The Travel Planne Series

The Travel Planner: Tijani Shrines in Morocco

Journey of Eid al-Fitr 1431/2010 (+366 pictures) 

The Concealed Pole, the Known Mohammedian Seal, the Seal of Special Mohammedian Sainthood, Shaykh Abil Abbas Sidi Ahmed Tijani (may Allah be pleased with him)

“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) 

In the Name of Allah the Most Gracious the Ever Merciful. O Allah, send benediction upon Our Lord Mohammed, the Opening of what had been closed, the Seal of what had gone before, the Helper of the Truth by the Truth, and the Guide to Your Straight Path, and upon his Family. May (this prayer be) equal to his immense position and grandeur. It should come as no surprise that for the academic researcher the Tijani Path is everything. The Tijaniya is the world major Path. It accounts approximately for one third of the Muslim World with more than 300 million followers. Half of the Sufi World possesses the Tijani Wird. And in the last 200 years, all the Poles and the Tow Imams of this great Islamic Nation are Tijanis. A famous Tijani maxim: "The caliphship and imamate are only found inside us!" Therefore, if one wants to visit one of the world's greatest zawiyas and shrines, the place is Morocco: Home of the Shrine of the Seal of Special Mohammedian Sainthood, the Shaykh al-Akbar, Mawlana Abil Abbas Tijani, and his most important Caliphs, may Allah be pleased with all of them. Many of whom were poles in their own right! And Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds! 

Therefore I had the good fortune to be in Morocco during the months of Ramadan and Dhu al-Hijja to pay a visit of respect and veneration to the graves of the Companions of the Greatest Master, Mawlana Abil Abbas Tijani, may Allah be pleased with him. The tour was performed throughout the week. Most of the visitations were paid during the Duhr and ‘Asr prayers. And to reflect the Tijani Path’s heavy presence throughout Morocco, each visit included a photoshoot session: meant to document aspects of the rich architectural heritage of the Tariqa. 

1. The Concealed Pole, Mawlana Abil Abbas Tijani, may Allah be pleased with him (1150/1735 in Ain Madhi -1230/1815 in Fez)

FEZ - Morocco, Rajab 29, 1431/ July 11, 2010 |   

The Eid al-Fitr Tour

In the words of the Spokesman of the Tijani Path, the Allama Sidi Ahmed Skirej al-Fasi, may Allah be pleased with him, as documented in "Taj Ru’us bi-Tafassuh fi Nawahi Sous” (Crown of Champions in the Excursion in the Environs of Sous): Fez, and what will explain to you what Fez is?    She is lifted up with pride over other cities! For knowledge gushes forth from the chest of its inhabitants,      Just as water gushes forth from its walls. Whoever might wish to deceive her with evil out of ill-desire (Hawa),    He suffers grievous agony and misfortune. She is a thorn in the throat of every hater of her residents:    The people of grace, bounty, and precision.   Her Scholars (Ulama) are about to be prophets,    Receiving revelation from the Presence of Gnosis (‘Hadrat al-Irfan). Her Righteous Ones (Sula’ha’) are well-treated by the people of horizons (Ahl al-‘Ula);      For the Secret of the Presence of Goodness (Ihsan) is especially reserved for them! Her Ignorant Ones (Juhhal) had excelled the nobles of other cities,    In remembrance and guidance without detraction! Fez means different things to different people. To some, it is the site of the Qarawiyyine Mosque, the fist university in the world. To others, it is a center of the arts, world-famous for its culture, cuisine, arctic crafts, and the center of Western Sufism par excellence. And in the eyes of Tijanis, Fez is the capital of Tijanidom. Just as the joyful Mosque of Moulay Idriss (d. 213/798) may be said to be the heart of Fez, so does the Sacred Sanctuary enclosing the Blossomed Tomb of the Concealed Pole, the Known Mohammedian Seal, the Sealed Isthmus, the Evidence of God upon earth, the Mountain of Knowledge, the Imam who possesses graces in complete measure, who takes disciples by the hand into the Mohammedian Presence, the Ocean that draws the people to straighten the tails of falsehood and conceit, the Moon that clarifies the paths of the farthest east and the western regions, Sidna Shaykh, Mawlana Abul Abbas Tijani, may Allah sanctify his precious secret. Here, in the pillared halls around the sun-drenched courtyard, pilgrims find rest and fresh water, and in the great mosque that contains the Sharifian Tomb, the Ahmedi flood gushes forth from the Khatmiya-Katmiya Reservoir. Sidna Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani (may Allah be pleased with him) said:   “I am the patron (of sainthood) from Qaf to Qaf. (Ifada Ahmediya), “I was aware of my sainthood while Adam was between the water and the clay.” “Allah has given me in Paradise the rank of Forty Messengers. And this has never been given to anyone else.” “These two feet of mine are upon the neck of every saint of Allah, from the time of Adam until the blowing of the trumpet.” “The spirit of the Prophet and my spirit are like this--pointing with his two fingers, the index finger and the middle finger. His spirit supports the Messengers and the Prophets and my spirit supports the poles, the sages, the saints, from pre-existence to eternity (mina al-azal ila abad),” “No saint drinks or provides water to drink, except from our ocean, from the origin of the world until the blowing on the trumpet.” "Our Tariqa was particularized by Allah of a characteristic which places it above all the paths, and whose language cannot be understood, so that the truths of this cannot be known. If ever the veil which is covering this Tariqa was to be raised, the greatest of the poles (Aqtab) would have wished for it just as the shepherd of the desert areas wish for the clouds of rain. Pay attention! Do not let yourself be deluded because all of the paths come from it. It is the source of all the paths from the beginning of creation, till the blowing of the trumpet on the last day. Our Tariqa is hidden except from the Master of Existence (peace and blessing be upon him), for He knows its value and worth.”                                     زيارة مولانا الشيخ رضي الله عنه بظهر الغيب و هي أن تصلي ركعتين في أي وقت شئت من أوقات حل النافلة بالليل و النهار تقرأ فيهما بفاتحة الكتاب فقط فإذا سلمت فشخص أنك جالس بين يديه رضي الله عنه لأنه حي متصرف في الكون بلا شك بإذن الله ثم اقرأ ﴿التحيات لله إلى و رحمة الله﴾ 7 مرات و الثامنة إلى﴿عبده و رسوله صلى الله عليه و سلم﴾  م تقول ﴿السلام عليك يا شيخنا و يا أستاذنا و يا وسيلتنا إلى ربنا و رحمة الله و بركاته﴾ ثلاث مرات   ثم اقرأ بحضور تام بعد التعوذ أولا مرة و البسملة في كل مرة ﴿فاتحة الكتاب﴾ 7 مرات  ثم ارفع يديك للدعاء وقل اللهم إني أسألك بجاه نبيك سيدنا محمد صلى الله عليه و سلم و على ءاله أن تتقبل مني ما تلوته من هذه السورة و هذه الصلاة وتبلغه بمحض فضلك لحضرة شيخنا هدية مني إليه ثم تمسح بكفك على وجهك ثم ترفع بكفيك ثانيا تقرأ فاتحة الكتاب بالبسملة بعد التعوذ واحدة  ثم تقرأ ﴿صلاة الفاتح لما أغلق﴾  مرة واحدة ثم تدعو و تقول في دعائك ﴿اللهم إني أسألك يا مولاي بجاه عبادك الذين إذا نظرت إليهم سكن غضبك و بحرمة الحافين حول العرش و بحرمة نبيك و رسولك سيدنا محمد صلى الله عليه و سلم و بحرمة شيخنا هذا سيدي أحمد التجاني رضي الله عنه  و بحرمة خليفته سيدي الحاج علي حرازم رضي الله عنه أن تصلي على سيدنا محمد وءاله وصحبه وأزواجه وذرياته وأن تغفر لي ولوالدي ولاخواني ووالدهم ولجميع المسلمين والمسلمات الاحياء منهم و الأموات و أن تفيض علي مدد شيخي هذا ما تعود بركته علي في ديني ودنياي وءاخرتي وأن تعطيني كذا و كذا تسمي ما شئت﴾ ثم تقرأ صلاة الفاتح مرة ثم سبحان ربك رب  العزة عما يصفون الخ...قال سيدي أحمد سكيرج رضي الله عنه في رفع النقاب :وقد تلقينا من بعض الاخوان العارفين أنها رياضة نافعة في تصفية الباطن وتهذيب الاخلاق و أثرها في ذلك إن ساعد التوفيق أظهر بالمشاهدة من أثر الخلوات الأربعينية و غيرها و الله واسع الفضل و الكرم مديد الايادي و النعم و بيده كمال الاختيار و كل شيء عنده بمقدار لا يسأل عما يفعل و هو الفعال المختار، قلت استفدت من بعض العارفين المفتوح عليهم في هذه الطريقة الاحمدية أنه إذا زاد الداعي أسماء عمود المقدم الذي لقنه الورد المحمدي بأن يقول و بحق المقدم الذي تلقيت عنه هذه الطريقة سيدي فلان و بحق الذي أخذ عنه و هلم جرا حتى يصل الشيخ رضي الله عنه فإن الاجابة تسرع بإذن الله لما في ذلك من إظهار حسن الظن منه في أهل الله و بالاخص في تعدد نسبه في الطريق و يختم بالدعاء لهم بالرحمة و المغفرة سواء كان المقدم الذي أخذ عنه حيا أو ميتا و الله الموفق. Method of the Visitation of Mawlana Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani according to Sidi Mohammed al-Ghali Abu Talib al-Fasi Going to Fez at any time with the intention of visiting Sidna Shaykh (may Allah be pleased with him) is a great source of provision. On the way awaken the presence of your heart. When you enter the Grand Zawiya, enter with your right foot first, saying the Name of Allah the Most High, and evoking prayers and blessings upon His Holy Prophet, and ask Allah to accept your visitation for His Noble Face. Perform two rak'aat of ta’hiyyat al-masjid (the salat of "greeting of the mosque"). Then face the grave of Sidna Shaykh (may Allah be pleased with him), and sitting in front of it and facing it, say in a respectful and hushed voice:   1. "The compliments, prayers and good things are due to Allah. Peace be on you, O Prophet and Allah's mercy be on you. "  (7 times) At-ta'hiyyatu lillah, wa salawatu, wa-tayyibat. As-Salamu `ala an-nabiyy wa ra'hmatullah (7) 2. "The compliments, prayers and good things are due to Allah. Peace be on you, O Prophet and Allah's mercy and blessings be on you. Peace be on us an on the true pious slaves of Allah. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Mohammed is His messenger." (1 time) At-ta'hiyyatu li-llah, wa salawatu, wa-tayyibaat. As-Salamu `ala an-nabiyy wa ra'hmatullah wa barakaatuhu. As-salam `alayna wa `ala `ibadi Allahi as-Sali'hin. Ash-hadu an la-ilaaha illa Allah, wa ash-hadu anna Mohammedan rasulu Allah". (1) 3. "Peace be upon you, o vicegerent of Allah!" (1 time) As-Salam 'alyka ya khalifat Allah (1) 4. "Peace be upon you, o vicegerent of Allah's messenger!" (1 time) As-Salam Alyka ya khalifat Rasuli Allah (1) 5. "Peace be upon you, o Concealed Pole!" (1 time) As-Salam Alyka ya ayyuha al-Qutb al-Maktum (1) 6. "Peace be upon you, o master and chieftain Ahmed Tijani!" (1 time) As-Salam Alyka ya ya Shaykhana wa Mawlana Ahmed Tijani (1) 7. "Allah's peace and mercy be upon you!" (1 time) Salam Alykum wa ra'hmatu Allah (1) 8. (Recite) the "Fatiha" four times (and reward them to the Shaykh) Surat al-Fatiha (4) 9. (Recite) the "Salat al-Fatih" 11 times or more (and reward them to the Shaykh) Salat al-Fatih (11+) 10. (End with this supplication) "O Allah! By the truth of the servants You see Your anger is controlled, and by the truth of the Angles that encircle the Throne, and by the truth of our Chieftain Mohammed, blessing and peace be upon him, and by the truth of our Chieftain and Teacher and Master Ahmed Tijani, (do for me such and such..)”. Allahumma bi-`haqqi `ibadika alladdina idaa nadarta ilayhim sakana ghadabuka, wa bi-`haqqi al-`haffina min ha'wli al-Arch, wa bi-`haqqi Sayyidina Mohammed salla Allahu `alayhi wa sallam,wa bi-`haqqi Sayyidina wa Shaykhina Mawlay Ahmed Tijani, ‘i’atini kada wa kada...

