SHEIKH SIDI MUHAMMAD IBN AL-HABIB
Sayyidi Muhammad ibn al-Habib ibn as-Siddiq al-Amghari al-Idrisi al-Hasani.
Descended from a line that traces back to 'Ali and Hasan RadhiAllahAnhum. His ancestors were from Marrakech before immigrating to Tafilalat, where they established their roots. His father further migrated to Fes, which became the familial residence.
Birth and Early Education:
Born in Fes in the year 1871, a city recognized for its educational importance and spiritual wisdom, he began his learning journey at the Qur'anic kuttab in the Sharabiliyyin district. Under the guidance of the knowledgeable faqih and righteous wali, Sidi al-Hashimi as-Sanhaji, he acquired foundational literacy skills, including reading, writing, and Qur'an recitation. He expanded his studies at the school of Qasba an-Nawwar, guided by the faqih Sidi Ahmad al-Filali, and memorized the Qur'an during this period.
Secondary education and instruction:
In his pursuit of further knowledge after primary education, he sat with many revered scholars and took from them instruction, knowledge and adab.
Around 1894, he began his studies with the esteemed faqih Sidi Muhammad al-Irari at the Abu'l-Junud Mosque in Fes. His focus was on fundamental texts such as the Ajrummiyya, Alfiyya, as-Sullam by Bannani, and the Seerah of the Propeht ﷺ by at-Tirmidhi. Furthering his studies at the prestigious Qarawiyyin Mosque, a center of scholarly distinction, he explored the Mukhtasar of Khalil with scholars like az-Zurqani, Bannani, and al-Kharashi, guided by the faqih and Shaykh of the Community, Sidi Ahmad ibn al-Jilali al-Amghari. He then studied many of texts and disciplines, studying 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, under the guidance of the faqih Sidi Abu Bakr ibn al-'Arabi Bannani. His studies included the Sahih of Imam al-Bukhari, the Hikam of Ibn 'Ata'llah, and other works with eminent scholars like Sidi Ahmad ibn al-Khayyat az-Zargari, Sidi 'Abdu's'-Salam al-Huwari, Sidi Khalil al-Khalidi, and Sidi Muhammad ibn Ja'far al-Kittani.
Furthermore, he received written ijazas from Shaykh Sidi Badru'd-din ad-Dismishqi in Damascus and the Qadi of Tlemcen, Sidi Abu Shu'ayb. He also obtained oral ijazas from scholars such as Sidi Ahmad ibn al-Jilali al-Amghari and Sidi Abu Bakr ibn al-'Arabi Bannani.
Journeys:
In 1931, he embarked on a journey to perform the sacred obligation of Hajj in the holy lands. He visited Kinana, Syria, and Algeria, where he met renowned scholars and imparted his knowledge through lessons on works like the Sahih of al-Bukhari and al-Murshid al-Mu'in. He later performed another Hajj around 1941, returning to the sacred House of Allah in the Hijaz. In 1972, he set out from his Zawiya in Meknes with the intention of performing a third Hajj but passed away before reaching his destination.
Intellectual legacy:
Sidi Muhammad ibn al-Habib left a rich intellectual legacy. His works include his diwan
"The Desire of Journeying Murids and the Gift to Wayfaring Gnostics," which has been published and distributed throughout every corner of the world. He penned an interpretation of Shaykh Sidi Muhammad al'Arabi al-'Alawi al-Madghari's Hafidha, which contains Dua's, Quranic verses, and Shadhili hizbs. Moreover, he wrote an in-depth commentary of the Salat al-Mashishiyya.
His scholarly position:
Renowned as a distinguished scholar and jurist, he possessed remarkable insight across diverse sciences, especially known for his tafsir (Quranic interpretation) and tasawwuf (Sufism).
His poetry:
Sidi Muhammad ibn al-Habib showcased his poetic gifts through various qasidas. His compositions touched upon themes of tasawwuf, virtues, glorification of Allah, reverence for the Prophet ﷺ, and spiritual guidance.
Death and burial:
Sayyidi Muhammad ibn al-Habib passed away in Blida, Algeria, on Monday, January 23, 1972 while on his way to perform Hajj. He was initially buried in the Darqawi Zawiya in Blida, which he himself had inaugurated. Later, his remains were transferred to Meknes, where he was reburied in his zawiya in Darb al-Pasha, near the Zaytuna mosque.
May Allah forgive his sins, conceal his faults, and grant him an honorable and beautiful abode in the highest ranks of Paradise, alongside the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous. Ameen.