The Creed

This is the Creed [‘aqīdah] of the Lordly Cardinal Pole, Muhyiddīn ‘Abdu-l Qādir al-Jīlanī , as
espoused beautifully in his sublime work, “Revelations of the Unseen” [futuḥ al-ghaib]

In the name of Allah, the Universally Merciful, the Singularly Compassionate

Praise be to Allah, the One who modeled the mode [kayyafa ’l kaif], though He is completely free
from modality [kaifiyya]; and has localized locality [ayyana ‘l-ain], though He utterly transcends
location [ainiyya]; and exists [wujida] in every place, though He is far removed from
circumstantiality [zarfiyya]; and makes Himself present with everything [hadara ‘inda], though He
is far exalted above “with-ness” [‘indiyya].

He is the First of everything, and there is no posteriority [akhiriyya] applicable to Him. If you say
“where [aina]?”, you are imposing location [ainiyya] on Him. If you say: “how [kaifa]?”, you seek
Him through modality [kaifiyya]. If you say: “when [mataa]?”, you are besetting Him with
temporality [waqtiyya].

If you say “He is not [laisa],” you are excluding Him from being [kawniyya]. If you say “if [law]”,
you are confronting Him with deficiency [naqsiyya]. If you say “why [lima]?”, you are disputing
with Him over sovereignty [malakutiyya]. Glory be to Him and Exalted is He!

He is not preceded by precedence [qabliyya]. He is not superseded by subsequence [ba’diyya]. He

cannot be compared by likeness [mithliyya]. He cannot be matched by comparability [shakliyya].
He is not flawed by matrimonial conjugality [zawjiyya]. He is not known by corporeality
[jismiyya]. Glory be to Him and Exalted is He!

If He were a tangible object [shakhs], He would be known in terms of quantity [kammiyya]. If He

were a physical body [jism], He would consist of elements combined in structure [binya], but He is
Singular [Wahid], in refutation of structurality [banawiyya]. He is Eternal [Samad], in refutation of
idolatry [wathaniyya].

There is nothing similar to Him, in rejection of [the anthropomorphism] of the Hashwiyya. There
is nothing comparable to Him, in refutation of those who maintain the heresy of characterization
[wasfiyya]. No mover moves, in good or evil, in private or in public, on land or at sea, except by
His Will, in refutation of the Qadariyya.

His Power [Qudra] admits no comparison, and His Wisdom [Hikma] has no final limit, in denial of
the Hudhaliyya. His rights are those that are obligatory [huququ-hu ‘l wajiba], and His proof is that
which is effective [hujjatu-hu ‘l baligha]. No one is entitled to claim any right over Him, contrary to
the precept of the Nazzamiyya.

He is Just [‘Adil] and does no injustice in His judgments. He is Truthful [Ṣādiq] and does no
injustice in His Judgments. He is Truthful [Ṣādiq] and does not go back on what He makes known.
He is a Speaker [Mutakallim] who utters a speech that is infinitely pre-existent, sempiternal
[kalam qadim azali], not as one who creates his speech.

He has sent down the Qur’an and He has made it impossible for the eloquent linguists to
rearrange it, thereby disproving the arguments of the Muradiyya.

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Our Lord condones faults and forgives sins, for those who repent. Even if a man returns to his sin,
that which is past will absolutely not return to the human being. Our Lord is completely free
from falsity [zaif] and far removed from tyranny [haif].

We also believe that He has reconciled the hearts of the believers and that He has caused the
unbelievers to go astray, in refutation of the Hishamiyya.

We also believe that the sinners [fussaq] of this Community [Umma] are better than the Jews, the
Christians and the Magians, in refutation of the Ja’fariyya.

We affirm that He sees Himself, and sees what is other than Himself and that He is One who hears
[Sami’] every call, One who sees [Basir] every secrecy, in refutation of the Ka’biyya.

He has created His creatures in a most excellent natural constitution [fitra], and, after He has
returned them through extinction in the darkness of the grave, He will restore them to the
condition He first produced them, in refutation of the Dahriyya.

Then, when He has gathered them for the Day of His Reckoning, He will manifest Himself to His
dear friends, so they will witness Him directly with the faculty of sight. He will be visible like the
moon, and He will be veiled from none but those who deny the vision [of Him], such as the
Mu’tazila. How could He be veiled from His dear friends, or make them stop before His Screen,
when His sempiternal, infinitely pre-existent promises have already been set forth?

