THE SALAH OF SAHIB AL-FAYDAH SHAYKH-AL-ISLAM AL-HAJJ IBRAHIM NIASSE (RA)
Compiled by
Imam Fakhruddin Owaisi al-Madani al-Tijani
(Cape Town, South Africa)
الحمد لله و العبد لله
اللهم صل على سيدنا محمد الفاتح لما أغلق و الخاتم
لما سبق ناصر الحق بالحق
و الهادي إلى صراطك المستقيم و على آله حقّ قدره و مقداره العظيم
QUESTION:
Assalamu Alaykum Imam,
Would you be able
to teach me how to perform my Salah (ritual Prayer) in accordance with the
practice & teachings of our master Shaykh-al-Islam Ibrahim Niasse (RA)?
ANSWER:
Wa Alaykum As-Salam,
Indeed, Salah is
the most important pillar of Islam. It is the foundation of Shari'ah,
basis of Tariqah & protection of Haqiqah. It is the symbol of
Ma'rifah. There’s no Deen without Salah!
Sahib al-Faydah Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) says in his Diwan entitled Manasik
Ahl al-Widad:
كذاك نصلي ما درينا شريعة
خلت من صلاة قط فالشأن أشمخ
Likewise we pray…for we do not know of any Religion
that has no prayer in it! The status (of our Creator) is greater!
Truly, our Five Muhammadan
Salats (Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Esha) are the best form of worship ever
prescribed for Mankind. Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) says in his final Diwan
entitled Sayr al-Qalb (Journey of the Heart):
و هل قوت روح كالصلاة و هل ترى
نظيراً لطهر أو صيام
لمن صفا
عليك بها فلتركعن
تواضعاً
لربي ترى التمكين و
القرب و الصفا
هناك تراه أو يراك فلا تكن
و صه ويك لا تنطق حذار
قفن قفا
And is there any nourishment
for the Soul like the Salat?
And is there anything that can match the Wudu &
the Sawm in purifying you?
I advise you to perform that Salah and bow down in humility…
Indeed, you shall attain the proximity and purity (from Allah)!
There, you shall see Him, or He shall see you, so cease existing!
And keep quiet! Beware! Do not speak! Beware & desist from speaking!
Salah is nothing but Muhammad (SAW)! The Complete Arif sees the
Manifestation of God's Hahut, Lahut, Jabarut, Malakut and Nasut
in the Sirr (innermost being), Ruh (spirit), Aql (mind),
Qalb (heart) and Nafs (self) of Muhammad (SAW) taking place
in the Five Daily Prayers. And this is reflected in us through the mirror of Hadrat
al-Khatm al-Katm al-Tijani.
Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) says in his Diwan called Tib
al-Anfas, counting ALLAH's Blessings on him, considering performing
the Salat as one of those blessings:
كذلك نيلي الخمس و الخمس حافظاً
لخمس و خمس نعم هذا
المصنف
And among my blessings is my gaining of the Five (hadarat) & the
Five (maqamat)
And performing the Five (pillars) & the Five (salats)!
How blessed is this writer!
If nothing else, Salah is the platform in which we recite the sacred Word of
God. Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) would recite the entire Qur'an al-Karim in his night
prayers. He (RA) says in his Diwan entitled Taysir
al-Wusul:
و إني عبد الله أتلو كتابه
و جنب رسول الله دهري
أقرط
فأشكر ربي بالأمين و
وده
سأخدمه مدحاً مدى الدهر
يحفظ
و إن رجال الله دانو لطاعتي
و لي برسول الله درع
مغلظ
For I am the
Slave of Allah, reciting His Book…
And praising His Prophet (SAW) always!
So I thank my Lord for the Truthful Prophet (SAW) & his love…
Indeed, I will serve him with praises that will be remembered forever!
And surely all the Men of Allah have submitted to me in obedience…
And the Messenger of Allah (SAW) is my solid shield of protection!
Allah Almighty repeatedly
orders us to perform the Salah throughout the Holy Qur'an. This blessed
Five-Time Salat was granted to us through the blessed Prophet Muhammad (SAW) on
the blessed night of the Mi'raj from the blessed Divine
Presence!
When we pray the
Salat, we also reach there! Therefore, Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) states in
his Diwan entitled Sulwat al-Shujun:
سرى المصطفى ليلاً و وافى بخمسة
عرجنا بها و الفضل
للمتقدم
و أوصى بها عند العروج مؤكداً
ففيها ينال العبد كل
تقدم
له و به قم و اركعن
تواضعاً
ترى قرة للعين من خير
منعم
إذا قمت من بعد الوضوء
مرتلاً
و تسجد من بعد الركوع
المعظم
لقد طويت عنك المسافة
جهرة
وصلت إلى المحبوب كبر و
عظم
The Mustafa (SAW) travelled in the Night and returned with Five
(Prayers)…
Through them we were elevated too, and the credit goes to the first one (SAW)!
And he (SAW) emphatically advised us to ascend through them
(the Salats)…
For through them, the slave (of God) gains all progress!
So, rise up and bow down in humility, for Him and by Him…
You will witness the coolness of your eyes from the Best of Givers!
For
when you stand up reciting (the Qur'an) after making Wudu...
