A Muslim Convert Once Before

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is a biography of Shaykh Muhammad al-Hafizh ibn al-Mukhtar ash-Shinqithi ( q.s. ), by Ustadz Zakariya Zachary Wright .   Shaykh Muhammad al-Hafizh ash-Shinqithi ( q.s. ) is credited with first introducing the Thariqa’ Tijaniyyah in Mauritania, whereby it was introduced into sub-Saharan West Africa.  He became the pre-eminent muqaddam of the Tijaniyyah in Mauritania after spending years in the company of Shaykh Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad at-Tijani ( q.s. ) in Fas.  Besides his mastery of Sufism, he was a jurist and hadits scholar of great renown.   Shaykh Muhammad al-Hafizh ash-Shinqithi ( q.s. ) hailed from the noble Idaw ‘Ali people in Mauritania, who trace descent from Shaykh Muhammad ibn Hanafiyyah ( r.a. ), a son of Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abu Thalib ( k.w. ).  His father, Shaykh Mukhtar ibn Habib ( r.a. ) was also a Islamic scholar, and particularly distinguished for his mastery of the art of ...

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...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following was taken from “A Brief Biography of Shaykh Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn ‘Abd al-Qadir ath-Tharabulusi ar-Riyahi ( q.s. )”, by Ustadz Muhammad Naswir ad-Din Andrea. Shaykh Ibrahim ar-Riyahi ( q.s. ), the Imam of the Zaytuna University and the Maliki Shaykh al-Islam of Tunis from 1832, stands in the later Ottoman period of intense social and intellectual change as one of the most noteworthy testimonies to the richness of Zaytuna scholarship.   He was an enlightened mufti, a dedicated and innovative teacher and an accomplished poet.   He also discretely cultivated a profound spirituality throughout his life, and was the man who introduced the Thariqa Tijaniyyah in Tunisia. Shaykh Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdullah Niyas al-Kawlakhi ( q.s. ) said about him: “Were Shaykh Ahmad al-Tijani to have no other follower but Abu Ishaq Ibrahim al-Riyahi, it would suffice us as proof to also follow him.” His full name was Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn ‘Abd ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is an extract of a Letter, from the discourses of Shaykh Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdullah Niyas al-Kawlakhi ( q.s. ): “On cause and effect.”   “We have seen two examples in this dunya that lead us to bear witness to the statement if the cause is multiplied, then the effect too, is multiplied.   The first example is the cause of provision in the life of this world.   Everyone who works will find that it is the cause of his finding sustenance, and everyone who does not will find that to be the cause of his not finding sustenance.   سُوۡرَةُ النّجْم وَأَن لَّيۡسَ لِلۡإِنسَـٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ (٣٩)   That man can have nothing but what he strives for; (Surah an-Najm:39)   It is for this reason that you find lots of sustenance in the dunya .   The second example are the many causes for death.   One person dies because of this cause and another person expires due to that cause.   There a...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is an extract of a letter, from the discourses of Shaykh Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdullah Niyas al-Kawlakhi ( q.s. ): “Three types of fana’ .”   “There are three types of fana’ : fana’ fi af’al , annihilation in the Acts of Allah; fana’ fi asw-swifat , annihilation in the Attributes of Allah; and fana’ fi adz-dzat , Annihilation in the Essence of Allah.   Many of the believers have attained the station of annihilation in the Acts of Allah.   Whosoever knows that there is no ‘doer’ in existence except Allah, this is the one who is annihilated in the Acts of Allah.   Indeed, many of the common believers have obtained this degree of annihilation.   I told my students, in one of the lessons on Arabic grammar, that the grammarians say, ‘The Doer in reality is Allah, even if He engenders the action metaphorically by means of an agent, for the One Who engenders the action is inseparable from the action performed.’ ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is an extract of a Letter, from the discourses of Shaykh Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdullah Niyas al-Kawlakhi ( q.s. ): “Observing Allah ( s.w.t. ) in everything.”   “We advise each of you again, just as we began this speech, to have conscious awareness Allah, in private and in public, and to observe Allah with each breath.   The possession of these two traits will enable you to benefit from everything heard in this gathering and everything you hear from the people of goodness, as they did not achieve any goodness except by means of taqwa and muraqabah .   Again, taqwa is to obey the commands and to avoid the prohibitions of Allah, outwardly and inwardly.   Muraqabah is the state of observing Allah in everything and this will eternally connect you to Allah until you achieve the spiritual state described by the Messenger of Allah ( s.a.w. ) when he said, ‘ Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you can...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is an extract of a Letter, from the discourses of Shaykh Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdullah Niyas al-Kawlakhi ( q.s. ): “Reality of the diyn and the importance of swalah .”   “The diyn of Islam is shahadah , swalah , swawm , zakat , and haj .   Zakat and haj are not made obligatory except on the one who is financially able to perform them.   As for swalah and fasting, they are two obligations upon every mukhalif , male or female, free or slave, until death comes to them.   It is not permissible to ever abandon these two pillars, so I advise each of you to hold to swalah .   In this stressful and hectic time of ours, we see that many of the youth who claim to be Muslim are abandoning swalah .   Swalah is such an important pillar of the diyn , that whosoever leaves it, has left the diyn altogether.   Allah Commanded us to establish swalah , to perform it in congregation, in its correct time, with h...