Website last updated: Monday, 8 December 2025

JilaniMedia.com is a platform dedicated to preserving and sharing the legacy of one of the greatest scholars of Islam in recent history, the fragrant flower of the Ahl al-Bayt, a shining example of the Salaf, Hadrat Mufakkir al-Islam, Shaykh al-Qur'an wa'l-Hadith, as-Sayyid 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani. This website provides access to a comprehensive collection of his lectures, all digitally remastered to enhance both audio and video quality, providing a richer and more engaging experience for seekers of knowledge around the world.

Hadrat Mufakkir al-Islam was born on Saturday, 14 December 1935 (17 Ramadan 1354 AH), in the village of Sandhu Sayyidan in Rawalpindi, British India (present-day Pakistan). He was born into a distinguished scholarly and spiritual household, the son of the eminent scholar of his time, Shaykh as-Sayyid Walayat 'Ali Shah al-Jilani. His noble lineage traced back to Sayyiduna al-Ghawth al-A'zam, Shaykh as-Sayyid 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani through 22 generations, by way of his eldest son and first hereditary trustee, Sayyiduna Shaykh as-Sayyid 'Abd al-Wahhab al-Jilani. Hadrat Mufakkir al-Islam was an al-Hasani wa'l-Husayni Sayyid, meaning he was a direct descendant of both Sayyiduna Imam al-Hasan and Sayyiduna Imam al-Husayn.

In his pursuit of sacred knowledge, Hadrat Mufakkir al-Islam travelled extensively throughout the Indian subcontinent, the blessed lands of the Hijaz, and the broader Arab world. Alongside his mastery of the Islamic sciences, he also attained academic excellence, completing both a PhD and a Bachelor of Laws degree. From a young age, he delivered public sermons, speaking with eloquence and a distinctive blend of sweetness in expression and sharp intellectual insight. His lectures were marked by grace and engagement, often enriched with gentle humour and refined wit to convey deeper spiritual and insightful meanings. He embodied the timeless virtues of chivalry, humility and noble generosity, which he inherited from his pious ancestors.

Hadrat Mufakkir al-Islam arrived in the UK in 1978, at a time when the Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l-Jama'ah had a relatively small presence. While travelling across the country, delivering lectures and engaging with local communities, he organised the first Mawlid an-Nabi procession. This historic event marked the beginning of what has become a widely practised and much-loved tradition. Since then, Mawlid an-Nabi processions have continued to spread across all major towns and cities. The largest of these is held annually in Walthamstow, East London, where it attracts thousands of participants.

In addition to his scholarly and spiritual contributions, Hadrat Mufakkir al-Islam was renowned for his firm and unwavering defence of the doctrine of Khatam an-Nubuwwah, the Finality of Prophethood. Throughout his life, he stood at the forefront of this sacred cause with clarity, courage, and intellectual strength. He openly challenged leaders of the Ahmadiyya community to debates as well as mubahala[1], responding with deep scriptural knowledge and dignified boldness. He organised and led annual Khatam an-Nubuwwah gatherings, where scholars and seekers assembled to hear him address even the most complex and challenging questions posed by the Ahmadiyya movement. Under his leadership, these conferences became a major platform for reaffirming the Islamic understanding of the Finality of Prophethood, strengthening the resolve of communities and preserving doctrinal clarity. Just as he championed the Mawlid an-Nabi, he carried the banner of Khatam an-Nubuwwah with sincerity, scholarship, and fearless devotion.

After nearly 50 years of service in the UK, he permanently returned to Pakistan on Saturday, 4 February 2023, to establish the Qadria Jilania Islamic University in Hussainia Sharif, Islamabad. As the university's founder and headteacher, he led the institution and taught a new generation of students. During his lifetime, learners from across Pakistan enrolled and benefited from his profound knowledge, religious guidance, and lifelong dedication to the revival of traditional Islamic scholarship. Today, Qadria Jilania Islamic University continues to welcome students and uphold his vision of preserving and transmitting classical Islamic learning. Despite relocating, he maintained a strong connection with the UK. Each year, during the blessed month of Rabi' al-Awwal, he returned to lead the Mawlid an-Nabi procession in Walthamstow, a cherished tradition that continues to this day and holds deep significance for the community.

Hadrat Mufakkir al-Islam, Shaykh as-Sayyid 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani departed this temporary world on Saturday, 18 October 2025 (25 Rabi' ath-Thani 1447 AH), at the age of 89, just weeks before his 90th birthday. He passed away in Walthamstow, a place where he had devoted much of his later life in service to the 'Ummah. In his final public address at the annual Mawlid an-Nabi procession, before thousands of his devoted followers, he poignantly foretold of his impending departure and declared that this would be his last time in the UK[2]. Shortly after his passing, his blessed body was transported across continents and laid to rest in Hussainia Sharif, where his students and followers continue to honour his legacy. This final resting place, in the vicinity of the Qadria Jilania Islamic University, stands as a testament to his lifelong commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and spiritual elevation.

