Assalamu Alaykum Warahmatullah. Audhu Billahi Mina Shaytani Rajeem. Bismillahi Rahmani Raheem. Alhamdulillah. Wassalatu Wassalamu Alaa Rasulillah. Wa Aalihi Wasahbihi Wa Man Walah. Yaa Himmata Shaykh Ikhduri Lanaa bi Hadhal Mahdari. Wal TaTafii Bi Nazratin Tatii Lanaa Bi Zafari. Continuation of Tarih of Shaykh Ahmad Tijani RTA. SHAYKH AHMAD TIJANI RTA AND THE SPIRITUAL PATHS. Although he lost both his parents at little age, and on the same way, as a result of a plague that hit the locality, this did not distract him from his quest for knowledge. It rather served as a turning point in his life towards treading the Sufi path. In the same year, during the reign of the Sultan Mawlana Muhammad ibn Abdullah, an intellectual who wrote several books on Quranic Tafsir and tradition ruling Morocco for 32 years, Shaykh entered al-Qarawiyyin University of Fas and studied in particular the books on the Tradition of the Prophet (Hadith Nabawi Sharif) such al-Bukhari and Muslim. Meanwhile Shaykh busied himself with meeting Sufi teachers. He started searching throughout the sharifs kingdom in order to meet with and learned from almost all the available aqtab (poles) or masters of his day. This took him to Fas, Wazzan and Taza. He first met the head of Shadhiliya Wazzaniya Sufi Path, the Shaykh, Shaykh Tayyib ibn Muhammad ibnul-Qutb Shaykh Abdullah Sharif al-Wazzani. He initiated Shaykh into his Path and gave him the authorization (Izni) to initiate others, although Shaykh Ahmad Tijani rta never did exercise this privilege, for tow reasons: firstly, he was engrossed in his own spiritual self-development, and secondly, he was not sure of his exact position in the spiritual levels at the time. He also came into contact with the head of Shadhiliya Fasiya Path Shaykh Sidi Abdullah ibn Sidi al-Arbi ibn Sidi Ahmad ibn Abdullah al-Andalusi. They talked on various issues and before they had bidden each other farewell, Shaykh prayed to Allah to award him the good things of this world and the hereafter. The final words from the Shaykh Sidi Abdullah were, May Allah stand by you, spoken thrice. Shaykh also took the Qadiriya path while in Fas by the Fasi khalifa of the order, and again he was given the authorization to initiate others, although he still did not avail himself of that right; he then left it after a while. Then he took the Shadhiliya Nasiriya from Sidi Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Tuzani who had from his father Sidi Muhammad ibn Ali from his uncle, from Sidi Ahmad ibn Nasir Dari from his father Qutbul-Kamil Sidi Muhammad. He then left it and took the Shadhiliya Ghumariya (after Sidi Ahmad al-Habib ), first from a student, then in a dream from its founder, then he left it. He also took from the saint of Taza Shaykh Sidi Abul Abbas Ahmad al-Tawwash alHassani who counselled him to seek seclusion (khalwa) and invocation (dhikr), but Shaykh refused. He finally met with Sidi Muhammad ibn al-Hassan al-Wanjali al-Zabibi from the Wanjal clan based in the mountains of al-Zabib, who was of the fraternity of the illuminated ones (ahl al-kashf). He told him when he first saw him and before he talked to him: You will attain the rank (maqam) of the Great Qutb Sidi Abul Hassan Shadhili. He discoursed with him on esoteric issues, and admonished him to return to his hometown, for what he was looking for was to be found there. Shaykh did not stay in Fas long and soon returned to Ain Mahdi. On the way homeward he stopped at a town named Abyad, in the middle of the desert, where was located the shrine of the Shadhiliya mystic, al-Qutbu Rabbani, Sidi Abdulqadir ibn Muhammad al-Simahi rta. He stayed there retreating for five years indulging in study, worship, teaching and recitation of the Holy Quran. In the following years he travelled back and fourth between the desert recluses and towns of the region, convinced of what he had heard from the man at Jabalul-Zabib. There seems to be a pattern in