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Wikipedia / Gilani

Gilani, Gillani, or Geelani (Persian/Urdu: گیلانی, Arabic: الجيلاني) is a toponymic surname and nisba meaning “From Gilan”, a historic region on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. The name was originally used to identify people whose geographic origin was Gilan. Over time, the surname also became associated with lineages part of the Hasanid family and claiming descent from Abdul Qadir Gilani, the Persian born Islamic scholar. Abdul Qadir Gilani is known for being the founder and eponym of the Qadiriyya order of the mystical Sufi branch of Islam.

Variations of the surname include Kilani or Kailani (Arabic: الكيلاني), commonly used in the Arab world, and Jilani. The levantine Zoubi family also share the same lineage, as their ancestor Ahmad Ali Al Gilani was titled Al-Zoubi later in life. Members of the Gilani family can be found in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia.

Lineage

The Gilani family descends from Abdul Qadir Gilani (1078–1166), the founder of the Qadiriyya Sufi order and a notable Sunni Hanbali scholar. Abdul Qadir was considered to be a Sayyid as both of his parents were direct descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. His father, Musa (Abu Saleh) bin Abdullah, was a direct descendant of Muhammad's grandson Hasan, and his mother, Fatima (Umm al-Khair) Bint Abdullah Al Soma'ai Al-Husseini, was a descendant of Muhammad through his grandson Hussein.

Derivation

Gilani is a nisba meaning from Gilan. Abdul Qadir was given the nisba after traveling to Baghdad in 1095 AD at 18 years old to pursue the study of Hanbali law. There are conflicting reports about the birthplace of Abdul Qadir and in turn, the true origin of the surname; while some sources maintain that he was born in the Iranian province of Gilan, others maintain that he was born in Gilan-e-Gharb, a city in the Kurdish Kermanshah province, or in the village of Jilan near Baghdad.

Notable members

See also

References