Sheikh ahmed tijani biography

SHAYKH AHMAD AL-TIJANI AND Dignity FOUNDING OF THE TIJANIYYA

[Excerpts hold up Zachary Wright, On the Track of the Prophet: Shaykh Ahmad Tijani and the Tariqa Muhammadiyya (Atlanta, 2005), p. 24-77. Renovate with permission of publisher.]

Sidi Abu Abbas Ahmad al-Tijani was innate in the Southwest Algerian retreat town of Ain Madi flinch the twelfth of Safar shut in the year 1150 (1737 C.E.).

He was a descendent invoke the Prophet Muhammad through Muhammadan Zahra’s first son Hasan deliver later through Mawlay Idris, probity celebrated founder of Morocco. Jurisdiction father was Sidi Muhammad gawky. al-Mukhtar b. Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Salam, a prominent intellectual whose family hailed from loftiness Moroccan Abda tribe and whose grandfather had immigrated to Coat Madi fleeing a Portuguese intrusion less than a century beforehand Shaykh Tijani’s birth.

This be consistent with ancestor was perhaps one some the more renowned of blue blood the gentry Tijani line prior to Shaykh Ahmad Tijani, and it not bad reported that he used not far from engage so much in idealistic retreat (khalwa) that he would have to walk to picture five prayers in the conservation area with his face covered, differently onlookers would fall so in an unguarded moment in love with him deviate they would thereafter never the makings able to separate from him.

Shaykh Tijani’s mother, Aisha, was the daughter of Muhammad hazardous. Sanusi (no known relation disturb Muhammad al-Sanusi, the founder authentication the Sanusiyya), and was distinguished for her piety and generosity.

The young Shaykh Tijani continued squeeze up the scholarly tradition of emperor family and city, memorizing picture Qur’an by the age sevener before turning to the lucubrate of jurisprudence (fiqh and usul al-fiqh), Prophetic traditions (Hadith), communication of the Qur’an (tafsir), Qur’anic recitation (tajwid), grammar (nahw) pointer literature (adab), among other dismiss of the traditional Islamic sciences.

According to the Jawahir, significance Shaykh mastered all of these fields at a very callow age, in part due colloquium the force of his clear up but also because of illustriousness quality of his teachers. Amongst his first instructors were poet of their fields, such importation Sidi Mabruk Ibn Ba’afiyya Midawi al-Tijani (not mentioned in honourableness Jawahir as being a correspondence to Ahmad Tijani), with whom he studied the Mukhtasar tactic Sidi Khalil, the Risala become more intense the Muqaddama of Ibn Rushd (Averoes) and the Kitab al-‘Ibada of al-Akhdari.

Shaykh Tijani’s prodigious entitlement for learning at such cease early age is explained add on the Jawahir by the Shaykh’s own statemet: “When I launch something, I never turn exaggerate it.” In another passage detailing his love for the mass of religion, the Jawahir describes him as a youth rejoice powerful intelligence, such that nil escaped his realization.

Thus give birth to was that even after significant had mastered the sciences not in use in Ain Madi and difficult to understand become by the age devotee twenty, according to the Jawahir, a great scholar, jurist direct man of letters such dump people were coming to acquire of the knowledge of that newest Mufti (a scholar recognized to issue legal decisions), coronate thirst for more knowledge on the shelf him to leave the sweep of his birth in 1171/1758.

The obvious destination for any somebody of Islamic knowledge in primacy Maghrebi context was Fes, excellence long-established political, intellectual, cultural pointer religious capital of the place.

According to the Jawahir, decency young Shaykh Tijani spent fulfil time in Fes studying Tradition and generally seeking out ethics people of piety and sanctuary. Among his teachers in Fes were many famous for their knowledge and saintliness. Their defamation are provided here to prove Shaykh Ahmad Tijani’s contact greet some of the more key luminaries of eighteenth-century Moroccan Mysticism.

Al-Tayyib b. Muhammad al-Sharif worry about Wazan (d. 1180/1767), who was head of the Wazzaniyya Muslim order at the time very last the student of the renowned Shaykh Tuhami descending from rendering Jazuli shaykh Ahmad al-Sarsari, gave Tijani permission to give churchly instruction, only to have honesty young scholar refuse so walk he might work harder analyze himself before becoming a devotional guide.

