Sidi Ahmed ibn AbduRRahman Semghouni (May ALLAH be satisfied with him)
he perfect Waly (Friend of Allah), the knower endowed with majestic blessings, he is Sidi Ahmed ibn Abdurrahman Semghuni (May Allah be satisfied with him), one of the elites companions of Sayyidina Ahmed Tijani (May Allah Sanctifies his precious secret). He was clear famous for his high aspiration and honored respected by both the elites and the commoners.
It was reported that when our personage, Sidi Ahmed Ibn Abdurrahman Semghuni met with the great Khalif Sidi Hajj `Ali Tamacini (May Allah Be Pleased with them) at Bussemghum, he addressed the issue regarding the children of Sayyidina Ahmed Tijani (May Allah Sanctifies his precious secret); he even went far in saying: "I think that nobody will be able to bring them back (the children) from Fez since they have no desire to move to the desert, except by means of a divine secret." Sidi Hajj `Ali (May Allah Be Pleased with him) then responded: "I will bring them back by means of a divine secret and you will be a witness."
He then proceeded to Fez and met with the children of Sayyidina Ahmed Tijani (May Allah Sanctifies his precious secret) who were affected and worried over some issues between then and the son of the Sultan and therefore were eagerly seeking to move away. However the companions of Sayyidina Ahmed Tijani (May Allah Sanctifies his precious secret) living Fez informed him that they will never let the children of Sayyidina leave the city with him. The situation was extremely tied and deadlocked and the only way out was to take the case to the then Prince, Maulana Sultan Suleiman (May Allah Be Pleased with him).
At the Prince's court, the disciples of Fez argued that: "The children of Sayyidina Ahmed Tijani were born in Fez (in fact only Sidi Mohammed El Habib was born there) and settled in this city; therefore they should not leave there." Sayyidina Hajj `Ali (May Allah Be Pleased with him) then said: "`Ain Madhi is the place where they come from originally and their irrigation will be accomplished in the desert." Referring to the word of Sayyidina Ahmed Tijani (May Allah Sanctifies his precious secret) who said: "Desert is the only place suitable for my boys to live where they will be cleansed and established." The verdict came in favor of Sidi Hajj `Ali (May Allah Be Pleased with him) on the condition that the children of Sayyidina Ahmed Tidjani (May Allah Sanctifies his precious secret) desire to relocate. Thereafter, the case was closed and the issue straightened between the disciples and Sidi Hajj `Ali (May Allah Be Pleased with him).
In their discussions with Sidi Hajj Ali (May Allah Be Pleased with him) they asked him the following " we would like you to inform us about those members of this Tariqa Mohamediya who lived fully in accordance with the word of Sayyidina Ahmed Tijani (May Allah Sanctifies his precious secret) and of whom he had said: "There are some among my companions that, if one put all the Poles of this community together, yet their total weight cannot be compared to that of one hair of my companions' oceans." He then added that one of them already has shown up and was born from a father and a mother who are from Fez (originating in Fez) without telling his or her name. "
Then Sidi Hajj `Ali (May Allah Be Pleased with him) inquired them: "what would you do if you see him?" They answered: "we will honor him and conform ourselves to his orders." He then asked them: "He would be a servant of Sayyidina Ahmed Tijani (May Allah Sanctifies his precious secret) wouldn't he be?" and they replied: "Yes, indeed."
He said to them: "It would therefore be enough for you to honor the children of Sayyidina Ahmed Tijani (May Allah Sanctifies his precious secret) and to give priority over the observance of their commands as this implies observing commands from Sayyidina Ahmed Tijani (May Allah Sanctifies his precious secret). And his children are commanding you to give up any hostility or opposition to their relocation out of Fez if you really wish to meet Allah's Agreement through the satisfaction of Sayyidina (May Allah Sanctifies his precious secret). "
Upon hearing this, the disciples renounced to their opposition to the children's departure from Fez. Sidi Hajj `Ali (May Allah Be Pleased with him) was then able to take the children of Sayyidina Ahmed Tijani (May Allah Sanctifies his precious secret) leaving behind them the disciples in tears and their hearts consumed by the separation. The event of this departure caused great astonishment among those who thought that it could never happened.
From this event we learned two important facts:
First fact: Sayyidina Ahmed Tijani (May Allah Sanctifies his precious secret) informed us that the desert is the only place suitable for his male children to live, where they will be cleansed and flourished, and the city is suitable for his female children. According to the book El Ifadat-l-Ahmediya, the cause for this word of Sayyidina (May Allah Sanctifies his precious secret) is that someone proposed to marry his daughter to Sidi Mohammed El Habib (May Allah Be Pleased with him), and Sayyidina Ahmed Tijani (May Allah Sanctifies his precious secret) declined the offer on the excuse that his male children were bound to live in the desert, and consequently, less than a year, they did relocate there.
Second fact: Sidi Hajj 'Ali (May Allah Be Pleased with him) asserted to Sidi Ahmed ibn Abdurrahman Semghuni (May Allah Be Pleased with him) that through a divine secret he will bring back the children of Sayyidina Ahmed Tijani, and it was accomplished.
Notice: when Sidi Arbi ben Sa-ih (May Allah Be Pleased with him) was inquired about this native of Fez of whom Sayyidina Ahmed Tijani (May Allah Sanctifies his precious secret) reported about, he replied: "By this insinuation, Sayyidina did not mean the city of Fez, but he was making allusion to the Tariqa as the mother and the spirit of Sayyidina Ahmed Tijani (that Allah sanctifies his precious secret) as the father."