Tijani Women Companions 

 

Extract from the Book of "Tijani Women" (Nisa' Tijaniyyat)

By the Shaykh, al-Allama Sidi Mohammed Radi Gannun 

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

49. Sayyida Lalla Mannana al-Balghitiya al-Fasiya named “Shanyoura”

She is the solemn Sharifa, the wonder of her age in the working of miracles, the pulled by God (Majdouba), the confidant of Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani, may Allah be pleased with him, Lalla Mannana al-Balghitiya named “Shanyoura”.  The Allama Skirej said about her in his book “Kashf al-Hijab ‘aman Talaqa ma’a Shaykh Tijani mina-‘ As’hab” (Raising the Veil on the Direct Companions of Shaykh Tijani):  “God rest her soul, she spouted goodness like a fountain that stirred up her strength in unveiling (mukashafa) and grew her flag in the sky of foulness in the Divine Presence (jadb). In addition to all this, she was seen to be the special friend of Sidi Ahmed ibn Mohammed Bannani that she often went to visit at his house. When the aforementioned jurist went to consult her about joining himself unto the wing of the Tijani Path, she welcomed him with rich blessings and urged him to accept the Path of our Master, may Allah be pleased with him. After all this, and over all the virtues put on the Shaykh, may Allah be pleased with him, which bind herself with him all together in perfect unity, she disclosed to him all day long events of great significance that she witnessed about the Shaykh.  His grandson, the jurist, Sidi Abdessalam, related to me that when his grandfather went to consult this lady on this matter she declared unto him before a sentence was pronounced on her: “O Sidi Ahmed, you’ve come here to consult me on joining the Path of Sidi Ahmed Tijani, may Allah be pleased with him, and I am now telling you, if you are willing to listen to my advice, to hasten and take (the Path) from him, because he is the Sultan! I learned in my experiences with him what serves as an example for you. Thereupon, one time, and while I was at my house two people called upon me and announced, ‘The Sultan is calling for you!’ So I considered myself fortunate to stand before the sultan Mawlana Sulayman that day [who often sent for her and had immense love for her].  Leaving at once, we went and so we reached Bab al-Futuh [one of the gates of Fez] and came into a camp there. I proceeded to the presence of the Sultan, but, to my surprise, I could not find Mawlana Sulayman. There he was: Our Lord Ahmed Tijani, may Allah be pleased with him!  And I did not know who he was before. Amazed, I became silent. So I said no more. The Sultan Sidi Ahmed Tijani looked at me and said: Give us your opinion of this: Is it right to strike the people of Fez who committed such and such and such and such –counting several deeds— with the plague, or not? I said to him: ‘If there is consensus from the contemporary saints and if they are not able to carry this scourge, I shall carry it through!’  He said to me: ‘Would you be able to do that and put up with it”.’ Yes,” answered I.  Wherefore, the Shaykh instructed her to return home. As she entered the gate of the city, she heard the explosion of a cannonball hitting her from the back. She fell upon her face on the ground awhile like a bear robbed of her cubs. Now she was being carried to her house inside a casket. People were able to hear gunpowder explosions inside her body and each time she screamed. She suffered in her body until the scourge lifted the town in peace.’"   This is the conclusion of her hagiography:  “Our lady Shanyoura was present at the funeral of our Master, may Allah be pleased with him. Three days before his death, she broke silence and proclaimed to Sidi Ahmed Bannani and other notables who came to present themselves before her: ‘The sultan shall die after two or three days.’ She was addressed one more during the funeral of our Master, may Allah be pleased with him: “Didn’t you say that the sultan was going die?” “Yes,” she answered, “And Sidi Ahmed Tijani is himself the sultan!” Our Master, may Allah be pleased with him, had often sent his companions to her making inquiry for unveiling sake, and she answered him back with what would appear in front of her. For further information on this noble lady, see the book of “Al-Ifada al-Ahmediya li-Murid Sa’ada al-Abadiya” (The Ahmedi Benefit to the Seeker of Eternal Contentment) of Sidi Tayyeb Sufyani (d. 1259/1844).”

