His Name and Lineage

Sheikh Ismail Al-Walyani bin Sheikh Muhammad Al-Nudhahi bin Sheikh Baba Ali bin Sheikh Baba Rasul Al-Kabir. His lineage traces back to Imam Hussein bin Imam Ali bin Abu Talib (RA).

His Title

He was titled “Al-Walyani” due to the retreat he spent in the village of “Walyan” in the Qazan Qaya region of Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. He was also titled “Al-Ghawth Al-Thani” due to his high status in the world of Sufism.

His Birth

He was born in the year 1081 AH in the region of Qazan Qaya.

His Madhhab

He followed the Shafi’i madhhab.

His Path

Sheikh Ismail Al-Walyani took the Qadiri path from his teacher, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Ahsa’i.

His Life

Sheikh Ismail Al-Walyani was known for his prominent miracles and spiritual revelations during his time. He is considered the first to establish the Qadiri path and spread it in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

Sheikh Ismail grew up in a family of knowledge and religion, being the eldest son of Sheikh Muhammad Al-Nudhahi. At one stage in his life, he traveled to Baghdad to meet Sheikh Ahmad Al-Ahsa’i, the spiritual leader of his time, from whom he learned the Qadiri path. He spent forty days with his teacher, focusing on performing the prescribed recitations and spiritual exercises, then returned to Kurdistan accompanied by Sheikh Mustafa Al-Khoshnawi, known as “Al-Shami,” continuing his mission of spreading the Qadiri path.

During his return to his village, he began teaching the disciples and became well-known among the people, who came to him from all over the region. At one point, he was visited by Prince Ahmad Bey Al-Zenkanah, appointed by the Ottoman Sultan, who gifted him the village of “Walyan,” and his brother Sheikh Hassan was granted the village of “Kullah Zardah.”

Sheikh Ismail Al-Walyani was known for his asceticism and piety. He was recognized for his frequent meetings with the disciples and his travels between regions to guide them to the right path. He was always humble, wearing simple woolen garments, and was considered a well-respected guide with a good reputation among the people.

His Miracles

Sheikh Ismail Al-Walyani Quddissah Sirruh was known for many miracles that manifested through him. Among the most prominent of them:

  • His hand would change color to black when giving the oath of allegiance to new disciples, and after his hand was washed with water, its color would return to its original whiteness. When his servant inquired about this change, Sheikh explained that the blackness was a result of the sins of the disciples whose oath of allegiance he had taken, and that he purified them in this way.

His Children

  • Abdul Razzaq
  • Abdul Qadir
  • Abdul Rahman
  • Rasul
  • Abdul Karim
  • Mahmoud
  • Yahya
  • Ma’roof
  • Abdullah
  • Abd al-Salam

His Passing

Sheikh Ismail Al-Walyani passed away to the world of truth and witnessing in 1158 AH, after leaving Qaradagh to visit the graves of the Prophets and righteous in Mosul. He spent forty days visiting the Prophet Yunus (AS), then fell ill after completing his forty-day visit. He instructed to be buried in the tomb of Sheikh Junayd, from the descendants of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Al-Jilani.

The minister Hajj Hussein Pasha Al-Jalili from Mosul composed a poem in his mourning, where he said:

“Imam bi’anwar al-shari’ah qad raqa
Wa bahr bi-asrar al-haqiqah qad tama
Faya habbaza khayr wa ya habbaza huda
Wa ya habbaza fadl bihi Allah an’ama”

Summary

Sheikh Ismail Al-Walyani left behind a great religious and spiritual legacy in the world of Sufism, where he was a guide and teacher to many in his time.