|
IN THE NAME OF GOD THE COMPASSIONATE THE MERCIFUL
*This Day in History:a Modest Tribute to Sidi Mohamed Ibn Al Habib.
*10th of January 1972- 10th of January 2012
*Elapsed Time : 40 Years.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
ألا إن أولياء الله لا خوف عليهم ولهم يحزنون
القران الكريم 10-62.
: ومن قوله عليه واله الصلاة و السلام
"من ورخ مؤمنا فكأنما أحياه ومن قرأ تاريخه فكأنما زاره ومن زاره استوجب رضوان الله وحق عن المزور أن يكرم زائره"
*كتاب سلسلة الأصول في شجرة أبناء الرسول-ص8-سيدي علي حشلاف.
IN THE NAME OF GOD THE COMPASSIONATE THE MERCIFUL
"Behold Verily on the Friends of Allah there is no fear nor shall they Grieve" Holy-Quran 10-62.
« Whoever has written up the biography of a Believer it is like he had him resurrected , and whoever has read this biography it is like he paid him a visit while attaining God's pleasure and obviously the visited Person should be generous towards his Guest"
*Les Chorfa, Les Nobles du Monde Musulman, P.20, Publisud-1995.
*Sidi Ali Hachlaf.
At the beginning of January 1972 and nostalgically recalling back an awe inspiring event that took place in my home ,while a teenager, returning from school for lunch time to my modest home in 38.Boulevard du sud in my native city of Khemis-Miliana, a 120 km distance west of Algiers, my Mother (May Allah protect her) and in view of my noisy temperament and teenage freaks and whims, and fearing disturbance, she pinpointed to me with her finger to be quite and docile because of the presence of a very Distinguished Guest.
However, entering the small salon that it was also my room, a very attractive and saint looking person was sitting there after greetings and hand kissing I sat beside him and started a short talk, and at the request of my late Father Hadj Djillali, the Sheikh gave me a Du'a or prayer as well as to the whole family, the Sheikh is none but the late Sidi Mohamed Ibn Al Habib, after this brief and nostalgic encounter with him and much to my chagrin the news of his death came to us from the neighbouring city of Blida where Sidi Mohamed in the company of his wives, intending to performing a third Hajj in 1972 passed away in Blida on January the 10th, 1972. He was buried in the same day in the Habibiya Darqawiya zawiya which he himself had inaugurated later on and on the 31st of January of the same year he was re-buried at Darb Al-Pasha, in his zawiya in Meknes , Morocco near the Zaytuna mosque.
As the English saying goes on "What is bred in the bones comes into the flesh", the destiny is there and after three years of this major event, the providence played a vital role where I had to travel to England for studies, my first destination was Britain's oldest city: Colchester in Essex there I had to follow a six month English language training at the Colchester English study centre , the tenderness of my late father due to this prompt and unexpected separation made him to pay a visit to Meknes in Morocco so as to meet all the " Fukaras "or Disciples of the Habibiya Tariqa on the occasion of the great gathering or "Dja'me" of Mawlid Nabawi or the Blessed Prophet's Birthday in March 1975 and certainly those of England in a bid to give them my contact details in Colchester , this was done through the contact with the ever faithful Hadj Abdal Haqq (Bewley).
Once in London Hadj Abdalhaqq sent me a letter where I was invited to visit the Brothers in London, the feedback was quick and in reaching the erstwhile modest and notorious 33 Bristol Gardens in London I was struck by the scene facing me blond and blue eyed Europeans wearing Islamic garments (See Photo N° 01) that were ornamented by well folded black and white turbans it seemed to me that I was facing Angel looking Men instead of simple Human beings!!!!
Paradoxically as it may seem, I was oppositely dressed as western style clothes and a long curly hair (See Photo N° 02 ) were the main features of this décor , spending the week- end with my respected host Hadj Abdal haqq and the other God fearing men where I had to see so much positive stances and unexpected pleasant things , the visit terminated and once back in the train from Liverpool Street Station in London to Colchester, I had to contemplate and meditate for such a long time on this metamorphosis that made ordinary British born people turn to this Great Religion ; it was indeed a question that I could find any clue to it , though it was crystal clear that it was the blessed guidance of Almighty God through the evident truthful signs of Sidi Mohamed Ibn Al Habib (See Photo N° 03 ).
