluse, al-Jilani reappeared in Baghdad in 1127 to become one of the most popular preachers and teachers that Islam has ever known. In the morning, he taught hadith and tafsir, and in the afternoon held discourse on mysticism and the virtues of the Qur'an.

Al-Jilani established a school and inspired an order that eventually set up branches in every Muslim country. The order came to bear his name of Qadiriyya. His tomb in Baghdad has remained one of the most frequented sanctuaries of Islam.

'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani studied Islamic law in Baghdad and was introduced to Sufism rather late in life, first appearing as a preacher in 1127. His great reputation as a preacher and teacher attracted disciples from the entire Islamic world, and he is said to have converted numerous Jews and Christians to Islam. His achievement as a thinker was to have reconciled the mystical nature of the Sufi calling with the sober demands of Islamic law. His concept of Sufism was that of a holy war or jihad waged against one’s own will in order to conquer egotism and worldliness and to submit to God’s will. Numerous legends of his saintliness arose after his death, and he retains a popular following among those who consider him a divine mediator.

'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani ('Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani) was born the first day of Ramadan, 470 A.H. (1077 C. C.), in Naif (Nif), District of Gilan, Mazandaran Province, Iran (Persia).  He died on 11 Rabiʿ ath-Thani 561 A.H. (1166 C. C.), in a small town of Gilan Province.  'Abd al-Qadir was an Islamic Sufi religious figure, teacher, preacher and writer. 'Abd al-Qadir is considered to be a patron saint of Kurds and is also held in veneration by Sufi Muslims of the Indian subcontinent where his followers call him "Ghaus-e-Azam".

Al-Jilani was born in the latter part of the 11th century of the Christian calendar. His father was Abu Salih Musa al-Hasani, a descendant of Hazrat Imam Hasan, the eldest son of 'Ali, Muhammad's first cousin, and the husband of Fatima, Muhammad's daughter. Al-Jilani's mother was the daughter of 'Abdullah Sawmai, a descendant of Imam Husain, the younger son of 'Ali and Fatima. Thus, al-Jilani was both a Hasani and Hussaini.

Within al-Jilani's full name, al-Sayyid Muhiyudin Abu Muhammad Abdal Qadir al-Jilani al-Hasani wal-Hussaini, the word Sayyid denotes his descent from Muhammad. The name Muhiyudin describes him as a "reviver of religion". The phrase, al-Jilani refers to al-Jilani's region of birth. However, al-Jilani also carried the epithet, al-Baghdadi referring to his residence and burial in Baghdad. The phrase al-Hasani wal-Hussaini affirms his lineal descent from both Hasan ibn 'Ali and Hussein ibn 'Ali, the grandsons of Muhammad.

Al-Jilani (Al Gilani) spent his early life in Naif (Nif), the town of his birth. In 1095, at the age of eighteen years, al-Jilani went to Baghdad. There, he pursued the study of Hanbali law. Abu 'Ali al-Mukharrimi gave al-Jilani lessons about fiqh. He was given lessons about hadith by Abu Bakr ibn Muzaffar. He was given lessons about tafsir by Abu Muhammad Ja'far, a commentator. In tasawwuf, his spiritual instructor was Abu'l-Khair Hammad ibn Muslim al-Dabbas. After completing his education, al-Jilani left Baghdad. He spent twenty-five years as a reclusive wanderer in the desert regions of Iraq.

In 1127, al-Jilani returned to Baghdad and began to preach in public. He joined the teaching staff of the school belonging to his teacher al-Mukharrimii and was popular with students. In the morning he taught hadith and tafsir, and in the afternoon held discourse on the science of the hearts and the virtues of the Qur'an.  

From 1127 (521 A.H.) to 1166 (561 A.H.), al-Jilani resided in Baghdad. During this period, hundreds of thousands of people converted to Islam because of him and he organized several teams to go abroad for dawah  purposes.

Al-Jilani was a great Sufi scholar and a heart touching author. His books Ghuniyat Attalibeen and Fatooh ul Ghaib became very popular among the Muslim religious circles.