And when you make Sujud (prostate) after the noble Ruku
(bowing)...
All
distances are clearly removed between you (and ALLAH)
And you’ve arrived by the Beloved! So make Takbir and honour Him!
As the beloved Prophet Muhammad
(SAW) is reported to have said:
الصلاة معراج المؤمنين
"The
Salah is the Mi'raj of the believers"
Therefore, it is a non-negotiable condition of
the noble Tariqah Tijaniyyah to: "Uphold the Five daily prayers, on
time, and in Jama'ah as much as possible".
Mawlana Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) says in the Sulwat al-Shujun:
فإن كبار الناس بالليل شغلهم
ركوع و أوراد ترى الكل أخلصا
For the habit of the great ones during night time is...
making Ruku and reciting their Awrad in
full sincerity!
And as Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) says in his Diwan entitled al-Kibrit
al-Ahmar:
أسجد طالباً إنمحاء لكفر
في كل قطر فيجل شكري
I make Sujud, praying for the wiping out of Kufr…
in all lands, so that I may be most grateful!
In the Ruh-ul-Adab, Shaykh Ibrahim
(RA) advises the talibes to do:
و ركعتان خفية نقل الخطى
إلى المساجد يكفر الخطا
And (perform) two Rak'ahs secretly, and walk…
to the Mosques (to pray)...for that shall purify you from your sin!
In fact, this was
one of the things that personally attracted me a lot to the Tijani Path; i.e.
the punctuality of the Tijani Shaykhs and murids in performing Salah,
anywhere and everywhere! This was important for me as I had seen followers and
even so-called leaders of certain Tariqahs not giving importance to the
blessed Salah. Very disturbing indeed!
Al-Humdulillah! Our Master Shaykh Hassan Cisse (RA) spent his whole life
performing the Salah in Jama'ah. And even on his last day, he led
all 5 Prayers at the Grand Mosque of Medina-Baye, then went home and returned
to Allah in peace.
In that, he (RA) just followed the footsteps of Sayyiduna Rasul-Allah (SAW), Mawlana
Shaykh Ahmad al-Tijani (RA) and his grandfather Shaykh-al-Islam Ibrahim Niasse
(RA).
As Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) said in his Diwan entitled Nur
al-Haqq:
رضيت بربي و الحنيفة مسلكي
إمامي رسول الله لا أتخلف
دليلي رسول الله و البيت
قبلتي
نصوم و بالبيت الحرام نطوف
نصلي سجوداً راكعين و إننا
على ذا درجنا الدهر لا نتعسف
I am satisfied with my Rabb (Allah) and the Hanifiyyah (Islam)
is my way!
My Imam is Rasul-Allah (SAW), and I will never turn away from
that!
My guide is Rasul-Allah (SAW), and the Bayt (Holy
Ka'bah) is my Qiblah…
So we fast & we make Tawaf (circambulate) around Holy
House (Ka'bah)!
We pray, performing Ruku (bowing) & Sujud (prostrating)…
Upon this we’ve always lived & practiced, and will never be tired (of it)!
Indeed, the first
thing Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) did in his Medina was to establish the Mosque
facing Makkah, and appoint its Imam, Saydi Ali Cisse (RA). Besides the Jumu'ah &
Eids, Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse (RA) would perform all 5 Prayers behind Saydi Ali
Cisse (RA)!
Our teacher Shaykh Baye Haiba of Mauritania told us that his father told him
that they were sitting in the Mosque with Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) once waiting for
Saydi Ali Cisse (RA) to come and lead the Salah, however he was got
delayed.
Sitting in the Masjid
was also a young Hassan Cisse (RA) who had just come from the UK, wearing a
suit and a tie. When Saydi Ali (RA) did not come, Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) pointed
to young Hassan Cisse to go forward and lead everyone in the Salah!
At that moment,
some of the other Muqaddams sitting with Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) became a bit
surprised that a young man wearing a suit & tie should lead them in Salah!
So Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) looked at them and recited the following couplet by Imam
al-Shafi'i (RA):
إذا المرء لم يدنس باللؤم عرضه
فكل لباس
يرتديه جميل
If a person does not tarnish his reputation with foul behaviour…
then every garment he wears is beautiful!
Shaykh Hassan
Cisse (RA) would later become the Chief-Imam of this blessed Masjid after his father,
as per the written Wasiyyah (Will) of Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) before his
passing.
Sayyidna Shaykh
Ahmad al-Tijani (RA) would also seldom lead the five Salahs himself, and would
usually ask Sidi Muhammad al-Mishri (RA) & Mawlay Muhammad bin Abin-Nasr (RA)
to lead the prayer for him, in the blessed Zawiyah for which he had requested
& received a guarantee from Sayyidna Rasul-Allah (RA) that every Salah
performed in it would be accepted by Allah without doubt.
He (RA) would
however perform the Friday Jum’ah prayer at the Grand Qarawiyyin Mosque
of Fez. His place of sitting there is known till today. His Janazah was also
read there.
Sometimes, Sayyidna
Shaykh (RA) would also ask his beloved Khalifah Sidi Ali al-Tamasini
(RA) to lead the Prayer, when the latter would be visiting from Algeria. It
so happened once that some murids from Fez complained to Sayyidna Shaykh
(RA) that Sidi Ali al-Tamasini (RA) does not pronounce certain Qur'anic words very
accurately, so Sayyidna Shaykh (RA) replied to them:
رجل مفتوح عليه! والصلاة خلف المفتوح عليه مقبولة!