Now and as a full fledged mature man (See Photo N° 04) and in order to seek Allah's pleasure and to plead for Allah's forgiveness in view of some juvenile whims I am but greatly honoured to pay this humble Tribute to our Sheikh Sidi Mohamed Ibn Al Habib on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his passing away where his sincere presence of Spiritual yearning and practice and the recognition of the inseparability of Shariah and Tariqah all together embodied the depth and the breadth of the genuine Islam within the vision of this Great Man.
It goes without saying that Sidi Mohamed certainly played a great role in the societies of North African countries such as Morocco and Algeria at that time and vigorously shaped North Africa, South Africa, Norwich in England and many parts of the world for centuries and that's why he and his continuous legacy are still living in the memory of many people and loyal disciples.
Moreover, the annual gathering of all disciples of the Tariqa in many parts of Algeria and specially the one in Laghouat where for the past 30 years a large crowd of Fukaras attend this event with the honourable presence of the last widow of the Sheikh is but a proud eye witness to the spiritual legacy and a reverberating sign of the perennial Divine message which has always come and will always come to enlighten humanity.
*a Brief summary of the Life of Sidi Mohamed Ibn Al Habib
Sidi Mohamed Ibn Al Habib Al Amghari Al Idrissi Al Hassani whose blessed lineage goes up to Imam Hassan son of Ali and Fatima daughter of the Beloved prophet Mohamed (PBUH) , the Sheikh's ancestors were based in Marrakech -Morocco ,the family immigrated to Tafilalat and settled there. His father immigrated to Fes where his descendants still live. Mohamed Ibn Al-Habib was born in Fes in 1876.
At the proper age, he went to the Quranic Kuttab at Qantara Abu'r-Ru'us where he studied with Sidi al-Hashimi as-Sanhaji, learning Quranic reading, writing and recitation. He also studied with Sidi Ahmad al-Filali in the school of Qasba an-Nawwar and memorized the Holy Qur'an under him. In about 1894, he began studies at the Abu'l-Junud Mosque, studying with Sidi Mahmoud al-Irari, concentrating on the Ajrummiyya, the Alfiyya, , as-Sullam by Bannani and Atirmidhi's Shamā'il.
Then in the Al Qarawin Mosque, he studied Mukhtassar Khalil including its commentaries by Az-Zurqani, Al-Bannani and Al-Kharashi, with Sidi Ahmad ibn al-Jilali al-Amghari. He studied the Tuhfa with the commentary of Sheikh at-Tawudi ibn Sawda and the Collection of the Adab of the Teacher and Student by Sheikh Khalil with Sidi Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi Bannani. He studied part of Sahih Al Bukhari and the Hikam of Ibn Ata Allah with Ahmad Ibn al-Khayyat az-Zargari.
He stopped his studies in 1901 and began voluntary instruction at the Qasba an-Nawwar mosque, teaching al-Murshid al-Mu'in, Khalil's Mukhtasar, the Muwatta of Imam Malik, he continued to undertake the tasks of his educational and secondary work until he immigrated to Meknes in 1936, there he continued his scholarly activity by giving lessons in the Zaytuna mosque on Tafsir and Fikh using the Risala of al-Qayrawani, and in Tassawuf using the Hikam, Al-Murshid Al-Mu'in, the Ash-Shifa of Qadi Iyad, as-Sullam by Bannani, and the Alfiyya by al-Makudi.
Sheikh Sidi Badru'd-din Ad-Dismishqi gave him a written Ijazah in Damascus and he also received one from the Qadi of Tlemcen, Sidi Abu Shu'ayb, and oral Ijazahs from Ahmad ibn al-Jilali al-Amghari, and Sidi Abu Bakr ibn al-'Arabi Bannani. In 1931 he went to the Hijaz for Hajj and met with many scholars, including Sheikh Bakhit al-Muti'i and Sheikh as-Simaluti.
In Syria he met Tawfiq al-Ayyubi and Badur'd-din ad-Dimishaqi. Later he traveled to Algiers and met Sidi Muhammad Ibn Jelloul and Sidi Ahmad in Blida , and Sidi Mohamed al-Qadi in the Oujda area, while there, he gave lessons on Sahih Bukhari and al-Murshid al-Mu'in with the commentary of Sheikh at-Tayyib ibn Kiran.
No wonder Sidi Mohamed Ibn Al Habib's spiritual legacy is still marching on, May Allah bless his soul and grant him the sublime rank of Paradise .
محمد عبد القادر بوكريطة
كاتب مستقل و خادم تراث آل البيت (ع)
MOHAMED ABDELKADER BOKRETA
Freelance-Writer & Humble Servant of the
Blessed Prophet's Household Great Heritage.
| 
