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

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

He was born in Abi Semghoune. His mother is the honorable lady Mabruka. He embraced the Tariqa of our Master Seydina Ahmed Tijani, (may ALLAH be pleased with him), but, according to reliable information, his father did not give him permission to pass the noble wird on to others. However, Sidi Hajj Ali Tamacini (may ALLAH be pleased with him) gave him the authorization for some particular invocations.

Sidi Muhammad El Kebir (may ALLAH be pleased with him) never nominated moqaddam, and those who pretended he appointed them as such were saying groundless claims. He and his brother Sidi Muhammad El Habib As–Saghir (may ALLAH be pleased with them) are of those who survived after the death of their noble father Seydina Sheikh (may ALLAH be pleased with him). In fact, Sheikh Ahmed Tijani (may ALLAH be pleased with him) had a lot of children, daughters and sons, but most of them died in Fes. Among those children was a daughter, Sayda Fatima, who was buried in Bab El Ftouh graveyard, near the city.

Seydina Sheikh Ahmed Tijani (may ALLAH be pleased with him) spent a lot of time taking care of both Sidi Muhammad El Kebir and his brother Sidi Muhammad El Habib (may ALLAH be pleased with them), keeping an eye of agreement on them. He directly asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) the guarantee for both of them. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) revealed to Seydina Sheikh Ahmed Tijani (may ALLAH be pleased with him) that his two sons would reach the Supreme Secret and would become his heirs after his death. He personally got his two sons married and wrote himself the marriage contracts in the presence of the elite among his companions.

When Seyidina (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret) left this earthly world, the Pole Sidi Hajj 'Ali Tamacini (may ALLAH be pleased with him), with some companions from the desert, wanted to take Seyidina's children (may ALLAH be pleased with them) to 'Ain Madhi according to the recommendations that Seyidina Ahmed Tijani (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret) gave to him before his death. Indeed, Seyidina (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret) said: "Only desert is right for my boys [...]"

But Seyidina's sons (may ALLAH be pleased with them) liked Fes and they refused to follow Sidi Hajj 'Ali Tamacini (may ALLAH be pleased with him) and decided to stay in their house in Fez: Dar Miraya. Sidi Hajj 'Ali Tamacini (may ALLAH be pleased with him) couldn't force on them to go. So next, when he was going outside of the city, he ordered his companions, who were about two hundred, to stop; he raised his hands and begged ALLAH in these words: "I ask ALLAH that Sultan repossesses the remains of Seyidina (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret) so that his children grow tired and want to leave this country. Then he finished his supplication, and they took the road for 'Ain Madhi.

Subsequently, according to the destiny of ALLAH, the following incident happened: Sidi Mohammed el Kebir, the elder son of Seyidina Ahmed Tijani (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret), was riding a mule that belonged to his noble father in a street of Fes. He was seen by Moulay Ibrahim the son of Sultan Suleiman, he said to the son of Seyidina: "I want you to lend me this mule so that I could straddle and watch it, because I like it, then I'll send it back to you" Sidi Mohammed el Kebir understood his true purpose: in reality it was only a ruse to capture the mule, so he did not send it to him.

The Sultan's son got upset and sent a letter to his father, who was in Marrakech, to inform him that the children of Seyidina Ahmed Tijani (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret) wanted to leave the country. And Moulay Ibrahim asked his father about Dar Miraya they would leave consequently. The Sultan (may ALLAH be pleased with him) ordered his son to give it to a Cherif of his family and this answer came to him the day of Aid el Adha (Feast of Sacrifice). Moulay Ibrahim sent someone to say to the children of Seyidina (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret) that they should leave this house immediately, in that day, on pretext of repairs to be undertaken. But Seyidina Ahmed Tijani (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret) had predicted before his death that they would remain forever in this residence. It is reported in El Ifadat-l-Ahmediyas that he (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret) said about Dar Miraya: "Our home is perpetually hereditary." It was actually later purchased by a follower of the spiritual way and offered to his noble descendants.

Seyidina's children (may ALLAH be satisfied with them) then went with their luggage in the blessed Zawiya and this situation began to put them uncomfortable to the point that they felt cramped. In this state they was awaiting the arrival of Sidi Hajj 'Ali Tamacini (may ALLAH be pleased with him) in order to leave with him for 'Ain Madi and when he returned and wanted to leave with them, they were prevented by Seyidina's companions (may ALLAH be pleased with them) who lived in Fes and could not resolve themselves to see the only descendants of Seyidina Ahmed Tijani (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret) go. The situation seemed to be hopeless to the point that the only solution was to bring this matter to the prince of the time, Mawlana Sultan Suleyman (may ALLAH sanctify his soul in Paradise).

Before the Sultan, Fes' disciples argued saying: "Seyidina Ahmed Tijani's children were born in Fes (in fact it was only the case of Sidi Muhammed El Habib - may ALLAH be pleased with him) and it is the place where they're living, they should not leave it." Sidi Hajj 'Ali Tamacini (may ALLAH be pleased with him) said: "Their origin is 'Ain Madhi and their spiritual irrigation is not in this city, but in the desert." Alluding to the word of Seyidina Ahmed Tijani (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret) who said: "Only desert is right for my boys [...]." The verdict was in favor of Sidi Hajj 'Ali Tamacini (may ALLAH be pleased with him), but on condition that the children of Seyidina Ahmed Tijani (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret) really desire to travel. Thus, the situation calmed down and got arranged between Sidi Hajj 'Ali Tamacini (may ALLAH be pleased with him) and the followers of Fes.

