Understanding some Sufis is quite difficult, since the language they use is encoded. Since they search for truth not through reasoning but through discovery, they speak many exciting words, which are called shataha in their terminology.

Reasoning means making a judgment using proof that can be understood by every sane person and drawing a conclusion, while discovery means knowledge that comes from the heart without proof and reasons. Reasoning is ilm (knowledge) and discovery is irfan (wisdom) in Islamic thought. Reasoning is for everyone, but discovery is for those journeying into the heart of mysteries.

Gilani was among the people of discovery, yet he said, "First learn fiqh (the theory of Islamic law) and then seclude; only you can have knowledge with the help of judgment," to his followers in their conversations. This road of discovery, which also includes reasoning, is relatively wide because not only an elite minority, but also any Muslim following Sunnah can take it. This may be the reason why the Qadiriyya order is widespread among people around the world.

'Mother of the good, aunt of the strong'

Abd al Qadir Gilani was born in 1077 in the village of Neyf within the boundaries of the Gilan state on the shores of the Caspian Sea. We call this state "Geylan" in Turkish, but its name in old sources was written as "Cilan" in Arabic, and "Gilan" in Persian.

Gilani's father Abu Salih is described as a religious Muslim, but we do not know much about him. It is written that his title was "Zengi-dost" or "Cengi-dost." If we are to accept "Cengidost," it may be thought that Gilani's father was a mujahid (Muslim warrior), a hero fighting in wars. And if we call him "Zengidost," he may have come from a non-Arabic tribe. While some sources say his origin goes back to the fourth Khalifa Ali through Hasan (the son of Ali) and Gilani is also a "sharif" (someone sharing the same blood with the older son of Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad), some sources disapprove of this.

Gilani's mother is more famous than his father because she is thought to be a woman veli (saint in Islam). Her title was Umm al-Khayr Amat al-Jabbar (Mother of the good, aunt of the strong), which is very interesting. The father of Umm al-Khayr, Abu Abd-Allah as-Savmai, is a very well known Sufi of his age. Some sources agree that Gilani's mother's lineage goes back to the fourth Khalifa Ali through Hussain (second son of Ali), which means being "sayyid" (someone sharing the same blood with the younger son of Fatima). This indicates that Gilani was both a sharif and a sayyid and that he belonged to Ahl al-Bayt (people of the house) in both ways.

As can be seen, the Gilani family was a happy family, bringing Sufism and jihad together, combining courage from his father's side and compassion from his mother's side.

A land famous for huge trees and beautiful women: Gilan

As a troublesome, highland region, the Gilan state had interesting characteristics, such as huge trees, beautiful women and wild dogs. Located south of the Caspian Sea and northwest of today's Iran, Gilan had a lot of rain as it is made up of forested land. Its climate is humid due to the Caspian Sea; its people were so religious in the era of Abd al-Qadir Gilani that his faqihs (Islamic jurists) used to gather and beat sinners in city squares. People living in Gilan's towns often fought. In brief, it was possible to witness both bravery and fanaticism in Gilan.

Abd al-Qadir was brought up by his mother's father since he lost his own father as a boy. As a child, he was fond of learning, resulting in his going to Baghdad at the age of 18. Having gained his mother's permission and gone there, Abd al-Qadir took fiqh (philosophy of Islamic law), kalaam (Islamic theology), hadith (words and deeds of Prophet Muhammad) and literature classes from important scholars.

Baghdad was a splendid, complicated city compared to Gilan. Abd al-Qadir's love of knowledge could not tolerate the big city's vanity. He walked among the ruins near Baghdad for years. He escaped to these ruins when his soul was bored of Baghdad. His habit continued as he matured and preached sermons.

'With hardship, there is relief'

While many Sufis offered to move beyond sharia (Islamic law) and fiqh, Abd al-Qadir Gilani gave importance to move within the boundaries of sharia, a view which was influenced by his land, personality and fiqh education.

Gilani secluded himself after becoming depressed while studying in Baghdad. According to some sources, this seclusion lasted for 25 years. He said: "I was feeling so tired. It felt so heavy that if you put this burden on a mountain, that mountain would fall. When I felt this burden, I would lie on my right side and read this verse of Inshirah surah: 'Verily, with hardship, there is relief.' Then, I would hold up my head and that burden would leave."

After finishing his studies in Baghdad, Gilani began giving lessons in Babülerec Madrasah and took his first step into Sufism. He listened to a sheikh called Hammad al-Debbas. Hammad's order went back to famous sheikh Cüneyd-i Baghdadi. In the meantime, Abd al Qadir married Debbas' daughter and became his son-in-law. Gilani was also accepted by Abu Sa'd al-Muharrimi, another sheikh of Cunaydiyyah, and became a member of this order.

Abd al-Qadir Gilani, a Hanbali, was strictly tied to the Quran and Sunnah. He solved people's problems through tender words in sermons and conversations. However, some sentences reflected his Sufi experience.

Once in his conversations, he threatened to send spiritual armies against the rulers of Baghdad to defeat them. Surely, these words, written by his followers, need explaining. The character of these armies is still unclear.

These words are called "shataha" or "shathiyya" in Sufi literature. Gilani became famous for his plain, clear, nice and fine conversations based on the balance between sharia and Sufism rather than his shathiyyas. Ibn Taymiyya, who harshly criticized the extravagances of Sufis, did not push Gilani for his words like shathiyya; he stressed that Gilani was loyal to sharia just like Muhasibi or Cüneyd.

Ibn Arabi, who had his own share of Taymiyya's attacks, also praised Gilani and described him as "a brave hero whose glory is great."

When Gilani began preaching, only a few people listened. These people increased in number to a point that within years he started preaching outdoors. According to legend, Gilani talked to 70,000 people at a time. The followers of Gilani, who died in 1166, have spread around the world. The Order of Qadiriyya, which came to Anatolia with Eşrefoğlu Rumi, has an essential role in our way of thinking and literature besides our cultural and social life.