"He is a man
who’s attained the Fat’h (Opening to the Divine Presence)!
And Prayer behind
an Opened Up person is always accepted"
(Kashf al-Hijab by Shaykh Ahmad
Sukayrij)
In his later
years however, the Prophet (SAW) instructed Sayyidna Shaykh (RA) that no man
should lead him in prayer. Therefore he (RA) would lead the prayers himself in
the Zawiyah. It is narrated that in Salat al-Fajr, he (RA) would recite Ayat
al-Kursi in the first Rak’ah and Surah al-Qadr in the second Rak’ah.
Great secrets were mentioned for this recitation.
Like Sayyiduna
Rasul-Allah (SAW), the last prayer of Mawlana Shaykh Ahmad al-Tijani (RA) was Fajr.
The last prayer of Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse (RA) was Asr. The last prayer
of Shaykh Hassan Cisse (RA) was Esha.
Shaykh Hassan
(RA) informed us that when Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) was bedridden in the St Thomas
hospital in London during his last days, he (RA) still performed the Prayers
with his eyes and fingers. When Shaykh Hassan (RA) saw him in this condition,
he reminded him (RA) about the Maliki opinion that if a person is so sick that
he can’t sit up anymore, then the Prayer is not necessary upon him. So Mawlana Shaykh
Ibrahim (RA) said:
"Yes,
I am very much aware of that Maliki opinion, but we are also Tijanis
and that puts extra responsibility on us (to fulfil the Duties to
Allah)"
So Baye Niasse (RA) continued to perform the Salahs with his
hands, and the Wirds with his fingers (as he did not
have a rosary at hand), on his hospital bed till his last breath.
Establishing Mosques and praying in them is a well-known Tijani practice. In
fact, it is a sign of Iman as the Master of Existence (SAW) stated:
إذا
رأيتم الرجل يعتاد المساجد فاشهدوا له بالإيمان
"If you
see a man frequenting the Mosques, then testify to his Iman"
(Narrated by Tirmidhi)
The Prophet (SAW) also informed us that such a person will be from the few who
will be shaded by ALLAH on the Day on which there will be no other shade but
His Shade.
We should pray in
the Mosques regardless of who leads the Salah, as long as they don’t openly
slander the Friends of Allah and particularly Mawlana Shaykh al-Tijani (RA). If
they do so, then we should avoid praying behind them, to the best of our
ability.
Yet, I recall that once in the Majlis of Shaykh Hassan Cisse
(RA), a Mauritanian Shaykh was telling him of a personal incident where it was
time for Salah and the people made a munkir (denier
of Tariqah) lead the Prayers, so he refused to pray behind him, and prayed on
his own. Upon hearing this, Shaykh Hassan (RA) told the Mauritanian
muqaddam: "You could have prayed behind him. Prayer is Prayer!!!"
It is also narrated that once an Alim from Mauritania was
visiting Baye Niasse (RA) in Kaolack. So when the time for Prayer came, Baye
(RA) asked him to lead the Prayer. However, the Mauritanian murids
became a bit unhappy with this, saying: "Back in Mauritania, this Alim
is an enemy of the Tijani Faydah."
Upon hearing this,
the noble Saydi Ali Cisse (RA) said to them: "For me it is enough that
Baye has put him forward." And then he proceeded to join the Prayer,
and they all followed!
It is also
narrated that Shi’a scholar from Iraq visited Medina-Baye, and when the time
for Prayer came, Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) asked him to lead, out of respect for a
guest Alim.
After the prayer,
some murids said to Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) that: “Did you know that he is Shiah?”.
So
Shaykh-al-Islam (RA) replied: “I only saw a Muslim”.
And this was
despite him being a staunch Sunni in Aqidah and rejector of Shi’ah
doctrine.
The Method of the Fard Salah of Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse (RA):
So you asked HOW Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) prayed???
Inwardly, he was the complete 'Abd (Slave of Allah) and his
whole being was enslaved by the Being of Allah. He said:
و إني عبد الحضرة الإلهية لم يسترقني غيرها قط
"And I am
the Slave of the Divine Presence, and was never enslaved by anyone but it"
(See the Jawahir al-Rasa'il of
Baye, Part 1)
This complete
enslavement is only possible when one's being is non-existent, and none is
witnessed but the Truly Existent and His Attributes & Actions.
Prayer then…is
nothing but an implementation of His Eternal Command. We own nothing of it. It
is but His Mercy & Grace that He uses us to praise Him.
On that note, Baye
(RA) says in his Diwan entitled Nur al-Haqq:
بصومي و حجي لم أثق فالوثائق
بفضل كريم يوم تبلى
الحقائق
أصلي إمتثالاً أذكر
الله تالياً
و ما ثم شيء إن تبصر
ذائق
I do not rely on my Fasts & Pilgrimages (though I practise
them)…
On the Day of Resurrection, my reliance shall be on the Grace of the Generous
One!
I pray to Him and I praise Him, only in obedience of His Command…
For there’s really nothing (but Him), in the sight of the Knower who’s
tasted (Reality)!
