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On His Noble Lineage, Travels and Rank

With reference to his noble lineage, it is: ‘Ali ibn ‘ Abd Allah ibn ‘ Abd al- Jabbar ibn Tamim ibn Hurmuz ibn Hatim ibn Qusay ibn Yusuf ibn Yusha ‘ ibn Ward ibn Battal ibn Idris ibn Muhammad ibn ‘lsa ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn ‘ Ali ibn Abi Talib.

His birthplace was in Ghumara} He entered the city of Tunis when a young lad, turned toward the East, performed many pilgrimages, and went into lraq.

He related,
When I came to lraq, I met the Shaykh Abu al-Fath al-Wasiti, the like of whom I have not seen in Iraq. My quest was for the qutb. One of the saints said to me, “Are you searching for the qutb in lraq while he is in your country? Return to your land and you will find him.

So, he returned to the Maghrib where he met his teacher, who is my master the shaykh, the saint, the gnostic, the trustworthy, the qutb, the ghawth, Abu Muhammad ‘ Abd al-Salam ibn Mashish al-Sharif al-Hasani.

He related,
When I drew near him, while he was living in Ghumara in a lodge on the top of a mountain, I bathed at a spring by the base of that mountain, forsook all dependence on my own knowledge and works, and went up toward him as one in need. Just then he was coming down toward me, wearing a patched cloak, and on his head a cap of palm leaves. “Welcome to ‘ Ali ibn ‘ Abd Allah ibn ‘ Abd al-Jabbar:’ he said to me, and repeated my lineage down to the Apostle of God. Then he said to me, “O , Ali, you have come up to us destitute of your knowledge and works, so you will receive from us the riches of this world and the next:’

He (al-Shadhili) continued,
Awe of him seized me. so I remained with him for some days until God awakened my perception, and I saw that he possessed many supernatural powers (kharq al-‘adat). For example, one day as I sat before him while a young son of his played with him on his lap, it came into my mind to question him concerning the greatest name of God. The child came to me, threw his arms about my neck, and shook me, saying, “O Abu al-Hasan, you desired to question the master concerning the greatest name of God. It is not a matter of importance that you should ask about the greatest name of God. The important thing is that you should be the greatest name of God, that is to say, that the secret (sirr) of God should be lodged in your heart:’ When he had finished speaking, the shaykh (Ibn Mashish) smiled and said to me, ‘Such a one has answered you for me:

He was, then, the Qutb of that time.
Then he said to me, “O ‘Ali, depart to the Province Ifriqiya and dwell there in a place called Shadhila, for God will name you al-Shadhili. After that you will move to the city of Tunis where charges will be brought against you before the authorities. Then you will move to the East where you will inherit the rank of qutb:’

I said to him, “O my master, give me your spiritual bequest:’ So he replied, “0 ‘ Ali, God is God and men are men. Keep your tongue from the mention of them, and your heart from inclining before them, and be careful to guard the members (jawarih) and to fulfill the divine ordinances; thus the friendship (wilaya) of God is perfected in you. Have no remembrance of them except under obligation that duty to God imposes on you; thus your scrupulousness is perfected. Then say: 0 God, relieve me from remembrance of them and spare me disturbances from them. Save me from their evils, enable me to dispense with their good through Thy good, and as a special favour assume Thou care of me among them. Verily, Thou art mighty over all things:’

Meeting with al-Khidr (s)

He related,
When I entered the city of Tunis as a young man, I found there a great famine, and I came upon men dying in the market places. I said to myself, “Had I wherewith to buy bread for these hungry people, I would surely do it:’ Then I was instructed inwardly: “Take what is in your pocket:’ So I shook my pocket and, lo, there was silver money in it. So I went to a baker at Bab al-Manara and said to him, “Count up your loaves of bread:’ He counted them for me. Then I offered them to the people who took them greedily. I drew out the pieces of money and handed them to the baker. He found them to be spurious and said, “These are Moroccan, and you Moroccans practice alchemy:’ So I gave him my burus and small bag as a pawn on the price of the bread, and turned toward the gate. Right there by the gate stood a man who said to me, “O ‘ Ali, where are the pieces of money?” So I gave them to him, and he shook them in his hand, then returned them to me, saying, “Pay them to the baker, for they are genuine:’ So I paid them to the baker who accepted them from me, saying, “These are good:’ I took my burus and bag and then looked for the man, but did not find him.

Consequently, I remained for some days inwardly perplexed until, on Friday, I went into the Zaytuna mosque, near the reserved section on the east side of the mosque, and performed two cycles of the greeting of the mosque and pronounced the salutation. Suddenly, I saw a man on my right. I greeted him and he smiled at me, saying, “O ‘ Ali, you say, ‘Had I wherewith to feed these hungry people, I should surely do it: You would presume to be more generous than God toward His creatures. Had He willed it, He would surely have fed them, for He is more cognizant of their welfare than you:’

Then I said to him, “O my master, by God, who are you?” He replied, “I am Ahmad al-Khidr. I was in China and I was told, ‘Go and look for my saint ‘ Ali in Tunis: So I came hurriedly to you:’ When 1 had performed the Friday worship, I looked about for him, but did not find him.

How Imam Abul Hasan al-Shadhili became the Qutb – View page scan

I journeyed together with these two [Abu ‘Ali and al-Shadhilij in the service of Abu ‘Ali and, on reaching the city of Tripoli, the Shaykh al-Shadhili said, “Let me travel along the road of the interior!’ But the Shaykh Abu ‘Ali chose the coast road. The latter saw the Apostle of God who said to him, “Abu ‘Ali, you are a saint of God and Abu al-Masan is a saint of God, and God will never arbitrate between two saints in the matter of a road to follow. Take the road which you have chosen and let him proceed along the road which he has chosen:’ So we went our separate ways until we met on the road near Alexandria.

When we had performed the morning prayers, the Shaykh Abu ‘Ali approached the tent of the Shaykh Abu al-Hasan, we being in his company. He entered into his presence, sat down before him, and behaved toward him in a way which was not customary with him. He conversed with him in speech of which we understood not a word. When he was about to depart, he said, “0, my master, extend your hand so that I may kiss it!’ So he kissed his hand and departed weeping. We were amazed at his conduct with him.

When Abu ‘Ali was well on his way, he turned toward his companions and said, “0 Yunus, Abu al-Hajjaj al-Qusuri was in the land of Egypt and he was the Qutb of his time. Last night, he died and God caused him to be succeeded by Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili.”

So I went to al-Shadhili and gave allegiance to him as one possessing the office of Qutb. When we reached Alexandria, and the people came out to meet the party of travelers, I saw Abu ‘Ali strike with his hand the forepart of the saddle and say weeping, “0 people of this region, if you knew who it is who is advancing toward you in this caravan, you would kiss the feet of his camel, which, by God, have brought you the blessing!’

Shaykh Izz al-Din and the Pilgrimage – View page scan

One in whom I have confidence related to me., In the year in which he went on pilgrimage there took place the movement of the Tararsu against Egypt. As the Sultan was occupied with operations against them, he did not prepare the military escort for the caravan of pilgrims. The shaykh sent out his tent to al-Birka (where the pilgrims make a halt outside of Cairo] and certain people followed him. So the people met with the jurist, judge, and Mufti ‘Izz al-Din ibn ‘Abd al-Salam, and questioned him regarding the journey. “The journey,” he replied, “undertaken presumptiously and lacking an escort, is not allowable!’ The people informed the shaykh of that. “Let me meet with him,” he responded. He met him in the mosque on Friday. A large crowd gathered around the two. “0 jurist,” he asked, “is it your opinion that, if a man had the whole world reduced to the size of a single step for him, he would be permitted to undertake a journey amidst dangers or not?” The judge replied, “If anyone should find himself in such a circumstance, he would be beyond the bounds of a legal pronouncement (fatwa) or anything of the sort?’ “By God, beside Whom there is no other god,” the shaykh said to him, “I am of those for whom the entire world has been made into the size of a single step. Whenever I see something that causes men to fear, I walk with them to a place of security. For you and me, there is no escape from standing before God (on the Day of Judgment] that He may question me concerning the truth of what I have told you?’ So al-Shadhili departed and many charismatic events attended him on the way. The following is one of them. Thieves would attack the caravan by night, and they would find a wall built around it, as if it were a city. At the break of dawn, they would come to him, inform him of their deeds, repent to God, and travel in the company of the shaykh on the pilgrimage to Mecca. The pilgrimage accomplished, he returned and entered Cairo the first of the people. His pilgrimage companions related to others the miracles he [Abu al-Hasan] had performed. Then the jurist ‘Izz al-Din went out to meet him at al-Birka, which is a place about six miles outside of Cairo. On entering into his presence, al-Shadihili said to him, “0 jurist, by God, were it not for the training that I have received with my ancestor the Apostle of God, I would have taken the caravan on the Day of ‘Arafa and I would have stepped over with it to ‘Arafat.” “I am resigned to God:’ the mufti exclaimed. Thereupon the shaykh added, “Look at the reality of that.” So everyone present looked at the Ka’ ba. The people cried out and the jurist lowered his head between his hands and said, “You are my shaykh from this very hour.” “Rather:’ the shaykh replied, “you are my brother, if God wills:’

His last Journey – View html

The Master Abu al-Hasan ash-Shadhdhuli had made it his custom that every other year he would travel to Mecca for the Pilgrimage. Likewise in the year 656 A.H./1258 C.E., the very year in which a few weeks earlier the Mongol ruler Hulugu Jenghiz Khan had sacked Baghdad, he made preparations to go on the Pilgrimage as usual. However, this time he asked that a pickaxe, shovel, and a shroud should be included in their baggage. As was his custom he set out on the southern route, known as the spice route, overland to Damanhur, then via Qahira, up the Nile to ‘Idfu in Upper Egypt. From there he would cross the Red Sea to Jiddah, and finally make the two-day camel ride to Mecca. At Damanhur, a young boy, who was a student of the Qur’an, begged his mother to let him go with the Shaykh and his party to make the Pilgrimage. His mother, who was a widow, earnestly requested the Shaykh for her son that he be allowed to travel with his party, to which he replied, “We will look after him as far as Humaythira.”

And so it happened. It was related that Abu al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy upon him, had said, “When I entered the land of Egypt and established my dwelling there, I prayed to Allah, the Most High, saying: Ya Rabb, have You caused me to dwell in the land of the Copts, to be buried amongst them, until my flesh becomes mingled with their flesh and my bones with theirs? A reply then came to me: No `Ali, you will be buried in a land which Allah has never oppressed.” It is also recorded that in the year of his death Abu al-Hasan ash-Shadhdhuli was heard to say, “Once when I fell ill, I said: Allah, O Allah, when will the encounter with You take place? I was told: Ya `Ali, when you reach Humaythira, then the encounter will come.” He said, may Allah have mercy upon him, “I saw as if I were buried at the base of a mountain before a well containing a little salty water, which became more abundant and sweet.” And he said to his beloveds, “This year I shall perform the Pilgrimage of substitution (hajjat an-niyaba).

“One of Abu al-Hasan’s followers recorded what happened: Soon after entering the desert of `Aydhab, both the young boy and the Shaykh fell ill, the boy dying the day before we reached the watering-place of Humaythira. The followers wanted to bury the youth where he had died, but the Shaykh said, “Carry him to Humaythira.” When we arrived at this resting-place we washed the boy, and the Shaykh prayed over him before we buried him. That evening the Shaykh, who was also very sick, called his companions around him and spoke to us, counselling us to recite his Litany of the Sea (Hizb al-Bakhr) often, and he said, “Teach it to your children for the Greatest Name of Allah (al-ismu ‘l-`azam) is in it.” Then he talked privately to Sidi Abu al-`Abbas al-Mursi, giving him his orders as his successor with his special blessing. He, may Allah have mercy upon him, said to his followers, “When I am dead, look to Abu al-`Abbas al-Mursi for he is the Caliph (Khalifa) to come after me. He will have an exalted station amongst you for he is one of the Doors (abwab) of Allah, Praised and Exalted is He.” Later that evening he called for a jar of water to be filled from the well of Humaythira. When he was told, “Ya Sidi, its water is salty and bitter, but the water we have is fresh and sweet,” he replied, “Give me some of it for my intention is not what you think.” When we brought him the well-water he drank a little of it, rinsed his mouth with it and spat into the jar. Then he said, “Pour the water into the well.

“Immediately the well-water turned sweet and fresh to taste, and it was abundant enough to refresh all the travellers who stopped to replenish themselves at this place. His followers said, “The Shaykh passed the night in holy preparation and discourse with his Beloved God, continually mentioning His Name until the dawn came when he was still.”

t.b.d.

Hans fullständiga namn är: Taqi al-Din Abul Hasan `Ali ibn `AbdAllah ibn `Abd al-Jabbar. Hans släkband går på fädernet tillbaka till Profeten Muhammads (s) dotterson al-Hasan ibn `Ali ibn Abi Talib, och på mödernet till al-Husayn. Han har benämnts efter by Shadhila nära staden Tunis, dit hans läromästare Ibn Mashish sände honom för att förankra tariqan,

Imam Abul Hasan föddes i byn Gumara i Rif-området som ligger i Atlasbergen i Maghrib (dagens Marokko) år 593 H. Hans första lärare var `AbdAllah ibn Harazim (d. 633), som var elev till Abu Madyan. Som ung reste han österut för att söka sin läromästare. I Bagdad mötte han år 618 H en av den tidens störste andlige ledare, al-Sayyid Abu al-Fath al-Wasiti. Denne sade till honom: “Du har kommit hit för att söka al-Qutb – men han finns där du kommer ifrån – i Maghrib.” Så återvände och leddes till Ibn Mashish. Han klättrade upp för det berg där Ibn Mashish vistades, och fann där en brunn, där han tvättade sig ren från kroppslig och andlig smuts, och bad till Allah: “O Allah, jag har tvättat bort min kunskap och mina gårningar, så att jag inte har någon annan kunskap eller gärning än vad som kommer från denne Sheikh”. Därefter hälsade honom Ibn Mashish med orden: “Välkommen (och han nämnde hans namn och härkomst). Du kom till oss fattig på kunskap och gärning, och av oss tog du emot rikedomar från denna världen och nästa.”

Efter att ha vistats en tid i Ibn Mashish’s sällskap sände denne honom till Ifriqiya (Tunisien) ochg sade till honom: “Du kommer att bli denna tids qutb.” Abul Hasan drog sig tillbaka i en grotta i Zaghwan-beget nära byn Shadhila som ligger mellan Tunis och Qairwan. År 640 H. kom han sedan ned till staden Tunis. Han bosatte sig i al-Balad (vid “den kakelprydda moskén”) och började kalla människor till Allah. Han stannade i flera år i Tunis, och det var där han för första gången träffade den man som skulle bli hans efterträdare: Abu al-`Abbas al-Mursi. Imam Abul Hasan sade om honom: “Denne Abul `Abbas – så länge han känt Allah, har det aldrig funnits någon slöja som skilt honom från Allah. Om han så hade bett om en slöja, skulle han inte funnit någon.”

År 646 lämnade Imam Abul Hasan Tunis och bosatte sig i Alexandria i Egypten, där han sedan tillbragte resten av sitt liv. Han stred år 648 H (1250), tillsammans med sina följeslagare och andra `ulema och awlia, i slaget vid al-Masura, till försvar mot den franske kungen Louis’ korståg mot Egypten. I ett stort torn som hörde till stadsmuren inredde han bostäder till sin familj och sina följeslagare, en moské, gästrum, och utrymmen för undervisning. Bland dem som tog tariqa av honom befann sig många av hans samtida stora lärda, som `Izz al-Din ibn `Abd al-Salam, Ibn Daqiq al-Id, Makin al-Din al-Asmar, `Abd Allah al-Laqqani och många andra. Sammanlagt fostrade han 40 murider till rättfärdiga och värdiga bärare av tariqan, främst bland dem Abul `Abbas al-Mursi.

Imam Abul Hasan brukade göra hajj vartannat år. År 656 H (1258), några veckor efter det att Hulugu Jengis Khan hade skövlat Baghdad, stadde han sig på sin årliga hajj-resa. Denna gång bad han att en spade och en likskrud skulle packas i hans bagage. Hajj-rutten gick genom Damanhur, via Kairo, uppför Nilen till `Idfui övre (södra) Egypten, varifrån man korsade Röda Havet till Jeddah. Och Imam Abul Hasan gick bort i Humaythira i `Aydhab-öknen – enligt ett löfte han fått från Allah på en plats som aldrig vederfarits förtryck.

I “Lataif al-Minan” återberättas från Imam Abul Hasans son och vår mästare, Shihab al-Din Ahmad: “Sheykhen sade då han dog: ‘Sannerligen, jag tillfört denna väg, något som ingen annan kommit med,’ ” Hans kropp tvättades i Humaythiras vatten, som därefter blev välsmakande och överflödande och räckt till alla släcka törsten hos alla de ressällskap som gjort halt där sedan dess. Abu `AbdAllah ibn al-Nu`man, som brukade skriva dikter till Imam Abul Hasans ära, antyder detta i några diktrader:

“Efter hans död bevittnade jag hans underverk
Som tydligt framstår mot dem som förnekar hans upplysthet.”

Sheikh ibn `Ata Allah säger i Lata’if al-Minan: “Hans tariqa härstammar från Sheikh `Abd al-Salam ibn al-Mashish, och Sheikh `Abd al-Salam har sin härstamning från `Abd al-Rahman Sheikh al-Madani, osv. led efter led fram till al-Hasan ibn `Ali ibn Abi Talib, må allah finna behag i honom. Jag hörde vår Mästare Abu al-`Abbas säga: ‘Denna vår Väg härstammar inte fårn öster och inte från väster, utan den återförs led efter led till al-Hasan ibn `Ali ibn Abi Talib, må allah finna behag i honom, som var den förste Qutben.’ ”

“Han brukade nämna sin Sheikh, och avstå från att framhålla sina egna meriter, till en dag en person sade till honom: ‘Mästere, vi hör dig säga: “Sheikhen sade”, och det är sällan du tillskirver dig själv något.’ Sheikhen [Abul Hasan] sade då till honom: ‘Om jag med varje andetag ville säga: “Allah sade”, skulle jag sagt “Allah sade”; och om jag med varje andetag ville säga: “Allah’s Sändebud sade”, skulle jag säga “Allah’s Sändebud sade”; och om jag med varje andetag ville säga: “Jag sade”, skulle jag säga “Jag sade”. Men jag säger “Sheikhen sade” och låter bli att nämna mig själv av adab gentemot honom.’ ”

Han efterlämnade inga skrifter – han brukade säga: “Mina följeslagare är min böcker” – men det finns ett stort antal brev från den korrespondens han upprätthöll med sina följeslagare i Tunis. Dessa brev är värdefulla dokument för den som vill förstå hans lära. De genomsyras av den kärlek han hyste för sin följeslagare – ja han såg det som sin uppgift som Sheikh att vara en fader och fostrare (rabib) för dem, han kände dem mycket nära och hyste en intim vänskap med dem var de än befann sig. En del av dessa brev sammanställdes av en av Imamens tunisiska följeslagare, Muhammad ibn al-Sabbagh, i boken “Durrat al-Asrar”.

Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn `Ayyad berättar [2/ Al-Mafakhir]:
Ett år då Sheikhen (Abul Hasan) stadde sig till Hajj-resa, var det uppror mot Kairos härskare, så denne var upptagen med att kväsa upprorsrörelsen och försåg inte (de hajj-resande) med några skyddstrupper. Sheikhen lämnade sitt tält och gav sig av, och folk följde honom. Folk samlades kring Qadin `Izz al-Din ibn `Abd al-Salam och frågade honom angående resan. Denne sade: Det är inte tillåtet att resa utan skyddstrupper när det råder fara. Sheikhen uderrättades om detta och sade då: Låt mig träffa (qadin), så ett möte anordnades i moskén samma fredag. (Sheikhen) sade till (qadin): “O faqih, om det finns någon, för vilken världen inte är mer än ett enda språng, anser du då att det är tillåtet för honom att resa trots faran eller ej?” (Qadin) sade: “Den som befinner sig på den nivån omfattas inte av fatwan.” Sheikhen sade då: “Vid Allah – ingen gud finns utom Han – jag tillhör dem, för vilka världen inte är mer än ett enda språng, och om jag ser något som utgör en fara för folk, för jag dem med ett steg till trygghet, Du vet lika väl som jag vilken ställning vi har inför Allah den Upphöjde, den Majestätiske. Du må därför be mig bekräfta sanningen i vad jag sagt.”

(Sheikhen) – må Allah finna behag i honom – reste, och på vägen framträdde många underverk. Ett av dem var t.ex. att tjuvar kom till karavanen under natten. När de befann sig mitt i karavanen reste sig runt omkring dem murar som hindrade dem från att komma ut, precis som om de befann sig i en befäst stad. På morgonen kom de til Sheikhen med ånger och omvände sig till Allah den Upphöjde.

Vid återkomsten till Cairo kom Qadin dem tillmötes och folk berättade om vad de hade sett av Allah’s underverk, Väl inne i staden avlade Qadi `Izz al-Din besök hos Sheikhen, och denne sade till honom: “O faqih, vore det inte av artighet inför min förfader, Allah’s Sändebud, välsignelser och fred vare med honom, skulle jag på `Arafat-dagen ha tagit karavanen till `Arafat-berget i ett enda språng.” Muftin svarade: “Jag tror på Allah.” Sheikehn fortsastte: “O faqih `Izz al-Din, se här bekräftelsen av det jag sagt.” Så sträckte han ut sin välsignade högra hand mot Qibla, och alla som var närvarande såg i denna stund Ka`ba framför sig, och folk ropade högt av häpnad. Qadin sänkte sitt huvud inför (Sheikhen ) och sade: “Min Mästare, från dendda stund är du min Sheikh.” Sheiken svarade honom: “Du är min broder, insha’Allah.” Må Allah den Upphöjde finna behag i dem.

I “Lata’if al-Minan” berättas förljande:

En gång när Sheikh Abul Hasan återvände till Kairo från en hajj-resa, besökte han Sheikh `Izz al-Din `Abd al-Salam, innan han gick till sitt eget hem, och sade till honom: “Allah’s Sändebud, välsignelser och fred vare med honom, hälsar dig.” Sheikh `Izz al-Din kände då sin egen ringhet och att han inte var värd en sådan hälsning. Några dagar senare besökte han Imam Abul Hasan och fann i hans sällskap bl.a. Sheikh al-`Alam Ya-Sin, en av eleverna till Shiekh Muhiy al-Din Ibn al-`Arabi, som sade: Vi är mycket glada över det vi fått höra. Det är inte många nuförtiden som hälsas av Allah’s Sändebud.” Sheikh `Izz al-Din sade: “Må Allah dra en slöja över oss.” Då sade al-`Alam Ya Sin: “Må Allah dra undan slöjan så att sanningen blir tydlig.”

Någon sade till Imam Abul Hasan: “Ingenslans på jordens ytan finner man en mera lysande cirkel för (studiet av) rättslära än Sheikh `Izz al-Din `Abd al-Salam’s, eller en mera lysande cirkel för att studiet av hadithkunskap soänSheikh Zaki al-Din `Abd al-`Azim’s, eller en mera lysande cirkel för att studiet av de (gudomliga) realiterna än din.” [Lata’if al-Minan]

Imam Abul Hasan brukade säga: “En Sheikh är inte den som leder till det som tröttar ut dig, utan den som leder dig till det som ger dig ro.” [Lata’if al-Minan]

Han sade: “Tecknet på att ens hjärta har befriats from kärlek till denna värld är att när han förvärvar jordiska egendomar, så använder han dem fritt, och när han förlorar dem upplever han en känsla av befrielse.” [Lata’if al-Minan]

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فيا ربِّ بالسرِّ الذي قد وهبتَه

* تمنُّ علينا بالمواهب والفطنْ

وما أحسن قول العارف سيدي علي بن عمر القرشي بن الميلق:

وقال بعضهم:

وقال آخر:

وقال آخر:

اِقرأ المزيد…

Search for a spiritual guide

From Kuhin: Tabaqat al-Shadhiliyya
Transl. bmk

He – may Allah be pleased with him – memorized the seven Qira´at in his home town of Banu al-Zarwal – a tribe known as people of ´iffa (descency) and richly provided with the blessings of Allah ta´ala. Then he went to study in the city of Fas – may Allah ta’ala protect it. It was  there that he met his first Sheikh, the great Sheikh and Gnostic al-Sharif Abul Hasan Sayyidi ´Aliyy knows as al-Jamal, may Allah make us benefit from him.

He used to visit the maqam of Mawlana Idris ibn Idris, may Allah be pleased with both of them. At his grave, he recited sixty silkat [khatams of the Quran], asking Allah to show him to a Guiding Sheikh. After concluding the sixtieth khatam, he cried copiously, so that his eyes became red. He left the maqam and passed by the Sharif Sayyidi Hamid, a grandson of the great Sheikh and Gnostic Mawlana ´Abd al-´Aziz al-Dabbagh [whose sayings are recorded in “al-Ibriz”], who said to him: “How come I see you in this state?” Sayyiduna Hamid urged him to speak, until he told him that he was in need of someone who would take his hand. Sayyiduna Hamid said: “I will lead you to him, provided you do not consult people of deficient opinion and dull intelligence about it”.

As al-Sharshiyy said in his poem ending on the letter Ra:
Ask only one who has Vision (basira)
who is free from [his own] desire, and is not deluded

Sayyiduna Sheikh ´Arabi al-Darqawi – may Allah santify his secret – relates:
“I then asked him: Who is he? He replied: He is the great Teacher of noble descent the Helper who gathers (al-Gauth al-Jami´), the wide Ocean, Abul Hasan Sayyidi ´Ali ibn ´Abd al-Rahman al-´Umarani, who is called “al-Jamal” – may Allah be pleased with him.

It was my habit never to embark on anything, great or small, without first [praying] the Istikhara of the Prophet (s). So that night, I asked Allah to guide me to the good (istikhara), while engrossed in [questions about] his attributes: What is he like? How would I meet him? – so that I did not sleep that night.

After praying the dawn prayer, I headed towards the Rumliyya (where his grave is now, and it is well known and visited) to visit [him there]. I knocked at the door, and there I found him tidying the zawiya, as he kept on doing that every day with his blessed hand, despite his hight age and sublime rank. He said: What do you want? I said: I want, o my Master, that you take my hand [and guide me] to Allah. He rose in front of me as an imposing figure. He made me doubt about my quest, concealing his state from me. He said: Who said that to you? Who has taken my hand [to guide me], that I could take yours? And he rebuked me and turned me away with angry words – all that in order to test my sincerity. So I turned away from him.

That night I again asked Allah to guide me to good (istikhara), I prayed the dawn prayer and again went to him in his zawiya. Again I found him busy tidying the zawiya – may Allah be pleased with him. I approached the door, and he opened for me, and I said: “Will you take my hand [and guide me] to Allah?”  He grasped my hand and said to me: Welcome! and made me enter into his place in the zawiya.

He was exceedingly glad at [seeing] me, exalted with happiness. I said to him: O my Master, how I have been seeking a Sheikh! He said to me: And how have I been seeking a sincere murid! He taught me the wird and said to me: Go and come back! So I would go and come every day, and he pointed out some of the poeple of Fas to me – may Allah preserve her (Fas) from all harm.”