2. The Renowned Khalifa, the Sharif Sidi Mohammed ibn Abi Nasr al-Alawi, may Allah be pleased with him

FEZ - Morocco, Rajab 29, 1431/ July 11, 2010 | 

The Eid al-Fitr Tour

He is the Knower of Allah, the Partaker of Grace and Glory, the Mohammedian Axis, the Sharif, the Baraka, Mawlana Mhammed ibn Abi Nasr, the son of Ali, the son of Rachid, the son of al-Mamoune, the son of al-Sadiq, the son of al-Fudayl, the son of Abdelqadir, the son of Mawlana Ali Sharif al-Alawi al-Hassani, may Allah be pleased with him. This man, may Allah be pleased with him, was from among the greatest knowers and the very special closed ones. And he is, according to our Master – may Allah be pleased with him- one of the Ten that the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, guaranteed the knowledge of Allah and the greatest opening to them. A famous adage of Mohammed ibn Abi Nasr, may Allah have mercy on him: "I have heard from Mawlana Shaykh what is not mentioned in the ‘Kunnash al-Maktum’ (The Concealed Book).” And he said, may Allah be pleased with him: “Sidi al-Haj Ali (Harazem) has gone, and he has left me in the carpet (bisat) to serve alone!” The author of the book of “Rawd Shamail Ahl al-‘Haqiqa fi-Ta’arif bi Akabir Ahl Tariqa” (Garden of the Feats of the People of the Truth in the Recollection of the Celebrities of the Path) had this to add about his mother Lalla Aicha: “And from it (Meaning the thaumaturgic gifts of her son Sidi Mohammed ibn Abi Nasr) is that he asked the Shaykh one day to give him a Name from among the Names of Allah, He is Exalted. The Shaykh helped him with that and ordered him to remember it for three days, exacted no more than that amount which was appointed to him, at a time appointed.  And it came to pass the third day that it was opened to him, beholding earth and who is in it like a plate between his own hands. His mother feared for his mind, however, and slaughtered a bull at the entrance of the residence of the Shaykh who veiled him after opening until he became strong enough to carry the Secret.” Our Master, may Allah be pleased with him, made Sidi Mohammed ibn Nasr daily feasts in his own house (Dar Lamraya) and made him sit down with him for 16 years. Yeah! He accompanied him day and night for 16 years! The Virtuous Friend, Sidi al-Arabi ibn Sayeh, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “Sidi Mohammed ibn Abi Nasr said to me that he has never missed an obligatory prayer behind Mawlana Shaykh, may Allah be pleased with him, for 16 years. Yeah! I have seen some of his thaumaturgic gifts (karamat) that Allah made appear at his hand what cannot be counted! And he has reported to us what astonishes the minds! May Allah reward him on our behalf with the best of reward!” Sidi Abu Abdellah Akansus, said, may Allah be pleased with him: “And we have also witnessed some of the karamat of Sidi Mohammed ibn Abi Nar what cannot be counted. He greatly cared for us. Verily, his support, by means of his effective will (himma), has never abandoned us a blinking of the eye! May Allah support him with his Ridwan. Amin!” From the interesting reports of Sidi Mohammed ibn Abi Nasr is that what the Knower of Allah Sidi Ahmed al-Abdellawi (d. 1328 /1910) reported to the Allama Abil Abbas Skirej, may Allah be pleased with him, as documented in the book of “Kashf al-Hijab 'Amman Talaaqa bi-Shaykh Tijani Mina-l As'hab” (Rising the Veil on the Companions of Shaykh Tijani): “The Knower of Allah, the Grand Friend, Moulay Mohammed ibn Abi Nasr al-Alawi, may Allah profit us by him, was one day walking in the district of the Sharabiliyine in the city of Fez, may Allah preserve it from every harm, when he found Sidna Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani (may Allah be pleased with him) standing in the middle of the crossroads of Darb Zuqaq Rawah while people were looking at him from the four directions. So when he saw our Master, may Allah be pleased with him, he greeted him and stayed next to him until he departed with him to his residence (Dar Lamraya). There, he asked him, ‘O Master! What is the reason behind your long standing at that place?’ Our Shaykh, may Allah be pleased with him, answered: ‘The Divine Presence told me, ‘Go out to my slaves in my image. Whoever has seen you has seen Me!’” For further information on our scholar, please refer to the Allama Sidi Ahmed Sukayrij’s books “Kashf al-Hijab”, pp. 158 and Raf’a Niqab, part 3, page 214; Allama al-Hajouji’s It’haf Ahl al-Maratib al-‘Irfaniya bi-Dhikr ba’ad Rijal Tariqa Tijaniya” (Gifts of the Seniors of Gnostic Statuses in the Recollection of Unusual Men of the Tijani Path); Allama Mohammed Shinguiti’s “Rawd Shamail Ahl al-‘Haqiqa fi-Ta’arif bi Akabir Ahl Tariqa” (Garden of the Narratives of the People of Truth in the Recollection of the Elite of the Path), number of biography, 7. His Teacher: The Concealed Pole, Mawlana Abil Abbas Tijani, may Allah be pleased with him (1150/1735 in Ain Madhi -1230/1815 in Fez) Getting there: Roadmap. Long story short, you will arrive in a busy Fez train station, where you are immediately greeted with numerous offers of taxis. Find a petit taxi and let him takes you to Boujloud. Arriving in the place, wander your way toward the keyhole arch of Bab Boujloud, one of the main entrances to the medina, through the narrow long street of Tal’a Sghira. You will know how difficult it would be to navigate within the medina (old city). Walk straight ahead around 13 minutes before figuring out the Zawiya Jilaliya past a yellow arched gate. You will certainly find the door closed. Don’t worry! You will find a small shop on your left just after the cemetery. The shopkeeper owns the key. His cell phone number: 0668349573. Don’t be fooled by modest appearances of the place. It's very holy! If you start your journey from the Grand Tijani Zawiya, go up to Tal’a Sghira through the districts of Moulay Idriss and al-Fakharine. Very easy ride!