Regarding the
specifies of your question about how Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse (RA) performed
the Salah, note that in the outward aspects of the Salah,
Mawlana Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse (RA) was generally a follower of the Maliki madh-hab,
as are all Senegalese and West African Muslims.
However, in certain
matters, Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) exercised Ijtihad (personal scholarly
discretion) and practiced what was the most preferred Sunnah (practice)
of the beloved Rasul of Allah (SAW) according to him, even if it went against
the Maliki madh-hab.
This attracted criticism from hard-core Malikis, but Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) was
not bothered by it, as the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW) was dearer to him than
the opinions of people.
Some of these preferred
Sunnah practices Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) emphasized were:
1- Folding the hands in Salah, right palm on left, instead
of leaving them by the sides.
2- Placing the hands on the chest (in the middle and not too
high up).
3- Reciting the Basmalah loudly before
the Fatihah.
4- Joining the Basmalah with the Fatihah without
any break.
5- Saying Ameen loudly (in a dignified manner
and not screaming).
6- Raising the Arms (Raf‘ al-Yadayn) before going
to Ruku.
7- Raising the Arms (Raf‘ al-Yadayn) after rising up
from Ruku.
8- Raising the
Arms (Raf‘ al-Yadayn) when rising up after every two Rak’ahs.
9- Raising the Tashahhud finger during the
final sitting and keeping it raised till the end of the Salah (without
wiggling it).
10- Making two Salams at
the end of Salah instead of the standard one Salam of
the Malikis.
Most of these
Sunnahs are mentioned with their authentic evidences from Hadith in Shaykh
Ibrahim’s ground-breaking book on the Fiqh of Prayer entitled Raf'
al-Malam amman Rafa’a wa Qabada Iqtida’an bi-Sayyid il-Anam (The Removal of
Blame from the one who raises his arms & folds them, in imitation of the
Master of Mankind) رفع الملام
عمن رفع و قبض إقتداء بسيد الأنام.
Points
3 & 4 were also emphasized by Mawlana Shaykh Ahmad al-Tijani (RA).
Point 9
was mentioned by Baye (RA) to his beloved Mauritanian Khalifah Sidi
al-Shaykhan al-Alawi (RA) when he had asked him:
"How did
the Prophet (SAW) keep his finger in the Tashahhud?"
So Baye (RA) explained it to him and also stated: "I am so happy that
you asked me this, as everyone else just asks me for money!" (From the Biography of al-Shaykhan by his son).
Shaykh Ibrahim (RA)
clearly mentions that the way he prays is the way his beloved Prophet Muhammad
(SAW) prayed. He states in his Diwan entitled Manasik
Ahl al-Widad:
و ذلك
إبراهيم يهوى محمداً
و أمر وجود الكون غير موقع
نصلي كما
كان النبي مصلياً
نصوم كذا نقفو سبيل مقفع
و ننفق لا نبقي نريد صراطه
نحج كحج الهاشمي المتبع
For that is because Ibrahim passionately loves Muhammad (SAW)…
from a time when the Universe was not yet in existence!
We pray the way our Prophet (SAW) used to pray…
And we fast in the same manner, following the way of the Master (SAW)!
And we spend in charity leaving behind nothing…following his Path
And we perform the pilgrimage as the Hashemite performed it!
And he (RA) stated also in the same Diwan:
ترى كل مفعولي بفعل محمد
و حالي و تمييزي إليه يشير
فجمعي و تصريفي لحب محمد
و فيه بيوعي هل تراه
يبور
أرى كل شيء ما خلا الله
باطلاً
و ما النصر إلا منه و
هو نصير
You will see all my actions are per the actions of Muhammad (SAW)!
And my state and consciousness point to him as well!
For my gathering & my authority are only for the Love of Muhammad (SAW)…
So are my dealings for him only…so can I ever be at loss?!
Indeed,
I see everything but Allah as false
And victory is from Him only, and He is my Supporter!
Cover of Shaykh Ibrahim (RA)’s ground-breaking work on the manner of performing Salah, Raf’ al-Malam
Before Baye Niasse
(RA), Mawlana Shaykh Ahmad al-Tijani (RA) had also went against certain Maliki
practices in preference of the most perfect Muhammadan Sunnah. The great Shaykh
Abu-Bakr Atiq (RA) mentioned in his book Manahil al-Rashad that Mawlana
Shaykh Ahmad al-Tijani (RA) had also prayed with Qabd (folded
hands) in Algeria for a period.
Nevertheless, on the whole, Shaykh Ahmad Tijani (RA) and Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse (RA)
were Malikis, like all Sunni Muslims who adhere to one of the four madh-habs.
They did not break this rule and declare themselves free of affiliation to any madh-hab.
As for us Murids;
we are not required to become Malikis in order to be good Tijanis. Our great Tijani
scholars like Shaykh Ahmad Sukayrij (RA) and Shaykh Muhammad al-Hafiz al-Misri
(RA) have clearly stated in their books that a Tijani murid is not required to
become a Maliki, if he is following another madh-hab. There are hundreds
of thousands of Tijanis in Indonesia who are Shafi'i. Others are Hanafi, and
even Hanbali.
