Bahjat al-Asrār

Historically the most relied-upon biography of Sayyiduna Ghawth al-A'zam Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, may Allah be pleased with him is Bahjat al-Asrar wa Ma'dan al-Anwar - 'Sublime Secrets & The Treasury of Lights.'

This work, presented here in two volumes, is the oldest and most authentic biography of Sayyiduna Ghawth al-A'zam Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, may Allah be pleased with him. It is important to initially elucidate that the noble author (Imam al-Shatnufi) lived two generations after the demise of Sayyiduna Ghawth al-A'zam [470/1078–561/1166]. He met those who had met the great Ghawth and was invariably a beloved devotee of Sayyiduna Ghawth al-A'zam. There are many chains and sequences of transmission which link Imam al-Shatnufi directly to the great Ghawth, spanning two generations.

About the Author and this book:

We present a few directly traced narrations with authentic Asnãd [sequence of narrators] recorded by Imãm al-Ajal Shaykh Abul-Ḥasan Alĩ b. Yũsuf Lakhmĩ Shatnũfĩ al-Shafã’ĩ in his renowned Bahjat al-Asrãr Ma’dan al-Anwãr. It is important to first inform you that this noble Imãm lived two generations after Sayyiduna Ghawth al-Ã’zam Shaykh Abdul Qãdir Jilãnĩ (470/1078 – 561/1166). He personally met and derived Barakãt and undertook Spiritual Training from Qãḍĩ al-Quḍãt Imãm al-Ajal Ãrife-Billãh Sayyidi Abu-Swaleḥ Abdullãh Nasr Jilãnĩ (632/1235) b. Sayyiduna Shaykh Tãj al-Dĩn Abu-Bakr Abdur Razzãq Jilãnĩ . He was the grandson of Sayyiduna Ghawth al-A’zam Shaykh Abdul Qãdir Jilãnĩ . Imãm Shatnũfĩ is indeed a beloved of the great Ghawth and his ardent lover.

His chains of transmissions are as follows:

• Imãm Abul-Ḥasan Shatnũfĩ is a student of the great Muḥaddith, Sayyidĩ Abu-Bakr b. Imãm al-Ḥãfiz Taqĩ al-Dĩn Anmãtĩ

• Muḥaddith Abu-Bakr is a student of Imãm al-Ajal Allãma Mowfiq al-Dĩn ibn Qũdãma who is the student and Khalĩfa of Sayyiduna Sayyid al-Sadãt Shaykh Abdul Qãdir Jilãnĩ.

The 2nd chain of transmission is traced as follows:

• Imãm Shatnũfĩ narrates from the Qãḍĩ al-Quḍãt Imãm Muḥammad b. Imãm Ibrãhĩm b. Abdul Wãhid Maqdisĩ

• He narrates from Imãm Arife-Billãh Abul-Qãsim Haybatullãh b. Imãm Manthũr Naqĩb al-Sadãt who is a disciple of Ghawth al-Ã’zam Sayyiduna Sayyid al-Sadãt Shaykh Abdul Qãdir Jilãnĩ.

The 3rd chain of transmission is as follows:

• Imãm Shatnũfĩ narrates from Shaykh Junaid Abu-Muḥammad Ḥasan b. Alĩ Laḥmĩ .

• He narrates from Sayyidi Shaykh Abul-Abbãs Aḥmad b. Alĩ Damishqĩ and he narrates from Sayyidunã al-Shaykh Abdul Qãdir Jilãnĩ.

The 4th chain is recorded as follows:

• Imãm Abul-Ḥasan Shatnũfĩ narrates from Imãm Safĩ al-Dĩn Khalĩl b. Abi-Bakr Murã’ĩ and Imãm Abdul Wãhid b. Alĩ b. Aḥmad Qarshĩ.

• They both narrate from the august Sayyid Imãm al-Ajal Sayyidi Shaykh Abu-Nasr Mũsa al-Jilãnĩ who narrates from his illustrious father the Qutb al-Aqtãb, Sayyidunã Shaykh Abdul Qãdir Jilãnĩ

Two volumes, translated in to English.

1009 pages,

Hardback