3. The Renowned Khalifa, Sidi Said al-'Qazdar, may Allah be pleased with him

RABAT - Morocco, Dhul Hijjah 8, 1431/ November 14, 2010 | 

The Eid al-Fitr Tour

He is one of the most mysterious and incognito direct Companions of the Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani, may Allah be pleased with him. Contemporary to our Master, may Allah be pleased with him, he was based in Rabat. Tijani hagiographers say almost nothing of his life and career. Were it not for Sidi al-Arabi ibn Sayeh, may Allah be pleased with him, who had the habit of visiting his tomb every day after the Asr prayer, we would have never learned about his name nor his poelship! Yeah! According to the people of this matter, no saint in the long history of the city of Rabat has reached the station of the Qutbaniya and was entered for burial inside the walls of the city before Sidi al-Qazdar, may Allah be pleased with him. Therefore, he is one of Rabat’s three existing poles after Sidi al-Arabi ibn Sayeh and his student Sidi Mohammed ibn Yahya Balamino (d. 1333/1914), may Allah be pleased with all of them. Thusly, were it not for the Tijani Path, no pole would have been buried in the city of Rabat! My teacher, the Allama, the Arif Billah, Sidi Mohammed Radi Gannun, may Allah be pleased with him, said to me that Sidi Said al-‘Qazdar, may Allah be pleased with him, has sat over the Qutbaniya for only few months! And he continued, may Allah be pleased with him: “Wrong is he who thinks that the friend who was entrusted with Qutbaniya for long years is better than the other friend who was entrusted with it for few months or even few hours! For Allah Almighty can give that latter in those few hours what He would not give the former in years!”   Getting there: The cemetery of La'lou, opposite the Shrine of Sidi al-Arabi ibn Sayeh, may Allah be pleased with him.

4. The Renowned Khalifa, the Qutb Sidi Mohammed ibn Ahmed Akansus, may Allah be pleased with him: He Sat over the Qutbaniya for 18 Years!

Marrakech - Morocco, Shawwal 19, 1431/ August 27, 2010 | 

The Eid al-Fitr Tour

He is the Scholar, the Knower of his Lord, Abu Abdellah Sidi Mohammed Akansus, may Allah be pleased with him. He was born in Sous in the year 1211/1796. And he is one of the most important figures in the intellectual and political life in Morocco during the thirteenth century of Hijra. He was a minister, biographer, scholar, reporter, poet, and a prolific author. His publications are numerous, and are known to all researchers— the most famous of these are: “Al-Jaysh al-‘Aramramu al-Khukasi fi Dawlat Awlad Mawlana Ali Sijilmasi” (The Great Fivefold Army in the State of the Children of Our Lord Ali Sijilmasi) and “Al-Jawab al-Muskit” (The Silenced Answer) in reply to Shaykh Ahmed al-Bakkay. He went into Fez to continue his studies in the year 1229/1813 and met Shaykh Tijani, may Allah be pleased with him, when he was 18 years old at that time. Sidi Mohammed Akansus, concentrating on his studies, did not take the Path directly from the Shaykh, may Allah be pleased with him, at that time. He waited till the year 1238/1822 to take it from the Knower of His Lord, Sidi Mohammed al-Ghali Boutaleb al-Fasi (d. 1244/1828 in Makkah), before a number of noble notables from Fez and beyond gave him a license in it. He passed away, Allah rest his soul, in Marrakech in the year 1294/1877, and was buried not in his beautiful Zawiya, but in the Imam Suhayli Cemetery, outside Bab al-Robb.  For further information on our scholar, please read Shaykh Sidi Mohammed Radi Gannun’s book “Rasail Ma’alamat Ma’alim Sus Abi Abdellah Sidi Mohammed Akansous” (The Epistles of the Figure of Figures of Sous: Abi Abdellah Sidi Mohammed Akansus), Allama Sidi Ahmed Sukayrij’s; “Kashf al-Hijab 'Amman Talaaqa bi-Shaykh Tijani Mina-l As'hab” (Rising the Veil on the Companions of Shaykh Tijani), pp. 328; Nasiri’s “Istiqsa,” vol. 1, pp. 161, Abdellah Gannun’s “Nubugh al-Maghribi fi al-Adab al-Arabi” (The Moroccan Genius in the Arabic Literature), vol. 1, pp. 317; Makhluf’s “Shajarat al-Nur Zakiya” (The Blessed Tree of Light), pp. 404, number of biography; 1623; Zarqali’s “Al-A’alam” (The Figures), part. 6, pp. 19; Allama al-Hajouji’s “Fath al-Malik al-‘Allama” (The Opening of the King, the All-Knower), number of biography. 43; Allama Mohammed Shinguiti’s “Rawd Shamail Ahl al-‘Haqiqa fi-Ta’arif bi Akabir Ahl Tariqa” (Garden of the Narratives of the People of Truth in the Recollection of the Elite of the Path), number of biography: 27; Ibn Ibrahim al-Murrakushi’s “Al-I’alam bi-man ‘Halla Murrakush wa Aghmat min-a al-A’alam” (The Notification in the Figures that Entered Marrakech and Aghmat), part. 7, pp. 8; Mohammed Ghurrit’s “Fawasil al-Juman fi Anba’ Wuzara’ wa Kuttab al-Zaman” (The Necklaces of Pearls in the News of the Ministers and Authors of the Time), pp. 8-40; Al-Mukhtar al-Susi’s “Rijalat al-‘Ilm al-Arabi fi Souss” (The Men of Arab Knowledge in Souss), pp. 207, and the book of the Allama al-Hajouji’ “Bahjat al-Nufus fi Dhikr Ba’ad Manaqib Sidi Mohammed Akansus” (Delight of Spirits in the Recollection of some of the Feats of Sidi Mohammed Akansus) is a detailed exposition of his career and life.  Teachers: Sidi Mohammed al-Ghali Boutaleb al-Fasi (d. 1244/1828 in Makkah), Sidi Mohammed b. Abi Nasr Alawi (d. 1273/1856 in Fez), Sidi Abdelwahhab b. al-'Ahmar (d. 1269/1852 in Fez) Getting there: Download Map. The Imam Suhayli Cemetery is about 10 minutes drive from the square of Sahat Lafana or the Kutubiya Mosque. Walk through the small gate of Bab Aghnou -not far from the Saadi Tombs- to find the gate of the cemetery on your right hand. The cemetery is located right next to the Royal Palace. So do not be surprised to find guards inside the cemetery. The tomb of our Faqih stands in blue, and it is located next to the wall outside the dome of Imam Suhayli. Ask police for the location of the tomb if needed. They are well acquainted with the blessed tomb.   Video: The video broadcasts quality footage of the Tiajni Zawiya of Mouassine (Lamwasine). The zawiya was founded by the Qutb of his Time, the Allama Sidi Mohammed ibn Ahmed Akansus (d. 1294/1877): the Khalifa of the Concealed Pole, Mawlana Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani, may Allah sanctify his secret. The zawiya is located in the district of Mouassine near Bab al-Futuh, not far from the Zawiya of the renowned Allama, Sidi Mohammed ibn Abdelwahid Nadhifi (d. 1366/1947), another great Khalifa of Mawlana Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani, may Allah be pleased with him. What is more intesteting about this video is that it shows the blessed Khalwa Chamber of the Allama  Mawlana Mohammed al-Arabi ben Sayeh, may Allah be pleased with him, where he acheived his opening.

