‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani


Of Persian origin, he came to prominence at the age of 50, when he started teaching in Baghdad. He had many celebrated pupils, including several whom Ibn ‘Arabi met in Mecca and Baghdad. He was well known for his writings such as Futuh al-ghayb ('Revelations of the Unseen') and Risalat al-Ghawth ('Treatise of the Saviour'). The extraordinary power to transform people’s hearts and minds, which he manifested, has made him the most universally popular saint, and the Qadiri tariqa that follows his teachings is one of the most widespread Sufi orders. His tomb, over which the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman had a beautiful dome built in 1535, is one of the most frequented sanctuaries in Baghdad.