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Questions-Answers : Complete List (Translated into English by Mr Taoufiq GAZOULIT) |
. 1- QUESTION : I am a sister from La Rochelle in France. I would like to know if there is any Hadith which stipulates that the Fatihi and Jawharatu –Al-Kamal could be recited. In fact, it is very difficult to prove that the mentioned above is an integral part of our Islamic spiritual practices. Isn’t following the prophet our aim to love God? I have practiced for two years the order’s DIKRS, but everybody warned me of the danger I am incurring. 1- ANSWER : A genuine Hadith reported by Abu Horaira, which says that he learnt from the prophet two series of Hadiths, therefore he is authorised to disclose the first series, but not the second one, as it may cost him his life, because common people would not understand them. The commentators of such Hadith underlined that the execution of common use second specifications and ordinary concepts of the Charia and Sunna will be enough to the good believer, except those well built introspectively, and capable to transcend towards the maximum. On the other hand, Sidna Mohamed had inculcated in to his companion Hodeifa some secret teachings, the latter was not allowed to disclose. The Khalife Omar Ibn Khattab came sometimes to find out about what companion Hodeifa would have eventually got from the mouth of the Prophet, among other variant “salats” (blessings of Prophet) usually recited by believers, and the one called “salat ibrahimia” . Yet the son –in law and Khalife of the Prophet Ali Ibn Abi Talib recited another “salat”. The messenger of God qualified him as the guardian of “the science Mohamadiane city”, saying “I am the forum of the science and Ali is the means to access”. Ali recited a “salata” which includes terms of FATIHI. This “salat” is partially thus worded: “El fatihi lima oughliq wal khatimi lima sabaqa, naciri el haqq bil haqq”(referring to the works of IBn El Atir, Ibn Qoteiba, in his Mouchkil el hadith) and Ibn el Faris (letter of favors of the “salat”).in fact the companions of the Prophet often recited litanies which they have not learned from the Prophet, without any denigration of the God’s messenger. The latter have heard one day from the mouth of another companion a special prayer. He had expressly the agreement of the messenger of God- other Hadiths are cited by Tabarany and other genuine commentators. I mention, among others the Tabiyines (successors of the companions), Omar Ibn Abdel Aziz who recited prayers which are not at all part of the mohamadiane nomenclature. The list is a long one, according to Ibn Majah, in his “Sunane”, the companion Abdellah Ibn Messaoud used to recite a special salat: “O my Lord, reserve your blessinngs and your mercies to the most sublime of your messengers, the Imam of pious Sidna Mohammed”. The Imam Chafiyi, promoter of the judicial rite which takes his name, had his own prayer. This prayer is commonly recited nowadays in all Moroccan mosques: “O my god bless Sidna Mohammed as many times as the number of his community who had recited, or even omitted to recite it''.
2- QUESTION : I am a muslim who lives in Senegal, very attached to the Tijania order, i do not practice the Wadifa, but I know all its prayers, I have been told that a person who is not initiated to the Tijania order can not and should not recite it. For example I am taking the case of HIZBOU AL BAHRI, which I was told that who is not initiated to it and keeps reciting it, is exactly like somebody who is in a such delicate situation and who does not know how to swim, would you explain to me the Arcanum of the Tijania order ?
2- ANSWER : The Tijania order is an open way, and accessible to all Muslims from both sexes, provided they are pubescent, so to have access to is possible , even for those who do not accomplish some religious obligations, having said that , to be a good Tijani, you have to be a steady practising person, who makes a constant effort to remain within the norms of prophet Mohamud , which include both CHARIA and SUNA. When it comes to HIZB AL BAHRI mentioned above, is a special case, which is out of the ordinary, in fact it needs a special and particular initiation confirmed by a genuine permission, given by a great SHEIKH, otherwise , it is proven , in this case that the Sheikh Tijani himself did authorize it only to a few of his followers.
3- QUESTION : I am looking for a spiritual master in Geneva, is this necessary? What is your advice?
3- ANSWER : I do not know of any spiritual master in Geneva, as the need for a counsellor of this kind. The Sufis are unanimous about it.
4- QUESTION : I would like to know what is Salat Al Fatih made of, which is an integral part of the Tijani Wird .could you explain to me its content, using a Latin transliteration ?
4- ANSWER : ALLAHOUMMA SALLI ALA SAYDINA MOHAMMED AL FATIHI LIMA OUGHLIQ, OUA AL KHATIMI LIMA SABAQ, NASIRI AL HAQQI BIL HAQ, OUA AL HADI ILA SIRATIQ AL MOUSTAQIM, OUA ALA ALIHI HAQQA QADRIHI OUA MIQDARIHI AL ADIM. In Fatihithe the Prophet is qualified as the promoter of the opening of everything that is hidden and blocked for all previous messengers. He is also described as director of law by law, attributed to him by God, and also, he is the guide of believers to God’s path. Some have explained this opening by the first emergence of Sidna Mohammed, being the first human being emerged from the big void, even before the genesis or the creation of the world.
5- QUESTION : I would like to ask you few questions : 1- Where is exactly Sheikh Sidi Ahmed Tijani buried ? 2- Has he got children? Where do they live ? 3- How many Tijani adepts are in the world ? 4- Could you help me to find a spiritual guide in Montreal ? 5- W hen, and who gave Sheikh Tijani the confirmation of his mission? And in which town ? 5- ANSWER : 1- Sheikh Sidi Ahmed Tijani is buried in Fes, in an area called Blida, near Al Qaraouine University. 2- He had two sons: Mohammed Al Kabir, and Mohamed Al Habib, from two different mothers: Moubaraka and Mabrouka. 3- Only Mohammed Al Habib had children, whose number in Morocco only reaches a hundred, the rest are either in Ain Madi, in Algeria, or in Senegal. 4- It is quite difficult to count the number of Tijanis in the world, according to French statistic, the number of Tijanis , during the protectorate era , was over one million adepts only in Morocco, one million and half in Algeria, and eastern Sahara, and around 600.000 in Tunisia, in a recent interview with an Indonisian academic, he confirmed that the number of Tijanis in Indonisia is over Two millions adepts. 5- The great opening of Sheikh Sidi Ahmed Tijani given to him by God , thanks to the intervention of the prophet Sidna Mohammed, started at Telemcen, and was crowned, at Chellala, and at Abi samghoun in the eastern Sahara. that is where prophet Mohammed allowed Sheikh Tijani to inculcate in his WIRD MOHAMMADIAN to those who require it, without any pre-conditions, apart from submission to the precepts and concepts of Islam, the approval to recite the WIRD, and the WADIFA could be given to any believer of both sexes, provided to be pubescent, and to agree upon the terms. It was in 1196 of HEGIREs. As to the WIRD it was based only on ISTIGHFAR and SALLAT AL FATIHI. These two elements have been crowned by the reciting of HILALA, at the beginning of the Thirteenth century of HEGIRE..
6- QUESTION : After a long inner journey, I am interested in the Jewish cabal, and I ended up experimenting how the four letters of God, YHVH: leader of the formation of our bodies and thoughts, and being the link that unites us to the divine. I tried a few exchanges on the websites on the cabal, but I could not find any contacts. I am confident now that there is Muslim cabal, where the letters have a prominent place in the bond that unites man with God. I am sure also that the letters of the name of God in Arabic, ALLAH, have the same value and the same functions as YHVH. Unfortunately, I do not know how; so could you help me? These considerations are not theoretical; they are inseparable from the work I am doing. 6- ANSWER : What you are talking about for real Sufis is not only an enigma, but an inexorable forum, because it is extremely dangerous for a real esoteric. That is what some call “Al jadwal”, like Al Ghazali and others.
7- QUESTION : Dear brother, I am allowing myself to write to you with the aim to having a clear opinion about the Sharia. , in order to get an accommodation for me and my family, in view of my income,I have to get a loan with interes from a bank. This means a serious problem of conscience for me, because the loan with interest is similar or rather a Riba, it is illegal oua alyadou bi ALLAH. However, in the absence of an Islamic organization for lending to individuals according to to Sharia and Sunna of Sidna Mohamed, I have no other alternative. I wonder, if the need may allow me to do so in this particular case, knowing that the credit with interest Iam getting from the bank will not make me rich, or do I take it that by this gesture I am encouraging the exercise of Riba ? 7- ANSWER : In principle, the loan with interest is prohibited, particularly where there is loss on one hand and profit on the other. For this case, there will be a sense of despoiling, but there will be just gain for everybody, whatever the percentage of that gain. I mention a case of a believer who got a loan from a company guaranteed by a bank. There may be a profit for everybody, if the person in question could get a loan, provided he gives an amount of money on monthly basis as a rent, which allows the person who receives allowances and tenant to appropriate the place. At the end of a decade for example, if the three partners gain, then the loan is not forbidden, because as Sidna Omar Ibn Khattab says” Islam is not against the general interest, especially if we discover that in this case, there is actually a general profit .” There is another alternative, which is a loan without interest according to the sharia (Islamic law), but this alternative should be carefully analysed, in order to see that there is neither loss nor profit, or simply profit at the end of the day.
8- QUESTION : I have asked for help, I was given your address. I will allow myself to ask you a question and will try to explain to you what bothers me. Since a year and a half ago, I have been learning Hebrew, ancient Greek, and Arabic, after getting deeply involved with religion, in order to be able to read the writing in their language of revelation. I have stopped learning Arabic for the time being, because I had the intention to do two more years of Hebrew and Greek, in order to dedicate my time exclusively to Arabic as from next September. In fact, I would have learned in both Hebrew and Greek some basics which will allow me, if needed, to read and understand some verses. In the meantime, I understand that all this takes time (and that is primary in a person’s life), and that the more I advance the more I am doubtful of the utility of this learning, as I think that the Koran is enough to fill the entire life of a person, which makes studying these two languages unimportant. In fact, the question can be formulated otherwise: is the bible so important for a Muslim? Or is it surpassed by the Koran? Is the knowledge of these languages (as well as the texts) an additional asset for the Muslim development ?.
8- ANSWER : Learning the Arabic language, or at least partially, is a necessity. In Africa and Asia there are Muslims who know the Koran by heart, although they do not know Arabic. It is sufficient to learn some verses of a few lines, to recite Koran in the case of prayer. As to learning Hebrew, for one reason or another, the prophet has authorised his companion Zeid to be in command of it, in order to become his interpreter. As to the lecture of the bible by a Muslim, the Kalife Omar Ibn Al, Khattab made the prophet angry, when he told him that he spent two weeks reading the bible. Islam encourages the faithful not to be distracted, by dispersing their efforts in several areas, for the messenger of Allah the Koran being, according to the koranic text a reminder of the other revealed books. The Muslim believer should be concentrating only on the Koran.
9- QUESTION : I find your website good. I have something to ask you: I would like to know everything about child adoption in Islam. Is it allowed ? Under what circumstances ?
9- ANSWER : In principle, the adoption of a child in Islam is not recommended. Each child must be attributed to his father or his mother (if the father is unknown). The Koran insists on the accuracy of any attribution to the legitimate father. The adopted child is not entitled to inherit, except the third if he is left. This has nothing to do with any kind of adopting an orphan child in need, whose father or mother unknown. This act is recognized as a simple act of charity.
10- QUESTION : I would like to have some knowledge of the El Qadiria order. 10- ANSWER : The Qadiria order is the path established by the great Sufi Sidi Abdelkade JILANI whose grave is in Iraq. He is a big Sheikh considered by the eminent scholar IBN TAYMIA, being the most prominent in the category of Sheikhs in Islam. Most of the marabout orders refer to this sunnit sect because of its source and the high dignity of its promotor. Not one of the Fatwas of IBN TAYMIA, among those of around 30 works in this particular case does not counter the caracteristics and the aunthenticity of this Sheikh, considered by the promoter of the Tijania order as one of the most eminent poles of Islam.
11- QUESTION : What is the degree of responsibility of “those who know“: such as masters, marabouts, imams before God with regards to those who consider themselves as learners in comparison with those scholars ?
11- ANSWER : The degree of responsibility of the imams Sheikhs or others vis-à-vis their mourides or just simple believers is to show them the Sunni truth, to recommend to them the fulfilment of the religious acts and their detachement of everything forbidden by God. These recommendations or apprehensions are the basic of their duties. If the person in question answers this appeal, the Imam can resume his directives every time he feels the need to do so. But if the interested seems not to be careful, a new warning turns out to be necessary. Otherwise, he has to abandon him. All this should be done according to an authentic Hadith which clarifies that if a believer follows only his passion and pleasures; then Imams, Sheikhs, and others are entitled not to get involved in his business.
12- QUESTION : I live in a country where many atrocities are committed on dogs, with justifications which seem to be doubtful: don’t we have to respect all of God’s creatures ?
12- ANSWER : The protection of animals is mandatory for every Muslim or other believer. The life within the Islamic community constitutes a paradisiacal forum for animals. Islam considers them as beings that must live in entire safety on every single level. An authentic Hadith reported by Al Boukhari in this respect says: “a non believer saw his sins forgiven by God, for a small gesture, he was able to help a dog, panting with thirst, trying to quench his thirst. God opens the way to paradise for him”. On the other hand, the grand Imam al Ghazali was seen in a deam after his death “as it was mentioned”, he recognized that his sins were forgiven only because he let a fly quench its thirst in the ink of his feather.
13- QUESTION : What do you mean by the tradition of Medina ?
13- ANSWER : I meant by the hadith of Medina, the tradition of the last days of the life of Sidna MOHAMED spent in Medina. His daily practises amounted or overruled the other previous hadiths. It is there the main reference on which the Imam Malik establishes his rite and which he calls the “tradition of Medina”. Indeed, the number of companions of the Prophet that he left before his death did not exceed 140000 companions, most of them scattered around Medina or further up. The Hadiths which they could report in this particular case could not have the same authenticity as those practical traditions of Medina.
14- QUESTION : Can we be a Tijani and follow the Malekite rites ?
14- ANSWER : The Sheikh Tijani belonged to the Malekite Rites. The Imam Malik considered that the hadith (the prophetic authentic tradition) is his real rite. That is why any valid rite is a function of hadith to which he refers. The Imam Malik adds to materialize his “madhab” the consensus of Oulemas for lack of hadith.
15- QUESTION : I would like to begin to study Ibn Arabi’s work “Sheikh al akbar”, but after several attempts of direct reading of the work, I had to give up because of the complexity and the difficulty of the ideas which are developed. Would you be kind enough and indicate to me a book in French which can introduce me to his work? ADDAS Claude’s book called “Ibn Arabi, ou la quête du souffre rouge” Paris: Gallimard 1989. Would it suit me? I would like to thank you for your help and attention. 15- ANSWER : In addition to the work which you quote, you can consult the work of Henry Corbin entitled “the creative imagination at Ibn Arabi”. It is a work of Shiite tint but very deep. It could balance itself with Claude Addas’s work. I had the pleasure to have read both.
16- QUESTION : Could you tell me accurately a technique of Dikr that I can follow ? I sometimes practise it but I do not know exactly how nor which form to use ...?