5. The Renowned Khalifa, the Qutb Sidi Mohammed ibn al-Arabi Sayeh, may Allah be pleased with him: He Sat over the Qutbaniya for 9 Years!

Rabat - Morocco, Rajab 29, 1431/ July 11, 2010 |

The Eid al-Fitr Tour

In the Name of Allah the Most Gracious the Ever Merciful. And Peace and blessings be upon our Chieftain Sidna Mohammed, the opening of what had been closed, the seal of what had gone before, and (upon) his family and companions. And may Allah be pleased with Sidna Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani who said: "If the greatest Poles (Aqtab) of the Ummah are brought together they would not reach altogether the hair weight of the ocean of a group of my companions. And today, one of them has appeared.” Praise be to Allah! Sidi al-Arabi ibn Sayeh is the one meant in Sidna Shaykh's report, may Allah be pleased with him. He was born in Meknes - 60 km southwestern Fez- in the year 1229/1814: one year before the death of Sidna Shaykh, may Allah be pleased with him. And this date corresponds with Eid al-Adha! He is the Great Scholar, the Prolific Author, the Virtuous Friend, the Righteous Pole, the Red Sulfur, Sidi Mohammed al-Arabi ibn Sayeh, the Sharqawi-Umari in lineage, the Tijani in order and drinking place. He was born in Meknes of the Olive in the break of dawn on the day of Eid al-Adha in the year 1229/1813. "Today, 'Sayyiduna Sayyid' [Our Lord, the Master] was born," said Sidna Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani, may Allah be pleased with him, the day of his birth.          Sidi al-Arabi ben Sayeh, may Allah be pleased with him, studied in Meknes and Fez under the greatest legists of his age including the Faqih Allama Sidi Abdelqadir al-Kuhan, the Faqih Allama Sidi Mohammed al-Hadi Baddou, the Faqih Allama Sharif Sidi al-Walid al-Iraqi al-Hussayni. As for the Tijani Path, he has taken it from its most outstanding figures such as the Faqih Sidi Mohammed al-Hachimi Sirghuini, the Baraka Sidi Abdelwahhab ibn al-Ahmar al-Fasi, Sidi Mohammed ibn Abi Nasr al-Alawi, and Sidi Mohammed ibn Ahmed Akansus. The Khalifa Sidi al-Haj Ali Tamasini, may Allah be pleased with him, has also given him license in it by correspondence. And he has, may Allah have mercy on him, other chains other than these. He is best remembered for his book, “Kitab Bughyat al-Mustafid li-Shar'h Minyat al-Murid” (Aspiration of the Beneficiary in the Commentary of the Desire of the Seeker). He passed away in Rabat on Sunday night, the 29th of Rajab, 1309/the 27th of February, 1892 and was buried in the place where he used to teach the Hadith, may Allah be pleased with him.  The Allama Mohammed Tariki said about Sayyida Tahira: the Mother of Sidi  al-Arabi ben Sayeh, may Allah be pleased with him, in his book, “Zahr al-Fai’h fi-Tarjama-t Abil Mawahib Sidi al-Arabi ibn Sayeh” (The Fragrant Blossom in the Hagiography of Abil Mawahib Sidi Al-Arabi Ibn Sayeh): “Mawlana Sayyid (Sidi al-Arabi), may Allah be pleased with him, narrated to me the reason of taking of the Wird of our Shaykh, may Allah be pleased with him. And the Reason being that one day his mother perfumed with bukhur a place in which he remembered a special recollection to see the Chosen, peace and blessing be upon him. That night, and it was a Thursday night (Laylat al-Jumu’a), he saw his father Sidi Mohammed ibn Sayeh addressing him, ‘Do you want to see the Messenger, peace and blessing be upon him.’ ‘Yes,’ he answered him. He took him whereof to a place where a group of men were carrying out the Wadhifa, and said to him, ‘Here he is amid this community!’ Then, he took the Path of our Master, may Allah be pleased with him.”   The Pole, the Erudite Scholar, Sidi al-Arabi ibn Sayeh, may Allah be pleased with him, married his wife and cousin Lalla Aicha in the year 1270/1854. Her full brother, the Blessed Muqaddam, Sidi al-Arabi ibn Mohammed al-‘Hufyan was her guardian at that time, by reason of the death of her father 16 years before that time. The Righteous Friend Sidi al-Arabi ibn Sayeh was 41 years old at the time he married her. And among the conditions which he promised her in the marriage pact was that they would live together in the city of Rabat, because the husband (Sidi al-Arabi ibn Sayeh) had been planning to return to his hometown (Meknes –Sixty kilometers south-western Fez). However, in the end, he committed himself to this condition. And he settled in the city of Rabat until his death, may Allah be well pleased with him. He had a sincere love for her. I came upon a lovely poem he wrote in her praise. And he did so beautifully when he said: A deer pierced my heart by the arrow of her eyeshot,      Nay, she did not miss it nor stray away toward it. My desire in this world is to die consumed with yearning   and longing for her. And she is Aisha! He also made her the following lines in a brilliant style: O fortune, answer me with the truth of your salvation and heal me,   For the arrows of my cognition in your being is off course! How right am I to die of love   And my lover after death is of course Aisha! She passed away on the night of Friday, the 5th of Ṣafar, 1319/24 May, 1901. She was buried beside the grave of her husband on the right side.  It is well-established among the brothers and confidants of this Path that the Imam al-Mahdi, may Allah be pleased with him, offers the Asr Prayer every Wednesday in the Zawiya of Sidi al-Arabi ibn Sayeh, may Allah be pleased with! And it happened that the Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani, may Allah be pleased with him, ordered a number of his companions to start his visitation in Fez with the visitation of  Sidi al-Arabi ibn Sayeh, may Allah be pleased with him. “Should the Shaykh be the doctor, Sidi al-Arabi is the nurse!,” say Tijanis! According to Shaykh Sidi Mohammed Radi Gannun, may Allah be pleased with him, Sidi al-Arabi ibn Sayeh has reached a special level in the "Qutbaniya al-'Udhma" called, “al-Kibrit al-A’hmar” (the Red Sulfur). This man (1) disposes the affairs (tasarruf) in his life and after his death, (2) he contains all the 360 Divine Characters (al-Akhlaq al-Ilahiya), and (3) all perceives all the 111 Mohammedian Sciences (al-‘Ulum al-Mohammediya) that are especially reserved for the Station of the Concealed Pole and the Mohammedian Seal.  For more information on our Allama, please refer to “Khulasat al-Misk al-Fa’ih bi-dhikr Ba’ad Manaqib Sidi Mohammed al-Arbi b. Sayeh” (The Musky Breeze in the Recollection of some of the Narratives of Sidi Mohammed al-Arabi ibn Sayeh) of Shaykh Sidi Mohammed Radi Gannun, “Al-Azhar al-‘Atira-t al-Rawaih fi at-Ta’arif bi-Mawlana al-Arabi Ibn Sayeh” (The Fragrant Roses in the Hagiography of our Lord Al-Arabi Ibn Sayeh) of Allama al-Hajouji, “Fath al-Malik al-‘Allama” (The Opening of the King, the All-Knower), number of biography. 44; “Kashf al-Hijab” of Allama Sukayrij, pp. 313; Raf’a Niqab of Allama Sukayrij, part 2, page 124-40; Allama Mohammed Shinguiti’s “Rawd Shamail Ahl al-‘Haqiqa fi-Ta’arif bi Akabir Ahl Tariqa” (Garden of the Narratives of the People of Truth in the Recollection of the Elite of the Path), number of biography, 27; “al-Ightibat bi-tarajim A’alam Ribat” (The Rapture in the Recollection of the Figures of Rabat) of Boujandar, pp. 417; “Al-A’alam” (The Figures) of  Zarqali, part. 6, pp. 265; “It’haf A’alam Nass” (Gifts of the Figures of Men) of Ibn Zaydan, part. 5, pp. 429, “A’alam al-Fikr al-Mu’asir bil ‘Udwatayn” (The Figures of the Contemporary Thought on the Two Riven Banks” of Abdellah al-Jirari, part. 2, pp. 368.  Teachers: The Faqih Sidi Mohammed al-Hachimi Sirghuini (d. after 1269/1854 in Ain Madhi and buried inside the shrine Sidi Mohammed b. al-Arbi Tazi): the student of Sidi Mohammed b. Abdelwahid Bannani al-Misri, himself the student of Sidi Abul Hassan Ali Harazem Berrada (d. 1218/1803 in Medina); the Baraka Sidi Abdelwahhab ibn al-Ahmar al-Fasi (d. 1269/1852 in Fez), the Qutb Sidi Mohammed ibn Abi Nasr al-Alawi (d. 1273/1856 in Fez); the Qutb Sidi al-Haj Ali Tamasini (d. 1260/1845); the Qutb Sidi Mohammed ibn Ahmed Akansus (d. 1294/1877 in Marrakech), the Muqaddam Sidi Mohammed Belqasim Basri (d. 1293/1878 in Meknes); Sidi Ahmed b. Tayyeb Sufyani (d. 1286/1871 in Fez); the Allama, the Knower, Sidi Mohammed ibn Mohammed Benfaqira al-Miknasi; Shaykh Sidi al-Abbas Ben Kiran (d. after 1230/1815) ; the Allama, the Great Knower, Sidi Mohammed ibn al-'Hufyan Sharqawi Ribati; Sidi 'Ubayda b. Mohammed Saghir Tashiti Chinguiti (d. 1284/1869).  Students: The Poet Sidi Abdellah Tadili (d. 1336/1921), the Pole Sidi Mohammed ibn Yahya Balamino (d. 1333/1914), Sidi Ahmed b. Qacem Jassus (d. 1331/1912), Sidi Abdellqadir Lepress (d. 1332/1913),  Sidi Tayyeb b. Ahmed ‘Awwad (d. 1336/1917), Sidi Abdelkarim b. al-Arbi Bannis (d. 1350/1935), Shaykh al-Jama’a Sidi Mohammed b. Moussa Hamdawi (d. 1328/1908), Sidi Mohammed ibn al-Hassani al-Alami, Sidi al-Ghazi ibn al-Hassani al-Alami, Sidi Mohammed al-Makki al-Zuwawi, Sidi Mohammed ibn Mohammed ibn Abdessalam Gannun (d. 1326/1911), the Qutb Sidi al-Haj al-Hussayn b. Ahmed al-Ifrani al-Hassani (d. 1328/1913 in Tiznit), Sidi Ahmed Mahmud b. ‘Hnini al-Bahrawi  (d. 1319/1904), the Qutb Sidi al-Arbi al-Mu'hib Alawi (d. 1351/1932 in Fez), Sidi Mohammed Fal ibn Baba al-Alawi Shinguiti, the Mufti of Tunisia Sidi Salih al-Nifar, the Mufti of Ouran Sidi Ali ibn Abderahman, the Rahhala Sidi Mohammed ibn Khalifa al-Madani Tunusi, Sidi Ahmed Bannani, the Judge of Rabat Sidi Ahmed Bannani, the Allama SIdi Mohammed Sanhaji Mani, the Allama Sharif Mawlay al-Kamil al-Imrani,  and the Sultan of Morocco: Mawlana al-Hassan I.

