02/09/2026
Naqeeb-ul-Ashraaf Hazrat Shaykh Sayyid Yusuf Abdullah Al-Gailani رحمۃ اللہ تعالیٰ علیہ
A Life of Service, Dignity and Devotion 14th February 1907 E – 2nd September 1996 E (Written & Compiled by Qadri Irfani Publications).
Compiled & Written by Qadri Irfani Publications
Naqeeb-ul-Ashraaf Hazrat Shaykh Sayyid Yusuf Abdullah Al-Gailani رحمة الله عليه
A Life of Service, Dignity and Devotion
14th February 1907 – 2nd September 1996
There are certain personalities whose lives become part of the history of a city, a people and a tradition, and there are others whose lives quietly become a bridge between generations. Naqeeb-ul-Ashraaf Hazrat Shaykh Sayyid Yusuf Abdullah Al-Gailani رحمة الله عليه was one such remarkable personality.
Born in Baghdad on 14th February 1907 and departing this world on 2nd September 1996 at the age of 89, his life spanned almost nine decades of extraordinary change in Iraq and the wider Muslim world. He witnessed the end of Ottoman rule in Iraq and the turbulent emergence of the modern Iraqi state, continued his education at the University of Oxford, served his country at the highest levels of diplomacy, and moved amongst statesmen and diplomats. Yet, after a distinguished career in public service, he devoted the greater part of his later life to a higher purpose — the sacred trust of serving the shrine, mosque and religious endowments of his illustrious ancestor, Ghaus-ul-Azam Hazrat Shaykh Abdul Qadir Al-Gailani رحمة الله عليه.
Born in Bab-ul-Sheikh, Baghdad, Hazrat Shaykh Sayyid Yusuf Abdullah Al-Gailani رحمة الله عليه entered the world in the very neighbourhood that had for centuries been associated with the name and spiritual presence of Ghaus-ul-Azam رحمة الله عليه. He stood in direct descent from the great Shaykh, traditionally recognised as his 15th direct descendant, and was raised within the noble Al-Gailani family, whose centuries-long history was deeply intertwined with the religious, intellectual and political life of Baghdad. His father, Sayyid Abdullah Al-Gailani, was a prominent Iraqi statesman who served as President of the Iraqi Senate, while his paternal uncle, Sayyid Abdul Rahman Al-Gailani Al-Naqib, was the first Prime Minister of modern Iraq and himself held the distinguished position of Naqeeb-ul-Ashraaf of Baghdad. From childhood, therefore, Hazrat رحمة الله عليه was surrounded by a remarkable inheritance — an inheritance of noble lineage, religious responsibility, scholarship and public service. Yet the significance of such an inheritance lies not merely in receiving it, but in how one chooses to carry it forward, and the life of Hazrat Shaykh Sayyid Yusuf Abdullah Al-Gailani رحمة الله عليه would demonstrate precisely that.
After receiving his early education in Baghdad, his intellectual abilities took him far beyond Iraq. In 1932, he graduated from Balliol College, Oxford, where he studied Modern Greats, placing him among an early generation of Iraqis to study at Oxford. His years in Britain gave him an understanding of the political and intellectual world beyond Iraq, an experience which would prove invaluable when he entered the Iraqi Foreign Service in 1933. Over the following decades, Hazrat رحمة الله عليه established himself as a highly respected diplomat and statesman. He served in various senior capacities within the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, including responsibilities connected with European and American affairs and the Political Department, and eventually rose to become an Under-Secretary of the Iraqi Foreign Ministry. His career placed him at the centre of Iraq’s international affairs during a period in which the country was establishing its
place amongst the nations of the modern world. He dealt with foreign governments, ambassadors and senior statesmen, and contemporary accounts remember him as a man of considerable intelligence, sharp judgement and diplomatic skill. He was known for his astute recommendations and his ability to negotiate with firmness and dignity, yet those who approached him for guidance also experienced another side of his character — a kindness towards younger people and a willingness to extend advice and encouragement. His abilities were particularly evident during important diplomatic negotiations of the period, including those surrounding the proposed Arab Federation between Iraq and Jordan in 1958, while his expertise was also called upon in matters concerning Iraq’s relations with the United States and its position on Palestine. By this stage, Hazrat رحمة الله عليه had reached the highest levels of the Iraqi diplomatic establishment, and to the outside world his future would seemingly have been firmly established within the world of government and international affairs.