He remained wtih his Sheikh for two years. When the great opening came to him and was firmly established in his hal, and Allah willed that he be of benefit to His servants, he released the rein of His Providence for him to move back from Fas to his country, the land of Banu Zarwal, where he is today. He then asked permission from his Sheikh to travel with his sons, and he gave him permissin – may Allah be pleased with him and make us benefit from him.
_____________________

Ref: Hasan b. Muhmmad al-Kuhan al-Fasi: Tabaqat al-Shadhiliyya al-Kubra

Introduction to The Dirqawi letters

Shaykh Ibn ‘Abbas, Sayyidi Ahmad ibn Muhammad az-Zagari al-Hasani, known as Ibn al-Khayyat, wrote concerning Sayyidna Moulay al-Arabi ad-Darqawi, as a way of introduction to Moulay al-Arabi’s Risala:

In the Name of Allah, the most Beneficient the most Merciful

Salutations and peace upon our master Muhammad and his family. Praise be to Allah who placed in every age one who calls to Allah and is a guide to the treatment of the sicknesses of the nafus and to the path of putting hearts right. Whoever answers his call is happy. Whoever is arrogant or shy continues with the hobbling-cord of his sickness. SubhannAllah! He purifies the hearts of whomever He wills of His slaves and makes them Imams in the path of guided conduct. They travel on the Path to Allah and they recognize its states. They have insight into the machinations of the nafs. They know its actions. Their Master has guided them to His Path after much strivng. Their selves have been put to rest after struggle and suffering. They have drawn near to their Master with sincere intention and their Master has drawn near to them as befits the sublime essence.

These are the letters of the Sheikh, the Imam, the Ghawth who benefits the elite and the common, the famous wali and great siddiq, the perfect realized gnostic, the one who has arrived, who is drown

ed in the sea of Tawhid, utterly crushed and annihilated in the immensity of the sublime essence, who is firmly established and firmly rooted, the lofty mountain which joins the shari’at of our master Muhammad and the haqqiqa, bewildered in every station of his realization, the Cave of mankind and the shelter of the elite and common. He is the sign, ayyat, of the Merciful and the rarity of the age, the word of Allah from His direct presence, and the shelter of His resplendent tajalli-manifestati on. He is the Sharif ad-Darqawi al-Hasani, the teacher, endowed with noble qualities, our lord and master al-Arabi, may Allah give us the beneift of his baraka and send banck some of his fragrant breeze to us. He is loved by those from who the veils have been lifted and from whom others are distant. The cosmos is crushed and annihilated in their eyes since they see He is One, the Conqueror. What contemplation it is! How sweet it is! What a station it has! How high they are!

Regarding his letters, it is a drink which is clear and pure for the thirsty. All examinations agree that the knowledge of their author is an overflowing sea. In them are the commands and words of the shari’at of Muhammad, and the sunnah and actions of the tariqa, and the secrets and states of the reality, Haqqiqa.

Oh brother (and sister)! Grab on to them and act according to them. Take on their character. All that there is in them is the shari’at of the master of the Messengers, peace and blessings of Allah upon him and his family, the path of the wayfarers, indications of the realized gnostics who have arrived, and the estasies of the beloved lovers. They, like their author, are well-known and famous in every land. They are spread out as this Darqawi Tariqa is spread out, the group of the dutifully obedient, may Allah have mercy upon all of them (those of the past, the future, and the current brotherhood) .

I said: Moulay al-Arabi ad-Darqawi, the author of these letters, may Allah be well pleased with him, was the answer for this world in the heart of the sources. How many people who had blind eyes, heedless hearts, and ears deaf to perception of the divine presence were opened by Allah at his hand, and the hand of his companions and heirs after him! They were not aware and now their hearts have found a nest and their spirits a residence, may Allah profit us by their baraka.

–––––

References

Damas Cultural Society © 2007

He was `Abd al-Salam ibn Sulayman, known as Ibn Mashish, whose lineage goes back to Sayyiduna Idris, the founder of the city of Fas and descended of Sayyiduna al-Hasan, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (sallAllah aleihi wa sallam)…

1. From Damas Cultural Society
2. From Kuhin: Tabaqat Al-Shadhiliyya
3. From dar-sirr.com

Sayyidi Mawlaya `Abd al-Salam Ibn Mashish al-Hasani al-Idirisi
Compiled by bmk / Damas Cultural Society © 2008 – original page

He was `Abd al-Salam ibn Sulayman, known as Ibn Mashish, whose lineage goes back to Sayyiduna Idris, the founder of the city of Fas and descended of Sayyiduna al-Hasan, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (sallAllah aleihi wa sallam). He was was born around 559 or 563 H. in a village on the `Alam mountain near Titwan, an ancient city in the region of Habt (Ghumara) in northern Maghrib, where one of his forefathers came to settle among the Berbers. He studied the Quran and Maliki law under the Idrisite sharifs of Banu Arus, in addition to prominent Sufi scholars such as Sidi Salem of Qabilat Bani Yusuf and sharif Sidi al-Hajj Ahmed Aqatran Asalani of Qabilat Bani Abraj, near modern Taza. He supported himself by the work of his own hands, tillign the earth. ² For some time he lived for some time in Sabta, teaching Quranic recitation to children. He and waged jihad , fighting with the Almohad army in al-Andalus. ³

His Lineage²
He was `Abd al-Salam b. Sulayman ibn Abi Bakr b. `Ali al-`Alami b. Buharma b. `Isa b. Salam al.-`Arus b. Ahmad Mazwâr b. `Ali Haydara b. Muhammad b. Idris al-Thani b. Idris al-Awwal b. `Abd Allah al-Kamil b. al-Hasan al.Muthanna b. al-Hasan al-Sibt b. `Ali b. Abi Talib and Fatima al-Zhara daughter of the Messenger of Allah Muhammad b. `Abd Allah – salllAllah `aleihi wa sallam.

His Spiritual Path
He took the spiritual sciences from `Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Husayn al-`Attar, a spice merchant from the city of Sabta, who was called “az-Zayyat” or “al-Madani” because he resided in the oil sellers’ quarter of Medina (where his tomb is still found). His first encounter with Sheikh `Abd al-Rahman al-`Attar took place when he was at the age of seven. He was in a state of jadhb (spriritual attraction) when the Sheikh came to him, dsiplaying the signs of the people of Allah, and said to him: “I am your Sheikh”. He fortold him of his rank, his spiritual states, and mentioned each of his maqams one by one. Then he said: “I am your intermediary (wâsita) in every state and maqam”. ¹

The last twenty years of his life Sayyidi Ibn Mashish devoted to worship and contemplation on the heights of Jabal al-`Alam (Flag Mountain), a period which culminated in his encounter with his only disciple, the fellow Idrisite Imam Abul Hasan Shadhili (d. 656 H.)

From him the al-Salat al-Mashishiyya, on which the Wazhifa of Imam Abul Hasan al-Shadhili is based.

His Passing
He died as a martyr year 622 H., when he Spanish, led by their missionary Ibn Abi Tawajin Laktami, headed to Jabal al-Alam and killed the Shaykh in the very place where he initiated Imam Abul Hassan Shadhili. He was buried on the moutain.

Sources

© Damas Cultural Society 2007 — Updated 2008, 2010 — Latest update: 2017-05-19
Original page: damas-original.nur.nu

Ibn Mashish

t.b.d.

The origin of Banu ‘Arus
From Dar-Sirr³

Upon the death of Sidna al-Imam Moulay Idriss II, he left twelve sons, who were sent throughout Morocco by their grandmother Kanza to proliferate the Idrissi-Hassanid sharifism. One Idrissite imam, however, became through his descendents an important figure in the development of the sharifian paradigm of sainthood. Moulay Ali ‘Haydara, a grandson of Moulay Idriss II, received the bay’a as Imam and ruler of Fez in 221/836. When he failed to designate his infant son Moulay Ahmed Mizwar as his successor before his own death in 234/849, the Idrissite imamate passed into the hands of his cousins, the descendents of Moulay Omar ibn Moulay Idriss II, who lived in the regions of Habt and Ghumara in northern Morocco.

After being passed over for the imamate, Moulay Ahmed Mizwar became disenchanted with politics and devoted himself to a life of worship and asceticism. Sometime before the turn of the tenth century, or just before the Idrissite state became a bone of connection between the Fatimids of Ifriqiya and the Umayyads of Spain, he moved from Fez to northern Morocco and established himself at Hajar an-Nasr (Escarpment of the Eagle), a fortes situated in the Habt region among the Sanhaja Berber tribes of Ahl Sarif, Banu Yusuf, and Sumata. As his nickname, Mizwar (Berber. lion or leader) implies, this great grandson of Moulay Idriss II was adopted as a spiritual leader by the tribes who lived near his mountaintop stronghold. According to local tradition, when the chiefs of these tribes asked Moulay Ahmed Mizwar to delegate a member of his family to join them and favour them with the baraka of the Prophet Sidna Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) he chose his son Abdessalam (known locally as “Sidi Sellam”). As a means of honouring the young sharif, who had recently married, the tribesman renamed themselves “Banu Arus” (Sons of the Bridegroom), the appellation by which they are known today. For the next seven generations, the descendents of Sidi Sellam established themselves among the Berbers of Banu Arus while maintaining a reputation for holiness that was based almost exclusively on their Hassanid descent.

Birth and childhood Moulaya Abdus-Salam Ibn Mashish
Around the year 530/1135-6, a child named Sulayman, but later named “Mashish” (Ber. Little Cat”), was born to a sharif of the Bani Arus known as Abu Bakr ibn Ali. Upon reaching maturity, Sulayman Mashish withdrew from the world as an ascetic and built a hermitage that still stands among the ruins of his natal village of Aghyul.

In either 559/1146 or 563/1148, he sired a son named Moulay Abdessalam, who would become the patron saint of Moroccan Sufism. According to sources, Moulay Abdessalam became a Fool of God (Majdoub) at the age of 7, when a man, with righteousness on his face, entered on him to a cave and said: “I am your master who initiate you (amudduka)”.

His life
Mawlana Abu Mohammed Moulay Abdessalam Ibn Mashish lived for sixty-three years, the same lifespan as of the prophet Sidna Mohammed, peace and blessing be upon him. During this period, his career passed through three distinct faces. First, he was a scholar and studied the Quran and Maliki jurisprudence under the Idrissite sharifs of Banu Arus in addition to prominent Sufi-scholars such as Sidi Salem of Qabilat Bani Yusuf and sharif Sidi al-Hajj Ahmed Aqatran Asalani of Qabilat Bani Abraj, near modern Taza. Later, he was a mujahid, a defender of the faith, and lived in Sabta, where he supported himself by teaching Quranic recitation to children and fought with the Almohad army in al-Andalus. Finally, after embracing Sufism, he devoted the last twenty years of his life to worship and contemplation on the heights of Jabal al-Alam (Flag Mountain), a period which culminated in his encounter with his only disciple, the fellow Idrissite and founder of the Shadhiliya Sufi order, Sidi Abul Hassan Shadhili (d. 656/1241). Moulay Abdessalam was martyred in 622/1207 after the Spanish, led by their missionary Ibn Abi Tawajin Laktami, headed to Jabal al-Alam and killed the Shaykh in the very place where he initiated Abul Hassan Shadhili. His tomb on Jabal al-Alam is the first visited shrine in Northern Morocco.

The Mine of Light – معدن الأنوار →
The secrets of the Mashishiyya Prayer – أسرار الصلاة المشيشية
The Virtues of Moulay AbdusSalam Ibn Mashish – مولاي عبد السلام ابن مشيش

The Mashishi Prayer

t.b.d.

From dar-sirr.com³

Photos from Jabal ´Alam: Noor Lesley Petrie

Jabal ´Alam – The well a the foot of the mountain where Sayyiduna Imam Abul Hasan washed before meeting Sayyiduna Ibn Mashish

Biography

t.b.d.
From Kuhin: Tabaqat al-Shadhiliyya

Ref: Hasan b. Muhmmad al-Kuhan al-Fasi: Tabaqat al-Shadhiliyya al-Kubra

[1]
[2]
wiki

From alaw1934

From ghrib.net

Letters

From ghrib.net and others

From aljounaid.ma

Sayings

From shadiliamashishia

From karkariya
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His full name was Shihāb al-Dīn A$mad ibn ‘Umar ibn ‘Alī al-Khazraji al-Balansi whose noble lineage is traced back to the great companion Sa’ad ibn ‘Ubadā al-’An.arī. He was known by the agnomen Abu’l‘Abbās and by the nickname al-Mursī after the place he was born – Mursia. His grandfather was Qays ibn Sa’ad, the leader of Egypt before our master Imam ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib in 36H. Our master Abu’l ‘Abbās al-Mursī was born in the city of Mursia in Andalusia in the Islamic year 616H [1219 AD]. His father worked there and sent his son to a teacher to study the Majestic Qur’ān and to understand the commands of the religion. Abu’l‘Abbās memorised the entire Quran in one year and went on to study the principles of Jurisprudence, reading and writing. …

Sayyiduna Abul Abbas al-Mursi (d. 686/1288)
He is the imam of the circle of those truly realized, the qutb of the elite, the treasury of saints, and the vanguard of those brought nigh. He was endowed with the pure saintly miracles and resplendently lofty feats. He is the realized exemplar, Sidi Abu’l-Abbas Ahmad al-Mursi al-Ansari al-Shadhili,¹ may Allah be pleased with him and benefit us by his knowledges, amin.

He was one of the greatest knowers of Allah. He was the only one to inherit the [complete] knowledge of al-Shadhili, and the most esteemed disciple to have taken the path from him.

Al-Mursi did not bequeath any books, saying: ‘The sciences of this group are sciences of realization, and these sciences are not grasped by the intellects of the commonality among creation.’ His own guide, Abul-Hasan al-Shadhili — may his secret be sanctified — would say: ‘My companions are my books’. He also said:

Al-Shadhili would exhort Zaki al-Din al-Aswani with the words, ‘O Zaki al-Din, you must stick to Abul-Abbas. By Allah, there is no Friend of Allah save that Allah has manifested him to Abul-Abbas. OZaki, Abul-Abbas is the perfected man!’ Ustadh

Abul-Abbas would say about himself: ‘By Allah, the saints and the substitutes [abdal] travel around Mount Qaf² until they meet someone like us. When they meet him, he enriches them.’

He would teach other sciences and say: ‘We have participated in the disciplines of the jurists, yet they have not participated in what we [the Sufis] are engaged in.’

He was the pivot of gnoses and secrets, and their illumining sun. Had you heard his speech you would have said, ‘This is the speech of someone whose homeland is nothing but Allah’s invisible reality. He is more knowledgeable about news of the celestials than the news of the terrestials.’

He would only speak about the Greatest Intellect, the Supreme Name and its four branches, the Names, the Letters, the Circles of Saints, the stations of those endowed with certainty and the possessions of the ones brought near the Throne, the sciences of secrets, the spiritual help of formulas of remembrance, the Day of the Decrees, the matter of self-direction [tadbir], the science of the beginning, the science of volition [mashi’ a], the matter of the divine grasp [qabda] and the men singled out for that, the sciences of segregated devotion [ifrad], and Allah’s acts vis-à-vis His slaves set to occur on the Day of Rising.

He would say: ‘By Allah, were it not for the weakness of intellects, I would inform you of what is going to take place tomorrow by God’s mercy.’

He would grab his beard and say, ‘By Allah, if the people of Iraq and the Levant knew what lay beneath these hairs, they would come crawling to it.’

He would say:
“For forty years I have not been veiled from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ even for the blinking of an eye, and had that occurred I would not have counted myself from the Muslims.”

His worldly abstinence [zuhd] reached such an extent that he spent thirty six years in Alexandria without ever seeing the face of its governor or sending him any message. One day, the governor of the city sought to have a meeting with him, but al-Mursi refused, saying, ‘By Allah, I will meet Allah without seeing him.’ It was as he stated. Rulers and kings would come to visit him, but spiritual contraction [qabd] would seize him and he would not find respite while in their company.

He would say:
“By Allah, nothing unlawful ever entered my stomach.’ If he happened to stretch a hand towards something of dubious lawfulness, sixty of his veins would throb and his fingers would emit a light.”

He was gifted the ability to speak in foreign languages and dialects. He would reside in the Muqassam district in Cairo. Every night he would go to Alexandria, listen to the lesson of Abul-Hasan [al-Shadhili], and then return to Cairo.’³ He would say: ‘Allah caused me to witness the angels prostrating to Adam, peace upon him, so I took my share (of knowledge) from that, and so I have declaimed:

He has — may Allah have mercy on him — many sayings, which have been presented in Lata’if al-Minan. O Allah, sustain us and our dear ones by his spiritual help [madad], and benefit us by his blessings, Amin.

His death — may Allah have mercy on him — took place in AH 686. He was buried in his mosque in Alexandria. His tomb is famous among Egyptians, young and old. Both leaders and paupers seek intercession through him. O Allah, benefit us through him, amin.

Footnotes:

Sheikh Abul ´Abbas Shihab al-Din Ahmad ibn `Umar al-Ansari al-Mursi var efterträdare till Imam Abul Hasan al-Shadhili. Trots att han till det yttre inte liknade sin Sheikh, liknande han honom till sitt sätt och till sitt beteende till den grad att folk inte kunde skilja mellan honom och Imam Abul Hasan.

Sheikh Abul `Abbas al Mursi sade:

“Imam Abul Hasan sade till mig: ‘Abul `Abbas, jag har tagit dig till min lärjunge endast för att du ska bli jag och jag du.’ ” [1/ p. 116]

Hans efterträdare var sedan Ibn `Ata Allah al-Sakandari, som skrivit många kända böcker, t.ex. Al-Hikam (Visdomsord). Han var den förste som dokumenterade sina föregångares liv och uttalanden. Nedan några utdrag ur hans bok Lata’if al-Minan.

Hur Sheikh Abul `Abbas al-Mursi mötte sin Mästare Imam Abul Hasan al-Shadhili

Shaikh Abu al Abbas berättade för Ibn `Ata Allah, enligt Lata’if al-Minan :
“När jag var i Tunisien, sedan jag kommit från Murcia – jag var då en ung man – hörde jag talas om Sheikh Abul Hasan al-Shadhili. En man sade till mig: ‘Vill du komma med mig för att träffa honom?’ Jag svarade: ‘När jag sökt Allah’s vägledning i denna sak.’ När jag sov den natten, såg jag mig själv i en vision, där jag steg upp mot en bergstopp. När jag nådde toppen såg jag där en man klädd i en grön burnus. Han satt med en man på sin högra sida och en annan på sin vänstra. Jag såg på honom och han sade: ‘Du har funnit denna tids khalifa.’ Jag vaknade, och sedan jag bett morgonbönen kom mannen som bjudit in mig för att besöka Sheikhen och jag gick med honom. När vi kom in för att träffa Sheikhen, fann jag honom till min förundran sittande på samma bänk som jag sett honom på på bergstoppen. Sheikhen sade till mig: ‘Du har funnit denna tids khalifa. vad heter du?’ Jag nämnde mitt namn och min härstamning för honom, och han sade till mig: ‘Du lyftes upp till mig för tio år sedan’.” [1/ p. 97]

Abul `Abbas al-Mursi berättar om hur Allah gav Imam Abul Hasan befäl över havet

Sheikh Abu al Abbas berättade:
“Jag var med Sheiken på `Idhab-sjön. Vi ansattes av hårda vindar och båten hade fått en läcka. Sheikhen sade då:´’Jag såg himlarna öppna och två änglar som steg ned. En av dem sade: “Moses är mer kunnig än al-Khidr,” medan den andres sade “Al-Khird är mer kunnig än Moses,” ytterligare en ängel nedsteg och sade: “Sannerligen, det al-Khidr vet mer än Moses är inte mer än det härågeln känner till av Solomos kunskap då han sade: ‘Jag har fått reda på sådant du inte fått reda på.” ‘ Jag förstod då att Allah skulle föra oss säkert till vårt mål, eftersom Han gett Moses befäl över havet. ” [1/ p. 100]

Sheikh Abul `Abbas berättar [för Sheikh Ibn `Ata Allah, i Lataif al-Minan] :
“Vi var på en resa tillsammans med Sheihen [Abul Hasan] det år han dog. När vi kom till Khanim, sade Sheiken till mig: Jag såg mig själv i en häftig storm på havet. Vinden piskade, vågorna hävde sig, båten sprang läck och vi var nära att dränkas. Jag närmade mig då båtens reling och sade: ´”O hav, om du har befallts att lyssna och lyda mig – all nåd tillhör Allah, den All-Hörande, den All-Vetande. Men om du befallts något annat, så ligger domslutet hos Allah, den Allsmäktige, den Vise ” Jag hörde då havet säga: “Jag lyssnar och jag lyder.” – Sheikhen dog och vi begravde honom i Humaythira i `Idhab-öknen. Efter det begav jag mig på en annan resa. Vi befann oss mitt i en häftig storm, vi var långt ute till havs, Vinden piskade, vågorna hävde sig, båten sprang läck och vi var nära att dränkas. Vid den tiden hade jag glömt Sheikhens ord, men när situationen blev allvarlig mindes jag dem. Jag närmade mig då båtens reling och sade: ´’O hav, om du har befallts att lyssna och lyda Allah’s Vänner – all nåd tillhör Allah, den All-Hörande, den All-Vetande. (Jag sade inte: lyssna och lyda mig, som Sheikhen sagt.) Men om du befallts något annat, så ligger domslutet hos Allah, den Allsmäktige, den Vise.’ Jag hörde då havet säga: ‘Jag lyssnar och jag lyder.’ Havet blev då stilla och den återstående resan var behaglig.” [1/ p. 99]

——–
Referenser & källtexter
[1] Lata’if al-Minan

Şeyh Ebu’l Abbas el-Mursi Hazretleri (-h.686)
Referans: Tabakat el-Şaziliyye el-Kubra, Muhammed bin Kasım el-Kuhin

Tahkik ehlinin imamı, ruhlarını saflaştırmışların kutbu, evliyanın hazinesi, Allah’a yakınlaşmış olanların önde gelenlerindendir. Açık kerametlerin ve apaçık ali marifetin sahibi, muhakkik rehber Şeyh Ebu’l Abbas el-Mursî el-Ensârî eş-Şâzîlî Hazretleri, Allah Teala ondan razı olsun ve bizi onun ilmi ile faydalandırsın, Amin.

O (r.ah) ariflerin büyüklerindendi. Ondan başka Ebu’l Hasan Şazili Hazretleri’nin (r.ah)  ilmini miras alan yoktur. O, Şazili Hazretleri’nden tarikatı alanların en seçkinidir.

Şeyh, herhangi bir kitap kaleme almamıştır. Derdi ki: “Bu taifenin bilgileri tahkik ilmidir ve avam kişilerin akılları bu bilgileri kavrayamaz.” Aynı şekilde şeyhi Ebu’l Hasan Şazili Hazretleri de (kuddise sırruh): “Benim kitaplarım, ashabımdır.” demiştir.

Şazili Hazretleri, Şeyh Ebu’l Abbas el-Mursi hakkında şöyle söylemiştir:

“Gerçekten o Şazili ilminin varisidir

O kutuptur ki onu iyi tanıyın, O biriciktir”

Şazili Hazretleri, Şeyh Zekiyyuddin el-Asvani’ye şöyle öğütlemiştir: “Ey Zekiyuddin, Ebu’l Abbas’a sıkıca yapış. Zira Allah’a yemin olsun, Allah’ın hiçbir velisi yoktur ki, Allah mutlaka onu Ebu’l Abbas’a bildirmesin. Ey Zeki, Ebu’l Abbas kamil bir zâttır.”

Şeyh Ebu’l Abbas Hazretleri kendisi hakkında şöyle derdi: “Allah’a yemin olsun ki, Allah dostları ve abdallar bize benzeyen biri ile karşılaşana dek Kaf Dağı’ndan Kaf Dağı’na yolculuk ederler! Böyle kimse ile karşılaştıklarında, o zat onları manevi hazineleri ile zengin eder.”

Ebu’l Abbas Hazretleri diğer ilimler konusunda da söz sahibi idi ve şöyle derdi: “Bizler fıkıh alimlerine ilimlerinde ortak olduk; fakat onlar bizim ilmimizde bize ortak olamadılar.”

O, marifet ve sırlar ilminin dayanağı ve parlayan güneşiydi. Onun konuşmalarını dinlediğinde: “Bu ilmin vatanı Allah’ın gaybi hakikatinden başka bir şey olamaz. Şeyh, göktekilerin haberlerini, yeryüzündekilerin haberlerinden daha iyi biliyor.” derdin.

Konuştuğu zaman sadece Akl-ı Ekber, İsm-i Azam ve onun dört şubesi, İsimler, Harfler, Evliya Daireleri, yakin sahiplerinin ve arşa yakınlaşanların makamları, sırlar ilmi, zikirlerin manevi yardımı, Hüküm Günü, tedbir mevzusu, başlangıç ilmi, Allah’ın iradesini konu alan ilim, ilahi kabza ve onun ricaline dair mevzular, ifrad ilmi ve kıyamet gününde Allah Teala’nın kullarıyla olacak olan münasebeti hakkında konuşurdu.

Ve şöyle derdi: “Allah’a yemin ederim ki, akıllar zayıf olmamış olsaydı Allah’ın rahmetiyle yarın nelerin olup meydana geleceğini anlatırdım.”

Ebu’l Abbas el-Mursi Hazretleri sakalını tutup şöyle buyururdu: “Allah’a yemin olsun, Irak ve Şam alimleri bu sakalın altında ne olduğunu bilmiş olsalardı yüzüstü sürünerek de olsa yanımıza gelirlerdi.”

Ebu’l Abbas el-Mursi Hazretleri yine şöyle buyurmuşlardır: “Kırk sene boyunca Rasulullah (sallallahu aleyhi ve sellem) ile arama bir an olsun perde girmemiştir. Eğer göz kırpacak kadar Rasulullah’tan ayrılmış olsam, kendimi Müslümanlardan saymazdım.”

Onun zühdü çok ileri bir düzeye ulaşmıştı, öyle ki otuz altı sene İskenderiye’de yaşadığı halde bir kere olsun şehrin valisinin yüzünü görmedi ve hiç kimseyi de ona göndermedi. Bir gün vali onunla buluşmak istemişti fakat o bunu geri çevirdi. Ve şöyle demişti: “Allah’a yemin olsun onu görmeden Allah ile buluşacağım.” Bu onun makamıydı. Emir ve sultanlar ona ziyaret maksadıyla gelirlerdi ancak onu bir kabz hali bürür ve onların aralarında genişlik bulamazdı.

Şeyh Hazretleri şöyle söylerdi: “Allah’a yemin olsun ki mideme hiç haram lokma girmedi.” Şüpheli bir şeye elini uzatacak olsa altmış damarı titreyip hareket eder ve parmaklarının arasından ışık parıldardı.

Kendisine pek çok farklı dilde konuşma becerisi verilmişti. Kahire’de Mukassem bölgesinde oturuyordu. Her gece İskenderiye’ye gelir, hocası Şeyh Ebu’l Hasan’ın dersini dinler sonra Kahire’ye geri dönerdi.

Şeyh şöyle demiştir: “Allah bana Hz. Adem (a.s)’e secde eden melekleri müşahede ettirdi. Ben de o (ilimden) payıma düşeni aldım. Bir de baktım ki şu kasideyi okuyorum:

“Suretim eridi, fena halimin sıdkı tamam olduğunda

Semamın güneşi tecelli etti sırlarda

Alemlere indim ve olundu ifşa

Saklanmış olan o Sıfatlarda bendekilerden sonra”

Şeyhin buna benzer birçok sözü “Letâifu’l Minen” adlı eserde yer almaktadır.

Ey Allah’ım, bize ve sevdiklerimize onun mededi ile imdad eyle ve onun bereketi ile bize fayda ver… Amin.

