Description
This is a translation of Al-Kuhin’s famous ‘Tabaqat Al-Shadhiliyya Al-Kubra’ a collection of biographies of prominent Shadhili Masters. This book is further enhanced by including biographies from Al-Kattani’s ‘Salwat al-Anfas’ as well as some internet based reference points.
This is a collection of biographies of prominent masters of the Tariqa Shadhiliyya. The Tariqa is also associated with considerable scholarly erudition in the traditional Islamic fields of learning, with large numbers of scholars being its adherents, resulting in an extensive contribution to Islamic literature in general but literature concerned with Ihsan or Sufism and its practice in particular.
Nearly one hundred of the leading Awliya Allah – Friends of Allah, over the last eight centuries are listed showing countless karamaat – miracles that Allah manifested through their hands. This is an important work as the Shadhili Tariqa is spearheading the revival of traditional Islamic teachings in the Muslim communities in the West.
The Qur’an tells us of a category of people for whom ‘there is no fear and nothing to grieve’, these people the friends of Allah – the Awliya Allah (Surah Yunus: 62-63), are the inheritors of the Prophets, peace be upon them all. Through them, humanity has benefited for centuries.
The Sufi Tariqas developed along the same lines as the madhhabs (Schools of Fiqh) and represent the science of Ihsan in traditional Islamic teachings of Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama’ah. Of these Tariqas, one of the greatest in the world of Islam is the Tariqa Shadhiliyya based on the teachings of, and named after Abul Hasan al-Shadhili.
Abul Hasan al-Shadhili, who was born in the tribe of Ghumara in Morocco to a sharif family descended from the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him), grandson al-Hasan, may Allah be well pleased with him. The teachings of Abul Hasan al-Shadhili stress the importance of spiritual purification, the perfection of moral character, and the adoption of pietistic etiquette (Adab). There is an emphasis on adherence to the Shariah, lifelong learning, and gratitude to Allah the Almighty, due to which the Tariqa Shadhiliyya is also known as the Tariqa of gratitude (shukr).
The Tariqa is also associated with considerable scholarly erudition in the traditional Islamic fields of learning, with large numbers of scholars being its adherents, resulting in extensive contribution to Islamic literature in general but literature concerned with Sufi theory and practice in particular.
The Sufis in general and the Shadhilis especially have absolute dedication and devotion to the Prophet S.A.W, something that this book shows in detail for example in the entry on Sayyidi Abu’l-Abbas al-Mursi we find:
He would say: ‘For forty years I have not been veiled from the Messenger of Allah Almighty even for the blinking of an eye, and had that occurred I would not have counted myself from the Muslims.’
Contents
- Publisher’s Note
- Author’s Introduction
- Part One
- Part Two
- Sidi Abu’l-Hasan al-Shadhili
- The 15 Distinctions of the Qutb
- Centres of the Nafs
- A Wise Exhortation
- The 25 Excellences of the Shadhili Path over Other Paths