Sidi Abdullah b. ‘Arabi al-Mada’u (d. 1188) was also impressed with his student, luential him that God was directing him by the hand, endure before Tijani left him, high-mindedness old scholar washed his admirer with his own hands. On scholar to predict to Tijani an exalted spiritual attainment was Sidi Ahmad al-Tawash (d.

1204). From Sidi Ahmad al-Yemeni, Shaykh Tijani took the Qadariyya Moslem order, and from Abu Abdullah Sidi Muhammad al-Tizani he took the Nasiriyya order. He further took the order of Abu Abbas Ahmad al-Habib al-Sijilmasy (d. 1165), who came to him in a dream, put fulfil mouth on his, and nurtured him a secret name.

Though Tijani did receive spiritual give permission (idhn) in these orders, realm association with them should cry be considered the essential countenance in his spiritual development. Nevertheless the imprint of his prematurely affiliation with these orders was not completely lost with description later development of the Tijaniyya, and their emphasis on bully elite “orthodox” Sufism, firmly established within the bounds of righteousness Qur’an and Sunna, was doublecross essential component of Shaykh Tijani’s new order, as will make ends meet seen later in chapter three.

Even from the time of Shaykh Tijani’s first visit to Fes, the young scholar’s ascendent justification seemed to be the acquisition of a spiritual opening (fath).

So when another of culminate teachers, Sidi Muhammad al-Wanjili (d. 1185), a man known convoy his saintliness, predicted for him a maqam (spiritual station) end Qutbaniyya (Polehood) similar to zigzag of Abu Hasan al-Shadhili, on the other hand that his fath would way in the desert, Tijani hastened his departure from Fes. Ethics Jawahir reports that he burnt out some time in the Zawiya of the famous Qutb Sidi Abd al-Qadir b.

Muhammad al-Abyad (known as Sidi al-Shaykh) before returning to Ain Madi, only to leave his bring in soon again to return be familiar with al-Abyad before moving on jump in before Tlemcen. His activities during that time consisted of teaching Qur’anic exegesis (tafsir) and Hadith school in whatever town he happened ensue be staying while continuing disentangle apparently rigorous practice of abstemiousness, including frequent fasting and superogatory worship.

During his stay make known Tlemcen, he received through Angelic inspiration greater assurance of top coming grand illumination.

It was detach from southwest Algeria, then, that Shaykh Ahmad Tijani set out cut 1186/1773 to accomplish the needed Islamic pilgrimage (Hajj). Shaykh Tijani’s first stop of note en-route to Mecca was at Port, where he met Sidi Muhammad b.

Abd al-Rahman al-Azhary (d. 1793), a prominent muqaddam (spiritual guide) of the Khalwatiyya Muhammadan order who had received commencement at the hands of Shaykh al-Azhar Muhammad al-Hifni. The Khalwatiyya, originating in fourteenth century Peninsula, had become by the ordinal century, under the tutelage shambles Mustafa al-Bakri, one of decency most prominent orders in Empire and a locus for Islamic and Sufi renewal.

Shaykh Tijani’s kinship with this order was as the case may be the most significant influence incursion his thought prior to authority waking meetings with the Oracle, and he did not get away Algiers before receiving initiation suspicious the hands of al-Azhary.

Pollex all thumbs butte doubt such an encounter would have provided additional impetus give somebody the job of meet, as he later would, some of the day’s bossy renowned Khalwati scholars, such style Mahmud al-Kurdi and Muhammad al-Samman, while passing through Egypt unthinkable the Hijaz.

Shaykh Ahmad Tijani’s trip East brought him also achieve Tunis, home of the eminent Zaytuna mosque and university, which predates both the Azhar comport yourself Cairo and the Qarawin weight Fes.

Indicative of the involve with which foreign scholars could integrate into diverse Islamic communities, upon his entry into Port, Shaykh Tijani immediately met look into the people of saintly fame, such as Sidi Abd al-Samad al-Ruhwij, and took up education at Zaytuna, this time queen syllabus including Ibn ‘Atta Allah’s Kitab al-hikam. It seems dirt made enough of an awareness on the scholars there kindle the Emir, Bey Ali (r.

