PART1 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF SHEIKH IBRAHIM NIASSE (RTA) by Dr. Sani Dahiru Abubakar under the supervision of Sheikh Dahiru Abubakar KurmiHis father’s name was Shaykh Abdullahi Niasse and was one of the greatest scholars of the Sene-gambian region in the early 20th century. He initially engaged in arms struggle against the French colonialist before settling down to become a farmer. He was the first Sene-gambian Islamic Tijani scholar to obtain unlimited license of authorization (ijaza mutlaqa) which was granted to him by Shaykh Ahmad Sukayrij (RTA) in Fez. His initial jihad activities against the French colonialists and his rising fame and popularity greatly alarmed the French who exiled him to Gambia in 1900 along with his students after burning down his mosque and library in Taiba, the village he founded earlier. He later returned to settle down in Kaolack probably with the help of his friend’s mediation with the then French authorities’ Al-hajj Malik Sy. He was blessed to have received many favours and gifts from Allah (SWT) and was among the respected and well-versed Tijani scholars of his time. For instance, he was given the original copy of Jawahirul Ma’ani in Shaykh Ali Harazimi’s (the closest disciple of Shaykh Ahmad Tijani) own hand writing as well as the prayer rosary of Shaykh Ahmad Tijjani (RTA) by the head muqadam of the Fez zawiyya Sidi Arabi bin Muhibb. He also use to have the waking vision of Shaykh Ahmad Tijani (RTA) where in one of their encounters prayed to Allah (SWT) for one of his children to become the Ghawth al-zaman (leader of all saints for the age). Before leaving the zawiyya, he saw a vision of his young son Ibrahim in the courtyard and knew that his prayers had been answered.HIS BIRTH:Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse (RTA) was born in Taiba located in present day Senegal on the November 8th 1900 which was equivalent to 15 Rajab 1320 AH to Shaykh Abdullahi Niasse and Sayyada Aishatu. The month that she conceived the Shaykh, she dreamt of standing in a high place and saw the moon came down upon her. She narrated the dream to her husband who advised her to keep it secret.EDUCATION AND EARLY LIFE:The Shaykh (RTA) said “I learned Quran and hadith from my father and received my first ijaza from my father, then from Shaykh Aburrahman bin al-hajj al-alawi then from Shaykh Ahmad Sukayrij who himself had eraned some 600 different ijaza from different shuyukhs”. Shaykh Ahmad Sukayrij stated that “the one to whom I gave authorization in all these chains of transmission was the Khalifa al-hajj Ibrahim Niasse.” The young Shaykh was brought up in an atmosphere of religious training and learning and by the age of 20, he started preaching and teaching Islam due to his academic brilliance and mastering of almost all fields of Islamic sciences.An important event in his early life was the foretelling of his great spiritual position of the Sahibul Fayda (Inheritor of the spiritual flood) by the Mauritanian Shaykh, Abdullahi wuld al-Hajj (RTA) a great Islamic scholar and Tijani saint who was among those who sought for the spiritual station of Sahibul Fayda (Inheritor of the spiritual flood), a very lofty spiritual position foretold by Shaykh Ahmad Tijjani (RTA) who said: “A fayda will overwhelm my companions to the point that people will enter our path in multitudes. This Fayda will come at a time when mankind will be in a state of utmost difficulties.” The clarity of the matter came to Shaykh Abdullahi wuld al-Hajj (RTA) when he discovered that Allah has already granted it to Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse (RTA) in a vision just when he was about to declare the lofty spiritual position for himself. After series of eventful occurrences he was able to locate the home of the then young Ibrahim through spiritual guidance. Upon seeing him, he remarked “Allahu akbar, by Allah this is the Sahibul Fayda great saints have so longingly sought”. He ordered the Shaykh’s father to keep the matter secret until such a time Allah wills the affair to be public. Upon returning home Shaykh Abdullahi Chinguiti informed his children and admonished them to hearken to the Shaykh’s call when Allah has made the matter open to all.EARLY PREACHING AND ACTIVITIES WITHIN SENEGAL:After the death of Shaykh Ibrahim’s father, Shaykh Abdullahi wuld al-Hajj returned to Kaolack to offer his condolences to the family. He chose to be accommodated in Shaykh Ibrahim’s room which provided him with the opportunity for the guest to give his host the glad tidings of his spiritual position and transfer privileged Tijani secrets to the young Shaykh. He was however warned not to disclose his status to anyone until news has reached him of his own death which the young — R.T.A
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 19:05:14 +0000
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