However, we Tijanis should indeed follow our Masters in the preferred Prophetic
Sunnahs they highlighted and emphasized on, even if it goes against our
practiced madh-hab.
For example, Mawlana
Shaykh al-Tijani (RA) strongly recommended us to recite the Basmalah loudly
before the Fatihah. This is against the Maliki and Hanafi madh-habs,
but we must follow our Shaykh (RA) in this. Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) ordered his
(Maliki) followers to pray with folded hands (Qabd). So Maliki Tijanis
have to do that, even if it goes against the mainstream Maliki position of
praying with your hands on the sides (Sadl).
Of course, this
must be done with wisdom and avoiding unnecessary Fitnah in your
community. New murids must not be forced into this. They must first
realize the Maqam of Shaykh Ibrahim (RA). They themselves will want to
follow him in all matters thereafter.
When Shaykh
Ibrahim (RA) was inspired by Allah (SWT), Rasul-Allah (SAW) and Shaykh
al-Tijani (RA) to command the people to pray with folded hands, many traditional
Malikis in West Africa vehemently opposed him. They even said to
him:
"But your own father (RA) prayed with open arms???"
So Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) replied:
"Al-Humdulillah! Allah has not ordered us to follow anyone unconditionally
but His Prophet (SAW)".
At another
instance, when someone said:
"But Shaykh Ahmad al-Tijani (RA) is narrated to have prayed with open
arms too?"
Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) replied:
"We
take the Tariqah from Mawlana Shaykh al-Tijani (RA) and we do not go an inch
against him in that. But the Shari'ah, we take directly from Rasul-Allah (SAW)."
Of course, only a Ghawth with a sovereign Reality of his own like Baye (RA)
can say that!
The noble Shaykh
Mahy Cisse told us once that Shaykh Ahmad al-Tijani (RA) had also wished to
pray with Qabd but was not given the permission then as he had
other affairs to see to, as well as the fact that his following in Fas and
Morocco was not large enough to bring about such a major change. Everything has
it’s time; and it is the Shaykh al-Tijani (RA) who ordered Shaykh Ibrahim (RA)
to revive this Sunnah among the Malikis.
Other Maliki
saints and scholars who also folded their hands (in opposition to the madh-hab)
include Imam Ibn Abd-al-Barr, Sidi Ahmad bin Idris, Sidi Muhammad bin Ali
al-Sanusi, Sidi Ahmad bin Mustafa al-Alawi, the Kattani Ulama, the Ghumari
Shaykhs, the Alawi-Maliki Sayyid family of Makkah and many others.
Also know well
that Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse (RA) was an accomplished and consummate scholar of
Quran and Sunnah with all their derived sciences, a Mujtahid. He
himself stated:
اعلم أن لي شيخان! شيخي في الظاهر الكتاب و السنة و لا يوجد أفهم
فيهما مني
و شيخي في الباطن الشيخ
التجاني و لا يفارقني لحظة
“Please know that I have two Shaykhs:
My Shaykh in the Zahir (outward sciences of the Deen)
is the Quran & the Sunnah, and there is no one who understands them better
than me (today)!
And my Shaykh in the Batin (inward sciences of the Deen)
is the Shaykh al-Tijani, and he is not absent from me for a moment”
(From the Jawahir al-Rasa’il)
Indeed, the Ulama
of the esteemed al-Azhar University of Cairo granted Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) the
title "Shaykh-al-Islam", and made him the first African
scholar to lead the Friday Prayers at the esteemed al-Azhar University.
Furthermore, there is no doubt that Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) had reached the highest
level of Qutbaniyyah, i.e. he was the Ghawth (Supreme
Saint) of his era. And the Ghawth is not obligated to stick to
any particular madh-hab in all its details.
The renowned Ghawth
Sidi Abd-al-Aziz al-Dabbagh (RA) of Morocco cleared stated this in his celebrated
work Ibriz. I quote his words:
اعلم وفقكَ الله، أن الولي المفتوح عليه يعرف الحق و الصواب، و لا
يتقيد بمذهب من المذاهب. و لو تعطلت المذاهب بأسرها لقدر على إحياء الشريعة. و كيف لا و هو الذي لا
يغيب عنه النبيّ صلّى الله عليه وسلم و لو طرفة عين، و لا يخرج عن مشاهدة الحق جل
جلاله لحظة. و حينئذ فهو العارف بمراد النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم و بمراد الحق جل جلاله
في أحكامه التكليفية و غيرها. و إذا كان كذلك فهو حجة على غيره و ليس غيره حجة
عليه لأنه أقرب للحق من غير المفتوح عليه. و حينئذ فكيف يسوغ الإنكار على من هذه
صفته و يقال أنه خالف مذهب فلان في كذا!
“And know – may Allah guide you to goodness – that the Wali who
has achieved the Complete Opening, clealry knows what is True & Correct,
and is (therefore) not restricted to one madh-hab only. In fact, if all the
madh-habs were finished, he would (still) be able to revive the entire Shari’ah!
And how not when the
Prophet (SAW) is not absent from him, even for the blink of an eye, and he is
not absent from witnessing Allah, even for a moment! Therefore, he knows the
intent of the Prophet (SAW) and the intent of Allah in the prescribed duties
(of the Shari’ah) and other matters.
