His Name:

Abu Bakr Dulf bin Hajdar (some say Ja’far) Al-Shibli.

His Birth:

He was born around the year 247 AH, and came from Khurasani roots. He was born in Baghdad or Samarra.

His Title:

Al-Shibli, named after the city of Seville or the village of Al-Shibli.

His Life:

Sheikh Abu Bakr Al-Shibli was one of the great imams of Sufism and one of the most prominent righteous people of his time. He was born into a family with a long history, and his reputation spread among scholars and jurists. He was a governor in the Damband region near Rasnaq in the mountains, but he repented in the gathering of Khayr Al-Nassaj, left his position, and lived among the people to search for the truth. He studied Sufism under Abu Al-Qasim Al-Junaid and accompanied many prominent sheikhs of his time, such as Al-Hussein bin Muhammad, Abu Al-Hassan Al-Hassri, Muhammad bin Ahmad Al-Farraa, Bandar bin Al-Hussain, and Abu Sahl Al-Sa’luqi.

His Path:

He followed the Alia Qadiri path and received it from Sheikh Abdul Wahid Al-Yemani.

A Saying About Sufism:

He said about Sufism: “It is the soothing of hearts and the adornment of thoughts with the cloaks of loyalty, cultivating generosity and joy in meeting, and it is sitting with Allah without worry.”

His Life in Knowledge and Spirituality:

Sheikh Al-Shibli was a deeply knowledgeable scholar in Hadith, Fiqh, and Sufi sciences. He was a high reference in the science of verification. He was famous for his self-struggle and spiritual practices, and was greatly concerned with the honoring and preservation of the Sharia. He spent a lot of time traveling in the wilderness, using salt to get used to staying awake.

His Sayings:

  • “The seeker has no period, and the knower has no knowledge, and knowledge has no relation, and the lover has no rest, and the truthful has no claims, and the fearful has no peace, and there is no escape from Allah’s will.”
  • “You think I am alive, but I am dead, and part of me weeps for the distance.”

His Miracles:

He said: “I once decided to only eat from what is lawful, so I wandered in the wilderness and saw a tree. I reached out to it to eat, and the tree called out to me: ‘Guard your vow, do not eat from me, for I am Jewish.’

Sheikh Al-Shibli would experience spiritual ecstasy to the point of losing awareness of his senses. When he prayed, he remained in complete tranquility, ensuring he did not miss any of his duties, yet after the prayer, he would return to himself.

His Passing:

Sheikh Abu Bakr Al-Shibli passed away in the month of Dhu al-Hijjah in the year 334 AH at the age of 87. He was buried near the grave of the great Imam, and his grave is visited even today.

Summary:

Abu Bakr Al-Shibli was one of the greatest teachers of Sufism, a pioneer in combining Sharia knowledge with the realities of Sufism. His life was dedicated to seeking the truth and drawing closer to Allah, and his sayings and miracles remain a source of inspiration for future generations.