Sa'eed Ibn Isa Al-Amoudi

''Sheikh'' Sa’eed ibn Isa Al-Amoudi (1203/1204-1272) (Arabic:الشيخ سعيد بن عيسى العمودي) was a prominent Sunni Shafi’i Islamic scholar of Hadhramaut and was known by the epithet ''Wali Allah'', meaning Saint of God. He had exercised significant spiritual influence and leadership in religious affairs in his region of birth, the Wadi Daw’an, bringing eminence to his birth town Qaydun. This influence would be inherited by his descendants, the Al-Amoudi tribe who would go on to establish an independent state in Wadi Daw’an and found the village of Budha which would serve as the capital of the Al-Amoudi state.

Family background and upbringing

Sheikh Sa’eed ibn Isa Al-Amoudi Al-Bakri At-Taymi Al-Qurayshi Al-Kinani was born in the year 600 Hijri (1203/1204 CE) in the town of Qaydun in the Wadi Daw’an region of Hadhramaut in Yemen. His father Sheikh Isa ibn Ahmad Al-Amoudi was originally an inhabitant of Medina and was also the ''Mufti of Medina'', he had decided to migrate to Nubia, further on to Abyssinia, finally travelling to Hadhramaut where he settled, he had left some of his sons back in Nubia. Isa ibn Ahmad was a fifth generation descendant of Hejazi saint Sa’eed ibn Isa Al-Bakri who was known as ''Amoududdin'' meaning Pillar of the religion, due to his habit of offering ''Salah'' plentifully, thus the family name ''Al-Amoudi'' derives from him.Abdullah ibn Omar Al-Amoudi. ''معرفة النسب من أحكام الشريعة''. Sa’eed ibn Isa Al-Bakri in turn was a descendant of the first Muslim Caliph Abu Bakr As-Siddiq’s eldest son Abdur-Rahman. Sheikh Sa’eed ibn Isa Al-Amoudi’s lineage back to him as follows is; Sa’eed ibn Isa ibn Ahmad ibn Sha’ban ibn Sa’eed ibn Ahmad ibn Sa’eed ''Amoududdin'' ibn Isa ibn Sha’ban ibn Isa ibn Dawood ibn Muhammad ibn Nuh ibn Talha ibn Abdullah ibn Abdurrahman ibn Abu Bakr As-Siddiq At-Taymi Al-Qurayshi. Sheikh Sa’eed ibn Isa’s mother was from the Bani Muhammad of the Hadhrami Siban tribe and was a woman of piety who was dedicated to charitable works, the Siban tribe were Himyarites. Sa’eed ibn Isa in his youth was diligent in attending the lessons of local scholars of Qaydun, being eager to learn from them.

His learning of Tasawwuf and his works

Sa’eed ibn Isa Al-Amoudi had initially learnt and took from the ''Tariqah'' of Abu Madyan Shu’ayb ibn Husayn Al-Andalusi, a Maliki Sufi master of Andalusian origin residing in Morocco who himself was a student of the renowned Hanbali saint Sayyid Abdul Qadir Jilani. Among others who learnt from Abu Madyan Shu’ayb were Ibn Hammad and Ibn Arabi. Sa’eed ibn Isa became exposed to the ways of Abu Madyan via his envoy to Hadhramaut, Sheikh Abdullah al-Salih al-Maghribi. Sa’eed ibn Isa was also a student of the founder of the ''Ba’Alawi Tariqah'', ''Faqih Al-Muqaddam'' Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali Ba’Alawi, Muhammad ibn Ali himself was also a student of Abu Madyan Shu’ayb.

Together with Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali Ba’Alawi, Sheikh Sa’eed ibn Isa Al-Amoudi went to Tarim and decided to break their swords, as a symbol of the transition from the prevailing aspects of social life in that era, to the life of asceticism and abandoning politics, as the sword at that time symbolized plunder, robbery, crime, and the pursuit of rule, revenge, and retaliation.