16- ANSWER : The best Dikr is the recitation of the Koran, especially three surats: “the Fatiha” which amounts according to a hadith to the whole Koran. Two other suras of which one is called “sura of fate” and which amounts the middle of the Koran. The third sura is called “sincerity” and is the equivalent of a third the Koran. Among other known Dikrs, the “Hilala” (La ilaha illa Allah) and the similar prayers such as “salat ala nabbi” (blessing of the Prophet).
17- QUESTION : Iam interested by the book of Sheikh Umar Futiyu Tall "Rimah". Are you aware of any translation of the book ? Thank you for your patience, and congratulations for your site.
17- ANSWER : Concerning the book “ RIMAH”, so far there is no translation, but it seems to me to have heard that a number of Senegalese people have showed interest, and willingness in translating some extracts of the book.
18- QUESTION : I would like to know if there is any translation in French or in English concerning the main book of Sheikh available, and how can I get hold of a copy ?
18- ANSWER : Concerning the translation of the Sheikh’s book , I would like to point out that a number of Tijanis have agreed to translate “JAWAHIR AL MAANI” (pearls of ideas), but nothing was done so far in this respect. Having said that, I have been told by an Italian Tijani Moqaddem that he is in the process of translating Jawahir into Italian language. What I have done myself is the elaboration of the main elements of the order which were inserted, in the 7 quests of the order, introduction of the BOUGHYA of SIDI Larbi Benssayeh, which I have personally translated, and was published under the title “Sufism afro-maghrebin during the 19th and 20th centuries» in addition to my book about the order untitled “LA TIJANIA”: spiritual and social way”.
19- QUESTION : Does a woman have to wear socks in order to cover the whole foot during the prayer ?
19- ANSWER : A woman does not have to wear any socks whilst doing her prayer but it is mandatory to wear long clothing during the prayer. In principal, parts of the woman’s body to be exposed are the face and both hands.
20- QUESTION : Can I go to the cemetery to visit my brother’s grave in Algeria ?
20- ANSWER : The visit to the cemetery was prohibited at the beginning of Islam. The Prophet SIDNA MOHAMED was very tough particularly with his own daughter FATIMA-ZOHRA who had announced to him to have gone to a friend to present her condolences. Furious, the messenger of Allah had told her that hell awaits for whoever goes to the cemetery. A verse of Koran had referred to this ban but the Prophet had in later stages to inform believers that the ban was abolished. The cemetery is opened to all believers today because there is no heathen eventuality anymore for which the prohibition was proclaimed.
21- QUESTION : Have I the right within the framework of the purchase of a house to get a loan with very weak interest as my employer proposed to me (this interest is equivalent to the inflation which is approximately 1%) or is it totally illicit ? 21- ANSWER : If the interests amounts even to 3%, then the prohibition is eliminated because this rate represents only the overhead expenses of the bank in addition to an eventual inflation.
22- QUESTION : I am in search of the structure of reading the holy Koran within 3 days (I believe that is called Hizb). I cannot manage to find it. Would you be kind enough to inform me about the subject? Thank you for your attention. 22- ANSWER : I advise you the translation and notes of “AL QURAN AL KARIM” by the doctor Salaheddine Kechrid, Dal El Gharb El Islami, Habib El Lamsi publishing house, Beirut PB 113/5787000.
23- QUESTION : Members of my entourage ask me if the fact of going to consult a hypnotizer with the aim of quitting smoking cigarettes is licit or not ?
23- ANSWER : To reach such a goal, the believer has to refer only to his will of attachment to God, by making sure of the legitimacy of the fact. Here, it is rather a matter of spiritual education which has a vital effect to the exclusive attachment to Allah.
24- QUESTION : A Tijani adept, who is possessed by a devil , has he got the right to consult a person who is able to help to get rid of devils (DJINN), taking into account that the person I am talking about, is not a Tijani adept, and he calls other non Tijani saints, in order to find a cure ?
25- QUESTION : Could you tell me where to obtain the source of information on SIDI LARBI BENSSAYAH, his life, his route, his place in the court of the sheikh Tijani, and the time he lived…? I have had for a long time a very strong spiritual relationship with this boss of the Zaouia of Rabat, which I regularly visit on my way to Fes. I would like to know more about him. I read on your website what you have said about him. 25- ANSWER : I was enchanted with your links of attraction to this grand Calif SIDI LARBI BENSSAYAH about whom the Sheikh Tijani would have said:” before visiting me in Fes, go first to the SIDI LARBI MESSAYAH’s zaouia in Rabat.” Here there is an authorization of the Sheikh. As for the information about his CV, they are unfortunately scattered in numerous books of the order, particularly “Kachf Al Hijab” of SIDI AHMED SKIREJ. Nevertheless, an unpublished manuscript of the big Moqaddem Lahjouji contains almost 500 pages on the spiritual and cultural life of this grand Caliph. By reading his “Boughia”, you can foresee between lines the interesting elements of his exemplary and ideal behaviour, which has to reflect the spiritual life of every Tijani Mouride. I incite you to read notably the seven requests which echo these strong signs of a real mouride to reach the highlight of the approaches towards “Hadrat al Qods” (the plenary session of the presences). I underline here that I have already translated 7 requests through a commented adaptation in my work “the afro Sufism from the Maghreb in 19th and 20th centuries”.
26- QUESTION : What does Islam say about music and dance ?
26- ANSWER : In my work in Arabic entitled “encyclopaedia of the Islamic Sufism between the West and the occident” published in 3 volumes, I have reserved a substantial study on music and dance, such as they are conceived and often legitimized by the Sheikh Tijani, when they are loosened of any eccentric elements, from which I quoted some specimens.
27- QUESTION : I would be grateful if you could give me some information and advice about bulimia and anorexia and especially from our religion’s point of view. I have suffered from this disease for 23 years. I tried all the methods that exist but without results. After all these long years, I realised that the solution lies in my religion and its philosophy, but I need someone to guide me.
27- ANSWER : It is of good omen that you can recover from it, in the last resort, it is the will of Allah. Even some among the big Christian Western spirits, eventually they confide after all in God, as a healer. Alexis Carrel, died in the 40’s, holder of the Nobel prize in medicine and author of “The man, this stranger”, had opted after tens of decades for this happy divine approach. In a most recent work on the prayer, he motivated some of his options by underlining that when the classic therapy failed; the invocation of Allah turns out operational. Your attachment to Allah must be firm, emanating from a true believer, a practising person and assiduous, whose conscious must be eminently stimulated by love and by helpfulness for humanity, as was specified by the authentic comments of the Prophet: “Creatures (humans or animals) are provided and maintained by Allah, those who do favours to them are the most loved by God” (Hadith).
28- QUESTION : I have been given a piece of black material of the Kaaba. What use could I make of it? What are the properties of this material ?
29- QUESTION: At 35 years of age, I am not married yet. Is there any invocation or particular prayer to remedy it ? 29- REPONSE: It is enough to address to Allah without insisting on the possibility of marriage by leaving the option of the place and the time for him to choose. The Prophet in the similar cases recovered fundamentally in God’s will by inciting the believer to become attached to fasting.
30- QUESTION : I wish to know the position of Islam concerning being affiliated to the insurance at work, is it prohibited or not ?
30- ANSWER : When insurance is compulsory in an administration, then it is apparently licit. But, when there is a possibility of avoiding it, sometimes even within certain administrations, in my opinion, the insurant has to refuse it.
31- QUESTION : I need your lighting about the Friday HADARAT, most of Tijanis from Senegal, seem to neglect it, they often satisfied with a small number of “HILALA”, instead of 1200, 1600, or more…they seem to maintain that when tijanis are gathered in a group, any number of HILALA is enough: 200,300,500. Does reciting HILALA in a group require a thousand or more ? What is the view of the order books in this respect, and particularly the Boughia ?
31- ANSWER : According to the Boughia, the minimum of HILALA should exceed 1000, and should be done during the last hour of Friday, until sunset. Some KHALIFES such as NADIFI recommended 300 times of HILALA. The reciting of HILALA in a group requires at least on thousand times of it. NADIFI used to greet adepts who live in the suburb of Marrakech, in order to recite HILALA with him, but the 300 times of Hilala was not enough. One case which is plausible: if a mouride joined the group, which has already stated the Hilala; then for him reciting the rest is enough, 200 or 300 instead of 1000 times.
32- QUESTION: I am almost four weeks pregnant. I have a daughter of 2 years and one month, two twins of six months and what can call accidental happened to me. I had my boys by caesarean, followed by various complications. My pregnancy was extremely painful and very hard to stand (from the 3rd month, remaining upright was unbearable for me), without forgetting that my daughter, who was still very small, was constantly demanding me (which is normal). Psychologically, feeling incapable of taking care of her during this pregnancy was frustrating. Now I am convinced that a big gap is needed between each birth for 2 reasons: to take good care of the children and most importantly (and this, no man could ever understand), to recover from the pregnancy and the birth. We can give as an example, our mothers who spent most of their lives giving birth, being mothers without being women, which must have pleased many, but they might not be a majority. Ma mother had 8 children and asked me not follow her example because her health suffered from it. She regrets not having spaced out her pregnancies and as she said, at the time, nobody had told her to take care of herself and her health. I am in the following situation: I am exhausted by the pregnancy of my boys, physically, I haven’t got anything back (I’ll let you imagine the distension of the skin of a stomach which carries twins). How to take care of my baby and my daughter with a fourth or maybe a fifth child, because this birth could bring twins? Anyway, I don’t feel able, and in fact, I don’t accept this pregnancy. I feel sick because frankly, I don’t want the child and I don’t want to take this as a fatality. I want kids as long as health allows me to, but I have neither the physical force, nor the psychological one to go through a third pregnancy in less than 6 months after my caesarean. I would like to know the point of view of Islam on the subject, because “Qardaoui” had spoken about it saying that we were authorized until a certain date.
32- ANSWER: I am aware of the delicacy of your case. In such a situation, the pregnant mother earths up on a double physical and psychological problem. Many pregnant women believe they can resolve this problem by abortion, which may be normal, if we refer to the preventive therapeutic requirements against some risks to which women are vulnerable, who neglect the spacing of the pregnancies, which is the only way to normalize similar cases. The Prophet himself recommended such spacing against what took place in his lifetime at the Persians and the Byzantines. The fact that this abnormal situation took place at the neighbours of the Arabia, the messenger of Allah did not believe to have to insist. To counter this bad habit, abortion seems to be the only solution. Having said that, it is known that some Islamic countries opt for a limited date where abortion is legitimized. This date is spread out between the first day and the 40th day of the conception. Indeed, in a hadith reported by Tabarany and Bazzar, this period would not overtake the first week. You have thus any latitude to follow what takes place in these muslim countries. But my own opinion consists in strictly following the last hadith. In your case, it is impossible to have a miscarriage, otherwise the out of date the abortion would be killing the foetus, except in the case of a major therapeutic strength.
33- QUESTION : At first, I would like to thank you for your efforts, diligence and kindness, with which you answer my emails. I had a dream this weekend and I wondered if you could interpret it for me. I dreamt that a sticky and thick liquid went out of my nostrils and formed a long rope, very long. At a certain time, the rope transformed into 2 snakes, one small and the other big. They were green then they disappeared in my flat. So, we started to look for them and we saw the small snake going out of the flat, passing by the bottom of the main entrance door… and someone told me that the other snake had died.
34- QUESTION : I would be grateful if you could clear up the following points for me: I have read that SIDI AHMED TIJANI reported in his book “Jawahir al Maani” two hadiths:-“when the prophet, (peace and blessing on him and his family) went one day to Fatima’s, whereas Ali was sleeping in the room and Al Hassan and Al Hussein were playing next to her: “In fact, you, these two and the sleeper, will be with me in thev same level in paradise, but this isn’t true for others even among prophets and envoy”; On the other hand, the prophet said in one of his hadith: “we were, me, Ali and two lights before God and then he left us in the loin of Adam and kept moving us from loin to loin until we reached our grandfather Abd al-Mouttalib. Then I moved to the loin of Abd Allah and he moved to those of Abutalib. Then, our light reunited in Al Hassan and Al Hussein: they are in fact two lights of the light of the Lord of the Worlds”. 1- Are these two hadiths reported in Al Jawahir al Maani ? ; 2- What are their degrees of authenticity ? ; 3- How can we interpret these hadiths knowing that a saint will never reach the level of a prophet ? 34-ANSWER : In general, a hadith is authenticated in accordance with the authenticity of the Sanad (chain of transmission). Or a million hadiths, according to Imam Ahmed Bin Hambal, was already in vogue in his time, i.e. the second century of hegira. Only a maximum of 10000 hadiths were authenticated and that is why the hadith reported by Boukhari and Mouslim in there “Stories of Sahih” does not exceed 5000. For Imam Malik in his “Mouatta”, he has chosen from among the 10000 hadith just 700 which constitute the current wording of “Mouatta”. Where does this profusion of apocryphal hadith come from? The origin of this euphoria is the Israelit extract from a falsified Bible and words so called prophetic, fabricated by theological organizations and their promoters. The Shiites who are enthusiastic supporters of Ali did not fail to participate, where hundreds of hadiths concerning Sidna Ali. Some of them may be authenticated without any reference to any Sanad. The lack of chain of transmission may be motivated not by none authenticity but by other motives more or less plausible. That is why we can come across some of these hadiths in Sufi books such as “Jawahir al maani” and the “Boughia” of Sidi Larbi Bessayah. Given the credibility of the authors of these books, they cannot be put off especially since the sublime position of Sidna Ali. The content of the hadith cited in your questions are surely among the hadiths unsupported by the sanad, but that could be authenticated. A hadith was reported on Sidna Ali about which the prophet said: “I am the city of science and Ali is the Guardian”. In other hadiths, the prophet advocated that Sidna Ali is considered as his brother, that Lalla Fatima is the most sublime lady and that her two sons Hassan and Hussein are the Lords of paradisiacal youth. For that, to compare the prophet and messenger of Allah, a core principle in Islam asserted the fact to qualify a person, who is not a prophet, of an attribute apparently higher than those of the prophet does not imply the supremacy of this person. Here, it is only a matter of prerogative which does not involve any prominence.
35- QUESTION : We are interested in qassayd el madih. We would appreciate your help on our approach, if you can. We are brothers of the naqshbandi order. This approach is personal. We have visited your website about the tijani order.
36- QUESTION : Could you tell me if sects which diverted and of which the prophet had talked about beforeHis death does concern theTijania order. Otherwise, can we quote them today ? 36- ANSWER : Before the tijania order is a spiritual path, known since the 19th century. This type of track was not known during the prophet’s era. The only sects diverted you mentioned appeared several decades or centuries ago after the death of the prophet. They are well known as the shittes, qadarites, kharijites etc....
37- QUESTION : Are we required to be seated in a cross-legged position or in a position of prayer to practise the WIRD because I often have problems with my legs ?
37- ANSWER : You can do your dikr without having to cross your legs or taking the position of prayer. This eventuality was reported in the Koran which legitimates plausible positions at all levels.
38- QUESTION : Is it forbidden to wear a “talisman”, which mentions the names of God or a portion of the Koran for protection purposes ? 38-ANSWER : Wearing a “talisman” which mentions names of God or Koranic verses is quite legitimate, because what was prohibited by the prophet is carrying “tamima”, which doesn’t include the name of God but “jadaouils or figures''.