History, however, had something else in store for him. The political revolution of 1958 transformed Iraq and brought an end to the monarchy, fundamentally changing the environment in which Hazrat رحمة الله عليه had served. He subsequently left the diplomatic service, but what might have appeared to be the closing chapter of a distinguished public career was, in reality, the beginning of what would prove to be the defining purpose of his life. His life had always carried another responsibility, one that went far beyond political office and diplomatic rank. As a descendant of Ghaus-ul-Azam رحمة الله عليه and a member of the family entrusted with the care of his shrine, Hazrat رحمة الله عليه had a sacred inheritance to protect. In 1952, he took on the responsibility of serving as Custodian, Chief Trustee and Administrator of the shrine and mosque of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Al-Gailani رحمة الله عليه and its religious endowments, a responsibility which he would continue for approximately 44 years, until his passing in 1996. Four decades is a long period in any person’s life; forty-four years spent protecting and developing one of Baghdad’s most important religious institutions represents something far greater. During those years Iraq passed through political upheaval, changes of government, war, uncertainty and immense social transformation, yet the responsibility entrusted to Hazrat رحمة الله عليه remained constant. He continued to safeguard the affairs of the shrine, administer its endowments and oversee the development of the institution that had been placed under his care.
His service was not confined to maintaining the physical structure of the shrine. Hazrat رحمة الله عليه understood that the legacy of Ghaus-ul-Azam رحمة الله عليه was a legacy of knowledge, spirituality, learning, charity and service, and that the shrine therefore had to remain a living centre of that tradition. It was during his custodianship that considerable attention was given to the development of the Qadiriyya Library, an institution which became an important repository of Islamic scholarship. Hazrat رحمة الله عليه personally contributed to the expansion of its collection, bringing together works from numerous fields of knowledge – in multiple languages. The library eventually became home to tens of thousands of publications and a significant collection of rare manuscripts, preserving a remarkable portion of the intellectual heritage associated with Baghdad and the wider Muslim world. The significance of this achievement is perhaps best understood in light of Hazrat’s رحمة الله عليه own intellectual formation. From his studies at Balliol College, Oxford, to a diplomatic career that took him across the world, he had encountered institutions of learning and scholarship far beyond Baghdad. Yet his concern was ultimately to strengthen the tradition entrusted to his care. Under his custodianship, the Qadiriyya Library became more than a repository of books and manuscripts; it became an amanah — preserving the knowledge of earlier generations and placing it within reach of those who would follow.
His commitment to the shrine was equally evident in the physical restoration and development of the complex. The reconstruction and improvement of the mosque and shrine was a major undertaking, extending over approximately ten years, and Hazrat رحمة الله عليه personally supervised many aspects of this work. He was not content simply to occupy the position of custodian; he took an active interest in ensuring that the dignity and beauty of the shrine were preserved. Contemporary accounts further record that he contributed from his own private resources towards the purchase of material for the silver enclosure surrounding the blessed resting place of Ghaus-ul-Azam رحمة الله عليه and was involved in its design. Such details reveal the depth of his personal attachment to the shrine. This was not merely an office he held or an institution he administered; it was the resting place of his illustrious ancestor, the spiritual centre of the Qadiriyya tradition and one of the great religious landmarks of Baghdad. For Hazrat رحمة الله عليه, protecting it was both a responsibility and an act of devotion.