Shaykhs travels, in that he went to the desert to meditate, while in the towns he took exoteric, non-mystical knowledge from the acknowledged masters and in the traditional manner. He next headed towards Tlemcen, where he stayed for the purpose of ascetic practices, worship, teaching the Hadith and engaging in commentary on the Quran, until he was endowed with divine inspiration. From that point on, a tremendous change was seen in his life. We are told that signs of spiritual upliftment became apparent in his life, while the veils of obstruction were parted and the gifts of miraculous deeded bestowed on him. He continued to climb the ladder of spiritual realization until he reached the zenith of what he was looking for in the realm of spirituality. At their first encounter, Sidi Mahmud al-Kurdi, addressed Shaykh as a beloved one of Allah in this world and the hereafter. Shaykh asked him how he knew this to be true, and was informed that Allah was the ultimate source. Then Shaykh rta narrated fully to him the dream he had in Tunisia, in which he had seen Shaykh alKurdi and been told that his own essence was of copper, which Shaykh al-Kurdi promised to turn into gold. Then after the elapse of a few days, Shaykh al-Kurdi asked Sidna Shaykh of his desire. His response was the station of the Absolute Authorization (al-Qutbaniyatul-Uzma). The Shaykh told him that he was already more advanced than the above mentioned station. Shaykh al-Kurdi narrated to him rta an account of his errand and the reasons for his encounter with his master Shaykh al-Hifni and his master Shaykh al-Bakri al-Misri rta. We shall continue from here Insha Allah next time. Allahumma salli ala Sayyidina Muhammadin al-Fatihi Lima ugliqa wal Khatimi lima sabaqa Naasiril Haqqi bil Haqqi wal Hadi ila Siraatikal Mustaqeemi wa alaa Aalihi haqqa Qadrihi wa Miqdarihil Azeem. Wassalamu Alaykum. Some years later, Shaykh travelled to Makkah for Hajj. On his journey to the East, Shaykh was keen to met the noted Sufi Shaykhs of the time -just like he did in the Maghrib. Having left Tlemcen and on reaching Zwawa, he visited the Idrissiya Sharif, Abu Abdullah Sidi Muhammad ibn Abdurrahman al-Azhari, from whom the Khalwatiya Rahmaniya Order came. He is the student of the Qutbul-Ghawth Sidi Muhammad al-Hifnawi (or al-Hifni), himself a disciple of Shaykh Sidi Mustafa ibn Kamaluddin al-Bakri Shaykh entered Tunisia in the same year. There he met with some members of another fraternity such as Sidi Abdulsamad al-Rahwi and Sidi al-Haj Faraj al-Tunusi. The latter gave him a special permission in the Dumyatiya Qasida, the Asmail Idrissiya, and the Divine Names (al-Asmaul-Husna). He stayed there for a year shuttling between Tunis and the city of Susa. He spent most of his time in Tunis teaching the Book of Wisdom (al-Hikam al-Ataiyya) and its like. The ruler of Tunis requested of him that he stay and teach and that he also undertake other religious activities as well as teaches. He gave him accommodations and opened the Zaytuna mosque to him to serve as a classroom, allocation him a large salary for the purpose. After considering his offers, however, he decided instead to embark on a ship headed for Egypt. He was also intent on performing the pilgrimage, as well as meeting with Shaykh Sidi Mahmoud al-Kurdi al-Iraqi al-Misri, the leading teacher of Khalwatiya order in Cairo, accepting his leadership and then embracing his order in accordance with all its norms. All of this was based on the dream he had of him in Tunis. He sent a message through Sidi Abdussamad al-Rahwi to his own master who had no permission to meet any body save four people he was one of them, informing him of his intention to travel to Cairo and asking for his guarantee, which the Shaykh granted. He then took the sea and reached his destination safely.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 07:22:16 +0000
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