Sidi Muhammad ibn Al-Habib
Muhammad ibn al-Habib ibn as-Siddiq al-Amghari al-Idrisi al-Hasani
(1876–1972)
He is the guide to Allah and a Sheikh of the Darqawi tariqa, Sayyidi Muhammad ibn al-Habib ibn as-Siddiq al-Amghari al-Idrisi al-Hasani.
His ancestors were based in Marrakech, and he is a descendant of a line that goes back to 'Ali and Hasan. This branch of the family emigrated to Tafilalat and settled there. His father emigrated to Fes, where he settled, and his descendants still live there.
His birth and primary education:
He was born in Fes, the cradle of knowledge and the fount of gnosis, in 1295 AH. At the proper age, he attended the Qur'anic kuttab at Qantara Abu'r-Ru'us in the Sharabiliyyin quarter, where he studied with the faqih and righteous wali, Sidi al-Hashimi as-Sanhaji, learning the basics of reading, writing, and recitation of the Noble Qur'an. He also studied with the faqih Sidi Ahmad al-Filali in the school of Qasba an-Nawwar and memorized the Qur'an under his guidance.
His secondary education and instruction:
After completing his primary education, he pursued further education and acquired knowledge from esteemed scholars. Around 1312, he studied with the renowned faqih Sidi Mahmad al-Irari at the Abu'l-Junud Mosque in Fes. There, he focused on the Ajrummiyya, the Alfiyya, as-Sullam by Bannani, and the Qualities of Muhammad by at-Tirmidhi.
He continued his studies at the Qarawiyyin Mosque, known for its widespread renown. There, he studied the Mukhtasar of Khalil with scholars such as az-Zurqani, Bannani, and al-Kharashi, under the guidance of the faqih and Shaykh of the Community, Sidi Ahmad ibn al-Jilali al-Amghari.
He also studied various texts and disciplines with other distinguished scholars. He delved into the Tuhfa with the commentary of Shaykh at-Tawudi ibn Sawda and the Collection of the Adab of the Teacher and Student by Shaykh Khalil, under the instruction of the faqih Sidi Abu Bakr ibn al-'Arabi Bannani. He studied parts of the Sahih of Imam al-Bukhari, the Hikam of Ibn 'Ata'llah, and other works with different scholars, including Sidi Ahmad ibn al-Khayyat az-Zargari, Sidi 'Abdu's'-Salam al-Huwari, Sidi Khalil al-Khalidi, and Sidi Muhammad ibn Ja'far al-Kittani.
Furthermore, he received written ijazas from Shaykh Sidi Badru'd-din ad-Dismishqi in Damascus and the Qadi of Tlemcen, Sidi Abu Shu'ayb. He also obtained oral ijazas from scholars such as Sidi Ahmad ibn al-Jilali al-Amghari and Sidi Abu Bakr ibn al-'Arabi Bannani.
His journeys:
In 1350, he embarked on a journey to perform the sacred obligation of Hajj in the holy lands. He visited Kinana, Syria, and Algeria, where he met renowned scholars and imparted his knowledge through lessons on works like the Sahih of al-Bukhari and al-Murshid al-Mu'in. He later performed another Hajj around 1360, returning to the sacred House of Allah in the Hijaz. In 1391, he set out from Meknes with the intention of performing a third Hajj but passed away before reaching his destination.
His intellectual legacy:
Sayyidi Muhammad ibn al-Habib left behind a notable intellectual legacy. He authored a diwan titled "The Desire of the Travelling Murids and the Gift of the Wayfaring Gnostics," which has been published many times in many different languages. He also wrote a commentary on the Hafidha of Shaykh Sidi Muhammad al'Arabi al-'Alawi al-Madghari, which included supplications, Quranic verses, and Shadhili hizbs. Additionally, he wrote a commentary on the Salat al-Mashishiyya.
His scholarly position: He was a scholar and faqih of great perception, well-versed in various sciences, with particular expertise in tafsir (Quranic exegesis) and tasawwuf (Sufism).
His death and burial:
Sayyidi Muhammad ibn al-Habib passed away in Blida, Algeria, on Monday, 23 Dhu'l-Qa'da, 1391 while on his way to perform Hajj. He was initially buried in the Darqawi zawiya in Blida, which he himself had inaugurated. Later, his remains were transferred to Meknes, where he was reburied in his zawiya in Darb al-Pasha, near the Zaytuna mosque.
May Allah forgive his sins, conceal his faults, and grant him an honorable and beautiful abode in the highest ranks of Paradise, alongside the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous. Amen.