SHAYKH MUHAMMAD YASIN AL-FADANI (INDONESIA)

SHAYKH YASIN AL-FADANI OF MAKKAH AND TARIQAH TIJANIYYAH

 By: Imam Fakhruddin Owaisi al-Madani al-Tijani

Mar 28, 2008

As-Salam Alaykum Wa Rahmat-Allah,

I just returned from a trip to Indonesia where I was invited as a guest at the annual Id al-Khatm al-Tijani celebration there. It was heartwarming to recite the blessed Wazifah al-Tijaniyyah with 20,000 Indonesian Tijani Fuqara (number documented in news http://www.kompas.com/read.php?cnt=.xml.2008.03.02.10070443&channel=1&mn=2&idx=4).

Among other things, the Indonesian Ahbab informed me that the current Indonesian president, Mr. Bambang Yuduyono is also a Tijani, taking the Wird Al-Ahmadi al-Muhammadi al-Sharif from Muqqadam Nasihin Pati of Central Java.

However more important than that, I was pleasantly surprised to see the Asanid al-Tariqah of the some of the Indonesian Tijanis going through the great Muhaddith (Hadith Master) of the Age, al-Imam al-Shaykh Muhammad Yasin al-Fadani (who was also of Indonesian origin but was born, raised up and died in Makkah in 1990).

Upon inquiry, the Indonesian Ahbab informed me that Musnid al-Asr Shaykh Yasin bin Muhammad al-Fadani was also follower of the Tariqah al-Tijaniyyah, and this was common knowledge for them.

They showed me the printed Sanad of the Tariqah Tijaniyyah of the famous Indonesian Tijani Muqaddam Shaykh Ahmad Jawhari al-Khatib who stated in it that he took the Tariqah Tijaniyyah from Shaykh Yasin al-Fadani in Makkah, who in turn had been initiated into the Tariqah by Shaykh al-Sayyid Ali bin Abd-Allah al-Tayyib al-Madani.

Al-Sayyid Ali bin Abd-Allah al-Tayyib (d. 1944) was the Mufti of Shafi'iyyah in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah and a well-known Faqih and Sufi of the Haram al-Nabawi al-Sharif.

Sayyid Ali was born in Madinah and but had studied at the Jami'at al-Azhar in Egypt as well, particularly under al-Shaykh Hasan al-Saqa, Khatib al-Azhar al-Sharif. His teachers in the Hijaz included al-Sayyid al-Habib Husayn al-Hibshi, the Mufti of Shafi'iyyah in Makkah al-Mukarramah.

He authored a few basic texts on Ash'ari Aqidah, Shafi'i Fiqh and the Tariqah Tijaniyyah. Some of these have been translated into the Indonesian languages as well. His descendants, the Sadah al-Hasaniyyin of Bayt al-Tayyib, reside in Madinah and Indonesia.

Sayyid Ali al-Tayyib took the Tariqah Tijaniyyah from al-Shaykh al-Muhaddith Alfa Hashim (1935), the Mufti of the Malikiyyah in Madinah. He also had an Ijazah in the Tariqah Tijaniyyah from Shaykh-al-Islam al-Haj Ibrahim Niyass (RA) of Senegal.

About this, Sayyid Ali writes in his Tuhfat al-Mubtadi'in fima Yajib Ma'rifatuhu min al-Din, printed by Esa al-Babi al-Halabi (p.127):

"Wa Qalu man lam yakum lahu Wird fahuwa qird. Wa qad manna 'Llahu ala al-faqir bi-Akhdh al-Tariqah Tijaniyyah min Akabir al-Ulama al-Amilin" 

"And they stated that whoever doesn't have a Wird is a qird (a monkey). And Allah has blessed this faqir by taking the Tariqah al-Tijaniyyah from the highest of the practicing Ulama".

And on page 127:

"Wa hadhihi 't-Tariqah min a'zam al-turuq al-musilah ila'Llah. Wa hiya muwafiqah li's-Sunnah, khaliyah min jami' il-bid'a, wa hiya tariqat al-Ulama. Waqad ajaztu biha kullu man kana min Ahl al-Sunnah wa 'l-Jama'ah, muqallidan li-ahad al-Madhahib al-Arba'ah, bi-shart an la yatrukaha ila 'l-mamat wa an la yushrik ma'aha Tariqah ukhra".

"And this Tariqah is from the greatest of the Paths that lead to Allah, and is in accordance with the Sunnah, free of all innovations, and is the Tariqah of the Ulama. And I give Ijazah in it to whoever is from the Ahl al-Sunnah wa 'l-Jama'ah and follows one of the Four Madh-habs with the condition that he doesn't leave it till death and does not combine it with any other Tariqah".

It would be impossible for any Alim in the Hijaz today to proclaim his affiliation to any Tariqah in such an open way, let alone to the Tijaniyyah, against which the Muftis of Najd have passed a Fatwa of Kufr.

Indeed, both Sidi al-Tayyib and his mentor Shaykh Alfa Hashim were restricted by the Wahhabi authorities from publicly professing the Tariqah at a later stage, although they were allowed to continue teaching Fiqh and Hadith in the Haram. (they nevertheless continued to practice and promote the Tariqah in private, as is attested to by their students and descendants).