Al-Jilani died in 1166 (11 Rabi'us sani 561 A.H.). His body was entombed in a shrine within his madrassa in Babul-Sheikh, Resafa (East bank of the Tigris) in Baghdad, Iraq.  Worldwide, the Sufi orders celebrate "Ghouse-al-azham day" on the date of al-Jilani's death.

Al-Jilani continued the spiritual chain of Junayd Baghdadi. His contribution to Sufi thought in the Muslim world earned him the title Muhiyuddin, meaning, "the reviver of the faith". Al-Jilani, along with his students and associates laid the groundwork for the society which later produced stalwarts like Nur ad-Din and Saladin.

The works of 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani include:

• Qaseedat-tul-Gawthia
• Al-Ghunya li-talibeen tariq al-haqq wa al-din (Sufficient provision for seekers of the path of truth and religion)
• Al-Fath ar-Rabbani (The Sublime revelation)
• Malfuzat (Utterances)
• Futuh al-Ghaib (Revelations of the unseen)
• Jala' al-Khatir (The removal of care)
• Sir Al-Asrar (Secret of secrets) (English translation)

Alternative names include:

'Abd al-Qadir
'Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani
Abdelkader
Abdolqader 
Abdolqader Gilani
Abdul Khadir 
Abdul Khadir GilaniAbdul Qadir
Abdul Qadir al-Kilani
Abdulqadir Geelani
Al-Gauth al Azam
Al-Gilani
Al-Gilani, 'Abd al-Qadir
Al-Jilani
Al-Jilani, 'Abd al-Qadir
Al-Jili
Al-Kilani
Al-Kilani, Abdul-Qadir
Al-Sayyid Muhiyudin Abu Muhammad Abdal Qadir al-Jilani al-Hasani wal-Hussaini
Evdilqadire Geylani
Gailani
Gauth al Azam, al-
Geelani
Geelani, Abdulqadir
Geylani, Evdilqadire
Ghaus-e-Azam
Gilani
Gilani, 'Abd al-Qadir al-
Gilani, Abdolqader
Gilani, Abdul Khadir
Gilani, al-
Gillani
Hussaini, al-Sayyid Muhiyudin Abu Muhammad Abdal Qadir al-Jilani al-Hasani wal-
Jeelani
Jeylani
Jilani
Jilani, 'Abd al-Qadir al-
Keilanyi
Kilani
Kilani, 'Abdul-Qadir al-
Muhiyuddin
Reviver of Religion
Reviver of the Faith
Sayyid Muhiyudin Abu Muhammad Abdal Qadir al-Jilani al-Hasani wal-Hussaini, al-
The Supreme Helper
wal-Hussaini, al-Sayyid Muhiyudin Abu Muhammad Abdal Qadir al-Jilani al-Hasani wal-Hussaini

'Abd al-Qadir

‘Abd al-Qadir (b. September 6, 1808, Guetna, near Mascara, Algeria — d. May 26, 1883, Damascus, Syria) was an Algerian independence leader, Sufi mystic, and poet. Born at Wadi al-Hammam, some 20 kilometers west of Mascara in Algeria, into a family of northern Moroccan origin which claimed descent from the prophet Muhammad, 'Abd al-Qadir's father, Muhyi al-Din al-Hasani, was a shaykh in the Qadiri Sufi order of Islam. In his childhood, he learned to memorize the Qur'an and was well trained in horsemanship and theological and linguistic studies, having an education far better than that of his peers. In 1825, 'Abd al-Qadir set out for the Muslim pilgrimage -- the hajj -- with his father. While in Mecca, he met Imam Shamil, the future leader of the anti-Russian resistance during the Caucasian War (1834-1859). The two spoke at length on different topics. He also traveled to Damascus and Baghdad, and visited the graves of noted Muslims, such as Shaykh Ibn Arabi and Sidi Abd-el Kader El Jalili. This experience cemented his religious enthusiasm. On his way back to Algeria, he was impressed by the reforms carried out by Muhammad 'Ali in Egypt. He returned to his homeland a few months before the arrival of the French.

