Formative Education His teacher, the prestigious Muhammad ibn Hamwi at-Tijani, known as “Abu ‘Abdallah”, imparted the fine points of Islamic jurisprudence according to the Maliki madhhab. The shaykh memorized several books, including The Lakiidaari, the Risaalat of Imam Qairawaani, the Khalil, and the Mugaddimat of ibn Rushdi. Orphaned by a smallpox epidemic in 1166 Hijra (1752.CE), at age 16 the young shaykh was in position to further his ‘own education, which he did with great enthusiasm. He left his native village five ‘years later to take advantage of lessons by various renowned scholars in different countries. He afterwards received diplo- mas conferring upon him the authority to teach Islamic sciences. Command from The Prophet ‘The shaykh’s affiliation to several Turug (sufi orders) including the Qadiriyya, the Nasiriyya, the Khalwatiyya and others led him to a prolonged period of khalwa (seclusion) in dhikr and contemplation, in. the village of Abi Sam’bun, a Saharan oasis located south of Geryville. In a wak- ing stato, he was blessed with the vision of Prophet Muhammad #, who commanded him to leave all the ways he had been fol- lowing until then, saying, “No one will reproach you, for 1 myself will be your intercessor in front of our Lord and your Helper.” ‘After requesting him to accept the rank of calipha of the Messenger of Allah, RasulAllah himself gave him the wird Gaily observance of ritual prayer, medita- tion and recitation) and disclosed to him the tenets of the new tarigat. “Keep this tarigat without retiring from the world, nor ceasing to interact with men until you reach the spiritual station which is prom- Tariqat of the 20% Century By SHavks MUHAMMAD ISA, MAURITANIA ised you, maintaining your state without any undue mortification nor excessive cul- tural efforts.” lawahir ul ma’aani, p.32, Cairo edition) Tarigat of ‘Ulema Shaykh at-Tijani was known for his strict observance of the principles of the main Islamic sources, the Qur’an and the sun- nah, He was quoted, “If you hear someone quoting me, place the statement on the scale of the noble Shari’ah—if it balances, take it; if it doesn’t, leave it—for within the noble Qur’an and ahadith, you will find the Tariqat Tijaniyya, Outside the cir- cle of Qur’an and hadith, there is no such thing... * Known as “the tariqat of ‘Ulema” (religious scholars) until today Tarigat Tijaniyya has attracted many fiiga- hah (leamed in jurisprudence), gadis Gudges) or muftis (officially appointed religious heads, usually of a country). Further Spread of ‘Through Exile For nearly twenty years (1781-1799 CE) the shaykh was the main active propagator of the doctrine, Traveling through the Sahara, Sudan and Tunisia, he set up zawiyas, nominating able and pious ‘mugaddam (representatives). In the face of growing political opposition, in 1213 Hijra (1798 CE) the shaykh was com- pelled to leave his country and settle in Fez, Motocco, were he was well known and widely respected. Afterwards, throughout sub-Saharan Aftica the expansion of the tarigat was swift and broad, primarily owing to the Mauritanian, Muhammad al Haafidh ben al-Mukhtar ben al-Habib al-Beddi. Within ‘thirty years of the shaykh’s exile, all the Ida u‘aali (a noble Mauritanian tribe) had embraced the “path” that was, until then, ‘propagated up to Senegal, Niger, Mali and -Tijaniyya