Şeyh Hazretleri Hicri 686 senesinde vefat etmiştir. İskenderiye’deki camisine defnedilmiştir. Makamı Mısır halkı arasında meşhur olmuştur, büyük-küçük herkes onu bilir ve hükümdarı da fakiri de onunla Allah’a tevessül eder.

Allah’ım onun yoluyla bize fayda ver. Amin.

He is the proof of gnostics, the shaykh of those who have arrived, the imam of instruction, and the mentor of worshippers and ascetics. He is the qutb and ghawth who was endowed with the faculty of disposal in matters, the member of the supreme circle, the imam of imams, and the succour of this Community. He is the great saint and renowned luminary, Sidi Taj ad-Din Abu’l-´Abbas Ahmad b. ´Uqba al-Hadrami al-Yamani al-Wafa’i, may Allah Most High purify his lofty secret.

He conjoined between law and ultimate reality, and was a person of tremendous spiritual unveiling [kashf]. Magnificent wonders and splendid norm-breaking occurances came to pass for him. He was from the folk of the impregnable secret and the ghawth of his age, disposing over all existent.

His birth took place in the land of Hadramawt. He moved to Cairo in Egypt and took it up as his place of residence. He acquired knowledge of the Sufi path and received the lights of ultimate reality from his guide and mentor Sidi Mawlay al-Sharif Abu al-Siyadat Yahya al-Qadiri b. Wafa b. Sayyidi Shihab al-Din Ahmad b. Wafa, the son of the great qutb Sidi Abu’l-Tadani Muhammad Wafa.

Sayyidi Yahya, the noble scion [sharif] was from those regaled with divine bounty in abundance, and enjoyed acceptance by the elite and the commonality, clearly articulating and making plain what lay in the loci of intellection and comprehension. He was endowed with a Muhammadi station. Sayyidi Yahya — may Allah be pleased with him and may He please him — passed away on Wednesday, 8 Rabi’ II 857 H., and was buried next to his brother in the section reserved for his ancestors, our masters Banu al-Wafa. O Allah, benefit us by them and make us actualize the truth by following them submissively.

After Sidi Abu’l-´Abbas had taken the path from his spiritual guide, a mystical illumination was granted to him. As a result, people approached him and sought blessing by sitting in his presence. His followers multiplied and his benefit spread.

He was wont to attend the circles of knowledge of scholars, and they, in turn, attended his, until he became the peerless savant of his age, in knowledge and action, and in Word and spiritual state alike.

What occured to his disciple, Sidi Ahmad Zarruq, is an example of the momentuous events and intuitions that transpired fort he shaykh. It took place when Sidi Ahmad Zarruq arrived from Morocco. Our master Abu’l-‘Abbas said to his students, ‘Let us go to Bulaq [1] to meet your Moroccan brother’, to which they then set out and arrived at marina. There, they saw Ustadh Ahmad Zarruq alighting from the boat he had travelled on, and who then met with our master Abu’l-‘Abbas. He informed the latter of what had occured to him in the company pf ‘Abdullah al-Makki. [2] Our master Abu’l-‘Abbas said to him: ‘What you received from him was fine; there is no harm in that.’ He then took Sidi Ahmad Zarruq with him to Cairo, instructed him in knowledge of Sufi covenants and litanies, and entered him into the solitary retreat [khalwa]. Sidi Ahmad remained therein for a number of days until our master Abu’l-‘Abbas, while sitting in a circle of instruction with his disciples, stretched our his hand and screamed. He then instructed his students, saying, ‘Go to your Moroccan brother, since the blind serpent has caused the solitary retreat to crush down on him.’ (He said this is a reference to ‘Abdullah al-Makki, who was a blind man.) His students hastened to the place our master Zarruq’s retreat, and found the debris [of the building] upon him. They took him out safely from under the building, with nothing harmful befalling him by the permission of Allah Most High. The hand of our master Abu’l-‘Abbas, however, broke in the process. He said to Zarruq, ‘Allah rescued you from this blind bane, and he no longer has any authority ober you.’ Our master ‘Abdullah al-Makki had in fact stretched out his hand to dispose of our master Ahamad Zarruq from the city of Fez, out of his jealous attachment [ghayra] to him, and consequently wrecked the solitary retreat for him. Allah, however, delivered him through the blessing of our liege Abu’l-‘Abbas, and guarded him from his former guide.

Many other saintly miracles and astonishing spiritual unveilings sprung forth from him.

Our master Abu’l-´Abbas al-Hadrami – may Allah be well satisfied with him – died in Cairo sometime after AH 800, and was laid to rest in the greater Shadhili graveyard. O Allah, support us and our dear ones by his spiritual sustentation and benefit us through him and his secrets, amin.

Footnotes:

1. From Kuhin: Tabaqat al-Shadhiliyya View book | Download | Read chapter [31] online

2. From msobieh.com

Book by Imam Ahmad Zarruq: Manaqib al-Hadrami
about his Shaikh, Sayyidi Ahmad b. ‘Uqbah al-Hadrami
Series: السلسلة الزروقية؛ 4.
Publisher: القاهرة: دارة الكرز، 2008
Edition: ط1.
Description: 95ص؛ 24×17سم.
ISBN: 978-977-462-016-4.
Ref: Bookinfo | Darat al-Karaz, Twitter

He is the succour of the elect, the qutb of saints, the great imam, and the illustrious scholar. He is the spiritual guide who trained novices and guided wayfarers to the Presence of the Divine. He is Sidi Sharaf al-Din Abu Sulayman Dawud b. Makhila al-Iskandari al-Shadhili, also known as al-Bakhili. [1]

He was a scholar steeped in knowledge and was among those with far-reaching impact on matters. He had the upper hand when it came to disposal of affairs in creation.

Despite being unlettered, he possessed mastery in both the outward and inward sciences. He authored extraordinary books, elucidating Sufi states, secrets, sciences and stations. They include ‘Uyun al-Haqa’iq and al-Latifat al-Mardiyya fi Sharh al-Du’a’ al-Shadhiliyya. He also wrote a commentary on Imam al-Shadhili’s Hizb al-Barr (also known as Al-Hizb al-Kabir – The Grand Invocation), and Hizb al-Bahr.

At the beginning of his affair, he was a police officer who served at the governor’s residence in Alexandria. Sitting opposite the governor, the shaykh would share a gesture with him so he may infer the accused’s guilt or innocence. If he hinted that the accused was innocent, the governor would acquit him and pardon him, but if he hinted the opposite, the governor would exact retaliation against the accused and treat him accordingly.

He was an ascetic who applied scrupulousness in matters of the din. Saints blossomed in his courtyard the way crops sprout forth from the earth. It should suffice us as an indicator to his virtues that his student was Sidi Muhammad Wafa al-Shadhili. Had nothing else been recorded in his favour, this would have been enough.

He died in Alexandria in about AH 730 [2] His mausoleum attracts visitors. The daily prayers take place in his mosque.

0 Allah, benefit us by love for him, and make us tread his spiritual path, amin.

Footnotes:
[1] See his biography in al-A’lam (2/333) and in Tabaqat al-Shadhiliyyat al-Kubra by Muhyi al-Din (p. 146).
[2] In al-A’am (2/333) and Kashf (p. 661), the year of his death is given as AH 732.

Ref: youm7.com

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Brief Biography

Ibn Ata’ Allah al-Iskandari was born in the middle of the 7th century AH/13th century CE and grew up in Alexandria during the Mamluk era. Although not much is known about his life, he had the best teachers in all branches of traditional sciences and became known as a great master of Islamic law of the Maliki School. His lifetime witnessed the great flourishing of several Sufi brotherhoods, including the Shadhiliyya, the Mawlawiyya, the Chishtiyya and the Ahmadiyya. His father was a student of Imam al-Shadhili, though it is unlikely he ever met him. Initially Ibn Ata’Allah was not so drawn to the Sufi path, preferring to concentrate his energies on jurisprudence. Yet, in spite of his early antipathies, he did become a disciple of Shaykh Abu ‘l-Abbas al-Mursi, (d. 686/1288). As his most important and principal work, the Hikam, attests, he had become a Sufi master in his own right, and was already a shaykh when al-Mursi died. He became the third great master of the Shadhiliyya order, which grew from Morocco and spread throughout North Africa and beyond. With his career as a scholar in Cairo under the Mamluks in full flourish, he died at around 60 years of age in 709 AH/ 1309 CE and was buried there in the Qarafa cemetery.

Biographical sketch of Ibn `Ata Allah al-Sakandari taken from the introduction to Ann Koury Danner’s translation of ‘The Key To Salvation’

Taj ad-Din Abu’l-Fadl Ahmad b.Muhammad b. Abd al-Karim b. Ata’illah as Sakandari, al-Judhami ash-Shadhili, known simply as Ibn Ata’illah as-Sakandari, was born in Alexandria, Egypt, as his family tree (nisbah) indicates, about the middle of the seventh [AH] /thirteenth [CE] century. His family were renowned Maliki scholars from the Banu Judham tribe, originally from Arabia. His grandfather, Abd al-Karim (d. 612 AH/1216 AD) had distinguished himself as an expert in Fiqh, usul (principles of jurisprudence), and Arabic, having studied under the famous Abu’l-Hasan al-Abyari. He had written several books, among which were al-Bayin wa’t-Taqrib fi Sharh at-Tahdhib, Mukhtasar at-Tahdhib, and Mukhtasar al-Mufassal, and had been very hostile to Sufism.

On the other hand, Ibn Ata’illah’s father Muhammad (death date unknown) seems to have been of a different mind and although a Faqih (scholar), he was also the disciple of the great Sufi Shaykh Abu’l-Hasan ash-Shadhili (593-656AH/1197-1258AD), the founder of the Shadhili Sufi order.

As a youth, Ibn Ata’illah received a traditional Islamic education in such disciplines as Qur’anic recitation, Hadith (Prophetic tradition), Tafsir (Qur’anic commentary), grammar, usul, philosophy, belles-lettres, and Fiqh (jurisprudence) under some of the best and most illustrious teachers of Alexandria, in addition no doubt, to the instruction given him by his own family.

Ironically, in spite of his father’s attachment to the Shadhili master Abu’l-Hasan, Ibn Ata’illah was initially rather hostile to Sufism much like his grandfather, as he himself admits in his book Lata’if al-Minan, but not for any definite reason. In fact, what precipitated his meeting with Shaykh Abu’l-Abbas al-Mursi, the successor of Shaykh Abu’l-Hasan was an argument with one of al-Mursi’s disciples. Consequently, Ibn Ata’illah decided to see for himself who this man was after all, ‘a man of Truth has certain signs that cannot be hidden’. He found him holding forth on such lofty spiritual matters that he was dazzled. Ibn Ata’illah states that at that moment GOD removed whatever objections he previously had. Something had obviously touched his heart and mind, so he went home to be alone and reflect.

That was apparently the turning point for him, for shortly thereafter Ibn Ata’illah returned to visit Shaykh Abu’l-Abbas al-Mursi who received him so warmly that he was embarrassed and humbled. Ibn Ata’illah states, ‘The first thing that I said to him was “O Master, by GOD, I love you”. Then he answered, “May GOD love you as you love me”. Then Ibn Ata’illah told him of various worries and sadness he had, so the Shaykh told him: There are four states of the servant, not five: blessings, trials, obedience, and disobedience. If you are blessed, then what GOD requires of you is thankfulness. If you are tried, then what GOD requires of you is patience. If you are obedient, then what GOD requires of you is the witnessing of His blessings upon you. If you are disobedient, then what GOD requires of you is asking forgiveness.

After leaving Shaykh al-Mursi, he mentions that he felt that his worries and his sadness were like a garment that had been removed. From that time in 674 AH/ 1276 AD when Ibn Ata’illah was initiated into the Shadhili order until the death of Shaykh al-Mursi twelve years later, he became his devoted disciple and says that in all those years he never heard his Shaykh say anything that contradicted the Shari’a.

What spiritual fruits he must have received cannot be known, but his development into a Sufi master capable of guiding and teaching others took place within the lifetime of his Shaykh, i.e., well within e twelve-year period before 686 AH/1288 AD. His discipline and progress in the path coupled with his great learning made him renowned as a religious authority.

Ibn Ata’illah’s virtue, majestic presence, eloquence, and spiritual insights were such that he had many followers. He even performed miracles, some of which have been recorded, such as speaking from his grave to one Kamal ad-Din b. al-Hamam who had gone to the Shaykh’s tomb to recite Surat Hud. As a result, Ibn al-Hamam was counselled to be buried there. Another miracle attributed to Shaykh Ibn Ata’illah is his having been seen in Mecca at three different places by one of his disciples who had gone on Pilgrimage. When the latter returned, he asked if the Shaykh had left the country in his absence and was told no. Then he went to see him and Ibn Ata’illah asked him, ‘Whom did you see on this trip of yours?’ The disciple answered, ‘O Master, I saw you’. So he smiled and said, ‘The realized sage fills the universe. If he summoned the Qutb (Spiritual Pole), verily he would answer.’

Still another miracle recorded is the story of three men on their way to attend Shaykh Ibn Ata’illah’s public lecture (majlis). One said, ‘If I were free from the family, I would become an ascetic’; the second one said, ‘I pray and fast but I do not see a speck of benefit’; and the third said, ‘Indeed, my prayers do not please me so how can they please my Lord?’ After arriving, they heard Ibn Ata’illah discourse and in their presence he said, ‘There are among people those who say…’ and he repeated their words exactly.

Ibn Ata’illah taught at both the al-Azhar Mosque and the Mansuriyyah Madrasah in Cairo as well as privately to his disciples. However, it is not known where his Zawiyah was located.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Ata’ Allah died at around sixty years of age in the middle of Jumada II 709 AH/November 1309 AD. As befitting an eminent and learned teacher, he died in the Mansuriyyah Madrasah. His funeral procession was witnessed by hundreds of people and he was buried in the Qarafah Cemetery in Cairo in what is today called the City of the Dead, at the foot of Jabal al-Muqattam. His tomb became famous as the site of homage, visitation, prayer, and miraculous occurrences. To this day this is still the case.

This pious and extraordinary contemplative figure left behind a spiritual legacy no less impressive than those of his own beloved Shaykh, and the eminent founder Shaykh Abu’l-Hasan ash-Shadhili. All the biographers refer to Ibn ‘Ata’ Allah with illustrious titles and reverence and mention how marvellously he spoke and how uplifting his words were. In spite of the fact that he followed the Maliki madhbab, the Shafi’is laid claim to him, most probably because some of his earlier teachers had been Shafi’i scholars, not to mention some of his students.

Hence, his disciples could only be all the more devoted in their attachment to and love for him. Of the untold numbers of followers that Shaykh Ibn Ata’ Allah had, both in Cairo, Alexandria, and elsewhere, only very few names are known. That is, doubtless, due to the fact that the Shadhilis did not advocate withdrawing from the world or wearing special clothing to distinguish themselves. They were ‘in the world but not of the world’, so to speak.

● Al-Hikam – The Aphorisms – الحكم العطائية على لسان أهل الطريقة – on this site

● Lata’if al-Minan – لطائف المنن – on this site
Lata’if fi manaqib Abi al-`Abbas al-Mursi wa shaykhihi Abi al-Hasan (translated as “The subtle blessings in the saintly lives of Abu al-`Abbas al-Mursi and his master Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili”)

● Kitab al-Tanwir – on this site

● Taj al-‘Arus – تاج العروس – Arabic – on this site
Taj al-`arus al-hawi li tadhhib al-nufus (“The bride’s crown containing the discipline of souls”)

● Miftah al-Falah – مفتاح الفلاح – The key to success – on this site

● Al Qasd al-Mujarrad – القصد المجرد في الاسم المفرد – Arabic Maktaba Madbuli
Al-Qasd al-mujarrad fi ma`rifat al-ism al-mufrad (“The pure goal concerning knowledge of the Unique Name”)

● ‘Unwan al-Tawfiq – عنوان التوفيق في آداب الطريق – Arabic View PDF
`Unwan al-tawfiq fi adab al-tariq (“The sign of success concerning the discipline of the path”)

● and many others.

He is the khalifa of this father, Shaykh Ismail al-Yaqoubi, in the Shadhili silsila, and he was succeeded by his son, Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi.

Biography of Sh Ibrahim al-Yaqubi
Adapted from Nathar al-Jawahir wal-Durar
Early Life and Seeking of Knowledge
Memory
Teaching
Works
Personal traits
Passing

His lineage
Shaykh Ibrahim al-Ya`qoubi (d. 1985/1406 H.) descends from a scholarly family whose lineage goes back to the Prophet, salla Allahu ‘alayhi sallam, through his grandson Sayyiduna al-Hasan, radiya Allahu ‘anhu. His lineage goes back to Mawlay Idris al-Anwar who built the city of Fes. Mawlay Idris’ lineage is as follows: he is the son of Mawlay Idris the Great; who is the son of Sayyiduna Abdullah al-Kamil; who is the son of Sayyiduna al-Hasan, the Second; who is the son of Sayyiduna al-Hasan, radiya Allah ‘anhu; who is the grandson of the Prophet, salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

Early Life and Seeking of Knowledge
Sh. Ibrahim was born in Damascus on the night of Eid al-Adha in the year 1343 Hijri and was raised under the supervision of his father who taught him whilst he was still young the fundamentals of Aqidah and the Quran in the recitation of Warsh.

He began the study of various sciences firstly in the ‘Maktab’ of Sh. Mustafa al-Jazairi, then he was moved after some months by his father to the ‘Maktab’ of Sh. Muhammad Ali al-Hijazi al-Kaylani where he remained for around six years the duration of which he memorized most of the Quran.

He studied with the spiritual guide Sh. Muhammad al-Hashimi, the Sheikh of the Shadhili order, who resided nearby to the home of Sh. Ibrahims father. Sh. Ibrahim would accompany Sh. al-Hashimi to the Jami al-Baridi, Jami Nur al-Dinal-Shahid and the Madrassa al-Shamiyah wherein would take place circles of dhikr and learning. He memorized with him during this time ‘Nadhm Aqidah Ahl al-Sunnah’ and a portion of ‘Diwan al-Mustaghnami’. He studied with him the ‘Sharh al-Risalah’ of al-Sharnubi and al-Zarqani, and ‘Bulghah al-Salik’ in Maliki fiqh, ‘Sharh Nadhm Aqidah Ahl al-Sunnah’, ‘Miftah al-Jannah’ and ‘Risalah al-Qushayriyyah’ which took place at private lessons in his home.

He studied with him in the Umayyad mosque and other places the commentary of ‘Ibn Ashir’
by Sh. Muhammad bin Yusuf al-Kafi called ‘Al-Murshid al-Mueen’, ‘Tafsir Ibn Ajibah’, ‘Sharh al-Hikam’ of Ibn Ajibah, ‘Sharh al-Bayquniyyah’ of al-Zarqani, ‘Awarif al-Maarif’ of al-Suhrawardi, ‘Nawadir al-Usul’, ‘Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyah’, ‘Al-Hikam al-Ataiyah’ and the two Sahihs.

He was granted a general ijazah by him on the 24th of Shawwal 1379 Hijri in the rational and transmitted sciences, aswell as the litanies of the Shadhili order.

He attended with his father whilst young the lessons of the Muhaddith Sh. Muhammad Badr al-Din al-Hasani, aswell as regularly visiting and benefitting from the lessons of his uncle Sh. Muhammad al-Sharif al-Yaqubi, whose public lessons he attended in the prayer niche (mihrab) of the Maliki’s in the Umayyad mosque and his home.

He also studied with his uncle Sh. Muhammad al-Arabi al-Yaqubi in the prayer niche of the Malikis in the Umayyad mosque.

He studied the fourth volume of the work ‘Al-Durus al-Nahwiyah’ of Hisni Nasif with Sh. Muhammad Ali al-Qattan and kept the company of Sh. Hussein al-Baghjati from whom he benefitted from in the sciences of calligraphy, recitation (tajwid) and Prophetic biography (sirah).

He attended during this period of time the public lessons which would take place in the Sinaniyyah mosque by Sh. Ali al-Daqr, Sh. Hashim al-Khatib, Sh. Muhammad Shakir al-Misri better known as al-Himsi, Sh. Abd al-Majid al-Tarabishi with whom he studied ‘Multaqa al Abhur’ and ‘Maraqi al-Falah’. He studied with Sh. Abd al-Hamid al-Qabuni ‘Hidayah al-Mustafid’ and the text of ‘Ghayah wa al-Taqrib’.

He also studied with Sh. Abd al-Qadir al-Iskandari and Sh. Muhammad Barakat.

His father Sh. Ismail was his first spiritual guide and the most important of his teachers during his life. He took from the Shadhili path and benefitted from his instructions and training. He likewise took from him the Qadiri and Khalwati orders aswell, and was authorised in a number of them by him.

He benefitted from the lessons of Sh. Muhammad al-Makki al-Kattani, he studied with him in his home. He read with him the ‘Al-Arbain al-Ajluniyyah’, the ‘Sharh al-Bukhari’ of al-Qastallani, ‘Lataif al-Minan’ and ‘Ruh al-Quds’. He took from him the Shadhili Qadiri path. He also narrated from him the pattern chained narrations (musalsal) of mercy (rahmah), interlacing fingers, shaking hands and the hadith of Muadh Ibn Jabal. He was granted a lengthy ijazah by him in his handwriting in on the 24th of Shaban 1378.

He took from Sh. Muhammad al-Arabi al-Azuzi in Damascus when he came from Beirut, and
hosted him a number of times. He read with him the ‘Al-Arabin al-Ajluniyyah’ in one sitting, a number of treatise on some sciences of tasawwuf and was granted a general ijazah by him dated the 8th of Shawwal 1381.

He attended the lessons of Sh. Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Yallas al-Tilmisani at his home. He read with him ‘Subul al-Salam Sharh Bulugh al-Maram’, ‘Sharh al-Hikam’ of Ibn Ajibah, ‘Taysir al-Wusul ila Jami al-Usul’, ‘Hashiyah al-Arusi ala Sharh al-Risalah al-Qushayriyyah, ‘Sunan Ibn Majah’, ‘Idah al-Maqsud fi Mana Wahdah al-Wujud’ of Sh. Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi. He likewise attended the lessons which would take place in peoples homes in which he read ‘Dalil al-Falihin’ and ‘Al-Futuhat al-Rabbaniyyah’. He attended in his Zawiyah al-Samadiyah many of his circles of dhikr, and studied the ‘Hashiyah al-Bajuri’ on the Shamail of al-Tirmidhi and ‘Ghaliyah al-Mawaiz’. From him he took the Shadhili way and was granted an ijazah verbally.

He studied with Sh. Muhammad Salih al-Farfur ‘Tafsir al-Nasafi’ from the beginning up to Yasin. ‘Sharh Ibn Aqil’ on the Alfiyyah of Ibn Malik, ‘Sharh al-Manar’ of Ibn Malik, ‘Sharh al-Sirajiyyah’, ‘Jawahir al-Balaghah’, ‘Asrar al-Balaghah’, ‘Al-Kamil’ of al-Mubrad, ‘Tadrib al-Rawi’, ‘Risalah al-Qushayriyyah’ and attended his morning lessons on the ‘Hashiyah Ibn Abidin’, ‘Sahih al-Tirmidhi’, ‘Al-Minan al-Kubra’, ‘Sharh al-Hikam’ of Ibn Ajibah, ‘Al-Yawaqit wal-Jawahir’ and around 8 volumes from ‘Umdah al-Qari’ of al-Aini. In addition he attended his evening lessons on ‘Sharh al-Qutb al-Razi ala al-Shamsiyyah’ on logic (mantiq) by Najm al-Din al-Katibi, ‘Hashiyah al-Adawi ala Khulasah al-Hisab’ of al-Amili, ‘Hashiyah al-Bajuri ala al-Jawharah’ a number of times, ‘Sharh al-Musayarah’ of Ibn Abi Sharif. He attended after after the Asr prayer in his home the ‘Tafsir al-Kashaf’ of al-Zamakhshari and ‘Dalail al-Ijaz’ and was granted a written ijazah by him.

He studied with Sh. Abd al-Wahab al-Hafidh better known as Dibs Wazit the text ‘Multaqa al-Abhur’ in the Umayyad mosque, and attended his public lessons in the month of Ramadan. He sought an ijazah from him and was authorised with one verbally a number of times and promised a written one, but passed away before he could write it. Sh. Abd al-Wahab would say: If you wish to ask regarding a ruling in the hanafi madhab and do not find me, then ask Sh. Ibrahim al-Yaqubi in the prayer niche (mihrab) of the Malikis in the Jami al-Umawi’.

He visited Sh. Ahmad al-Harun a number of times, was given ijazah in his specific litanies.

He attended some of Sh. Muhammad Saeed al-Burhani’s lessons in the Umayyad mosque for the books ‘Al-Minan al-Kubra’ and ‘Al-Warif wal Maarif’ and took the the Shadhili path from him, and there was between both of them a close relationship.

He attended some of Sh. Muhammad Abi al-Khair al-Maydanis lessons in Dar al-Hadith for the book ‘Sharh al-Mawahib al-Laduniyyah’ of al-Zarqani, and heard from him the hadith of mercy, and took the Naqshbandi path from him. He read to him the beginning of ‘Al-Jami al-Saghir’ of al-Suyuti and was given a general ijazah by him and was promised a written one.

He studied with Sh. Nuh al-Albani at him home the ‘Risalah al-Sibt al-Mardini fi Amal bi al-Rub al-Mujib’.

He read to the Quran recitor Sh. Muhammad Sadiq Alwan the whole Quran, and read the ‘Sharh al-Jazariyyah’ and ‘Manar al-Huda’ of al-Ashmuni to him.

He studied with Sh. Muhammad Abi Yusr Abidin in a private gathering some of the treatise of Ibn Abidin and who said: My successor in fiqh and usul is Sh. Ibrahim al-Yaqubi.

He obtained numerous ijazahs other than the ones mentioned, amongst them being the ijazah from Sh. Abd al-Karim al-Saqli, Sh. Zayn al-Abidin al-Tunisi and Sh. Ali al-Boudilimi.

Memory
He memorized a large number of texts, their sum total exceeding 25,000 lines of poetry. He would cite much of them during his lessons, such as the ‘Al-Kafiyah al-Shafiyah’ of Ibn Malik and his ‘Al-Alfiyyah’. Likewise ‘Ghayah al-Maani’ of al-Baytushi, ‘Nadhm Mughni al-Labib’, ‘Lamiyah al-Afal’, ‘Muthalathath Qatrab’, ‘Nadhm Mukhtasar al-Manar’, Al-Kawakabiyah’ in Usul, ‘Maunah al-Rahman’ in Hanafi fiqh, ‘Matn Ibn Ashir’, ‘Tuhfah al-Hukkam’ better known as ‘Al-Asimiyyah’ in Maliki fiqh.

He memorized ‘Matn al-Zubad’, ‘Nadhm Matn Ghayah wal-Taqrib’ in Shafi fiqh.

He memorized ‘Al-Jawharah’, ‘Al-Shaybaniyyah’ and ‘Bad al-Amali’ in Tawhid.

In hadith terminology he memorized ‘Al-Bayquniyyah’, ‘Nadhm Nukhbah al-Fikr’ and close to half of al-Iraqi’s ‘Al-Alfiyyah’.

In Balaghah he memorized ‘Al-Jawhar al-Maknun’ of al-Akhdari and in logic (mantiq) ‘Al-Sullam’, ‘Nadhm al-Shamsiyah’ and ‘Nadh Adaab al-Bahth’ of al-Marsafi.

