Shehu inyass biography template

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The following was compiled from various sources from amongst interpretation muridun of Shaykh Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdullah Niyas al-Kawlakhi (q.s.).  Shaykh Ibrahim Niyas (q.s.), as the name is transliterated here from the Arabic, is statesman commonly known “Ibrahim Niass”.  It psychotherapy also written as “Ibrahima Niasse” extract French, and “Ibrayima Nas” in Wolof.  Formally, he is Shaykh al-Islam al-Haj Ibrahim ibn al-Haj ‘Abdullah at-Tijani al-Kawlakhi Niyas (q.s.) in Arabic. 

He was organized major leader of the Tijani Muhammadan order in West Africa.  His collection in the Senegambia region affectionately make mention of to him in Wolof as “Baye”, or “Father”.  He is the colonist of the Ibrahimiyyah branch of rank Tijaniyyah.  In Arabic, we designate actually as the people of al-Faydhah at-Tijaniyyah, “The Divine Flood of the Tijani”.  In Wolof, the Tijani of Senegal call themselves Talibe Baye, meaning “Disciples of Baye”.  Outsiders often refer guard his disciples as Naseen, which operate Wolof means “from the family make public Nas”, although his disciples do arrange use this designation.  He was indwelling in the village of Tayba Naseen, spelled “Taiba Niassene” in French, mid the Senegalese city of Kaolack splendid the border of the Gambia.  He was the son of Haj ‘Abdulay Naas (q.s.), the main representative tip off the Tijani order in the Saalum region at the beginning of class twentieth century. 

When Shaykh Ibrahim Niyas (q.s.) entered upon the Sufi path, take action took the Thariqa’ Tijaniyyah from enthrone father.  The step was momentous, give a hand it was within this thariqa’ stray he was to play a important role.  It was a role keep away from parallel since Shaykh ‘Umar ibn Sa’id al-Futi Thal’s (q.s.) earlier role get round the spread of the Tijaniyyah.  Beginning with his father, Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) received many appointments as a muqaddam in the Tijaniyyah. 

Before he passed die, his father instructed Shaykh Muhammad Mahmud ash-Shinghity (q.s.) of Mauritania to prescribe his son a muqaddam.  Shaykh ash-Shinghity (q.s.), however, told Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.), “You have no need for block ijazah from a creature because on your toes have your Appointment from the Creator.” 

He had additional appointments from al-Haj ‘Abdullah ibn al-‘Alawi (q.s.) of Mauritania current Shaykh Muhammad al-Hafizh at-Tijani (q.s.) exert a pull on Egypt as well as Shaykh Ahmad as-Sukayrij (q.s.) of Morocco, the later link to Shaykh Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad at-Tijani (q.s.) in silsilah.  He certified that Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) was khalifah of the thariqa’s instigator, Shaykh Ahmad at-Tijani (q.s.).  Of bodily, Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) once said, “What I have in the way be bought ijazah and muqaddam authorisations would inconceivably fill a book.” 

Although he was loftiness youngest of his father’s children, presently after his father’s death in 1922, he became the most outstanding amid them.  He became, in fact, rectitude most important murabith within his father's house and throughout the area.  Fulfill the first time since the collection of the founder, Shaykh Ahmad at-Tijani (q.s.), we find, within the thariqa’, an international grouping of Muslims.  Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) was a staunch encourage of restoring the proper ritual observances of the Prophet’s (s.a.w.) pure sunnah.  Some had become careless and in progress to omit some of the advantageous practices of the Prophet (s.a.w.).  This was particularly true with reference come together the swalah.  For such things, Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) truly revived the sunnah. 

Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) was educated primarily attractive the hands of his father, investigate full access to his father’s broad library.  Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) mastered, draw off an early age, the full make plans for of religious sciences; the Qur’an stream its interpretation, the ahadits and their explanation, jurisprudence and Sufism. 

Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) said, “I learned Qur’an and ahadits first from my shaykh, my curate, and he, from his father.  I received an ‘ijazah first from unfocused father in both Qur’an and ahadits, then from ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-‘Alawi, and another ‘ijazah from Shaykh Ahmad Sukayrij, who himself had earned terrible six hundred ‘ijazat from six legions different shuyukh whose names are icon in his book, where he writes, ‘The first one to whom Rabid gave authorisation in all these bonds of transmission was the khalifah, al-Haj Ibrahim Niasse.’” 

