My dear brothers and sisters, al-Salamu alaykum wa rahmatu-Llah.
I'm a young tijani faqir, who took the ba'ya in our blessed path very recently. I've subscribed this forum in order to increase my knowledge on the tariqa of our beloved master the Qutb al-Makhtum Seyyidina Shaykh Ahmad al-Tijani (may Allah be pleased of him), and this is my first post.

As first message, I would like to ask if there's a special link between Seyyidina Shaykh and the school of Imam Malik. I heard something on this matter, but I don't have any reference, and I would like to know more on the matter.

Thank you, and I pray all my tijani brothers and sisters to make du'a for me.

al-Salamu alaykum.
Talib.

PS: Sorry if my english is not good, but it isn't my mother language.

As Salaam Alaikum Sidi Talib,

I pray this mail reaches you in the best of Islam, Iman, and Ihsan.

Forwards your question I know of no 'special' link between Sidina Tijani and Imam Malik(may Allah be pleased with them both).


But Sidina Tijani was maliki in fiqh as was the whole region of the maghreb at that time. But Sidina Tijani was not limited to his school for there were some things that Sidina Tijani disagreed with forwards the fiqh of Imam Malik.
For example reciting the Basmala before the Fatiha.

But know that any one who has been gifted the beloved illumination and the constant vision of the Beloved Prophet is not bound or held by any school of law (four mathabs).

For they are in constant vision of the Prophet and learn from him directly.

an example of this is given from Shaykh Umar Futi. he says

If there is a house in which few have entered, and whats known about the inside of the house is only from the reports from the few who have entered.

If Allah allowed you to be one of the few that enters the house, and you go in and look around at its rooms and marvels. with this experience would you still have to rely on the reports of others?

wa alaykum al-Salam wa rahmatu-Llah, and thanks for the reply, sidi tijanimureed.

One reason why I asked this question was also because in order to make the adhkar and to recite the blessed Jawaratu'l-Kamal, one have to meet almost all the same preconditions for salat, and the latter is obviously related to fiqh. For example, all of we know that in order to recite Jawaratu'l-Kamal one has to be free from physical impurities and to be in a state of ritual purity. But, as far as i know, if you are an hanafi, all traces of physical impurities lesser than a dirham are forgiven, when malikis said that this is not forgiven except for blood and pus. So I ask to myself: an hanafi tijani can recite Jawaratu'l-Kamal having in his body or clothes traces of physical impurities other than blood lesser than a dirham (following in this the madhhab of the Imam Abu Hanifa, radi-Allahu an-hu), or there's a specific "tijani fiqh" on the matter valid for all tijanis, malikis, shafi'is, hanbalis, or hanafis?

Another example is doubt: malikis say that if one has the (non-continuous) doubt to having performed an invalid salat, his salat is automatically invalidated, when shafi'is and hanafis (i think hanbalis too, but I'm not sure) say the opposite (certainty is only lifted by another certainty). As for the dhikr, according to the Imam of the blessed Zawiya of Fes sidi Idri al-'Iraqi the doubt to having performed an invalid wird or wazifa invalidated them automatically also (like the salat according to malikis), but sidi Idris say this because he his maliki in fiqh, or because this is valid for all tijanis, even if they are hanafis, shafi'is or hanbalis?

I'm a bit confused on this matter, and I would thank if some knowledgeable brothers can help me to clear this question.

al-Salamu alaykum,
Talib

Post Scriptum: I hope my english is understandable

Wa alaykum salaam ya sidi,

My humble opinion is that you should seek clarification {answer} and advice from a Tijani Sheikh or Muqadam who is also an Hanafi scholar. I think it's easy to find one from Asia (India, Pakistan etc.).

BarakAllah fiihi

And Allah knows best...

Ma'assalama

Salaam Sidi,


This is a good fiqh question, and it is good to read the many books of the tariqa, regarding question of fiqh. the like of books by Shaykh Nadhifi, Shaykh Idris Iraqi, and Shaykh Sukarij.

And as the above comment has said it is best to ask a Shaykh who can answer. And I have asked your request to those who are may know more of this fiqh question.

But I will say what my teacher told me regarding tariqa and fiqh. which is tariqa has nothing to do with fiqh. Because one is tijani in tariqa it doesnt mean he must follow the maliki way of fiqh.

There are at least 300 million Tijanis worldwide, some are maliki, some are shafi, some are hanafi, and some are hanbali.
Whatever way you approach the rules of purity in whatever school you follow is how one should approach it for the awrad and so forth.
Many of the opinions that you will read from the shaykhs of this way will come from a maliki perspective, only because of their environment and the maliki school is the most prominent where they are from.