39- QUESTION : I would love to consult a bibliography about the Tijani order in French. 39- ANSWER : My book “the Tijania: spiritual and social way” is inserted in my site, you can always consult it.
40- QUESTION : I am a brother from Africa. I would like to know the meaning of “Hizb Alsayfi” in French ? 40- ANSWER : The Hizb has 2 meanings: the party (partisan group), or prayer (dikr). Its significance in this case is “prayer of the sword” meaning “sharp prayer”, otherwise efficient or lightning dikr. This hizb was elaborated by the great andalusian Sufi Ibn Arabi. It is a prayer with a dozen pages. Its recitation can be replaced according to the grand sheikh Sidi Ahmed Tijani by reading “sura alqadr” (sura of destiny) 41 times.
41- QUESTION : I allow myself to write to you being a friend of Mr x whom I have known for many years. My friend has offered me your book “the rational of the sacred”. It was a delight for me to share your erudition to the Koran. I was born in Rabat in 1931. Morocco is my homeland and I often visit. The Moroccan and Islamic culture fascinates me and your book so deep, opened up new horizons of knowledge for me. I wanted to express my gratitude to you. These days are full of conflicts leading me to believe that men are wrong. Your book has a point to open the eyes of those who want to understand the prophet’s message concerning the Koranic revelation. In his sublime message, the Koran is open to all men. It closes revelations, as reportedly said professor Gradua who himself converted to Islam in his philosophical testament. I can only thank you Mr Professor for your teaching that goes straight to the heart. 41- ANSWER : I was very touched by the words deeply sincere that went right to heart. As to your confidence and faith to Islam which seals our intimate friendship, thank you for your brotherly tribute. I would like to express my desire to see you soon in Morocco for a direct discussion during a possible passage.
42- QUESTION : A friend from Rabat just sent me your book “the rational sacred”. I have not yet started reading because it requires a great amount of attention and research for each paragraph. I would like to ask you how to reconcile between the share of the inheritance which goes to a Muslim woman and her new condition being an economic agent, source of income, and participating in the management of domestic affairs. As long as a Muslim woman was taken care of from the day of her birth by her parents and husband, and in case of divorce or widow-hood, again she’s taken care of by various members of her family, it was then conceivable that she is only allowed a half share of the inheritance. But today, a Muslim woman is a source of income and participates in domestic costs. Are we allowed to deprive her from the fruits of her labour while her financial participation can sometimes exceed that of her spouse? What is your opinion on this subject? I have to say that I received with great pleasure your book.
42- ANSWER : Women have always taken part in the management of a household without making use of their own money. In fact, collaboration is doubly justified by her right to exclusively keep her possessions and to inherit just half of her male partner. In modern times, nothing prevents a voluntary compromise between spouses taking into account unprecedented household expenses required. Women have also become an active agent with income from her personal activity. This fact implies the possibility of a double destiny: either to keep what she owns in the double case of inheritance or personal gainful activities, or to agree among themselves on a new Vivendi allowing real equality in accordance with the spirit of the sharia, without being forced to disobey the Islamic law.
43- QUESTION : I would like to thank you for answering me. I am a Muslim who lives within a western society who defends “tooth and nail” her religion. Without any critical spirit, I would like to discuss with you the following: a well born woman would not let her husband struggle in economic difficulties and will participate financially to help. Having said that, take the case of a couple married for a decade, aged between 30 and 35 years old and both are paying a loan for a house and a car. The husband suddenly died, as this could happen in the case of an infarction or a tragic outcome of a cancer. They are still young and did not think that death could get rid of one of them. What will happen to the woman? She will receive the 8th that she would get without having brought anything to the household, instead of half that will belong to her from her work and no longer the 8th. Which modus Vivendi does not “transgress Islamic law” and will allow real equality? It is a problem that should be solved for the sake of the great respect of our religion. Men (as human beings) are not wise! Among them, there are those who simply confiscate the salary of their wives. Here, there is an inconsistency, which is not in harmony with our religion. As God preserves women as he wishes, I am sure that in your wisdom you have a solution to this problem. Accept my profound respect.
43- ANSWER : In response to your various motivations included in your question, Islamic law is out of this problem. This should have been prevented for such a couple by strengthening this modest Vivendi with a normal contract between the couple so each one of them maintains his right. Outside of the legal heritage, whatever the contribution rate of the woman who would then be legally kept away from the part of the widow’s inheritance.
44- QUESTION: I have received your answer and would like to thank you. The situation of Muslim women is a whole. “The modus Vivendi” governed by a contract is easier said than done. Will it have a legal value and will it be affective against the opposing party? Of what elements would it be formed? In what proportion of participation? You say “not to transgress the sharia” and further more you say “sharia has nothing to do with this” so you leave me puzzled. I have another point to submit which would rather be a request for information: it is a text in Arabic translated by my pupils at lycée Louis-le-Grand Paris (maths-sup, maths-spé). There was a talk of a man who married four women, to the astonishment of the interlocutor, he said: “kama chaa allah”. I was carried forward to sura “annissa” to evaluate the context. It is written “oua in khiftoum alla touqssitou fi lyatal, fankihou ma taba lakoum min annissa, matna oua roubaa oua…” However, this condition is ignored by those who brandish their right to four women. To marry 2, 3 or 4 women is conditioned by the existence of orphans, to whom we fear to be injust, if we had to take care of them. The “oua ine khiftoum alla taadilou, fa ouahida et le ‘oua lane taadilou baina nnissai oua laou harastoum” are only complements. The justification of 2, 3 or 4 wives is conditioned by the burden of orphans for whom an injustice treatment is to be feared. I am not an expert in matters of religion, far from it. I refer to the texts only. No orphans in charge, no 2, 3 or four wives. How could you clear up this particular matter for me? Thank you for answering as early as possible, as you usually do so well.
44- ANSWER: In response to your question, I would like to emphasize that you must always take into consideration the whole answers i.e. their context and add nothing to avoid any misunderstanding of the text. Regarding other requests for information “qama chaa allah”, being true, has nothing to do with responsibility, especially since marriage with four women is not conditioned by the existence of orphans as you mentioned but by the obligation of fairness and equality between co-wives, except for one point: the degree of love which is considered beyond the reach of anyone as had been reported by the prophet himself. When it comes to the fact that the prophet married 11 women “9 of them at the same time”, we have to understand the tribal situation then. The prophet was forced to accept offers made by some tribes in order to understand the perplexing situation of the prophet who had to answer positively. But when the prophet was 55, he married Khadija aged 40 and remained with her all his life, except the last 9 years where the death of Khadija resulted in his marriage to an older woman. Under the impact of tribal requirements, he had to submit by taking widows who were offered to him with the exception of Aisha who was a virgin. I had to analyse all these points before an audience of men and women in Europe at a conference which took place under the theme: the status of the embryo, which you can find in the section “articles” on my website.
45- QUESTION: I have received your answers and thank you for the details given to me about the marriages of the prophet. As to the latter, my Israeli doctor told me during a medical check-up that the prophet married 11 women (information coming from Maxim Rodinson?) to whom I replied “King Solomon married 260 women”. I was not sure of the number! He agreed with me and added: “there is worse. King David sent to the front husbands of women that he liked”. The prophet was therefore in an honourable position! I did not think the prophet who in my view did not marry as many times as he should have done, taking into account alliances he needed in order to accomplish his mission. No, my interest is the application of the text to Muslims. I return to my “oua ine khiftoum alla touqsitou filyatama, fankihou ma taba lakoum…” The “fankihou ma taba…” is the answer of the condition “oua ine khiftoum….”.you cannot extract a fragment of text from its context. “Marry 1, 2…” When? “If you are afraid of not being fair to orphans.” We are at the beginning of the prophet’s mission. Wars, deaths, the number of orphans having lost their fathers is large. The prophet couldn’t let them down. They are Muslim’s sons, they have to be rescued but married women having their own children are reluctant to extra work. The Muslim may then take 2, 3… women in order to take care of orphans, according to their number. So, no orphans, no permission to take several women. If we do not take into account the “oua ine khiftoum…” in my opinion, we distort the meaning of the text. Otherwise, I would like you to explain to me the reason of this verse as a condition of the “fankihou ma taba lakoum…”. It was therefore in this context of the orphan’s existence during the prophet’s conquest mission with his companions that the permission to marry several women to look after these orphans was taken. Would you explain to me your interpretation of the “oua ine khiftoum alla touqsitou filyatama…” followed by “fankihou ma taba lakoum…?” I would be happy to know it.
45- ANSWERS: You have raised many questions that remain unclear or disputed since raised only in the content of Jewish interpretations. I already had the opportunity to analyse some in my book “the rational sacred” to demonstrate the immunity of all prophets, including Jewish messengers to whom you refer. As for the integration of the orphan element to justify polygamy, it rarely occurred to the companions of the prophet, who was the only one obliged to take into account a certain number of orphans and marry their mothers.
46- QUESTION: I only quote what 2 Jews have said and I have refuted their statements. I do not refer to them at all. I am talking about the sacred text which is the foundation of our religion and asking you about the relation of the verse in the context that contains it. The existence of orphans to justify a possible polygamy. You have not answered this point “ine khiftoum….fankihou ma taba lakoum minannissa”. This verse is here, it has got a meaning, what is it?
46- ANSWER: The verse that includes a possible liaison with girl orphans who are not sisters refer in principle to a problem doubly linked to faith, orphan children whose soul guardian may wish to take these orphans as co-wives during his mandate of a tutor and not because of polygamy of 2, 3 or 4 which remains legitimate. But, to enjoy his status as mandated to assume certain rights which he could not take advantage of. Being only a guardian and not spouse at the same time, in this case, if he fears being unfair, he may find a wife outside that context. This Koranic case is definitely specific. Another case that does not interest us is that of a minor male.
47- QUESTION : I have received your response on this matter and thank you. But I told myself, baring in mind that the Koran is a model of eloquence and thoroughness in vocabulary and grammar, which refers to in all circumstances, that the word “yatimate” which would designate the orphans who could get married. “Yatama” refers either to male orphans or orphans from both sexes, but not always only orphans.
47- ANSWER : The modest Vivendi, governed by a contract in good and due form, should not be the source of any legal problems. I made it clear that sharia is not likely to be infringed. It is the meaning that you have to retain of “sharia has nothing to do in here” and it is not subject to perplexity. As to the verse “oua ine khiftoum alla touqsitou filyatama, fankihou ma taaba lakoum…” I quote word for word the hadith of sayidatouna Aicha, in order to clarify the context of my first answer. The hadith of”SAYIDATUNA AICHA” :
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Thus, the Koran put an end to this kind of abuse against orphans. When it comes to your remark on “al yatama” and “yatimate”, I draw your attention to the fact that the risk of ambiguity is lifted from the verse 127 of the same sura “an-niçâ” which abounds in the same direction : “wa yastaftounaka fî an-niçâi qoli allahou youftîkoum fîhinna wa mâ youtlâ alaykoum fî al kitâbi fî yatâmâ an-niçâi al-lâtî lâ toutounahounna mâ koutiba lahounna wa targhabouna an tanki houhounna…”. It is indeed a matter of “yatama an-niçâi” female orphans.
In response to your various motivations included in your question, the Islamic law is out of this problem. What should have happened for such a couple is to strengthen this modest Vivendi with a normal contract between the 2 spouses so everybody keeps their rights outside the legal heritage, whatever the contribution rate of the women who would then be legally kept away from the widow’s part of the inheritance.
48- QUESTION : A friend from Rabat just sent me your article on “Al Quds: Capital Martyrdom” in which you claim the presence of Palestinians on the land of Palestine for 2000 years. Does this existence go back to an earlier date, the 10th century before Christ at the time of Saul and of David? Are they not the Philistines, former people who established themselves between Syria, the Mediterranean and Joppe (this region corresponds to which current city?) and whose major cities were Gaza, Ascalon, Asdod, Akron and Gad. We will then prove the presence of Palestinians on their land since a long time ago, and it would destroy at the same time the fallacious arguments of the Zionists. What do you think ? 48- ANSWER : You have committed a mistake in referring to an article in my book “peace in Palestine through Al Quds” published in 1998 from the series “Mission of Islam” volume 4, leaving another article which answers your question. In fact, the first article inserted on page 35 of the book “Al Quds: Capital Martyrdom” speaks only of Jerusalem in its current state. It was preceded on page 13 by an important study called “Al Quds: Universal center of the faith”, where you can read at the end of the page the last 4 lines where I say explicitly: “Al Quds is an Arab city. It will remain forever because it was legitimately since thousands of years when Arabs of Canaan, migrating from the Arabian Peninsula, were its original founders".
49- QUESTION : What should we do if we doze during the wadifa ?
50- QUESTION : If during the dikr, at the time of hilala or the istighfar, we hear the prophet’s name pronounced (peace upon him), should we or can we say “salla allahou alayhi wa sallam” ? 50- ANSWER : If during any dikr you intend to say the name of the prophet, you are not required to pronounce the words of salvation and blessing. What happens then is similar to the state of mouride in mandatory prayer in which he must concentrate without paying attention to what is said around him.
51- QUESTION : Would you know any ZAWIYAS, Tijani adepts, or Sheikhs in France? I will be very happy to meet them, in order to rub with people I share with the love of Saint Sheikh Ahmed Tijani (RAA).
52- QUESTION : Like every informed Tijani, I start my reading of the fatiha by the bassmala whilst praying. But I would like to have more solid arguments to brandish, in case I would be questioned on the subject.
53- QUESTION : How did the Sheikh pray, with the qabd or the sadl ?
54- QUESTION : I would have loved to write this message to you in Arabic, as it would allow me to better formulate some questions that I hope you will kindly answer. Unfortunately, my computer does not allow it. Firstly, I would like to thank you and congratulate you for the extraordinary efforts you make, in order to diffuse via the internet the Encyclopaedic knowledge given to you by Allah, as well as the pure Islamic cause, as you mentioned in one of your interviews. I would like to let you know about a dream where I saw the prophet Sidna Mohammed, which caused a feeling of euphoria inside of me, which remained one or two days after the evening of the dream. This is the dream: I saw Khairan Wa Salaman in central Houston, USA (I spent some time in this town four years ago). I was with a non identified friend in this dream. We were talking about the authenticity of one hadith Sharif. I said that this hadith is authentic and my friend disagreed, which was said loudly. I noticed a radiant person whom I identified as the prophet Sidna Mohammed. So I said to my friend: “this is the prophet himself. We will ask him if this hadith is his or not.” We approached him but I could not see his face, as he was radiant. I then took his hand and kissed it with enthusiasm and a strong “HAL” took hold of my entire body. This state of mind remained until morning… I had totally forgotten to enquire on the hadith and simply asked my friend to draw the Baraka. I have to tell you that, like a big number of people of my generation, although I am a believer, I did not pray and I went back to the religion considering it as the foundation of my life philosophy at the age of 42, particularly through my reading about “Tassa Wuf”. Since this dream, the quality of my prayers has changed. I concentrate and do my prayers on time. I would like to find out how Sufis interpret dreams. When Sidna Mohammed appears, is there any link with the initiatory trip in the sense of “Soulouk” term? I ask you this because days following this dream, I was profoundly preoocupied by the thought of looking for a Sheikh Aref Bi Allah. Without him, would a person have never truly know Allah ? 54- ANSWER : When it is felt by the dreamer, the vision of the prophet in the dream cannot be a nightmare. A genuine hadith specifies that Satan cannot be part of a dream about the prophet. Another hadith underlines that a vision whilst being asleep will always be reinforced the day before. This prophetic vision is often a reminder to the believer to follow Islam properly, as you have experienced yourself.
