Shaykh Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn al-Iyyashi as-Sukayrij (q.s.)

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

The following is a biography of Shaykh Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn al-Iyyashi as-Sukayrij (q.s.) by Ustadz Fakhr ad-Din Uwaysi al-Madani and Ustadz Zakariya Valentine Wright. 

Shaykh Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn al-Iyyashi as-Sukayrij (q.s.), who lived from 1878 to 1944, was born in Fas, and educated in the Islamic sciences at the prestigious Qarawiyyin University.  He was a prolific author and a renowned scholar throughout North Africa.  His expertise in Islamic law earned him appointments from the Moroccan government as supervisor of waqf property in Fas, qadhi of Wajdah, qadhi of al-Jadidah, and qadhi of Siththat.  On account of such broad scholarly expertise, the Egyptian ahadits scholar and Tijani shaykh, Shaykh Muhammad al-Hafizh ibn ‘Abd al-Lathif al-Miswri (r.a.), in the introduction of his work on Shaykh ‘Umar ibn Sa’id al-Futi Thal (q.s.), referred to Shaykh Sukayrij (q.s.) as “the most knowledgeable person of our time.” 

He was also a consummate gnostic who had studied under some of the more illustrious scholars of the Tijaniyyah in the nineteenth century, such as Shaykh Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Abdalawi (q.s.) and Shaykh ‘Abd al-Karim Bannis (q.s.), the latter who authored the central work on Tijani practice, Durrat at-Taj.  He was known for his sobriety in Sufi practice, and it is said that he disapproved of excessive emotional displays during dzikr.  In his defense of the Tijaniyyah from its detractors, he emphasised the humility and orthodoxy of its leading scholars.  In the book, Swirath al-Mustaqim, he was famous for asserting that the spiritual positions belonging to Shaykh Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad at-Tijani (q.s.) and his followers were a distinction from Allah (s.w.t.), but not necessarily a mark of superiority. 

The personal saintliness of Shaykh Sukayrij (q.s.) attained wide renown.  Shaykh Hasan ibn ‘Ali Sisi (r.a.), who recently met with his descendants in Marrakish, where he received the walking stick, fez and ring of Shaykh Sukayrij (q.s.), related a story of Shaykh Sukayrij (q.s.) being questioned about his activities as a qadhi.  Accused of accepting the judgeships for the government stipend, Shaykh Sukayrij (q.s.) lifted the pillow on which he was reclining and shook it in front of the questioner.  Money started to fall from the pillow onto the floor, upon which Shaykh Sukayrij (q.s.) simply said that it was God who provided his needs; he was only working for the sake of Islam. 

Among those who took the Thariqa’ Tijaniyyah from him was, Mawlay ‘Abd al-Hafizh, the Sulthan of Morocco from 1908 to 1912), who was exiled to France upon the French occupation of Morocco.  The Sulthan had previously been an enemy of the Tijaniyyah, and had cooperated with the Moroccan Salafiyyah movement in its polemic against the Sufi orders.  After his exile, Sulthan ‘Abd al-Hafizh became better acquainted with the thariqa’, and after taking the Tijani wird, became one of its chief advocates.  He later wrote Jami’ah al-‘Irfaniyyah al-Wafiyyah bi Shurut wa Jul Fadha’il Ahl ath-Thariqa’ at-Tijaniyyah, published in Tunis in 1930, relating the history of the Tijaniyyah, explaining its practices and praising its distinguished scholars, especially his teacher, Shaykh Sukayrij (q.s.). 

Shaykh Sukayrij (q.s.) himself authored about 160 works on all aspects of Islamic knowledge, among which are a 20,000 line nazhm version of Imam Abu al-Fadhl ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuthi’s (q.s.) Khaswa’isw al-Kubra’; a 500 line nazhm version of Qadhi Abu al-Fadhl ‘Iyadh ibn ‘Amr al-Yahsubi’s (r.a.) Shifa’ bi Ta’rif Huquq al-Muswthafa; a commentary on Qaswidah al-Burdah; the renowned Kashf al-Hijab ‘Amman Talaqa’ ma’a ash-Shaykh at-Tijani min al-Aswhab, a giant encyclopedia of the disciples of Shaykh Ahmad at-Tijani (q.s.); and the comprehensive book of Tijani doctrine, Kawkab al-Wahhaj li Tawdih al-Minhaj, written as a commentary to Durrat at-Taj. 

Shaykh Sukayrij (q.s.) possessed more than 600 ijazat, in various Islamic sciences, which he transcribed in his seminal work, Qadam ar-Rusukh fima li Mu’allifihi min ash-Shuyukh.  In the same book, Shaykh Sukayrij (q.s.) wrote, “The first one to whom I gave authorisation in all these chains of transmission was the Khalifah al-Haj Ibrahim Niyas.”  He also said to him, “You are the ‘alim of Black Africa.” 

For his part, Shaykh Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdullah Niyas al-Kawlakhi (q.s.) addressed Shaykh Sukayrij (q.s.) in a letter dated 1932 CE / 1352 AH, and reprinted in Jawahir ar-Rasa’il, as follows: “Our greatest love, the esteemed shaykh, the most famous scholar, the full moon in efflorescent radiance, the proof of this path, and the assistance of this company, the one who has spread the knowledge of it by his accomplishment: the emblem of Divine gnosis, the owner of the spiritual medicine, the upright state and the eternal secret; the adept among adepts … Sidi Ahmad ibn al-Haj al-‘Ayyashi Sukayrij.” 

Although Shaykh Ibrahim Niyas (q.s.) had numerous ijazat in the Tijaniyyah, he would always use that given to him by Shaykh Sukayrij (q.s.) during their meeting in Morocco in 1937, when initiating others into the thariqa’.  The silsilah passing through Shaykh Sukayrij (q.s.) was the shortest to Shaykh Ahmad at-Tijani (q.s.) of any scholar in the twentieth century. 

Before he passed away, Shaykh Sukayrij (q.s.) had a dream in which he was in the company of Qadi ‘Iyadh ibn Musa (q.s.).  Then it so happened that he passed away while he was in Marrakesh in 1944, and was indeed buried in the Mausoleum of Qadi ‘Iyadh (q.s.).