A GREAT ACADEMIC THESIS ON SHEIKH IBRAHIM NIASS (1)

SHEIKH IBRAHIM NIASS AND HIS METHODOLOGY IN TASSWUF & CALLS IN THE COURSE OF ALLAH

 

SALAMU ALAIKUM JUMA’MAH MUBARAK, THIS WEEK WE WILL COMMENSE SELRIAZING EXCERPTS OF A GREAT ACADEMIC THESIS WRITTEN BY A NON TIJJANIYAH STUDENT TO OBTAIN HIS MASTERS DEGREE AT A UNIVERSITY IN LIBYA. 

IT WAS THEN PRESENTED TO ONE OF HIS SONS, SHEIKH MUHAMMADUL MAKY IBRAHIM NIASS BY THE AUTHOR HIMSELF IN 2004. (AS HE AUTOGRAPHED IN HIS OWN HAND WRITING IN ARABIC ON THE FRONT COVER BELOW). IT IS 308 PAGES. IT AMAZINGLY REVEALED THAT SHEIKH IBRAHIM WAS A GREAT GRANDSON OF ONE OF THE LAST BATCH OF THE COMPANIONS OR SAHABAH OF RASULULAH S.A.W BY NAME "UQUBATU BUN NAFI’A", WHO FOUGHT WAR AND BROUGHT ISLAM IN AFRICA!!! ALLAH AKBAR!!!

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COLLEGE OF ISLAMIC PROPAGATION: OF HIGHER EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT OF THE STUDY OF THE HOLY QUR’AN

"SHEIKH IBRAHIM NIASS AND HIS METHODOLOGY IN TASSWUF & CALLS IN THE COURSE OF ALLAH"

AN ACADEMIC THESIS FOR A MASTERS DEGREE BY SAGIR ABDUL SALAM, A STUDENT OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED UNIVERSITY IN LIBYA

INTRODUCTION

THE SOCIO-POLITICAL & ECONOMIC LIFE IN THE ERA OF SHEIKH IBRAHIM NIASS

It is important before entering into the main topic – to define Senegal [geographically]. It is an environment that Sheikh Ibrahim Niass grew up in....

(A) SENEGAL IN GEOGRAPHY:

Senegal is located in the western part of West African, its area is 76000 square miles.

It is flanked in the east by the republic of Mali and the West Atlantic Ocean and at the North by Mauritania and at the South by Guinea Conakry and Guinea Bissau. It has two seasons. Rainy and Dry season.

And her regions are: Kafeer – Jawbal – Khaolack -- Fateek – Tambakunda -- Kazmaas- Sanluyi- Jeem- Maatim- Kaldaa- and her capital is Dakar. And the number of her population according to 1999 population census was 920,0000 people. And there are many tribes in the country: 1- Walaf: which is made up of ethnic groups such as: Walu, - Janbur- Kayur- Bawal. 2- Fulani/Fula- 3-Saree 4- Manginka – 5- Jula – 6 Soninke.

And the inhabitants mostly engages in farming, trade and handcraft. And in spite of Islam entering into Africa through the effort of ‘Uqbatu bun Nafi'a one of the companions or sahabah of the Prophet [PBUH] in first century [hundred years] after hijrah [migration to Madinah], and seventh century of the Christian calandar, it would not be manifested in Senegal until in the middle of eleventh century of the Christian calendar, by virtue of the struggle of the missionary traders who have conquered the olden Ghanaian kingdom [Gold Cost and colonized it], and then Futa Turu- the first Islamic nation in 1776.

And Islam got spread in the entire regions since the end of the 19th century, through the hands of the sufi paths whose followers are estimated to be about 92 percent pf the population.

(B) – THE POLITICL LIFE DURING THE ERA OF SHEIKH IBRAHIM NIASS:

Colonialism had gotten deeply rooted at the seat of the national leaders who are sharing power and money in the country. So the Senegal [people] submitted totally to the colonial rule since 1807. And the Capital became “Seen Lauye “ in the northern part of the country, the seat of central administration of the French rule.

In reality, the French [colonialists] have infiltrated in all life activities and have been fulfilling and offering the people they have colonized bounties of the country. So they brought closer [to them] anyone they would see willing to be at their service and help to execute their mission. And they had opened schools to train and enable their aides operate different devices. They had tried to lure or seduce the people in different ways and to wipe away all kind of pressures.

Then the resistance ended completely at the beginning of the 20th century. So the people remained under the dominance of colonialism until the beginning of the sixties, the period in which Senegal announced its independence on the 20th of August 1960, after she exited from a union with Mali. And the first President was “Lopoul Seedar Sangore “, who had spent 20 years in government. He then handed over to “Abdou Diop”, and he was the last to rule the country for 20 years, then “Abdullahi Wadi”, the current [then] President for the republic of Senegal.

(C) ---ECONOMIC LIFE:

The Senegalese economy depends on agricultural materials, then on trade, by virtue of access to the port and of being within the strategic mid-location between the northern and southern African sub of the Sahara, and coupled with the availability of colonialist government in the country, trade and economic resources of the country were being controlled by the foreign forces.

And the national farms were so busy directly before French, in the area of taxation which was imposed by the colonialists for their personal advantage.

And with the end of colonialism, the situation came back to its natural course and with the supervision of the of the local government and then the country get to know something about economic development.

(D) – SOCIAL LIFE:

The political and economic life had really made an impact in the Senegalese society, that the old social structure has collapsed. However, this breakdown had led at the same time into the formation of religious leagues which would hold beacon of resistance and opposition during the advent of colonialism, then the centers of Tijjaniyah were strengthened and other paths such as Muridiyah which was initiated in the hands of Sayyid Ahmad Bamba (1927).

