Al-Qutb
al-Kamil, Al-Imam Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Abdur Rahman
Ibn Abi Bakr Ibn Suleiman Al-Jazuli Simlali al-Hassani
al-Maghribi (d. 869/1454). Referred to his grandfather,
he is called shortly Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Suleiman al-Jazuli.
He belonged to the Berber tribe of Jazula which is
settled in the Sus area of Morocco between the Atlantic
and the Atlas Mountains. Although the date of Imam al-Jazouli's
birth is not known, enough information exists to provide
a rough outline of his origins and background. His
nisbah (Attributional Name) tells us the he came from
the Simlala tribe, one of the most important Sanhaja
Berber groups in Jazula. The turbulent political
environment of Simlala in the fifteenth century forced
the Shaykh to leave his homeland because its culture of
violence made serious scholarship impossible. As it
turned out, the young sharif had to travel all the way
to Fez to get an education, since the insufficient
intellectual resources of Marrakech (Morocco), the usual
destination for students from central and
southern-Saharan Morocco, made study in that city
impossible as well.
He
studied locally and then travelled to the Madrasat as-Saffareen
in Féz, the spiritual capital of Morocco where his room
is still pointed out to visitors. In Fez, He memorized
the four volumes Mudawwana of Imam Malik and met
scholars of his time such as Ahmad Zarruq, and Muhammad
ibn 'Abdullah Amghar, who became his Shaykh in the
Tariqah or Sufi path. After setting a tribal feud he
left the area and spent the next forty years in Makkah
Mukarrama, Madina Munawwarah and Jerusalem. After this,
he returned to Fez where he completed Dala'il al-Khayrat.
He took the Shadiliya Path from Shaykh Abu Abdullah
Muhammad Ibn Amghar as-Saghir, one of the Ashraaf
(Descendants of the Prophet) of Bani Amghar village. He
spent fourteen years in Khalwa (seclusion) and then went
to Safi where he gathered around him many followers. The
governor of Safi felt obliged to expel him and as a
result, Jazuli called down Allah's wrath on the town and
it subsequently fell into the hands of the Portugese for
forty years According to a tradition, it was the
governor of Safi who poisoned Jazuli and caused his
death, whilst engaged in prayer, in 869 AH (or 870 or
873)
When he became a Complete Shaykh, he headed towards the
town of Safi where he gathered many disciples around
him. Later on, Sidi al-Jazuli moved to Afwiral, a Sus
village in Morocco, where he established his zawiya that
became a centre of spirituality attracting 12665
disciples of his. His Tariqa was mainly based on making
prayers upon Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace and blessing be
upon him) as indicates his book: (Dalail al-Khayrat),
which he published in Féz after spending forty years in
Makkah Mukarramah, Madina Munawwarah and Jerusalem.
Dalail al-Khayrat or “ad-Dalil” as Moroccans prefer to
call it, is considered as an exclusive source to make
prayers upon Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace and blessing be
upon him), as well as a correct and innovative piece of
work ever published on the issue.
It is said that Sidi Muhammad Al-Jazuli once went on a
journey, when in great need of water for making
ablutions; he came upon a well but could not reach the
water without a bucket and rope which he did not have.
He became very worried. A young girl saw this and came
to his assistance. She spat into the well whereupon the
water rose to the top of its own accord. Seeing this
miracle, he asked the girl "And how is that possible?"
She replied "I was able to do this through my asking for
blessings upon the Prophet, Allah's blessings and peace
be upon the him." Having thus seen the benefit of asking
for blessings upon the Prophet, Allah's blessings and
peace be upon him, he decided to write Dalail al-Khayrat.
The
Dala'il al-Khayrat is the most celebrated manual of
Blessings on the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him
peace) in history. In fact, the book of Dalail al-Khayrat
was welcomed by the Ummah east and west. Many scholars
concentrated to explain some of its meanings and
benefits such as Sidi Suleiman al-Jamal Shafi'i, Sidi
Hasan al-Adwi al-Misri, Sidi Abd al Majid Sharnubi who
call his book (Manhaj as-Sa'adah), Sidi Muhammad al-Mahdi
Ibn Ahmad al-Fasi who call his book (Matalia al-Masaraat
Bi jalaa Dalail Al Khayrat), and the famous Savant of
Allah Sidi Ahmad Zaruk; the disciple of his Shaykh Sidi
al-Jazuli (may Allah lighten his tomb).
Sidi Abu Abdullah Muhammad Al-Jazuli passed away in 869
AH and was buried inside his Zawiya in Afwiral.
Seventy-seven (77) years after his demise, his body was
exhumed for removal to Marrakech (Morocco) and found to
be uncorrupted.
[Adapted from The Encyclopedia of Islam, 1957 Leiden]
He became one of the Seven Men of Marrakech (Morocco) in
addition to Sidi Qadi Ayaad, Sidi al-Abbas Sabti, Sidi
Joussouf Ben Ali, Sidi Abdul Aziz, Sidi Moul al-Ksour,
and Sidi al-Soheyli (may Allah be pleased with all of
them).