‘Abd al-Qadir entered history after the French occupation of Algiers on July 5, 1830. This invasion led ‘Abd al-Qadir’s father, Sidi Muhyi al-Din, to proclaim a jihad against European colonization in the region of Oran. Ill health forced Sidi in November 1832 to hand over control of the anti-colonial resistance to his son, who was proclaimed “Sultan of the Arabs” by the tribes of Hashim, Banu ‘Amir, and Ghrarabah. Despite mixed results on the battlefield, this tactic prevented the “pacification” of Algeria and led the French to enter into negotiations with ‘Abd al-Qadir on February 28, 1834. Now officially recognized as “commander of the faithful” (amir al-mu‘minin), Amir ‘Abd al-Qadir was able to extend his authority to the gates of Algiers itself by the middle of 1835.

The amir’s continued agitation for Algerian autonomy led to a resumption of hostilities. After an Algerian victory at Macta (June 28, 1835), the French generals Clauzel and Bugeaud counterattacked, burning Mascara, occupying Tlemcen, and scoring a victory against ‘Abd al-Qadir’s army at Wadi Sikkak (July 6, 1836). Although abandoned by his troops three times, the Amir successfully regrouped his tribal forces and continued to inflict heavy losses on the French. The desire to protect their western flank while pursuing the conquest of Constantine led the government of King Louis-Philippe to negotiate once again. The resulting Treaty of Tafna (May 30, 1837) divided western Algeria into two spheres of influence; the urban areas remained in French hands, while the interior portions of the province of Oran, the beylik of Titteri, and part of the province of Algiers were given over to ‘Abd al-Qadir. Disputes over secret codicils to the treaty -- as well as the “Iron Gates” expedition in which the Duke of Orleans opened a corridor between Constantine and Algiers -- led to the resumption of hostilities and the Amir’s invasion of the Mitidja in November 1839.

In the face of ‘Abd al-Qadir’s threat, Bugeaud was appointed governor-general of Algeria on December 29, 1840. By sending mobile columns into the Algerian hinterland, he succeeded in occupying the major towns of Orania and Tlemcen (1841-1843). The capture of the Amir’s “traveling capital” (smalah) on May 16, 1843, caused the Arab tribes to surrender to the French and forced ‘Abd al-Qadir to flee to Morocco. Although French attacks on the Moroccan cities of Tangier and Mogador (1844) compelled the Moroccan sultan, Mawlay ‘Abd al-Rahman, to declare the Amir an outlaw, he appeared again in Algeria in 1846 at the head of numerous clandestinely organized uprisings. Despite a major victory at Sidi Brahim (September 23, 1846), the French counterattack crushed this revolt and forced him back across the Moroccan border. ‘Abd al-Qadir surrendered to the French on December 21, 1847. Two days later, his surrender was made official to the French Governor General of Algeria, Henri d'Orleans, duc d'Aumale.

'Abd al-Qadir was exiled to France, in violation of the promise that he would be allowed to go to Alexandria or Acre, on the faith of which he had surrendered. 'Abd al-Qadir and his family were detained in France, first at Toulon, then at Pau, being in November 1848 transferred to the chateau of Amboise. There he remained until October 1852, when he was released by Napoleon III on taking an oath never again to disturb Algeria.

After pledging not to resist the French in Algeria, 'Abd al-Qadir was released from prison in 1852 and given a pension by Napoleon III. Choosing exile in the Muslim-ruled Ottoman Empire, he settled first in Brusa (1853), and finally in Damascus (1855). In Damascus, 'Abd al-Qadir devoted himself anew to theology and philosophy, and composed a philosophical treatise, of which a French translation was published in 1858 under the title of Rappel a l'intelligent, Avis a l'indifferent. He also wrote a book on the Arab horse.

While in Damascus, 'Abd al-Qadir befriended Lady Jane Digby (Jane Digby el-Mezrab), the British socialite who married a Syrian shaykh, and Isabel and Richard Burton, the famous explorer and translator of the Kama Sutra and The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night (popularly known as The Arabian Nights).

