From the very beginning Kashmir has been a great centre of spirituality. The great saints and sages blessed this land with spiritual generosities from time to time. The hospitable Kashmiri’s have safeguarded and conserved their places of meditation and holy tombs as the sacred sites.
The history of sacred shrine of Hazrat Sheikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jeelani (RA) located at Khanyar, Srinagar, begins from the year 1096 of the Islamic Calender when Hazrat Syed Mohammed Fazil Qadri (RA) popularly known as Sakhi-Shah and his brother Syed Abul Hassan Qadri (RA) came to Kashmir. It was due to the permanent stay of Hazrat Sakhi Shah Mohammed Fazil Sahib in Kashmir that thousands of people including the contemporary religious scholars, nobles, landlords, and leaders joined “Silsilai-Qadria” and Khanyar Shareef came to be the centre of its operations. Hazrat Syed Mohammed Fazil Qadri (RA) has his ancestral links directly with Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani (RA). A detailed study of his family tree reveals that Hazrat Sakhi Shah Sahab falls in 18th generation of  Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani (RA).
Qazi Ghulam Qadir Khan of Khanyar, Srinagar was a landlord and Qazi ul Quza (Governor) of the City when he became a disciple of Hazrat Syed Mohammed Fazil (RA) - Sakhi Shah. He gifted his movable and immovable property to Hazrat Syed Sakhi Shah Mohammed Fazil (RA) and quit the post of Qazi ul Quza ( Governor); a room for meditation and prayers of Hazrat Syed Mohammed Fazil Shah was built, in which he was later buried.
The Holy Relic of Hazrat Syed Abdul Qadir Jeelani (RA) was obtained by an Afgan Governor, Sardar Abdullah Khan from some tourist against a good sum. The then Governor Abdullah Khan was one among the main followers of Hazrat Syed Buzargh Shah Sahab (Grandson of Hazrat Sakhi Shah Sahab). Sardar Abdullah Khan gifted the Holy Relic to his Murshid-i-Kamil Hazrat Syed Buzarg Shah Sahib. The regular practice of exhibiting the Holy Relic started from the time when Hazrat Buzarg Shah Sahab was the Shrine Heir (Sajada Nisheen). From then on every year in the month of Rabi-u-Sani, the Holy Relic is exhibited on 11th and 12th and last Friday of the month. A Khankah was constructed by Syed Ghulam Shah Sahab Azad (Great Grandson of Hazrat Sakhi Shah Sahab)  which had two rooms, one of which houses the Holy Relic of Hazrat Sheikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jeelani. The Khankah was later expanded in the year 1182 hijri by Syed Ghulam Shah Sahab Azad in view of the paucity of the space to accommodate the rush of the people visiting the Shrine.
The Shrine has the distinction of containing the Holy Graves of renowned personalities of the religion. Besides a copy of some of the Suras of The Holy Quran hand written by Hazrat Ali Murtaza (KTW) on Deer Skin, also known as “Namae Sharif” is present there. Hazrat Ali Murtaza (KTW) had gifted his hand written “Namae Sharif” to his son Hazrat Imam Hussain (Alai-i-Salam).
Hazrat Syed Mohammed Fazil Qadri Geelani (RA) was the first Heir (Sajada Nisheen) of the Holy Shrine. He was followed by his son Hazarat Syed Mehmood (RA), then his son Hazrat Syed Ghulam-ud-Din Azad and then his son Hazrat Syed Buzarg Shah Sahab became the Shrine Heirs (Sajada Nisheen). After Hazrat Buzurg Shah Sahab, Hazrat Yasin Sahab Qadri (Rh) became the Shrine Heir (Sajada Nisheen). He was numbered in great saints of his time. His son Hazrat Syed Mir Ahmad died before Hazrat Yasin Sahab and left his only son Hazrat Mir Syed Hassan Shah who then followed Hazrat Yasin Sahab according to the latter’s wish. Hazrat Mir Hassan Sahab Geelani had four sons and four daughters. He was followed by his son Mir Maqbool Sahab Geelani who later migrated to Pakistan in 1953 A.D. He was buried at Muzaffarabad. After him, Syed Mir Ghulam Hassan Geelani became the Shrine Heir (Mutawali and Sajada Nisheen). After Mir Ghulam Hussain Geelani, Mir Masood-ul-Hassan Geelani attained the position of Shrine Heir (Mutawali and Sajada Nisheen). He remained at the position from 1989 to 2009 when he died on 30th of September, 2009. The present Heir (Mutawali and Sajada Nisheen) of Shrine is Mir Syed Khalid Hussain Geelani.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 22 Mar 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 IST