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

57. Sayyida Aicha al-'Hufyaniya the daughter of Sidi Mohammed al-'Hufyan Sharqi, the Wife of the Pole Sidi al-Arabi ibn Sayeh (d. 1319/1901 in Rabat)

She is the wife of the Righteous Friend, the Scholar, Sidi al-Arabi ibn Sayeh (Known popularly among Tijanis as “Sayyiduna Sayyid” [Our Lord, the Master]; d. 1309/1891 in Rabat; may Allah be pleased with him). She was of the people of reality and allegiance, humility of the heart, delicate conscience, shedder of much tears, a virtuous woman of understanding, and steadfast in piety. Her tongue did not let up from the remembrance of Allah and setting prayers upon His Messenger, peace and blessing be upon him. She was modest with whoever spoke to her, serious in adhering to the limits of the Sacred Law- not accepting any part of relaxing them. Likewise, she was known for cheerfulness, generosity, being good with guests, keeping the family bonds and what corresponds to that of other practices. The Pole, the Erudite Scholar, Sidi al-Arabi ibn Sayeh, may Allah be pleased with him, married her and lodged in her 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. The Allama Skirej (“Sukayrij;” d. 1363/1944 in Marrakech) has a poem in praise of this virtuous Lady. He said in the opening lines: I flung myself on the threshold of my Lady,   Hoping to reach through her the attainment of my desire. I put myself under feet, robed with   The dust of her shoes, in order to get rid of my troubles. Verily, verily, she is still alive in her grave,   Among the living creatures. She has never died! Come before her with perfect courtesy seeking water   And attain every desire in every way.   O wife of the Lord Al-Arabi Ibn Sayeh!  O the one with perfect virtues in the highest heavens! Be generous to this week person in need of    The superabundance of your possessions, for goodness belongs to you. Please hurry and hear my voice when I call to you   How many times have you made my aspirations come true? God forbid! God forbid! But I shall never be disappointed,   As I have placed my requests in front of my Lady!  May the peace of Allah be upon you and   Everyone who comes before you seeking the attainment of an aspiration.   And upon your husband, the Lord, in whom satisfaction is found, al-Arabi, Because of the grandeur which is bestowed on him, he has reached the highest position.   The Scholar, the Hafidh, Sidi Mohammed al-Hajuji (d. 1371/1952) asserts in his book, “Gifts of the People of Gnostic Levels in the Recollection of a Few Men of the Tijani Path” (It’haf Ahl al-Maratib al-‘Irfaniya bi-Dhikr ba’ad Rijal Tariqa Tijaniya) in the fourth volume which he called, “The Fragrant  Roses in the Introduction of Our Lord Al-Arabi Ibn Sayeh", that the perfection of Sayyida Aicha, may Allah be pleased with her, is proven by the appearance of miraculous gifts (karamat). He said in it: “It was related to me as a direct testimony from my most believable witness that deserves full acceptance:  A man from a distant countryside came before Mawlana Sayyid (Sidi al-Arabi ibn Sayeh), may Allah be pleased with him. When he delivered himself into the hands of the Patron Master, he asked him for permission in the Wird of our Shaykh (Abil Abbas Tijani), may Allah be pleased with him. But he refrained from giving him permission. Then, the man cried out, ‘I intercede with Our Lady Sayyida (Aicha), may Allah be pleased with her, in favor of my request.’ All of a sudden, Mawlana Sayyid took him by the right hand and never before had he turned to him like this, and gave him permission. When the man walked out by the door of the Riyad (house) of Mawlana Sayyid, may Allah be pleased with him, he found a female slave at the door. She handed a package over to him. He did not open it. Instead, he turned and went back to his home. But his comrades insisted so strongly that he opened the package to see what Our Lady Sayyida (Aicha) has given him. He went on his way and did not do it; but on the road, he passed away suddenly. Now the comrades put their hand upon the package and as they opened it they found a shroud and what the deceased needs.  This report affords an admirable example of her miraculous gifts to mention very few. And many of her gifts that were unique to herself and hence irreproducible by others were in the nature that if she wanted something her request would be fulfilled at once and Mawlana Sayyid was overcome with wonder.” The jurist, poet, and scholar Sidi al-Haj Mhammed Gannun (d. 1326/1911 in Fez) gives breath to this celestial image in the course of his poem in praise of Mawlana Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani, may Allah be pleased with him, and his Khalifa, the Righteous Friend, Sidi Mohammed al-Arabi ibn Sayeh: O Lord, by the Grand Support, the Chosen,     The Seal of Sainthood that elevated above the height of the Giedi Prime, The source of every virtue and glory,   The tower of prides, the owner of the singular station,   I mean: Abil Abbas Ahmed, the one through whom   The disciple is promoted to the dearest station. He is the Son of Salim Tijani, my apparatus,   My hoard, my access –or rather– my guide! And by the grace of his Heir, the Imam, the Elect,      The ocean of sciences and its individual soul, I mean: Abil Fayd, the one called   Al-Arabi the son of Sayeh, the Illuminated One by his splendor! And by the grace of his bulwarked wife, Aicha,   The owner of glories, heights and nobility. She is the one that goes next to him in his secrets,   And lies in the tomb next to him.   Oh Lord, by their graces, please hurry to my aid,   And seal (my life) with goodness, O God, bring joy (to my soul)   Make good any deficiency that there might be in your gifts to your servant so that  Your victory work salvation for him in this life, and your own security sustain him in the next.   O Forgiving, forgive our sins with Your Bounty,   O Lord, be subtle to us by Mohammed, May God send benediction upon him and his household,  And upon his gracious companions who did the same, worship God.

السيدة عائشة الحفيانية بنت العلامة العارف بربه سيدي محمد الحفيان الشرقي ( زوجة الولي الصالح العلامة سيدي العربي بن السائح ) كانت من أهل الصدق والتصديق، خاشعة القلب، مرهفة الوجدان، غزيرة الدمع، لبيبة فاضلة، حازمة تقية، لا يفتر لسانها عن ذكر الله والصلاة على رسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم، متواضعة لمن يحدثها، جادة في الإلتزام بشؤون الشرع، لا تقبل بشيء من التساهل فيه، كما كانت معروفة بالبشاشة والكرم، وحسن الضيافة، ومواصلة الأرحام، وما إلى ذلك من خصال آخرى. تزوجها الولي العلامة المذكور وبنى بها عام 1270 هـ ــ 1854م، وكان شقيقها المقدم البركة سيدي العربي بن محمد الحفيان وصيا عليها إذ ذاك بحكم وفاة والدها قبل ذلك التاريخ بستة عشر سنة. وكان سن الولي الصالح سيدي العربي بن السائح