According to Herbert in his book, “General History of Black Africa”: “The collapse and weakness of the old structure led to the groupings within the [ideological] paths of the Islamic religion. Tijjaniyah (Dakar- Tawa-un-Kaolakh). And Muridiyah in Jarbal, which was established by Ahmed Bamba”, the Senegalese. And he used to advocate for the reform of the agricultural service mechanism.

(E) - FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES EXCLUSIVE TO SHEIKH IBRAHIM:

The family of Sheikh Ibrahim Niass comprised of the families that undertook an effective role and strived [jihad] in the course of Allah, that UQUBATU BUN NAFI’A, the great soldier and muja-ed(companion of the Prophet), who discovered Africa brought Islam to Africa is the great GRANDFATHER of Sheikh Ibrahim.

And historians have confirmed that his grandson AL-RIDAL ARABI migrated from Libya to Senegal for the sake of da’awah [Islamic propagation] and got married to one of her queens “Jeel Niass”. And this is the name that has become his family nickname.

And Muhammad the grandfather of Sheikh Ibrahim had responded to the call of Sayyid “Maba Jakhuba” for a war against the non-believers and idolaters in the year 1279 of the hijrah calendar, then he and his son Abdallah left – And the last one [Abdallah] by then was 21 years of age.

They moved from Joloof to a region called Seen Salim. Then Allah the merciful helped them with victory, where they “raised the banner of religion [Islam] and defeated the army of non-believers and authorities and expelled the groups of hypocrites and united the ranks of believers”.

However, the colonizers, looking at what they were witnessing of victories of “Maba” and being afraid of him, they allied and conspired themselves with the local enemies and killed him in one of the battles which he fought against the colonial master in the year 1867.

Then his helpers differed them and the supporters about the continuation of the war with his son and his khalifah [successor], and between the one who does not agree with that. And Muhammad was among the last group, that was why he came back to his village “Niasseen”, which was established by the mother of his son Alhaji Abdallah – the father of Sheikh Ibrahim – He had continued fighting the war with Sara Mati, the khalifah of “Maba”.

He then came back to Taibah Niassen which he was its founder. And he concentrated on farming and spreading of knowledge [teaching]. So many students gathered around him until when the governor of that province wrote a report stating that Alhaji Abdallah has more students than the scholars of the province.

And another French [author] “Murtay” confirmed that the Tijjaniyah fraternity had more murids outside of Futa. So in 1901 he was reported at the administrative office of the French colonial masters that he was inciting people against them.

Then consequentially for him, they destroyed his town, then emigrated to Gambia until the year 1910, where he would reconcile with them by virtue of the effort of “Alhaji “Malik Sy”, his brother in the course of Allah. He then came back to Kaolack and continued with his da’awah activities and his children, unlike those of other Sheikhs were never enrolled into French [colonial masters] school.

And his prayers is always: (O Allah grant me from you a good progeny [offspring], for verily, you do hear prayers). And for real Allah had answered his prayer because his entire children were scholars [led by the the colossus scholar himself, MAULANA SHEIKH IBRAHIM NIASS, which trickled down into his own progeny as well].

To be continued………Next series will dwell and dilate on: 

 “THE LIFE OF SHEIKH IBRAHIM NIASS & HIS JIHAD”.

Translated by Husseini Yushau BabalWaiz, New York. 

17th March, 2017

  

ENGLISH BOOKS BY/ON SHAYKH IBRAHIM NIASSE AND THE TIJANI TARIQAH (AVAILABLE FOR SALE)

1. Vessel of Spiritual Flood, Translation of Goran Faydah by Shaykh Balarabe Haroon Jega - (Translated by Khalifah Awwal Baba Taofiq)

2. Rihlat Konakriyah (A trip to Conakry), Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse - (Translated by Khalifah Awwal Baba Taofiq)

3. Shariah and Haqeeqah: In the Light of the Qur'an and the Prophetic Traditions (Compiled by Khalifah Awwal Baba Taofiq)

4. The Icon of Mystics: Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse Al-Kawlakhy (Compiled by Khalifah Awwal Baba Taofiq)

5. Kano Conferences (Majlis Kano) and the khutba titled (Hadiqat al-Anwar fii ma ihtawa alayhi qawaaid al-Islam minal hikam wal asrar) - (Translated by Sayyidah Bilqis Grillo)

6. Katsina and Kaduna Conferences (Jadhbul ahbab ila hadrat Rabbil arbab) and Mecca Conference - (Translated by Sayyidah Bilqis Grillo)

7. A Brief Biography of the Shaykh al-Islam Ibrahim Niasse (Compiled by Sayyidah Bilqis Grillo)

8. Al-Kanz (faydah) Magazine (1st edition) - (Edited by Sayyidah Bilqis Grillo)

9. Al-Kanz (faydah) Magazine (5th edition) - (Compiled by Sayyidah Bilqis Grillo)

10. Al-Kanz Muslim Ummah Magazine (1st edition) - (Compiled by Sayyidah Bilqis Grillo)

11. Risalat at-Tawbah (Epistle of Repentance) of Shaykh Ibrahim Niyass al-Kawlakhi" – (Translation & Commentary by Dr. Razzaq Solagberu)

12. Islamic Law of Inheritance, by Sayyid Ali ibn Abubakar al-Muthanna ibn Abdullah Niasse (Translated by Dr. Sulaiman Shittu)

13. Numerous “English” Sufism & Tijaniyyah Tariqah E-books/Journals/Articles (soft copies - to be sent via email)

14. Numerous “Arabic” Sufism & Tijaniyyah Tariqah E-books/Journals/Articles (soft copies - to be sent via email)

To order for copies, contact;

Call/Whatsapp: +2348034656467

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