7. The Renowned Khalifa, the Qutb Sidi al-Hussayn al-Ifrani (d. 1328/1913), may Allah be pleased with him: He Sat over the Qutbaniya for 23 Years!!

Tiznit - Morocco 

The Eid al-Fitr Tour

He is the Allama, the Knower of His Lord, the Mohammedian Axis, Abu Ali Sidi al-Haj al-Hussayn b. al-Haj Ahmed b. Belkacem b. Abderrahman b. Ahmed b. Abdelkarim b. Ali b. ‘Imara al-Ifrani al-Hassani al-Idrissi, may Allah be pleased with him. A jurist, Hadith report, poet, Sufi, Sidi al-Hussayn al-Ifrani is one of the most important figures of the Ahmedi Tijani Path in Morocco. He was born in Tankert in the region of Sous in the year 1248/1832. He studied the principles of fiqh, hadith, and language in his town before he traveled to Fez and Marrakech where he studied with the imminent scholars. Later when he returned to Sous he began to teach and give fatwas in the region’s prestigious madrasas, especially in Tazarwalt, Ait Rakha, and Sidi Bouabdli. The Allama collected rare and precious books of sufficient importance to merit attention of the local population, which led a group of thieves to attack his house in the village of Souq, Tankert and rob 1600 books. This caused him to move to the city of Tiznit, which would be his final home. In Tiznit, he was well received by the Makhzan and was given a house near which he founded a Tijani Zawiya. A vastly prolific writer, Sidi al-Hussayn al-Ifrani is the author of a long list of yet unpublished manuscripts. Let’s mention the following titles: “Tiryaq al-Qulub fi Adwa’ al-Ghafla wa Dunub” (The Antidote of Hearts in the Medicines of Negligence and Sins), “Kashf al-Ghita fi man Takallama fi Shaykh Tijani bil Khata” (Raising the Veil on He Who Speaks Ill of Shaykh Tijani), “Idhar al-‘Haqq wa Sawab fi-man la Youbali bi Hukm al-Hijab” (Showing the Truth and Accuracy  in One who does not Care About the Ordinance of the Veil), “Al-Khawatiim ad-Dahabiya ‘ala al-Ajwabiya al-Qashashiya” (The Golden Rings in the Qashashi Answers), “Masabb al-Rahamat ‘ala Tullab al-Masarrat” (The Outpouring of Mercies upon the Seekers of Delights), “’Qam’ al-Muftari al-Fattan fi man Nusiba ma la Yanbaghi li Ahli al-Fadli mina al-Buhtan” (Suppression of the Antagonist, the Fabricator, the Manipulator who Credits the People of Bounty With Slander”, “Tu’hfat al-Akyas mi man Yunsabu li Sayyidi Nass” (Gift Bestowed on the Elegant in What is Referred to the Lord of People”, and a book about setting prayers upon the Messenger, peace and blessing be upon him.  He took the Ahmed Tijani Path, may Allah be pleased with him, in the year 1292/1875 from the Faqih, the Allama, Abu Abdellah Sidi Mohammed ibn Ahmed Akansus, may Allah be pleased with him. He was 44 years old at that time. In the year 1304/1886, he received a license (ijaza) in it from the Virtuous Saint, Sidi Mohammed al-Arabi ibn Sayeh, may Allah be pleased with him. He was 56 years of age at that time. The Allama, the Muqaddam, Sidi Ahmed Bannani Kala al-Fasi has also granted him a license in it. He passed away, may Allah have mercy on him, at the age of 80 on Saturday, the 4th of Shawwal, 1328/the 4th, October 1910. The Allama Sidi Mustapha Ma’a al-‘Aynayn (d. 1325/1910) led the funeral prayer for his soul. He was entered for burial in the Tijani Zawiya of Tiznit. Check out his biography in Allama al-Hajouji‘s “Fath al-Malik al-‘Allama” (The Opening of the King, the All-Knower), number of biography. 4; Mohammed al-Mokhtar Susi’s “Ma’soul”, part. 4, pp. 26-82; and Shaykh Sidi Mohammed Radi Gannun’s Khulasat al-Misk al-Fa’ih bi-dhikr Ba’ad Manaqib Sidi Mohammed al-Arbi b. Sayeh” (The Musky Breeze in the Recollection of some of the Narratives of Sidi Mohammed al-Arabi ibn Sayeh).  Teachers: Sidi Mohammed al-Ghali Boutaleb al-Fasi (d. 1244/1828 in Makkah), Sidi Mohammed b. Abi Nasr Alawi (d. 1273/1856 in Fez), Sidi Abdelwahhab b. al-'Ahmar (d. 1269/1852 in Fez), Sidi Mohammed ibn Mohammed Saghir ibn Anbuj al-Tashiti al-Shinguiti.  Students: Sidi Mohammed  al-Arabi ibn Sayeh (d. 1309/1891 in Rabat), Sidi Said ibn Ahmed Darariki (d. 1287/1870), Sidi Abdellah b. Mohammed Akansus (d.1317/1899), Sidi al-Haj al-Hussayn b. Ahmed al-Ifrani al-Hassani (d. 1328/1913 in Tiznit), Sultan Mohammed VI, Sidi Idriss ibn Tayyeb ibn al-Yamani, Sidi Abdelkarim al-Thanai, Sidi Mohammed ibn Mohammed Amghar, Sidi Mohammed Anjar, Sidi al-Hassan ibn Tayfour (d. 1278/1861), Sidi Abdelkarim ibn Abdellah al-Tighanamani, Sidi Abdellah ibn al-Haj al-Masi, Sidi Mohammed ibn al-Faqih al-Masi (d. 1260/1844), Sidi al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Idrissi, Sidi Abdellah ibn Ahmed al-Karsifi al-Askawi (d. 1294/1877), Sidi Mohammed ibn Qacem Basri (d. 1293/1876), Sidi Mohammed ibn Abdelmalik al-Barghazi (d. 1296/1878). Getting there: If you wish to visit Tiznit you can either hire a car from Agadir or opt for the less expensive Grand Taxi (40 Dirhams). Located in the city center next to the port, the Grand Taxi station is 15 minutes drive from the courniche. The distance is still relatively big, so you might want to use the petit taxi. Grand Taxis are often shared, so don't be surprised if more passengers get picked up along the way. It should take just under an hour to get to Tiznit from Agadir. Travel distance between Agadir and Tiznit: 90 km. When in Tiznit, ask the driver to stop you by Bab Jdid. The Zawiya is located by the  square of al-Mashwar. If you are lucky, you'll find the door of the Zawiya open. The opening of the Zawiya during prayer times. Note that at 15 km south from Agadir, there is the small commercial town of Inzaggan: Home of the Shrine of the Shaykh Sidi Said Darariki, which really worth the visit. He was one of the Two Imams. You can get to the Zawiya of Sidi Said Darariki using a Grand Taxi that leaves from the center of Inzaggan. You will find several Grand Taxis with different colors in the station. Ask for the one that takes to Drarka. Ask the driver to stop you nearby the shrine. It takes less than ten minutes ride.