Sheikh Sa’eed ibn Isa Al-Amoudi after years of learning under different ''Sufi Mashaikh'' and their different methods was able to develop his own way of ''Tasawwuf'', which would be known as the ''Tariqah Al-Amoudiyyah'', which is one of the renowned twenty three different ways of Tasawwuf that took root in Hadhramaut as is mentioned by the Hadhrami scholar Abdur Rahman ibn Abdullah Balfaqih in his work, ''Raf’a Al-Ustar'', ‘Raising the Curtains.’ This way of ''Tasawwuf'' is prevalent in Hadhramaut, especially amongst his direct descendants, the Al-Amoudi family and in other Hadhrami diaspora areas such as in Java, Sumatra, etc. in the Malay Archipelago or Gujarat, The Malabar Coast, Hyderabad, Bengal, etc. in the Indian Subcontinent where his descendants spread with the Hadhrami migrations.

Staff of Moses and Coat of Joseph

Abu Madyan Shu’ayb of Morocco was alleged to have had possession of the ''Staff of Moses'' and the ''Coat of Joseph'', and he had stipulated in his will before his demise in 1198 CE, that they be sent to ''Faqih Al-Muqaddam'' Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali Ba’Alawi in Hadhramaut. Thus after the death of Abu Madyan Shu’ayb, an envoy took the staff and started travelling to Hadhramaut via Iraq, stopping at Mecca whereupon he had become ill and died. So, another man continued the journey with the staff and coat and arrived in Tarim where it came to the hands of Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali Ba’Alawi. Sheikh Sa’eed ibn Isa Al-Amoudi was a great friend and student of Muhammad ibn Ali, and so he gave the ''Staff of Moses'' and the ''Coat of Joseph'' to him in order to honor him. Sa’eed ibn Isa had died in his region of birth, the Wadi Daw’an and so the staff and coat are now in the custodianship of his descendants whose headquarters are in the village of Budha.

The staff in possession of the Al-Amoudi family is stated to be three cubits tall, this is contrary to the well-accepted description of the Staff of Moses being ten cubits long. Additionally, the staff in the possession of the Al-Amoudi family is described as having a sweet smell, a tip made of whitish brass tinged with silver and black smudge marks over it. The alleged coat is inside a cubed-shaped bundle of yellow satin which itself is kept inside green velvet, the Al-Amoudi family though is claimed to have never opened up the bundle to see it. The staff and coat regularly attracts visitors in Hadhramaut, and from the Hadhrami diaspora, it is in the possession of Sheikh Mutahar Abood Al-Amoudi as of 2007.

Sayings of Sa’eed ibn Isa Al-Amoudi

Ahmed ibn Abi Al-Ja'ad asked him about the nature of the path of ''Tasawwuf'', to this Sa’eed ibn Isa replied; “The path of Tasawwuf is path of the ''Muhaqiq,'' the one that seeks the truth and the path of the ''Mujtahid,'' the jurist. The path of the ''Muhaqiq'' is abandoning people, cutting worldly ties and striving to be a ''Khadim'' of ''Al-Malik'', The King, ''Al-Khaliq'', The Creator. The path of the ''Mujtahid'' is observing ''Sawm'', standing in ''Salah'' and abandoning sins.”

Sa’eed ibn Isa was asked about the attributes of '' Faqeer As-Sabr'', the patient one that has renounced worldly wealth, to this he said; “ He should wear a coat of mail to protect him from affliction, a cloak to protect him from isolation, a robe to protect him from loss of humility, trousers to protect him from loss of chastity, a cloak to protect him from loss of modesty, a cloak to protect him from loss of vigilance, a staff to protect him from loss of trust, a torch to protect him from loss of steadfastness, a sandal to protect him from loss of patience, and a toothpick to protect him from loss of contentment. He should take a corner of knowledge and a drink of wisdom. When he stands at the door of ''Al-Malik'', he has reached the end. When he reaches the end, he will be given strange qualities by which he will be known. When he is known by them, he will be finer than water and higher than the sky, and his side will be more fertile than summer. His ambition is sharper than the sword, and his speech prevents injustice. He is like the sea, in which the washer washes and the eater eats from its fish. The one who enters it is relieved from the fatigue of the distance, and it saves him from fear. If he speaks, he is truthful, and if he is told, he is believed. He is fair to himself, but does not seek justice for himself. Whatever Allah provides him, he is satisfied with and content, and he does not wrong any of the creation of Allah, and if he is wronged, he is patient and forgives.”

