The Tijaniyyah Thariqa' on Reverence for the Ahl al-Bayt

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

The following is from Ustadz Fakhr ad-Din Uwaysi al-Madani.  We recall the tragic martyrdom of the grandson of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) and his sweet offspring, Sayyidina Husayn ibn ‘Ali (r.a.), in the land of difficulty and affliction, karb wa bala’, Karbala’, in the area of at-Taf in Iraq. 

It is well known that among the major principles of the Tijani thariqa’, as well as its greatest etiquettes, is reverence for the Prophetic Household, Ahl al-Bayt.  Our shaykh, al-Khatm Shaykh Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad at-Tijani (q.s.) had extolled their rank.  And he is also from them.  He is a Hasani sharif, whose lineage is authentic, having been verified by the Prophet (s.a.w.), with his saying to him, “You are truly my offspring.”  The Prophet (s.a.w.) said it thrice.  This is recorded in Jawahir al-Maʼani.  Likewise, it was the custom of Shaykh at-Tijani (q.s.), to stand out of esteem for the noble sharaf and kiss their hands, even if they were among his disciples.  This is from Kashf al-Hijab by Shaykh Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn al-‘Iyyashi as-Sukayrij (q.s.). 

Shaykh at-Tijani (q.s.) also mentioned, in Jawahir al-Maʼani, that whatever the honourable swahabah had found of prophetic knowledge, had reached them through the mediation of Imam ‘Ali ibn Abi Thalib (k.w.).  And that, from our shaykh, is verified by the well-known hadits,  “I am the City of Knowledge and ‘Ali is its gate.”  This was narrated by Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah al-Hakim an-Nishaburi (r.a.) and Imam Abu ‘Isa Muhammad ibn ‘Isa as-Sulami at-Tirmidzi (r.a.).  And he also mentioned that Sayyidatina Fathimah bint Muhammad az-Zahrah (r.a.) was the only woman who had attained the level of the greatest Qutbaniyyah.  And that is the greatest level after the levels of prophethood.  So, she is the first quthb of this ummah. 

As for the greatest martyr, the grandson of our Prophet (s.a.w.), Sayyidina Husayn (r.a.), our shaykh, Shaykh Ahmad at-Tijani (q.s.) had openly cursed his killer, the Tyrant of Sham, Yazid ibn Mu’awiyah, with his saying that Yazid ibn Muʼawiyah is Cursed due to Allah’s (s.w.t.) Saying: 

سُوۡرَةُ الاٴحزَاب

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡذُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۥ لَعَنَہُمُ ٱللَّهُ فِى ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَٱلۡأَخِرَةِ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمۡ عَذَابً۬ا مُّهِينً۬ا (٥٧) 

Those who annoy Allah and His Messenger ― Allah has Cursed them in this world and in the hereafter, and has Prepared for them a humiliating Punishment. (Surah al-Ahzab:57) 

And due to His Saying: 

سُوۡرَةُ محَمَّد

فَهَلۡ عَسَيۡتُمۡ إِن تَوَلَّيۡتُمۡ أَن تُفۡسِدُواْ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَتُقَطِّعُوٓاْ أَرۡحَامَكُمۡ (٢٢) أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ فَأَصَمَّهُمۡ وَأَعۡمَىٰٓ أَبۡصَـٰرَهُمۡ (٢٣) 

Then, is it to be expected of you, if you were put in authority, that you will do mischief in the land, and break your ties of kith and kin?  Such are the men whom Allah has Cursed, for He has Made them deaf and Blinded their sight. (Surah Muhammad:22-23) 

And there is no abuse of our Prophet (s.a.w.) greater than killing his offspring and cutting off his lineage. 

This was narrated by his close muqaddam, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abu an-Naswr ath-Thayyib as-Sufyani (q.s.), in al-Ifadah al-Ahmadiyyah. 

Also, our Shaykh at-Tijani (q.s.), used to love the recitation of the blessed Qaswidah Hamziyyah of Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Sa’id al-Buswiri ash-Shadzili (q.s.).  Among the couplets of this poem are: 

“And the two sons whose perfumed scent is from you,

Who the extremely pure one had borne.

You used to give them shelter in yourself just as,

The ya’ gave shelter to the writing of its two dots.

Two martyrs, neither ath-Thaf makes me forget,

Their affliction, nor Karbala’.

The ruled did not take care of your rights with regards to them,

And the rulers as well betrayed your pact.

They replaced the love and care to your relatives;

And the fogs of hypocrisy rose from its people.

Hardened became their hearts towards those,

For whose loss, the earth and heaven had wept.

So, weep for them as much as you are able, surely the very least.

In the midst of such a great affliction is crying,

Every day and every land, due to my grief over them,

Is Karbala’ and ‘Ashura’.

O People of the House of the Prophet!  All my own grief cannot stop,

My heart from grieving for you,

But I have resigned my matter to Allah;

And my resignation of matters is my Salvation,

That evil day in Karbala’, perhaps some of its misdeeds,

Were atoned in az-Zawrah;

When the enemies,

Were lain around dead and mutilated.

O People of the House of the Prophet, you are pure!

So, my praises and eulogies for you are also pure.” 

“az-Zawrah” refers to Baghdad, the city of the Abbasid caliphs, who overthrew the Umayyads, and used vengeance for the Ahl al-Bayt, as a reason for the revolt. 

Our shaykh, Shaykh Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdullah Niyas al-Kawlakhi (q.s.) made ziyarah of both the graves of Sayyidina Husayn (r.a.); in Karbala’, where his noble body is, and in Egypt, where his noble head is.  About that visit, he said in Sayr al-Qalb: 

“In Karbala’, I visited al-Husayn seeking a means,

To his father, the pleased one, seeking Allah.

‘Ali, the father of the two grandsons, the Lion of Muhammad,

By whose sharp sword I ward off calamities!” 

And when Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) visited the prophetic relics which are stored in the Mosque of Imam al-Husayn in Cairo, he asked those in charge to bring the relics closer to his breast, saying, “Bring them closer to my heart, so that it may be purified!” 

It was also the habit of Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) to give as a gift of whatever he had of wealth to whichever descendant of the Prophet (s.a.w.) who visited him, even if his lineage had not been verified, out of reverence for the prophetic lineage.