In inhertiance law he memorized ‘Al-Rahabiyyah’ and ‘Lamiyyah al-Jabari’, and in recitation (tajwid) ‘Al-Jazariyyah’ and ‘Tuhfah al-Atfal’.

In literature he memorized the ‘Diwan al-Hamasah’ and portions of ‘Al-Mufadalliyat’, ‘Al-Muallaqat al-Ashr’ and many of the well known odes (qasaid).

From the texts written as prose he memorized ‘Al-Risalah’and ‘Matn al-Khalil’ in Maliki fiqh. In grammar ‘Qatar al-Nada’ and ‘Shudhur al-Dhahab’. Likewise ‘Al-Sanusiyyah’, ‘Matn Nur al-Idah’, ‘Al-Manar’, ‘Aqidah al-Sheikh Arsalan’ and ‘Al-Hikam al-Ataiyyah’.

Teaching

He began teaching before reaching the age of 20 in the Jami al-Sinan Pasha. And was appointed as a teacher in the Jami Darwish Pasha in the year 1376 Hijri. Before this in 1373 he was appointed Imam in Jami al-Zaytuna and then the Jami al-Baridi and then the Umayyad mosque in the prayer niche (mihrab) of the Malikis and then the Hanafis, until the year 1390 Hijri.

He was appointed a teacher linked to the fatwa administration in the year 1378 Hijri.

He taught in the Jami al-Uthman, Shariah Secondary school, Mahad Fath al-Islami, Mahad Isaf Tullab Ulum al-Shariyyah, Madrassa al-Ghazali lil Ahdath and Madrassa Sijn Qilah Dimashq.

He performed the obligatory Hajj in the year 1392 via the land route, and this was his only Hajj.

Knowledge

Sh. Ibrahim al-Yaqubi was an expert in a number of the Islamic sciences, and firmly grounded in both the Hanafi and Maliki schools, both of which he taught. It is said that he had memorized the ‘Hashiyah Ibn Abidin’.

His lessons on Usul where those of a Mujtahid due to his vast knowledge the principles of the madhahib and their evidences. He taught ‘Al-Talwih’ a number of times, and ‘Hawashi al-Mirat’ in Usul, also ‘Al-Muwafiqat’ of al-Shatibi a number fo times and the ‘Mustasfa’ of al-Ghazali amongst other works.

His expertise in the Arabic language was evident from his teaching of ‘Mughni al-Labib’ of Ibn Hisham a number of times, likewise ‘Sharh al-Rida ala al-Kafiyah’ of Ibn al-Hajib and the commentaries of ‘Al-Alfiyah and the ‘Kitab al-Sibaway’.
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Sh. Ibrahim also taught logic and philosophy, he taught ‘Shuruh al-Shamsiyah’, ‘Sharh al-Tahdhib’, ‘Al-Basair al-Nasiriyah’, ‘Sharh al-Maqawulat’, ‘Sharh al-Isharat’ of al-Tusi, ‘Shuruh al-Sullam’ of al-Isaghawji.

Personal Traits
He possessed an illuminating face which attracted people towards him. The humility of the scholars was evident on him, he was softly spoken and would not distinguish himself from others. He would pay his full attention to those who visited him, they would enjoy his conversation and he would not tire of them nor their questions. He would answer them clearly and in detail in the manner of a precise learned scholar. Despite this he loved solitude, he said: If it was not for knowledge and seeking it I would not have met any of the people’. Also saying that the most beloved moments to him were in a lesson where he would taste the enjoyment of the knowledge and time spent in the rememberance of Allah.

He did not seek fame nor did desire to gain it, and did not teach for worldly gain. If he taught and gave a sermon would do so seeking the pleasure of is Lord. He lived a life full of modesty and suffered hardship as he had made it all an endowment to knowledge and serving others.

He bore with patience the personal difficulties he experienced and was content with that which Allah had apportioned for him. One of his young sons died on the morning of a lesson which had been arranged in his home. He welcomed the students, taught them the lesson from ‘Al-Risalah al-Qushayriyyah’ as was his habit and treated them as a guest should be treated. When he finished the lesson he informed them of the death of his son.

He would make much rememberance of Allah in solitude and would busy himself in spiritual retreats. He would guide and train those around him with his state and actions. To him real tasawwuf was not empty words and hollow zikr, therefore he would say: Tasawwuf is acting on knowledge, Tasawwuf is good character (akhlaq), whomsoever surpasses you in akhlaq has surpassed you in tasawwuf…

He would speak for a number of hours in a clear precise manner. His way of explaining was such that he would take the most complex of issues and would present them in way which they were clearly understood, this is why his lessons were beloved to people.

He kept up to date with current schools of thought and matters which were of concern to those in the Muslim world. He would not discuss any school of thought without first studying it. He studied the Torah and Bible, the discussions and books authored in critique of other religions. He would keep up to date with the publishing of new books and new ideas.

His teachers with whom he studied honoured, loved and respected him. And would ask his view on difficult matters.

Passing Away
Sh. Ibrahim had informed his family of his death 6 months before his passing away, and he then informed them again 3 days before his death that he would be meeting his Lord on the night before the day of Jumah. He instructed them to pray over him on the Asr of Friday and asked to be buried next to his mother, and that they not do anything against the sunnah nor anything unlawful during the preparation and performance of his funeral and burial. He also asked his debts to be paid and the trusts left with him to be returned to their owners.

Sh. Ibrahim al-Yaqubi passed away on the night before the day of Jumah on the 26th of Rabi al-Awwal in the year 1406 Hijri. His eldest son Sh. Muhammad Abu al-Huda lead his funeral prayer in the grand Umayyad mosque. A large funeral procession followed respectfully to the cemetery of Bab al-Saghir where he was lowered in to his grave by his student Dr Muhammad Abd al-Latif Farfur.

A few weeks after his passing away a gathering was held in rememberance of him in the Jami al-Uthman in Damascus which was attended by numerous people of knowledge from cities all over Syria.

May Allah (the Exalted) have mercy on Sh. Ibrahim al-Yaqubi, all the scholars mentioned in this article, Sh. Ibrahims students and all of the Muslims.

_____________________________

Adapted from ‘Nathar al-Jawahir wal-Durar’
Reproduced by Courtesy of Dar al-Hadith blog
See also thefinalbrick.blogspot

What the `ulama said about Sheikh Ibrahim al-Ya`qubi qaddasa Allah sirrahu
Extracted from:
Biography written by `Ali ibn Muhamad Amin Qasibati at Ma`had al-Fath, 2004

His teacher Sheikh Muhammad `Arabi al-`Azuzi, Chief of Fatwa in Libanon, used to write letters to him, in which he addressed him wordings such as:

and:

Sheikh Muhammad al-Hashimi referred to him in his ijaza to him as:

His teacher Sheikh Abul Yusr `Abidin said:

Sheikh `Abd al-Wahhab al-Hafizh (known as “Dibs wa Zayt”, and “The younger Abu Hanifa”) said about him:

Sheikh Adib al-Kilas said about him:

Sheikh Ahmad Samadiyya said about him:

Sheikh al-Fatih al-Kettani said about him:

Sheikh Sabhi al-`Aduli said about him:

Sheikh `Abd al-Wakil al-Jakhdar said about him:

Notes:
[1] – Ref: bmk notes on Qawa`id al-tasawwuf, Damascus 2005

From ulamaofdamascus.wordpress.com

He left behind a number of treatise on the sciences of: Balaghah, al-urud, al-Wad’, Ilghaz and Usul al-Fiqh. He also has notes on a number of works.

Critical Editions
He edited a number of manuscripts, amongst them being:

-Qawaid al-Tasawwuf of Sh. Ahmad Zarruq
-Al-Hikam al-Ataiyyah which was published fpr the first time in in 1384
-Al-Anwar fi Shamail al-Nabi al-Mukhtar of al-Baghawi
-Al-Muntakhab fi Usul al-Madhab by al-Akhsekti
-Badi al-Nadham fi Usul al-Fiqh of Ibn Saati (not complete)
-Hadiyyah Ibn Imad fi Ahkam al-Salah
-Al-Haiyah al-Sanniyah fo al-Haiyyah al-Sunniyah of al-Suyuti
-Al-Fath al-Rahmani fi Fatawa al-Sayyid Thabit Abi al-Maani (second volume).

Shaykh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi al-Hasani

Shaykh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi était l’un des plus grands savants que la Syrie ait connus ces cinquante dernières années. Il succéda au Shaykh Muhammad al-Makki al-Kattani dans la fonction de Mufti malikite du pays. Il fut Imam et enseignant à la grande mosquée des Omeyyades. Il est le khalifa de son père, Shaykh Ismail al-Yaqoubi, dans la chaîne de transmission shadhilite.

Biographie de Shaykh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi
Adaptation de Nathar al-Jawahir wal-Durar

Son ascendance
Shaykh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi (1985/1406 H) est issu d’une famille de savants dont l’ascendance remonte au Prophète Muhammad ﷺ, par son petit-fils Sayyiduna al-Hasan, radiya Allahu `anhu.
Son ascendance remonte à Mawlay Idris al-Anwar qui construisit la ville de Fès.
L’ascendance de Mawlay Idris est comme suit : il est le fils de Mawlay Idris le Grand ; qui est le fils de Sayyiduna `Abd Allah al-Kamil ; qui est le fils de Sayyiduna al-Hasan le Second ; qui est le fils de Sayyiduna al-Hasan, radiya Allah ‘anhu ; qui est le petit-fils du Prophète Muhammad ﷺ.

Jeunesse et quête de science
Shaykh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi est né à Damas dans la nuit de l’Aïd al-Adha en l’an 1343 de l’hégire (1922 du calendrier grégorien). Il a été élevé par son père qui lui enseigna dès son plus jeune âge les fondamentaux de la croyance et la récitation du Saint Coran selon la lecture Warsh.

Il débuta son apprentissage des sciences religieuses auprès de Shaykh Mustafa al-Jaza’iri. Après quelques mois, son père le confia au Shaykh Muhammad `Ali al-Hijazi al-Kaylani auprès de qui il restera près de 6 ans. Durant cette période, il mémorisa la majeure partie du Saint Coran.

Il étudia auprès du guide spirituel Shaykh Muhammad al-Hashimi, le Shaykh de la voie Shadhili. Shaykh Muhammad al-Hashimi vivait près de la maison du père de Shaykh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi. Shaykh Ibrahim accompagnait Shaykh al-Hashimi au Jami` al-Baridi, au Jami` Nur al-Din al-Shahid et à la Madrassa al-Shamiyah où se tenaient des cercles d’évocation et d’apprentissage. Il mémorisa auprès de lui ‘Nadhm `Aqidah Ahl al-Sunnah’, une partie de ‘Diwan al-Mustaghnami’ et il étudia ‘Sharh al-Risalah’ d’al-Sharnubi et al-Zarqani, et ‘Bulghah al-Salik’ dans le fiqh malikite, ‘Sharh Nadhm Aqidah Ahl al-Sunnah’, ‘Miftah al-Jannah’ et ‘Risalah al-Qushayriyyah’ dans le cadre de cours privés qui se tenaient chez lui.

Il étudia avec lui, à la mosquée des Omeyyades et dans d’autres lieux, le commentaire d’Ibn `Ashir par Shaykh Muhammad bin Yusuf al-Kafi aussi connu sous le nom de ‘Al-Murshid al-Mu`een’, le ‘Tafsir Ibn `Ajiba’, le ‘Sharh al-Hikam’ d’Ibn `Ajiba, le ‘Sharh al-Bayquniyyah’ d’al-Zarqani, ‘Awarif al-Maarif’ d’al-Suhrawardi, ‘Nawadir al-Usul’, ‘Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyah’, ‘Al-Hikam al-`Ata’iyah’ et les deux Sahih.
Shaykh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi s’est vu attribuer par Shaykh al-Hashimi une ijaza générale, englobant les sciences rationnelles, celles transmises ainsi que les litanies de l’ordre Shadhili. Cette autorisation lui fut accordée le 24 du mois de Shawwal en l’an 1379 de l’hégire.
Alors qu’il était jeune, il assistait avec son père aux cours du Muhaddith Shaykh Muhammad Badr al-Din al-Hasani ainsi qu’à ceux dispensés par son oncle, le Shaykh Muhammad al-Sharif al-Yaqoubi dans l’espace réservé (mihrab) des malikites, à la grande mosquée des Omeyyades, ou chez lui.

Il étudia également auprès de son oncle, Shaykh Muhammad al-`Arabi al-Yaqoubi, dans le mihrab des malikites de la grande mosquée des Omeyyades.

Il étudia le quatrième volume de ‘Al-Durus al-Nahwiyah’ de Hisni Nasif auprès du Shaykh Muhammad `Ali al-Qattan.
Aussi, il accompagna Shaykh Hussein al-Baghjati et bénéficia de son savoir en matière de calligraphie, de récitation (tajwid) et de sira.
Pendant cette même période, Shaykh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi participa aux cours qui avaient lieu à la mosquée Sinaniyyah, dispensés par Shaykh `Ali al-Daqr, Shaykh Hashim al-Khatib, Shaykh Muhammad Shakir al-Misri aussi connu sous le nom de al-Himsi et Shaykh `Abd al-Majid al-Tarabishi avec qui il étudia ‘Multaqa al-Abhur’ et ‘Maraqi al-Falah’.
Il étudia auprès de Shaykh `Abd al-Hamid al-Qabuni ‘Hidayah al-Mustafid’ et le texte ‘Ghayah wa-al-Taqrib’.
Il étudia également auprès du Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir al-Iskandari et du Shaykh Muhammad Barakat.

Son père, Shaykh Ismail al-Yaqoubi, fut son premier guide spirituel et son principal enseignant. Il prit de lui la voie Shadhili et bénéficia de sa formation et de ses instructions. Il prit également de lui les ordres Qadiri et Khalwati et obtint plusieurs autorisations de sa part.
Il bénéficia des cours de Shaykh Muhammad al-Makki al-Kattani, il étudia auprès de lui, chez lui. Il lut avec lui ‘Al-Arbain al-Ajluniyyah’, ‘Sharh al-Bukhari’ d’al Qastallani, ‘Lata’if al-Minan’ et ‘Ruh al-Quds’.

Il prit de lui la voie Shadhili Qadiri. Il rapporta aussi de lui les narrations avec chaîne de transmission (musalsal) de la Miséricorde (Rahmah), de l’entrelacement des doigts, du serrage des mains et le hadith de Muadh Ibn Jabal. Le Shaykh al-Kattani lui donna une longue ijaza, rédigée à la main, par lui-même, le 24 du mois de Sha`ban 1378.

Il prit de Shaykh Muhammad al-`Arabi al-Azuzi à Damas lorsqu’il venait de Beyrouth ; il l’accueillit plusieurs fois. Il lut avec lui ‘Al-Arbain al-Ajluniyyah’ en une seule assise, plusieurs traités relatifs au tasawwuf et s’est vu attribuer par lui une ijaza générale le 8 de Shawwal 1381.
Il assista aux cours de Shaykh Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Yallas al-Tilmisani qui se déroulaient chez lui. Il lut avec lui ‘Subul al-Salam Sharh Bulugh al-Maram’, ‘Sharh al-Hikam’ d’Ibn `Ajiba, ‘Taysir al-Wusul ila Jami al-Usul’, ‘Hashiyah al-Arusi `ala Sharh al-Risalah al-Qushayriyyah’, ‘Sunan Ibn Majah’, ‘Idah al-Maqsud fi Mana Wahdah al-Wujud’ de Shaykh `Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi.

Il assista également aux cours qui se déroulaient chez d’autres personnes, où il lisait ‘Dalil al-Falihin’ et ‘Al-Futuhat al-Rabbaniyyah’. Il participa dans sa Zawiyah al-Samadiyah à de nombreux cercles d’évocation et étudia ‘Hashiyah al-Bajuri’ sur le ‘Shamail’ d’al-Tirmidhi et ‘Ghaliyah al-Mawa’iz’. Il prit de lui la voie Shadhili et Shaykh Ahmad lui accorda une ijaza verbalement.

Il étudia auprès du Shaykh Muhammad Salih al-Farfur ‘Tafsir al-Nasafi’ du début jusqu’à Yasin, ‘Sharh Ibn Aqil’ sur la ‘Alfiyyah’ d’Ibn Malik, ‘Sharh al-Manar’ d’Ibn Malik, ‘Sharh al-Sirajiyyah’, ‘Jawahir al-Balaghah’, ‘Asrar al-Balaghah’, ‘Al-Kamil’ d’al-Mubrad, ‘Tadrib al-Rawi’, ‘Risalah al-Qushayriyyah’ et il assista à ses cours du matin sur ‘Hashiyah Ibn Abidin’, ‘Sahih al-Tirmidhi’, ‘Al-Minan al-Kubra’, ‘Sharh al-Hikam’ d’Ibn `Ajiba, ‘Al-Yawaqit wal-Jawahir’ et il étudia avec lui près de 8 volumes du ‘Umdah al-Qari’ d’al-Aini.

De surcroît, il assista à ses cours du soir sur ‘Sharh al-Qutb al-Razi `ala al-Shamsiyyah’ relatifs à la logique (mantiq) de Najm al-Din al-Katibi, sur ‘Hashiyah al-Adawi `ala Khulasah al-Hisab’ d’al-Amili, sur ‘Hashiyah al-Bajuri `ala al-Jawharah’ plusieurs fois, sur ‘Sharh al-Musayarah’ d’Ibn Abi Sharif.
Il assista aux cours qui se tenaient chez lui après la prière d’al-`Asr sur le ‘Tafsir al-Kashaf’ d’al-Zamakhshari et le ‘Dala’il al-Ijaz’.
Shaykh Muhammad Salih al-Farfur lui accorda une ijaza écrite.

Il étudia avec Shaykh `Abd al-Wahhab al-Hafidh plus connu sous le nom de Dibs Wazit, le texte ‘Multaqa al-Abhur’ à la grande mosquée des Omeyyades et assista à ses cours publics du mois de Ramadan. Il lui demanda une ijaza ; il fut autorisé verbalement et Shaykh `Abd al-Wahhab lui promit à plusieurs reprises une ijaza écrite mais il mourut avant d’avoir pu la rédiger. Shaykh `Abd al-Wahhab disait : “Si vous avez une question relative à la loi dans le madhhab hanafite et que vous ne me trouvez pas, alors posez votre question au Shaykh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi qui est souvent dans l’espace réservé aux malikites dans le Jami` al-Umawi.”

Il rendit plusieurs fois visite à Shaykh Ahmad al-Harun, qui lui donna une ijaza relative à ses litanies spécifiques.
Il assista à certains cours de Shaykh Muhammad Sa`id al-Burhani à la grande mosquée des Omeyyades sur les livres ‘Al-Minan al-Kubra’ et ‘Al-Warif wal-Maarif’ et prit de lui la voie Shadhili. Ils étaient très proches l’un de l’autre.

Il assista à certains cours de Shaykh Muhammad Abi al-Khayr al-Maydanis sur le livre ‘Sharh al-Mawahib al-Laduniyyah’ d’al-Zarqani au Dar al-Hadith. Il entendit de lui le hadith de la Miséricorde et prit la voie Naqshbandi de lui. Il lui lut le début de ‘Al-Jami` al-Saghir’ d’al-Suyuti. Shaykh Muhammad Abi al-Khayr lui donna une ijaza générale et lui en promit une écrite.

Avec Shaykh Nuh al-Albani, chez lui, il étudia ‘Risalah al-Sibt al-Mardini fi Amal bi al-Rub al-Mujib’.

Il lut au récitateur du Saint Coran, Shaykh Muhammad Sadiq Alwan, le Saint Coran en entier et lui lut ‘Sharh al-Jazariyyah’ et ‘Manar al-Huda’ d’al-Ashmuni.

Il étudia avec Shaykh Muhammad Abi Yusr Abidin, lors de réunions privées, une partie du traité d’Ibn Abidin. Celui-ci dit : “Mon successeur dans le fiqh et dans al-usul est Shaykh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi.”

Outre celles mentionnées, il obtint de nombreuses ijazas, parmi lesquelles les ijazas octroyées par Shaykh Abd al-Karim al-Saqli, Shaykh Zayn al-Abidin al-Tunisi et Shaykh `Ali al-Boudilimi.

Mémorisation
Il mémorisa un grand nombre de textes, la somme totale dépassant les 25 000 lignes de poésie. Il citait beaucoup de ces textes lors de ses cours, comme par exemple ‘Al-Kafiyah al-Shafiyah’ d’Ibn Malik et son ‘Al-Alfiyyah’. Aussi, ‘Ghayah al-Maani’ d’al-Baytushi, ‘Nadhm Mughni al-Labib’, ‘Lamiyah al-Afal’, ‘Muthalathath Qatrab’, ‘Nadhm Mukhtasar al-Manar’, ‘Al-Kawakabiyah’ dans l’Usul, ‘Maunah al-Rahman’ dans le fiqh hanafite, ‘Matn Ibn Ashir’, ‘Tuhfah al-Hukkam’ aussi connu sous le nom de ‘Al-Asimiyyah’ dans le fiqh malikite.

Il mémorisa ‘Matn al-Zubad’, ‘Nadhm Matn Ghayah wal-Taqrib’ dans le fiqh shafi`ite.

Il mémorisa ‘Al-Jawharah’, ‘Al-Shaybaniyyah’ et ‘Bad al-Amali’ dans le Tawhid.

Relativement à la terminologie du hadith, il mémorisa ‘Al-Bayquniyyah’, ‘Nadhm Nukhbah al-Fikr’ et près de la moitié de ‘Al-Alfiyyah’ d’al-Iraqi.

Dans la balaghah il mémorisa ‘Al-Jawhar al-Maknun’ d’al-Akhdari, et dans la logique (mantiq) ‘Al-Sullam’, ‘Nadhm al-Shamsiyah’ et ‘Nadh Adaab al-Bahth’ d’al-Marsafi.

Concernant la loi sur l’héritage, il mémorisa ‘Al-Rahabiyyah’ et ‘Lamiyyah al-Jabari’ ; et dans la récitation (tajwid) ‘Al-Jazariyyah’ et ‘Tuhfah al-Atfal’.

En littérature il mémorisa ‘Diwan al-Hamasah’ et une partie de ‘Al-Mufadalliyat’, ‘Al-Muallaqat al-Ashr’ et beaucoup d’odes (qasaid) bien connues.

Des textes écrits en prose, il mémorisa ‘Al-Risalah’ et ‘Matn al-Khalil’ dans le fiqh malikite. Dans la grammaire, ‘Qatar al-Nada’ et ‘Shudhur al-Dhahab’. Aussi, ‘Al-Sanusiyyah’, ‘Matn Nur al-Idah’, ‘Al-Manar’, ‘Aqidah al-Shaykh Arsalan’ et ‘Al-Hikam al-Ata’iyyah’.

Enseignement
Il commença à enseigner au Jami` al-Sinan Pasha avant ses 20 ans et il fut nommé enseignant au Jami` Darwish Pasha en l’an 1376 de l’hégire.
Avant cela, en 1373 H, il fut nommé Imam au Jami` al-Zaytuna puis au Jami` al-Baridi puis à la grande mosquée des Omeyyades, d’abord pour la section réservée aux malikites puis pour celle des hanafites ; cela perdura jusqu’en 1390 H.
Il fut nommé enseignant en lien avec le conseil de la fatwa en 1378 H.
Il enseigna au Jami` al-`Uthman, à la Shariah Secondary School, au Mahad Fath al-Islami, au Mahad Isaf Tullab Ulum al-Shariyyah, à la Madrassa al-Ghazali lil Ahdath et à la Madrassa Sijn Qilah Dimashq.
Il accomplit son Hajj obligatoire en 1392 H par la voie terrestre, et ce fut son unique Hajj.

Savoir
Shaykh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi était expert dans de nombreuses sciences islamiques, maîtrisant aussi bien la jurisprudence hanafite que malikite. Il enseignait les deux écoles. On dit qu’il avait mémorisé ‘Hashiyah Ibn Abidin’.

Du fait de ses vastes connaissances sur les principes et preuves dans les deux écoles, ses cours de Usul étaient ceux d’un Mujtahid.
Il enseigna – entre autres – ‘Al-Talwih’ plusieurs fois, ‘Hawashi al-Mirat’ dans l’Usul, ‘Al-Muwafiqat’ d’al-Shatibi plusieurs fois et la ‘Mustasfa’ d’al-Ghazali.

Sa maîtrise de la langue arabe était évidente, notamment de par ses enseignements de ‘Mughni al-Labib’ d’Ibn Hisham, qu’il enseigna plusieurs fois, ainsi que du ‘Sharh al-Rida `ala al-Kafiyah’ d’Ibn al-Hajib et des commentaires de ‘Al-Alfiyah’ et de ‘Kitab al-Sibaway’.
Les connaissances de Shaykh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi s’étendaient aussi à la logique et à la philosophie. Il enseigna ‘Shuruh al-Shamsiyah’, ‘Sharh al-Tahdhib’, ‘Al-Basair al-Nasiriyah’, ‘Sharh al-Maqawulat’, ‘Sharh al-Isharat’ d’al-Tusi, ‘Shuruh al-Sullam’ d’al-Isaghawji.

Traits personnels
Il avait un visage illuminé, ce qui attirait les gens vers lui. L’humilité des savants était très visible chez lui. Il parlait avec douceur et ne cherchait pas à se distinguer des autres. Il accordait toute son attention à ceux qui lui rendaient visite, il conversait avec eux et ne se fatiguait pas de leur présence ni de leurs questions. Il leur répondait avec clarté et précision, comme un savant scrupuleux le ferait.
Malgré tout, il aimait la solitude. Il dit : “Si ce n’était pour la science et sa recherche je n’aurais côtoyé personne.” Les moments qu’il chérissait le plus étaient ceux qu’il passait en cours, se réjouissant du partage de la science, et les temps durant lesquels il s’adonnait au rappel d’Allah.

Il ne recherchait pas la célébrité et ne désirait pas l’acquérir, et il n’enseignait pas en vue de gains mondains. Lorsqu’il enseignait et prêchait, il recherchait l’agrément de son Seigneur. Il vécut de façon très modeste et connut de nombreuses épreuves, ayant consacré sa vie entière au savoir et au service aux autres.

Il supportait avec patience les difficultés qui venaient à lui et était satisfait de la part qu’Allah lui avait décrétée. Un de ses jeunes fils décéda un matin alors qu’un cours était prévu chez lui. Shaykh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi accueillit les étudiants, fit le cours sur ‘Al-Risalah al-Qushayriyyah’ comme il le faisait habituellement et les traita comme les invités doivent l’être. À la fin du cours, il les informa du décès de son fils.

En privé, il s’adonnait beaucoup au rappel d’Allah et réalisait de nombreuses retraites spirituelles. Il guidait et formait les gens autour de lui par son état ainsi que par ses actions.

Selon lui, le tasawwuf ne correspondait pas à des paroles vides ou du dhikr creux. Il disait : “Le tasawwuf, c’est œuvrer en fonction de ses connaissances. Le tasawwuf, c’est le bon caractère (akhlaq). Celui qui te dépasse en akhlaq t’a dépassé en tasawwuf.”
Il pouvait parler plusieurs heures consécutives de façon claire et précise. Sa manière d’enseigner était telle qu’il pouvait prendre les sujets les plus complexes et les présenter de façon à ce qu’ils soient parfaitement compris. C’est la raison pour laquelle ses cours étaient très appréciés des gens.

