Sidi Muhammad El Habib Tijani (May ALLAH be satisfied with him)

Son of Seydina Ahmed Tijani, may ALLAH be pleased with them

Sidi Muhammad El Habib Tijani and his brother Sidi Muhammad El Kebir Tijani (may ALLAH be pleased with them both) had The Prophet's Commitment (may peace and blessings be upon him) to get a perfect Knowledge of ALLAH. Sidi Abdelaoui (may God be pleased with him) has reported concerning our character, Sidi Muhammad El Habib Tijani, so wonderful things that they are beyond human rationality. He was the receptacle of secrets and the source of amazing prodigies and he had a high visible spiritual power of management (tasrif). He was preserving his secrets and those of his father Seydina Ahmed Tijani (may ALLAH be pleased with them) carefully. He is the one who ALLAH chose to perpetuate the noble line of descent of Seydina Ahmed Tijani (may Allah sanctify his precious secret).

Sidi Muhammad El Habib was born in Fes and his mother was Mubaraka whereas his brother was born in Abi Semghoun and his mother was Mabruka. When Seydina Ahmed Tijani (may ALLAH be satisfied with him) died, Sidi Muhammad El Habib was 15 years old. So he left Fes with his brother to go to 'Ain Madhi, accompanied by the Pole Sidi Hajj 'Ali Tamacini (may ALLAH be satisfied with him), according to the latest recommendation of their noble father.

He went on pilgrimage in 1265 of Hegira. From there, he took his servant Zahra, the mother of his son Sidi Ahmed Ibn Salim (may ALLAH be satisfied with him). The child died during Sidi Muhammad El Habib's lifetime. He announced, following the funeral of his son, this: "All those who attended the funeral of my son will enter Paradise." People make him note that 'Ali Zalat, a drugs addict and Chemha, the jewess, were among the crowd. He answered: "Even them!"

Later on, people realised that 'Ali Zalat stopped taking drug and got the Fath (spiritual opening). As for Chemha she fell ill after Sidi Muhammad El Habib's death. She asked her children to take her to 'Ain Madhi. As soon as she arrived near Sidi Muhammad El Habib's tomb, she proclaimed her faith in Islam aloud and went on despite the beating of her children till she died.

It was reported that he went on pilgrimage with Seyidina Ahmed Tijani's companions, among them was Sheikh Sidi Suleyman ibn Sa'd. When they arrived in Egypt, scholars came to visit Sidi Muhammad El Habib, but he didn't speak to any of them, occupied by his adhkar, for fear that those ones harmed themselves by noticing that he did not have a perfect knowledge of Arabic language.

As soon as he came back to 'Ain Madhi he started to learn grammar and science. Sidi Ahmed Abdelaoui (may ALLAH be pleased with him) reported: "I was learning some grammar writings when Sidi Muhammad El Habib (may ALLAH be pleased with him) saw me and said: "Give them up and read instead what it will be profitable to you." So I abandoned this reading to conform to his command. Then, one day, while I was sitting with him, he said: "O Sidi Ahmed! I have some hidden prayers of Seydina (may ALLAH be pleased with him) and nobody has the right to read them but me. I would like to recite them but I'm afraid of making mistakes. So I'd like to learn grammar, we have to learn "Alfiya"." Therefore, I wrote and learnt ten verses per day, while Sidi Muhammad El Habib (may ALLAH be pleased with him) wrote only four. When I reached the prepositions' chapter, I had a quick look at his slate and noticed with astonishment that he had already reached the end of "Alfiya". I asked him: "O Sidi, how come?" He replied: "I'm not like you, I don't sleep all through the night, I sleep only an hour and then I do what I have to do. Then we used to recite it in company with the scholar Sidi Ahmed ibn 'Ashur (may ALLAH be pleased with him) until his death."

This was what people expect from Seydina's sons. They must learn science so as to improve outwardly and spiritually though they are yet noble with their high degree of faith and perfection. This will enable people to profit from them outwardly and inwardly, knowing that science attracts the elite and the common people to profit from it.