55- QUESTION : Is there any manuscript written by Sheikh Tijani ?
56- QUESTION : Je suis en train de lire votre livre " Le Rationnel du Sacré " qu'un ami m'a ramené du Maroc. Je suis très intéressée par les trois monothéismes et le soufisme et votre livre me passionne. I am reading your book “the rational coronation” that a friend brought me back from Morocco. I am very interested in the three monotheistic religions and Sufism and your book fascinates me. I am currently working on the symbolism of the door, but I have not yet found anything related to this symbol in Islam. Could you help me or tell me where I could get information ? 56-ANSWER : It is always among the Muslim believer to refer to the sublime Door of the divine presence, where the initiated believer sees his initiated archetype stand out. This notion is reflected on the front door of Islam or the Ottoman Empire, which oversaw for a good part of the Middle Ages the entire Islamic world. This door of the Presence is the sublime access of Sufi, when it will rise higher in the hierarchy. Here in this forum, esotericism meets exoterism, meaning the somato-psychic harmoniously combines itself with a certain philosophy where the interior incorporates, with the first, a symbiosis. A conference of high-ranged technicians, amongst the great physicians, took place in Tokyo in 1966. These studies result in an extraordinary observation where the electron, located in the matter, indubitably refers to another electron, the one of the spirit. In this sublimely human symbiosis, the 2 components, considered contradictory, are only complementary to one another. Refer to my piece of work named “Islam in its sources”, chapter named “The spirituality of the matter”.
57- QUESTION : I just arrived to France; I live for the time being in AIX-EN-PROVINCE, what is the nearest ZAOUIA to my place ?
58- QUESTION : Could you tell me about other sources in French or Arabic at least concerning our dear TARIQA, in order to be more aware ?
59- QUESTION : We are looking for documents or books on Sheikh Hamallah, born in the Nioro (Senegal), deported dead in France and buried in Montluçon in 1949. 59- ANSWER : Please refer to the institute IFAN in Dakar for a list of articles and studies on the biography of this character.
60- QUESTION : What are the determined schedules for the mandatory prayers ?
61- QUESTION : I am interested in Sufism but I still have not understood the origin of this spirituality and the origin of the word. 61- ANSWER : There is no unanimity as to the origin of the word Sufism. I have kept a whole chapter on this theme in my book in Arabic “Encyclopaedia of Sufism”. We have mentioned a few possible origins, such as the “souf” (wool), which is the clothing of the soufis. We also mentioned the “Ahl Souffa” (the Prophet’s group of single companions accommodated in the big mosque of Medina).A to the notion of spirituality, it is no different in its ultra-human background of Islam itself, such as it is planned in the sounna and that has the temporal, the psychic and the spiritual.
62- QUESTION : After numerous researches, I have concluded that the scholar Sunnites have forbidden musical instruments (except the drum in certain occasions). I would like to know what the Sheikh AHMED TIJANI (RA) thought about it ?
63- QUESTION : In relation to which hadith can you say that you can use modern means of contraception ?
63- ANSWER : The concept of contraception as it is conceived today wasn’t known at the time. Its mechanism is very recent. But, there is contraception that was used by the living of the Prophet, quoted by an authentic hadith and that’s called “AZL” (breach of the coitus). This hadith means that the use of this means of contraception was in fashion and was legitimate koranically by omission. The aim is the same: to prevent any combination between the ovum and the sperm.
64- QUESTION : I would like to know the whereabouts of the passage in which IBN ARABI mentions the fact that there were 40 Adams before the Adam we know (the rational of the sacred)? Is there even an apocryphal hadith hinting it ? 64- ANSWER : This reference to IBN ARABI, concerning the question you brought up, and that I have mentioned in my book “The Rational of the Sacred”, exists of course, although I do not remember where I saw the text. This Hatimite subject can seem sort of eccentric; all the more that IBN ARABI is the only one to have asserted it. But the Koranic text itself, quoted in the same text, seems to be the start of proof. If we ascertain the term “Safaka”, it can concern an animal or a human, or be similar, abstraction of all other angelic elements or geniuses. (See our article on Darwinian thoughts).
65- QUESTION : After the recital of FATIHA loudly, some reckon that we have to say “AMIN”, loud, other say with a low voice.
66- QUESTION : Last year, during Ramadan, I was sick and I had a few days to compensate for. During my compensation, I one day watched a film that wasn’t porn, but there was an adultery scene and, unconsciously, I concentrated on the scene. I released what may have been sperm, so I broke the fast. I would like to know if I owe the "kaffara" ?
67- QUESTION : I would like for you to explain to me the meaning of the three balls we find at the peak of many minarets. Sometimes, we only see two and sometimes, none at all. These tree balls are sometimes replaced by other symbols.
68- QUESTION : I am from Senegal, and a fervent follower of the brotherhood of the Great Sheikh TIJANI, I have read with interest, your texts and contribution that you have inserted on the web. I learned a great deal from Your book “la TIJANIA : spiritual and social way”. Professor, Iam looking for two books, and I need your help. The first one is called "Jawahir Al Maani" of Sheikh TIJANI, the second "Arrimah" (lances) of Sheikh Omar El Fouti. Could you help me to get these books which are of great interest to me? Would you have the French or English version in an electronic medium? These will help me tremendously to carry on my spiritual education.
69- QUESTION : As Muslims, can we accept the divine manifestation on the human level : The man-God of Christians or the avatar of the Hindu tradition ?
70- QUESTION : I would like to know of Islam’s position on the sacred books of Hinduism. Are they recognized as such? Did the Prophet SIDNA MOHAMED know of this religion ?
71- QUESTION : I learnt about your site through Google and its datum about Sufism, in fact I am not sure about an important definition concerning the Tijania order, such as : Achchaïkh al Mourabbi, I will be very happy to read you about this theme.
72- QUESTION : Why do we spread the sheet in the middle of the circle of the wadifa, and the hilalai? And who was the first one to institute it ?
73- QUESTION : Has an Imam the right to baptize a child out of marriage according to Sharia ? (Aix-en-Provence, France).
73- ANSWER : A child born outside a marriage is considered legitimate as a natural child, who is not recognized by the Sharia. The Imam can hardly act contrary to this principle unless he has a special derogation.
74- QUESTION : Would you kindly inform me of the mystic of Salat Al Fatihi and on the initiation of the tariqa Tijania’s midshipmen on the word ?
75- QUESTION : Can the one who is born Tijani, and who has not taken the wird yet, but deliberately attends the sessions of Friday’s hadra, leave the litany before its end, if he has mandatory homework to do ?
76- QUESTION : What is the fate of the child of adultery ? Are there verses or/and hadiths in support of this ? (Aix-en-Provence, France).
77- QUESTION : What is halal meat for a Muslim ? (Aix en Provence, France).
78- QUESTION : Islam imposes on the believers during the hajj or the omra, at the Mecca, seven turns around the Kaaba. What are this process’s motivations ? (Cairo, Egypt). We can answer these three questions as followed : 1- The Kaaba is the centre of convergence of the world and the Muslim orientates towards it for every cultural process. 2-At the time of the cult, the believer is meant to proceed to a circumambulation, because Islam is an energetic religion and not static. 3-All these worship manifestations are marked with it. Every station, upright or sitting down.
79- QUESTION : What is Islam’s position concerning slavery ?
80- QUESTION : What means of contraception are advised, tolerated or prohibited by Islam (Condom, coil...) ? 80- ANSWER : The only means of condoms or contraception, at the prophet’s time, was what we called at the time the ‘azl (break of the coitus). The prophet’s companions used to practise it. But with the discovery of modern means of contraception, such as the coil or other means like certain specific pills, the same legitimacy is maintained because the means, that have the same aim as the ‘azl, are licit as long they are not followed by other immediate pathological misdeeds or delayed.
81- QUESTION : Until what time in the morning can the two Rak’a of Al-fajr ?
82- QUESTION : In which context is a marriage by contract (or for a determined period) authorized ? These days, can such a marriage be legitimate ? On which Koranic or sunite texts can their thrifier or their critics lean on ?
82- ANSWER : Marriage by contract, or as you say for a determined period of time, is called “nikah al moutaa”(marriage of pleasure). It is prohibited because it doesn’t grant to the future wife all of her rights that she has in a legitimate normal wedding.
83- QUESTION : I would like to know if, to avoid cheating on a wife, with whom we live separately (because of studies abroad and the impossibility of joining the other), the practise of masturbation is prohibited or not ? 83-ANSWER : Masturbation is a touching of the genitals, done to stimulate sexual pleasure. It is sometimes called “mental coitus”. It can result in, on the long run, a pathological state called “anaxism”, which is why the Charia prohibits it. Any erection of the penis by any incitement is prohibited, except whilst sleeping where it is tolerated, being spontaneous and unintentional. The prophet Sidna Mohammed specifies that fasting will protect him because it allows him to avoid illicit looks and to hold out from the sexual pressure that fasting controls. The American H.M. Shelton confirms this mohammadian prophetic view by underlining that “fasting helps personnal control, especially edire and passion and that explains why big priests resort to it.” The Russian Tolstoi, died in 1945, didn’t miss the relation between gluttony and incontinence, recommending fasting as the way to control strong sexual urges.
84- QUESTION : Is it permitted to watch a pornographic film with your wife to incite her to sexual relations ? 84- ANSWER : In this case, we have to dissociate two situations: the first being watching a pornographic movie which is completely prohibited, even without the presence of the spouse. Secondly, when the spouse is present, this action will have permissive effect. Even if the spouse describes to her husband certain features of a foreign woman, stirring up his sex-appeal, the fact will remain prohibited.
85- QUESTION : I would like to enter an order, but my husband will not allow me. What can I do ? How to become a disciple of the order ? Are men and women separated during the meetings ? Do you know where the sisters meet in the region of Paris ? 85- ANSWER : Before you think about integrating any spiritual path, particularly the tijani order, you must follow a personal test for some time. During this period, you can proceed with the recitation of the salat (benediction of the prophet), in order to open yourself and to feel a real willingness to integrate this forum. It is a procedure that you should follow in secret without having anybody’s authorisation. You are also asking me about the possible meetings between male and female within the framework of the order in some zaouias. Some places are separately booked for both men and women. As to the Tijani zaouias that I know better, more than a dozen of Tijani zaouias are located in the region of Paris, including that of Gennevilliers. As to the search for a spiritual guide, you will need him at the end of this test.
86- QUESTION : Our prophet Mohammed is dead, but God has compensated him with men of probity and respect. It is said that each era of our time, God entrusted 100 men “Ahl El Dine el Hanif” to safeguard the hadith and the Koran. I am Algerian, married, father of nine children and Doctor in scientific research in molecular physics. This is my question: could a suni Muslim and a descendant of the family of our great Abd-el-Kader El jilani, which my case, be holder of the supreme name “Al Ism Al Aa’Dam”? Would you be able to let me know more about this “Ism al aa’dam" ?
87- QUESTION : I would like to know if in fact someone must only do the khitba if he is ready for marriage. Has it got a limited duration or not ? If we plan in the far future to get married, can we start frequenting a young girl whilst respecting the religion’s rules ? 87- ANSWER : The khitba (instead of the khitab) is the marriage proposal in Islam. It must be done at all times and can also be immediately consumed by the marriage, if the fiancée is under-aged. Otherwise, all approvals can be consented, even after a few years before puberty, like the case of our Messenger with his spouse Aisha. Concerning the case you talk about, nothing prevents an anticipated frequentation of a future couple. This contact can be risky if the two people are not in agreement and if there is a certain secret mutuality. Islam considers a specific case where the two spouses materialize, after marriage. In this whole context, good faith from the spouses is needed.
88- QUESTION : What are the miracles attributed to Sheikh Sidi Ahmed Tijani ? Is there a work evoking them ? Quel crédit faut-il y apporter ? What did the Sheikh think about miracles (Karama) ?
89- QUESTION : Is the moqaddem in the tijani order, who gave the “award a lazima” to a disciple, regarded as his Sheikh, or can the disciple take the award from a moqaddem, and have another one as his sheikh ?
90- QUESTION : Can a man of the age to get married, without the means and with an increasing sexual appetite, resort to masturbation to avoid falling in the zina ?
90- ANSWER : The prophet one day said: “the one who has the means to get married should get married. Otherwise, he must face fasting which is a brake for him.” The secret of this order is that the fasting prevents any visions leading to arousing his sex-appeal. If the believer is already married, the question asked to the prophet; to this effect by the companion Abou Horeira aggravated him by saying: “castrate yourself if you cannot control yourself!''.
91- QUESTION : I am interested in the messianic thinking, its nature and the link establishe between the temporal and spiritual. The “exteritorialisation” involves an event to come, which constantly transforms the present to a sort of reversal of time and being. It is pretty confusing right now, the difference between a healthy messianic, which calls for the transformation of self and the spiritual journey. There is a messianic thinking, both in sohrawardi than in Ibn’Arabi and in the contemporary world at Mahmud Taha. I am therefore trying to understand what could be the guidelines of messianic thinking in Islam, especially after reading a wonderful book of a philosopher that I greatly appreciate: Levinas. He describes the messianic thinking in the Jewish religion, which is his own religion. So what are the guidelines of a thought of the messianic event in Islam? I have found an early response in your book “the rational of the sacred” in the second chapter of the same book.
92- QUESTION : I have been married for almost 15 years, and my husband does not help, particularly from the financial point of view. I asked advice from an Imam who asked me to talk to my husband about getting a divorce, but my husband refused. Then I asked the Imam if there is another alternative and he answered me to opt for justice. I would like to get a divorce, in order to put an end to this dilemma, and rebuild my life. I have there children and I am not saying that my husband is horrible, quite the contrary. Now he is much calmer than before. There was a time when he used to beat me. The problem now is that he refuses to divorce me, whether amicable or through the court. Can you guide me ?
93- QUESTION : The prophet said: “the woman is chosen as a wife for her beauty, her money, her senior strain, or her piety. Opt for the pious and you will therefore avoid all risks.” Why such an option ?
93- ANSWER : The woman is the other half of every man. She is his conscience, whereas he constitutes her outside background, like the yin and yang whose negative side is nothing but the introspective element of the common model. Both sides of the equation complement each other, while each of them retains his perennial specificity. The balance which follows is a sign of complementary, motivated by the symbiosis of “dahir” (external) and “batin” (external), stressed in a judgement of the prophet. The context in this case is the genuine feeling of affection and respect, crystallized by an intimate introspection and conscious, which is likely to persist in a pious wife. The other values of esteem can participate to ensure some consistency, if any. But they do not claim to be unquestionably safe components. But here, I can not join Baudelaire in his “Fleurs du Mal" !
