“Give the wali of Allah a place to sit”

One of Shaykh ꜤAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī’s blessed children, Shaykh ʿAbd al-Razzāq رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه, discusses how his father was once asked, “When did you know you were a wali?” He explained in reply:

At 10 years of age, I would attend the madrassah of my city. I saw angels walking around and behind me during this time. Reaching the madrassah, said angels would announce, “Give the wali of Allah a place to sit.” When I saw this event taking place frequently, I realised Allah has made me a saint.^[1]

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                 صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

O devotees of the awliya! Through the grace of Allah, Shaykh ʿAbd al-Qādir Jīlānī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه was granted recognition of his own sainthood. Bear in mind, it is not necessary that a saint knows of his own sainthood. There are many cases of saints who do not know of their rank with Allah; this does not negate their status at all.

Having said this, every saint must be a scholar and wholeheartedly adherent to shariꜤah. Someone who does not offer salah, an alcoholic, a gambler, or one who carries out acts contrary to shariꜤah can never attain sainthood.

Nowadays, we find youngsters in search of people who can guide them to worldly success. Due to being distant from Islamic teachings, they have forgotten that this worldly life will soon come to an end. To attain success in the Hereafter and acceptance from Allah, it is vital for us to search for individuals who are perfect role models in terms of character and behaviour; whom we feel proud to call our leaders.