'Abd al-Qadir's final beau geste came in July 1860, when he personally protected the French consul in Damascus and several thousand Christians from massacre by Druze rebels.  In July 1860, conflict between the Druze and Maronites of Mount Lebanon spread to Damascus, and local Druze attacked the Christian quarter, killing over 3,000 persons.  'Abd al-Qadir and his personal guard saved large numbers of Christians, bringing them to safety in his house and in the citadel.  For this action, the French government, which granted the Amir a pension of 4000 Louis, bestowed on him the Grand Cross of the Legion d'Honneur.  He was also honored by Abraham Lincoln for this gesture towards Christians with several guns that are now on display in the Algiers museum.

In 1864, 'Abd al-Qadir became a Freemason being initiated at the Lodge of Pyramids as a courtesy for the Lodge Henri IV, in Paris.

After his death on the night of May 25-26, 1883, the body of 'Abd al-Qadir was interred next to the tomb of the great Andalusian mystic Ibn ‘Arabi (d. 1240).

Although initiated into the Qadiriyah Sufi order by his father, Amir ‘Abd al-Qadir joined the Naqshbandiyah in Damascus.  He also remained associated with the unofficial Akbariyah tradition throughout his life, a link which led to the amir’s burial next to his father’s intellectual eponym, Muhyi al-Din Ibn ‘Arabi.  His penultimate “opening” (fath) into Sufism was at the hands of a master of the Akbariyah, Muhammad al-Fasi al-Shadhili, whom he met in Mecca in 1863. 

‘Abd al-Qadir’s major Sufi works are Kitab al-mawaqif ("Book of Stages"), an extended discourse on the doctrines of Ibn ‘Arabi, and a Diwan or collection of mystical poems.

Today 'Abd al-Qadir is recognized and venerated as the first hero of Algerian independence.  Not without cause, his green and white standard was adopted by the Algerian liberation movement during the War of Independence and became the national flag of independent Algeria.  He was buried in Damascus in the same mausoleum as Ibn 'Arabi, until the Algerian government brought his remains back to Algeria to be interred with much ceremony on July 5, 1966, the fourth anniversary of independence and the 136th anniversary of the French conquest.   The Emir Abdel Kader University and the mosque bearing his name have been constructed as a national shrine in Constantine, Algeria, and the town of Elkader, Iowa, in the United States is named after him.

'Abd al-Qadir, the  amīr of Mascara (from 1832), was the military and religious leader who founded the Algerian state and led the Algerians in their 19th-century struggle against French domination (1840–46).

His physical handsomeness and the qualities of his mind had made 'Abd al-Qadir (Abdelkader) popular even before his military exploits. Of medium height, lithe and elegant, with regular features and a black beard, his demeanor was exceptionally refined, and his life-style was simple. He was known as a religious and educated man who could excite his co-religionists with his poetry and oratorical eloquence.

Algeria was an Ottoman regency when the French army landed there in 1830. The government was controlled by a dey (bey - governor) and by the Turkish Janissaries who had chosen him. These rulers, supported by the Koulouglis  (people of mixed Turkish and Algerian ancestry) and by certain privileged tribes, and aided by the fact that they were of the same religion as the people, long held Algeria firmly in their grip.

Nevertheless, the Algerians detested them, and there were continual rebellions in the early 19th century. As a result, the country was left too divided to oppose the French invaders.

The western tribes laid siege to French-occupied Oran and tried to organize themselves, unified by their common Muslim religious sentiment, which was cultivated by the schoolmasters and particularly by members of the religious brotherhoods. The leader of one of the brotherhoods,  Muhyi al-Din al-Hasani (Mahieddin), director of the zāwiyah (religious school) near Mascara, was asked to lead the harassment of the French troops in Oran and Mostaganem.