94- QUESTION : Is it compulsory to wear a beard ?
95- QUESTION : Does reciting salat al-fatihi need permission from a Moqaddemm ?
96- QUESTION : Can we (as this often happens) give permission to recite certain invocations by internet ? 97- QUESTION : Where does the litany Hizb Sayfi come from? I read somewhere that it was inspired to cheikh rifa’I that God would mercy him ?.
98- QUESTION : Are they any expected translations of Muhammad al Hafidh Tijani‘s books ?
99- QUESTION : Who is the seal of the Mohammadian saintliness ?
100- QUESTION : Could the SHEIKH’s disciple, who has taken the wird, pray behind an IMAM who does not recite the basmala loudly ? Did the SHEIKH recite the basmala loudly, during the prayers of soub’h, maghreb, and al-icha ?
101- QUESTION : I need help concerning the subject of hand shaking of a non mahram woman. Some say that if it’s done without seeking pleasure, then it’s not prohibited. Others advance that it’s a sin and if not forgiven, a nail will be pushed into the head of the sinner during the last judgement day. 101-ANSWER : Touching the hand of a woman or of a very young girl is not at all prohibited. Likewise in a case where the partner is an old man, as temptation or a feeling of disturbance and its consequences are avoided. In any non-interested gesture, prohibition is mitigated. The prophet as reported by Ibn Majja in his “SOUNAN” and Ahmed Ibn Hanbal in his “MOUSNAD”, had once been seen held by the hands of young Medina girl, who had asked him to accompany her to certain areas of Medina to help run errands. The Prophet only removed his hand once all her errands were accomplished. In principal, a non interested male partner may, as a sign of courtesy, not refuse the hand of a non interested girl herself. In case of an allegiance to women, a hadith reported by Oum Attsa legitimizes the female partners touch but this case has not been admitted by Aicha, the Prophet’s spouse.
102- QUESTION : Objects of decoration such as statues are said to be totally prohibited. Likewise, some people say that even pictures are seen as such. Others say that the Prophet had forbidden them because the Mecca people adored these statues. Are they still forbidden if used to decorate a room? Would you clarify this subject ?
103- QUESTION : I have been told that the one who makes the dikr is surrounded by 70.000 angels ?
104- QUESTION : What’s the origin of "ism al jalala" ?
105- QUESTION : I have two questions to ask. 1. Koran and Sunna: this is my point of view on which I would be honoured if you’d enlighten me. It is clear that the Koran is the common reference for all Muslims. A believer strongly believes in the veracity of the Koran and of his Prophet Mohamed (SS). It is then obvious that the sayings of the Prophet (SS) are valid, a fact that is explicitly confirmed by the Koran (without going into the subject of the veracity of such and such Sahih). The validity of the Koran and sayings of the Prophet (SS) imply that they are coherent one another. However, many practices suggested by hadiths are not mentioned in the Koran without being contradictory with the latter. My point of view upon which I’d like to be enlightened is the following: The Koran is the only reference of our religion, in a perfect world where man is supported by faith, objectivity and intelligence. Hadiths of the Prophet (SS) appear to me as being a whole lot of examples illustrating and explaining the Koran, in the same way a teacher is explaining a lesson to a student who has not come to read between the lines of his book. 2. Fatalism and responsibility of the self. This is a subject that fascinates me and that appears to be confluent with many themes. It is obvious that if a man is judged by his deeds and by the content of his heart, he is responsible and his own judge. However, it is stipulated many times in our sacred book that Allah guides whom he likes. Without wanting to appear blasphemous, this sentence may easily lead to fatal behaviours, usually witnessed in our cultures. I have asked this particular question because I was myself, sometimes, surprised that in some situations I am led to fatalist explanations rather than following my own efforts. I have come to the following conclusion on which I would like to be enlightened. Man has, at anytime, not to doubt God’s guidance, act in the best of his capacities in the path of good, and finally go back to God. Even though this conclusion may seem coherent, certain inherent questions linger: 1. for men who are not in the right path, why are they not guided by God? In this case, if God decides to push them towards the bad path, it appears that we can speak of destiny since their actions directed to good would be in vain. 2. What to say to people who, facing atrocities and injustice in this world, retort. Why may God leave them to this? I apologize for the impudent character these questions seem to have but in no case do they have a blasphemous vocation. On the contrary, it is a questioning so as to better understand the objective and constructing doubt which is encouraged in our religion.
106- QUESTION : Would you clarify the term of «HIJAMA» ?
107- QUESTION : I’ve read with great interest questions and answers on your website. I looked in vain on the internet about the meaning of dalil al Khirat, which we recite in certain ceremonies. Would you clarify this for me ?
108- QUESTION : Professor, I followed with great interest your participation in the round table of Saturday 28th of December 2003 at the great mosque of Dakar. Would you clarify the following subject for me? It is forbidden to do prayers of sonna after that of Sobh as well as between the afternoon and sunset prayer. Some people say that we can do the prayer of salutation of the mosque within these hours because the latter is not of the same range as those prayers of Sounna. What is the answer exactly ?
109- QUESTION : First, I would like to thank you for the effort you make as to enlighten us. I witnessed that you often us the word “sect” in certain questions and answers (for example, Tijani sect and qadiriya sect). I’m French converted to Islam and in France the word “sect” has a negative connotation. Does it have the same meaning when you use it? I would also like to know about the presence of Tariqa naqshbandiya in Morocco and in Senegal.
110- QUESTION : Two years ago I saw the waking state the prophet Mohammed, with whom I met briefly, following this meetng. I started doing my 5 canonical prayers, therearfter; I read a book by Amadou Hmapata Ba: “life and teaching of Tierno Bpkar”. What made me discover a little sufism and particularly the Tijani order, with all its wirds and litanies, but some wirds can not be recited without the authorization of a Moqaddem, I asked God in my prayers to introduce me top the order, some time later , in the waking state, I received a formula( in arabic, while iam not an arab), with a number of different times to recite, either in a melodious recitation, or in simple words ; Finally, I had another dream where I saw the face of the person who gave region, or in Liyon, iam planing to return to the order, I need to know whether to go to Algeria, , in the mother house or fez . Should we recite the Jouhara 11 or 12 times, and what is the difference me this formula, who is nothing but Hussein IBN Ali Ibn Abu Talib (son – in –law of the prophet). I would like to know if one can talk about dreams he had to his wife or members of his family. How would I know the significance of this formula, which was given to me, knowing that such thing should not be disclosed to know the address of a Zawiya Tijania in the Paris between these two figures ?
111- QUESTION :I know that you receive a lot of emails and I hope that you will help me inch’Allah, or at least show me the right path. I am in search of information on the origin of Beni Mester, near Tlemcen, and I would point out that the information on this region (tribe) is much reduced or not available. Beni Mester is an old village which is seven centuries old, situated 10km from Tlemcen. I know that there was a village in Morocco of the same name, sometimes called Beni Mestara. Surely there should be a link between the two, but this remains to be proved. I’ve recently discovered that Ahmed Ben Gannoun’s (late grandson of Ahmed Ben Idris) sons are much known in Beni Mestara (see Al Dourar Al Bahia). A friend of mine has told me that according to Al Achmaoui, the Beni Mester is a fraction of Idrisside. I have never succeeded in confirming this information, but I am not that far. If by any chance you have information on this subject, I would be very grateful if you would communicate them to me. Besides, the Cheikh Tijani was a contemporary of the great scholar of tlemcen, the Sheikh Mohammed Ibn Abderrahman Al Yabderi. This latter died at the end of the 18th century (1780-1800). Do you know if they had met ? 111- ANSWER : In my book, “encyclopaedia Maghrebine” (T4 p274) on Beni Messara or Mestara, a tribe containing towns, one of which is Wazzan, on the mountain of the “Rayhane”. Among its localities, I have cited two: Beni Mestar and Tlemcoun. According to a study which I have intergrated into my book on the Souss, it appears that various localities or tibes have the same name in North Africa, especially Atlas (High, middle and Anti-Atlas which means Souss). As for the person named Kanoun, it may refer to Guennoun, a family of Mestara (see my book on Wazzan p57, edition Dar Dmama, Wazzan). For the last question regarding the contemporary of Cheikh Tijani, Mohamed Ibn Abderrahman El Yabderi, it does exist Ibn Yabderi of Tlemcen under the same name of El Fakhkhar by A. skirej in his book “Raf’ Anniqab” (T3 p212) citing an epistle expressing to Cheikh Tijani with ardour and vehemence his indelible intimacy and affection.
112- QUESTION : It is impossible for me to go to the Friday afternoon séance to do the hilala because of professional reasons. It is prohibited to make the 1000 “la ilaha illa Allah” at the office, so what to do in this case? Do some in silence? Knowing that in this case, it is impossible to take off shoes, sit on the ground and face the qibla. I was told that the ziyara of Moulay Driss Zerhoum in Fez in not allowed. Yet, and to my modest point of view, this great saint is not a Cheikh with a Tariqa, but he is, for sure, among “ahl al bayt”, to whom have referred all the forms of salawat of the Prophet, including the fatihi anf the jawharat el kamala: (…wa’alaa allihi...).
113- QUESTION : I’ve come to buy a piece of furniture during a public auction sale. We don’t know the seller, he was an auditor who held a customers’ assembly. I wanted to know if these sales at auctions were lawful in Islam. Are they forbidden or, on the contrary, allowed in our beautiful religion ?
114- QUESTION : At what time of the day is the dikr valid? And what kind of dikr do we have to practise ?
115- QUESTION : I am a Muslim homosexual and I am strongly attracted to the religion. Furthermore, I have the intention to follow the Tijani wird and whatever I do I cannot. I am attracted to boys and I feel lost bearing such a big secret that I cannot tell anyone. Plus, I want to die but I believe in God too much to be able to kill myself. I am suffering the martyr. I need your help to see clearly.
116- QUESTION : The cheikh who has initiated me has informed me on only two affiliation conditions : Commitment to practise the wird and the wadifa throughout my life and the prohibition to practise any other wird or litany, of other tariqas or of living or dead saints. Later, I was told that there were other conditions. I am now asking if my initiation is valid or if I have to renew it by recalling all the other conditions ?
117- QUESTION : The spiritual commitment to a Cheikh who has initiated you implies that he is the only one who has the power to guide us in the Tariqa and answer our questions. Are we allowed to address any cultivated person to ask questions on a precise point of the tariqa ?
118- QUESTION : Does the prohibition to practise other wirds or recite other litanies apply to the invocations of protection or of adoration of Allah, taught by the sounna and reported by hadiths? (Examples among hundreds: hasbiyallahou, la ilaha illa houwa, aleyhi tawakkaltou, wa houwa rabboul archil azime-7 times), the invocation of Abou Darda (Allahoumma anta rabbi… 7 times the verse of the throne etc). Or does it only apply to litanies composed of foreign people to the tariqa ?
119- QUESTION : Referring to the Koran verse 37 of sura “taweba” (penitence), it became apparent that the word “youwateo” means the indication of times, allowing the hadith, reported by Imam Ahmed abi daoud and Tirmydi on the characteristic and physiognomy of the last Imam such as : 1- bald parallel to front , 2- aquiline , 3-his name goes with mine, and his father to my father. The pure and simple astrological portrait of Prophet Mohammed: a ram of third decan, since Sidna Mohammed was born on20/04/571, the investigations on this genetic prediction, as well as other approaches, revealed the existence of the person concerned. in fact the person was just 35 years old in 2004, and even his house in Meknes is numbered 24, in addition to his hidden erudition, and being descendant of the Prophet. This person is called Reziki Khalid, what do you think ?
120- QUESTION : What is the position of Islam on the existence of extraterrestrials ?
121- QUESTION : Does Islam recognize astrology ?
122- QUESTION : I read in your site that wadifa can be granted to everybody, without authorisation, could I be allowed to recite it ?
123- QUESTION : Hizb Sayfi replaces 41 times sourate Al kadr, could I recite it, and how many times a day ?
124- QUESTION : In turkey, mussels are either prohibited by hanafites, or regarded as “makrouh” by Chafeites. We are confused. What is the truth on this point ?
125- QUESTION : I drink and I smoke, but I am very committed to my religion and I have a lot of faith. May I recite the Koran and other dikrs ?
126- QUESTION : Who is the “Kafir” ?
127- QUESTION : Is Al-Khidr still alive? And who was he? Was Moussa’s companion (Yuchah Ibn Noun buried in Istanbul) a saint? How do you qualify his relationship with Sidna Moussa ?
128- QUESTION : I have live in Turkey for three years and according to the law in this country, the rent should be increased by 30% every two years. For financial reasons, we are forced to move every two years. Is the housing credit halal in our case ?
129- QUESTION : What are the reasons for reciting the Koran sometimes aloud, sometimes in a hushed tones during the five prayers of the day ?
130- QUESTION : It is with great interest that I discovered the articles you inserted online, after reading the article “how to organize the economy in Muslim societies” I am not sure if I have understood all the practical consequences of your analysis, and its perspective in terms of Islamic jurisprudence. Are the modern financial techniques entirely justifiable, from the Islamic point of view, taking into account that the technical revolution have transformed the economysince three centuries ago? Without doubt I would like to admit a historical reading of the condemnation of Riba in the Koran, however, we are facing the excessiveness of capitalism, even if we must renew our understanding of Riba and economic activity in the modern world, divine warning is certainly not repealed by the advent of capitalism. Thedestruction of society and the environment by an industrial production with no other goal than the maximum profitabiklity on caqpital is a logical consequence of riba? The indebteness of households and governments for uncontrolled spending, are they an aberration under the fitrah? The individual and social balance that the shari’a aims to promote is it not better protected when people cooperate, without excessive debt, and moderate their needs as the prophetic wisdom has mentioned? An examination of this issue is certainly complex, but it seems that the path taken by western company’s judeo-chirstian culture, the legalization of usury is a stalemate which the world suffers today. Thinking about the future of the modern world, globalization, and capitalism, the Koranic revelation and prophetic wisdom have a major role to play. It is the Muslim community to meet this challenge. Can you clarify your analysis on this grave and complex matter ?
131- QUESTION : First, I would like to express my gratitude for your work that is very useful for my personal development. May ALLAH reward you abundantly. I have a few questions concerning Dalail al Khayrat and the spiritual education in the Tariqa : 1- Is it necessary to have an authorization to recite the shaykh al Jazouli’s book ? 2- If so, do the muqaddems of the tariqa have this permission ? 3- What is the spiritual education by the himma ? 4- Is spiritual education only filled with the wird, the attachment to the Koran and the sounna in this Tariqa ? 5- Must you be an affiliated member to recite the Jawharat Al Kamal ? Once again, thank you for your work.