لدى زواجه بها 41 سنة. ومن جملة الشروط التي تضمنها عقد النكاح حينئذ أن يقيما معا بمدينة الرباط، لكون الزوج ( سيدي العربي بن السائح) كان يرغب في العودة لمسقط رأسه ( مكناس ) بيد أنه التزم أخيرا بهذا الشرط، فاستوطن مدينة الرباط إلى حين وفاته رضي الله عنه. وكان يحبها محبة خاصة، ووقفت على قول له رضي الله عنه، يمدحها به، وقد أحسن في ذلك للغاية حيث قال : وريم رمت قلبي بأسهم لحظها * فلم تخطه إذ لم تكن عنه طائشة منائي من الدنيا أموت صبابة * لديها وشوقا نحوها وهي عائشة من ذلك أيضا قوله رضي الله عنه وقد أجاد : يا سعد ساعدني بحقك واشفني * فسهام فكري في أمورك طائشه أيحل أني في المحبة ميت * وحبيبتي من بعد موتي عائشه توفيت عشية يوم الجمعة 5 صفر الخير عام 1319 هـ - 24 ماي 1901م، ودفنت بجانب قبر زوجها من جهة اليسار، وللعلامة سكيرج قصيدة في مدح هذه السيدة الفاضلة قال في مطلعها: طرحت نفسي على أعتاب سيدتي * عسى أنال بها بلوغ أمنيتي وضعت نفسي على الرجلين ملتثما * تراب نعليهما لكشف معضلتي فإنها لم تزل في القبر عائشة * من جملة الشهدا بالموت لم تمت فلذ بها وتأدب طالبا مددا * تحضى بما رمته من كل مسألة يا زوجة السيد ابن السائح العربي * يا من لها في العلا كمال منقبة جودي لضيف ضعيف وهو مفتقر * لما لديك فمنك الخير لم يفت وعجّلي بقضاء ما أؤمله * فكم كشفت عضال كل مشكلة حشاك حشاك أن يخيب لي أمل * وقد حططت أموري عند سيدتي مني عليك سلام الله يشمل من * أتى إليك يريد نيل أمنية كذا على السيد الزوج الرضى العربي * من قدره قد رقى لخير مرتبة ومن كراماتها رضي الله عنها ما ذكره العلامة الحافظ سيدي محمد الحجوجي في الجزء الرابع من كتابه الإتحاف، الذي أفرده بعنوان خاص، ونصه : الأزهار العطرة الروائح، في التعريف بمولانا العربي بن السائح، قال فيه : من ذلك ما أخبرني به بعض الثقاة الأفاضل، أن رجلا أتى إلى مولانا السيد رضي الله عنه من أهل البادية من مرحلة بعيدة، ولما جلس بين يديه طلب منه الإذن في ورد سيدنا رضي الله عنه، فما أراد أن يأذنه. فقال ذلك الرجل يا سيدي تشفعت إليك بمولاتنا السيدة رضي الله عنها إلا ما أذنتني. فأقبل عليه مولانا السيد إقبالا لم يعهد مثله، وأذن له، ولما خرج الرجل من باب رياض مولانا السيد رضي الله عنه وجد أمة بباب الدار، فناولته إزارا بداخله شيء، فلم يفتحه، بل جَدَّ في السير إلى أهله، فصار رفقاؤه يقولون له لابد أن تفتح لننظر ما أرسلت لك به مولاتنا السيدة، فلم يفعل، فبينما هو في أثناء الطريق إذ أتته المنية فجأة، فقام رفقاؤه إلى ذلك الإزار وفتحوه، فوجدوا فيه كفنه وما يحتاج إليه الميت، إلى غير ذلك من كراماتها، ككونها كانت تتمنى الشيء فيحضر حينا، ويبقى مولانا السيد يتعجب من ذلك. وفي حق هذه السيدة الفاضلة يقول الفقيه الأديب العلامة سيدي الحاج مَحمد [فتحا] كنون، من خلال قصيدة له في مدح مولانا الشيخ أبي العباس التجاني رضي الله عنه، وخليفته الولي الصالح سيدي محمد العربي بن السائح، يَا رب بِالغَوْثِ الكبير المُرتضَى * خَتْمِ الولاية مَن سَمَى كالفَرْقَدِ يَنبوعِ كلِّ فضيلةٍ وَمَجادةٍ * أُسِّ المفاخر ذي المقام الأوْحَدِ أعْني أبا العبَّاسِ أحْمَد مَن بهِ * يَرْقَى المُريدُ إلى المقَام الأصْعَدِ ذَاكَ ابْنُ سَالمٍ التجَاني عُدَّتي * وَذَخيرتي ووسيلتي بَلْ مُرشِدِ وبجاهِ وارثهِ الإمامِ المُنتقى * بَحْرِ العُلومِ وَحَبْرِهَا المُتَفَردِ أعْني أبَا الفَيْضِ الذي يَدْعُونَهُ الْ * عَرَبِيِّ نجلَ السّائحِ المُتَجَرِّدِ وَبجاهِ عائشةَ المصُونةِ زَوجِهِ * ذاتِ المفاخرِ والعُلا والسُّودَدِ تِلك التي وَالَتْهُ فِي أَسْرَارِهِ * وَغَدَتْ مُضَاجِعَةً لَهُ في المَلْحَدِ فَبِجَاهِهِمْ يَا رَبِّ عَجِّل مَطلَبي * واخْتِم بخير يَا إلاهِ وَأَسْعِدِ وَاجبُر بفضلكَ كسرَ عبدِكَ مَن غدَا * يَرجُوا المفَازَ هُنَا وَأمْنَا في غَدِ وَاغفر بفضلك يا غفورُ ذُنوبَنا * والطُف بِنَا يَا ربّنا بمحمدِ صلّى عليه إلاهُنا مَعْ آلهِ * وَعلى صحابتهِ الكرام العُبَّدِ

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