للا منانة البلغيثية المعروفة بشنيوره، الشريفة الجليلة، ذات الكرامات الشهيرة، كانت معروفة بالجذب، محبة في جناب الشيخ أبي العباس التجاني رضي الله عنه. قال عنها العلامة سكيرج في كتابه كشف الحجاب عمن تلاقى مع الشيخ التجاني من الأصحاب : وكانت رحمها الله لها قدم راسخ في المكاشفة ، و كان الجذب غالبا عليها في بعض الأوقات، وكثيرا ما كانت تأتي إلى دار صاحب الترجمة [يعني الفقيه سيدي أحمد بن محمد بناني] ولما ذهب صاحب الترجمة لمشاورتها، قابلته بكلام جميل، وأشارت عليه بالمسارعة لأخذ طريقة سيدنا رضي الله عنه، وصارت تذكر له فضائل سيدنا رضي الله عنه و ما وقع لها معه من الصباح إلى الظهر. وحدثني حفيده الفقيه السيد عبد السلام، أن جده المذكور لما أتى إلى هذه السيدة ليشاورها في أمره، قالت له قبل أن يخاطبها و لو بكلمة : يا سيدي أحمد جئت تشاورني في الأخذ عن سيدي أحمد التجاني رضي الله عنه ، فإن قبلت نصيحتي فبادر بالأخذ عنه فإنه هو السلطان . وقد وقعت لي معه قضايا، منها أني كنت يوما جالسة فأتاني مشاوريان فقالا لي : قومي تكلمي السلطان، فظننت السلطان مولانا سليمان، وكان كثيرا ما يرسل إليها و تذهب إليه، وكان يحبها محبة خاصة . قالت : فذهبت معهما حتى خرجنا على باب الفتوح، أحد أبواب فاس، فوجدت هناك المحلة، فتقدمت إلى السلطان فلم أجده مولانا سليمان، وإنما وجدته سيدي أحمد التجاني رضي الله عنه، ولم أعرفه من قبل، قالت : فصرت أتعجب مما رأيت، ثم قال لي السلطان سيدي أحمد التجاني : ما تقولين أنت في دخول الطاعون إلى هذه المدينة، فإنه لا بد من دخوله لهؤلاء الناس الذين اتصفوا بكذا و كذا، و عدّ جملة فعال. قال : فلما سمعت منه ذلك قالت له : إذا وقع الإجماع عليه من الأولياء الموجودين ولم يقدروا على حمل هذا البلاء ، فأنا ألقي الباس عن الناس، فقال لها : أوتقدري على ذلك و تتحملي به، فقالت : نعم، فأمرها أن ترجع لمحلها، فلما دخلت على باب المدينة، سمعت من ورائها عمارة بارود فأصابتها، فسقطت على وجهها، وبقيت ساقطة حتى جاء الناس بالنعش، وحملوها عليه حتى أوصلوها إلى محلها، وكان الناس يسمعون البارود يتكلم فيها وهي تصيح في كل مرة إلى أن قضى الله برفع ذلك البلاء عن هذه البلدة. إلى أن قال في آخر ترجمتها : و هذه السيدة رضي الله عنها قد حضرت جنازة سيدنا رضي الله عنه، وكانت قبل وفاته بثلاثة أيام أخبرت صاحب الترجمة مع بعض الأفاضل بقولها : إن السلطان بعد يومين أو ثلاثة أيام يموت، ولما حضرت جنازة سيدنا رضي الله عنه قيل لها : أليس قلت إن السلطان سيموت، فقالت : نعم، فهذا هو السلطان. و كان سيدنا رضي الله عنه يبعث إليها بعض أصحابه، ويسألها عن أمور فتخبره بحقيقة الأمر، انظر الإفادة الأحمدية.

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