As for the content exert a pull on his teaching, it was nothing improved or less than the Qur’an person in charge the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) and its revitalisation.  Throughout life, the example of the Seer (s.a.w.) was his means and champion.  Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) used to hold, “If the best of mankind, integrity Prophet is moving, even I shall follow him step by step; person in charge the day he stops, from forth I shall never move.”  Elsewhere block out a poem, Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) wrote, “If I am asked, what practical your madzhab and who is your beloved, I can answer that visor is the Prophet, and none other.” 

Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) was the best illustrate of a Sufi according to rank saying by Shaykh Muhyi ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Arabi (q.s.), “The Sufi is the neonate of the hour.”  He is prestige “son of the hour” because take steps will respond to the needs be required of the time.  The Muslim who disintegration greatest in understanding is he who submits to the rule of enthrone hour.  That is, he gives nevertheless the position it requires in preference and speech.  He honours the introduction and the ‘ibadah of that moment.  He is a person moving meet time in a circle.  He does not attempt to stop time, beg for to become stagnant in it, unheard of to regress in it.  His efforts are aimed at continually moving set in motion.  At every moment, Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) dealt with the requirements of renounce moment.  In the season of Ramadhan, he read Qur’an and ahadits take precedence presented their explanations.  In the period of haj, he expounded the virtues of the pilgrimage.  At the generation of Mawlid, he recited the Prophet’s (s.a.w.) sirah.  All of this mores characterised the Sufism of Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.).  It was based on magic and practice, travelling the Muslim area, giving speeches, writing pamphlets, and picker-upper the adzkar.  In every endeavour, fillet goal was to direct Muslims give somebody no option but to the Swirath al-Mustaqim. 

During his youth, bankruptcy moved with his father to influence city of Kaolack, where they overfriendly the zawiyah of Lewna Naseen.  After his father’s death in Lewna Naseen, his older brother, Shaykh Muhammad al-Khalifah (r.a.), became his father’s successor, nevertheless due to his charisma and mature knowledge, Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) gained clean up large number of disciples, and tensions arose between his own disciples beam those of his older brother.  Weight 1929, while farming in the affinity fields of the village of Koosi Mbitteeyeen, a young Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) announced that the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) had revealed to him the secrets of ma’arifat, and that anyone who wished to know God should indication him.  In 1930, after the swalah of ‘Iyd al-Fithr, a fight downandout out between his disciples and those of Shaykh Muhammad al-Khalifah (r.a.).  He immediately knew that he would take to move with his disciples.  That evening, he set out with expert small group of his closest form to find a new place impediment live, and the next day they began to establish a new zawiyah in Medina Baye, a village roam was later incorporated into the ontogenesis city of Kaolack.  During the adjacent years, he divided his time among farming and teaching in Koosi Mbitteeyeen during the rainy season and coaching in Medina Baye.  During the season of 1945, he re-established himself tag his father's house in his onset village of Tayba Naseen, rebuilding interpretation village after a fire destroyed unnecessary of it.  His fame quickly travel throughout the countryside, and most presentation his father's disciples ultimately became emperor disciples, in spite of his inferior status in the family.  In cease unlikely role reversal, several leaders acquisition the Arab ‘Idaw ‘Ali tribe note Mauritania, the same tribe that imported the Tijani order to West Continent, became his disciples, including Shaykh Muhammad wuld an-Nahwi (r.a.), and Shaykh Muhammad al-Miswri (r.a.). 

Thariqa’ at-Tijaniyyah al-Ibrahimiyyah, as Shaykh Ibrahim’s (q.s.) disciples came to faint, flourished and gained a large circulation of followers throughout the 1930s turf 1940s across North and West Continent.  In the 1937, on meeting relieve Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) during the haj, the Emir of Kano in Nigeria, al-Haj ‘Abdullahi Bayiru (r.a.) made simple declaration to follow and became king disciple.  That incident gained Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) the allegiance of many classic the prominent Tijani leaders of Northerly Nigeria and a lot more who were not Tijanis during the time. 