It is rare to witness a soul who so clearly reflects the luminous path of his noble ancestor, Sayyiduna al-Ghawth al-A'zam. As noted earlier, Hadrat Mufakkir al-Islam, a direct descendant of this great saint, carried within him the essence of that same divine heritage. Both were born in the sacred month of Ramadan, and both departed from this temporary world in the blessed month of Rabi' ath-Thani, and remarkably, both returned to their Lord at the age of 89[3], as though their lives were divinely aligned in both their arrival and departure, in timing and in blessing.

In their respective eras, their mastery of the Qur'anic sciences, Hadith, theology, and the broader Islamic tradition was unparalleled. Their eloquence and depth of knowledge attracted not only the general public but also esteemed scholars, to the extent that their gatherings were often attended by more 'ulama than non-scholarly attendees.

From a young age, both undertook significant journeys in pursuit of sacred knowledge, leaving behind the comforts of home and family to seek Islamic learning in far-off lands. Sayyiduna al-Ghawth al-A'zam famously travelled to Baghdad to study, while Hadrat Mufakkir al-Islam similarly journeyed abroad in his early years for the sake of learning. Even as the youngest student in every class he attended, he excelled beyond his peers, earning admiration for both his intelligence and dedication.

Another profound similarity between the two great figures is their unwavering commitment to upholding the true teachings of Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l-Jama'ah. Sayyiduna al-Ghawth al-A'zam firmly defended the Sunni creed and addressed the theological positions of various groups of his time with clarity and courage. In the same way, Hadrat Mufakkir al-Islam devoted his life to preserving Sunni orthodoxy. His very first public debate was with a person holding Shia beliefs, and throughout his blessed mission he delivered numerous lectures engaging with and responding to differing viewpoints and theological positions, ensuring that the light of the Sunni path remained clear and strong for the 'Ummah.

In yet another striking alignment, just as Sayyiduna al-Ghawth al-A'zam established his great centre of learning before building a home for himself, so too did Hadrat Mufakkir al-Islam follow a similar course. In the UK, he spent over thirty years residing within Dar al-'Uloom Qadria Jilania in Walthamstow, which he founded, dedicating his life entirely to service and education before ever considering a home of his own. Likewise, in Pakistan, he first established the Qadria Jilania Islamic University in Hussainia Sharif, a beacon of spiritual guidance, and only after the mission was firmly rooted was his own home reaching its final stages of completion.

Such parallels are not mere coincidence, but rather they reveal a deeper spiritual alignment, a legacy of sacrifice, scholarship, and unwavering devotion. While it is not our intention to equate these two towering personalities, it is important to highlight how a son can so beautifully walk in the footsteps of his noble ancestor, to the extent that both in life and in death, they mirror one another in purpose, path, and principle.

Hadrat Mufakkir al-Islam was a living embodiment of sainthood, in which personal comfort was willingly sacrificed for the greater good of the 'Ummah, and where the nurturing of hearts and minds always took precedence over worldly ease. All of this was done in service to the timeless message of his noble grandfather, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).

"And We made them leaders guiding [people] by Our command." (Surah al-Anbiya, 21:73)

In every era, Allah raises individuals whose lives are divinely shaped to guide others, and Hadrat Mufakkir al-Islam was among them. May Allah, Most High, envelop him in His Infinite Mercy, illuminate his grave with Divine Light, elevate his rank among the righteous, reunite him with his noble ancestors in the highest ranks of Paradise, allow his legacy to continue enlightening hearts and minds for generations to come, and may his students and followers remain steadfast upon the path of truth, knowledge, and love that he so tirelessly upheld.

Amin, Ya Rabb al-'Alamin.

1. ^ Mubahala is an Islamic practice in which two parties invoke the curse of God upon whoever is lying, in order to settle a theological dispute when all other avenues of discussion have failed. The practice is rooted in a Qur'anic verse and a well-known historical event in which the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) invited a Christian delegation to call upon God to reveal the truthful party through divine judgement.

2. ^ https://youtube.com/shorts/m8ydfVQV16I

3. ^ The exact age of Sayyiduna al-Ghawth al-A'zam is not definitively known. However, several transmitted reports state that he was born on 1 Ramadan 471 AH and departed from this temporary world on 11 Rabi' ath-Thani 561 AH. While today we commonly follow the Gregorian calendar, the prevailing 'urf at the time of Sayyiduna al-Ghawth al-A'zam was the Hijri calendar. According to that 'urf, he was 89 years old at the time of his passing.