Syed Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi

Syed Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi (Urdu: سیّد عبد الرحمن جیلانی دہلوی ‎) was a notable Sufi saint of the Qadri Order in the Indian Subcontinent. His predecessors include Abdul Qadir Jilani, who constitute the initiation of the silsila of the Qadri order. He played a major role in establishing the order securely in Delhi.

Syed Abdul Rehman Jilani was born in 1024 AH (1615 AD) in Hama, Syria. He was the son of Syed Abdul Qadir, a dervish himself from whom he received his early education. At 35, he chose to stay at the tomb of Abdul Qadir Jilani in Baghdad for 3 years. On Tuesday 13 Dhu al-Qi'dah 1062 AH (15 October 1652 AD), during the Mughal era of emperor Shah Jahan, he went to India to meet Syed Abdul Jaleel.He took Bay'at on 10 Dhu al-Hijjah 1062 AH (10 November 1652 AD) and went to Delhi on 9 Safar 1063 AH (8 January 1653 AD). Here he resided himself and made a Khanqah. This is where his shrine is built as well as a mosque called Shah Abdul Rehman Mosque. Present Sadar station and quarters of Muslim Waqf board are built on his land.

At the age of 41, Syed Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi married Syeda Zahida who belonged to Jilani Sadaats and had 2 sons: Syed Taj-ul-Arifeen and Syed Abdul Aziz. In 1075, Syed Taj-ul-Arifeen died due to his increased illness caused by diarrhea. Syed Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi lived a life of anonymity not giving attention to fame or the royal court of the Delhi Sultanate.

He stayed within Delhi and guided people and benefited them spiritually. Not single evidence states that he ever went out of Delhi hence, he is also termed as Qaim Maqam Faqeer. His teachings were passed on by his descendents such as his great grandson Syed Abdullah Shah Madni Jilani in Ahmadpur Sharqiah, Bahawalpur district, Pakistan.

Syed Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi died on 21 Ramadan 1088 AH (16 November 1677 AD) during the reign of Mughal Emperor Alamgir . His shrine is situated in Delhi and his khalifah Syed Mohammad Siddique was the first caretaker of his shrine.

Syed Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi is the descendant of Abdul Qadir Jilani in the following order:Syed Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi son of Syed Abdul Qadir son of Sharf-ud-Din son of Syed Ahmed son of Alla-ud-Din Sani son of Syed Shahab-ud-Din Sani son of Sharaf-ud-Din Qasim son of Mohi-ud-Din Yahya son of Badar-ud-Din Hussain son of Alla-ud-Din son of Shams-ud-Din son of Saif-ud-Din Yahya son of Zaheer-ud-Din son of Abi Nasar son of Abu Saleh Nasar son of Syed Abdul Razzaq Jilani son of Abdul Qadir Jilani.

Spiritual Lineage

The saintly lineage of Faqr reaches Syed Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi from Abdul Qadir Jilani in the following order:

1. Muhammad
2. 'Alī bin Abī Ṭālib
3. al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī
4. Habib al Ajami
5. Dawud Tai
6. Maruf Karkhi
7. Sirri Saqti
8. Junaid Baghdadi
9. Abu Bakr Shibli
10. Abdul Aziz bin Hars bin Asad Yemeni Tamimi
11. Abu Al Fazal Abdul Wahid Yemeni Tamimi
12. Mohammad Yousaf Abu al-Farah Tartusi
13. Abu-al-Hassan Ali Bin Mohammad Qureshi Hankari
14. Abu Saeed Mubarak Makhzoomi
15. Abdul Qadir Jilani
16. Syed Abdul Razzaq Jilani
17. Syed Abdul Jabbar Jilani
18. Syed Mohammad Yahya Sadiq Jilani
19. Syed Najam-ud-Din Burhan Puri
20. Syed Abdul Fattah
21. Syed Abdul Sattar
22. Syed Abdul Baqqa
23. Syed Abdul Jaleel
24. Syed Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi

• Afridi, Shah Alam, 1922, Mazaraat-e-Auliya-e-Delhi, Delhi-6, India
• Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman, Hazrat Sakhi Sultan (2012). Sawane Hayat Syed Abdullah Shah Madni Jilani: A biography of Syed Abdullah Shah Madni Jilani. Sultan-ul-Faqr Publications Regd. Lahore, Pakistan. ISBN 9789699795022. 
• Sult̤ān Bāhū (1998). Death Before Dying: The Sufi Poems of Sultan Bahu. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-92046-0. 

Sultan Bahoo was the khalifa-e-akbar (senior spiritual successor) of Syed Abdul Rehman Jilani. Khalifa-e-asghar (junior spiritual successor) included Shah Habib Allah Qadri and Syed Mohammad Siddique, who was the first caretaker of his shrine and had no children.Abdul Rehman Jilani was the Murshid of the Sultan Bahoo, a saint of the Qadri family as well as a man of revelations and miracles.

Syed Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi is one of the most recognized Sufis of the Qadri order after its founder Abdul Qadir Jilani.

Syed Shaikh Abdul Rehman Jillani was one of the most eminent saints of Dehli. His genealogy traces back to Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani. He was distinguished in piety and mysticism and held a high position in revelations and miracles. Syed Abdul Rehman Jillani received spiritual beneficence of the Qadiriyya way from his Murshid Syed Abdul Jaleel. The Qadiriyya way flourished in and around Dehli due to him. Countless Seekers of Allah became his disciples and he blessed many of them with Khilafat and Ijazat (permission to guide others). The famous saint Sakhi Sultan Bahoo was also his disciple.

The Qadri order branched with Sultan Bahoo to form the Sarwari Qadri order. Its disciples started adding Sarwari Qadri to their name. Many Sufi students and descendants became prominent from this order.

Syed Abdul Rehman Jilani’s urs is celebrated on 21 Ramadan with great devotion from a long time now. The shrine of Syed Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi is situated in Old Dehli 6-towards the East of Lahori Darwaza near Sadar Railway Station, Railway Colony, Muslim Waqf Board Quarters, Dehli-6-India.