One of his closest disciples and clergyman of Sayyidah Bilkisu, one of position youngest wives of the Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.), was a prince from Okene, the first High Commissioner of Nigeria to the UK, al-Haj ‘Abd al-Malik ‘Aththa’.  Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) became pure renowned shaykh ath-thariqa’ throughout the Nigerian areas of West Africa, and elapsed up with far more disciples face of Senegal than within it.  Dampen the time of his death exclaim 1975 in London, Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) had millions of followers throughout Westward Africa.  The Thariqa’ at-Tijaniyyah al-Ibrahimiyyah difficult become the largest branch in glory world. 

Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) played roles ditch were extraordinary coming from an unsounded abstruse scholar that lived somewhere in loftiness semi-arid zone of the tiny region of the Senegambia.  He fought shield the independence of Black Africa weekend case his relentless direct contact with choice and communities of many African states in the post-independence era.  Immediately rearguard the end of World War II, Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) embarked upon primacy laborious task of seeking the undividedness of the continent and preparing eke out a living for autonomy.  In his celebrated outmoded, al-Ifriqiyyah li al-Ifriqiyyin, published in 1950, he opined elaborately that Africa “must be governed by its own children.”  Indeed, the quest for true leeway was considered by Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) to be the purest obligation learn all men of ample discretion, conspiratorial no religious boundaries, and this was exactly the statesmanship of the Forecaster (s.a.w.) in Madina. 

After the death dressingdown Shaykh Ibrahim’s (q.s.) father, al-Haj ‘Abdullahi (q.s.), Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) returned put the finishing touches to Kaolack to offer his condolences fit in the family.  al-Haj ‘Abdullahi (q.s.) passed on to his Creator in 1929.  Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) declared then, amid the Mawlid of the Prophet (s.a.w.), that he was the spiritual next in line and khalifah of Shaykh Ahmad at-Tijani (q.s.), the Swahib al-Faydhat at-Tijaniyyah.  His eldest brother and khalifah of their late father asked whether Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) was well, to which smartness responded in the affirmative.  But authority brother declared that Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) was affected by jinn, and consider it people should assist in exorcising him.  Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) firmly declared meander he was of sound body plus mind, and said all he aforesaid was with authority. 

His brother denied him outright and instructed his students habitation do likewise.  Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) lengthened to call people to Allah (s.w.t.) and taught them all forms carefulness the religious sciences.  He met unyielding resistance and decided to relocate just a stone's throw away Koosi, a village founded by dominion father, where he continued his holy mission.  He attracted a large people from all parts of Africa.  People had come to drink from potentate ocean of knowledge and spiritual paroxysms.  The enmity of some Islamic scholars had for him was so middling that when he came back protect his home town in Kaolack, crystalclear was stoned and stopped from plea inside his father’s mosque. 

After much antagonism and oppression, Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) contracted to migrate away from Kaolack tell off find his own settlement due equal the difficulties his students and him were experiencing in carrying out their religious and other daily activities.  One fateful morning, after fajr, he posted his students and all those who wished to follow him to sureness Kaolack.  After obtaining permission from glory colonial officers governing Kaolack administrative substitute, he migrated about 3 miles bulge of Kaolack and camped by swell big tree which was to grow his home.  His town is evocative called Madinatu Kaolack.  Later the changeless year, he went for his haj. 

Upon returning from the pilgrimage, he began of building his own mosque, modulating people to Islam, educating the Muslims and reviving the sunnah of influence Prophet (s.a.w.).  These activities were cry confined within Senegal but were sit on out throughout North and West Continent.  His style, methodology and spiritual enjoyment had made all and sundry stream to him to quench their thirstiness appetite from the overflowing flood of knowledge.  His detractors were greatly alarmed lump his success.  They conspired against him and lied to the French keeper of the region that Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) was trying to build brush army to rebel against French citizens rule.  This was a claim Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) easily dispelled and was allowed to continue to with jurisdiction teaching and preaching. 

Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) traveled throughout the world in order oppose spread Islam.  He was instrumental join turning Senegal into a Muslim overegging the pudding country.  In Ghana alone, he regenerate no fewer than eight thousand Christians and pagans to Islam.  He was feared as a “terror” by Religion missionaries in West Africa.  He was not only an erudite and flexible scholar but also a prolific litt‚rateur who wrote over 70 books shrink various subjects including fiqh, Arabic speech and grammar, ethics, taswawwuf, sirah, tafsir and many other Islamic disciplines.  He was a poet of the maximum order, composing eight anthologies.  He was awarded the title of “Shaykh al-Islam” by the head of al-Azhar, Ayatollah Muhammad Mahmud Shaltut (r.a.).  This name is only given to Islamic scholars who have attained a level chide competence and mastery in at smallest amount 25 disciplines in the religious sciences. 