Therefore, if he is like that, then it is he who
has authority over others and not vice-versa; since he is closer to the
truth than the one with no Opening!
Consequently, how can it be correct to criticize such a saintly
person by saying: He went against this or that madh-hab in this or that
issue?!!”
The
great Shaykh al-Hajj Umar al-Futi (RA) also discusses this issue in detail in
his work Rimah. He also was known to have combined the knowledge of all
four madh-habs
As for the status of Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) in Sainthood; it is clear from his
statement:
فقد قصر الأقطاب عن درك شأويا
For
even the Qutbs have fallen short of comprehending my rank!
Therefore, a saint of his stature is obliged to choose from the madh-habs that
which is the most preferred, most beloved & final-most practice (Sunnah)
of the Prophet (SAW).
As Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) stated in the Manasik:
و إن سألوني عن حبيبي و مذهبي
جوابي رسول الله حين أجيب
And if they ask me about my beloved and my madh-hab…
My
only answer is: Rasul-Allah (SAW)!
Besides the issue
of outward evidences, there were other concealed mystical reasons why Shaykh
Ibrahim (RA) prayed in the manner he prayed and choose those particular
positions. We encourage the Arifs to carefully ponder upon each one of
those positions in Prayer, in order to comprehend some of the Divine secrets
behind them.
In any case, as a
Mujtahid in the Shari'ah and a Ghawth in the Tariqah, Shaykh
Ibrahim (RA) was not obligated to stick to the Maliki or any other madh-hab
in every detail. As he (RA) himself stated once:
نحن مالكية و لكن لسنا مماليك لمالك
"We
are Malikis but we are not slaves (Mamalik) of Imam Malik!"
With that said, Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) did NOT totally abandon the Maliki madh-hab,
and most of his Islamic practices remained according to the Maliki Way. He (RA)
believed in fixing the system from within, rather than destroy the whole system.
This is quite unlike the Wahhabi-Salafi sect that promotes the destructive idea
that we should abandon the madh-habs totally.
In his Diwan, Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) showers high praise on the 4
great Imams of the Sunni madh-habs. He (RA) states in the Shifa
al-Asqam:
و هل يتأتى حب غير أحمد
فحب سوى الماحي العماية و
الفسق
سوى حب آل المصطفى و صحابه
و من كان صديقاً متى حصحص
الحق
و قوم قفوا منهاج أولاء
سرمداً
فأمرهم صدق و حبهم صدق
فمالك و النعمان أحمد كلهم
كذا الشافعي لولاهم أظلم
الأفق
كذا أبو العباس أحمد سيدي
كذاك الجنيد السالك العيلم
الخرق
فيا رب هب لي حبهم و
إقتفاءهم
و فك وثاقي و ليزل عني الرق
و عن كلهم هب لي تمام وراثة
بفعل يحاكي فعلهم و كذا خلق
So how can we love anyone but Muhammad (SAW)?
For loving other than him (SAW) is blindness & corruption!
Except for loving his Family and his Companions…
and whoever is their friend, as long as the Truth prevails!
And for (loving) those people who followed their way always…
For their affairs were based on Truth, and their love is based on Truth!
So (Imam) Malik, al-Nu'man (Imam Abu-Hanifah) & Ahmad (bin
Hanbal)
As well as (Imam) al-Shafi'i; without them the horizons would be dark
As well as Abu'l-Abbas Ahmad (al-Tijani) my Master!
And Junaid the Wayfarer (in the Sufi Way), the noble one!
So O my Lord! Grant me to love and follow them
And remove me from my slavery (to other than You)!
And grant me the Complete Inheritance from all of them
And actions and character same as theirs!
The Sunnah & Nafl Prayers prescribed by
Shaykh Ibrahim (RA}:
Mawlana
Shaykh-al-Islam Ibrahim Niasse (RA) prescribed two methods of Sunnah/Nafl
(extra) prayers for his murids: An intensive one (33 Raka’at)
& a lighter one (15 Raka’at).
Explaining the
intensive routine, he (RA) wrote in a letter to one of his senior muqaddams:
"And I instruct you to perform the following amount
of Salahs daily, which are a total of 50 Rak'ahs of Fard and Nafl between
the Night and the Day:
The Fards (obligatory
prayers) are 17 Rak'ahs:
Fajr: 2
Zuhr: 4
Asr: 4
Maghrib: 3
Esha: 4
And the Nafls (voluntary
prayers) are the following (33 Raka’at):
Salat al-Layl
(night prayers after Esha till Tahajjud): 12
The Witr (final prayer): 3
Sunnah before Fajr: 2
Salat al-Duha (prayer after sunrise): 2
Sunnahs before and after Zuhr: 4 + 4
Sunnah before Asr: 4
Sunnah after Maghrib: 2
So persist in this worship; and I give permission in it to all
brothers who wish to practice it as well, without any hardship on the self; and
all strength & power comes from none but Allah the most High, the most
Great".
(From the Collection of Baye's Letters by Shaykh Abu'l-Fathi
titled Ziyadat al-Jawahir, p.17)
Note
that Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) would perform the Witr prayer as 2 Rak’ahs &
1 Rak’ah, without any Qunut Dua, as per the Maliki practice.
The above breakdown of the 50 Raka'at (17 Fard & 33 Nafl)
is the one mentioned by Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) in his letter to his Muqaddam Umar
bin Malik. However the breakdown of 50 Raka'at mentioned in his Tafsir
is slightly different than the one mentioned above.