8. The Renowned Khalifa, My Noble Muqaddam, Abil Funun Sidi Mohammed Radi Gannun, may Allah be pleased with him

Rabat - Morocco, Ramadan 11, 1431/ August 22, 2010 | 

The Eid al-Fitr Tour

All praise is due to Allah who bestowed upon His friends and confidants the best of Mohammedian sciences and secrets and lights and wines. He adorned them with the ornaments of His light and splendor of His beauty and bloom. He made them appear like moons in the sky of His Oneness so all the people became illuminated with their light and found the pathway of Islam through their guidance. People found their original home through these rightious beings because they are the guidance for spiritual travelers and source of awareness in the light of arguments, elucidating signs and guiding mile stone for all those who are affiliated with them. They are the Crowns of the Kingdom and the Moons of Existence, illuminating the earth with the light of their inheritance from and adherence to the honest and trustworthy Messenger. They are the followers of Allah's Straight Path and guides to the Most Noble Master. He who agrees to follow and serve them will attain the full recompense of the One who gives birth to no sons; but he who rejects them and falls from their way has fallen into a great ocean and a bottomless pit and has brought upon himself a grievous punishment and a terrible calamity. And blessings and greetings be upon our Lord and Master Sidna Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) that all the saints get share from his blessings, and get flowers and fruits from his gardens, and get help from his light, and from him inherit the spiritual blessings and dominance and all are circumambulating around him perpetually... Continue Reading

9. The Renowned Khalifa, Sidi Said ibn Ahmed Darariki, may Allah be pleased with him

Inzaggan, Agadir - Morocco, Shawwal 19, 1431/ August 27, 2010 | 

The Eid al-Fitr Tour

He is the Righteous Saint, the Baraka, the Sharif, the Allama, Abi Uthman Sidi Said Darariki: the Sousi and Miskini in birth, the ‘Abbasi in lineage. He is one of the icons of the Tijani Path in the region of Sous, a man who preached publicly and attempted with God's help to propagate the Tariqa far and wide. A special brotherhood and friendship gathered between him and his teacher: the Allama Sidi Mohammed ibn Ahmed Akansus, who gave him a license in 1256/1840 to transmit the litanies (awrad) to whomever asks it from him. Numerous epistles were exchanged between them which give us an amazingly intimate look at the relationship between them. It also shows Sidi Said’s common sense, gentleness, and moderation. He passed away on Thursday, the 4th of Jumada al-Uwla, 1287/the 1st of August, 1870. For more information on our Faqih, please refer to Allama al-Hajouji‘s “Fath al-Malik al-‘Allama” (The Opening of the King, the All-Knower), pp. 277; al-Mukhtar al-Susi’s “Rijalat al-‘Ilm al-Arabi fi Sous” (The Men of Arab Knowledge in Souss), pp. 54; “Ta’arif bi al-Balda Tunaniya dhat al-Mawahib al-Rabbaniya” (Introduction to the City of Tunan of the Divine Gifts); Mohammed al-Mokhtar Susi’s “Ma’soul”, part. 4, pp. 26-82; and Shaykh Sidi Mohammed Radi Gannun’s Khulasat al-Misk al-Fa’ih bi-dhikr Ba’ad Manaqib Sidi Mohammed al-Arbi b. Sayeh” (The Musky Breeze in the Recollection of some of the Narratives of Sidi Mohammed al-Arabi ibn Sayeh). Teachers: Sidi Mohammed ibn Ahmed Akansus Getting there: Download Map. 15 km south from Agadir, there is the small commercial town of Inzaggan: Home of the Shrine of the Shaykh Sidi Said Darariki, which really worth the visit. You can get to the Zawiya of Sidi Said Darariki using a Grand Taxi that leaves from the center of Inzaggan. You will find several Grand Taxis with different colors in the station. Ask for the one that takes to Drarka. Ask the driver to stop you nearby the shrine. It takes less than ten minutes ride.            ومن رسائل الفقيه سيدي محمد أكنسوس ما كتبه للشريف البركة المقدم أبي عثمان سيدي الحاج سعيد الدراركي. ويتعلق هذا الكتاب بذكر جملة من مناقب الشيخ التجاني رضي الله عنه. ونصه :بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم وصلى الله على سيدنا محمد وآله وصحبه وسلم. أيد الله بمعونته وتوفيقه. وحفظ بكلاءته وعنايته. مقام الأخ في الله الشريف المقدم البركة المجاهد في سبيل الله. سيدي سعيد المسكيني العباسي. السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته. ورضوانه وتحياته. أما بعد فإننا نحمد إليك الله الذي لا إله إلا هو. ونسأله لنا ولك ولجميع المسلمين اللطف والعافية في الدين والدنيا. وحسن الخاتمة بمنه وكرمه. وقد ورد إلينا كتابك المتعدد مع كتاب الفقيه الشريف البركة مولاي أحمد السباعي. فحمدنا الله تعالى على ما خصكم به من السلامة والعافية. وقد كنا متشوقين لأخباركم غاية. وكثيرا ما أسأل السيد علي بن محمد هل ورد أحد من ناحية سيدي سعيد بن أحمد العباسي. فيقول ما ظهر لنا خبره من يوم سافر. فلما ورد هذا الرسول كان وروده يوم عيد وسرور. فلله الحمد كل الحمد على ذلك. ويسلم عليك جميع السادات الفقراء عموما وخصوصا. ويدعون لك بكل خير. ويطلبون منك مثل ذلك في أوقات الإجابة. وأدبار الصلوات. وخلال الخلوات. وقد فرحنا بما فصلته من تيسير الله لك الخير والبركة في منقلبك إلى أهلك. نسأل الله الكريم كما يسر لك وهيأ الأرزاق الظاهرة أن ييسر ويهيأ لك الأرزاق الباطنة الروحانية. من الأنوار والمعارف والأسرار المنوطة بحضرة الله تعالى حتى تطلع في آفاق صدرك شموس اليقين. وتفوز بما فاز به خاصة عباد الله المتقين. وفي ذلك فليتنافس المتنافسون. واعلم أنه وردت مكاتب من عند مولانا سيدي محمد الحبيب ولد مولانا الشيخ رضي الله عنه. ولابأس عنده والحمد لله. وهو يسلم عليكم من جملة جميع الإخوان. ويعمكم بالدعاء الصالح. تقبل الله منه ذلك ونفعنا وإياكم ببركة دعائه ورضاه. ومتعنا بدوام سلامته. ومزيد كرامته. وما ذكرت من مناقب مولانا الشيخ الأكبر رضي الله عنه. فليس يصح في الأذهان إذا احتاج النهار إلى الدليل. وفي كتاب الجواهر من ذلك ما يمكن أن يقال للعامة. وأما غير ذلك فها أنا أذكر لك بمحوله أمورا لابأس بها أن تذكر لأهل المحبة في الله تعالى والسلام .

