Full Name:
Sayyid Sheikh Isma’il al-Waliyani ibn Sayyid Muhammad al-Nawdahi ibn Sayyid Baba Ali ibn Sayyid Baba Rasul al-Kabir. He traces his lineage back to Sayyiduna Husayn ibn Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon them).
Title:
Al-Waliyani, named after the spiritual retreat (khalwa) he established in Waliyan, a village in Qazan Qayah, Sulaymaniyah region of Iraq. He was also honored with the title al-Ghawth al-Thani (the Second Ghawth).
Birth:
He was born in Qazan Qayah in 1081 AH (approximately 1670 CE).
Madhhab:
He followed the Shafi‘i school of jurisprudence.
Spiritual Path:
He received the Qadiriyyah Ṭarīqah from his spiritual guide Sheikh Ahmad al-Ahsai.
Life:
Sayyid Sheikh Isma’il al-Waliyani was renowned in his time for manifest miracles (karamat) and radiant spiritual unveilings (kushufat). He was the first to firmly establish the pillars of the Qadiriyyah Ṭarīqah and widely disseminate it throughout the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
As the eldest son of Sayyid Muhammad al-Nawdahi, he traveled to Baghdad to seek the guidance of the spiritual master of his era, Sheikh Ahmad al-Ahsai. Under his tutelage, he devoted himself to the litanies (awrad) and remembrances (adhkar) for forty consecutive days.
Afterward, he returned to Kurdistan accompanied by Sheikh Mustafa al-Khoshnawi, known as al-Shami. Sheikh Mustafa remained with him in Qazan Qayah, acquiring and diligently practicing the Ṭarīqah before returning to the villages of Khoshnaw and Koy, where many disciples followed him, including the esteemed Sheikh Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Isma’il al-Waliyani remained in Qazan Qayah, attracting visitors from all regions due to his widespread reputation for miracles and spiritual authority. His spiritual presence was so powerful that he was reportedly seen in various forms and appearances during his spiritual gatherings.
Among his notable visitors was Prince Ahmad Bey al-Zankanah, a supporter appointed by the Ottoman Sultan, who granted Sheikh Isma’il the village of Waliyan, while his brother Sheikh Hassan was granted the village of Kula Zardah.
Sheikh Isma’il was regarded as the ocean of the Ṭarīqah—a vast reservoir of spiritual knowledge—and the imam (leader) of the shaykhs. Known for his asceticism and piety, he wore simple clothing made of felt (libad). He was a renowned spiritual guide who frequently traveled from region to region to provide guidance and instruction.
Miracles:
It is narrated that during the ceremony of granting bay‘ah (spiritual initiation) to new disciples, the color of Sheikh Isma’il’s hand would turn black. After completing the bay‘ah, he would ask his servant for water to wash his hand, which would then return to its pure white state. The servant hesitated to ask about this phenomenon, but upon sensing his thoughts, Sheikh Isma’il explained:
“O my son, this blackness you see is the effect of the sins of the disciples. We take it from them and purify them because the Ṭarīqah effaces what came before it.”
Children:
Abd al-Razzaq, Abd al-Qadir, Abd al-Rahman, Rasul, Abd al-Karim, Mahmoud, Yahya, Ma‘ruf, Abdullah, Abd al-Salam.
Passing:
He passed away in 1158 AH (approximately 1745 CE) in the village of Ruwayyah after traveling from Qarah Dagh to visit the shrines of the Prophets and saints in Mosul. He entered the shrine of Prophet Yunus (Jonah), where he devoted himself to worshiping Allah for forty days. Upon completing this period, he fell ill and instructed to be buried in the soil of Sheikh Junayd, a descendant of Sheikh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani.
The late minister Hajj Hussein Pasha al-Jalili, the ruler of Mosul, composed the following poem in his honor at this shrine:
Imam ascended by the lights of the Shari‘ah,
Ocean of the secrets of the Haqīqah, he calmed.
How wondrous the best, how great the guidance,
And bountiful the grace by which God blessed.
Named the Sacrifice of God, the lament began—
For your loss, Isma‘il, even the heavens wept.