In November 1832 the aging Muhyi al-Din al-Hasani (Mahieddin) had his young son 'Abd al-Qadir (Abdelkader) elected in his place. The youth, already renowned for his piety and military prowess, took over the war of harassment. The ensuing Desmichels Treaty of 1834 gave him the whole interior of the Oran, with the title commander of the believers. In a move to unify his new territories, Amīr 'Abd al-Qadir (Abdelkader), taking advantage of this treaty, imposed his rule on all the tribes of the Chelif, occupied Miliana and then Médéa, and succeeded in defeating General Camille Trézel at Macta. Although pressed by generals Bertrand Clauzel and T.R. Bugeaud, he managed to rally support from Algerians who had become indignant over the French use of violence. By able negotiation, he convinced General Bugeaud to sign the Treaty of Tafna (1837), which further increased his territory and made him master of the whole interior of Oran and the Titteri, with the French having to be content with a few ports.

In two years, 'Abd al-Qadir (Abdelkader) had organized a true state, the capital of which was sometimes Mascara and sometimes the fortress of Tiaret (now Tagdempt). He established juridical equality among population groups by suppressing the privileges of the warlike tribes (makhzen) and by imposing equal taxes on all his subjects. First he extended his influence to the Sahara by fighting al-Tijīnī, who dominated the southern oases, and rallying the desert peoples to him. Then he strengthened his authority in the valley of the Chelif and in the Titteri as far as the borders of the province of the east, where he was resisted by the bey of Constantine, Hajj Ahmed. He also exacted harsh punishment of the Koulouglis of Zouatna, who had joined the French. By the winter of 1838, his authority extended across the borders of Kabylie and, in the south, from the oasis of Biskra to the Moroccan border. To destroy the power of al-Tijīnī, he besieged his capital, Ain Mahdi, for six months and demolished it, while all the Saharan tribes paid him homage.

'Abd al-Qadir (Abdelkader) was an absolute leader who only rarely called in the grandees to advise him. Algerian religious sentiment was his support, the one force that could bring his subjects together and unify them in the face of the invader. But that did not prevent him from employing competent persons of all nationalities, whether Jews or Christians, to help him build a modern state. The best known of these Europeans was the future diplomat Léon Roches, who later recounted his adventures in a fanciful book, Trente-deux ans à travers l’Islam (“Thirty-two Years Through Islam”). 'Abd al-Qadir (Abdelkader) organized a regular army of approximately 2,000 men, to be supported by either volunteers or contingents furnished by the tribes. As towns near French territory would have been too vulnerable, he fortified interior sites, such as Sebdou, Saida, Tiaret, Taza, and Boghar, where he opened arsenals, warehouses, and workshops, and where he stored surplus crops whose sales were to finance his arms purchases, mainly in England. He set up a new administration, with officials on fixed salaries. He taught his people austerity and set a personal example, living without ceremony in a tent. By expanding education, he slowly spread the concepts of independence and nationality to his people.

When the columns of the duc d’Orléans crossed the Iron Gates, the Amir took it as a violation of the territories granted him by the Treaty of Tafna. Even though he was still far from having completed his own work of organization, he made a surprise attack and destroyed the French colonization of the Mitidja Plain. From then on the war languished until General Bugeaud was named governor general in 1840. Bugeaud convinced the French government to arm him for the conquest of all Algeria. The resulting war was bitter and lasted seven years. The Amir avoided big battles, preferring to use his rifle-armed cavalry in incessant skirmishes, from which it would retreat almost as soon as it had fired. But he was fighting a French army composed of infantry organized by Bugeaud into extremely mobile columns, and he had to contend with the devastation of the countryside practiced by Bugeaud and his lieutenants so as to force the starving inhabitants to desert their leader.

In 1841 the French destroyed the Amir’s fortified sites, and he was forced to become a nomad in the interior of Oran. The following year he lost Tlemcen, and communication with his Moroccan allies became difficult. However, despite further reverses and French penetration in the south, 'Abd al-Qadir succeeded in reaching Morocco. But after Bugeaud’s defeat of the Moroccans at Isly, the Sultan was forced to hold 'Abd al-Qadir (Abdelkader) in the midst of his empire. The Amir, however, proved to have unflagging energy. Taking advantage of a revolt in the Dahra, he re-entered Algeria, took the Sidi Brahim outpost, and penetrated deep into the interior, all the while escaping the pursuing French columns.

