The Tijaniyya: Tariqat of the 20th Century

By Muhammad `Isa Mavongou, Mauritania

Shaykh Sidi Ahmed ben Muhammad ben al-Mukhtar ben Salem at-Tijani was born in 1150 Hijra (1737 CE) in Aïn Maadi, a small Algerian town, some 30 miles from the city of Laghuat. 
His line of descent has been traced to Imam Hassan, son of the honorable Fatima, daughter of our beloved Nabi, (s). Very early, the shaykh distinguished himself by his remarkable knowledge of the Qur’an, which he memorized before age seven. Before his having reached puberty, his knowledge, modesty, intelligence and piety set him apart from all known religious scholars of the time.

Formative Education
His teacher, the prestigious Muhammad ibn Hamwi at-Tijani, known as “Abu ‘Abdallah”, imparted the fine points of Islamic jurisprudence according to the Maliki madhhab. The shaykh memorized several books, including The Lakhdaari, the Risaalat of Imam Qairawaani, the Khalil, and the Muqaddimat of ibn Rushdi.

Orphaned by a smallpox epidemic in 1166 Hijra (1752 CE), at age 16 the young shaykh was in a position to further his own education, which he did with great enthusiasm. He left his native village five years later to take advantage of lessons by various renowned scholars in different countries. He afterwards received diplomas conferring upon him the authority to teach Islamic sciences.

Command from The Prophet (s)
The shaykh’s affiliation to several Turuq (sufi orders) including the Qadiriyya, the Nasiriyya, the Khalwatiyya and others led him to a prolonged period of khalwa (seclusion) in dhikr and contemplation, in the village of Abi Sam’hun, a Saharan oasis located south of Geryville. In a waking state, he was blessed with the vision of Prophet Muhammad (s), who commanded him to leave all the ways he had been following until then, saying, “No one will reproach you, for I myself will be your intercessor in front of our Lord and your Helper.” 

After requesting him to accept the rank of calipha of the Messenger of Allah, RasulAllah (s) himself gave him the wird (daily observance of ritual prayer, meditation and recitation) and disclosed to him the tenets of the new tariqat. “Keep this tariqat without retiring from the world, nor ceasing to interact with men until you reach the spiritual station which is promised you, maintaining your state without any undue mortification nor excessive cultural efforts.” (Jawahir ul ma’aani, p.32, Cairo edition)

Tariqat of `Ulema
Shaykh at-Tijani was known for his strict observance of the principles of the main Islamic sources, the Qur’an and the sunnah. He was quoted, “If you hear someone quoting me, place the statement on the scale of the noble Shari’ah—if it balances, take it; if it doesn’t, leave it—for within the noble Qur’an and ahadith, you will find the Tariqat Tijaniyya. Outside the circle of Qur’an and hadith, there is no such thing… “ Known as “the tariqat of ‘Ulema” (religious scholars) until today Tariqat Tijaniyya has attracted many fuqahah (learned in jurisprudence), qadis (judges) or muftis (officially appointed religious heads, usually of a country).

Further Spread of at-Tijaniyya Through Exile
For nearly twenty years (1781-1799 CE) the shaykh was the main active propagator of the doctrine. Traveling through the Sahara, Sudan and Tunisia, he set up zawiyas, nominating able and pious muqaddam [representatives]. In the face of growing political opposition, in 1213 Hijra (1798 CE) the shaykh was compelled to leave his country and settle in Fez, Morocco, were he was well known and widely respected.

Afterwards, throughout sub-Saharan Africa the expansion of the tariqat was swift and broad, primarily owing to the Mauritanian, Muhammad al Haafidh ben al-Mukhtar ben al-Habib al-Beddi. Within thirty years of the shaykh’s exile, all the Ida u‘aali (a noble Mauritanian tribe) had embraced the “path” that was, until then, propagated up to Senegal, Niger, Mali and even further south. One of the best known figures of the tariqat and a mujahid of great renown is Shaykh El Haj Umar Tall (or Umar Futiy, named after Futa Djallon, his native region). Following him, other prominent shuyukh of Tariqat Tijaniyya include El Haj Malik Sy, Shaykh Saïd Ba and the Shaykh al-Islam, Shaykh Ibrahim Niass al-Kaolakhy.