In the Tafsir, rather than prescribe the Salat al-Layl as 12
Raka'ats (as quoted above), Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) counted it as 10 only, adding 2
Raka'ats before the Esha prayer (which are not mentioned in the
letter above).
However, one could ideally break the 12 Raka’at of the night into
2 Raka'at before Esha, 2 Raka'at after Esha and 8
Raka'at at Tahajjud time.
The breakdown of the 50 Raka'at mentioned in the Tafsir is
as follows:
Fards: 17
Witr: 3
Before
Fajr: 2
Salat
al-Duha: 2
Before
Zuhr: 4
After
Zuhr: 4
Before
Asr: 4
After
Maghrib: 2
Before
Esha: 2
Salat al-Layl
(night prayers after Esha till Tahajjud):
10
“So these are the fulfillment of the original Divine
commandment of 50 prayers a day”
(Tafsir of Shaykh
Ibrahim, Surah al-Nisa, vol. 2 p.57)
One could also say that if you have time before Esha, then pray 2 Raka'at
before the Fard, and 2 after it, followed by 8 Raka'at
in the night. If you didn't get a chance to pray the 2 Raka'at before &
after Esha, then pray 12 Raka'at in the night, to complete the 50.
Whichever version one follows, it is good; for it is all from the Sunnah
of the Prophet (SAW)!
Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) also highlighted in his Tafsir that by
performing these 50 Raka’at, one fulfills the original obligation of
Allah to pray 50 Salahs, which the Prophet (SAW) got lessened to 5 on the night
of the Isra & Mi’raj. Subhan-Allah!
As
for the lighter (15 Raka’at only) routine of Sunnah/Nafl prayers,
Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) writes in a letter:
“Here
is a method for the voluntary prayers that should suffice a moderate person:
Fards: 17 (Raka’at)
Witr: 3
Before
Fajr: 2
Before Zuhr: 2
After
Zuhr: 2
Before
Asr: 2
After
Maghrib: 2
After
Esha: 2
Followed by
the Witr: 3 ”
(Mawsu’at al-Athar al-Nathriyyah li-Sahib al-Faydah al-Tijaniyyah,
vol. 10, p.57)
As
for the lighter (15 Raka’at only) routine of Sunnah/Nafl prayers,
Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) writes in a letter:
“Here
is a method for the voluntary prayers that should suffice a moderate person:
Fards: 17 (Raka’at)
Witr: 3
Before
Fajr: 2
Before Zuhr: 2
After
Zuhr: 2
Before
Asr: 2
After
Maghrib: 2
After
Esha: 2
Followed by
the Witr: 3 ”
(Mawsu’at al-Athar al-Nathriyyah li-Sahib al-Faydah al-Tijaniyyah,
vol. 10, p.57)
Note
also that Shaykh Ahmad Tijani (RA) stated that if any person misses the 2 Raka’at
of Sunnah after the Maghrib Salah, then they should recite 50 Salat
al-Fatih as compensation, as narrated by his Muqaddam Sidi al-Tayyib al-Sufyani
in al-Ifadah al-Ahmadiyyah.
Sidi
Ahmad Tijani (RA) also warned his students to not to pray in haste “like
a chicken pecking it’s beak on the earth when it eats”. He stated that
such a Salah is not valid.
The
famous Senegalese Tijani Shaykh al-Hajj Malick Sy (RA) stated in his poem Fakihat
al-Tullab that the minimum Tasbih of the Arif (Knower of
Allah) during the Ruku and Sujud in Salah is 10 times.
Also note
that Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) would diligently perform the Tarawih Prayers in
congregation in the holy nights of Ramadan. He had appointed a Mauritanian Muqaddam
of his, Shaykh Wuld al-Rabbani, to lead them in the Tarawih in the Grand-Mosque
of Kaolack.
The
Tarawih would be read in 10 Raka’at (5 sets of 2 Raka’at), from
the 1st night of Ramadan till the 27th night, when the
entire Qur’an would be completed. This practice continues till today in
Kaolack.
The Spiritual State in Prayer as per Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse (RA):
Describing
how the state of a Believer should be during Salah, Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) writes:
“The
Pillars of the Faith are five, and the greatest of these is Salat (Prayer),
because it was prescribed in the Heavens (unlike other commandments) due to its
loftiness & greatness in the sight of Allah. Indeed, Allah has prescribed
special timings for these prayers and a Caller was appointed to remind
believers of it so that the slave (of Allah) does not neglect its performance
on time. As without the Timing and the Call, it would be delayed until all
Prayers would fall in one time, and that would result in tiredness and fatigue.
Therefore,
if you hear the Caller of Allah (calling to Prayer), then remember that you are
but runaway slaves from your Master. So return back to your Master, purifying
yourselves from all thoughts (other than Him), and fulfilling His rights. And
when you commence your Prayer and say ‘Allahu Akbar’ then know that it’s
meaning by the masses is ‘Allah is greater than all others’. However for
the People of Allah, the ‘Other’ is non-existent, so the meaning of ‘Allahu
Akbar’ for them is ‘Allah is greater than every Takbir from every person’.