Documentation of Shaykh Alfa Hashim's tough ordeal with the Najdis in Madinah is found in Radd Akadhib al-Muftarin ala Ahl al-Yaqin by the Musnid of Egypt, Shaykh Muhammad al-Hafiz al-Tijani (RA).

This strict Wahhabi surveillance would also explain why Shaykh al-Fadani doesn't mention his Tijani Tariqah affiliation in most of the Asanid he gave to seekers of Ilm from the East and West of the Muslim World.

This is besides the fact that Ulama and Shuyukh usually sought his prized Ijazah in Hadith and the Ulum al-Shar'iyyah only and not Talqin in the Tariqah which is something that should specifically be asked for. In the case of Tijani Tariqah, this becomes even more difficult as it cannot be given for Tabarruk purposes and one of the uncompromisable conditions for initiation in it is relinquishment of all other Tariqah affiliations for the past, present and the future as well; something that most people wouldn't want to do (Syrian Shaykh Abd-al-Hadi Kharsa discusses this issue briefly at http://www.abdalhadialkharsa.com/index.php?act=viewArt&id=38).

Shaykh al-Fadani's Tijani affiliation would also explain his enthusiasm in granting his prized Ijazah, via mail, to Sayyidi al-Imam al-Murabbi al-Arif'Bi"llah Shaykh Hassan Cisse, without any prior request for it from the latter!

Shaykh al-Fadani's Sanad in the Tariqah Tijaniyyah as found in the printed Isnad of Muqaddam Abd-al-Hamid Yunus of Jakarta is:

Shaykh Muhammad Yasin al-Fadani, the Musnid of the Age and Muhaddith of Makkah

From al-Sayyid Ali bin Abd-Allah al-Tayyib, Mufti of the Shafi'iyyah in Madinah

From Sidi Shaykh Alfa Hashim, Mufti of the Malikiyyah in Madinah

From his father Shaykh al-Faqih Sai'd bin Umar of Mali, West Africa

From the latter's brother Amir-al-Mu'minin the Warrior Saint al-Haj Umar Tal al-Futi,

From al-Sharif Muhammad al-Ghali Bu-Talib, Khalifat al-Tijaniyyah in the Hijaz

From al-Qutb al-Maktum Khatam al-Awliya Mawlay Ahmad al-Tijani (Q.S.)

From Sayyid-al-Wujud wa Qiblat al-Shuhud Mawlana Rasul-Allah (SAW)

I wanted to mention these fawa'id here so that my fellow students of Knowledge can be aware of how prominent Ulama of the past were affiliated to the Turuq of the people of Allah, humbling themselves in seeking both the Ulum of the Zahir and the Batin.

This is also important to note because many contemporary biographies of these past scholars omit any mention of their affiliation to the Sufi Tariqahs, therefore depriving present-day tullab al-Ilm of role models in this respect.

Wa'Llahu 'l-Hadi li-Kulli Khayrin Zahiran wa Batina,

               

Fakhruddin Owaisi al-Madani al-Tijani

Mar 28, 2008.

ENGLISH BOOKS BY/ON SHAYKH IBRAHIM NIASSE AND THE TIJANI TARIQAH
(AVAILABLE FOR SALE)

1. Vessel of Spiritual Flood, Translation of Goran Faydah by Shaykh Balarabe Haroon Jega - (Translated by Khalifah Awwal Baba Taofiq)

2. Rihlat Konakriyah (A trip to Conakry), Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse - (Translated by Khalifah Awwal Baba Taofiq)

3. Shariah and Haqeeqah: In the Light of the Qur'an and the Prophetic Traditions (Compiled by Khalifah Awwal Baba Taofiq)

4. The Icon of Mystics: Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse Al-Kawlakhy (Compiled by Khalifah Awwal Baba Taofiq)

5. Kano Conferences (Majlis Kano) and the khutba titled (Hadiqat al-Anwar fii ma ihtawa alayhi qawaaid al-Islam minal hikam wal asrar) - (Translated by Sayyidah Bilqis Grillo)

6. Katsina and Kaduna Conferences (Jadhbul ahbab ila hadrat Rabbil arbab) and Mecca Conference - (Translated by Sayyidah Bilqis Grillo)

7. A Brief Biography of the Shaykh al-Islam Ibrahim Niasse (Compiled by Sayyidah Bilqis Grillo)

8. Risalat at-Tawbah (Epistle of Repentance) of Shaykh Ibrahim Niyass al-Kawlakhi" – (Translation & Commentary by Dr. Razzaq Solagberu)
9. Islamic Law of Inheritance, by Sayyid Ali ibn Abubakar al-Muthanna ibn Abdullah Niasse (Translated by Dr. Sulaiman Shittu)

10. Numerous “English” Sufism & Tijaniyyah Tariqah E-books/Journals/Articles (soft copies - to be sent via email)

11. Numerous “Arabic” Sufism & Tijaniyyah Tariqah E-books/Journals/Articles (soft copies - to be sent via email)

To order for copies, contact;

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