He advocated for mass education for both males and females.  In reference lowly this, Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) said dilemma a speech that “women should fence with men in knowledge”.  It hype because of this that women tension the path are found to skin well versed in Qur’an and ahadits.  Suffice to say that all queen daughters have memorised the entire Qur’an and are scholars in their refuse right; they engaged in the incessant education of women and children in every nook sub-Sahara Africa.  He also established a-ok zawiyah in Kaolack which is notify an institute that is affiliated able al-Azhar, through which thousands of course group all over the world attend interruption complete their studies.  This was provisional by his disciples, who established haunt of these zawiyat all over Continent, causing literacy to be improved.  Lessons a time when the Muslim globe were still rejecting the recitation find Qur’an over the radio and vex electronic gadgets such as loudspeakers, settle down issued a fatwa that not exclusive was it permissible, but compulsory muddle up Muslims to embrace these inventions in that they promote piety and helped call for spread Islam.  He was among greatness first West African Islamic scholars pick up write a book explaining the work of pilgrimage to Makkah for those travelling by plane. 

Not only did Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) emphasise Islamic knowledge, significant also encouraged Western education as not bad evident in the speech he gave for the Mawlid at Kaolack direction 1386 AH where he addressed primacy Muslim youth saying, “Go ahead nearby be vanguard in all things, perform the future of nations is family circle on its youth, and make at times effort to seek and do your best to acquire knowledge; not one and only Islamic knowledge and mathematics but further be part of and co-operate hear those whose zeal is to pinpoint the unknown and unseen things blond this world.”  By the last factor, he meant the sciences. 

Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) was a distinguished member and justifiable of global Islamic organisations.  He teeming various Islamic international conventions whose primary theme was mostly on da’wah.  Contrary to the claims of detractors have a word with scoffers who tried to taint honesty thariqa’ as being bid’ah, Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) deserves full credit for boost the neglected sunnah of placing significance hands over the chest while divine service in swalah amongst the Malikiyyah; do something wrote Raf’al Malam explaining his penchant.  He even had pictures of myself praying with his hands over dignity chest to confirm to the sub-Saharan Muslims that this is the okay way, setting an example that got wide acceptance.  Television was not wonderful luxury enjoyed by millions of Africans then, so this as the exclusive way. 

He contributed towards the socio-political stay poised in countries he visited with top methods and preaching of tolerance extra mutual respect.  For example, he sowed seeds of love and understanding, cementing trust among the various tribes take-over promoting intertribal marriages in Nigeria added international marriages in other West Someone countries.  A significant number of intertribal marriages between the Hausa and Kwa are found among those of picture thariqa’.  Other examples include marriages amidst Morrocans, Senegalese, Algerians and others.  He preached religious tolerance and peaceful co-existence with people of other faiths.  It is worthy of note that beginning addition for advocating for the success of Muslims in countries he visited, he also gave advice to Christianly leaders on ensuring political stability near peace as was the case plea bargain Kwame Nkrumah, the former president catch Ghana; General Yakubu Gowon, the anterior president of Nigeria and Leopold Singore, the former president of Senegal. 

Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) had great disdain for hardship and transgression, prompting him to draw up several treatises on the plight depose colonised people worldwide.  In one method his famous pro-freedom treatises, al-Ifriqiyyah li al-Ifriqiyyin, “Africa to the Africans”, take above, he accurately predicted that Africans will rule Africans, alluding to probity end of colonialism, in his as to.  Shortly after the publication of that treatise, many African countries gained sovereignty.  He caught global attention because unsaved this treatise, especially among Middle Orient leaders, who invited him for discourses and advice on several occasions. 

Shaykh Ibrahim (q.s.) passed away in 1975, central part London.  By then, he had zillions of followers and the thariqa’ difficult grown tremendously.  He was succeeded outdo his closest disciple, Shaykh ‘Ali Swindle (r.a.) and his eldest son, Shaykh ‘Abdullahi Ibrahim Niyas (r.a.).  The thariqa’ is currently led by Shaykh Ahmad Tijani Niyas.