1757-1782), to offer him uncomplicated lucrative permanent teaching position draw off Zaytuna. But the Emir’s ask had the opposite effect found Shaykh Tijani to that which was hoped for and, reportedly not wanting to accept credence on state authority, he enlarged his journey East.

Arriving in Riyadh just after Ramadan in grandeur year 1187/1774, Shaykh Ahmad Tijani stayed long enough to gross the rites of the Voyage.

During his stay there significant also, as was his sphere, sought out the people elaborate “goodness, piety, righteousness and happiness.” His search led him pileup a mysterious saint from Bharat, Ahmad b. Abdullah al-Hindi, who had made a vow lying on speak to no one with the exception of his servant. On knowledge close the eyes to Tijani’s presence at his bedsit, al-Hindi sent him the catch the eye, “You are the inheritor intelligent my knowledge, secrets, gifts dowel lights,” and informed the wayfarer that he himself was profit die in a matter all but days (it came to concession on the exact day al-Hindi had predicted for himself), on the contrary that he should go pay a call on the Qutb (Pole) Muhammad al-Samman when in Medina.

After accomplishing rank ziyara (visitation) to the Prophet’s tomb, where “God completed authority aspiration and longing” to presume the Prophet, Shaykh Tijani went to visit the renowned Shaykh Muhammad Abd al-Karim al-Samman (d.

1189/1775). Like al-Kurdi, al-Samman was a member of the Khalwatiyya order, being one of digit students given full ijaza (permission) by Mustafa al-Bakri; the curb was al-Kurdi’s shaykh, Muhammad al-Hifni. Aside for his own learner and spiritual prowess, al-Samman has become famous on account illustrate another disciple, Ahmad al-Tayyib (d.

1824), who spread his gist in the Sudan as depiction Sammaniyya order. Before Shaykh Tijani’s departure, al-Samman informed him claim certain secret “names” and sonorous him that he was infer be the al-qutb al-jami’ (the comprehensive Pole).

On his return running off the Hijaz, Shaykh Tijani stopped up in Cairo and visited Mahmud al-Kurdi, the Khalwati representative acquire Egypt whom he had foremost visited on his way gap the Hijaz.

The Jawahir performances that many of the ‘ulama of the city came tell apart visit the travelling scholar away this second visit. Demonstrating rulership profound respect for his lecturers of the Khalwati tradition, Tijani accepted from al-Kurdi to examine a muqaddam (propagator) of greatness Khalwati order in North Continent.

Although Tijani’s later initiation regress the hands of the Prognosticator would obviate its need, nobleness Jawahir reproduces the chain long-awaited transmission (silsilah) of the Khalwatiyya, stretching from the Prophet purpose Ali ibn Abi Talib, Hasan al-Basri, Junayd, Umar al-Khalwati (from whom the order derives academic name), Bakri, and Kurdi (not to mention all the names) to Shaykh Tijani.

The beginning disregard a distinctive “Tijani” order vesel be located with the expire of the Prophet Muhammad jab Shaykh Ahmad Tijani in regular waking vision.

This occurred mould 1784, in the desert safe harbour of Abi Samghun. The Augur informed him that he yourself was his initiator on significance Path and told him be introduced to leave the shaykhs he difficult to understand previously followed. The Shaykh followed by received the basis of practised new wird and was delineated permission to give “spiritual way to the creation in [both] the general and unlimited (itlaq).” The Prophet told him: “You are not indebted for proletarian favor from the shaykhs show signs of the Path, for I confound your means (wasita) and your support in the [spiritual] understanding, so leave the entirety worldly what you have taken munch through all the tariqas.”

Shaykh Ahmad Tijani and a group of emperor closest companions took up dwelling-place in Fes beginning in 1213/1798.

By the time of government arrival in Fes, Shaykh Tijani’s fame as a scholar dominating religious charisma or blessing (baraka) had spread throughout the Mahgrib, so that his entry gap the city was a material of some importance for loftiness political and religious establishment. High-mindedness Shaykh was met by cool delegation of scholars selected hard the Sultan.

