Shaykh Yusuf Nabahani in the Tijaniya



The following is] a debate that occurred between Mohammed Al-Khidr
bin Mayab Al-Shinqi (who was an opponent of the tijaniya during his time) and Al-Sayyid Yusuf Al-Nabahani concerning the
Tijani [sufi] path)

Copied by: Sayyid Al-Mukhtar bin Sayyid Al-Amin bin Mohammed bin Al-
Mukhtar bin Amur Al-addad
Transcribed and translated by: Ebrahiem Moos (2007)

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
O Allah, put salutations and peace on our master Mohammed, his family
and his companions.

When Mohammed Al-Khidr bin Mayab entered the city, he fiercely
rejected the people of the Tijani sufi path and many people advised
him not do so, saying that Al-Sayyid Yusuf Al-Nabahani being the
jurist of this nation, is himself a Tijani, and so is the supreme
ruler. He persisted with his rejection until Yusuf Al-Nabahani
entered the city. He sent someone to the latter seeking his
permission to pose to him some questions regarding his religion, so
that his heart may find rest.

[Al-Nabahani] gave him permission to enter and when he sat in front
of him he was told to proceed with his question and he said:
[I have used AK as an abbreviation for Mohammed Al-Khidr and AN as an
abbreviation for Yusuf Al-Nabahani]

AK: O master, on which [sufi] path are you?"

AN: I use to be on the Shadhili path until Allah opened up to me the
best of all paths and I start traveling on the Tijani prophetic path.

AK: I mean internally [which path are you contented with?]

AN: So then you should have asked me 'in' which path do I find myself
and not 'on' which path, because 'on' is for outward and 'in' is for
inward. I am [immersed] in the path of our shaykh and master Ahmad Al-
Tijani, may Allah be pleased with him. May Allah make [this path]
ever-lasting and declare it openly in front of all and make it a
source of benefit until the final day.

AK: O master, so what do you say about this path?

AN: I say that it is a path of an honorable shaykh, one who is pious,
knowledgeable, a saint and he has taken it from his grandfather [i.e.
the prophet], may Allah's peace and mercy be upon him.

AK: In which way did he take it from him?

AN: That is something that I do not [fully] understand. According to
your question 'in which way', do you mean by way of an advanced sale
or trade? He took it from him by means of seeking his blessings and
benefit.

AK: Was he [present] with him in the same era?

AN: All eras are for the prophet (saw).

AK: So whatever is taken from him during a dream should be acted
upon, while we have that which was taken from him in a state of
wakefulness?

AN: Yes, absolutely, because seeing the prophet (saw), [in a dream],
if it contradicts that which was taken from him [in a state of
wakefulness] then the latter is given preference, since the prophet
(saw) does not speak from his own desire. That is why our master
Ahmed Al-Tijani said:"If you hear anything from me, measure it with
the measurement of the sacred law (shariah). If it corresponds
then take it and if it contravenes it then discard it." The messenger
of Allah said: "Whatever has reached you of good, then act upon it".
And you will have the reward from it as long as it does not
contravene a prophetic tradition or [the content] of the book,
because the ahad traditions [the prophetic traditions which did not
reach the level of multiple transmission i.e. tawatur] are many and
are [usually] acted upon.

AK: O master we've seen that they [i.e. the Tijanis] do things that
contravene the sacred law.

AN: So what are they? May Allah's protection be with us!

AK: They say that the prophet (saw) has concealed this knowledge
except from their shaykh! [The act of] concealing is impossible
because the prophet (saw) said: " I did not leave anything that will
bring you closer to paradise except that I have commanded you with
it, and I did not leave anything that will bring you closer to hell-
fire except that that I have prohibited you from doing it."

AN: The prophet (saw) did say that.

AK: So where does this come from, o master?

AN: From the prophet's (saw) words: "Verily Allah has revealed to me
three types of knowledge, each one is vast enough to encompass the
inhabitants of the heavens and earth. The first type I have been
ordered to convey to the general public and it is this type that the
pillars of your religion rests upon. The second type I have been
ordered to convey to the elite, and here I am teaching some of it to
Abu Bakr and Umar. The last type I have been ordered to conceal
from all people."

So if our shaykh is not of the elite, then there is no elite except
for the prophets! Because he [our shaykh] is a noble scholar and
saint. And [as for the prophet] delaying the explanation of an act
till after its time - this is [indeed] permissible. And of the
knowledge that he did not convey in his lifetime is dhikr / the
remembrance of Allah or istighfar / seeking His forgiveness or
salawat / putting salutations on him [i.e. the prophet (saw)]. The
only one who will not accept this [explanation] is one who is either
ignorant or stubborn.

AK: O master we've seen that they also do some other things that
contravene the sacred law.

AN: So what are they? May Allah's protection be with us!