131- ANSWER : 1- DALAIL AL KHAYRAT is a specific recitation given to insiders, but as a congratulatory recitation of the prophet, it may be a recitation for any insider, whatever his direction may be. As to tijani insiders, no permission can be given for reciting wirds which are not included in the Tijani catalogue. Sheikh Sidi Ahmed Tijani carefully kept one copy in his private library. It was one of the rare manuscripts that were included in this library. 2- Moqaddem of the Tijani order does not permit the recitation, being of specific exclusiveness. 3- as regards to the spiritual education of the “HIMMA”, it is first to specify HIMMA’s maximum scale, whose creating role is not to be demonstrated. The optimal role of this HIMMA is of creativity without peer. But, is this HIMMA not an insider’s irreversible commitment to Allah’s will? Is it not the transcendent conducting line towards the sublime order of God?. 4- 5-
132- QUESTION : Following a visit to the following site www.alsanusiya.com, I have a few questions to ask. I learned that Sheikh Al Sanusi had studied with Sheikh Tijani. I understand that he has subsequently left Fez to join the person who would become his teacher, Sheikh Ahmed Ibn Idriss. I would like to know if leaving the Tijania order is permitted in the exceptional case of great saints, whose destiny is particular. In such, Sheikh Al Sanussi became the organiser and educator of an order which played a major role in the history of Muslims and the world. I will also mention Sheikh Ahmadu Bamba, the founder of the Tariqa Muridiyya, who, after practising the Qadiri, Shadhili and Tijani wirds, founded his own brotherhood by order of the Prophet. I would like to correct the words of Shiekh Tijani. He warned against the act of leaving his order. I have the impression that these words concern his disciples in general, but not the individuals cited in particular. I do not know why. Could you enlighten me on this subject ?
133- QUESTION : On day, with friends, we wanted to read the Koran in a group, as we usually do in Morocco. But some were against the idea saying that it is a bid’a. So there was an unpleasant discussion leading to nowhere. Could you enlighten me on this matter ? Is there any proof in the Koran or Hadiths which forbid or allow the recitation of the Koran in a group ?
134- QUESTION : I am a student from Senegal living in Lyon in France. The content of your website is so rich and your open spirit as to answering questions concerning different subjects incites me to ask you several questions about Sufism. So if you allow me, here are some questions: how would we know if a person is a “wali” or not? There are so many Sheikhs around us and I do not know to whom I may go and talk to. Is there any practical way to find out about the order which suits us better, or to meet the best Sheikh in order to help us find the right path ? I have heard a hadith that upsets me, saying that every 100 years, a man will appear and renew this religion. Is this hadith genuine ? If so, then who is the present person ?
135- QUESTION : I am looking for scientific evidence demonstrating the validity of the hadith in which our Prophet Mohammed describes neutralising the effects of the two wings of a fly, which fell in a liquid. You have spoken about it in one of your articles inserted on your website and that is why I am asking you this. Several people made fun of Islam because of the hadith in question. I am looking for every kind of information: title of the medical congress which talks of this hadith, name of the bacterium.
136- QUESTION : Does the sun rotate around the earth? And what is the reality of the solar system according to the Koran ?
137- QUESTION : I have a comment on the statistics that you displayed on your site indicating that 90% of Senegalese are Tijanis. As a Senegalese, I think it is very exaggerated. I’ll take the example of the Toba region, where almost the entire population is made up of Mourides of Sheikh Amadou Bamba, not counting other orders such as the Qadiryia. In addition to that, in the capital, half of the population belongs to any order at all. Unfortunately, I have no figures in my hands but those are my own views.
138- QUESTION : Do Ttijani adepts practice the samaa or the religious singing ?
139- QUESTION : Where is Lalla Fatima Zahra, daughter of the Prophet, buried ?
139- ANSWER : Lalla Fatima Zahra died at the age of twenty nine years old in the year eleven of the Hegire. She was buried at night in the main cemetery El Baqiy of El Medina. The place is the mosque, place of the funeral prayer. But, another version is more accurate: this tomb is located in the Zaouia, so called “Dar E’diyl” in the same Baqiy. This fact is confirmed by Abdellah Ibn Jaefar, Ali’s nephew (refer to TABAQAT Ibn Saad, p.27).
140- ANSWER : The Koran says : “men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because GOD has given them one more (strengh) than the other, and because they support them from their means, therefore therighteous woman are devouted obedient, and guard in (the husband’s) absence what god would have them guard, as to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct admonish them (first), (next), refuse to share their beds, (and last) beat them (lightly); but if they return to obedience, seek not against them means (of annoyance” (Sura “the women” verse 34) explains it so there is a gradation in the means of discussion. First, the reasoning then placed in quarantine and finally punching (translation of Ker Chid). But in an authentic hadith, the messenger of Allah has mixed this eventuality according to his wife Aicha who asserts that the prophet (SS) gave a good example. Never had he hit a woman throughout his life.
141- QUESTION : Who, according to you, is entitled to interpret a dream ?
142- QUESTION : I am a Senegalese tijani who works in Benin at Porto Novo. Over here, there is no Tijani Zawiya, and therefore I do not have the opportunity to perform the Wadifa, nor the Friday’s Hailala with a group of tijanis. In addition to that, I am a bit lazy and I do not seem to be able to do my homework related to the Tariqa properly. I have to add that I took the wird from a master, but I did not follow his path, i.e. the path of Seikh Ibrahim Niass, but that of El Haj Malik Sy. Should I renew my wird ?
143- QUESTION : I would like to know during which periodicity Islam says that there is marriage between a couple which remains for a long time without any sexual relationship, particularly as a result of quarrels ?
144- QUESTION : I have been a tijani since the age of ten (now I am 23 years old), and I was initiated to the order at the age of 13. My father is a khalife of Sheikh al Islam Ibrahim Niass, and for the time being, I am a khalif. On the other hand, I am an engineer in operational research (training at Houari Boumediane University in Algiers). I have tremendously appreciated your work but I have not seen any trace nor the role played by Ibrahim Niass, yet you certainly know that he has got at least 100 million followers throughout the world (1990 estimate). Most of them are based in Mauritania, Nigeria, and also in West Africa. I therefore feel a kind of injustice towards him. On the other hand, I have found in the section devoted to zawaiyas mistakes concerning populations and percentage, so I am reporting all this to you with complete objectivity ?
145- QUESTION : Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala – ordered by his community not to perform Da’wa without science. I advise you to read surat al’asr, whose salaf assalih have got a great blessing. We discovered the three stages of a Muslim in his sermon: science (illa ladhina amanou): knowing Allah, his prophet, and his religion, the application (wa’amilou assaalihaat), preaches (wa tawasaw bilhaqq), patience (wa tawasaw bissabr). Moreover, Allah (Azza wa jal) gave another order in the Koran : “qoul atou bourhanakoum in kountoum saadiqin” meaning “ give your evidence if you are truthful”, but I do not see in your answers any hadith , nor any sura. Also, remember that the prophet never authorised an order, since none existed at that time, but he said “Muslims of my community will be divided into 73 factions, one out of it will go to paradise”. Those who were listening to him asked “which faction will go to paradise ?” He answered back: “those of my community, who follow my suna and the teaching of my companions”. Finally, the basis of Islam, the most important source is located in the tawhid. All prophets were sent with tawhid “la illh illa allah”, and the prophet Mohammed has taught it for 13 years to his companions ?
146- QUESTION : What do you think of cloning, and what is the position of Islam ?
147- QUESTION : I would like to know when the name “Islam “has been chosen to describe our religion. Is this the advent of religion in the time of the prophet (peace be upon him), or after that? I ask you this question because some verses, including 3.19 and 3.85 verses (sura al imran) says that religion accepted by GOD is Islam, and that anyone wishing to a religion other than Islam will not be approved. I think that this understanding is inconsistent with the message, announcing that anyone will be well approved by GOD, without distinction; a clear example of this message is in the ayate 262 (sura al baqarah)) “those who spend their substance in the cause of god, and follow not up their gifts with reminders of their generosity or with injury,_for them their reward is with their lord:on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.”“ I therefore think that the word “Islam” in the Koran means “submission” in general, rather than the religion itself, which it would be assigned by following the name . Broadly speaking, when the Koran is addressed to believers (ayouha aladina amanou), is it right to think that the message is addressed to every believer, without distinction of religion rather than muslim only ?
148- QUESTION : Following your last answer, I understand, therefore, that Islam encompasses other monotheistic religions, which you mentioned. So when the Koran says: “and anyone who wants a religion other than Islam will not be approved, and it will in the beyond, among the losers “(3:85) it integrates other monotheistic religions. This verse is still easily interpretable in the following manner: only Muslims will go to paradise. What can we respond to a person who is in good faith, cites this verse, and understands it this way ?
149- QUESTION : I would like to ask you how to understand the following verse: “if we abrogate any verse, or if we forget it, we bring a better one, or a similar one. Do you not know that Allah is omnipotent?” (2:106).
150- QUESTION : Is it pious to fast with irritability and bad mood ?
151- QUESTION : I would like to know, concerning the isha prayer, (because I have contradictory opinions) if we can do it after midnight ?
152- QUESTION : Baraka Allahu Fikoum for taking into account the mail that I sent you. I have carefully read your answer, but what bothers me lies in the title of the book you mentioned “Encyclopaedia of Islamic Sufism between the Maghreb and Mashreq”. You follow the Sufi path and the question I am asking you now is what is Sufism? Of course I expect from you an answer fed by evidence from the Koran and/or the prophetic tradition (suna). I hope that my mail will not give the impression of criticism from my part, but a search of clarification. Could you give me details of the university where you studied? I would also like to know your religious journey that allows you to issue a fatwa ?
153- QUESTION : The atheist and the naturalists deny the existence of God and see nature as the only existing reality, or only source of value that makes moral life the extending of biological life. What does Islam think of naturalism in general ?
154- QUESTION : The Koran states that poverty is from Allah, and evil perpetrated by the offender comes from himself. How do you explain this contrast ?
155- QUESTION : Did the Koran govern democracy? If so, then how ?
156- QUESTION : I come back to you because you have already been kind enough to answer my questions. Today I have two questions. The first is personal, as I want to know if I have to redo the complete ablution or not, if I kiss my wife. My second question is to find out the difference between Sunite Muslims and Shiite Muslisms ?
157- QUESTION : I do not belong to any order, and I would like to get a permission to recite the istikhara, basmala, al istighfar, (sura 33, verse 55) allahumma salli ala sayyidina Mohamed wa salem, tahlil, ( sura 37 , verse 181-182).
158- QUESTION : The Koran speaks of science that leads to the truth ? Which science is it?
159- QUESTION : How do you explain scientifically the phenomenon found between two marine and waterside waters that are salty and sweet which touch each other without any mixture between them ?
160- QUESTION : What is the meaning of the following expression: “wind fertilizing” in the Koran? Allah says in the Koran (sura al hijr, verse 22) “and we send the fecundating winds, then cause the rain to descend from the sky, therewith providing you with water (in abundance), though you are not the guardians of its stores''.
161- QUESTION : A propos du Coran et de l’énergie cosmique, Concerning the Koran and cosmic energy, can you mention an example of this transcendent reality of the cosmos.
162- QUESTION : Is there “hal” (hadra) in the tijania order? And did it exist during Sheikh’s Sidi Ahmed Tijani era ?
163- QUESTION : I wanted to know if it was better to say “a’oudhou billahi samii el-alim mina shaytani rajim”, or “a’oudhou billahi mina shaytani rajim” ? Which of these versions is more Sunna.
164- QUESTION : I am an American Muslim and I am interested in the Tijania order. I have three questions for you and thank you in advance for your answers. 1- How can we develop or advance the spirituality in the order, while getting rid of spiritual discomfort ?. 2- Is there a mouride/sheikh relationship in the tijania order ? 3- Why don’t some sheikhs of the order bear the beard, as it is clearly described in the Sunna, and that most of schools in Islam confirm that it is compulsory ?
165- QUESTION : I wanted to know whether it was possible to complete a dikr by sura 37 verses 180-182, preceded by the Tahlil.
166- QUESTION : What is the French translation of “fa’lam annahu la illaha illa llah”? I wanted to know if it comes from the Koran.
167- QUESTION : I had a dream which incited me to pray more about Sidna Mohamed (peace be upon him). How many times do I have to do this prayer and how ?
168- QUESTION : I wanted to know why the fatiha is recited at the beginning of Lazim and the Wadifa ?
169- QUESTION : I would like to know if this wird complies with the Koran and sunna and if it is possible to recite it: aoudou billahi mina samii al alim mina shaytani rajim (once), al-fatiha (once), azstaghfirou allah (100 times), surat 33- verse 56 ( once), allahoumma salli ala sayidina mohammed wa sallim (100 times), la ilaha illa allah ( 100 times), sourate 37- verse 180-182 (once) ?
170- QUESTION : What is the woman’s role in the formation of embryo ? 170- ANSWER : The Koran has responded to these questions in the Sura “the livestock (verse 98). Spot –fixing in a male is the strain of this lineage which includes the sperm in the “germ” whose content is transformed, hereditary from father to son, as a constant element of the race. For women, this corresponds to the uterus and the ovaries. The shaped egg receives the sperm which fertilizes it. The uterus is a receptacle, instead of a deposit where the germ is constituted, then the embryo and the foetus. In a hadith of the prophet (peace be upon him), this exhorts the believer to choose his wife, outside this specific plot, where the congenital element would initially be the same, because in such a case, serious genetic insinuations were bound to appear.
171- QUESTION : I would like to know which of these two Salats is the closest to the suna: “ALLHUMMA SALLI ALLA SAYYIDINA MUHAMMAD ANABBIY AL OUMMIYI WA ALA ALIHI WA BARIK WA SALLIM” and “ALLAHUMMA SALLI ALA SAYYIDINA MUHAMMADIN WA ALA ALIHI WA SAHBIHI WA SALLIM".
172- QUESTION : I am an Italian converted to Islam and I’ve been practising the rites of the Tariqa tijania for ten years. I live in Morocco but unfortunately I don’t speak Arabic. Since my entrance in the Tariqa, an anomaly disconcerted me: I have been taught the jawarat al kamal with: “bi mouzouni er-riahi” but everyone recites: “Bi el mouzouni al arrbahi”. The book “Jawahir El Maani” in my possession says “Riahi” and the comments refer to this word. When I ask questions about this, the answers are confusing and without references. Would it be possible that the word was changed, left by our sheikh? If this is the case, why did we do that? Thank you for willing to answer this question.
173- QUESTION : I have allowed myself to contact you in order to obtain help. I am a young Moroccan living in France. My grandfather from Taza was the great fqih of this town. I am interested in my grandfather’s writings. Amongst his books, one is called: “kitab el kanz el madfoun oua sir el maknoun sa’ir ‘an mahd koun fayakoun, min imla’ sayidouna oua shaykhouna oua mawlana ahmad tijani radial ah ‘anhou…”. Its author is therefore the sheikh Ahmad Tijani, but it’s my grandfather’s writing. In my opinion, he must have copied it from another book. Do you know of this book from the cheikh Tijani ?
174- QUESTION : Thank you a thousand times for the answer to my question about the recitation of “Kalmal Al Jawahir”, with the word “r’bahi” or “riahi”. Finally, I was able to clarify this point with your accurate answer, and references. Your availability encourages me to ask your opinion about the attendance of women in the zaouia and reciting Jouharat el kamal. In the region of Souss, there are a lot of zaouyas, and I had the privilege to visit almost all of them. But rare are those who keep a room for women. In general, women are discouraged to come to the meeting on Fridays, on the pretext that it is not required to perform prayer in group. I was even advised not to recite jouharat el kamal in the wadifa and to replace it with 20 of salats al fatihi. When I asked about the references of such assertions, nothing precise was given to me. To my knowledge, nothing as such is quoted in “jawahir el maani”. Would you clarify this position of a large number of tijanis, and also give me your personal opinion on this matter? Thank you in advance for your answer, and your patience. Be sure professor of my great esteem to your person.
