He is a vast ocean of knowledge and, in Sufism, a voice that speaks the truth; he embodied all noble qualities, and his name soared as high as the mountains. As for his order, generations have followed in its footsteps. He is the Darqawi al-Shadhili, a descendant of the noble Doha, the holder of the Great Authority and the highest rank in the sciences of the exoteric—the jurist and the Sufi scholar: “Abu ‘Abdullah Sidi Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahid ibn Yahya ibn ‘Umar al-Hassani al-‘Alami al-Mousawi”,[1] descended from Sidi al-Hajj Musa ibn Sidi Mashish, brother of Moulay ‘Abd al-Salam”. [2]

Sidi Muhammad al-Haraq was born in the year 1186 AH and grew up in the city of Chefchaouen, where he lived within a pious and devout family who raised him to uphold noble morals, seek knowledge and observe the precepts of Sharia; thus, he became a receptive vessel for all branches of knowledge. His father recognised his enthusiasm and passion for knowledge, as well as his intelligence and quick grasp of learning from a young age, and so decided to accompany him to the Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque in Fez, with the aim of completing his education and drawing from the wealth of knowledge there, until he had completed his studies, He subsequently became a distinguished scholar of great renown and standing, whose scholarly gatherings were attended by leading scholars, the country’s notables, students of knowledge and the poor. This led Sultan Moulay Slimane Al-Alawi to appoint him as preacher and teacher at the Great Mosque of Tetouan, particularly upon hearing of his high standing, lofty aspirations and vast knowledge.
“He was a jurist and teacher with knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence and its rulings, hadith, biographies of the Prophet and his companions, and the principles of Islamic law. He was at the forefront of disseminating knowledge in the city of Tetouan for a long time, and a great many people benefited from his learning… He authored treatises on the subject and notes on methodology, as famous as the midday sun… His aspirations, may God be pleased with him, were lofty in all matters… yet he was modest in his dress… and would eat whatever food was available, despite his high status.” [3]

However, certain malicious and envious souls could not rest easy; they conspired against him, plotted against him, and went so far as to slander his honour and contemplate his murder. He fell ill due to the severity of his grief over the plots against him, and they succeeded in their aims, for “… the Sheikh was stripped of all his positions of imamate, preaching, teaching and issuing fatwas, and was forbidden from engaging in any of his former duties”,[4] yet his patience in the face of these plots and tribulations drew him closer to God and strengthened his adherence to the path of the knowledgeable and self-sacrificing mystics, as these events led him to “devote himself to Sufism and follow the path of the community”, [5] until he surpassed his peers and became a Sufi scholar, one of the great luminaries of Sufism who combined Sharia with spiritual reality and succeeded in reconciling the outward with the inward.

My master Muhammad al-Haraq followed the path of the community under the guidance of Sheikh Moulay al-Arabi al-Darqawi, in whose company his soul found peace and his ailments vanished, for “… taught him the devotional practices and explained their purpose to him; he did not order him to break with custom, nor to uncover his head or wear patched garments, but rather urged him to frequently remember God, to focus his heart upon God, and to devote himself sincerely to God’s service, and authorised him to teach the devotional practices and guide others”, [6] Thus, Sheikh Muhammad al-Haraq took heed and understood the wisdom; he divested himself of the knowledge of which he had once prided himself, and delved deeply into the heart of the Path, making his vast knowledge a means of serving the soul and the individual—especially since knowledge is the gateway to and the key to knowing God. Sheikh Sidi Muhammad al-Haraq says: “Of what use is the knowledge and prestige, which does not lead its possessor to God, nor make him know his Lord?”[7]

Such was he, may God be pleased with him: “a revered Imam, well-versed in exoteric knowledge, in which he attained pre-eminence, proficient in its various disciplines—exegesis, hadith, jurisprudence and fatwa—and accomplished in all its branches; as for literature and poetry, he was virtually unrivalled in his time. And when he had attained his share of exoteric knowledge, Allah blessed him with esoteric knowledge, so that he might be a source of mercy for the land, and an example to the people… And he, may Allah be pleased with him, was unrivalled amongst the people of his time in the science of the inner reality, and he clarified the path for the people between the Sharia and the Truth, so as to make it easy for the seeker,”[8] and he founded his path on four principles: “remembrance (dhikr), discussion (muzakara), knowledge, and love”.[9]

As for the art of expression, he was a pioneer amongst the people of his time, being renowned for his Sufi poetry, which served as the voice of his inner state and the expression of his spiritual experience, All his poems were imbued with the objectives of Sharia and the principles of the path, as they contained within them a call to God, the refinement of the soul, and an exhortation to adhere to the Sufi path, using comprehensive phrases and allusions that illuminate the path of the seeker and the disciple. ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Talidi says: “… He composed delicate poetry and recited azjal about the Divine Presence and the noble Prophetic Presence, leaving us a great treasure of delicate and moving Sufi poetry, which was compiled in a special collection …, whereby he became one of the advocates of the path of those who nurture the seekers devoted to God, the Almighty.” [10]

In some of his verses, he says:
Be devoid of any vision of the entire universe
Until you see what you were before, naked
And perceive a Lord who encompasses all that you see
And behold a light overflowing from the Truth In the Lord of the Throne, the richest of all creation
With your mind, perceive from Him the very essence of truth
Existing in reality, beyond all doubt
Taking on colours to reveal wisdom.[11]

As for his works, we mention among them: “His commentary on al-Mashishiyya, his explanation of the rulings of Ibn ‘Ata’ Allah, and others; and numerous letters he wrote to his disciples, compiled by his student Sheikh Muhammad ibn al-‘Arabi al-Dala’i in his book *Al-Nūr al-Lāmi’ al-Barraq fi al-Ta’rif bi-al-Sheikh al-Haraq*…; likewise, Ibn al-Qādi compiled the legal rulings and fatwas of Sheikh al-Haraq in a separate volume and traced his commentaries”, [12] in addition to eloquent aphorisms and numerous annotations on certain verses of the Holy Qur’an.

Among the sayings and aphorisms of Sayyid Muhammad al-Haraq are:

• “I have been granted favours through divine grace; I can point to nothing but that. There is no sheikh who does not point to the path he has travelled, and which leads only to the station at which he has arrived.
• If I knew of anyone, even in the remotest mountain valley, who wished to reach God, I would go to him and take him by the hand, seeking God’s pleasure and encouraging him to turn towards God.
• I have seen nothing more beneficial to the heart of the sincere seeker than the remembrance of God.
• It is the lofty aspiration that is not satisfied without God, for there is no destination beyond God.” [13]

Thus did the path of Sidi Muhammad al-Haraq al-Darqawi al-Shadhili, may Allah be pleased with him, become renowned throughout the land, particularly in the northern regions, where many disciples took guidance from him and followed his path as devoted seekers.

He died, may Allah have mercy on him, in the year 1261 AH and was buried in Tetouan at his famous zawiya, the Al-Haraqiya Zawiya, which remains to this day a place of pilgrimage for his disciples and all visitors who recognise his stature and have heard of his noble character.

Translated by DeepL