His service must also be understood within the spiritual chain from which he himself received guidance. Naqeeb-ul-Ashraaf Hazrat Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad Asim Al-Gailani رحمة الله عليه was his Shaykh, and through this relationship Hazrat رحمة الله عليه remained connected to the spiritual tradition of his forefathers. Hazrat Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad Asim Al-Gailani رحمة الله عليه himself occupied an important position in the history of the shrine of Ghaus-ul-Azam رحمة الله عليه, and the relationship between the two reflects the continuity of the Qadiriyya tradition not merely through bloodline, but through spiritual guidance and service. Thus, the life of Hazrat رحمة الله عليه brought together three powerful strands: lineage, knowledge and service. His lineage connected him directly to Ghaus-ul-Azam رحمة الله عليه; his education and diplomatic career reflected the breadth of his intellectual formation and worldly experience; and his forty-four years as custodian demonstrated how he chose to use those abilities in the service of his ancestral trust.
Perhaps this is what makes his story so remarkable. Hazrat Shaykh Sayyid Yusuf Abdullah Al-Gailani رحمة الله عليه could have been remembered simply as an Iraqi diplomat who studied at Oxford and rose to become one of the senior officials of his country’s Foreign Ministry. That alone would have constituted a distinguished life. Instead, history gave him the opportunity to devote the final and longest chapter of his life to Ghaus-ul-Azam رحمة الله عليه. The world of diplomacy had taken him into the offices of governments and the company of ambassadors; the world of devotion brought him back to Bab-ul-Sheikh, to the shrine of his ancestor and to the service of pilgrims, scholars and people from every walk of life. In many ways, the two worlds were not opposites. The discipline, education, experience and understanding that he had gained through his diplomatic career became qualities that he could bring to the administration and development of the Qadiriyya institution. His life therefore represents a rare meeting between the modern and the traditional — a man educated at Oxford and experienced in international affairs becoming the custodian of one of Baghdad’s most ancient spiritual institutions.
For forty-four years, Hazrat رحمة الله عليه remained in this service. Generations of visitors came to the shrine during his custodianship. Scholars consulted its books, pilgrims came to pay their respects, devotees gathered for religious occasions and the name of Ghaus-ul-Azam رحمة الله عليه continued to draw people from across Iraq and from distant parts of the Muslim world. Among those who travelled to Baghdad were devotees from across Asia, Africa and beyond, from lands where the Qadiriyya tradition had taken deep root over centuries. The shrine was therefore not simply a local institution; it was a spiritual destination with an international reach, and Hazrat
رحمة الله عليه stood at the centre of its administration during one of the most turbulent periods of modern Iraqi history.
As the years passed, Hazrat رحمة الله عليه became a vital link between generations. He inherited from those before him not merely a title, but an amanah; and through forty-four years of service, he ensured that those who followed would inherit not merely a name, but a living and flourishing institution. The mosque was sustained, the shrine developed, the endowments safeguarded and the library enriched. His legacy, therefore, cannot be measured simply by the years he held office, but by what those years preserved, strengthened and passed on.
And then came the final days of his earthly journey. On 25th August 1996, just eight days before his passing, Hazrat Shaykh Sayyid Yusuf Abdullah Al-Gailani رحمة الله عليه presided over the Urs of Ghaus-ul-Azam Shaykh Abdul Qadir Al-Gailani رحمة الله عليه. It would be one of his final acts of public service. For a man who had spent approximately forty-four years as custodian of that sacred shrine, there is something profoundly moving about the fact that one of his last major duties was to preside over the Urs of the very Shaykh whose resting place he had spent so many years protecting and honouring. On 2nd September 1996, following a short illness lasting five days, Hazrat رحمة الله عليه passed away at the age of 89. His earthly service had come to an end, but the legacy he had spent decades building remained.