During the debate, companions of Fes asked Sidi Hajj 'Ali Tamacini (may ALLAH be pleased with him): "We want you to tell us about the identity of the one of the members of this Tariqa Mohammediya whom appeared in accordance with the word of Seyidina Ahmed Tijani (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret) who said: "Some of my companions are such than if we gathered all Poles of this community, we could not weigh them before the extent of a single hair of their oceans." And he said that one of them appeared whose father and mother are from Fes, without giving his name, concealing him completely." Sidi Hajj 'Ali Tamacini (may ALLAH be pleased with him) asked them: "But what would you do with him if you see him?" They said: "We would honor him and we will comply with his orders." He asked: "Wouldn't he be just a servant of Seyidina Ahmed Tijani (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret) and his children?" They said: "Yes, indeed." So, he told them: "Then honor the children of Seyidina Ahmed Tijani (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret) and comply with their orders in priority given that it means complying with the commandments of Seyidina Ahmed Tijani (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret). But his children order you to give up your hostile opposition about their trip if you really want the pleasure of ALLAH by the satisfaction of Seyidina (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret)." At this instant, the disciples abandoned their protests for this departure.

It was in the context of this next departure that the blessed body of Seyidina (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret) was dug up quietly, just over four months after his death on Safar 21, 1231, by his children, some servants and inhabitants of the Sahara. Seyidina (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret) seemed just asleep, his body wasn't stiff as the dead bodies. Besides, he was placed in a deep wooden coffin but not long enough to extend a body, which required bending his blessed body. Just as it was installed, he was scratched by a nail and hot blood shed. This wooden box is always kept at the Great Zawiya in Fes. Then they hid the wooden chest in the Djiniyara Street (near the Zawiya) while waiting to leave for the Sahara the next day or the day after the next day. But the night during which Seyidina (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret) was dug up, he came to see in dreams fifty of his companions in Fes and told to each of them: "I'm about to travel." When they met the day after the exhumation in the blessed Zawiya and they all told the same vision, they understood that Seyidina (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret) had been removed from its tomb and they sought him out. They found him in the alley in question where he spent the night with his children.

When they replaced the blessed body of Seyidina (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret) in his grave, he gave off a scent that couldn't be described and the smell was so exhilarating, so nice that they feared that people lost consciousness. Furthermore, they found near his feet a bright and sparkling greenery as if he (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret) had just died.

Sidi Hajj 'Ali Tamacini (may ALLAH be pleased with him) could go forever with the children of Seyidina Ahmed Tijani (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret) leaving behind them the disciples in tears, brokenhearted by this separation.

Sidi Muhammad El Kebir (may ALLAH be pleased with him) had reached a high station in the knowledge of ALLAH, and the Pole Sidi Hajj Ali Tamacini was himself at his service and used to take care of his personal affairs. When he noticed the spiritual opening (fath) of Seydina's son (may ALLAH be pleased with him), and discovered his high hidden power of sipiritual management (tasrif), he felt afraid and decided to appoint some trustworthy people to take care of Sidi Muhammad El Kebir's affairs (may ALLAH be pleased with him). Among those was Sidi Rayan (may ALLAH be pleased with him).

Sidi Hajj Ali Tamacini (may ALLAH be pleased with him) moved to Tamacine and Sidi Muhammad El Kebir (may ALLAH be pleased with him) stayed with his brother Sidi Muhammad El Habib (may ALLAH be pleased with him) and their family in the house of Sidi Sheikh Ahmed Tijani (may ALLAH be pleased with him) in Ain Mahdi. Everybody respected them and they used to have a lot of visitors, both elite and common people, who were seeking to take profit from their blessings. A lot of people indeed benefited from their contact.

Truly, Sidi Muhammad El Kebir (may ALLAH be pleased with him) was the intermediary of those people's pact in this Tariqa and also the beam of light guiding them. The poor found a shelter in him, and the rich sought his protection, until he died as a martyr during the great battle which also martyrized three hundred of his companions and other close people, near the city of Mascara in Algeria (in Ghriss). Some of his enemies wanted to put discredit on him, accusing him of being only interested in snatching the power from the Turkish governor.

The only reason for which he left Ain Mahdi was that the people of Mascara and neighboring tribes calling him for help against the acts of injustice of the Turkish governor, Muhammad Bey, who imposed on them very high taxes, as he did for the people of Ain Mahdi. Sidi Muhammad El Kebir (may ALLAH be pleased with him) used to help people pay their iniquitous debts in order to protect them against the evil of the governor.

He decided to go out to fight only after hearing a call for helping the poor, while he was in a spiritual retreat. He levied an army composed of his close friends as well as of people from Abi Semghoune and the Sahara. When he got to the oppressed people, the governor (bey) sent a large army, and just when the two armies were about to clash, the oppressed people betrayed Sidi Muhammad El Kebir (may ALLAH be pleased with him) and rebelled against him, and he and his followers all died as martyrs.

Seydina Sheikh Ahmed Tijani (may ALLAH be pleased with him) once made an allusion that this would happen to his noble son. In fact, one day, while he was having a walk out of Ain Mahdi, he saw Sidi Muhammad El Kebir (may ALLAH be pleased with him) walk across his way. He surprisingly stared at him for a while, and nodded his head saying with a heart-deep sigh: "Hawari".

All felt Seydina Sheikh Ahmed Tijani's deep sadness (may ALLAH be pleased with him) at this moment and understood that Sidi Muhammad El Kebir (may ALLAH be pleased with him) would died in the same way as Saint Sidi Hawari (may ALLAH be pleased with him) who was also betrayed in a similar situation.

The corpse of Sidi Muhammad El Kebir (may ALLAH be pleased with him) has never been found, and his daughter Lalla Roqaya (may ALLAH be pleased with her) was finally buried in the place which was initially reserved for her father.