In July 1846, with only a handful of men left, 'Abd al-Qadir (Abdelkader) again took refuge in Morocco, the Sultan of which by then considered him to be a burden. Deprived of this last area of support, 'Abd al-Qadir (Abdelkader) returned to Algeria and in 1847, with great dignity, turned himself over to General Christophe de Lamoricière and to Bugeaud’s successor, King Louis-Philippe’s son, the duc d’Aumale, who promised him transport to the East.

Louis-Philippe, however, failed to respect his son’s promise. 'Abd al-Qadir (Abdelkader) was held prisoner in France, first at the Château de Pau, where he learned the principles of Freemasonry, and later at Amboise. It was the prince-president Louis-Napoleon who, in 1852, authorized his return to Bursa and then to Damascus, where he led an exemplary life and wrote Rappel à l’intelligent, avis à l’indifférent (“Call to the Intelligent, Warning to the Indifferent”). The French government provided him with a large pension and with a Kabyle guard and even attempted to obtain a throne for him somewhere between Turkey and Egypt, which they wished to remove from Ottoman control. At the time of the 1871 Algerian insurrection, he disowned one of his sons who had tried to arouse the tribes of southern Constantine.

When 'Abd al-Qadir died, he was respected by all. French efforts to make him the symbol of Algerian support for colonial rule were erroneous.  'Abd al-Qadir believed he was carrying out God’s will in admitting that his political role had ended. Present-day Algerians consider him to be the greatest hero of their people.

'Abd al-Qadir was an Algerian Islamic scholar, Sufi, political and military leader who led a struggle against the French colonial invasion in the mid-19th century, for which he is seen by some Algerians as the "modern Jugurtha" (a Numidian king who fought against Roman rule) and a national hero.

In France, after having been considered as an enemy during the first half of the 19th century, he was rehabilitated into a "friend of France" after having intervened in favor of persecuted Christians in Syria during the 1860 Druze-Christian conflict in Lebanon and Syria,  saving many Christian lives from the massacres.

'Abd al-Qadir al-Jaza'iri  is often referred to only as Amir 'Abd al-Qadir (El Amir Abdelkader), since al-Jaza'iri simply means "the Algerian". His name can be variously transliterated from its Arabic spelling as Abd al-Kadir, Abdel Kader, Abdelkader, and other variant spellings. He is also often given the titles amir, prince, and shaykh or sheik.

 'Abd al-Qādir was born near the town of Mascara near Oran, in 1808. His father, Muhyi al-Din al-Hasani, was a shaykh in the Qadiri Sufi order of Islam. He was a Banu Ifran Berber and claimed descendance from Muhammad.

In his childhood, 'Abd al-Qadir memorized the Qur'an and was trained in horsemanship, theology and linguistics, and received an education far better than that of his peers. In 1825, he set out for the Muslim pilgrimage, the hajj, with his father. While in Mecca, he encountered Imam Shamil; the two spoke at length on different topics. He also traveled to Damascus and Baghdad, and visited the graves of noted Muslims, such as Shaykh Ibn Arabi and Sidi Abd-el-Kader El Jilani, named also El-Jilali in Algeria. This experience cemented his religious enthusiasm. On his way back to Algeria, 'Abd al-Qadir was impressed by the reforms carried out by Muhammad Ali in Egypt. He returned to his homeland a few months before the arrival of the French.

In 1830, Algeria was invaded by France.  French colonial domination over Algeria supplanted what had been domination in name only by the Ottoman Empire. Within two years, 'Abd al-Qadir was made an amir and with the loyalty of a number of tribes began a rebellion against the French. He was effective at using guerrilla warfare and for a decade, up until 1842, scored many victories. He often signed tactical truces with the French, but these did not last. His power base was in the western part of Algeria, where he was successful in uniting the tribes against the French. He was noted for his chivalry; on one occasion he released his French captives simply because he had insufficient food to feed them. Throughout this period 'Abd al-Qadir demonstrated political and military leadership, and acted as a capable administrator and a persuasive orator. His fervent faith in the doctrines of Islam was unquestioned.