Shaykh Ibrahim Niass
Shaykh Ibrahim, or “Baye Niass” as he is lovingly referred to, contributed remarkably to the propagation of the tariqat in the Salum region of Senegal, in the Gambia, and throughout Ghana, Sudan (Khartoum), and Nigeria, where there are virtually millions of his disciples. Shaykh Ibrahim once said : “If almighty Allah (glory to Him) had graced me with knowledge of both English and French, I would have brought Islam to every doorstep.” He was a revivalist of the sunnah, an advocate for educational excellence among women, and a proponent of literacy, particularly among members of the tariqat where it is, indeed, a priority.

Shaykh Ibrahim Niass (r.a.) returned to Allah in 1975, leaving behind the splendid Kaolak mosque and a number of Islamic institutes where Arabic, Qur’an, tafsir (commentary of Qur’an) and fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) are taught to thousand of students. He remained true to his principle that knowledge is essential to every disciple and a must for every Muslim. Indeed we know of the Prophet’s r saying : “Knowledge must be sought, even if one must travel to China.”

Global Work and Honors 
In addition to his esoteric teachings, Shaykh Ibrahim played a major role in the Muslim world as a member of several prestigious organizations, where he served as vice president of the Muslim World League and as a member of the World Islamic Conference. His authority extended to the political world as he was held in great esteem by many governments. He was awarded the ‘Medallion of the Throne’ in Morocco, the ‘Medallion of the Republic of Tunisia’, the ‘Medallion of Nigeria’, the ‘Légion d’honneur’ of France, the Medal of the Society of Ancient Warriors (France), and several medals from the Government of Senegal, the highest of which was the ‘Grand Croix’. In addition, Shaykh Ibrahim received an honorary doctorate from Libya. 

The Shaykh was a very hard working man who once said, “The word ‘tired’ is not part of my vocabulary”, and “I have not slept more than two hours a day since I reached the age of thirty.”
Throughout his life he was dedicated to the teaching and propagation of Islam. He was expert in the Arabic language, well versed in poetry and possessed mastery of the sciences required to write a detailed interpretation of the Qur’an, which he authored in both Arabic and Wolof. 

Contemporary Spiritual Heirs 
Today, the muqaddamat of the Shaykh are many, the most prominent being his grandson, Shaykh Hassan Cissé of Senegal, who has converted thousands of Americans to Islam. Shaykh Hassan has received honorary keys to Cleveland, Washington D.C., Detroit, Memphis and New Orleans. He is considered a great scholar for peace by various branches of the UN, including UNFPA and UNICEF, and has successfully attended various international conferences such as the Cairo and Beijing global summits on Women, as well as being represented at the 2nd Islamic International Unity Conference in Washington DC last year. He is the founder and chairman of the African-American Islamic Institute in Kaolak, a tax-exempt international NGO recognized by the United Nations that has 14 affiliates located within Africa, Europe and North America, whose mission it is to pursue knowledge and foster greater understanding and peace among mankind. 

Another great at-Tijaniyya muqaddam is the Shaykh El Haj Abdallah ould Michry from the illustrious village of Ma’tamoulana (meaning “God-given”). This young Mauritanian intellectual leader and former student of the Faculty of Law & Economic Sciences in Dakar is today considered by many as the inheritor of Shaykh Ibrahim’s spiritual legacy. Shaykh Abdallah is a visionary, gifted with a profound understanding of contemporary Islamic issues and endowed with a rare charismatic and catalytic personality. “El Haj”, as he likes to be called, is a very modest, learned individual and a specialist of hadith. One of his primary endeavors is to unite Muslims, finding ways that they might transcend their often opposing opinions, thus being true to the proverbial etiquette of disagreement which characterized our predecessors. 

Reverting to Purity
With scholarly as well as NGO support, El Haj was able to develop Matamoulana, a village patterned after early Islamic models. Located in the middle of the desert, Matamoulana features modern-day amenities such as running water in almost every house and electricity. It’s renowned medresahs, in which Qur’an and other Islamic sciences are taught by competent teachers, have attracted students from around the world. All of its residents are sufi disciples of the shaykh. Life in Ma’tamoulana is indeed reminiscent of the time of the Sahaba (r.a.) 

Presently, Tariqat Tijaniyya has spread to Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Niger, Chad, the Congo, Liberia, Saudi Arabia, France and the United States. It is founded upon three non-controversial principles, namely: asking forgiveness from Allah, praying upon the Prophet (s) and Tahliil ul lisaan (saying “la ilaha illa Allah”).

