He was born in Baghdad, in 861 A.D. Till the age of 30, he learned Hadith & Fiqh (Islamic Law). Also he was the governer of Nihawand. Once the caliph called all of his governers in his palace to attend the ceremoney, in which the caliph was going to hand over the governership of a region to one of his close persons. Abu Bakkar Shibli also went to attend the ceremoney. The caliph handed over precious cloth to the new governer, and that kind of precious cloth were particular for only the governers. That new governer suddenly had flu & cleaned his nose from that precious cloth. The caliph turned angry on him & felt insulted by that. So the caliph deprived him from governership at the same occasion.

That incident left a great effect on the heart of Abu Bakakr Shibli, because he thought that such a little mistake made the caliph to deprive the governer from his high post, then what about God? What he would do with us, as we make great sins & mistakes? So then he quitted the governership & chose to become a dervish, and inclined towards Sufism. He met many dervishes, but didn't have satisfaction from them.

Later he met a Sufi Hazrat Khair an-Nassaj, and became his disciple, he lived some period under his spiritual guidance. Then his teacher told him to go to meet Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi, after going to him, he commanded him to sell sulfur in the market, so he sold sulfur in in the Market of Baghdad for one year. After that, Hazrat Junaid Baghadi told him to become a beggar, he begged for one year by going to every door of Baghdad to beg, but no one gave him anything. He was disappointed & told about it to Hazrat Junaid, who smiled & said: "Now you've must come to know that you have no value among the creature, so now turn your heart away from the creature forever." After that, Hazrat Junaid told him: "As you were the governer of Nihawand, so now go to there & apologize to every person living there. So he went to Nihawand & aplogized to every person, even to the children. But one person wasn't there, so in the substitution, he distributed one hundred thousand Dirhams among the poor. But still he wasn't satisfied, after reaching back to Baghdad, Hazrat Junaid told him: "Still your heart has desire of ego, so go again & beg for one more year." He begged again for one year, and whatever he got, gave it to Hazrat Junaid, who then distributed them among the poor & needy people. Then for one year Hazrat Junaid sent him to live among poor & beggars. After living one year among them, Abu Bakkar Shibli came to Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi, who asked him: "What is the defination of Ego to you now?" Abu Bakkar Shibli replied: "To think myself as most inferior from others" Hazrat Junaid said: "Now your belief has perfected."

So then Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi made him Mureed (Spiritual Disciple) and continued his spiritual training. Soon he reached to high stages of Sufism & often he was thrown into the state of Jazb (Ecstasy).

The ruler of Baghdad once called on Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi to discuss with him about some matter, as Hazrat Junaid was the chief judge of Baghdad & the great scholar of that time. Hazrat Junaid took Hazrat Abu Bakkar Shibli with him. During discussion, the ruler used insulted language. Hazrat Abu Bakkar Shibli was new comer at that time, so he turned angry & put his hand on the carpet-lion and the lion stood up to attack the ruler. Hazrat Junaid looked at the lion, and the lion turned into the earlier state. The ruler was busy in books, so he was unable to see that. During discussion the ruler turned insulting once again, and Shibli also put his hand on the carpet-lion, who stood up to attack the ruler, and when Junaid looked at the lion, the lion turned into the earlier state. This happened for three times, and finally the ruler watched that, and scared, he fell on the feet of Hazrat Junaid and apologized. Hazrat Junaid told him that he shouldn't take notice of Abu Bakkar, as he is childish yet. After that event, Hazrat Abu Bakkar got the title of "Shibli", which means cub of a lion.

Once he heard the Divine voice: "Till how long would you connect yourself with only the name of God? If your wish is pure & true, then don't search for the name of God, but the God himself." After hearing that, Abu Bakkar Shibli jumped into the river tigris in the state of Jazb (Ecstasy), but the river threw him back on the river bank. He then threw himself in the fire, the fire also didn't have any effect on his body. He then also made many attempts to kill himself, but was always safe. Then he said: "Alas on the person! Who couldn't sink in the river, couldn't burn in fire, the animals didn't kill him to eat, even he didn't die after jumping over the mountain!" He heard the Divine voice: "The beloved of God couldn't be killed by others, but only by God."

By the frequency of the states which overcame him and his statements and behaviour at times, many people said: "He is mad." Once he was thrown into the hospital. A group came to him, He asked: "Who are you?" They replied: "Your lovers". He began to stone them. They fled. He said: "You claim to love, so be patient in my affliction!"

Hazrat Abu Bakkar Shibli performed toughest spiritual contemplations. He often put salt in his eyes before performing contemplations, so that he couldn't be sleepy.

Later he started to deliver public sermons, and in those sermons he freely disclosed the divine secrets. When Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi knew about that, he told Abu Bakkar Shibli: "I've buried the things (divine secrets) in the ground, why are you digging them to show to others?" Abu Bakkar Shibli replied: "The divine secrets that I disclose in my sermons, are unreachable to the thoughts of the people, so no one could understand them. My words are from divine & return towards Himself, Shibli's existence isn't between."

Once Hazrat Abu Bakkar Shibli went to Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi's home & saw Junaid's wife. His wife was about to cover herself, Hazrat Junaid prevented her to do so, and said: "The Sufis are even careless of the heaven & hell, then how could they care of a woman!" Later, Abu Bakkar Shibli started to cry, and Hazrat Junaid told his wife to cover herself now, because he is becoming normal."

Hazrat Junaid once said: "Do not look at Shibli with the eye by which you look at others. Every people has a crown and the crown of these people is Shibli."

A man asked Hazrat Abu Bakkar Shibli: "Abu Bakkar, why do you say "Allah" and not "There is not god but Allah"?"

He replied: "I will not reject an opposite by Him."

The person said: "I mean higher than that."

Abu Bakkar Shibli replied: "I fear that I will be taken while in the wilderness of rejection."

He said: "I mean higher than that."

Shibli replied: "Allah Almighty said, 'Say: Allah, and then leave them diving in their plunging.' (6:91)"

The asker fainted and died. His friends demanded his blood money from Abu Bakkar Shibli. They took him to the caliph. The herald came out to him to question him about the tale. Abu Bakkar Shibli stated: "A soul full of yearning which parted. It was called and it answered. What is my wrong action?" The caliph cried out from behind the curtain, by saying: "Leave him! He has no wrong action!"

A man said to him, "You have lost your sight." He replied, "Yes, the sight by which I saw you. As for my sight by which I see the Real, that remains."

He died in 946 A.D. in Baghdad.