Sidi Mohammed al-Ghali Boutaleb (d. 1244/1828)

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Sidi Mohammed al-Ghali Boutaleb (d. 1244/1828)

“If the greatest Poles (aqtab) of the Ummah are added together they would not reach the hair weight of the ocean of a group of my companions.” (Sidna Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani)

Among the companions of Seydina Ahmed Tidjani (may Allah be pleased with him), the one who got the knowledge of Allah : Abu Abdullah Sidi Muhammad El Ghali Abu Taleb, Hassania sharif (may Allah be pleased with him). He was a guide towards Allah and a model of know how and good manners. He was a known wali, a man of noticeable prodigious deeds, of noble character and exemplary behavior.

That eminent man was on of the elite of the elite among the companions of Seydina Ahmed Tidjani (may Allah be pleased with him). He was also one of the ten people who received from the Prophet (peace be upon him) the guarantee of the Great Opening and the pillars of the Tariqa.

He was one of those who spread the Tariqa both in the Orient and in the Occident, and it was thanks to him that it reached Saharan Africa (old western Sudan). Seydina Ahmed Tidjani (may Allah be pleased with him) awarded him a high rank in the Tariqa and ordered him to appoint four moqadems and authorize each of them to appoint in turn four others, but not more.

That particular status he was given was only applicable as long as Seydina Ahmed Tidjani (may Allah be pleased with him) was alive, and before Sidi Muhammad El Ghali (may Allah be pleased with him) left for Makkah. After his stay in Makkah, the restriction over the number of moqadems was lifted.

He was well known for his efforts in obeying Allah (Glory and Praise are due to Him). One day, while he was highly concentrated on his dhikr in divine presence, his daughter fell from the height of the house, but this did not alter the state in which he was. He remained where he was, still concentrated till the end of his wird.

In his practice of worshiping Allah, he had a way of saying psalmodies comparable to nothing alike. It was said that he used to glorify Allah twenty seven times during a single prostration. It was also reported that he happened to pray 'Isha and then do his Lazim for two whole hours, so deep was he in his psalmodies in divine presence.

He used to see the Prophet (peace be upon him) and Seydina Ahmed Tidjani (may Allah be pleased with him) after the death of the latter, and he would question them about some issues. It was said that he once dreamt of the Prophet (peace be upon him) who told him: "You are the son of the beloved one, and you inherited the Tariqa from the beloved one".

Sidi Muhamad El Ghali (may Allah be pleased with him) told some of his particular companions that he had seen Seydina Ahmed Tidjani (may Allah be pleased with him) after his death and he had said to him: "ô Seydi, you went away and left us alone". And Seydina Ahmed Tidjani (may Allah be pleased with him) answered: "I am not away and I have not left you, I have just moved from the earthly dwelling to the enlightened one."

He had reserved a special place where he used to stay all alone at given times to perform specific adhkar. And whenever he was seized by trance during dhikr, he would order visitors to stop at the doorstep of his place of retreat until he finished.

Once, after he finished his dhikr, he invited his companion to come in. The latter found him in such a state of heat that one would think he was inside a hammam (an old Turkish heated room for baths). When his companion asked him why his body was so hot, Sidi Muhammad El Ghali (may Allah be pleased with him) smiled, showed him the outer side of his hand and told him: "Put your finger here". The companion said that he put his finger on the hand of Sidi Muhammad El Ghali (may Allah be pleased with him) and felt as if he touched embers. He immediately withdrew his finger which was already burnt.

Such a phenomenon is not strange from people of truth, considering what they are authorized to recite. Some people may burn their tongue uttering the Magnificent Name. Some among them encounter other forms of effects of dhikr. It is also reported that some feel a sweet taste on their tongue while saying prayers on the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Sidi Muhammad El Ghali (may Allah be pleased with him) occupied both a high position and rank beside Seydina Ahmed Tidjani (may Allah be pleased with him) who very often complimented him. Sidi Muhammad El Ghali (may Allah be pleased with him) showed sincere love for Seydina Ahmed Tidjani (may Allah be pleased with him). He (may Allah be pleased with him)was very fond of Sidi Muhammad El Ghali's words (may Allah be pleased with him); he asked about him whenever he was not among the other companion brothers.