Sa’eed ibn Isa was asked about the status of a ''Sheikh'', and the one who deserves to be one, he replied;

“To have a wandering mind, a substantial thought, a beautiful debate, a generous reviewer, great patience, abundant knowledge, broad-minded, humble soul, his speech is a smile, his questioning is learning, he reminds the heedless, and teaches the ignorant, he does not rejoice over a calamity, nor does he mention anyone in absentia, he is trustworthy with trusts, far from betrayal, he does not treat those who are ignorant of him with ignorance, he is happy with those who come to him, he is friendly with the stranger, he helps the Muslims in every matter that is shameful, he is a father to the orphan, he helps the weak, the forlorn. His heart, happy with his Lord, is lonely with the people of this world. He is not stingy, nor is he hasty, nor does he seek revenge, nor does he get angry with those who harm him, but rather he is patient, and forgives, and does not delve into what does not concern him. If he is insulted, he does not insult, and if he is asked, he does not refuse, and if he is refused, he does not get angry. He is softer than foam, and sweeter than honey, close to goodness and its people, far from evil and its people. He does not get angry except by the judgment of His justice, knowing the principles and branches of the religion.”

Legacy and death

Sheikh Sa’eed ibn Isa Al-Amoudi married the daughter of Sheikh Ahmed ibn Sa’eed Ba’ Wa’ar of the Banu Afif of the Kindah and had two sons Muhammad and Ali, he died in around 1272 CE in his birth town Qaydun in the Wadi Daw’an. He was buried next to his ''Masjid'', now called ''Sheikh Sa’eed ibn Isa Al-Amoudi Masjid'' in Qaydun, his grave is a major attraction site in Hadhramaut.

Sa’eed ibn Isa had extensive religious and spiritual influence in Hadhramaut, and his ''Mansab'', his status was inherited by his sons Muhammad and Ali, with Sheikh Muhammad ibn Sa’eed Al-Amoudi being his successor, in his position Muhammad ibn Sa’eed was able to further strengthen his father’s legacy in Hadhrami society, and so did his successors.Al-Maqhafi, Ibrahim Ahmad (1422 AH). ''Dictionary of Yemeni Countries and Tribes'' . Sana’a, Yemen: Dar Al-Kalima. Vol. 2, Part Two, p. 1124 It got to an extent that tribal chiefs and army men rallied around the Al-Amoudi family, thus giving the family political influence as well with religious authority. The first one to use this political power was Sheikh Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al-Amoudi, great-great-great grandson of Sa’eed ibn Isa who conquered the town of Al-Khurayba in the year 1433 CE. The Al-Amoudi family would establish a state, independent of the Al-Kathiri Sultanate in 1531 CE under the leadership of Sheikh Uthman ibn Ahmed Al-Amoudi which would sustain until 1899 CE whereupon it fell to the Al-Quaiti Sultanate.Bahnan, Muhammad ibn Ali Zakin . ''Good News for the Prospectors of the Glory of the Umayyads'' . Al-Mukalla, Yemen: Bahnan House.

His descendants, the Al-Amoudi family also established the village Budha during their political tenure, which served as the capital of their state. The Al-Amoudi family is considered the most important family amongst the ''Mashaikh'' tribes of Hadhramaut which include the Ba’ Wazeer, Ba’Abbad, etc., second in prestige to only the Ba’Alawi sada whom descended from Sayyid Ahmed Al-Muhajir who in turn descended from Husayn ibn Ali, grandson of The Prophet Muhammad.

References

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Yemeni Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam
Yemeni Sufi saints
Islamic scholars
Yemeni Sufis
Yemeni people of Hejazi descent
13th-century Muslim scholars of Islam
Hadhramaut
Hadhrami people
Year of birth uncertain
People from Hadhramaut Governorate
1272 deaths
1200s births
Shafi'is
13th-century Islamic religious leaders
13th-century Sufis
Banu Abu Bakr