175- QUESTION : What can you tell me about the “suffering of astronauts” in Islam ?
176- QUESTION : I am Senegalese and I belong to the Tijany brotherhood. I read a passage in the book of Sheikh Ahmadou Tall called “niche of secrets”, and I would like you to help me. He talks about a mystical method to discover the divine names to be used. It seems that this method is also taught by Imam al Bouni in his book “Chamsoul my arifil koubra” . But since my written Arabic is poor, and that I do not know how to evaluate my mystic weight, I am wondering if you could help me to find out about it.
177- QUESTION : Firstly, I would like to thank you for creating this website, to allow everyone to learn. I would like you to explain to me in what consists the Hizb Sayfi and its content, using the Latin transliteration if possible. In any case, I would like the Arab transliteration if you could give it to me.
178- QUESTION : I would like to know how it would be possible to get married without parental consent. The mother is aware but refuses for a matter of tribal affiliation, and the father will also refuse for the same reason. Another reason for the refusal is that the man is younger than the woman (20 and 23 years old). Everybody is a practicing Muslim, apart from the mother who is European. Please give me all women’s rights in Islam in this case. Thank you for your help.
179- QUESTION : This is in response to your reply to question n° 119. A date of birth of the real Mehdi, bounded between April 11 and April 20, is not mythological. Astrology here can not be translated as “tanjime”. Here, it’s only the meaning of the psychological aspect of a personified astronomy. Otherwise, from the relationship between 5 prayers and the movement of the sun, it looks like astrology, as does the dream of the 11 stars of sura youssef. As to the genetic prediction, quoted by the end of the announcement, it was only complementary and has nothing to do with our research, since it emanates from the hadith itself. Another ad: Aren’t all the gestures of prayers an imitation of the crawling scolopendra? Proof of this is its architecture to the facades of public administration and baptises of habous, aswell as the style of the mosques’ mihrabs. By endowing the string of two pairs of legs, Sidi Ahmed Tijani was much more circumspect than a respectful Essayouty.
180- QUESTION : I am a 26 year old young girl. I would like to get married with a good man in the eyes of Islam. Only, my divorced mother is against it because he is black. Can I therefore get married? Does Islam allow it because the religion orders us to obey our mothers and the hadiths say that parents cannot impose their choices on us, concerning the one we marry. I am confused. Plus, I cannot make anyone intervene to help me in dialogue. I have tried hard.
181- QUESTION : I have found a solution to get married with the man that my mum refuses (because of his skin colour!). My dad gave me his approval, but my parents are divorced. Is this legal in the religion? Is my mum allowed, despite all the respect I owe her, to stay mad at me about my decision to marry (I’m 27 to be precise)? Those will be my last questions. Thank you for all the precious answers that have helped me! Barakalahou fik !
181- ANSWER :In principal, the moral consent of the parents is necessary. But, in this case, where racism intervenes, the mother’s disapproval is illegal.
182- QUESTION : During a lesson that took place in a Zawiya, I heard the moqaddem explain that:” …each descendant of Sidi Ahmed Tijani is worth 40 ghaout”. Is there any confusion between “ghaout” and “qotb”? It seemed to us, from the description of “diwan essalihin”, that there is only one ghaout, and that he can take the Prophets’ place (peace be upon him). Are there several ghaouts ?
183- QUESTION : The sufi teaching distinguishes seven degrees of the soul: the soul (naves) is first enclined to evil (ammaratu bi-su-i) then (lawwamatu), then based on good and evil (mulhamatu), then calmed down (mutmayinnatu), then approving ( radiyyatu) and approved ( mardiyyatu), then finally completely and fully accomplished ( kamila). In this last stage, there is no more separation between God and his servant. I searched in the Koran to find suras that speak of seven degrees of the soul, below the result. My question is: As much as possible, dear professor, do you know the verse (ayat) which speaks of “nafs kamila” ? 184- QUESTION : A woman from North Africa has been married for several years and, having had children with a man from the North Africa, he does not apply any cultural practise apart from not eating pork. Is this marriage licit or illicit? And the kids from such a marriage are they consequently cursed ?
184- ANSWER :The fundamentals for a Muslim couple are to stay attached to the dogma of Islam. If one or the other of the married, whilst assuming the dogma, meaning the belief in divine unicity and the Mohammadian prophecy, the non practising person out of them, all whilst remaining a believer according to the Islamic concept, is considered as “assi”, meaning a believer but recalcitrant and sinner. In such a case, the marriage is legitimate as well as the kids.
185- QUESTION : I’m finding it hard to explain my problem but I will try to go straight to the point. I am 28 years old and I often used to go to the zaouia of Sida Ahmed and Larbi Benssayeh in Rabat. Not so long ago, I took the road of the Tariqa of Sidi Ahmed and I’m trying to be as assiduous as possible. My only problem is that I often masturbate to not commit adultery, but also because I have no choice at the moment. Only this is a real problem for my prayers, wirds and wadifa. Is there a tijani prayer to avoid having nocturnal pollutions “janaba” at night, or that would keep me from masturbating at night? To be honest, before taking the tariqa tijania, I would masturbate every night because I have not got the means to get married and I can’t fast, as the Prophet (psl) advised me to, for health reasons. Plus, I cannot take a bath when I want to seeing as I still live with my parents and me and my father often fight about that. I believe in the tariqa but I’m more and more scared. Help me solve this problem. Is there a “douaa” tijani to get married or to hurry marriage ?
186- QUESTION : Concerning the prayers where the Imam reads aloud, I have once heard an Imam saying that when he reads the Fatiha and leaves time before reading a sura, we can afford to read the fatiha, but if he reads a sura immediately, we have to be quiet and listen. Another time, I have heard one saying that if during a prayer we do not read the Fatiha, the prayer is not valid. I would like to know your opinion on this question ?
187- QUESTION : I am asking for advice on the behaviour to have, because I have had dreams and these are the most striking : 1- I dreamt that the Koran was engraved in my heart. 2- I dreamt that I had to preside over the prayer of a group. 3- I am having premonitory dreams.
188- QUESTION : After having visited your website, I would like for you to talk about the tijani concept: is “the fayda” said by our master to be descending amongst his disciples at a conjonctural period ?
189- QUESTION : Do you not think that this receptacle should be known by all tijani disciples, in order to get benefit of this emanation that Sidna Cheikh tijani has not only promised us but also described to us ?
190- QUESTION : I have noticed that our worshipped master gives us indications concerning this emanation. Why would he give these indications if it had to intervene when we least expect it? I think that the kindness of this emanation (fayda) should be made the most of by all tijani disciples. I therefore find it hard to see that his depositary cannot state it. Is the prophetic seal not announced in advance ? And has he not proclaimed his depository out loud, so that we could recognize it and follow it ?
191- QUESTION : I am more scared of my mother than of God himself. Is this normal ?
191- ANSWER :In principal, the believer must fear God more than anything in the world. But, this fear must always be enveloped by the feeling of the big pardon of the Providence. From there comes this difference between human wrath of the mother, of which the unconditional respect is put forth by the Prophet (psl) is many authentic hadiths, where one of them qualifies all the mother’s wishes as irreversible. Allah’s love for his creature is considered by Allah himself, in his Sacred Book the Koran, as subject to divine reversibility.
192- QUESTION : I often pray in trousers when I am home alone. Is this permitted for a woman?
192- ANSWER : Prayer in trousers is allowed as long as it isn’t too tight, allowing emergence of the woman’s body’s curves.
193- QUESTION : I would like to know why the basmala of the prayer is said aloud as far as Tijanis are concerned, unlike other Malikites who speak in hushed tones ?
194- QUESTION : I am faqir ila ALLAH, mourid of the Tariqa Derqawiia/harraqiia in Morocco. I am interested in the history of Sufism in general, and Morocco in particular. I have a question concerning the Tijani order. I read that only one recitation of the salat al fatihi equals 6000 recitations of the whole Koran, and that the recitation of jawharat al kamal is worth 20 salat al fatihi. I do not want to criticize, but my logic can not understand this. I would be very grateful if you could help me clarify this matter. I can not believe that a brotherhood (the tijani in this case), which participated in the islamisation of Africa, can be classified as do the “antitijanis”.
195- QUESTION : I would like to know if there is a French translation of “Jawahir Al Maani” and if so, where could I get it. If it doesn’t exist where could I get this book in Arabic? Even though I do not master the language, I will make an effort.
196- QUESTION : I would like to know the masters of Sidi Ahmed Tijani “bi assanadi al mouttassil ila hadrati rassouli Allah salla Allahou alaihi wa sallam” ?
197- QUESTION : Whilst I was doing a prayer about the Prophet (psl) 300 times, I felt attracted by a state that scared me because I was attracted to an unknown state. This is the second time it has happened to me. The first was so strong that I had to pray to God that the intensity would calm down. How could you explain this and what to do ?
198- QUESTION : Whilst dreaming, I saw Foudayl Ibn Ayad. I would like to know why me, what relationship links us and what did he want from me? In fact, I would like to know the consistence of the process of a call to a saint ?
199- QUESTION : Is a woman allowed to wash during her period ? I tend to do it but I try not to until the end of the period. Everyone around me says it’s illicit.
199- ANSWER : Washing the body during periods is completely legitimate for hygienic or medical reasons, except in the case where only a qualified doctor can specify.
200- QUESTION : Is it true or not that black people are damned ? ’’ Åä ÃßÑãßã ÚäÏ Çááå ÃÊÞÇßã ’’ (sura al –houjourat verse 13), “the better side of you with ALLAH is the one who fears him the most”. And according to the hadith : þ “Men, your god is unique and your father is one. I want to emphasize that an Arab has no supremacy, over a non-Arab, nor a black or a cross breed, but through piety, and the best of you with Allah is the one who fears him the most”.
201- QUESTION : How can you explain, if not justify, the Prophet Sidna Mohammed’s polygamy qualified of being excessive ?
201- ANSWER : I had been asked the same question during a lecture at the royal Mansour hotel at Casablanca under the aegis of the Moroccan society of anthology and sexology (SMAS) in 1996 under the particular theme “the ethic of embryo statute in Islam”. To tackle the process and consequences of the so- called sexology (or sexual nature) of the prophet Mohammed, we have to objectively analyse the real factors which had motivated this nuptial succession in the prophet. They are of three orders: a normal order, as a human, had marked this nuptial, qualified of sexuality; the prophet, aged 25 years old, had married a widow of forty years, having already had kids with another man. He had four girls and two sons with her. This wife named Khadija was dead when the prophet was fifty three years old. The family foyer has remained under the monogamy sign for twenty eight years. The messenger of ALLAH refused to marry again, but due to the insistence of his family, he had to accept a new wife, aged sixty. The tribal particularism of anti Islam had partially blunt, but nevertheless leaving few fingerprints, which tend to disappear as a result of mohammadian proselytizing. Some emotional ties among the new converts continued to aspire to a confrontation by an effective alliance. This kind of alliance thus constituted an asset of Gods act, among primitive tribes and families, where the double marriage of the prophet (peace be upon him) with Aisha. She is the daughter of his dearest friend and future caliph Abu Bakr Siddik, who belongs to the Taim and Hafsa tribe, daughter of his second calif Omar ibn Khattab, a native of Beni Adiy. Another link was to impregnate the emotions with the third calif Othman, native of the Umayyad tribe. Two other marriages, contracted by the prophet (peace be on him) are the same mobile because they are two tribes: one of Beni-Mostaliq and the Jewish Arab tribe of Khaibar. On the other hand, the alliance marked the land community between people of Islam and Jewish religions. Two more wives, Jouweyria and Safia, therefore joined the family home that was already full, thing that the prophet had to bear, for reasons beyond his options. A third order had yet to induce the prophet (peace be upon him) to assume another responsibility, another physical, social, and moral character. He had therefore gone through the effects of a new union, a marriage with girls who immigrated from Habasha (Ethiopia), fleeing the torture of koraichites pegans. In her new place of residence, she contracted marriage with another immigrant who later died, leaving three children. After her return to Medina, the prophet (peace be on him), aware of his duty as head of the new Islamic state, agreed to legitimately take charge. During the last nine years of his life (he died at the age of sixty three), he led a train of life far from comfort of sexuality.
202- QUESTION : What can you tell me about the Koran and the agricultural genie?
203- QUESTION : Is Sidi Larbi Benssayeh contemporain of Cheikh Sidi Ahmed Tijani? If so, then for how long did they live together ?
204- QUESTION : Could you prove that the tariqa tijania is a sunnite way ?
205- QUESTION : This is my request: I want to know everything that Sheikh Sidi Amed Tijani said about the Prophet ISSA, in his book “Jawahir Al Maani” . It is an issue close to my heart, and I would like to learn more. Could you translate these concerned passages if you have time?
ÈÚÖ ãÇ æÑÏ Ýí ÌæÇåÑ ÇáãÚÇäí Úä ÓíÏäÇ ÚíÓì Úáíå ÇáÓáÇã æÚä ÓíÏÊäÇ ãÑíã
These is what was written in the book : “Jawahir Al Maani” about “Sidna ISSA , and Saidatuna Miriam” (this is what was mentioned in the book “JAWAHER AL MAANI” about Jesus and Miriam) : ...ÇáäÈæÉ æÇáÑÓÇáÉ áÇ Êßæä ÅáÇ Úä ÊÌá ÅáÇåí áæ æÖÚ ÃÞá Þáíá ãäå Úáì ÌãíÚ ãÇ Ýí ßæÑÉ ÇáÚÇáã ßáå áÐÇÈÊ ßáåÇ áËÞá ÃÚÈÇÆå æÓØæÉ ÓáØÇäå ¡ ÝáÇ ÊÞÏÑ ÇáÃäÈíÇÁ Úáì ÊÍãá ÃÚÈÇÆå æÇáËÈæÊ áÓØæÉ ÓáØÇäå ÅáÇ ÈÚÏ ÈáæÛåã ÃÑÈÚíä ÓäÉ ....æÃãÇ ÓíÏäÇ ÚíÓì Úáíå ÇáÕáÇÉ æÇáÓáÇã ßæäå äÈíÇ ÞÈá ÇáÃÑÈÚíä ÝÇáÌæÇÈ : áã íßä ÈÔÑíÇ ãÍÖÇ ÅäãÇ ßÇä äÕÝíä äÕÝ ÈÔÑí æäÕÝ ÑæÍÇäí ÅÐ äÔà ãä äÝÎÉ ÇáÑæÍ ÇáÃãíä Ýí ÝÑÌ Ããå ¡ ÝÞæí ÖÚÝ ÇáÈÔÑíÉ æÒÇÏ ÈÐáß ÞæÉ Úáì ÇáäÈííä ¡ ÝáÐáß ÈÚË ÞÈá ÇáÃÑÈÚíä ááÞæÉ ÇáÊí ÃÚØíåÇ ãä äÝÎ ÇáÑæÍ ÇáÃãíä Ýí ÝÑÌ Ããå ¡ ÝÅä ÞáÊ : íáÒã ãä åÐÇ Ãä íßæä ÃÞæí ãäå Õáì Çááå Úáíå æÓáã ¿ ÝÇáÌæÇÈ Ãäå áã íßä ÃÞæí ãäå Õáì Çááå Úáíå æÓáã¡ æáßä áãÇ ßÇä Õáì Çááå Úáíå æÓáã ßÇãá ÇáÈÔÑíÉ ãä ÌåÉ ÃÈíå æÃãå ßÇä Ýíå ÖÚÝ ÇáÈÔÑ¡ æÃÚØí Ýíå ÇáÞæÉ ÇáÃáåíÉ ÇáãæÏÚÉ Ýíå ÇáÊí ÊÒíÏ Úáì ÞæÉ ÚíÓì æÛíÑå æÇáÓáÇã. ( Ì.ã. 123) Words of sidna –Sheikh Sidi Ahmed Tijani on the eminent messenger of ALLAH Jesus, son of Mary, inserted in his book “Jawahir Al Maani” (pages 123 and 146), can be summarized as follows : the profecy and rissalah (as a devine message) are a result of sublime theophanic divine event, that the cosmos in its fullness, can not bear, that is why any prophet or messenger of ALLAH, would not be worthy to assume the high mission before reaching the age of wise maturity, that is to say the forties, but Jesus was elected as a prominent promotor in this sublime mission, much earlier, at the age of thirty years old. In this option ALLAH found his rationale in the dual nature of human and angelic Jesus, born of the breath of the holy spirit( Gabriel), in the matrix of Miriam. Some might be tempted to imagine that the prophet Sidana Mohammed, a natural offpring, would be taxed in a certain weakness, driven by the belonging to thehuman biology. The secret of this explanatory statement is ALLAH, thinks to his omnipotence, had replacedthe apparent fact by his supremely blow generator.