Today, when we look back upon the life of Naqeeb-ul-Ashraaf Hazrat Shaykh Sayyid Yusuf Abdullah Al-Gailani رحمة الله عليه, it would be easy to focus upon the impressive titles he carried: diplomat, Under-Secretary of the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, Oxford graduate, descendant of Ghaus-ul-Azam رحمة الله عليه and custodian of the Qadiriyya shrine. Yet titles alone cannot explain why his memory deserves to endure. His life was ultimately about what he did with those titles. He inherited a great name and served it. He inherited a sacred shrine and protected it. He inherited a tradition of knowledge and preserved it. He inherited an amanah and carried it faithfully for forty-four years, through political upheaval, war and some of Iraq’s most challenging decades — a trust he bore until the final days of his life.
Perhaps, then, the most fitting way to remember Hazrat رحمة الله عليه is not simply as a man who achieved much, but as a man who preserved much. The books that remain in the Qadiriyya Library, the institutions that continued because of his efforts, the improvements made to the shrine, the silver enclosure surrounding the resting place of Ghaus-ul-Azam رحمة الله عليه and the memories of those who knew him are all part of a legacy that extends beyond his lifetime. His diplomatic career placed his name within the history of modern Iraq, but his service to the shrine rooted him within a far older and more enduring inheritance — one stretching back through generations of the Al-Gailani family to the great spiritual legacy of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Al-Gailani رحمة الله عليه.
On the anniversary of his passing, we therefore remember not merely the death of an ambassador, as the contemporary obituary so aptly described him, but the life of a servant of an amanah. A man who travelled from Baghdad to Oxford and into the highest circles of international diplomacy, only to return to Baghdad and dedicate forty-four years to the shrine of his great ancestor. A man who understood both the language of governments and the language of devotion. A man whose life connected the corridors of diplomacy with the courtyard of a shrine, the world of international affairs with the world of spiritual heritage, and the knowledge of the modern world with the preservation of the knowledge of past generations.
Naqeeb-ul-Ashraaf Hazrat Shaykh Sayyid Yusuf Abdullah Al-Gailani رحمة الله عليه left this world on 2 September 1996, but he left behind something far more valuable than a title or an office. He left behind a legacy of service.
May Allah Almighty shower His infinite mercy upon Naqeeb-ul-Ashraaf Hazrat Shaykh Sayyid Yusuf Abdullah Al-Gailani رحمة الله عليه, accept his forty-four years of service to the shrine of Ghaus-ul-Azam Shaykh Abdul Qadir Al-Gailani رحمة الله عليه, reward him abundantly for every pilgrim he served, every book he preserved, every effort he made for the shrine and every act of service he rendered, and may Allah Almighty elevate his ranks amongst the righteous, and allow his legacy to continue benefiting generations to come.
Sources & References
1. “Death of an Ambassador – Sayed Yousif al-Gailani 1907–1996”
Q-News, April 1997 — By Irfan Ahmed al-Alawi.
2. “Opening the Doors: Intellectual Life and Academic Conditions in Post-War Baghdad”
Research study discussing the intellectual and academic institutions of Baghdad, including the Al-Qadiriyya Mosque and its library. It records that the library opened in 1954 and held approximately 65,000 publications and 2,000 manuscripts.
ResearchGate – Opening the Doors
University of Halle – PDF of the study
3. “المكتبة القادرية في بغداد” –
The Qadiriyya Library in Baghdad
Arabic source documenting the establishment of the library in 1954 and specifically mentioning Sayyid Yusuf Abdullah al-Kilani and Burhan al-Din al-Kilani and their role in establishing and developing the library.
Dorar al-Iraq – Qadiriyya Library
4. “المكتبة القادرية في جامع الشيخ عبدالقادر الكيلاني ببغداد”
Arabic historical discussion of the Qadiriyya Library, including its establishment, expansion and the role of Yusuf Abdullah al-Kilani and Burhan al-Din al-Kilani.
ملتقى أهل التفسير – Qadiriyya Library
5. Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation – Qadiriya Library (Al-Maktaba al-Qadiriya)
A specialist Islamic manuscript resource recording the library’s establishment in 1954 and 1,544 Islamic manuscripts, including Arabic, Persian, Turkish and Urdu manuscripts.