Up until the beginning of 1842 the struggle went in favor of 'Abd al-Qadir.  However, the resistance was ultimately put down by Marshal Bugeaud. In 1837, 'Abd al-Qadir signed the Treaty of Tafna with Bugeaud, in which he recognized France's sovereignty in Oran and Algiers, while France recognized his control over the remaining two-thirds of the country, mainly the interior. When French troops marched through a mountain pass in territory 'Abd al-Qadir claimed as his in open defiance of that claim, he renewed the resistance on October 15, 1839.

'Abd al-Qadir was ultimately forced to surrender. The French armies grew large, and brutally suppressed the native population and practiced a scorched-earth policy.  'Abd al-Qadir's failure to get support from eastern tribes, apart from the Berbers of western Kabylie, also contributed to the quelling of the rebellion. On December 21, 1847, after being denied refuge in Morocco because of French diplomatic and military pressure on its leaders, 'Abd al-Qadir surrendered to General Louis de Lamoricière in exchange for the promise that he would be allowed to go to Alexandria or Acre. Two days later, his surrender was made official to the French Governor-General of Algeria, Henri d'Orléans, duc d'Aumale. The French government refused to honor Lamoricière's promise and 'Abd al-Qadir was exiled to France.

In 1843 Marshal Soult declared that 'Abd al-Qadir as one of the three great men then living ; the two others, Imam Shamil and Muhammad Ali of Egypt also being Muslims.

'Abd al-Qadir and his family were detained in France, first at Toulon, then at Pau, and in November 1848 they were transferred to the château of Amboise. There he remained until October 1852, when he was released by Napoleon III and given an annual pension of 100 000 francs on taking an oath never again to disturb Algeria. He then took up residence in Bursa, today's Turkey, moving in 1855 to the Amara District in Damascus. He devoted himself anew to theology and philosophy, and composed a philosophical treatise, of which a French translation was published in 1858 under the title of Rappel à l'intelligent. Avis à l'indifférent. He also wrote a book on the Arabian horse.

While in Damascus 'Abd al-Qadir befriended Jane Digby and Richard and Isabel Burton. In July 1860, conflict between the Druze and Maronites of Mount Lebanon spread to Damascus, and local Druze attacked the Christian quarter, killing over 3,000 persons. Abd al-Qadir and his personal guard saved large numbers of Christians, bringing them to safety in his house and in the citadel. For this action, the French government increased his pension to 150 000 francs and bestowed on him the Grand Cross of the Légion d'honneur. He was also honored by Abraham Lincoln for this gesture towards Christians with several guns that are now on display in the Algiers museum.

In June 1864, 'Abd al-Qadir became a Freemason.  In 1865, he visited Paris at the invitation of Napoleon III and was greeted with both official and popular respect. 'Abd al-Qādir died in Damascus on May 26, 1883, and was buried near the great Sufi Ibn Arabi in Damascus.


Alternative names include:

'Abd al-Qadir
'Abd al-Qadir al-Jaza'iri
'Abd al-Qadir ibn Muhieddine
'Abd al-Qadir ibn Muhyi al-Din
'Abd al-Qadir ibn Muhyi al-Din ibn Mustafa al-Hasani al-Jaza'iri
'Abd al-Qadir ibn Muhyiddin
'Abd el Kader
Abdelkader El Djezairi
'Abdul Qadir
Al-Jaza'iri
Al-Jaza'iri, 'Abd al-Qadir
Djezairi
Djezairi, Abdelkader El
El Djezairi
El Djezairi, Abdelkader
Ibn Muhieddine
Ibn Muhieddine, 'Abd al-Qadir
Ibn Muhyi al-Din
Ibn Muhyi al-Din, 'Abd al-Qadir
Ibn Muhyi al-Din ibn Mustafa al-Hasani al-Jaza'iri
Ibn Muhyi al-Din ibn Mustafa al-Hasani al-Jaza'iri, 'Abd al-Qadir
Ibn Muhyiddin
Ibn Muhyiddin, 'Abd al-Qadir
Jaza'iri, 'Abd al-Qadir al-
Jaza'iri, al-