Sidi Abu Madyan of TLEMCEN

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

اللهم صل على سيدنا محمد وآل سيدنا محمد











IN THE NAME OF GOD THE COMPASSIONATE THE MERCIFUL






SIDI ABU MADYAN SHUAI’B OF TLEMCEN




The entrance of Sidi Abi Madyan's Mosque


While recently visiting the historic city of TLEMCEN, accepting a visit to attend the annual gathering of the Habibiya Derkawiya Shadiliya Sufi Tarika (the Path or Tarika of my late father), it would be important to stress that being brought up in a Sufi Environment, it is obvious that one cannot deny his origins from such a glorious and everlasting spiritual legacy past, as Sufism, or Tasawwuf as it is known in the Muslim
world, is but Islamic mysticism




Inside the Mosque







Non-Muslims often mistake Sufism as a sect of Islam; Sufism is more
accurately described as an aspect or dimension of Islam. Sufi orders or (Tariqas) can be found in all schools of thought whether Sunni or Shia and other Islamic groups, a more accurately approach of Ibn Khaldun, the 14th century Arab Historian & Sociologist , described Sufism as:
A dedication to worship, total dedication to Allah most High, disregard for the finery and ornament of the world, abstinence from the pleasure, wealth, and prestige sought by most men, and retiring from others to worship alone



Sidi Sanoussi's Khalwa or Seclusion







Having thought that it would be such a good initiative and a daring gesture to share with my distinguished audience the stance of the Great Erudite and Sufi figure
Abu Madyan (1126 – 1198), also known as Abu Madyan S̲h̲u’aayb, Abu Madyan, or Sidi Abu Madyan Shuayb ibn al-Hussein al-Ansari, was an influential Andalusian mystic and Sufi,some even refer to him as the national figure of Maghreb mysticism as he was such a forerunner of Sufism in this geographical area. Devoted to the fervent service of God, he helped introduce looking into oneself and harmonizing
internal occurrences with the external observances through asceticism







An external view of the Mosque



Abu Madyan was born in Cantillana, a small town about 35 km away from Seville, in 1126. As he grew up, he learned the trade of a weaver as it was a popular practice at the time. As a young adult, Madyan moved to Marrakech where he joined a group of Andalusian soldiers and worked as a guard for the city. His insatiable hunger for knowledge, however, piqued his interest in the Qur’an and the study of religion and mysticism.



Soon after, Abu Madyan traveled to Fes in North Africa to complete his education. There, he studied under Abu Ya’azza al-Hazmiri, ‘Ali Hirzihim, and al-Dakkak. It was al-Dakkak that provided him with the khirka, the cloak passed from Master to student in the study of Sufism. During his time studying in Fes, Madyan became entrenched within the readings of Al-Ghazali, who was one of the most prominent, if not the most prominent theologian, philosopher, and mystic of Islam ,and was even regarded as one of the renewers of the religion. Eventually, Madyan settled in the town of Bidjaya where he established a mosque-school (zawiya). The sheer amount of fame and influence that Abu Madyan evoked raised serious concern from the political powers of the time. The Almohad Caliph Ya’qub al-Mansur summoned Madyan to Marrakech for this reason. Upon his summoning to Marrakech, Abu Madyan was taken ill and died before he reached his destination in 594/1198. He was buried in al-‘Ubbad near Tlemcen where his tomb became the center of fine architecture and is still a place of pilgrimage for many Sufi’s today.
It would be so important to mention that Sidi Abi Madyan took part in the great battle of Hittin in Palestine in 1187 besides Salah Din and lost one of his arm, as such getting a reward from Salah din was "Bab Al Maghariba" as an endowment for People of the Maghrib.
Teachings: The basic principles and virtues taught at Madyan’s school in Bidjaya were repentance (tawba), asceticism (zuhd), paying visits to other masters, and service to experienced masters. He emphasized futuwa (youth/chivalry) but only when accompanied by the obedience of devotees to their master, the avoidance of disagreements between devotees, justice, constancy, nobility of mind, the denunciation of the unjust, and a feeling of satisfaction with the gifts of God. Because of his focus on the acceptance of one’s emotions, Madyan and his followers refused to confine themselves to only asceticism and meditation alone, but instead lived day to day by maintaining close relationships with the people around them. Along with sharing his knowledge and ideas with his disciples, Abu Madyan wrote many poems and spoke in proverbs in order to connect with the masses and not just the intellectuals.
Legacy: Aside from attaining Qutb status and teaching hundreds and hundreds of disciples, Abu Madyan left his mark in more ways than one. He gained immense popularity because he was relatable, despite his high scholarly status. He had a personality and way of speaking that united people from all walks of life, from the common people to the academics. Even to this day, scholars say that no one of the time surpassed him in religious and intellectual influence. His school produced hundreds of saints and out of the 46 Sufi saints in the Rif region, 15 were his disciples.
Sayings: There are very few surviving writings from Abu Madyan, and of those that do still exist, there are mystical poems, a testament (wasiyya) and a creed (akida). He encouraged the free expression of emotions rather than rigidity, but also made known his support of asceticism complete devotion to God and a minimalist lifestyle.
Works
· Bidayat al Mouridin, Ms 938, Bibliot. Nat. Alger.
· Ouns al Wahid, Ms 2-105 (8) fol. 337-343, Bibliot. Nat. Paris, ed. in Cairo 1301-1884, with a commentary by Ahmed Bâ'chan.
· Tahfat al Arib, pub. et trad. in Latin par F. de Dombay, Vindobonae, Ebn Médirai Mauri Fessani Sentenciae quaedam arabicae, 1805
· Diwan, (collection of his poems) édit. Chaouar of Tlemcen, Damascus, 1938.
Sources
· Arnaldez, R. "Falsafa". Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Edited by: P. Bearman; , Th. Bianquis; C.E. Bosworth; , E. van Donzel; and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2011. Brill Online Augustana. 05 April 2011
· Zarcone, Th.; Hunwick, J.O.; Ernst, C.; Jong, F. de; , L. Massignon-[B. Radtke]; Aubin, Françoise. "Taṣawwuf (a.)." Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Edited by: P. Bearman; , Th. Bianquis; , C.E. Bosworth; , E. van Donzel; and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2011. Brill Online. Augustana. 05 April 2011
· Griffel, Frank, "Al-Ghazali", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2008 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.),
· Marçais, G. "Abū Madyan, S̲h̲uʿayb b. al-Ḥusayn al-Andalusī." Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Edited by: P. Bearman; , Th. Bianquis; , C.E. Bosworth; , E. van Donzel; and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2011. Brill Online. Augustana. 03 April 2011 .
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