Al-Furqan Digital Library – Qadiriya Library
6. Alreq – المكتبة القادرية، بغداد
Provides information on the Qadiriyya Library and records that Sayyid Yusuf al-Kilani served as Mutawalli of the Qadiriyya endowments from 1952 until 1996, undertaking reforms and adding thousands of valuable books in Arabic, English and other languages.
Alreq – Qadiriyya Library
7. Al Jazeera – “المكتبة القادرية.. كنز ثقافي ثَمين ببغداد”
Article providing historical background on the Qadiriyya Library, its manuscripts, books
and its importance within Baghdad’s intellectual heritage.
Al Jazeera – Qadiriyya Library
8. Iraqi National Media Network – الحضرة القادرية
Historical feature on the Qadiriyya shrine complex in Baghdad, including the mosque, library, shrine and notable figures associated with the complex.
Iraqi National Media Network – Qadiriyya Shrine
9. Iraqi Foreign Ministry in 100 Years (1924–2024) – Dr Ibrahim al-Allaf
Historical material reproducing Iraqi government records from the 1930s, including Yusuf al-Kilani in the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.
Dr Ibrahim al-Allaf – Iraqi Foreign Ministry in 100 Years
10. United Nations Digital Library – Historical Iraqi Delegation Records
UN historical documents recording Mr. Yousif Al Gailani/Gaylani as part of the Iraqi delegation, supporting his role in Iraqi diplomatic affairs.
United Nations Digital Library – Document A/C.1/748
United Nations Digital Library – Document A/C.1/748/Rev.1
11. Adnan al-Pachachi – Memoirs of Iraq
Historical recollections mentioning Yusuf al-Kilani in his capacity as Under-Secretary of the Iraqi Foreign Ministry and his involvement in important diplomatic matters during the 1950s.
Dorar al-Iraq – Memoirs of Adnan al-Pachachi
12. Rassam Merkezi – Iraqi Senate Historical Records
Historical information concerning Abdullah al-Naqib al-Kilani, including his service as President of the Iraqi Senate in 1929 and his position as Naqeeb-ul-Ashraaf of Baghdad.
Rassam Merkezi – Iraqi Senate Records
13. Azzaman – Iraqi Historical Articles on the Al-Kilani Family and Qadiriyya Shrine
Historical articles concerning members of the Al-Kilani family, the Qadiriyya shrine and the religious and cultural heritage surrounding the shrine.
Azzaman – Al-Kilani Family Article
Azzaman – Qadiriyya Shrine Historical Article
14. Al-Hakam – Historical reference to Sayyid Ahmad Asim al-Gailani
Includes reference to a 1948 letter identifying Al-Sayed Ahmad Asim as Sajjada Nashin of Dargah Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Gilani, Baghdad.
Al-Hakam – Historical Reference
15. Al-Qadiriyya Shrine – Official Website
Current website of the Qadiriyya shrine complex in Baghdad, including information about the shrine, mosque, Qadiriyya endowment and library.
Official Al-Qadiriyya Shrine Website
Official Qadiriyya Library Page
Books and scholarly works referenced
16. Imad Abdul Salam Raouf – Al-Athar al-Khattiyya fi al-Maktaba al-Qadiriyya
A major scholarly catalogue of the manuscripts held in the Qadiriyya Library, published in several volumes.
17. Nouri Muhammad Sabri al-Mufti – Al-Maktaba al-Qadiriyya
A work specifically concerning the history and collection of the Qadiriyya Library in Baghdad.
18. Jamal al-Kilani – Al-Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Kilani: Ru'yah Tarikhiyyah Mu'asirah
A historical study concerning Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Gailani and the Qadiriyya heritage.
المرشد : نقیب الاشراف حضرت الشیخ السيد يوسف عبد ﷲ الجيلاني الحسنيؓ
خليفتهُ: حجة الإسلام الشاه السيد محمد عرفان المشهدي الكاظمي الموسوي القادري دام فيضهم.