206- QUESTION : First of all, let me give tribute to your piece of work and the precious information. I am a descendant of Hadj Omar Tall and I am impressed by the life of this great man. I am researching his life and his work. I would like to know if there are authentic pictures of him, how many children he had (many as I know), who is the last of his children to have lived and is the book of the late Thierno Mountaga Tall: “the rare pearls of the life of Hadj Omar” translated into French ?
As to Sheikh Montaga Tall, recently deceased, I have visited him in Dakar. He was kind enough to read to me some extracts of his work (still manuscript) about his grand father. One of his children was also with him. The eminent Montaga Tall had confided in me his desire to publish his work under the auspices of the Moroccan ministry of Habous and Islamic affairs. As to his father, Said en –Nour Tall, I also came to know him. It is him who had granted, among others, the permission to integrate the Tijani order through his own channel of transmission, written especially by my friend Si Abdelaziz Sy, general caliph of Tijanis at Dakar, and signed by the eminent sheikh Tall himself. Si abdelaziz Sy then took me for this to the caliph during one of the tijani journeys, commemorated at the end of December each year. For years, I had participated in these journeys which allowed the gathering of hundreds of millions of Tijanis, coming from all parts of Senegal and neighbouring countries. For these occasions, I had done communications and lectures about nature, the objective, the impact and scope of this social and sunite way. 207- QUESTION : ALLAH says in the Koran: “Sura les bestiaux, verse 98). Would you explain this verse ? ’’æóåõæó ÇáøóÐöíó ÃóäÔóÃóßõã ãøöä äøóÝúÓò æóÇÍöÏóÉò ÝóãõÓúÊóÞóÑøñ æóãõÓúÊóæúÏóÚñ ’’ ”it is he who haly produced you from a single person; here is a place of sojourn and a place of departure: we detail our signs for people who understand”. Adam and Eve are created of a vital breath (divine insufflations,). The woman is created from the ribs of Adam. Each one of them are formed with a body or “soma” that develops and dies, and of a “germen” or hereditary lineage, a strain of spermatozoids for men, which is transmitted from father to son as a fixed element of the race, that is to say a place of fixation of the lineage or of hereditary gene. A woman has a womb and the ovaries that make the ovum of germ, then of the embryo, and at last of the foetus in the womb. Impregnation creates a “movement” which changes into a vital germ during the first days, according to an authentic (prophet topics) hadith reported by Tabarany and El-bezzar, in their traditional collections. From then on, any abortion provoked from this peremptory deadline would mean a true genocide. Modern science confirms this Koranic status of the human embryo. 208- QUESTION : Is it normal for someone to convert to another religion to end his pain and to then continue to live his faith in peace and pray God in a chapel or a Church?
209- QUESTION : I sometimes fall asleep a few seconds into my recitation of the wird. In the mean time, negative images come to my mind that disturbs me in my dikr. I see dogs, a chopped head, someone slamming a door. What should I do ?
210- QUESTION : Is it mandatory to wear a veil in Islam? Many thanks.
211- QUESTION : It is with great pleasure that I discover your website, and I recommended it to many of my mourid friends. The site is superb, the references and orientations are correct. I seize this opportunity to find out if you have any data concerning Sidi Brahim Ryahi (works, encyclopaedia, life …).
212- QUESTION : I would like to ask you certain questions related to masters and spiritual orders. No one ignores the fact that Sheikh Sidi Ahmed Tijani was a great spiritual and authentic teacher, but a big number of people pretend that other contemporary Sheikhs are also great in terms of spiritual realisations. Nowadays in Morocco, there is an order which I am not going to cite and is becoming more and more influential. What is your opinion ?
213- QUESTION : What can you say about the understanding levels (les niveaux d'entendements) ? What are their own characteristics ? Which books can you advice me to look at ?
214- QUESTION : I have learnt the Tijani wird of a moqadem but I have come to realize that this moqadem was making the takfir of great walis among who are Ibrahim Niass and Ahmadou Bamba. Following advice of a wise man, I have stopped to practice the wird because how can a moqadem transmit something by transgressing a condition of an order, which is to respect dead and living saints. I have a doubt because Sidi Ahmed Tijani said that the one who would give up the wird would be apostasied. I am scared, and I would like to know what you think about this matter.
215- QUESTION : It is with sadness that I and my wife come to know the hard conditions in which live some members of Sidna Sheikh Sidi Ahmed Tijani. These families should be the subject of regular visits to make up for this deplorable situation. All houses of the order will be incited to these “megas zyaras”. The Senegalese example is edifying in the matter as it is rich in education, and perfect in mobilisation. Our couple is to be included in this action of solidarity. Therefore, we propose to initiate even camps so that the travellers of all horizons converge with their presents at the occasion of receiving and of resourcing at our highly blessed places. Thank you for drawing our attention to such ordeal of our great sheikh‘s family. At last allow me to make by writing the informational relay (of 2000 visitors, whereas we are dozens of millions). It will be, in cha’allah, largely spread and retransmitted (zawiya, dahiras, medresa, sites, blog, mails, etc). We should all join in. In the meantime, would you communicate a number of bank accounts or an address for a western union transfer or any other similar structure? Compassion and support to disadvantageous families. Thank you and compliments to your fadila.
216- QUESTION : I would like to take this opportunity to ask you more about your relations with Cheikh Al Islam, El Hadj Ibrahim Niass. Your note in Arabic on the subject on the website talks very little of it. We have been told that you have worked together and also with Sheikh Mohammed Al Hafid Al Misry on Jawahir Al Maânî’s authentication. Do you confirm this? If so, how is it going with this essential tahqiq. It seems that there are still errors in an edition on the Senegalese market. We beg for you to save this tourâth in memory of your two famous brothers and friends.
217- QUESTION : What is the purpose of the Koranic message , from a temporal , profane, spiritual, and eternat points of view ?
218- QUESTION : Who are the Malâmitiya? Whats is their grade in the Sufis concert ? 218- ANSWER :The real Malâmitiya are those who are depicted by the author of the elaborated work in the IV century of the first era of the hegira, called “el Foutouwwa wa el Malâmitiya”. Abou Bekr, the Prophet's first Khalife, was the ideal model, of which Sidi Larbi Ben Sayeh, author of the “Boghia”, cites the privileges characteristics. Salmân el Fârissi (Persan), the Prophet's famous companion, is listed as one of the best of these initiated of which the decent exoterism covers the interior’s luminescence. The Prophet valued him a lot and considered him as a member of his own family. Ibn ‘Arabi intergrated them into a category that no act (surerogatoire) distinguishes the outbuildings of the believers. Even better, they try to act normal to not attract attention because they isolate themselves inwardly in the contemplation of God without marking themselves down by excentric behaviour. Each of them go about their work without pretentious exclusism. They don’t have any privileges or specific rights. Apparently, craftsmen are absorbed by their work, artists in their workshop, and labourers in their work, where as some of them master the Cosmos by their sublime hierarchy grade. With time, this category, attached to the Sounna in its deferent humility, knowingly changes tactics whilst exhibiting excentricities to be underestimates by the world. Also, not knowing the mobile initiators of the behaviour of their master, the disciples, in their ostentation, let themselves get carried away by schemes that are far from the usual ways, sometimes denoting obvious strangeness.
219- QUESTION : What is the difference between Nabiy (prophet) and rassoul (messenger of God) ? 220- QUESTION : Have the Sacred Texts not been warped ? 221- QUESTION : Buddhism is a contemplative doctrine. What is Islam’s position ? 222- QUESTION : Could you give us a religious example which crystallizes this dynamism of Islam ? 223- QUESTION : In Islam, is there any secret knowledge unreleased by the prophet (peace be upon him) ? 224- QUESTION : Are angels immunized against satanic temptations ? 225- QUESTION : Is there any particular reason for which God reveals his religion in the Arabic language and especially in the Qoraichite dialect ? 226- QUESTION : What about the travel of souls (verse 42, sura 39) ? 227- QUESTION : Resident in France and of French origin, I am regularly confronted by scientific offences and convictions motivated by pure materialism. The principal one being that on which is frequently opposed faith and “pure science”, namely that regarding human origins. Indeed since it is difficult to speak about Adam and Eve while disregarding theology, how can one argue about evolution, or at least, of the signs of (possibly) human life found in Spain and France barely 20000 years ago, which is not that long ago, given that the traces of the Telamones dates back to 10,000 BC and that the Nubian pre-Egyptian and Indian civilizations are around 7,000 BC? Of course some prophets are mentioned long before this such as Noah, but this is based on religion and therefore inadmissible for someone rejecting religion. I have doubts that the cavemen were possibly not human for two reasons: the first because it seems unlikely to me that two civilizations could live side by side with such differences of intelligence and behavior in a world with its symbolic representations. The second because in 2007 I heard completely by chance on the television news that an anthropologist had mentioned that in Indonesia until a short while ago there existed “kinds of human monkeys” which came down from the mountain for a short period of time and then went up back without ever interacting or communicating with the human population. This species disappeared, if my memory is correct, in the 18th century. These are my queries: I have confidence that your knowledge will assist me reach a higher intellectual level and understand our origins. Thank you and May God reward you by the grace of the Prophet and Sidna Shaykh (Peace to them both).
228- QUESTION : When you find faithful people doing the wadifa, for example on the salatoul fatihi, how do we get into the wadifa ?
229- QUESTION : I am a tijani disciple (alhamdulilah) and I would like to have an answer to avoid my waswas scattering. I’ve had waswas about the tariqa of Sidi Ahmed Tijani and his sincerity. Without accepting his thoughts sometimes doubtful and strongly reject them without exposing them out loud while praying to God to save me from these doubts, to make me love Sidna Cheikh and to believe in him and his words. Has this not come out of the tariqa? So I am basically asking if the waswas, who is sometimes abject towards the Sheikh and the voice, gets me out of the tariqa. Could you renew my pact and thus give me your silsila ?
230- QUESTION : What is Latif Al Akbar ?
231- QUESTION : While doing the wird, is it possible to recite 50 of Salatu alanaby and 50 of Salatoul fatihi? He had the intention to do the wird with 100 Salatoul Fatihi, but he made a mistake about two of Salatoul fatihi. He recited two salatu alanaby instead. Does he have to rectify, if yes how ?
232- QUESTION : I have read a translation of a passage of the noble book Jawahir al- Ma’ani concerning the pole (degree of pole of our noble Fatima Az- Zouhra ( may God accept her) about the pole , our master Sheikh Sidi Ahmed Tidjani ( may God accept him) said : “ he is the most excellent of all the Muslims in every era , apart from any keys of the treasures( maftuh kunuz) that my exist , for he is superior to them in some respects , and they are superior ton him in some respects “ source :http://www.dar-sirr.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=1743 . I have read somewhere else: “the knowledgeable of God are part of the universe of authority, each one of them has the strength of 1000 men, the strength of the pole of poles is 1500 men, the strength of four poles of the singularity is of 700 men, and the strength of keys of treasuries, each one of them possesses2000 men” http://www.tidjani.com/en-forces_dim_spirit.php. Could you inform me about the possible precisions brought by our master Ahmed at Tijani (may god accept him) and his representatives (may God accept them) or send me information in relation with this issue ?
233- QUESTION : First of all, I would like to thank you for a well done site, and which is a rich source of information. In the column questions/ Answers and precisely question 131 about the Dalail AL Khairat, you have named the ‘Tijani catalogue’ which is a group of authorised Adhkars, in the Tijani order by Prophet Sidna Mohammed (Sallallahou Alayhi WA Salam) to Sheikh Ahmed Tijani. I think that it contains the Adhkars such as Hizb Bahr, Hizb as sayfi and others, for which an authorization from an authentic Moqadem is needed … I would like to know the adhkars included Tijani catalogue if possible ?
234- QUESTION : I mix with a practising person of the Tijani order, a good Muslim; this has incited me to do some researches about this order. I will not talk about the way Dikrs are done, which is deeply criticized by Salafists, and the latter indicate that these practises have nothing to do with Suna and the prophet way of life. What actually has staggered me is the following: A salafist says that the Tijani order has played a major role, and helped the French colonisation to settle in Algeria, towards the end of the 18th century. he says that a woman, whom he mentioned her name was able to infiltrate the Zaouia, and became the wife of his founder Sidi Ahmed tijani, and then the wife of his brother Sidi Ali, after the death of Sidi Ahmed, this woman became adored by the Tijani followers to the point that the latter got the earth in which she walks on, in order to use it for the Tayamoum. This salafist equally reported that Sidi Ali would have said in a speech “to help France the friend of our hearts to settle among us “! And he equally reported that this woman was given a medal by the French colonial authorities for the services she rendered to them. Thank you for enlighten these statements, Will God guide us to the right path ?
235- QUESTION : I am in the process of reading the Wadifa (pearl of perfection), and I am lucky to have bought a year ago a book entitled “« Íáø ÃÞÝÇá ÌæåÑÉ ÇáßãÇá ówhich explains it perfectly. As to me I do find it strong, so I have a headache when I read it. I have felt it has the meaning of a book full of light, that I had the vision of it long before you have authorised me to get hold of, am I authorised equally to advice it to my fiends who already recite the Tijani wird ?
236- QUESTION : I would like to know if thee is a genuine picture of Mawlana Sheikh Ahmed Tijani, and if yes I would like to have one ?
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