It was reported that the "Bey", governor of Alger, wrote a letter to the "Bey" governor of Tunisia, to capture Sidi Muhammad El Habib (may ALLAH be satisfied with him) on his way back from pilgrimage. When he arrived in Tunis, the Bey advised him to travel through the desert till 'Ain Madhi and warned him against Algiers' inhabitants, for the enemies of Seydina Ahmed Tijani's sons set all the governors of Algeria against them.

It was reported that the governor of Oran wrote a letter to Laghouat's inhabitants, after capturing 400 people among them, so as to give him the children of Seydina Sheikh in exchange for the hostages. Among them were the son of Sidi Bouchayba (may Allah be pleased with him) and the son of Ahmed Lakhdar (may Allah be pleased with him) who were former Seydina Sheikh's companions (may Allah sanctify his precious secret).

The companions of Seydina Sheikh, among them were Sidi Ahmed Lakhdar, Sidi Bouchayba, Sidi Ahmed Ben Salem, met to consult about this matter. The Pole Sidi Hajj Ali Tamacini was present with them without having yet been summoned.

In this assembly was a companion who saw yesterday in a dream Seydina (may Allah sanctify his precious secret) saying: "Muhammad El Kebir goes east and Muhammad As-Saghir goes west"

Sidi Hajj Ali Tamacini said, without being informed by the companion who has the dream: "What did Seydina tell you yesterday?" He answered: "He told me to do this and that" Then the Pole Sidi Ali Tamacini told the assembly: "How could we give Seydina's sons to the Turks who would harm them?"

Then he ordered Sidi Muhammad El Habib to go to Abi Semghoun by taking the desert way, which was done, whereas he took Sidi Muhammad El Kebir with him to Tamacine where he married him to his daughter. Thus ALLAH protected them against the Turkish authorities' cunning.

Sidi Muhammad El Kebir (may ALLAH be pleased with him) stayed in Tamacine for a while and then went back to Abi Semghoun. From there he was ordered to fight against the enemies and then this event made him die as a martyr.

When the Pole Sidi Ali Tamacini (may ALLAH be pleased with him) was made aware of this, he reproached the Seydina's companions (may Allah sanctify his precious secret) for letting him go and told them that they should even have cut down the saddle of his mount.

The companions said to Sidi Hajj 'Ali Tamacini (may ALLAH be pleased with him) that if Sidi Muhammad El Habib (may ALLAH be pleased with him) wanted revenge, they would be with him whatever they cost them. Sidi Hajj 'Ali Tamacini (may ALLAH be pleased with him) then noticed their sincere love and added: "There are people to whom Allah commands to do certain things which then turn against them, because the order of Allah is a predestined decree."

Sidi Ahmed Abdelaoui (may ALLAH be pleased with him) reported also that the enemies sent to Sidi Muhammad El Habib (may ALLAH be pleased with him) a letter whose content was as follows: "You should come to Algiers so that we can take advantage of your blessing." After opening the letter, Sidi Muhammad El Habib (may ALLAH be pleased with him) went into the garden and asked me to follow him, then, he ordered a servant not to let anyone come. When we were seated, he said to me metaphorically: "O Ahmed! The jenny's just given birth." So I told him: "What's happening?" He spoke... Then he added: "Answer him that I'll never come to see him and if I am disturbing him... God's earth is vast!" I used to have dinner with him everyday excepting this evening because I was anxious about this event. The next day, Sidi Muhammad El Habib (may ALLAH be pleased with him) sent someone to take me. When I arrived, one of the servants said: "Why didn't you come yesterday? Seyidina's son has still not eaten till now and I don't know why." Then when I came to meet him, he said (may Allah be pleased with him): "I ask Allah to make me never see the faces of Christians (that is to say the colonizers) and never receive a letter from them." It did not spend four days that ALLAH (The Glorified and The Exalted) took his blessed soul.

Sidi Muhammad El Habib (may ALLAH be pleased with him) died in 'Ain Madhi at the age of 54, in 1853, exactly the first Saturday of the month of Jumada Thani in 1269 of Hegira. He is buried, according to his recommendations, in the same grave as his son, Sidi Ahmed ibn El Habachiya (may ALLAH be pleased with him) in its blessed Zawiya, may ALLAH have mercy on them.