AK: They claim that they will not die except with a good ending and
that they are safe from the plot of Allah.

AN: That is what is stated in the book of Allah Most High and the
prophet (saw) has also mentioned it in his tradition.

AK: How is that o master?

AN: In Allah's words: " And those who remember Allah, the most High
abundantly, Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great
reward", and His words: "Seek forgiveness from your Lord, verily his
Oft-Forgiving" you may refer to this verse. And the prophet's words:"
Whoever salutes me ten times…" and his words: "The one who is
addicted to seeking forgiveness and putting salutations on me,
nothing can come between him and paradise until he dies."
All of this undoubtedly suggests that the one who is always engaged
in dhikr, istighfar and placing salawat on him [i.e. the prophet
(saw)] will not die except in a good state. As for your claim that
they are safe from the plot of Allah, that is something I will not
answer! Because if it were that they are safe from the plot of Allah
then they would not have performed the pilgrimage, prayed or cleansed
themselves from all impurities. And if you say that their actions
contradict their claims, then all praises are due to Allah, because
the prophet (saw) said: "May Allah have mercy on the servant who
says something evil but does not act upon it, and he does a good act
instead, and when he says something good he acts upon it."
Where have your intellect gone, o Shanqi?
AK: O master we've seen that they also do some other things that
contravene the sacred law.

AN: So what are they? May Allah's protection be with us!

AK: They say that one of them is more superior than forty other
people [who do not belong to them] and the prophet (saw) said:
"The best of generations is my generation, then those who follow
them, then those who follow them"

AN: That is something which the prophet (saw) did say.

AK: So where do they get this from, o master?

AN: From the prophet's (saw) words: "The believing person who
remembers – and in Muslim's version – who remembers abundantly, is
better than forty other people until the day of reckoning".
AK: O master we've seen that they [i.e. the Tijanis] also do other
things that contravene the sacred law.

AN: So what are they? May Allah's protection be with us!

AK: You know what good rests in visiting your brethren and what evil
comes from severing ties with them, and these people prevent
themselves from these visits! [Perhaps he means that they do not
visit ordinary muslims or those who do not follow their path].

AN: This is not true. They visit all muslims and they spend their
wealth in the form of charity and gifts on them. They do however
firmly believe in their hearts that their path is the most superior
of all paths, because had it been that they thought that there was a
path more superior than theirs it would be compulsory upon them to
move to the other path and then to another one, etc. if they see it
as more superior. So they would become"uncertain between all of that"
as the verse suggests.

AK: O master we've seen that they [i.e. the Tijanis] also do other
things that contravene the sacred law.

AN: So what are they? May Allah's protection be with us!

AK: They say that salah al-fatih is more superior than the book
of Allah.

AN: That is something which the prophet (saw) said.

AK: From where do you get this o master?

AN: The prophet's (saw) words: "The one who reads the Quran and does
not ponder over its meanings, principles and words, it will be
against him and not in his favor."

AK: O master we've seen that they [i.e. the Tijanis] also do other
things that contravene the sacred law.

AN: So what are they? May Allah's protection be with us!

AK: There is a certain salutation [that they recite] which they have
made more superior than the obligatory prayers and their recital of
quran.

AN: So what is it and in wat aspect did they make it more superior?

AK: It is [what they call] the Jawharah al-kamal / The gem of
perfection, they make it more superior than their obligatory prayers
and their recital of quran, and they do not recite it [i.e. this
salutation] except in a state of purity and ablution.

AN: Don't you see that we pray the obligatory prayer with tayammum /
dry ablution but we do not perform the voluntary prayers with it,
while the obligatory prayer is more superior?

AK: O master we've seen that they [i.e. the Tijanis] also do other
things that contravene the sacred law.

AN: So what are they? May Allah's protection be with us!

AK: The religion, we are able to practice it in congregation as well
as individually without any difficulty, and these people have made it
difficult upon themselves by imposing some of their litanies to be
read only in congregation and circles.

AN: Ah! This is a fine point that the prophet hood of our prophet (
saw) has established [when he said]: "If you pass by the gardens of
paradise then benefit from it." What are they o messenger of Allah?
they said. He replied: "The circles of dhikr". And those circles are
not found with any people except our people, and so through it the
prophet hood of our prophet has been established, though a long time
after him. And the sainthood of our master and leader Ahmad al-Tijani
and the gardens of paradise appearing at his hands, this is the
ultimate – nothing can be more supreme after this. This has been
written by the small writer, Sayyid Al-Mukhtar bin Sayyid Al-Amin,
known as Annan, son of Mohammed bin Al-Mukhtar bin Amar Haddad,
may the repentance of all be accepted, as well astheir parents and
teachers, and those who are linked to them and the entire Mohammedan
nation, amen.