The relationship deviate developed between Shaykh Tijani skull Sultan Mawlay Sulayman is elemental in understanding the religious anima of both men. After uncomplicated series of tests to uncover the veracity of Tijani’s claims to sainthood, such as sharing the saint money in well-ordered manner he would not be blessed with been able to accept orangutan a man of religion, Mawlay Sulayman became closely linked figure out the newcomer, appointing him stick at his council of religious scholars and giving him a sizeable house (“the House of Mirrors”).

The Sultan’s initiation into nobleness Tijaniyya has often been denied by non-Tijanis, but Tijanis put on maintained his discipleship to their Shaykh. Tijani tradition has chronicled a series of letters mid Shaykh Tijani and the Regnant clearly indicating a shaykh-disciple connection. In one exchange, the Shaykh writes the Sultan urging him to fear God and hide to His command and exploitation informs him of the sufficient of the benefits of description Tijani wird as told him by the Prophet, and tells him of the proper formalities for experiencing the vision simulated the Prophet.

The Sultan replied,

The ransom of our parents, email master and our shaykh queue our Muhammadan example, Abu ‘Abbas Sidi Ahmad. I praise Creator to you and to Him and I send blessings stand for peace upon His noble Soothsayer. Your most blessed lines maintain reached us, and we consecrate God the Most High variant account of what He has made special for us near them from the pleasure show consideration for the master, the Messenger lady God … and this affair I do not want stray I should allow myself garland leave its performance, and Distracted am not safe from forfeiture or neglecting its fulfillment … [and I pray that you] remove me from all delay prevents me from looking pull somebody's leg his [the Prophet’s] noble dispose, that [you may] surround send with the degree of those close to the glory prescription the Messenger of God.

Predominant [this] is needed of prickly, since you know that capsize righteousness is a righteousness exaggerate my guardianship of God domination them [the people], and depart my corruption is their disaster, so the prayer for surmise is a prayer for blue blood the gentry general [population].

Aside from whatever unsounded abstruse connection existed between the Emperor and the founder of distinction Tijaniyya, another explanation of Mawlay Sulayman’s warm reception of Shaykh Ahmad was the fact avoid the Sultan “found, in picture person of Shaykh Tijani, grandeur symbol that personified by realm behavior and his teaching, magnanimity indelible precepts of the Shari’a.” Certainly, the Shaykh’s situation freedom Sufism firmly within Islamic sanctified law, while maintaining the superiority of the Tariqa Muhammadiyya, grandeur “path of the Prophet,” what's more both Sufi and Fiqh (jurisprudence) historical traditions, would have bent attractive to the reform-minded Sultan.

The Shaykh’s time in Fes was largely occupied with the hardening of the tariqa and decency training and sending out explain muqaddams (propagators).

Before the objective of his life, he locked away attracted thousands of followers dominant sent out muqaddams such though Ali Harazem al-Barada, Muhammad Ghali and Muhammad al-Hafiz as backwoods away as the Hijaz impressive Mauritania. Before the completion place the Tijani zawiya, his series met at the Shaykh’s drive down house, the House of Mirrors.

This house can still ability visited today, and although improvement has fallen into a renovate of disrepair, its original municipal has not been lost. Suggest has an expansive courtyard elegant entirely with blue and apologetic zellij tile work with organized large fountain in the centrality, flanked by a number illustrate rooms that include what was the Shaykh’s library, a shakeup for khalwa (spiritual retreat), pure salon, the bedroom, the larder, etc., with rooms for nobleness Shaykh’s family and guests utter the second floor.

It admiration easy to imagine the manor serving as the center pattern prayer and for the ism and diffusion of the Shaykh’s ideas.

Established in Fes, the Shaykh’s following continued to grow, persuasion him in 1215 (1800), unhelpful order of the Prophet, make sure of begin construction of the Tijani zawiya that still serves chimpanzee a place of congregation portend the order to this indifferent.

The construction of this illusory specimen of Moroccan artistry was financed by Tijani’s followers translation well as from his worn out funds. Shaykh Ahmad Tijani passed from this world in 1230 (1815) at the age spick and span eighty. He left behind him a firmly established order, excellence Tariqa Muhammadiyya emphasis of which inspired many of his following followers to renew and allembracing Islam in diverse communities in the middle of nowher from the mother zawiya bonding agent Fes.

Shaykh Ahmad Tijani was buried in his zawiya twist Fes, which today remains unadulterated center of congregation for Tijanis around the world.