One night, Seydina Ahmed Tidjani (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the assembly of companions: "Where is Sidi Muhammad El Ghali?"

When the latter showed up, Seydina (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "My two feet are laid on the shoulders of each Wali (Saint)".

Sidi Muhammad El Ghali (may Allah be pleased with him) then said to him: "ô Master, are you in a state of consciousness and present-mindedness or in a state of ecstasy (Hal) and "disappearance in Allah" (Fana) ?"

He (may Allah be pleased with him) answered: "I am in a state of full consciousness; all praises are due to Allah"

Sidi Muhammad El Ghali (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: "So what are your comments on Sidi Abdel Qadr Djeylani's words (may Allah be pleased with him) when he said: "my foot is laid on the shoulders of each saint?"

Seydina Ahmed Tidjani (may Allah be pleased with him) answered: "He (Sidi Abdel Qadr Djeylani (may Allah be pleased with him)) is truthful, but he meant the saints of his time. As for me, however, what I am saying is this: my two feet are laid on the shoulders of all the walis from the time of Adam to the end of times."

Sidi Muhammad El Ghali (may Allah be pleased with him) then asked him: "ô Seydi, what will you reply if someone says the same thing after you?

He (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "No one will ever repeat that after me".

Sidi Muhammad El Ghali said: ""ô Master, you are restricting what has always been wide open. Isn't Allah capable of bestowing on another Saint an influx (madad, nour) wherein the divine manifestations, the favors, the high ranking, the knowledge of Allah, the secrecies, the height and the spiritual states (hal) are more important than those He has granted you?"

Seydina Ahmed Tidjani (may Allah be pleased with him) told him: "He is indeed! He is even capable of doing much more, but He will not, because that has not been His Will. Isn't He capable of making of another man a prophet and of sending him to mankind, giving him more than He gave Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)?"

Sidi Muhammad El Ghali (may Allah be pleased with him) answered: "He is indeed, but such has not been His Will in the pre-existence."

Seydina Ahmed Tidjani (may Allah be pleased with him) then added: "These two facts are similar. Allah (Gory and Praise are due to Him) has not willed them in the pre-existence, and His Knowledge has not ordained them."

Sidi Muhammad El Ghali (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away in 1244 in Makkah and was buried in the same graveyard as the mother of all believers, Khadidja (may Allah be pleased with her).

Of the strange things that happened in Sidi Muhammad El Ghali's life (may Allah be pleased with him), one relates to what Seydina Sheikh Ahmed Tidjani (may Allah be pleased with him) himself told some of his companions: he informed them that it would be indispensable that Sidi Muhammad El Ghali be present and lead the mortuary prayers before his corpse when he died.

However, when Seydina Cheikh (may Allah be pleased with him) died, Sidi Muhammad El Ghali (may Allah be pleased with him) was on a trip. Thus he was not present by the time Seydina Cheikh (may Allah be pleased with him) died and was therefore unable to attend the mortuary prayer and the burial.

The children of Seydina Cheikh Ahmed tidjani (may Allah be pleased with him), following the Will of Allah (Glory and Praise are due to Him), dug up his blessed corpse in order to transfer it to Algeria (*), but the disciples in Fez took him and finally buried him in his noble tomb. On this occasion Sidi Muhammad El Ghali (may Allah be pleased with him) was there, and therefore prayed for Seydina Sheikh (may Allah be pleased with him). Thus, the prediction made by Seydina Sheikh (may Allah be pleased with him) came true.

(*) The wooden trunk which served as a coffin in which the blessed corpse of Seydina Ahmed Tidjani (may Allah be pleased with him) was moved, is still kept inside the great blessed zaouiya of Fez
Source: tidjaniya.com