A member of this tariqat must pray in the mosque with the congregation whenever possible, meeting all the pre-requisites for lawfully offering prayer. In addition, ones parents must be deeply respected, and disciples are encouraged to constantly increase their knowledge, both secular and esoteric, without undue mortification. The Tariqat Tijaniyya, finally, is compatible with the peculiarities and demands of our century.

Perfecting Character

Shaykh Mohammadou Mahi Cisse
Tijaniyya Tariqat, Senegal 

It is my honor to participate in the discussion of a topic of importance to all humanity. In Holy Qur’an, Allah I orders you to practice and follow excellence, to practice justice, to bring what you owe to your relatives, to avoid bad things, and to stay away from indecencies. 
The Prophet (s) said, “You cannot surpass people with wealth and property, so strive to surpass them through excellence of character.” It is through the excellence of the Prophet’s r character and that of his Companions and Followers that Islam was introduced and accepted throughout the different levels of society. 

It is impossible for human beings to be truly near to the Prophet (s) except through excellence of character, as he said explicitly, “The nearest to me on the Day of Resurrection will be those with the best character.” 

Three Stages of Spiritual Evolution
Spiritual evolution in Islam has three levels: repentance, reformation of character, and fear of Allah. For the majority, repentance is to abandon every bad trait and to acquire in its place a very high moral trait. Repentance for the special people is to hold onto what is recommended and to avoid what is reprehensible. As for the elite of the elite, repentance consists in repenting for every minute they were forgetful of Allah. They are addressed by Allah in the verse, “Verily Allah loves those who repent and who purify themselves.”

The Highest State: Ihsan
These, then, are the stages of spiritual evolution that lead to ihsan—the state of excellence and perfection. As mentioned in the Qudsi Hadith, Ihsan is the level through which one becomes the eyes through which Allah sees, the lips through which He speaks, and the hand through which He acts. Those who have reached this high state of being are completely immersed in the obedience of Allah Almighty. The truest believer is one who behaves as if he sees Allah and knows that Allah certainly sees him. 

This is the essence of calling people to Islam and what we must strive to disseminate among ourselves and in the world. Allah (swt) said, addressing His Prophet (s), “You have brought a great gift and a mercy to them, and if you had been of bad character or rough, they would have run away from you.”

Perfection of Character Wins Hearts
The prophets reached a state of ihsan, as did the Companions, who brought Islam to even the humblest of non-Muslims. As was demonstrated by Sayyidina Ali, when there was a disagreement between him and a Jew, the disagreement was taken to an arbiter. The judgment fell in favor of the Jew and Sayyidina Ali accepted it, although he had lost his right. The Jew came back to him and said, “This high character is something which I accept, and I bear witness that there is no God except Allah and Muhammad is his Messenger.” The Jew restored his right, whereupon Sayyidina Ali said, “Keep it, it is yours as a gift.” 

Choosing Leniency Over Wrath
The Prophet (s) narrated, “I was sent with a sword and with leniency also, and I found that leniency was sharper than a sword.” And the hadith of the Prophet (s) says also that one does not become a believer until he loves for his brethren what he loves for himself. 

The Prophet (s) exuded mercy and excellent character, exemplified in his freeing the prisoners of war after the Muslims conquered Mecca. He asked them, “What do you think I will do with you?” and they said, “You are a noble brother and the son of a noble brother.” The Prophet (s) then said, “You are free.” 

These are the Islamic examples of excellent character, universal values that are good for the whole world. As Allah said in the Holy Qur’an, “You are the best community that was ever produced for humankind: you command good actions, you forbid bad actions, and you believe in Allah and the Last Day.” 

Muhammad `Isa Mavongou is a French convert to Islam who settled in Mauritania in 1990 and remains a disciple of the Shaykh El Haj ‘Abdallah Ould Michry. He works for the NGO as Deputy Executive Secretary, in charge of public relations with the English-speaking world.

Shaykh Mohammadou Mahi Cisse is a representative of his brother, Shaykh of the Tijaniyya Tariqat, Shaykh Hassan Ali Cisse, of Senegal, the muqaddim of Shaykh Ibrahim Niass and his grandson. He was an honored guest at the 2nd International Islamic Unity Conference in Washington, DC, August 1998, from whose speech this excerpt was taken.