Il se tenait informé des courants de pensée en vogue et des sujets qui concernaient le monde musulman. Il ne discutait jamais au sujet d’une école de pensée sans l’avoir étudiée au préalable. Il étudia la Torah et la Bible, ainsi que les discussions et livres critiques au sujet des autres religions. Il se tenait informé des publications de nouveaux livres et de l’émergence des nouvelles idées.
Ses enseignants l’honoraient, l’aimaient et le respectaient. Ils lui demandaient son avis sur des sujets difficiles.

Son décès
Shaykh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi informa sa famille de son décès six mois avant que le moment ne survienne. Et trois jours avant son décès, il le leur confirma à nouveau, leur précisant qu’il rejoindrait son Seigneur la nuit qui précède le jour du vendredi.
Il leur demanda de prier sur lui ce même vendredi au moment du ‘Asr, leur fit savoir qu’il souhaitait être enterré près de sa mère, et leur rappela de ne rien faire qui soit contraire à la sunna ou à la loi lors de la préparation et la réalisation de ses funérailles et de son enterrement. Il demanda à ce que ses dettes soient payées et que les choses qui lui avaient été confiées soient retournées à leurs propriétaires.

Shaykh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi s’en alla la nuit précédant le jour du vendredi, le 26 du mois de Rabi` al-Awwal en l’an 1406 de l’hégire. Son fils aîné, Shaykh Muhammad Abu al-Huda dirigea la prière funéraire à la grande mosquée des Omeyyades. Un grand cortège funéraire l’accompagna respectueusement jusqu’au cimetière ‘Bab al-Saghir’. Son étudiant le Dr Muhammad `Abd al-Latif Farfur se chargea de le mettre dans sa tombe.

Quelques semaines après son décès, un évènement fut organisé en son honneur au Jami` al-`Uthman de Damas. De nombreux savants, venus de différentes villes syriennes, y assistèrent.

Puisse Allah le Très-Haut faire miséricorde au Shaykh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi, aux savants mentionnés dans cet article, aux étudiants du Shaykh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi et à tous les musulmans.

Upbringing and studies
He grew up under his father’s tutalage. Together with him he came to Damascus year 1263, in the first of a series of emmigration waves caused by the French colonial war. This was a group of about five hundred families, lead by his maternal grandfather Sheikh Muhammad al-Mahdi al-Saklawi.

As a young boy, he memorzied the Holy Quran perfectly, and learnt calligraphic hand-writing. In 1269, his father, Sheikh Muhammad al-Tayyib al-Kabir – rahimahu Allah – passed away, and Sheikh al-Saklawi, took him under his wing and raised him in the Khalwati tariqa.

He  learnt many sciences and skills under Sheikh al-Tantawi and other Maliki scholars, who gave him general ijaza. He also studied the religious sciences under many other Shuyukh – maybe the most famous of them was al-Sheikh al-Amir `Abd al-Qadir al Jaza’iri, from whom he took Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya of al-Sheikh al-Akbar, and other books on tasawwuf. [Al-Amir `Abd al-Qadir settled in Damascus in 1272. He met Sheikh Muhammad al-Fasi in Makka year 1279, and took the the Shadhili tariqa from him.]

Taking the Shadhili Path
When Sheikh Muhammad al-Fasi came to Damascus in 1282, Sheikh Muhammad al-Tayyib took the Shadhili tariqa from him. He devoted himself to it for a long time, after which he was given permission from Sheikh Muhamamd al-Fasi to deliver admonition and guidance to others.

In 1287, he was sent with al-Amir Sheikh `Abd Al-Qadir, together with Sheikh Muhammad al-Tantawi and some other people, to the city of Konya in Turkey, in order to compare with their copy of “Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya” with a hand-writing of its author that existed there. The two Sheikhs recited the entire book twice, and then returned and recited it again to al-Amir `Abd Al-Qadir.

Sheikh Muhammad al-Tayyib excelled in intelligence, good memory and fluency of the tongue. He was agreeable in his way of dealing with people, mild-tempered, abstaining from worldly things, content with litle and very generous. He was respected an accepted, and he understood the language of common people. His meetings attracted many lovers, he was always enquiring about the brothers, and encouraging them to marry. For some time, he earned his living as a book binder, until he received the permission of Sheikh Muhammad al-Fasi to devote himself to spreading the Path. Through him, the tariqa was spread and the adhkar where established, and many wayfarers entered this Path.

His main center was in the Khaydariyya zawiya, where the adhkar were regularly recited and hadras performed. After the passing of Sheikh al-Mahdi al-Saklawi – his grandfather, Sheikh and tutor, rahimahu Allah – in 1278, Sheikh Muhammad al-Tayyib took his place as a lecturer in Dar al-Quran al-KhayDariyya, located in the old city in Damascus, near Dar al-Hadith. He continued teaching in this Madrasa until he passed away, and his office was handed over to his brother, Sheikh Muhammad al-Mubarak. Besides this, he also had another center in Mazza, near the maqam of the sahabi sayyiduna Dihya al-Kalbi, and a third one in Zakya, one of the villages of Qura Hawran.

His successor in the Shadhili Tariqa was his brother, Sheikh Muhammad al-Mubarak, through whom it has been passed down to the Ya`qubi family.

His miracles
The people of Sham relate many of his miracles, among which are the following:

Once he was walking, together with some companions, in one of the market places of Damascus, and their presence drew the attention of people. One man then said to himself: “If it is not due to tricks and cunning crafts that this Sheikh possesses, why would these people gather around him?!” That very moment, the Sheikh turned straight towards him saying: (* Inna ba`da al-zhanni ithm*) (Certainly, some assumptions are sinful, Q).

On one of the occasions when Sheikh Muhammad al-Tayyib was performing hajj, he was accompanied by the Sheikh and Reciter `Abd al-Rahim al-Dibs wa al-Zayt. Sheikh `Abd al-Rahim’s camel got lost, and with it an amount of money entrusted it to him by other people for conducting trade on their behalf. Sheikh `Abd al-Rahman was exasperated – he feared the people would accuse him of having wrongfully taken their money and means of subsistance. He went to Sheikh Muhammad al-Tayyib and told him what had happened, and the Sheikh supplicated for him with the following words:  “May Allah give you something better in return”. However, Sheikh `Abd al-Rahim insisted that he supplicate ardently for him, saying: This is people’s money. Sheikh Muhammad al-Tayyib then felt sympathy for his situation, and turned towards Allah making tawassul by His Messenger – peace be upon him and his family – by reciting the famous qasida which begins with these lines:

He then turned towards  Sheikh `Abd al-Rahim and said to him: “You found your camel”, and within a very short while, two Arabs came and brought him the lost camel.

His poetry
His most famous qasida is

“Suluwi `an al-Ahbab”
– “Would I neglect those I love”
<< link >>

His passing and place of burial
He passed away on a Monday, the 26th of Sha`ban year 1313, and was buried near his home in Damascus

His tomb is located on the hillside of Mazza near the maqam sayyiduna Dihya al-Kalbi. It is in a private home near what is tday Jami` al-Ra’is in Mazza, next to what was previously a mosque named after him, where he used to teach. The original mosque was demolished to give way to presidential buildings for the Asad family.

With him is buried one of his students.

Tomb stone of al-Sayyid al-Sheykh Muhammad al-Tayyib – qaddasa Allahu sirrahu – in Mazza.
(Photo: JK/Ziarat 2006)

Tomb of al-Sayyid al-Sheykh Muhammad al-Tayyib – qaddasa Allahu sirrahu – in Mazza.
(Photo: OZ/Ziarat 2006)

© Damas Cultural Society — Latest aupdate: 2007-07-11
Original site: damas-original.nur.nu

Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi – one of he wolrd’s most influencial Muslims
From The Muslim 500

Sheikh al-Yaqoubi was born in Damascus and was trained in Islamic studies by his father, who was an Imam and instructor at the Grand Umayyad Mosque. Sheikh al-Yaqoubi followed in his father’s footsteps teaching in the same mosque, and becoming a world renowned Islamic scholar of theology, jurisprudence, and Hadith. He is widely-recognised as one of the reliable authorities for the issuing of fatwas in Islam. He was one of the first scholars to speak against DA’ISH, denouncing its atrocities and showing that its actions are unIslamic. His book Refuting ISIS has become essential reading. His criticism of the Syrian government’s response to protests made his stay in Syrian untenable, and so he had to flee the country. As a teacher, he has trained several hundred Imams and teachers who work in the Arab World, the West, in the Far East and South Africa. As a spiritual guide he focuses on the spiritual well-being of Muslims and gives personal spiritual instruction to his disciples, of which he has a significant following in the UK and USA. He is a charismatic public speaker in both Arabic and English, and one of the most vocal moderate voices of Islam making a huge positive impact via his public talks, writings and numerous media appearances worldwide.

Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi
From Sacred Knowledge

Al-Allamah Shaykh as-Sayyid Muhammad al-Yaqoubi is one of the greatest scholars in the world today. In Syria, and particularly in his home city of Damascus, the Shaykh rose to great prominence in recent times for defending the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace), and being one of the first from amongst the ulema to courageously condemn the brutal Syrian government at the start of the popular uprising. In the West, he is an extremely eminent and distinguished preacher amongst Muslim minorities, and a caller to Islam, thousands having embraced the religion through his powerful and uncompromising lectures, wise words and charismatic approach. For several years running, the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute has included him as one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world.

Shaykh Muhammad descends from a scholarly family that traces its roots back to Morocco, and lineage to the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace). He is both a sufi and jurist, continuing the glorious legacy of his late father, the Imam of the famous Grand Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, the gnostic, and polymath of Syria, Sayyid Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi (Allah show him mercy), as well as his grandfather, the erudite Imam, gnostic and ascetic, Shaykh Ismail al-Yaqoubi (Allah show him mercy). Prior to being forced into exile in 2011, Shaykh Muhammad was teaching regularly at the Umayyad Mosque, as well as being the weekly Friday speaker at the Hassan Mosque in the Abu Rumana district of Damascus. He also taught regular classes at the Mosque of Shaykh al-Akbar Muhyiddeen Ibn ‘Arabi.

From an early age, Sayyid Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi supervised Shaykh Muhammad’s upbringing and tutelage, ensuring that every aspect of his son’s life was developed with the most detailed care under the guidance of the Sharia. For over 20 years, Shaykh Muhammad studied over 500 books with his father, in the sciences of the Qur’an, Hadith, Fiqh, Mantiq and many other fields. His father gave him full authority to narrate Hadith, to teach and issue fatwa. He also received many other ijazas from the most prominent scholars of Syria, including Mufti Abul Yusr ‘Abidin and Shaykh Makki al-Kittani (Allah show them mercy), granting him some of the shortest isnads on the face of the Earth. The Shaykh is fluent in several languages including Arabic, English, and Swedish, and has trained several hundreds of scholars, imams and preachers both in Syria and the West. He is the author of a number of books in Arabic, as well as several poems in both Arabic and English. He has travelled the world extensively and participated in conferences, lectures and taught several intensive programmes from Finland to South Africa, and Indonesia to the West coast of the USA.

The Shaykh currently resides in Morocco with his wife and 3 children, and continues to teach the sacred sciences to scholars and students.

Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi
From Remembrance Publications

Born in Damascus on the 13th of Dhul Hijja, 1382 AH (1963 CE), Shaykh Sayyid Muhammad Abul Huda al-Yaqoubi is from a noble family of scholars that descend from the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). From this household have emerged numerous renowned men of Allah who have taught the sacred sciences for many centuries. Shaykh Muhammad’s father, the light of Damascus and master of the Islamic disciplines, Sayyid Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi, was one of the greatest scholars of The Levant in recent times.

Shaykh Muhammad’s grandfather was a great scholar and Gnostic, Sayyid Ismail al-Yaqoubi; his father’s maternal uncle was Shaykh Arabi al-Yaqoubi and his paternal uncle was the famous Gnostic, Shaykh Sharif al-Yaqoubi. Amongst his blessed ancestors, three have held the Maliki Imamate at the Grand Umayyad Mosque in Damascus – may Allah envelope them all in His mercy.

Shaykh Muhammad’s grandfather was a great scholar and Gnostic, Sayyid Ismail al-Yaqoubi; his father’s maternal uncle was Shaykh Arabi al-Yaqoubi and his paternal uncle was the famous Gnostic, Shaykh Sharif al-Yaqoubi. Amongst his blessed ancestors, three have held the Maliki Imamate at the Grand Umayyad Mosque in Damascus – may Allah envelope them all in His mercy.

Shaykh Muhammad traces his lineage back to the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) through the great Mawlay Idris al-Anwar who built the city of Fes, a descendant of Sayyiduna al-Hasan the Second, who is the son of Sayyiduna al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him), the grandson of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and son of Sayyiduna Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah ennoble his countenance).

From an early age, Sayyid Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi supervised Shaykh Muhammad’s upbringing and tutelage. He accompanied his father until his demise in 1406 AH. Shaykh Ibrahim meticulously ensured that every aspect of his son’s life was developed with the most detailed care under the guidance of the Shari’a. For over twenty years, Shaykh Muhammad studied over 500 works with his father, in the sciences of Qur’an, Hadith (Prophetic traditions), Fiqh (Jurisprudence), Mantiq (Logic) and many more. His father gave him full authority to narrate Hadith, to teach and to issue fatawa (legal rulings). He also received many other ijazat (licenses to teach) from the most prominent scholars of Syria such as: the Hanafi Mufti of Syria, Shaykh Muhammad Abul Yusr Abidin; the Maliki Mufti of Syria, Sayyid Makki al-Kittani; Shaykh Ali al-Boudaylimi of Tlemcen; Shaykh Salih al-Khatib; and Shaykh Abdul Aziz Uyun al-Sud.

Some of the books Shaykh Muhammad studied under his father are as follows: most of the six books of Hadith, al-Muwatta of Yahya al-Laythi, most of al-Muwatta of Imam Muhammad with Sharh al-Laknawi, most of al-Muwafaqat of al-Shatibi, the first volume and other sections (of the five volumes) of al-Hashiya of Ibn Abidin, Ihya Ulum al-Din, al-Hidaya of al-Marghinani, Mughni al-Labib of Ibn Hisham, parts of Kitab Sibawayhi, Miyar al-Ilm of al-Ghazali, several volumes of Sharh Sahih Muslim of al-Nawawi, several volumes of Irshad al-Sari of al-Qastallani, half of Madarik al-Tawil of al-Nasafi, Hashiyat al-Sawi on Tafsir al-Jalalayn, three volumes of Mu’jam Maqayis al-Lugha of Ibn Faris, al-Bayan w’al-Tabyin of al-Jahiz, several volumes of Wafayat al-Ayan of Ibn Khallikan, and Tabaqat al-Shafi’iyya al-Kubra of Ibn al-Subki, and Maqamat al-Hariri. In fact, Shaykh Muhammad wrote a thabat (detailed list) of the names of the books he studied under his father entitled, “The Concealed Pearls”. This book is a testament to his father’s labour of love and the expenditure of his energy in passing on his knowledge and experience to his children, a rarity in our times.

In the summer of 1973 at the age of 11, Shaykh Muhammad started teaching a regular Qur’an and Tajwid class composed of a group of boys at the Darwishiyya Mosque in Damascus. He began giving public speeches in Ramadan after Asr prayer in the same mosque at the age of 12. At the age of 14, he made his debut as Friday speaker in the mosque known as al-Saadaat, where Sayyiduna Mu’adh ibn Jabal is buried. At the age of 17, he was appointed Friday Imam and speaker and as a teacher of the Sacred Knowledge at the age of 20. Since then, he has been teaching the Islamic sciences to students of all levels from all parts of the world. Shaykh Muhammad memorized Jawharat al-Tawhid when he was 5 years old, al-Arba’in al-Nawawiyya when he was 6, and later on, dozens of famous didactic odes and poems along with most of al-Qur’an al-Karim. He also memorized considerable parts of al-Mufaddaliyyaat and al-Hamasah of Abi Tammam. The first poem he wrote was at the age of 13, and it was a plea to the Prophet. His collection of poetry is growing, and a few poems in English have been added to it. Throughout the years of his study, Shaykh Muhammad went through extensive spiritual training in the path of Tasawwuf under his father, who was a great saint and spiritual guide known for his righteousness and asceticism. Shaykh Muhammad studied the major works of Tasawwuf under him. As well as accompanying him, he was his servant, his student and the bearer of his shoes, which he considers the key to the opening he received. The company of his father exposed him to a wealth of light, wisdom and knowledge, an experience that was far beyond what one may attain from books or from occasional meetings with teachers.

He is an authority in the science of Hadith; his asanid (chains of transmission) are of the highest amongst scholars of our time. Students and scholars visit him in Syria or when he travels, to hear the masalsalat and take ijaza in narration of Hadith. In his efforts to revive the tradition of Hadith recitals, he has taught al-Muwatta of Imam Malik, Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih al-Muslim, Sunan Abi Dawud, Jami’ al-Tirmidhi and he intends to finish all the main six books of Hadith in the coming terms insha’Allah.

He has travelled extensively and participated in conferences, delivered lectures and taught intensive programmes. Additionally, he has delivered Friday speeches in Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Pakistan, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Germany, France, Spain, Canada, the United States, Indonesia, Singapore, South Africa, Morocco and the UK. Over a thousand people have embraced Islam at his hands and many have repented after listening to him. He is a scion of the prophetic household, a torch bearer in this time and a charismatic public speaker in both Arabic and English.

Sayyid Muhammad al-Yaqoubi’s incredible training at the hands of several luminaries of this ummah, most notably his father, have propelled him to rank among the leading scholars of Islam in the world today. He currently resides in Damascus and is a public teacher at some of the most prestigious institutions there. He teaches Aqida (theology) at the Grand Umayyad Mosque; he holds the position of Jumu’a Khatib (Friday speaker) at the Jami’ al-Hasan Mosque; at the Mosque of Shaykh Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, he teaches from al-Risalah of Imam al-Qushayri and al-Shama’il al-Muhammadiyyah of Imam al-Tirmidhi.

May Allah preserve him for the benefit of the ummah. Ameen.

Shaykh Muhammad has bravely spoken out against the oppression in Syria. Please support the Shaykh by watching his videos on YouTube, leaving positive comments on them; by liking his facebook page and comments and by donating to SK Trust to support the syrian people.

Shaykh Muhammad al-Ya`qoubi – biography 2004
From: Shaykh Ibrahim Institute | damas

Shaykh Muhammad al-Ya`qoubi descends from a scholarly family whose lineage goes back to the Prophet, salla Allahu ‘alayhi sallam, through his grandson Sayyiduna al-Hasan, radiya Allahu ‘anhu. His lineage goes back to Mawlay Idris al-Anwar who built the city of Fes. Mawlay Idris’ lineage is as follows: he is the son of Mawlay Idris the Great; who is the son of Sayyiduna Abdullah al-Kamil; who is the son of Sayyiduna al-Hasan, the Second; who is the son of Sayyiduna al-Hasan, radiya Allah ‘anhu; who is the grandson of the Prophet, salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

Shaykh Muhammad al-Ya’qoubi’s ancestors also include some of the greatest scholars of Syria: Shaykh Sharif al-Ya’qoubi (d. 1943/1362 H.) was his father’s uncle, and Shaykh Muhammad ‘Arabi al-Ya’qoubi (d. 1965/1384 H.) was his father’s maternal uncle; both were the Malikite Imams of the Omayyad mosque. Shaykh Siddiq al-Ya’qoubi (d. 1889/1307 H.) was his paternal great-grandfather, and Shaykh Isma’il al-Ya’qoubi (d. 1960/1380 H.), a great Waliy known for his miracles, was his own grandfather. His father, Shaykh Ibrahim al-Ya’qoubi (d. 1985/1406 H.), was one of the greatest scholars Syria saw in the past 50 years; he was also the Imam and teacher of the Omayyad Mosque.

Shaykh Muhammad was born in Damascus on the 13th of DhulHijja in 1382 H. As a little boy, he crawled in the Grand Omayyad Mosque and the Darwishiyya Mosque, where his father was an instructor for 40 years, and sat in the laps of some of the greatest scholars. Since he was four-years-old, Shaykh Muhammad accompanied his father in all of his visits, gatherings, and classes, both public and private, as well as at home and outside. His father took care of him and was both his teacher and spiritual master. Under his tutelage, Shaykh Muhammad followed a solid traditional curriculum since the age of four, studying, step-by-step, the major classical works on the various disciplines of the Shari’ah as well as the instrumental disciplines. Shaykh Muhammad dutifully studied with his father over 500 books in the course of 20 years, some of them from cover-to-cover and others in portions; some are multi-volumes, and others are small concise works.

Some of the books Shaykh Muhammad studied under his father are as follows: most of the six books of Hadith, al-Muwatta of Yahya al- Laythi, most of al-Muwatta of Imam Muhammad with Sharh al-Laknawi, most of al-Muwaafaqaat of ash-Shaatibi, the first volume and other sections (of the five volumes) of al-Hashiya of Ibn ‘Abideen, Ihya ‘Ulum ad-Deen, al-Hidaya of al-Marghinani, Mughni al-Labeeb of Ibn Hisham, Parts of Kitab Seebawayhi, Miyar al-Ilm of al-Ghazali, several volumes of Sharh Sahih Muslim of an-Nawawi, several volumes of Irshad as-Saari of al-Qastallaani, half of Madarik at-Taweel of an-Nasafi, Hashiyat as-Saawi on Tafseer al-Jalaalayn, three volumes of Mu’jam Maqaayiis al-Lugha of Ibn Faaris, al-Bayaan wat-Tabyeen of al-Jaahiz, several volumes of Wafayaat al-Ayaan of Ibn Khallikaan, and Tabaqat ash-Shafi’iyya al-Kubraa of Ibn as-Subki, Maqamaat al-Hariri. In fact, Shaykh Muhammad wrote a thabat (detailed list) of the names of the books he studied under his father entitled, The Concealed Pearls. This book is a testament to his father’s labor of love and of the expenditure of his energy in passing on his knowledge and experience to his children, a rarity in our modern times.

Throughout the years of his study, Shaykh Muhammad went through spiritual training in the Sufi path under his father, who was a great Waliy and Murshid known for his righteousness and asceticism. Shaykh Muhammad studied the major works of Tasawwuf under him, accompanied him, and was his servant, the bearer of his shoes, which he considers the key to the opening he received. The company of his father exposed him to a wealth of light, wisdom, and knowledge, an experience that was far beyond what one may attain from books or from occasional meetings with teachers.

In the summer of 1973, at the age of eleven, Shaykh Muhammad started teaching at the Darwishiyya Mosque where he taught a regular Qur’an and Tajwid class composed of a group of boys. He began giving public speeches in Ramadan after ‘Asr prayer in the same mosque at the age of twelve. At the age of fourteen and a half, he made his debut as Friday speaker in the mosque known as as-Saadaat, where Sayyiduna Mu’aadh ibn Jabal is buried.

Shaykh Muhammad memorized Jawharat at-Tawhid when he was five-years-old, al-Arba’in an-Nawawiyya when he was six, and, later on, dozens of famous didactic odes and poems along with most of the Qur’an al-Karim. He also memorized considerable parts of al-Mufaddaliyyaaat and al-Hamaasah of Abi Tammaam. The first poem he wrote was at the age of thirteen, and it was a plea to the Prophet salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. His collection of poetry is growing, and a few poems in English have been added to it.

Amongst the scholars who gave him ijaza (the authority to narrate Hadith through their chains) were the Malikite Mufti of Syria, Sayyid Makki al-Kittan; Shaykh Muhammad Abul-Yusr ‘Abideen, the previous Mufti of Syria; the great Murshid, Shaykh Ali al-Boudaylimi of Tlemsan; Shaykh Zayn al-‘Abideen at-Tounisi; Shaykh ‘Abdul’Aziz ‘Uyun as-Soud; Shaykh Muhammad Wafa al-Qassaab; and several others. Shaykh Muhammad’s father, may Allah shower him with His Mercy, also wrote several ijazas for him, giving him full authority to narrate Hadith. His father also issued for him ijazas qualifying him to teach the Shari’ah and to be a Murshid in the Sufi path. This was affirmed by several shaykhs of the path, the last of whom is Shaykh AbdurRahman ash-Shaghouri in Damascus, may Allah extend his life.

Shaykh Muhammad published his first article when he was seventeen-years-old in al-Majalla al-‘Arabiyya in Riyadh and his first book when he was 23. At the age of 20, some of his Friday speeches were broadcast live through the Syrian Radio station. Three of his books in Arabic have been published besides several articles in Arabic, English, and Swedish. The list of his unpublished books contains more than 20 works in Arabic.

Shaykh Muhammad was formally appointed as Friday speaker (khatib) in 1981 in central Damascus. Two years later, in 1983, he was appointed as Imam and was commissioned to teach the Sacred Knowledge. In early 1986, upon the demise of his father (may Allah have mercy on him), Shaykh Muhammad was given his father’s post as an instructor in the Fatwa Administration. That same year, he began teaching Maliki fiqh at the Institute of the Students of Sacred Knowledge (which is now the Institute of Sheikh BadrudDeen al-Hasani).

While in Damascus, in addition to teaching native Syrians, Shaykh Muhammad taught students from various parts of the world; many of them are now Imams and teachers in Malaysia, the Philippines, Algeria, Mali, Gambia, and other countries. Amongst the books he taught, partially or completely, are Sahih al-Bukhari (which he taught twice), Sahih Muslim, al-Muwatta (which he also taught twice), ash-Shama’il al-Muhammadiyya (which he taught four times), the commentary of al-Bajuri on al-Jawhara, an-Nasafi’s Madarik at-Tawil, Jawahir al-Iklil Sharh Mukhtasar Khalil, al-Kaafi of Ibn AbdulBarr, al-Hikam of Imam ibn Attaa Allah, Sharh ar-Risala of Imam al-Qushayri, al-Marghinani’s al-Hidaya, Sharh al-Bayqouniyya, Sharh ar-Rahabiyya, Sharh al-Jazariya, ash -Shifa of Qadi ‘Iyaad, and Ibn Hisham’s commentary on the Alfiyya of ibn Malik.

Besides serving as a Friday speaker and instructor until 1990, Shaykh Muhammad pursued his academic studies at the University of Damascus, Faculty of Shari’ah, where he frequented some lectures and benefited from several professors between 1982-1985. He also received a degree in Arabic literature in 1987 and completed a two-year study of philosophy at the Arab University of Beirut. In 1991, Shaykh Muhammad joined the PhD program of linguistics at Gothenburg University in Sweden, Department of Oriental Studies, where he also worked as a researcher and a teacher of classical Arabic literature for a few years until 1996.

Shaykh Muhammad worked in Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah in Kuwait in 1990 as Research Editor, and, between 1998-1999, as Assistant Director for Research and Studies, a position he was awarded due to his keen interest in the studies of ancient Arabic manuscripts and paleography. He eventually resigned to devote his time to the Sacred Knowledge and to serve its students in teaching and writing.

While in school, Shaykh Muhammad studied French as a second language. It was in 1988 that he began learning the basics of English and German. At the age of 30, upon traveling to Sweden, he realized how vital is the English language in the work for Islam, so he moved to England at that time and completed the FCE, CAE, CCS, and CPE Cambridge courses in English within a year before returning to Sweden where he continued his studies in Swedish.

In Sweden, Shaykh Muhammad served the Muslim community of Gothenburg as Imam, where he struggled for the establishment of Islam in the country. His work there was documented in several newspaper articles and interviews; it included teaching Muslims, giving presentations about Islam, and engaging in multi-religious dialogues and debates on political and social issues, such as European-Islamic dialogue, atheism, etc.. Shaykh Muhammad was hosted by all of the major Swedish universities and Institutions and was co-founder of the Nordic Center for Inter-religious dialogue (NCID) in Gothenburg. He represented Swedish Muslims in several international conferences until he returned to Syria towards the end of 1996. In 1999, the Swedish Islamic society in Stockholm (SIS) chose him as the Mufti of Sweden, forwarding to him the burning issues of fiqh that concern Swedish Muslims. In the year 2000, SIS elected him as a permanent founding member of the Swedish Islamic Academy in Stockholm in recognition of his work in Sweden to which he continues to commit through lectures and classes during his visits to Scandinavia.