O self now at peace

Ya ayyathu’n-nafsu’l-mutma’inna

Return unto your Lord, well pleased, well pleasing!

Irji’I ila Rabbi-ki radiyatan mardiyya. (89:28,29)

Can you see yourself content with the roses of the Gardens of Paradise, or satisfied with the
silken garments of the Orchard? How could Majnun be happy with anything less than Layla in full
bloom? How could the lovers relax in comfort, without the fragrant scents of ambergris?

Bodies have been melted in the realization of worshipful servitude. How could they not rejoice in
the seats of togetherness [‘indiyya]? Eyes have stayed sleepless through the gloomy nights. How
could they not delight in the witnessing of intimate friendship? Hearts have been tormented by
amorous yearnings. How could they fail to drink from the pure juicy wine? Spirits have been
imprisoned in sensory forms. How could they not roam freely in the sacred meadows, graze in
their lofty pastures, drink from their refreshing springs, and put an end to any lingering trace of
longing for relief from that cause of complaint? The judge of the ardent lovers will make a public
appearance, and settle that case.

When they are addressed at the meeting with their Master [Mawla], He will begin by offering
them the greeting [tahiyya], then He will instruct them to enter the Gardens of Eden, but they will
reject them with disdain. They will swear that they looked for nothing apart from Him, that they
had no intention of seeking anything apart from Him, and that they would not be content with
anything existing in the universe. They will swear that their objectives were not inferior, so they
had not forsaken the pleasure of life except to advance therefrom, through the link that is utterly
superior.

The wine-director will offer them a cup, chosen from his very best, containing a salutary drink.
As it passed around among the intimate companions, it will be welcomed in the early morning

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hours and in the evening. It will add to their comfort and their ardent longing for the radiant
lights of His magnificent appearance.

By your Truth, if you do not allow an eye to see Your Beauty [Jamal], that is a miserable eye.

The ardent lovers have come to experience, through Your goodness, on account of longing for
You, a gentle kindness for the common people. Hearts melt in yearning for You, and no trace of
passionate desire remains therein.

If I decide, but You do not fulfill my purpose, I am subject to direction from Your love. I shall not
be despairing at the meeting, O my God, that Your good graces will erase the sinful error.

How could there be denial, O my brethren, when, in the early morning hours, there are Lordly
moments [awqat Rabbaniyya], heavenly indications, and angelic breezes? The proof of the
truthfulness of this matter is that the birds in the trees are intoning the Davidian psalms [alhan
Dawudiyya], the divergent streams are splashing in the fertile meadows, and the branches are
dancing in fine suits of silk brocade from the Garden of Paradise. All of that is done in submissive
obedience, and as an acknowledgement of His Uniqueness [Wahdaniyya].

Yes indeed, O people of love, the Lord of Truth reveals Himself in the time before dawn, and He
issues the invitation: “Is there anyone ready to repent, that I may relent toward him with a
satisfactory acceptance? Is there anyone seeking forgiveness, that I may forgive him his sinful
errors entirely? Is there anyone begging for charity, that I may grant him blessings and gifts in
abundance?”

Yes indeed, once the spirits are pure, they will be in splendor, radiant and shining. They will be
equally balanced in their spiritual states and all disaster will be meaningless to them. Without a
doubt, the scent of their tears will be fragrant on all the horizons.

Through their patient endurance of some separation, they have earned the right of attainment to
the exalted ranks. The authenticity of their sayings [ahadith], concerning the degrees of the
lovers, is established by reliable transmission [musnada marwiyya]. They pass without question,
and their needs are fully met.

The gift of love had come to be crystal clear. How well it deserves to be celebrated in brilliant
rhymes [qawafi], and in a splendid creed [‘aqida], based on the principles of the Hanafi, Shafi’i,
Maliki, and Hanbali schools [usul madhahib al-Hanafiyya wa’sh-Shafi’iyya wa’l-Malikyya wa’l-
Hanbaliyya]!

May Allah (Exalted is He) protect me, and all of you, from those who split apart and go astray, as
arrows stray from their target. May He include me, and all of you, among those for whom there
are lofty halls, with lofty halls built above them.

May Allah bless our master Muhammad, the noblest of humankind, and his family and his
Companions. May He single them out for the noblest salutation, and may He grant them
abundant peace, constantly renewed in endless succession, every morning and evening.

Amin, and again Amin.

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