Shaykh
Muhammad ibn al-Habib al-Filālī
(1295/1876-1391/1971)
His lineage:
He is the Sufi sharif, teacher, guide to Allah and shaykh of the Darqawi
tariqa, Sayyidi Muhammad ibn al-Habib ibn as-Siddiq al-Amghari al-Idrisi
al-Hasani.
His ancestors were based in Marrakech, and he is related to Moulay 'Abdullah
Amghar*, who is buried at Tamsloht , near Marrakech, a
descendant of a line which goes back to 'Ali and Hasan. This branch of the
family emigrated to Tafilalat and settled there. His father emigrated
to
[*I've been informed that this should be Sidi Husayn.]
His birth and primary education:
He was born in
His secondary education and instruction:
After he completed his goal in the Qur'an school, he left it and began to
imbibe the finest nectar of dependable education and beneficial knowledge from
its pure springs. That was around 1312. In the Abu'l-Junud Mosque in
Then in the Qarawiyyin mosque, which enjoys widespread renown, he studied
the Mukhtasar of Khalil with az-Zurqani, Bannani and al-Kharashi with
the faqih and Shaykh of the Community, Sidi Ahmad ibn al-Jilali al-Amghari.
He studied the Tuhfa with the commentary of Shaykh at-Tawudi ibn
Sawda and the Collection of the Adab of the Teacher and Student
by Shaykh Khalil with the faqih Sidi Abu Bakr ibn al-'Arabi Bannani.
He studied part of the Sahih of Imam al-Bukhari and the Hikam
of Ibn 'Ata'llah with the faqih Sidi Ahmad ibn al-Khayyat az-Zargari.
He studied az-Zaqqaqiyya with the margin which the shaykh himself
wrote on it with the faqih Sidi 'Abdu's'-Salam al-Huwari.
He studied the Alfiyya with al-Makudi and al-Muwaddih with the faqih
Sidi Khalil al-Khalidi.
He studied part of the Jami' al-Jawami' and part of the Musnad
of Ahmad ibn Hanbal with the faqih Muhammad ibn Ja'far al-Kittani
.
He studied part of the Mukhtasar of Khalil, a summary of the Mukhtasar
as-Sa'd, and part of Tawhid al-Murshid with the commentary of Shaykh
at-Tayyib ibn Kiran with the faqih who is skilled in knowledge and a master of
sciences, Sidi J. Muhammad Fatha Junun.
From the faqih and Shaykh of Islam, Moulay 'Abdullah ibn Idris al-Badrawi,
he learned the Sahih of al-Bukhari, part of the Mukhtasar of
Khalil, al- Isti'ara of Shaykh at-Tayyib ibn Kiran, and part of the Hamziyya
by al-Busiri with the commentary of Ibn Hajar.
He learned part of the Mukhtasar of Khalil, ash-Shifa' by Qadi
Abu'l-'l-Fadl 'Iyad as-Sibti and part of al-Murshid al-Mu'in by Mayyara
from the Sufi faqih, Sidi Hammad as-Sanhaji.
He learned al-Murshid al-Mu'in from the faqih Sidi Muhammad ibn
'Abdu'r-Rahman al-Filali.
Then he stopped his studies in 1319 when he achieved his desire and filled
himself with knowledge and education, and he began to teach knowledge on a
voluntary basis in the mosque of Qasba an-Nawwar in Fes, teaching al-Murshid
al-Mu'in, the Mukhtasar of Khalil, the Muwatta' of Imam
Malik, as-Sanusiyya, and tafsir. He continued to undertake the tasks of
his educational and secondary work until he emigrated
to the city of
His ijazas:
Shaykh Sidi Badru'd-din ad-Dismishqi gave him a written ijaza in
His journeys:
In 1350 he travelled to the holy lands to perform the blessed obligation of
the hajj and went to the
Then he travelled to the Hijaz and made hajj to the Sacred House of Allah
again in about 1360.
Then he set out from the Isma'ili capital, Meknas, in the company of his
wives, making for the pure lands to perform a third hajj to the sacred House of
Allah in 1391, but died on the way before achieving his desired goal. So the
words of Allah Almighty which are unequivocally clear apply to him: "If
anyone leaves his home, making hijra to Allah and His Messenger, and death catches
up with him, it is Allah who will reward him. Allah is Ever-Forgiving,
Most Merciful." (4:100) The Prophet, peace and blesing be upon him,
said, in a noble hadith, "Whoever leaves in this way for hajj or 'umra and
dies during it will not be examined or reckoned and will be told to enter the
Garden."
His intellectual legacy:
He wrote a diwan which is called "The Desire of the Travelling Murids
and the Gift of the Wayfaring Gnostics". It has been published twice. He
wrote a commentary on the Hafidha of the Shaykh Sidi Muhammad al'Arabi
al-'Alawi al-Madghari which contains supplications of the Prophet, ayats of
Qur'an and some of the Shadhili hizbs. He also wrote a commentary on the Salat
al-Mashishiyya.
[The Arabic diwan is available from Bookwork.]
His scholarly position:
He was a scholar and faqih with great perception. He was familiar with many
sciences, while being particularly proficient in tafsir and tasawwuf.
His poety:
He dipped a bucket in the well of poetry when his talent produced several
qasidas about tasawwuf, good character, praise of Allah, praise of the Prophet
and religious admonitions.
His death and burial:
He moved to his Lord with his face directed towards the Holy lands to
perform hajj to the Sacred House of Allah in the city of
May Allah forgive his sins and veil his faults and accept him with honour
and beautiful covering and make him dwell in the highest part of 'Illiyin in
the company of the Prophets, truthful, martyrs and righteous. Amen.