Besides working in Syria and Sweden, Shaykh Muhammad participated in conferences, delivered lectures, and gave Friday speeches in Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, Germany, France, Spain, England, Canada, and the United States. His first tour to the US took place in the spring of 1997. Since then, he has been frequenting North America and is now hosted by Zaytuna Institute in California where he has been teaching since the past year. In his efforts to revive the Tradition, he has taught Hadith, including the Muwatta’ and Sahih al-Bukhari, and he intends to finish all six books in the coming terms in sha Allah. Shaykh Muhammad is married and has three children, Aicha, who is four; Ibrahim, who is two; and Ismael, who is four-months-old.

Others besides Shaykh Muhammad have seen many of the miracles of his father, but for those who have not seen them, Shaykh Muhammad says, “This is one of the miracles of my father that everyone can see. It was his du’ah for me, his blessing, and his company that opened the way for me to be where I am now.”

SHAYKH MUHAMMAD AL-YAQOUBI (Shorter)
He is one of the leading scholars of Islam in the world, a true man of Allah with encyclopedic knowledge. He is one of the most influential scholars in the West today; his words have transformed the lives of thousands of people. He studied seven languages; and is a charismatic public speaker in both Arabic and English. He is a descendant of the Prophet PBUH, from a family of scholars that have taught the sacred knowledge for centuries. Three of his ancestors were Imams in the Grand Omayyad Masjid in Damascus, including his father, the great erudite scholar and master of both shari’a and tasawwuf, the late Shaykh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi. He was born in Damascus in 1382H, accompanying his father until he died in 1406H. He was his servant, disciple and student. He was trained in the Sufi path by his father and was qualified as a murshid. He studied under him the major works of the sacred knowledge, memorized many texts and didactic poems. His father gave him several ijazas. Amongst the scholars who also gave him ijaza are: the Hanafite Mufti of Syria, Shaykh Muhammad Abul-Yusr ‘Abideen; the Malikite Mufti of Syria, Sayyid Makki AlKittan; Shaykh ‘Ali Boudaylimi of Tiemsan; Shaykh Saalih Al-Khateeb. He made his debut as Friday speaker at the age of 14, was appointed as Friday Imam and speaker at the age of 17 and as a teacher of the sacred knowledge at the age of 20. Since then, he has been teaching the sciences of the shari’a such as ‘aqeeda, tafsir, hadith, fiqh, usool, grammar, etc. to students of all levels. He taught Tafsir Al-Nasafi, Sahih alBukhari five times, Sahih Muslim, al-Muwatta six times, al-Shama’il of al-Tirmidhi 16 times, Sharh Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar, al-Tahawiyya over 20 times, Sharh al-‘Aqaa’id alNasafiyyah, Ihya ‘Uloom al-Din, al-Hikam of Ibn ‘Atta’illah, al-Shifa of Qadi ‘Iyaad, alQudouri, al-Hidayah, Maqaamt al-Hariri, Mughni al-Labeeb and many other books. As an authority of hadith, his isnads i.e. chains of transmission, are of the highest amongst scholars of our time. Students and scholars visit him in Syria or when he travels to hear the masalsalaat and take ijaza in narration of hadith.

Between 1992 and 2001, he worked in Kuwait, Sweden and USA; and traveled across the world teaching the sacred knowledge and calling people to Allah. He toured many countries in North America and Europe, the Far East and Arab World. Thousands of people took shahada at his hands and many repented after listening to him. He now resides in Damascus and teaches in the Masjid of Shaykh Muhyiddeen Ibn ‘Arabi, and in his home; while several of his students are spreading the sacred knowledge and reviving the way of the Ulema around the world. He is married with three children.

http://farooqm.blogspot.com/2005/04/shaykh-muhammad-al-yaqoubi.html
Saturday, April 02, 2005>

shaykh muhammad al ya’qoubi.
a gem.
a genius.
he was 35 when i met him. he began learning english at the age of 30. and he was busting out shakespearean sonnets on us…schooling us on the subtleties of english and arabic grammar.
he speaks ~7 languages.
he once gave us a 2.5 hour dars on “bismillah hir rahman nir ra heem”
just a fountain of knowledge. like.

Damas Cultural Society 2006

Shaykh Muhammad Abul Huda al-Yaqoubi compte parmi les plus grands savants de notre époque. D’origine chérifienne (Shaykh Muhammad est un descendant direct du Prophète béni [‘alayhi salatu wassalam], par l’intermédiaire de Sayyiduna al-Hasan fils de ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib), sa famille émigra de l’Algérie vers la Syrie il y a plusieurs générations.

Dès son plus jeune âge, Shaykh Muhammad fréquenta la Grande Mosquée des Omeyyades à Damas, Syrie – où son père enseigna pendant 40 ans – et put s’asseoir sur les genoux de certains des plus grands savants de l’époque. Sous la tutelle de son père, il suivit, dès l’âge de quatre ans, un solide cursus de sciences traditionnelles, comprenant l’étude des grandes œuvres classiques traitant de la Shari’a et des disciplines connexes (grammaire, rhétorique etc..). Il reçut des ijazas (certificats d’autorisations) en sciences du hadith, de la main des plus grands mouhaddithoune de Syrie.

Shaykh Muhammad poursuit ensuite ses études universitaires au département de Shari’a de l’Université de Damas. Après avoir obtenu une licence en littérature arabe en 1987, il étudie la philosophie pendant deux ans à l’Université arabe de Beyrouth, avant d’intégrer, en 1991, le programme doctoral de linguistique du département d’études orientales de l’Université de Göteborg en Suède, où il fut par ailleurs chargé de recherche et enseigna les lettres classiques de la langue arabe. Le Shaykh dirigea également le pôle d’étude et de recherche de la maison d’édition Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah au Koweït en 1990.

Après avoir été Imam à Göteborg et œuvré sans relâche pour l’Islam en Suède, la société islamique suédoise de Stockholm le désigna mufti pour la Suède en 1999.

Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi donne fréquemment des Khoutbas et des conférences au Moyen-Orient, en Europe, au Canada et aux Etats-Unis, et enseigne la ‘aqida, le tafsir, le hadith, le fiqh, le usul al fiqh, et encore bien d’autres disciplines. Le Shaykh est une autorité éminente dans le domaine du hadith, ses lignes de transmission (isnads) étant parmi les plus fiables du moment. Jusqu’à aujourd’hui, le

Shaykh al-Yaqoubi a enseigné, entre autres :

– Tafsir al-Nasafi
– Sahih al-Bukhari (19 fois)
– Sahih Muslim,
– Al-Muwatta (6 fois)
– Al Shama’il de l’Imam al-Tirmidhi (17 fois)
– Sharh al-fiqh al-Akbar, al-Tahawiyya (plus de 20 fois)
– Sharh al-‘Aqaa’id al-Nasafiyyah,
– Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din,
– Al-Hikam d’Ibn’ Atta’illah,
– Al-Shifa du Qadi ‘Iyaad,
– Al-Qudouri,
– Al-Hidayah,
– Maqaamt al-Hariri,
– Mughni al-Labeeb
– Etc..

Des étudiants et des savants affluaient du monde entier en Syrie pour lui rendre visite, ainsi qu’au cours de ses voyages, pour entendre la malsalslaat* ou obtenir une autorisation (ijaza) de narration d’un hadith.

(* note : dans la traduction (de l’anglais) il est écrit malsalslaat mais il semble que ce serait plutôt des ahadiths mousalsal bi al mousafaha ou autres, voir : http://www.aslama point com/forums/showthr…q%C3%BBb%C3%AE )

Les gens qui ont embrassé l’Islam ou qui se sont repentis par sa cause (en écoutant ses discours) se comptent par milliers, et aujourd’hui, un grand nombre de ses étudiants parcourent le monde pour diffuser la Loi sacrée et revivifier le curriculum des Ulémas.

On notera par ailleurs que le Cheikh commença à enseigner le tajweed (récitation coranique) à l’âge de onze ans, prononça son premier discours public un an plus tard, et délivra sa première khutba (prêche du vendredi) à l’âge de quatorze ans et demi, et son père l’autorisa à enseigner la Loi sacrée de l’Islam quand il eut atteint sa vingtième année.

Shaykh Muhammad est père de trois enfants et réside depuis plusieurs années à Rabat, au Maroc.

Shaykh al-Sayyid Muhammad Abul Huda al-Yaqoubi

Född den 5 maj, 1963 i Damaskus, Syrien.
Må Allah bevara honom
Sammanställt av md för rahma.se

BAKGRUND

   Shaykh Muhammad Abul Huda al-Yaqoubi är en världsberömd islamisk lärd, tänkare och visionär med en encyklopedisk kunskap. Han kommer från en familj av religiöst lärda, som migrerade till Damakus efter motståndet mot den franska kolonisationen i Algeriet. Familjen Yaqoubis släktträd går tillbaka till Profeten, salla Allahu aleihi wa sallam, genom hans barnbarn Sayyiduna al-Hassan, radhiya Allahu ‘anhu. Deras anor går också tillbaka till Mawlay Idris al-Anwar som byggde staden Fes i Marocko.

   Från denna familjen kom Syrien att få se några av dess mest prominenta lärda; Shaykh Sharif al-Yaqoubi (d. 1943) som var hans fars farbror, och Shaykh Muhammad ‘Arabi al-Yaqoubi  (d.1965) som var hans fars morbror – Båda erhöll positionen som imamer representerade den malikitiska rättsskolan i den berömda Umayyad moskén. Hans egne far, och lärare, Shaykh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi var en av de mest framstående lärda i de religiösa vetenskaperna som Syrien frambringat de senaste femtio åren – även han var verksam som imam och lärare vid Umayyad moskén.

   Shaykh Muhammad Abul Huda al-Yaqoubi föddes i Damaskus den 13:de Dhul-Hijjah 1382 H. (5 maj, 1963). Från de allra tidigaste åren i hans barndom gjorde han sin far sällskap under samtliga av hans föreläsningar och olika sammankomster – både offentliga och privata sådana, i hemmet och utanför.

 
IJAZAT

   Shaykh al-Yaqoubi innehar flera ijazat (tillstånd) att lära ut andlig och religiös kunskap, att återberätta och utfärda juridiska utlåtanden under islamsk lag (Shariah).

• – Efter att Shaykh al-Yaqoubis far tränat honom i den andliga vägen (Tasawwuf)   fick han  tillstånd att verka som murshid (andlig vägledare).
• – Shaykhen erhöll dessutom flera ijazat i att lära ut de religiösa vetenskaperna av sin far.
• – Shaykh al-Yaqoubi har även tilldelats ijazat av flera framstående lärde i Syrien, inklusive: den malikitiske muftin av Syrien Sayyid Makki al-Kittani och den hanafitiske muftin av Syrien Muhammad Abdul Yusr Abidin, den store murshid Ali al-Boudaylimi från Tlemcen, Abdul Aziz Uyun al-Sud och Salih al-Khatib.

 
UTBILDNING

   Från 4-årsåldern fick Shaykhen genomgå en gedigen traditionell utbildning i de religiösa vetenskaperna (Hadith, fiqh, ‘aqidah, m.m.), som varade i 20 år. Under denna period studerade Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi de stora klassiska verken för Shariahs discipliner med sin far, tillsammans gick de igenom över 500 böcker – somliga från pärm till pärm, andra partiellt (somliga verk låg på flera volymer). Utöver den religiösa utbildningen har Shaykhen också avslutat andra högre studier:

• – En examen i arabisk litteratur och en avslutad 2-årig utbildning I filosofi på Beirut Arab University (1987)
• – År 1991 skrev Shaykhen in sig på det lingivistiska fil.dr-programmet på Göteborgs universitet, där han också arbetade som forskare och lärare i klassisk arabisk litteratur.

   Shaykhens kunskapsområde vad beträffar de traditionella religiösa vetenskaperna omfattar bl.a. teologi, Koran- och Hadith-kunskap, fiqh (jurispundens) och usul (metodologi) och arabisk grammatik.

 
VERKSAMHET

   Vid 11-årsåldern började Shaykhen undervisa i Koranstudier på Darwishiyya moskén i Damaskus; hans första fredagspredikant höll han som 14-åring i al-Sadaat moskén. När han blev 17 år gammal erhöll positionen som imam och fredagspredikant – tre år senare blev han lärare i islamska studier.

   Mellan år 1991 och 2001 har Shaykh al-Yaqoubi arbetat i Kuwait, USA och Sverige. Vidare har han rest runt om i världen för att lära ut religiös kunskap, föreläsa och informera om Islam; han har besökt flera platser i Nordamerika, Europa, Fjärran östern och andra delar av den arabiska världen. Han har också arbetat för intereligiösa dialoger och deltagit i debatten om olika politiska och sociala förhållanden och orättvisor. I Kuwait arbetade Shaykhen som forskningsredaktör på Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah, och mellan år 1998-1999 som biträdande direktör för forskning och studier.

   Shaykhen var bland de första [bland de islamska lärde] att tala ut om den syriska regimen (20011) och har intagit en ledande roll i framtidens Syrien. Utrikesministrar, dignitärer och politiska tankesmedjor från världens alla hörn har sökt hans råd och vägledning. Den nobla Shaykhen har deltagit i den global insatsen som propagerar för en fredfull övergång till demokrati och stabilitet genom regelbundna intervjuer med ledande TV-presentatörer, organisationer och journalister. Shaykh Muhammads huvudfråga och främsta fokus under år 2013 har varit den pågående, växande humanitära krisen i Syrien.

   Shaykhen undervisar på några av Damaskus mest framstående institutioner, där han också har sitt residens. Han lär ut ‘Aqidah (teologi) i Umayyad moskén, innehar positionen som Jumu’a Khatib (fredagspredikant) på Jami’ al-Hassan moskén, Shaykh Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, och undervisar epistlet al-Risalah av Imam al-Qushayri och den berömda al-Shama’il al-Muhammadiyyah av Imam al-Tirmidhi.

 
ELEVER

   Några av vår tids lärda har studerat under Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi. Till hans elever hör bl.a.:

• – Shaykh Faisal Abdur-Razzak
• – Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
• – Shaykh Dr. Gibril F. Haddad
• – Dr. Husain Abdul Sattar
• – Shaykh Munawwar Ateeq Rizwi

 
SKT-WELFARE

   SKT-Welfare är en ideell välgörenhetsorganisation, som arbetar under vägledning av Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi. Med sin djupa insikt i den syriska saken kan han förmedla det syriska folkets behov och interna situation till välgörenheten.

Läs mer om välgörenheten och deras verksamhet här:  http://sktwelfare.org/

 
ÖRVIGT
 
   År 2012 listades Shaykhen bland De 500 mest inflytesrika muslimerna av Georgetown universitets Prince Alwaleed Bin-Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding och Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre.

   Han har studerat och talar ~7 språk, bl.a. engelska, franska, tyska och svenska. 

t.b.d.
 

His biography is found in the Futuhat¹ of Sayyidi Sheikh Muhammad ibn Mas´ud al-Fasi, where he says:

I took the Shadhili tariqa from my Master and Teacher, who reared murids by himma and hal and brought them to the stage of realization by particular stages of progression, the Pole of the Circle, the Channel of provisions (al-Maddad al-Ghauth), the Unique Uniter (al-Jami´ al-Fard),the Sheikh, my Master Muhammad ibn Hamza al-Zhafir al-Madani – may his great secret be sanctified – year 1242 H., after the passing of his teacher [Sheikh Muhammad ´Arabi al-Darqawi d. 1239 H.] and his return from the Marokko to Tripoli. Then Allah joined me with him, and I took from his essential lights and his impelling knowledge – that is I took from the lights that poured down on him from the Presence of the Impellor (al-Jabbar) – for about eighteen years, and Allah made me benefit therefrom.

He – may Allah be pleased with him – was bringing forth saints in his court yard, as the earth brings forth plants when rain pours down on it. His character was the character of the Prophets, and his state was  that of the most elect of the elect of the saints and the pure. He – may Allah be pleased with him – was a Qutb, from whose lights the Qutbs are provided, and from whose oceans the noblest take provisions. Whoever looked at him was enriched, whoever knew him would not desire anyone else. He had wonderful states and strange secrets. He strove in the science of interactions (mu´amalat) until he reached the highest level, and he served the saints – until the most elect of the elect from amongst the saints and the pure ones served him. He traveled along this path for some twenty-five years in the far Maghrib (Morocco), until he reached the shores of ´ Ain Hamiyya, while serving by his own hands the Sheikhs and the righteous ones, while seeking the the settlement of Layla – until he found her people in Ha’it Layla, which is the name of a place where our Master Sheikh al-´Arabi [al-Darqawi] resided.

He – may his secret be sanctified – passed away in 1262 H. [^*] and was buried in his zawiya. His maqam there is visited from by travellers from all places.

Allah, makes us benefit from him, and gather us under his flag. Amin.

(*) In the edition of Dar al-Bayruti of 2000, it is written 1242, however the year was 1262 as stated in al-Futuhat al-Rabbaniyya. /bmk

Seyyiduna Muhammed bin Hasan bin Hamza Zafir el-Medeni
Muhammed el-Fâsî Efendimiz (Allah Teâlâ ondan razı olsun), (tarikatı) şeyhi, büyük kutub, meşhur önder, Muhammed bin Hamza Zâfir el-Medenî Efendimizden (Allah Teâlâ ondan razı olsun) almıştır. Nitekim “Fütühât”ında ondan bahsetmiştir ve şöyle demiştir:

Şâziliyye tarikatını; H.1242 senesinde, hocasının (Şeyh Muhammed ‘Arabi al-Dirqawi v.1239) vefatından ve Mağrip’ten Batı Trablus’a dönüşünden sonra efendim, üstadım, müridleri himmeti ve hali ile terbiye eden, onları farklı ilerleyiş mertebeleriyle tahkik makamına ulaştıran, dâirenin kutbu (bir tasavvufi terim: Adn Cennetin’de, Hakkı görmek üzere insanların bir araya gelip toplanmış halde bulunuşuna verilen isim), medet ve yardım kanalı, Efendim Şeyh Muhammed b. Hamza Zâfir el-Medenî’den (Allah Teala aziz ruhunu takdis etsin) aldım. Allah Teala beni onunla buluşturdu ve ona has nurlarından ve ceberuta dair marifetlerini öğrendim. Böylece Cebbar olanın huzurunda onun ruhunun üzerine dolup taşan bu nurlardan takriben on sekiz sene iktibas etmiş oldum ve Allah Teala beni onunla faydalandırdı.

Allah ondan razı olsun, üzerine yağmur yağdığında toprağın yeşillikler bitirmesi gibi etrafında Allah dostları biterdi. Ahlakı enbiyanın ahlakıydı ve evliya ve esfiyadan hâs olanlara özgü halleri vardı. Sırları takdis edilsin kutup idi. Kutup zatlara uzanan nurları ve soylu kişilere ulaşan okyanusları vardı. Kim ona bakarsa o kişiyi zengin ederdi. Kim onu tanırsa ondan başkasını istemezdi. Ve harikulade hallere ve acayip sırlara sahipti. Yüksek makamlara ulaşana kadar muamelât ilminde gayret gösterdi. Evliyanın ve esfiyanın en seçilmiş olanlar ona hizmet edene kadar evliyaya hizmet etti. Bu tarik üzere, yaklaşık 25 sene ‘Ayn Hamiye sahillerine varana kadar Uzak Mağrip topraklarında dolaştı, Şeyhlere ve salih kimselere bizzat kendisi hizmet ederek ve Leylâ’nın yerini arayarak. Ta ki “Hâitu Leyla’da (Leyla’nın Duvarında)” onun ehlini bulana kadar. Hâitu Leyla, Efendimiz Şeyh el-Arabi’nin ebedi istirahat ettiği yer için (kullanılan) mekanın adıdır.

Sırrı takdis edilsin, H.1262* senesinde vefat etti. Ve Mısrata’daki zaviyesine defnedildi. Makamı Mısrata’tadır. Makamı her yerden ziyaretçi alır. Ey Allah’ım bizi onunla faydalanmayı nasip et ve bizi onun sancağı altında haşret. Amin.

(*) Dar al-Bayruti’nin 2000 yılına ait nüshasında yıl 1242 olarak belirtilmiştir, ancak Futuhat-ı Rabbaniyye’de 1262 olarak belirtilmiştir. /bmk

Referans: Tabakat el-Şaziliyye el-Kubra, El-Hasan el-Kuhin

Notes on turuq:

Damas Cultural Society © 2017
Damas Cultural Society © 2007

See seaprate entry on his son
Sayyidi Shaykh Muhammad Zhafir
b. 1244 in Misrata – d. 1321 H. in Istanbul (1829 – 1903 CE)

Through Sheikh Muhammad ibn Mas`ud al-Fasi we received al-Yaqutiyya, the powerful wird upon the Prophet, which he received directly from him (salllAlllah `aleihi wa sallam), while sitting in al-Rawda al-Sharifa in Madina.

1- His upbringing and studies
He was born in al-Maghrib al-Aqsa (Marokko today) in the city of Fas. His date of birth is unknown, however it can be inferred from the date when he met his Sheikh, Sayyidi Muhammad ibn Hamza Zhafir al-Madani (who was in turn a student of Sayyidi Imam Muhammad al-`Arabi al-Darqawi), in 1242 H. Assuming that he was at that time around thirty yeras old, his date of birth an be estimated to the beginning of  1210’s.

He studied the Quran and the religious sciences in Fas under its greatest teachers. In the the Maliki madhhab, he studied the book al-Khalil, and its commentaries by al-Kharashi and `Abd al-Baqi under the faqih al-Qadi al-`Abbas Abu Sauda ibn Murra al-Fasi al-Maliki. He studied  tafsir, and hadith and its terminology under the great muhaddith Sheikh `Abd al-Salam al-Bar`i, a member of the leage of `ulama, who was amazed at his capacity of memorization and intellectual and spiritual gifts. With Sheikh al-`Arabi al-Zarhuni al-Fasi, he studied books of hadith, history and sira such as: al-Kala`i, al-Waqidi, al-Harifash, al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib [books specified in the footnote of Tabaqat]. He studied Arabic literature, grammar and logic with Sheikh `Abd al-Salam ibn Musa al-Andalusi. And he read the Qursheyri Risala and other tasawwuf books with Sheikh al-Tihami ibn Hamadi.

2- Years of mujahada and khidma
After completing his Shari`a studies, he secluded  himself to worship his Lord, and spent day and night doing salutations upon the Prophet sall Allah `aleihi wa sallam. He used to recite the entire book of Dala’il al-Khayrat twentyone times every day, apart from other devotions such as the fard, sunna and mustahabb of salat, Quranic recital and adhkar. He often visited the awlia, the dead and the living. He was virtuous, abstaining from what Allah ta`ala has forbidden and turning down his glance fron what He dislikes. He left dunia behind him, and was engrossed in the love of Allah ta`ala.

At this time, he used to serve the brothers, cutting wood for them, and providing for them the things they liked. One of the miracles told of him occurred in this time: One day, four thieves came to steel from him. He pointed at them with his hand, and Allah made them blind to him, so that they could not see him, and they said to each other: “Where did he go? He was with us just now!” All this time he was with them, hearing what they said. [Cf. a similar story about Sayyidi Imam Abul Hasan.]

One of the men of Allah, known as al-Sharif Ahmad al-Ghiran, used to give him the tidings of wilaya. He was a man of gnosis and elevated states, whom nobody could approach, but when he met our Master, while in one of these states, he regained sobriety, hugged him and said to him: Hell my Master ibn `Ata Allah – this was how he would always address him.

3- Finding his Sheikh, and opening at his hands
He travelled to Tarablus al-Gharb (Tripoli), in search for a spiritual guide, and  in 1242 H. he was led to Sheikh Sayyidi Muhammad ibn Hamza Zhafir al-Madani (d. 1264 H), who had in turn taken the Shadhili tariqa from Sayyidi al-Sharif al-`Arabi ibn Ahmad al-Darqawi (d. 1239/1240 H). As soon as he met him, he realized that this was the guide that Allah ta`ala had chosen for him, and his heart became instantly attached to him. With him he stayed for eighteen years. Through him he received openings and became firmly established on the Path, of which he testtifies as follows:

“Allah gave me knowledge like the knowledge He gave to the predessors before (man sabaqa min al-Awwalin), and what al-Haqq gave me has room only in my breast.”

And: “By Allah, if it was not that I am bound by the Shari`a, I would disclose the most strange of strange things.”

And: “I have at this time received the permission from Allah and His Messenger to say: This my foot is above the neck of every living saint. I said this, while in the Diwan of the Awlia of Allah ta`ala, and some of the awlia that were present wanted to utter these words, but I said to him: By Allah’s Highness and Majesty, if you utter them, I will remove you from the Diwan and stripp you off your sainthood. So he remained silent and did not utter them.”

4- His travels and his passing away
He was given permission by his Sheikh to guide seekers while the latter was still alive. In 1260, he left al-Maghrib and spent twenty-nine years travelling through the lands of Hijaz, Hind, Yemen, Sham, Misr, calling to Allah and His Mesesenger, and spreading the Shadhili tariqa, and he founded countless zawiyas of dhikr circles. He came to Misr in 1289. That same year he went to Makka al-Mukarrama, where he passed away, and was buried in al-Ma`la.

5- Among his miracles are the following:
During one of his travels, he was staying in a town in the province of Tarablis (Tripolis). As its people saw on him the signs of rightousness, they gathered around him, crying, complaining, and begging him to help them against the oppression they suffered from their ruler, until the Sheikh – may Allah preserve his secret – was crying with them. Then he said: By Allah, other them Who there is no deity, He will not remain as a ruler over you more than this month, either he will be removed or he will die. No more than three days passed after this utterance, before this ruler was removed from power, and faced with accusations which led to his death sentence.

While on one of his travels, he suffered difficulties and weariness that made hes feet swollen, and something inappropriate concerning his teacher came to his mind, and he made the intention to go to al-Makka al-Mukarrama, to search for a perfect Sheikh. That night, he saw al-Haqq, high and majestic is He, in a dream. He ordered that he be whipped twice as a corrective, then he said: My God, I repent to you. Then Allah ta`ala said: Release him! Then He made him stand in front of Him and said: Ask Me! He said: My God, I ask from You protection (from sin – `isma). He said: I do not give you protection (from sin), this is not for anyone except for the Prophets. Then (the Sheikh) said: My God, i ask from You to be preserved (al-hifzh). He said: It is yours. Then he awoke from sleep.

In his book “al-Futuhat al-Rabbaniyya” (The Lordly Openings) [3], Sheikh Muhammad al-Fasi describes his sheikh and his silsila, and puts forth twentyfive reasons for the superiority of the Shadhili silsila. Some of this is reproduced in Tabaqat al-Shadhiliyya [1]

Poetry
In a Qasida, consisting of seventy verses, he mentions Allah’s favors on him, some of which are quoted below:

One day he was sitting in the mosque of the Prophet, sall Allah `aleihi wa sallam in Madina, recitng the Shadhili awrad, then continuing with salawat upon the Prophet, when he heard him, sall Allah `aleihi wa sallam, saying to him: “Do more salawat, o Fasi!” He asked: “What should I say, O Messenger of Allah?” Then he, sall Allah `aleihi wa `ala alihi wa sallam, said: “Say:

(* Allah and His Angels send blessings over the Prophet. O you who believe, send blessings over him, and salutations. *) O Allah, send blessings and salutations over the one for whose sake You unfolded Your secrets of imposing Power, and made Your lights of Mercifulness break through. (Etc. to the end).”