10. The Renowned Khalifa, the Allama Sidi al-Arabi al-Mu'hib al-Alawi, may Allah be pleased with him

FEZ - Morocco, Rajab 29, 1431/ July 11, 2010 | 

The Eid al-Fitr Tour

He is the Allama, the Sharif, the Baraka, the Khalifa, the Qutb, Mawlay al-Arabi al-Muhib the son of Mawlay Abdessalam, the son of Abdellah, the son of Mohammed al-Habib, the son of Mohammed Zayn al-‘Abidine, the son of the famous Alawi Sultan Mawlana Ismail, may Allah have mercy on him. He was born in the month of Rabi’a al-Awwal in the year 1276/1860 in the city of Meknes the Olive where he was raised and grown up in protection and religion.  His overwhelmingly desire for knowledge drove him to study the Islamic sciences under distinguished scholars. Some of his teachers are the Allama Mawlay Abdelmalik al-Alawi, the Allama Mawlay Abdellah ibn Idriss al-Badrawi, the Allama Mawlay Abdellah al-Kamil al-Imrani, the Allama Mawlay Idriss ibn Abdelhadi al-Alawi, and the Allama Sidi Abdessalam al-Huwwari. The Allama, the Judge, Mawlay Mhammed al-Alawi gave him licence in Quran recitation. As far as the Tijani Path is concerned, he took it from the Muqaddam Sidi Mohammed al-Boukili and Shaykh al-Jama’a Sidi Ahmed ibn Ahmed Bannani Kala. Years later, the Righteous Friend, Sidi al-Arabi ibn Sayeh, may Allah be pleased with him, gave him a license in it, and he is the one who has called him “Al Mu’hib” (the Lover). And it came to pass that he benefited from him numerous arcane secrets (asrar) and sciences (‘ulum).  Then, Sidi Ahmed Mahmoud (d. 1319/1904 in Labhira, Rhamna) gave him a license in it. Then Sidi Mhammed ibn Mohammed ibn Abdessalam Gannun gave him an open, absolute license (ijaza mutlaqa ‘amma) in it. The Faqih Sidi Mohammed al-Hajouji had this to say about him in his book “Fath al-Malik al-‘Allama fi Tarajim ba’ad ‘Ulama’ Tariqa Tijaniya al-A’alam” (The Opening of the King, the All-Knower in the Biographies of Some of the Scholars of the Tijani Path): “All in all, the man is the admiral of the reports of the path of Ahl Allah, and he has a great knowledge of the subtleties of the science of Oneness (tawhid) and Sufism, especially the book of the Divine Openings: he is familiar with its difficult issues and answers to them. And he is from among those that Allah Most High gave knowledge of strange anecdotes in Sufism. Hence you will see him narrating from that wonder of wonders, which is only noticed by the elite knowers…” He passed away, may Allah be pleased with him, on the morning of Wednesday, the 26th Muharram, 1351/1932. They led the funeral prayer for his soul after the Duhr prayer at the Grand Ahmed Tijani Zawiya, and was buried in the Shrine of Ibn Amrou inside Bab al-Ghisa: one of the gates of Fez. For more information on our scholar, refer to Allama al-Hajouji’s books “Fath al-Malik al-‘Allam”, number of biography, 169; and “Nayl al-Murad” (Fulfillment of the Goal), part. 2, pp. 44-52.  Teachers: Sidi Mohammed al-Boukili, Shaykh al-Jama’a Sidi Ahmed ibn Ahmed Bannani Kala, Sidi al-Arabi ibn Sayeh, Sidi Ahmed Mahmoud, Sidi Mhammed ibn Mohammed ibn Abdessalam Gannun.  Getting there: Map. It is necessary to take a taxi into the Bab al-Ghisa: one of the gates of Fez. The Cemetery of Ibn Amrou is not far from the mosque of Bab al-Ghisa; the mosque where the Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani, may Allah be pleased with him, used to read the Wadhifa and the Haylala of Friday with his Companions. The mosque is even mentioned in the book of Mashahid! The cemetery is closed and unknown to local people. You need a good guide so as to pay your respect to Moulay al-Arabi al-Muhib! You may also ask for the grandson of the Moulay al-Arabi al-Muhib. He lives in Fez and has the keys of the shrine.

11. The Renowned Allama, the Red Sulfur, Abil Abbas Sidi Ahmed Skirej (d. 1363/1944), may Allah be pleased with him

Marrakech - Morocco, Shawwal 19, 1431/ August 27, 2010 | 

The Eid al-Fitr Tour

Within the context of profoundly spiritualising revival of Tijani Sufism during the 19th century that the Tijaniya Order was leveraged in the life and career of  the red sulphur, the refuge of sainthood and authority who possesses graces and in complete measure, and mounts to the highest position as upon the backs of horses or camels, the evidence of God upon earth, the pole that around which the sciences orbit the length and breadth of the world, the mountain of knowledge, skilled in understanding, who takes seekers by the hand into the way of righteousness, exemplar of the learned, educator of followers, the ocean that draws the people to straighten the tails of falsehood and conceit, the moon that clarifies the paths of the farthest east and the western regions, and dispels clouds of ignorance, the truest of people in his submission to this Mohammedian Presence, and the first of them in its care and attention to its command in departing and abiding,  the Shaykh, the Allama, the Qadi, Abul Abbas Sidi Ahmed b. al-Iyyachi Sukayraj al-Khazraji al-Fasi (d. 1366/1944).  The sudden rising popularity of the Shaykh and responses to his emergence as a powerful force, both reflected and influenced Tijani Sufism worldwide. His association with the Tijaniya proved to be the sparkling prowess in the regeneration of the Path. For, it was his gaining influence among the Tijani confidents and brothers that expanded the borders of Islam and Sufism beyond imagination. By the first decades of the 20th century and under his leadership, the Tijani Path had spread from a Maghrebi institution to a network that spanned Egypt, Sudan, Senegal, and West Africa.   A pole, geneologist, lexicographer, judge, jurist, and biographer, Shaykh Sukayraj also excelled in poetry and journey literature. Almost 120 in number, his eye-opening books, poems and letters have underdisputedly cheered the conditions which have come to foster the Tijani tradition throughout the Muslim world. The Shaykh has been always in the front side of any religious compilation; an attribute rarely found elsewhere within erudite circles. He was in Prophetic tradition, jurisprudence, literature, history and poetry a genuine pioneer and it is because of that that he entered with a determination and a full-fledged confidence the arena of different science topics. His quench for knowledge-seeking is beyond comparison as he was extremely affectionate of research and innovation while possessing the important and main authorised sources and references of all sciences in the form of a large home library incomparable in terms of the richness and diversity of its rare manuscripts. The Shaykh was then just a very dexterous penman with the aim to serve people from all different ranks and in that he entered in their hearts joy and pleasure. His tireless efforts to defend and expand the Tijaniya Path provided an institutional framework for spreading the original teaching of the Concealed Pole, Mawlana Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani (may Allah be pleased with him). These activities, in conjunction with his travels and sacrifices, formed the basis for his authority in the eyes of his students.   Teachers: Sidi Mhammed b. Mohammed Genoun (d. 1326/1911), Sidi Ahmed b. Mohammed al-Abdellawi (d. 1328/1913), Sidi Hamid b. Mohammed Bannani (d. 1326/1911), Moulay Abdellah b. Idriss al-Badrawi (d. 1310/1895), Moulay Abdelmalik Darir al-Alawi (d. 1318/1903), Sidi 'Ubayda b. Saghir Chinguiti (d. 1284/1869).   Students: Moulay Ahmed b. Mohammed al-Figuigui al-Wadghiri, Sultan Mawlana Abdelhafidh Alawi (d. 1352/1937), Sidi Mohammed Shawni, Sidi Mohammed Mghara, Sidi Mohammed b. al-‘Abid al-Iraqi (d. 1365/1950), Sidi al-Haj Idriss al-Iraqi (d. 1430/2009), Sidi Abdellah b. Sidi Mohammed Niasse, Sidi Ibrahim b. Abdellah Niasse al-Kawlakhi (d. 1390/1975), Sidi Mohammed al-Hafidh b. Abdellatif al-Misri (d. 1398/1983), Sidi Maodo Malick Sy (d. 1337/1922), Sidi Abdellaziz Dabbagh b. Mohammed b. Abdellah al-Majid al-Umdarmani, Sidi Abdellrahim al-Bur'i Sudani Sammani, Sidi Afandim al-Muddathir b. Ibrahim al-Hijazi (d. 1356/1941), Sidi Mohammed b. Said Afandi al-Misri, and Sidi Mohammed b. Abdellah Shafi’i Taftawi al-Misri. Getting there: Download Map. It takes almost 15 minutes taxi ride from the Koutubiya Mosque to Bab Eilan. When you get out of the taxi, walk through the gate straight to the shrine of Al-Qadi Iyad. It is located next to the mosque. It will end up being a five-minute walk to tomb of our Faqih, the Allama Sidi Ahmed Skirej, may Allah be pleased with him.