So
when the servant stands in the presence of his Master in this condition and
makes this Takbir, he starts thereafter to praise his Master with the
verses of the Holy Qur’an, and says ‘Al-Humdu Lillah’ (all praise is for
Allah).
At
this moment, the greatness of his Master is manifested to him, so he humbly bows
down in respect.
There
he experiences such proximity from Allah that he is certain that his Master
heard his praise, so he rises up from his bow proclaiming ‘Sami Allahu liman
hamidah’ (Indeed Allah has heard the one who praised Him). Then he feels
even more humble and falls down in prostration, and that is the closest moment
of the servant with his Master (as in a Hadith). This also proves that
Allah is not closer to the Heavens than the Earth. Rather, He exists beyond any
modality or location.
Then,
the worshipper continues to proceed from one posture of the Prayer to another,
conversing with his Master, until he says ‘As-Salamu Alaykum’ (Peace be
upon you).”
(Mawsu’at al-Athar
al-Nathriyyah li-Sahib al-Faydah al-Tijaniyyah, vol. 10, p.142-143)
Elaborating
further on the reasoning behind Sujud (prostration) being the closest of
postures to Allah, Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) states that this is because normally a
Human Being places his feet on the earth while walking or his thighs while
sitting or his body while sleeping. But in Sujud, he places the noblest
part of his body - his head - on the Earth, out of submission to its Creator. That
is why he is closest to the Almighty during that position!
Letter of Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) explaining the spiritual state of a Muslim during Prayer
Concluding Remarks:
The
goal of Shaykh-al-Islam (RA) was to practice Islam to the fullest and give
victory to this Deen. He (RA) states in his Manasik addressing
the Christians:
سعدنا بذا الإيمان حين شقيتم
بتثليثكم رغماً فديني وارث
صلاة و صوم و الزكاة فريضة
و حج و تزويج فذا الدين لابث
بنى الدين طه الهاشمي محمد
فإني مدى دهري بذا الدين
ماكث
We
were blessed with this (Islamic) Faith while you were cursed…
with your Trinity! Indeed, my Faith will inherit (this Earth) despite you!
(My
Faith is) Salat and Sawm, and the Fard of Zakat…
and Hajj and Nikah! With this my Religion will thrive
forever!
For
this Path was established by the Hashemite Taha Muhammad (SAW)!
And I will forever remain devoted to this Path!
Finally, let us listen to
this serious WARNING by Mawlana Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse (RA):
و آكد المأمورات مراعاة الصلوات الخمس في الجماعات في أوقاتها مع
المحافظة على الطهارة المائية و العجب كل العجب لمن ينتسب إلى الله و إلى شيخنا
التجاني و يغفل عن صلاته أو عن طهارتها....فتوبوا إلى بارئكم و اقتلوا أنفسكم ذلكم
خير لك
And the most emphasized of DUTIES is to perform the Five Prayers,
in Jama'ah, on their Times, with proper Wudu with
water.
And I am most SHOCKED at a person who attributes himself to Allah &
the Shaykh al-Tijani (RA), and then neglects his Salah or its Wudu!
So make Tawbah to your Lord and kill yourselves; that is
better for you!
(Jawahir al-Rasa'il, vol.1)
Shaykh
Ibrahim (RA) emphasized Wudu with water, as it was a common practice of
many people in the West African desert lands, to make tayammum for the Salah
rather than Wudu, in order to save water. Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) warned his
murids to not do that.
We conclude with the Dua
of Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) in his Diwan named Miftah
al-Atiyyah:
يا رب فاجعلني من الذينا
لربهم قاموا و يسجدونا
O my Lord! Make me from those who rise up for You (in Salat)!
And bow down thereafter (i.e. in Sujud)
And with the Dua of the
Prophet Ibrahim (AS), as stated in the Holy Qur'an:
رَبِّ اجْعَلْنِي مُقِيمَ الصَّلاَةِ وَ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي رَبَّنَا وَ تَقَبَّلْ دُعَاءِ
O
my Lord and Sustainer! Make me & my progeny from those who establish
the Salat! O our Rabb! Accept my Dua!
(Surah Ibrahim: 40)
AMEEN AMEEN
AMEEN!
Was-Salam
Servant of the Tijani Door
Fakhruddin bin Ahmad al-Tijani
THE SALAH OF SHAYKH IBRAHIM IN PICTURES
(Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque, Cairo, 1960’s)
Baye (RA) laying the foundation of
his Mosque in Medina-Baye, Kaolack, Senegal, 1930’s
Baye (RA) delivering the Friday
Khutbah in his Mosque
Baye (RA) doing the Jum’ah Khutbah. By his feet is his grandson, present
Imam, Shaykh Tijani Cisse
Grand-Imam Hassan Cisse (RA)
leading the Salah. Baye (RA) had prayed behind his grandson once!
PRAISE IS FOR ALLAH ALONE
AND THE SLAVE IS FOR ALLAH ALONE
الحمد لله
و
العبد لله
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Author: Imam Fakhruddin Owaisi al-Madani al-Tijani, Cape Town,
South Africa fdowaisi@gmail.com