In Sham, he had two successors:

Şeyhimiz demiştir ki (yazarın): Şeyh Muhammed el-Fasi efendimiz şeriatı uygulamış ilim ve marifetin hakikatine ulaşmış, Muhammedi vasıf ve ahlakıyla donanmıştı. Allah ona keşif nasip etmiştir ve onu heybetli bir kisveyle giydirmiş, asalet tacı takmış, üzerindeki nimetlerini artırmıştır. Allah ona kutup olmayı nasip etmiş, irfan ve veli ehlini geçmiştir. Hakikat ve Şeriati birleştirmiş ve her birinin hakkını vermiştir. Ondaki keşif, meleklerin, dağ, taş ve yeşilliklerin tesbihini duyacak kadar ilerlemiştir.

İlim Tahsili
Genç yaşlarında Mağrip’te Kuran ilmini öğrendi ve ilmini hicret diyarının imamı Malik ibn Enes Efendimizin mezhebi üzerine tahsil etti. Hocalarından büyük alim, engin ve zeki, muhakkiklerin dayanağı Kadı Abbas Ebu Sevde ibn Merra el-Fasi el-Maliki ile beraber Maliki fıkhında el-Ḫalīl kitabını, el-Ḫırşī ve Abdul Bāki’nin şerhleriyle birlikte çalıştı. Diğer hocalarından büyük alim, Muhaddis, ali himmetli Şeyh Abdüsselam el-Ber’i ile tefsir, hadis ve hadis ıstılahlarını çalıştı ve bu hocasından mezuniyetini aldı. Hadis, tarih ve siyer ilmini Şeyh el-Arabi ez-Zerhūni el-Maliki ile tahsil etti. Arap dili, gramer ve mantık ilmini ise Şeyh Abdüsselam ibn Musa el-Endulusi ile tahsil etti. Ayrıca Kuşeyriye Risalesini ve birçok tasavvuf kitabını Şeyh et-Tihāmi ibn Hammādi ile okudu.
Hocaları onun pür dikkat oluşuna, hıfızdaki seriliğine taaccüp ediyorlardı. Ama bu sır ezelden gelen bir inayette saklıydı.

Mücahede ve Hizmet Yılları
Şer’i ilimleri tahsil ettikten sonra Şeyh, Allah teala’ya ibadet ile meşgul olmaya başladı. Bu müddet zarfınca gece ve gündüzleri Nebi’ye (a.s) salat getirmekle meşgul oldu. Devamlı olduğu Kur’an tilaveti, zikir ve salavatlar haricinde her gün Delail el-Hayrat salavat kitabını 21 kere hatmederdi.
Yaşamakta olan ve vefat etmiş evliyaları çokça ziyaret ederdi, bu ziyaretlerini Allah’ın haram kıldığı şeylerden çekinerek ve razı olmadığı şeylerden bakışlarını koruyarak yapardı. Sonrasında Şerif Ahmed el-Ğayran adlı ilim ve hal ehli olan, kimsenin onunla konuşmaya gücü yetmediği velilerden bir zat ona vilayet müjdesi verdi. Ne zaman bizim Üstadımızla bu ahval üzere buluşsa kendine gelir, ona sarılır ve: Hoş geldin İbn Ata Allah efendim, derdi. Ona seslenişi bu şekilde olurdu ta ki Allah teala onu Şeyhi, dairenin ve manevi mededin Kutbu, büyük hoca Muhammed ibn Hamza Zafir el-Medeni -kaddesAllah sirrehu- ile buluşturana kadar. Şeyhini bulduktan sonra onun zati nurlarından, marifetinden çokça istifade etti ve bu 18 sene boyunca devam etti. Şeyhi hayattayken müritlere terbiye vermeye, onları büyük velilik makamlarına ulaştırmaya başladı. Şeyhi de ona irşat etmesine, hakikat sırlarını izhar etmesine ve Allah’ın emin beldesinde tarikatı yaymasına izin verdi. Böylece kendisinden doğu ve batı halkı çokça istifade etmiştir.

Kerametleri
Kerametleri sayılamayacak kadar fazladır. Daha yolun başında kendini Allah ve Rasulü’nün (a.s) yoluna adamış, dünyayı arkasına atmıştır. İnsanoğlundan beri durmuş, Allah tealanın aşkında kaybolmuştur.
Şeyh Muhammed el-Fasi hazretleri, kardeşleri için odun kesip onlara sevecekleri şekilde hizmet ederdi. Kardeşleriyle olan seyahatlerinde çokça olağan dışı şeyler olurdu. Bir keresinde, dört hırsız gelip ondan nesi varsa istediler. O ise hırsızlara eliyle işaret etti ve Allah o anda hırsızlara onu göstermedi. Dediler ki: ‘nereye gitti, şimdi buradaydı?’ Kendisi ise onların yanındaydı ve onları görüp duyuyordu.
Seyahatlerinin birinde çok yorulup bitap düşmüş, ayakları şişmişti. Hatırına üstadına layık olmayan bir düşünce düştü ve kamil bir şeyh bulmak için Mekke’ye doğru yöneldi. O gece rüyasında Allah celle ve alayı gördü. Allah teala ona vurulmasını emretti. İki kere kamçıyla terbiye etmek için vuruldu. Sonra dedi ki: ‘Ey Allah’ım, sana tövbe ederim.’ Allah teala: “onu serbest bırakın,” buyurdu. Huzurunda durdurdu onu ve buyurdu ki: “İste benden.” Dedi ki: ‘ey Allah’ım, senden ismet isterim (günahlardan beri olmayı).’ Buyurdu ki: “Seni günahtan beri tutmam, o ancak peygamberler içindir.” Dedi ki: ‘ey Allah’ım, hıfız (korunmayı) isterim.’ Buyurdu ki: “senin olsun.” Sonra uykusundan ayıldı -Allah ondan razı olsun- ve ondan sonra ilahi marifetler birbiri ardınca devam etti. 70 beyitten oluşan Ayniyye kasidesini kaleme aldı. Kasidenin başı şu şekildedir:

Sefa şarabının sırlarını yudumladım
İçecekten gelen ser hoşluğum gerçekti, kimse inkar edemez
Onu Saki getirdi, Sevgili ve göremedim ben
O’ndan başkasını göz kamaştırıcı bu dünyada
Ondan gayrısında olmak aklıma hiç düşmedi
Yani mahlukatta gördüklerim endişelendirmedi beni
Dünya ve mülkün üzerinde olanları müşahede ettim
Arş ve Kürsüyü emirlerime uyarken gözledim
Susamışlara bu içkiyi sunanlardan oldum ben de
Beni çağırmış şefaatçiye yardım etmek üzere
Ben içilen oldum, şerab oldum, kadeh oldum;
Şerab ehli için sırların saklandığı bir kadeh oldum
Nur oldum, envar oldum, sır oldum, örtü oldum
Güneş oldum, seyyare oldum, ışıldayan nurumdan
Ey sıkıntıda olan kişi, eğer sen de susamışsan
De ki: Ey Fasi, yetiş! Ben hemen yanındayım…

Seyahatlerinden birinde Trablus’tan geçiyordu. Oranın halkı Şeyhin etrafında toplandı ve ağlamaya başladı. Hükümdarlarından zulüm görüyorlar, onun insafsızlığından, Müslüman evlerine baskın yapmasından dolayı yardım istiyorlardı. Şeyh de onlarla birlikte ağladı ve dedi ki: ‘Kendisinden başka ilah olmayan Allah’a yemin olsun ki, bu aydan sonra üzerinizde hakimlik kuramayacak. Ya azledilecek ya da ölecek.’ Nitekim bu sözün ardından 3 gün sonra azledildi ve sonra da başının kesilmesine ve ölümüne yol açan suçlamalar hasıl oldu.
Üstadın sırlarından birini de Üstat Ahmed el-Hadrāvi yaptıkları yolculuklardan bildiriyor: bir yolculukta beraberdik. O gece şeyhin huzuruna girdim ve üzerinde nurlar tecelli ederken ve parıldarken gördüm. Ondan doğru, kabul olunma ve vasıl olma ışığı yayıldı ve dedi ki: ‘Gel ey Ahmed, benden duyduklarını yaz ve söyleyeceklerimi dinle. Şu saatte bunu söylemem Allah ve Rasulunden bildirildi: Ayağım yaşayan her velinin boynundadır.’ Ve dedi ki: ‘Bunu söylediğim zaman veli divanının ortasındaydım. Oradaki bazı veliler bu sözü söylemek istediler. Dedim ki: Allah’ın izzet ve büyüklüğüne yemin olsun, bu sözü söylersen, seni divandan çıkarırım ve vilayet makamından uzaklaştırırım. Bunu üzerine sustu ve o sözü söylemedi.’
Arifler mana aleminde bunu çokça kaside şeklinde söylemiştir ama o bunu gördüğünden manevi bir yetkiye sahip. Kendisi Ravza-i Şerifte RasulAllah (a.s) huzurunda akılları şaşırtacak haberler vermiştir. Bunları öğrenmek istersen yazdıklarına ve menkıbelerine bak. Çokça söylemiştir: ‘Vallahi, eğer şeriat ipiyle bağlanmış olmasaydım size acayiplerden acayip izhar ederdim.’
Demiştir ki: ‘Allah bana öncekilere verilmiş ilimlerden ilimler verdi ve bunlar sadrımı genişletti.’
Kendisi rabbani kutuptu. Allah’ın kullarının kalplerinin Allah’ta birleşmesi için gayret etti. Allah teala için tecrit olmak isteyenlerin kullandığı Hicaz, Hindistan, Suriye, Mısır ve diğer islam diyarlarında sayısız zaviyeleri inşa olundu.
Evliyaya hizmet etti, sonunda kutuplar ona hizmet edene kadar. Bu minval üzere 29 sene boyunca seyahat etti ve islam diyarlarında meşhur olan bir çok ilmi eser kaleme aldı. “Kenzu’l Mutelsem (tılsımlı hazine)”, “Rabbaniyye ve İcazeh medeniyye”, “Meratibu’d-din ve nihayetu’l arifin (Dinin basamakları ve Ariflerin Sonu)” kitaplarına bakarsan nasıl bir rabbani ilme sahip olduğunu görebilirsin.

Vefatı
1289 senesinde Mekke-i Mükerreme’de Allah’ın huzuruna intikal etti ve Ma’la’ya defnedildi.
Şeyhin halleri ve kerametlerini anlatmaya devam etsek sayfalara sığmazdı. Eğer zikredilenden daha fazla öğrenmek istersen Mahmut el-Vefai Efendimizin “Me’ahidu’t Tahkik” kitabını okumalısın. Bu ve diğer bazı eserleri bugün Fasiyye Şaziliyye matbaasında basılmaktadır. Ey Allah’ım, bana onların yol ve yöntemlerini sevdir ve beni de nasiplendir; Efendimiz Muhammed’in makamı hürmetine, salat ve selam kıyamet gününe kadar onun, alinin ve ashabının üzerine olsun. Amin.

More info:
“Ma`ahid al-tahqiq – معاهد التحقيق”, by Sheikh Mahmud al-Wafa’i, contains a biography of Sheikh Muhammad al-Fasi. He met him in his last year of life in Egypt in 1289, and he discribes hin his book how he was overwhelmed with love and longning. Later he met his son Shams al-Din in Suez in 1293, and took the tariqa from him, and followed him to Makka, after which he returned to Misr to spread the tariqa there.

Ref’s:
[1] Tabaqat al-Shadhiliyya al-Kubra, by al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Khuin al-Fasi al-Shadhili (Dar al-Bayruti, Dimashq 2000)
[2] Al-Nafhatu al-Saniyya fi Sharh Yaqutati al-Sadati al-Shadhiliyya, by Muhammad al-Farr Ghala Abu al-`Ala al-Shadhili (Al-Azhar Publication 1954)
[3] Al-Futuhat al-Rabbaniyya, by Sheikh Muhammad ibn Mas`ud al-Fasi (Al-Azhar Publication 1921)
[4] Al-Amir Abd al-Qadir al-Jaza’iri – al-`Alim, al-Mujahid (Dar al-Fikr 1994)

© Damas Cultural Society 2007 — Latest update: 2008-05-17
Original site: damas-original.nur.nu

He is the qutb and matchless pearl of his time, the shaykh of gnostics, and the sultan of saints. He is the treasury of the elect, the well of secrets, the manifestation of the suns of spiritual lights, the fifth caliph,[1] and the heir to the secrets of mystics. He is the one whom Allah established as a mercy to His servants, both in his own life and after. He is our liege and master, crown of the broad Islamic path and din, who leads wayfarers to their spiritual destination. He is the sign of God on earth crowned with secrets. He is adorned with the garment of the folk of truthfulness, unearthing wonders from the spiritual path, and the meanings of whose words dazzled perspicacious intellects. He is the master of young and old, the shelter of the folk of stability and firmness, the unparallelled qutb, the single and collective succour, our master Shams al-Din, Sultan Abu’l ‘Abdullah Muhammad b. al-Hasan b. ‘Ali al-Hanafi,[2] may Allah be pleased with him and may He make him pleased. May Allah support us by his spiritual sustentation and encompass us by His pleasure.

He was from the most illustrious shaykhs of Egypt and from the masters of gnostics. He was regaled with manifest miracles, splendid states, radiant stations and lofty spiritual ambitions. He was endowed with a pleasing spiritual illumination, a disclosure tearing apart the veils of normality, a promacy in the inward aspects of sanctified purity, ascension through the stairways of gnosis, and elevation across the ladders of ultimate realities.

He was among those who ruled over his secrets, curbed his states and seized control of his affair. He possessed far-reaching authority in effectively disposing of matters, a beneficent hand in judgments pertaining to sanctity, a firm foot in the steps at the end of the spiritual path, and the towering peak in steadfastness and solidity. He is among the pillars of this path, the vanguard of its pivots [awtad], its foremost imams and the cream of its scholars — in knowledge, action, state, word, abstinence, revival of the pristine way of tawhid, awe, and majesty. He is from those whom Allah Most High manifested unto existence, shifting around in the cosmos, entrenching in spiritual states, causing to verbalize aspects of the invisible world, bestowing benefits on their tongues and establishing as a model for seekers, so that a group of path’s folk graduated in his school and numerous men of virtue and saints affiliated to him, acknowledging his merit and endorsing his status. As a result, people sought him out from other regions, while he unlocked ambiguous issues concerning the states of the Sufis.

He possessed beauty in his physical appearance and in his attire, dressing in the clothes normally worn by kings and leaders. Beholding the Divine Beauty was predominant in him. People have devoted works of biography on him, authoring large tomes about his outstanding virtues. How could the likes of me summarize his virtues, or hover around this sanctuary? He is the master of all kings, the succour of Allah’s Friends from the East to the West — across valleys, land and sea. Let us, however, mention a few of his noble virtues. I thus say:

He — may Allah be pleased with Him and benefit [us] through him — was born in Egypt in AH 775. He grew up under the tutelage of his maternal aunt. When he reached his prime, he went to school and memorized the Qur’an, learnt from Ibn Hisham and heard hadith from our master al-‘Iraqi. After this, he decided to take a break from pursuing knowledge, whereupon he worked in a shop he had set up for himself. He sold books there until a caller of the All-Merciful came to him and said, ‘O Muhammad, you have not been created for this. Give up this shop, since the like of you is not suited to this business. You have a huge affair with Us.’ He accordingly gave up the shop and the stock he would sell in it, becoming preoccupied with love for his Creator and Originator.

He then withdrew into a solitary retreat for seven years, and came out manifesting sealed aspects of the ultimate reality, speaking about the secrets of sciences and disciplines, and understanding the recondite meanings of the Qur’an. As a result, the kings of mankind and jinn yielded to his authority and crawled to him, seeking to flatter him, while luminaries attested the fact that he had a vast affair among humans. They were saying this out of the bounty of the Lord of mankind. After his retreat, he took the spiritual path and its devotee at the hand of his guide and mentor, who took him to his destination and brought him near Allah, our master Nasir al-Din b. al-Maylaq. He in turn had taken the path from his grandfather, our master Abu’l-Abbas Shihab al-Din b. al-Maylaq,[3] the admonisher and guide who was regaled with saintly miracles and spiritual allusions, and who is buried in the Greater Shadhili Cemetery. He had in turn taken the path from our master Yaqut al-Arshi, who had in turn taken the path from our master Abu’l-Abbas al-Mursi and though him from our master Abu’l-Hasan al-Shadhili.

He had disciples who were like stars in the sky. They included:

■ Our master Abu’l-Abbas Ahmad b. Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Ghani al-Sirsi. His spiritual station was comparable to our master al-Hanafi, and he was gifted spiritual unveilings. He passed away in the year AH 861 and was buried in the Shadhili Cemetery.
■ Our master Shams al-Din b. Katila al-Mahalli.
■ The latter’s in-law, our master ‘Umar, buried in his mosque.
■ Chief Justice Sharaf al-Din Yahya b. Muhammad al-Munawi al-Shadhili. He was — may Allah have mercy on him — a notable. Appointed as the shaykh of the Azhar Mosque, he was given the epithet “Shaykh al-Islam”. He would attend the gatherings of our master al-Hanafi, from whom he learnt and to whom he was closely associated. He would frequent him regularly, time after time. He died in 12 Jumada II AH 871.
■ Our master Siraj al-Din Abu Hafs ‘Umar b. al-Mulaqqin, the author of Tabaqat al-Awliya; who passed away in Rabi’ I in AH 804.
■ [Shaykh ]Al-Siraj al-Bulqini[4], the mujtahid of his age and the foremost scholar of the eighth century AH. He met his death — may Allah show mercy to him — in 10 Dhu al-Qa’da AH 805, and was buried in the middle of his mosque situated in Bab al-Sha`riyya, by the side of Bayn al-Sayarij. His shrine therein is visited by people.
■ Shaykh al-Islam al-Badr al-‘Ayni, who was the Chief Justice in charge of a notable judiciary, and who died on 4 Dhu al-Hijja AH 855. He was buried in his mosque known in the past in the area of Katama, and presently known in the public square of the Azhar quarter.
■ Sidi Shams al-Din’s own son, both biologically and spiritually, our master Mahmud al-Hanafi, buried behind his mosque.
■ Our master Abu Madyan al-Ashmuni, a descendant of Abu Madyan al-Tilimsani. He came to our master al-Hanafi, sat with him for forty days and attained perfection. Thereafter, he developed some virtuous associates and disciples of his. His shrine is named after him in Bab al-Sha’riyya, by a narrow alley in the Muqassam district. Of his children who are buried in his vicinity are Ahmad al-Shuwaymi and Ahmad al-Halfawi, may Allah be pleased with all of them.

He had many other disciples, whose number cannot possibly be ascertained. We have limited ourselves to the abovementioned ones.

The death of our master Shams al-Din al-Hanafi took place in Cairo in Rabi’ II AH 847. He was buried in his well-known mosque, which is regarded as one of Cairo’s largest. It is built with white stone and hoists a large minbar surmounted by lovely engravings close to it. The minbar is made of wood with an oyster veneer. In the courtyard of the mosque, there is an arched dome with coloured glass windows, while the roof of the mosque is made using lapis lazuli and coloured glass. To the right entrance of the large door there is a noble stall where his honourable mausoleum is found, topped by a splendidly constructed dome.

Sayyidi Shams al-Din al-Hanafi is one of the axial saints buried in Egypt. People set out for his tomb from far away localities and remote nations, hoping to find abundant good there. A Shadhili public session of remembrance [hadra] is performed there morning and evening.

This mosque is regaled with divine manifestations and breezes of goodness. It is redolent with the scents of musk and camphor due to the blessing of its residents, may Allah have mercy on them. No aggrieved person intentionally sets out for this mosque save that Allah helps him and eases his pursuit. Among the things that have been tried and tested is that if somone has a need, he should intentionally visit this mosque three days consecutively after the Dawn prayer.

His need will be fulfilled instantly. This matter is established by multiple transmissions among both the elite and commonality of Egypt, and proven by experience. There is no doubt about this.
O Allah, nourish us through his spiritual sustentation, settle us in his proximity and delight us by Your pleasure with us, O Allah, O Most Merciful of those who show mercy.

Footnotes:
[1] In a spiritual sense.
[2] You can read his biography in al-A’lam (6/88), Tabaqat al-Sha’rani (2/81-92), al-Kutubkhana (7/396), Dar al-Kutub (1/314), al-Sirr al-Safi (2/93) and Tabaqat al-Shadhiliyyat al-Kubra by Muhyi al-Din al-Tu’mi (p. 187).
[3] His biography can be found in Tabaqat al-Shadhiliyyat al-Kubra by Muhyi al-Din al-Tu’mi (p. 150).
[4] One of his major students being the great hadith scholar Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani who continuously refers to him as Shaykh al-Islam in his writings.

Source: Muhammad b. Qasim al-Kuhin, Tabaqat Al-Shadhiliyyah Al-Kubra, translated by Ahmad Ali al-Adani as “Biographies of Prominent Shadhilis”

He was appointed by Shaykh Muhammad al-Mubarak to take his place in the Shadhili Zawiya in Damascus.

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Lineage | Teachers | Scholarship and teaching | Head of the Shadhili order in Damascus | Students | Jihad | Da’wa in Libanon | Personality | Miracles | Abdal | Passing | Legacy

Lineage
He is Sayyid Muhammad al-Sharif, son of Muhammad as-Siddiq, son of Muhammad al-Hasan, who migrated from Algeria, and whose lineage goes back to Sayyiduna Idris, the founder of the city of Fas, and from there to Sayyiduna al-Hasan ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with all of them.

He was the brother of Sayiid Shaykh Ismail al-Yaqobi, and the paternal uncle of Sayyid Shaykh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi, who was the father of Sayyid Shaykh Muhammad Abul Huda al-Yaqoubi – see Yaqoubi family tree. ↑

Learning and teaching
He was born in Damascus in 1282 A.H and grew up under his father’s care and guidance. He was also looked after by his uncle Shaykh Mizyan Al-Yaqoubi. He memorised the Quran in Jami’ Baridi, in Hayy Suwaiqa, where his father was the Imam and the teacher. He also memorised many of the didactic poems in various sciences. He memorized Al-Muwatta’ of Imam Malik and ash-Shifa of Qadi ‘Iyad. He studies Arabic, fiqh, hadith usul and other subjects under the top Ulema of his time in Damascus.

His teachers
He read Quran to Shaykh Abu as-Safa al-Maliki and studied Malikte fiqh under the great Shaykh Abd Al-Qadir Al-Dukkali d. 1354 (student of Shaykh ‘Ulaysh, Mufti of the malikites in Al-Azhar d. 1300). He corresponded with Shaykh Muhammad Ma’ al-‘aynayn al-Shinqiti d. 1328. He established friendship Shaykh Muhammad ibn Jafar al-Kattani during the latter’s stay in Damascus. He was also a close friend with 3966the great Muhaddith of Sham, Shaykh Badr al-Din al-Hasani, and with the erudite scholar Shaykh Amin Suwayd. He received many Ijazas from his teachers and contemporaries.

Imam of the Malikites
Sayyid Shaykh Muhammad Sharif al-Yaqoubi was the Imam of the Malikites in the Grand Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, the highest authority in fiqh, tafsir, Sirah, and tasawwuf. He maintained teaching tafsir al-Jalayn, Ash-Shifa of Qadi ‘Iyad, and many other books.

Teaching
He was someone who loved to learn and teach the sacred knowledge and established advanced makatib (or katatib) – centres of advanced learning for youth to study the sacred sciences.

He taught in Jami’ Baridi after his father passed away and was the Imam of the masjid.
With Shaykh Salih ibn Shaykh al-Tayyib, he opened a maktab in Bab Musalla (Maydan). With Shaykh Abd Al-Qadir ibn Shaykh Al-Tayyib he opened one in Zuqaq al-Naqib (’Amara). He opened a school called Madrasa Rayhaniyya in Zuqaq al-Mahkama with Shaykh Muhammad Al-Mubarak and Shaykh Abd Al-Jalil Darra. ↑

Head of the Shadhili order in Damascus
He took the Khalwati order, which was the order of the Yaqoubiy family when arriving from Algeria in the Migration of the Shuyukh in year 1263 A.H., from his father, uncle and grandfather. He also took the Naqshabandi order from his uncle (Shaykh Mizyan).

He was a close student of Shaykh Muhammad Al-Tayyib Ad-Dillisi and took from him the Fasi branch of the Shadhili order. He accompanied his Shaykh until he died in 1313. He then accompanied his brother and Khalifah Shaykh Muhammad al-Mubarak Al-Dillisi until he passed away in 1330. Shaykh Muhammad al-Mubarak appointed him as hsi successor in his zaawiya, so he became head of the Shadhili Fasi order, which was the only branch of the Shadhili Tariqa in Damascus at that time. ↑

Students
Many of the scholars who accompanied Shaykh Sarif and studied under him became the most learned in sacred knowledge, and had the greatest impact in Syria and the Muslim world in the second half of the 14th century.

Sh. Sharif al-Yaqoubi and his students
View list of students in Arabic
Picture compiled by Sh. Doctor Muhamad Sharif al-Sawwaf, a grandson of Sh, Sharif al-Yaqoubi

Amongst his students were:
Shaykh Ibrahim Al-Yaqoubi, d. 1406
Sayyid Shaykh Makki al-Kattani, d. 1393
Sayyid Shaykh Al-Zamzami al-Kattani, d. 1371
Shaykh Salih Farfur, d. 1407
Shaykh Hasan Habannaka. d. 1398
Shaykh Ahmad Al-Habbal, d. 1430
Shaykh Sa’id Al-Ahmar,
Shaykh Isma’il Al-Tarabulsi
Shaykh Ibrahim Qaddour al-Sabbagh
Shaykh Salih Al-Nu’man
Shaykh Ahmad Al-Harun.

Amongst his most noteworthy students were:

Sayyid Sh. Ibrahim Al-Yaqoubi was his nephew and student, and became the most erudite scholar of his time;

Sh. Hasan Habannaka established a madrasa where the top scholars of Syria studied under him and graduated from his school;

Sh. Salih Farfur established the Shari’a institute Ma’had Al-Fath, and had huge impact on in the Muslim world.

Sh. Salih Farfur came to Shaykh Sharif as a student, accompanied him, learning from him, and taking guidance from him. At one point, Sh. Sharif ordered him to open a circle in the Umayyad Mosque, and sent his son Abd al-Karim al-Yaqoubi to be a student. This circle grew to become several classes, and later on became Al-Fath institute.

Sh. Ahmad Habbal: his student, companion and servant
Sh. Ahmad Habbal served Shaykh Sharif and his family for 15 years, travelled to Hajj in service of Shaykh Sharif, and witnessed many of his miracles. ↑

His Jihad
At the end of the world war, the Ottoman power over Syria collapsed, and King Faysal, son of Sayyid Husayn (the Sharif if Makka) seized power over Syria. In March 1920 he declared himself King of Syria. His kingdom lasted only for a few months, after which the French invaded Syria. People – led by the `Ulema – rose in arms to defend the country against the French. They trained themselves using the arms of the former Ottoman government.

The Syrian army, though small, rose up to defend the country under the command of the defense minister, Yousef al-Azmeh. The government also, offered arms to the volunteers who wanted to join the army.