So if one is Maliki in fiqh, he should abide by the rules of purity in that school, if one is Shafi he should apply the rules of purity in that school. and so forth. Unless there is something specially pointed out by Sidina Shaykh Tijani to do otherwise then we should follow our particular schools. For Shaykh Tijani was mujtahid and learned from the Prophet directly.

One good example is the style of prayer.

It is known that Shaykh Tijani prayed in the style of Sadl. which is the main style of Salat in the Maliki school. But must one pray this way because he is Tijani, of course not.

Whatever school one follows should be the way he approaches the subject of purity or doubt. Unless it is particular discussed by Sidina Shaykh on the topic.

This is what ive been told by my teacher. But I have asked those who know for additional feedback and I await their reply.
As Soon as I hear about this matter I will post.

I hope to see others give their feedback also

Wa Alaykum As-Salam ya Sidi,


Here is an answer from an alim of this Tijani circle Imam Fakrudeen Uwaisi of South Africa:

There is no specific Tijani Fiqh with regards to Shari'ah matters.

Any Wudu is acceptable for the performance of the Tijani Awrad as long as it is valid according to any of the Four orthodox Sunni Madh-habs. It does not necessarily have to be valid according to the Maliki Madh-hab, as the Shaykh al-Tijani (RA) did not prescribe any such condition.

Therefore, there have been many Tijani Shaykhs who were not Maliki, especially in Egypt and Indonesia.

As you know, the 4 great Madh-habs are there to preserve each and every blessed action of the Prophet (SAW). No Madh-hab is really superior to any other. It is only together that they encompass the entire Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (SAW).

As the Maliki Imam al-Laqqani states in the famous Jawharat al-Tawhid:

Wa Malikun wa Sa'ir al-A'immah

Kadha Abu-'l-Qasim; Hudat al-Ummah

Wa Wajibun Taqlida Habrin Minhumu

Kadha Haka al-Qawmu bi-Lafdhin Yufhamu



Malik and all the other Imams

And Abu-'l-Qasim (Junaid the Sufi); they are the Guides of the Ummah

And it is obligatory to follow one of them

That is what the folk (of Knowledge and Wisdom) have clearly stated



Therefore, a Tijani murid must also adhere one of the 4 Sunni Madh-habs.

However, there are certain matters where the Shaykh al-Tijani (RA) clearly gave instructions, which may be contrary to some of the Madh-habs. A famous example of this is:

- His instruction to all Murids to recite the Bismi'Llah loudly before reciting the Fatihah in the Salah.

This is contrary to the known Maliki, Hanafi, and Hanbali ruling.

Nevertheless, in this case, the Maliki, Hanafi, and Hanbali murid of the Tariqah must follow the guidance of Sayyidna Shaykh (RA), although it is against his Madh-hab.

Shaykh-al-Islam Sahib al-Faydah al-Tijaniyyah Sidi Ibrahim Niyass (RA) concluded through his Ijtihad that the most preferred Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW) in Salah was to fold his hands rather than leave them loose. He wrote a brilliant book in support of that also, name Raf al-Malam amman Rafa'a wa Qabada min al-Anam.

Due to that, most of his followers, who constitute the majority of Tijanis in the world, also fold their hands in prayer.

As you know, both Shaykh Ibrahim and most of his followers are strict Malikis, and the known Maliki opinion is that the hands should not be folded in Salah. However, in this issue, millions of Maliki murids of Shaykh Ibrahim follow his instruction and ignore the Madh-hab.

In fact, when Shaykh Ibrahim was asked about his Madh-hab, he replied:

"Nahnu Malikiyyah wa lakin lasna bi-Mamalika li-Malik"

"We are Malikis but we are not the slaves of Imam Malik".

To summarize, the Tijani murid may follow any of the 4 Madh-habs in all his affairs, except in those matters where there are clear instructions of our Shaykh (RA) that go against the Madh-hab, in which case, the murid follows the instruction of the Shaykh (RA).

Of course, this should be done without showing an atom of disrespect to any Madh-hab or any noble Imam of this Din.

In fact, the great Tiajni faqih Sidi Muhammad bin Abd-al-Wahid al-Nazifi (RA) stated in his Fatawa that if a Tijani is leading Salah in a strict Maliki Mosque, he should not recite the Basmalah loudly (as is the instruction of Sidna), if he feels that it will cause Fitnah. He should only do it when he leads the Salah amongst Tijanis or others who don't mind.

Mawlana Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) is also narrated to have asked an Alim who used to pray with loose hands to lead the Salah in his presence.

This was to show that one should not be fanatical about these matters.

Wa'Llahu A'lam,

Servant of the Tijani Door,

fakhruddin Owaisi

Thanks Sidi.
For me this resolve the question, wa'l-Hamdu li-Llah.

wa al-Salam,
Talib.