12. The Renowned Allama, Sidi Mohammed ibn Abdelwahid Nadhifi (d. 1366/1947), may Allah be pleased with him

Marrakech - Morocco, Shawwal 19, 1431/ August 27, 2010 | 

The Eid al-Fitr Tour

He is the Righteous Friend, the Grand Allama, the Khalifa of the Concealed Pole, the Radiant Mohammedian Axis, Sidi Mohammed ibn Abdelwahid ibn al-Hassan al-Nadhifi, may Allah be pleased with him. He was born in Sous in the year 1267/1851. After he learned the Quran, he took knowledge from prestigious scholars. Among them the Allama Sharif Mawlay Abdelmalik Darir al-Alawi, the Judge of the Fasite Presence Mawlay Mhammed al-Alawi,  the Allama al-Haj Ahmed ibn Mousa Tatai Susi, the Allama Sidi Ali ibn Abil Jama’a al-Masfiwi. As for the Tijani Path, he took it first from the Knower of His Lord Sidi Ahmed Mahmoud (d. 1319/1904 in Labhira, Rhamna). Then he received licenses to teach the Path from the Allama, the Poet, Sidi Abdellah the son of the Allama, the Famous Historian, the Pole, Sidi Mohammed Akansus; the Jurist, the Knower of Allah, the Pole, Sidi al-Hussayn al-Ifrani; the Allama, the Sharif, the Baraka, Sidi Mohammed ibn Mohammed ibn Abdessalam Gannun. He wrote numerous treatises, notably, “Dhurra al-Kharida f Sharh al-Yaqouta al-Farida” (The Virgin Gem in the Commentary of the Unique Ruby); “at-Tibb al-Faih wa al-Wird Saih fi Salat al-Fatih” (The Blossomed Medicine and the Rubbernecked Litany in the Prayer of the Opening), “Zubdat al-I’arab” (The Crème of Analysis), “al-‘Atfah al-Kanbziya fi Takhmis al-Hamziya” (The Paragoned Kindness in the Quintet of Hamziya); “Tiryaq al-Qalb al-Jarih fi Takhmis Burdat al-Madih” (The Antidote the Wounded Heart in the Quintet of the Borda). He passed away, may Allah have mercy on him, in the year 1366/1947 at the age of 99. The Allama gave birth to poles like no other previous shaykh: Sidi Mohammed al-Hajouji (d. 1370/1950 in Demnate), Moulay al-Hassan ibn Abdurrahman Regragui (d. 1393/1974 in Ahermoumou, Fez), Sidi Mohammed ibn al-Mamoun Sibai (d. 1403/1983 in Safi), and Moulay al-Hassan al-Kathiri (d. 1409/1988 in Bani Kathir, Bani Zerwal). Mawlay Lahsen al-Fatwaki (d. 1414/1994 in Rabat) is another great student of his. Read his biography in the Allama al-Hajouji’s “Fath al-Malik al-‘Allama” (The Opening of the King, the All-Knower), number of biography; Mohammed al-Mokhtar Susi’s “Ma’soul”, part. 19, pp 137-144; Zarkali’s “A’alam”, part. 6, pp. 185.   Teachers: Sidi Ahmed  Mahmoud al-Bahrawi (d. 1319/1904 in Rhamna), Sidi Abdellah ibn Sidi Mohammed Akansus (d.1317/1899 in Marrakech), Sidi al-Hussayn al-Ifrani (d. 1328/1910 in Tiznit), Sidi Mhammed b. Mohammed Genoun (d. 1326/1911 in Fez).   Students: Moulay al-Hassan ibn Abdurrahman al-Ragragui as-Susi (d. 1393/1974), Sidi al-Haj al-Abbas al-Razi (d. 1395/1974), Sidi al-Haj Abdellah al-Ghashani (d. 1397/1976), Moulay al-Hassan al-Kathiri (d. 1409/1988), Sidi Mohammed ibn Mhammed ibn Abdelwahid al-Nadhifi (d. 1370/1951), Mawlay Lahsen al-Radi al-Fatwaki (d. 1414/1994).  Getting there: Download Map. The mosque and shrine of Sidi Mohammed Nadhifi is very easy to find, and within a one minute walk from the square of Sa’hat Lafnai. You will now walk to Bab al-Futh and finally arrive to the busy street of Squiqat Laqsour (Literally: Market of Castles). Make your way down to the street, where a green door almost show you the way to the tomb of our Faqih. But if the Zawiya is known to all Tijanis, it's for the perfect location of its mosque that it is preferred by the local merchants to offer the ritual prayers.

13. The Renowned Allama, Sidi Lahsen al-Baaqili (d. 1368/1948)

Casablanca - Morocco

14. The Renowned Allama, Sidi Mohammed al-Hajouji (d. 1370/1950), may Allah be pleased with him

Marrakech - Morocco, Shawwal 19, 1431/ August 27, 2010 | 

The Eid al-Fitr Tour

The second-generation Tijani awakening that took place at the beginning of the twentieth century Morocco at the hand of unique muqaddams, which paralleled simultaneously parallel Tijani movements in the Maghreb, West Africa and the Hijaz to turn the Ahmediya Mohammediya Tijaniya Sufi Path the most widespread, numerous and influential order amidst the ulama, the elite, the notable and the common alike; this awakening was set in motion by a sharif leader called Sidi Mohammed ibn Mohammed ibn al-Mahdi al-‘Hajuji al-Idrissi al-Hassani al-Fasi who followed the footsteps of the direct companions of our Master and Lord, the Seal of Special Mohammedian Sainthood, the Concealed Pole, Mawlana Abul Abbas Ahmed Tijani (may Allah provide us from his overflowing with the best of receptacles).  Under the career of Sidi Mohammed ibn Mohammed al-‘Hajuji, the Tijani Path diversified in the Sus al-Aqsa and particularly in Damnate – a vast vicinity between Marrakech and the Atlantic ocean... Continue Reading   Teachers: The Allama, the Imam of the Grand Tijani Zawiya, Sidi Mohammed ibn Mohammed ibn Abdessalam Gannun al-Hassani (his initial teacher), the Sultan of Muqaddams, the Allama Sidi al-Arabi ibn Idriss al-Alami al-La'hyani; the Allama Sidi Alfa Hachim al-Futi al-Madani; the Allama Sidi Mohammed al-Amine Shinghiti; the Allama Sidi Mohammed al-Eid Tamasini; the Sharif, the Baraka Sidi Mahmoud, the grandson of Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani, may Allah be pleased with him;  the Muqaddam Sidi Mohammed al-Zizi; the Allama Sidi Mohammed ibn al-Hassani al-Alami al-Ribati; the Allama Sidi Abdellah ibn al-Haj Fattan Shinguiti; the Allama Sidi Mohammed ibn Ahmed al-Manouzi al-Susi al-Hassani; the Sharif, the Baraka, Sidi Tayyeb Sufyani; the Muqaddam Sidi al-Arabi ibn Mohammed ibn 'Azzouz Bannouna al-Fasi; the Allama, the Sharif, Mawlay al-Arabi al-Muhib al-Alawi; the Allama, the Knower of Allah, Sidi Mohammed ibn Abdelwahid al-Nadhidi; the Allama, the Sharif, Sidi Mahmoud ibn al-Matmatiya. He has also benifited from the Sharif, the Baraka, Mawlay Taher ibn Abi Nasr al-Alawi; Sidi Mohammed al-Makki al-Qubrusi; the Allama Sidi Mohammed al-Mokhtar al-Shinguiti; Sidi al-Makki al-Ziwawi; Sidi Mohammed ibn al-Haj Ahmed ibn Ali ibn Sultan al-Shargui; Sidi Mohammed ibn Hachim al-Balghiti.     Getting there: It takes less than ten minutes Petit Taxi ride from anywhere in downtown Marrakech to Bab al-Khamis. You will now take a one hour and half minutes Grand Taxi ride to the small town of Demnate. It will end up being a five minute walk to the Zawiya Tijaniya and the Shrine of the Allama Sidi Mohammed al-Hajouji, may Allah be pleased with him, located right next to Café Fatwaka. The phone number of the Muqaddam of the Zawiya is: 00-212-61714408. (Download Map)