Shaykh Sharif al-Yaqoubi was the commander of a divison of about 500 people, which he gathered from his students and relatives, and the young people in the Moroccan quarter, and they joined the Syrian Army. In July 1920, a battle was fought in the village of Maysalun outside Damascus. The Syrian mujahids were easily defeated because their weapons were old and inefficient. Some of the leaders were sentenced to death and had to leave the country. ↑

Da’wa in Libanon
Shaykh Sharif went to the mountains of Lebanon calling people to Allah. Over a few years, he visited over 100 villages and towns. He established several mosques, taught the people and appointed Imams. His base at that time was Beirut, where he had classes which were attended by the most brilliant young scholars. Some of his students in Lebanon include, amongst many others, Sh. Ahmad Mukhtar al-‘Alayli (who later became Secretary of Fatwa), and Sh. Hassan ad-Dimashqi, who becamse later Shaykh al-Qurat. His best friend in Beirut was none other than the Great Shaykh Yusuf an-Nabhani. Later on, Sh. Yusuf an-Nabhani would visit Damascus and stay with him.

Shaykh Sharif left a huge impact in Lebanon, which continues till today.

After the French occupation had dwindled, he returned to Damascus. However, he continued his Da’wa efforts in Lebanon. he now took some of the young scholars with him. Amongst those who travelled with him were Sh. Salah al-Za’em, Sh. Saleh Farfur, Sh. Ibrahim Qaddur al-Sabbagh.

Once Shaykh Sharif was on his way to Beirut, to call people to Allah and spread Islam in the mountains of Lebanon, Upon departing came across one of his students, Shaykh Ibrahim Qaddur as-Sabbagh, who had just stepped out to buy meat for his family. Sh. Sharif asked him to accompany him to Lebanon. Sh. As-Sabbagh did not hesitate. He dropped everything and followed Shaykh Sharif for forty days, then returned to his family. ↑

Personality
He had the demeanor and characteristic of the Ulema. In his attire he wore the most elegant clothing.

He was someone who relied upon Allah, and who taught and nurtured through his actions as well as his words. He was extremely generous and gave freely to others. He loved the poor and destitute. He would host people and feed them with the best of food. No one visited him at meal time, but he would eat.

From the stories which have reached us:

He would honour and give to the workers at the Umayyad Mosque. One day one of the workers asked him for some money, but he didn’t have anything at the time. He went to a shop nearby and borrowed some money and gave it to the worker. The next day when he came to the shop to pay off the debt he was told by the creditor, Shaykh Sa’id Al-Ahmar (one of his close students), that the person he had given to was not poor. Shaykh Sharif replied: You have ruined my intention, please don’t say such things to me. I gave him for the sake of Allah (i.e. not because he was a poor person). ↑

Miracles
◈ He was once coming out of the Umayyad Mosque, and heading towards Suq Hamidiyya. At the end of the Suq, he saw a battalion of Senegalese soldiers in a military parade. They were part of the French army. Shaykh Sharif thought in his mind of the saying that, if 40 believers get together, there is a wali amongst them. He prayed: O Allah, if there is a wali amongst them, show me who he is. As he was thinking this, a soldier stepped out of line and came towards Shaykh Sharif and said: Yes, there is a wali amongst us!

◈ Shaykh Sharif was once asked by Sayyid Shaykh Muhammad Makki al-Kattani to teach him alchemy, Shaykh Sharif replied, “Give me what is in your pocket”, Sayyid Shaykh Makki handed him a big, heavy, old style key. Shaykh Sharif read something on it and it immediately became gold. He handed it over to him saying, “This is our alchemy.”

◈ Shaykh Sharif used to offer his guests the best type of dates (ambari, ambar-like), and fresh ghee (saman baladi). Once when Sh. Sharif was ill, Sayyid Shaykh Makki al-Kattani visited him. Sh. Sharif apoligized that the type of ghee offered is not “what we usually get”. Sh. Muhammad Makki al-Kattani then purchased an ewe and fed it and took its milk and produced fresh ghee from it. He did this for 6 months, until he had filled a big jar. Sh. Makki then visited Sh. Sharif and offered him the jar of ghee. Upon receiving it, Sh. Sharif said immediately: ‘This has the scent of the Ahl Al-Bayt!’

◈ Sh. Ahmad Habbal, who was a student, companion and servant of Sh. Sharif, related to Sh. Muhammad al-Yaqoubi the occurrence of Shaykh Sharif’s dua for rain on Mount Qasyoun. [t.b.c.]

◈ On one occasion Shaykh Salih Farfour went with his students to visit Shaykh Sharif Al-Yaqoubi. Sh. Salih asked Shaykh Shafiq al-‘Umariy (who was a Qari’) to recite. Sh. Sharif said for everyone to wait. He asked everyone to gather their hearts (i.e. have a present heart), and asked Shaykh Shafiq to make his heart present. He then recited and it was a recitation that left an impact on all attendees. It was described as a recitation of the Akhira. They said, they never felt anything like it.

◈ Everything around sh Sharif was connected to blessings and success. His duas were sought from the people of Damascus. Business men would seek his duas. It was noticed that the business people who accompanied the Shaykh, served him, or took tariqa with him, became the wealthiest and most successful in Damascus and Syria. The scholars who accompanied him and studied under him became the learned most of their time, and had the greatest impact in Syria and in the Muslim world.

Sh. Sharif’s student Shaykh Sa’id Al-Ahmar told Shaykh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi (the nephew of Shaykh Sharif and best friend of Shaykh Sa’id) that he got much wealth from the duas of Shaykh Sharif. He said he gave Shaykh Sharif much money and always got much more back in return. He said, “It was through the barakah of Shaykh Sharif that I got everything.”

Shaykh Sa’id would open his safe for Sh. Sharif to take whatever he wanted. Sh. Sharif would not take for himself, but for the needy people who used to come him. ↑

(Anecdote of Sayyid in Madina on Umrah and how Shaykh Sa’id’s son prayed next to them.) [t.b.c]

One of the Abdal
Sayyid Shaykh Muhammad Sharif al-Yaqoubi was one of the 40 Abdal (Substitute Saints) of Sham.

One of the signs of Abdal is they bear calamities from the Ummah. One visible effect of this is that they lose children. Sh. Sharif lost all his male children in his life.

One of his sons, Siddiq, was killed by a Turkish officer. Shaykh Sharif decided in his heart to forgive him. The day of the trial, he went to the court wearing a silham (moroccan overcoat with a big cap), so he entered the court covering his face. When the time came for him to speak, he spoke the needed words of forgiveness, and left, still covering his face. When he was asked abot it, he said, “I do not want to recognize his face anywhere I see him.”

Sayyid Shaykh Tajuddin al-Kattani said about him, (in a public gathering when I (Shaykh Abul-Huda) once visited him, “anyone who saw Shaykh Sharif will enter al-Jannah”.

Many said about him, “Anyone who saw him, it is as though he saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. ↑

Passing Away
The day Sh. Sharif passed away, Damascus’ shops closed mourning his death and the city followed after his funeral. It was the greatest funeral Damascus ever witnessed (after the funeral of Sh. Badruddin in 1354 whose son was prime minister). ↑

Legacy
His legacy continues today in many great scholars and Awliya of today who have been favoured with Shaykh Sharif’s blessings, knowledge, duas, hard work and sincerity. The is most evident sign of this is the grandson of his brother Sh. Ismail: Shaykh Muhammad Abul Huda Al-Yaqoubi.

The inheritor of his turban
Before the birth of Shaykh Ibrahim al Yaqoubi, Shaykh Sharif suggested to his brother, Shaykh Ismail Al-Yaqoubi to wear the turban [imama] of the Ulema. Shaykh Ismail declined, opting for low profile and seclusion. Shaykh Sharif then said to Shaykh Ismail, “We will keep this turban for one of your sons.” Shaykh Ibrahim was born later and inherited the rank of his uncle [Shaykh Sharif], then the rank of his father [Shaykh Ismail]. ↑

May Allah (the Exalted) have mercy on Sh. Sharif al-Yaqubi, all the scholars mentioned in this article, Sh. Ibrahims students and all of the Muslims.

Shaykh Muhammad AbulHuda al-Yaqooubi composed the following lines about his Grand uncle, Shaykh Sharif, as part of his poem Ma’aathir Al-Shaam (مآثر الشام) which is around 480 couplets about the blessed land of Shaam. He says:

Sayyiduna Sh. Muhammad al-Yaqoubi praying at the tomb of Sayyiduna Sh. Sharif al-Yaqoubi in Bab Saghir cemetery in Damascus

View pictures of the tomb stone of Sh. Sharif al-Yaqoubi

Copyright 2017 Damas Cultural Society – Latest update: 2017-08-27

– see the entry on Shaykh Abu’l-‘Abbas al-Hadrami

Sayyidi Yahya, the noble scion [sharif] was from those regaled with divine bounty in abundance, and enjoyed acceptance by the elite and the commonality, clearly articulating and making plain what lay in the loci of intellection and comprehension. He was endowed with a Muhammadi station. Sayyidi Yahya — may Allah be pleased with him and may He please him — passed away on Wednesday, 8 Rabi’ II 857 H., and was buried next to his brother in the section reserved for his ancestors, our masters Banu al-Wafa. O Allah, benefit us by them and make us actualize the truth by following them submissively.

1. From Kuhin: Tabaqat al-Shadhiliyya View book | Download | Read chapter [31] online

2. From msobieh.com

1. From Al-Sha`rani: Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra (see below)
2. From Kuhin: Tabaqat al-Shadhiliyya (see below)

Sheikh Yaqut al-`Arshi– may Allah ta’ala be pleased with him – was the imam of the spiritual sciences, a worshipper and ascetic, and one of the greatest of those who took from Sheikh Abul`Abbas al-Mursi (radia Allah `anhu). The day he was born, in the lands of Habasha, Sheikh Abul`Abbas was informed of it, and he made a `asida for him. It was then summer time in Alexandria, and people said to him: “But `asida is only for winter time.” He answered: “This `asida is for your brother Yaqut al- `Arshi, who is born in the land of Habasha, and will come to you.” And so it happended.

Yaqut al-`Arshi was the one who interceded for Sheikh Shams al-Din ibn al-Lubban (who disavowed Sheikh Ahmad al-Badawi, so that all his good deeds and rank were nullfied). Sheikh Shams al-Din had sought intersession from all the awlia, but Sheikh Ahmad al-Badawi did not accept it from anyone. Yaqut al-`Arshi then travelled from Alexandria to Tanta, and asked Sheikh Ahmad al-Badawi to change his opinion about Sheikh Shams al-Din, so that his rank may be returned to him, and Sheikh Ahmad al-Badawi complied to his request. – Later, Sheikh Yaqut al-`Arshi gave his daughter in marriage to Shams al-Din ibn al-Lubban, who made it his will , when he died, to be buried under her feet, out of respect for her father Sheikh Yaqut al-Arshi.

He was called al-`Arshi, because his heart was constantly under the Throne of Allah – only his body was on the earth. It has also been said that it is because he heard the adhan from the Angels carrying the Throne of Allah.

He interceded even for the animals. Once, when he was sitting in the circle of the fuqara, a dove came and sat on his shoulder, and said some secret words in his ear. Then he said: “Bismi Allah, we will send one of the fuqara with you.” The dove said: “Noone except you will satsify my need.” So he rode his mule from Alexandira to Misr al-`Atiqa (Cairo) and entered the Mosque of `Amr, saying: “Let me meet the Muadhdhin”. The Muadhdhin was sent for, and Sheikh Yaqut said to him: “This dove came to Alexandria and told me that you kill its young ones every time she gives birth to them in the Minaret.” The Muadhdhin said: “Yes, that is true. I have killed them several times.” Sheikh Yaqut said: “Don’t do it again.” The Muadhdhin said: “I repent to Allah ta`ala.” After that Sheikh returned to Alexandria – may Allah ta’ala be pleased with him.

His virtues and glorious deeds are many and well known among the Shadhilis i Egypt and elsewhere. He passed away in Alexandria year 707 H. – may Allah ta’ala be well pleased with him.

He is Abu al-Durr b. ‘Abdullah al-Habashi [1]. He was a virtuous shaykh who commanded awe and reverence. An imam of gnosis, he was a devout worshipper and ascetic. He is counted among the most illustrious disciples of Shaykh Abu’l-‘Abbas al-Mursi. On the day of his birth in Abyssinia, Shaykh Abu’l-‘Abbas was informed of it. It was a summer day in Alexandria and he prepared ‘asida [a pasty thick gruel made from wheat flour and clarified butter for the newborn]. When told that ‘asida was only prepared in winter, he retorted, ‘This is the ‘asida of your brother Yaqut, who is born in Abyssinia, and will come to you.’ And so it happened.

He was from those who interceded on behalf of Shaykh Shams al-Din b. al-Lubban, when the latter disavowed Sidi Ahmad al-Badawi, resulting in his own knowledge and spiritual state being taken away. Shaykh-Shams al-Din b. al-Lubban had sought the intercession of all other saints.149

He was called al-‘Arshi because his heart was constantly under the Throne [Arsh], only his body being on the earth. It is also said that he would hear the adhan from the angels carrying the Throne.

He even interceded on behalf of animals. One day, when he was sitting in a circle of dervishes, a dove came and sat on his shoulder, and then whispered some secret into his ear. He said: `Bismi Allah, we will send one of the devotees with you.’ The dove told him: ‘Only you will satsify my need.’ So he mounted his mule and journeyed from Alexandira to old Cairo and entered the Mosque of ‘Amr, saying: ‘Let me meet the caller to prayer [muadhdhin].’ The muadhdhin was sent for, and the shaykh said to him: ‘This dove told me in Alexandria that you kill its chicks whenever she gives birth to them in the minaret.’ The muadhdhin said: ‘Yes, this is true. I have killed them on several occasions.’ The shaykh said: ‘Don’t do it again.’ The muadhdhin said: ‘I repent to Allah Most High.’ After this, the shaykh returned to Alexandria, may Allah Most High be pleased with him.

He has a legion of virtues that are well-known among members of the Shadhili Path in Egypt and elsewhere. He died in Alexandria on 18 Jumada II AH 707. He was eighty years old. His shrine in Alexandria — may Allah have mercy on him — is a site of pilgrimage for adults and children seeking spiritual graces. May Allah benefit us through him.

Footnotes:
[1] See his biography in Tabaqat al-Shadhiliyyat al-Kubra by Muhyi al-Din al-Tu`mi (p. 222).

The Wafa’i Masters

From Kuhin: Tabaqat al-Shadhiliyya
– Sayyidi Sh. Muhammad Wafa (d. 765 H.)
– Sayyidi Muhammad al-Najm
– Sayyidi Muhammad al-Awsat
– Sayyidi ´Ali Wafa (d. 807 H.)
– Sayyidi Shihab al-Din Ahmad b. Wafa (D. 814 H.)
– The Founder of Fez: Mawlay Idris II → Bio Mawlay Idris II
– The Mosque of the Wafa’i Masters

Sayyiduna Muhammad Wafa
الشيخ بحر الصفا محمد وفا (d. 765/1363)

The majestic household of the Wafa’i Masters traces back to Sayyidund Muhammad Wafa.150 Qutb al-Sha’rani writes in al-Tabaqat [al-Kubra]:

Our master Muhammad Wafa was among the foremost knowers of Allah. He informed his son Sayyidi ‘Ali that he was the seal of saints and had been endowed with a lofty rank.

He was unlettered, and his expressions on mysticism are peculiar [gharib]. He has many writings, some of which he composed at the age of seven (or ten). His use of allusions in poetry and prose appear cryptic even in our age. To our knowledge, in fact, no one has unlocked their meanings. He was named Wafa after the waters of the Nile had failed to rise during its annual inundation (wafa). The inhabitants of Cairo resolved to make a migration but the shaykh went to the river and said, ‘Release (your waters), by the permission of Allah Most High.’ On that very day, it rose by seventeen cubits and inundated the lands, so people called him Wafa.

His numerous works include Kitab al-Arush and al-Sha’air[al-Irfan fi Alwah al-Kitman], as well as a great anthology of poetry.

He was born in Alexandria, in AH 702. He grew up there and treaded the spiritual path of Shaykh Abu’l-Hasan al-Shadhili under the guide, Sidi Dawud b. Makhila.151 He then relocated to Akhmim,152 where he married and established a large zawiya. Throngs of people paid him visits. He later moved to Rawda153 in Cairo where he devoted himself to worship and the remembrance of Allah Most High. His fame spread and reached distrant corners in both the East and West.

He died on Tuesday, 11 Rabi’I, AH 765. He was buried in the Qarafa neocropolis between the mausoleums of Sidi Abu al-Su’ud b. Abu al-‘Asha’ir and Sidi Taj al-Din Ibn ‘Ata’illah, may Allah be pleased with both of them. This was hinted at by him in the verse, ‘Bury me between Sa`d and ‘Ata’.’

Sayyidi Muhammad al-Najm

The first Wafa’i master to move from the Maghrib to the frontier post of Alexandria was Muhammad Wafa’s grandfather, Sidi Muhammad al-Najm.

He possessed splendid mystical states and worked patent miracles, and whose biography has been written by more than one author. He kept the company of the qutb, Sidi Ibrahim al-Dusuqi— may Allah show him mercy — and the two of them learnt from one another.

Sidi Muhammad al-Najm was born in Sfax, Tunis, from whence the Wafa’i masters originally hail. He settled in Alexandria, becoming a pleasant abode and where he was blessed with a son, Muhammad al-Awsat, the father of our master Muhammad Wafa.

Sayyidi Muhammad al-Awsat

Our master Muhammad al-Awsat was renowned for being a Friend of Allah and a man of knowledge and virtue.

He died — may Allah have mercy on him — while still a young man, and was survived by his son Muhammad Wafa. He was buried in the family’s sufi lodge called the Najmiyya Zawiya. It was named after his own father, Muhammad al-Najm, who is also buried there in the frontier post of Alexandria.

When our master Muhammad Wafa passed away, he was survived by his two sons, our master ‘Ali Wafa and our master Shihab al-Din Ahmad.

Sayyidi ´Ali Wafa
الشيخ علي بن محمد وفا (d. 807/1404)

Our mater ‘Ali 154 was young [when his father died]. Alongside his brother, he was brought up under the tutelage of Shaykh Muhammad al-Zayla’i. When he turned seventeen, he took up his father’s place and began delivering regular lessons. His fame spread all over and the number of his followers and disciples multiplied. He resided for the most part in Cairo’s Rawda.

He wrote a number of works that include a collection of invocations, litanies, admonitions, and poetry.

He passed away in his house in Rawda on Tuesday, 2 Dhu’l-Hijja AH 807. By way of sons, he had Abu’l-Abbas Ahmad, Abu al-Tayyib, Abu al-Tahir and Abu’l-Qasim. His biography has been penned by more than one scholar.

Qutb al-Sha’rani writes:
Our master `Ali Wafa reached the pinnacle of virtue, perfection, grace and beauty. There was no one more perfect and more beautiful in Cairo than him. He penned well-known poems and fine postclassical stanzas [muwashshahat] in which thread together secrets of the folks of the path. He was gifted the language of separation [farq] particularization [tafsil], and gatheredness [jam’]. Few saints are given this.

He would often conceal himself from people, as would his brother, our master Shihab al-Din Ahmad. They would only leave the house to deliver a lesson.

When our master ‘Ali died, the like of his funeral had never been witnessed before. His disciples walked in front of the coffin, invoking Allah in a way which softened the hearts of coarse people. His birth had taken place in Cairo in AH 759.

Sayyidi Shihab al-Din Ahmad b. Wafa
(d. 814/1411)

As for his brother Shihab al-Din Ahmad b. Wafa,155 he was a great gnostic and noble master. His brother, our master ‘Ali Wafa, would say about him, ‘This is the treasury of knowledge from which I expend.’ His death took place in AH 814.

The Founder of Fez: Mawlay Idris II
Their noble lineage ultimately traces back to the Idrisids, the scions of the Prophet who settled in Morocco and nearby areas. They are specifically from the progeny of Imam al-Hasan b. ‘Ali b. Abu Talib, may Allah have mercy on both of them. The ancestor of the Wafa’i shaykhs is thus Mawlay Idris I 156 of Zarhun 157 , his burial place after his death in AH 157.

He was survived by his son, our liege and master Idris al-Azhar (the Most Radiant),158 the founder of the city of Fez, and the very reason behind its establishment.

Bio: Mawlay Idris II – The Founder of Fez > continued …

The Mosque of the Wafa’i Masters

The Wafa’i masters are buried in the Mosque of the Masters (Masjid al-Sadat). The first one to be buried there was our master Muhammad Wafa, may Allah have mercy on him. This mosque is one of Cairo’s biggest mosques. It lies next to the foot of the Muqattam Hills, east of the Mosque of Imam al-Shafi’i and Sayyidi ‘Uqba. Its origin was a zawiya named after them. Wazir ‘Izzat Basha renovated it and converted it into a mosque in the year AH 1191. This mosque has a façade towards the sea built with carved red stone. It has an arched door with two seats on each side of it. Above the door is a threshold in white marble. A person entering the door of the mosque beholds a door made of white marble and burnished with reddish gold. Topping it in turn is a marble threshold upon which is written: In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful {They will say, ‘Praise be to Allah Who has removed all sadness from us. Truly our Lord is Ever-Forgiving, Ever-Thankful’} [Sura Fatir: 34]. Beside the door, there are two semicircles in white marble, on the right and on the left respectively. Next to the mosque’s door, there is a window surmounted by a marble semicircle, on which something of striking originality has been engraved in gold. From inside the mosque, above the entrance door, there is a tablet on which it is written:

Allah’s Friends, however lofty their rank,
Have the rank of a slave, while the masters are masters.

Through this door, one can access a mosque gathering all virtues. It is surmounted by lamps resembling chandeliers. The five daily prayers, the Friday prayer and the two ‘Id prayers are established there, and it is populated by the remembrance of Allah Most High, recitation of the Qur’an, and the reviving the Sunna. This mosque comprises a niche of coloured marble: it has two small columns of white marble. The mosque is flanked by a pulpit with words engaved in reddish gold. Its wood is hazelwood, and there is a crescent made of pure copper coated with gold. There are four estrades in the mosque, separared by a courtyard, the floor of which is paved with mud tiles. The floor of the mosque is paved with carpets and rugs.

The last of the masters to die was Sidi `Abd al-Khalid al-Sadat b. Wafa. He was allocated a separate closet above which his name was engraved. This mosque has endured until the present times, and the rites of Islam are established in it.

O Allah, we ask You by their secrets and rank with You to make us die with love for them and to sustain us by their lights, amin.

Footnotes:

Muhammed Vefa Efendimiz (702-765)
Referans: Tabakat el-Şaziliyye el-Kubra, Muhammed bin Kasım el-Kuhin

Vefai büyüklerinin soyu Muhammed Vefa efendimize dayanır. Kutup İmam Şa’rani hazretleri ‘Tabakat’ında demiştir ki:

Muhammed Vefa Efendimiz ariflerin büyüklerindendi. Oğlu Ali Efendimize ise onun evliyaların mühürü ve ali rütbelerin sahibi olduğunu söylemiştir.

Şeyh hazretleri ümmiydi, ehli tasavvufun ilminde farklı bir dili ve bir çok eseri vardı. Bu eserleri çocukluk yıllarında 7 ya da 10 yaşındayken kaleme aldı. Bununla birlikte yetişkin yaşlarında da yazdı. Manzumelerinde ve nesirlerinde kullandığı kinayeler günümüzde dahi gizemli görünmektedir. Bildiğimiz kadarıyla manalarını kimse çözememiştir.

Vefa olarak anılmıştır, çünkü Nil nehri bir yıl durmuş ve o yıl yükselmemişti. (Nilin yükselmesi -Vefa-u Nil- her Ağustos ayında Nilin suyunun yükselmesidir ve bundan bir çok verim elde edilir). Mısır halkı çözüm olarak göç etmeye karar vermişti. Şeyh ise nehre doğru geldi ve dedi ki: ‘Allah tealanın izniyle yüksel.’ Nehir o gün 17 zira’ ölçüsünde yükseldi. Bu yüzden ona Vefa dediler.

Eserlerinden bazıları: Kitabul Aruş, Kitabul Şe’air ve büyük şiir koleksiyonu olarak sayılabilir.

Şeyh Efendi hicri 702 yılında İskenderiye’de doğdu ve orada büyüdü. Ebul Hasan eş-Şazili hazretlerinin tarikatını İmam, büyük müsellik Davud ibn Mahil eliyle almıştır. Şeyh sonraları İhmim’e (Nil sahili üzerinde eski bir belde) doğru yönelmiş, orada evlenmiştir.  Büyük bir zaviye inşa etmiştir. İnsanlar onu akın akın ziyaret etmiştir. Sonra Mısır’da Ravda’ya gitmiş, orada Allah’a ibadet ile niyaz etmek ve Allah Teala’nın zikriyle meşgul olmak için kalmıştır.  Namı uzaklarda yayılmış, ismi şark ve garp topraklarına aşmıştır.

Bir salı günü 11 Rebiulevvel 765 hicri yılında vefat etti. Karafe’ye Ebul Su’ud ibn Ebil Aşa’ir hazretleri ile Tacuddin İbn Ataullah hazretlerinin kabirleri arasında defnedilmiştir. Defin yeri Şeyhin şu işareti üzerine yapılmış:

‘Beni Sa’d ve ‘Ata arasına defnedin.’

Ali ibn Muhammed Vefa Hazretleri
Referans: Tabakat el-Şaziliyye el-Kubra, Muhammed bin Kasım el-Kuhin

Kendisine ait bir çok hizib, vird, münacaat, nasihatler ve  şiir divanı vardır.

Ravda’daki evinde 807 yılının Zilhicce ayında bir salı günü vefat etmiştir. Abu’l-Abbas Ahmad, Abu’l-Tayyib, Abu’l-Tahir ve Abu’l-Qasım isimli oğulları vardır.

Kutup İmam Şa’rani hazretleri demiştir ki: Ali Vefa efendimiz fazilet ve kemalin, zerafet ve cemalin had safhasındaydı. Mısır’da ondan daha büyük biri, yüz ve dış görünüş bakımından daha güzel biri görülmedi. Meşhur bir nazmı ve içinde ehli tarikin sırları yazılmış dakik muvassah tarzı şiiri vardır. Kendisine fark, tefsil ve cem lisanı verilmiş, ki bu pek az evliyaya verilmiştir.

Ali Vefa efendimiz vefat ettiği zaman onun cenazesi gibi bir cenaze daha sonra görülmedi. Cemaati ve ashabı cenazenin önünden Allah’ı zikrederek yürüyorlar, bununla katı kalpler yumuşuyordu. Doğumu Kahire’de 759 yılında olan Ali Vefa hazretleri (807 senesinde vefat etmiştir.)

السادات الوفائئية رضوان الله عليهم

1. Brief bio note about Sayyidi Muhammad Wafa
2. From Imam al-Sha’rani: Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra – View PDF | Download – see also below
Al-Sha’rani: Entry in Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra View | Download
– Sayyidi Muhammad Wafa – سيدي محمد وفا
– Sayyidi´Ali Wafa – سيدي علي وفا
3. From Kuhin: Tabaqat al-Shadhiliyya: View book | Download | Chapter [27] – see below

Main closet:

Ref: msobieh 2014

Cairo Ziyarat – znk 2023

Tarek Ghais, Sept 2016 (Google)

Al-Adab al-Mardiyya – الأدب المرضية للإمام البزيدي

By Imam Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Buyidi
See also Summary in English | Fihris | About the book → | The Author →
 

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