Abu Madyan Shuʿayb ibn al-Husayn al-Ansari al-Andalusi (; c. 1126 – 1198 CE), commonly known as Abū Madyan, was an influential Andalusian mystic and a great

Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

master. Some even refer to him as the national figure of

Maghreb The Maghreb (; ), also known as the Arab Maghreb () and Northwest Africa, is the western part of the Arab world. The region comprises western and central North Africa, including Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia. The Maghreb al ...

mysticism as he was such a forerunner of Sufism in this geographical area. Devoted to the fervent service of God, he helped introduce looking into oneself and harmonizing internal occurrences with the external observances through asceticism.["Sidi Boumediene Chouaib, center of Sufism in the Maghreb: A name linked to the ancient city"">"Sidi Boumediene Chouaib, pôle du soufisme au Maghreb: Un nom lié à la ville ancestrale" ["Sidi Boumediene Chouaib, center of Sufism in the Maghreb: A name linked to the ancient city"
/nowiki>] . ''El Moudjahid'' (Algiers). 16 April 2011. Among his most famous students were Ibn 'Arabi (d. 637/1240) and the historian Ibn Hammad (historian), Ibn Hammad (d. 628/1230).

Life

Abu Madyan was born in

Cantillana Cantillana () is a town located in the province of Seville, Andalusia, southern Spain. It was the birthplace of Sufi mystic Abu Madyan. Energy Solar: 3.78 MW h solar farm (bannered by Prodiel.com) on the train station side of the Guadalquivir riv ...

, a small town about 35 km away from

Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...

, in 1126. He came from an obscure family and his parents were poor. As he grew up, he learned the trade of a weaver as it was a popular practice at the time. His insatiable hunger for knowledge, however, piqued his interest in the

Qur'an The Quran, also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation directly from God ('' Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which consist of individual verses ('). Besides ...

and the study of religion and

mysticism Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute (philosophy), Absolute, but may refer to any kind of Religious ecstasy, ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or Spirituality, spiritual meani ...

. After crossing the

Strait of Gibraltar The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Europe from Africa. The two continents are separated by 7.7 nautical miles (14.2 kilometers, 8.9 miles) at its narrowest point. Fe ...

, he worked for a while in ''Sabta'' (

Ceuta Ceuta (, , ; ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain#Autonomous cities, autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta is one of th ...

) with fishermen. Afterwards, he went to

Marrakesh Marrakesh or Marrakech (; , ) is the fourth-largest city in Morocco. It is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakesh–Safi Regions of Morocco, region. The city lies west of the foothills of the Atlas Mounta ...

, where he served in the Almoravid army defending the city. Soon after, Abu Madyan traveled to Fez to complete his education. He left for Fez at about the end of the

Almoravid The Almoravid dynasty () was a Berber Muslim dynasty centered in the territory of present-day Morocco. It established an empire that stretched over the western Maghreb and Al-Andalus, starting in the 1050s and lasting until its fall to the Almo ...

era or at the beginning of the founding of the

Almohad The Almohad Caliphate (; or or from ) or Almohad Empire was a North African Berber Muslim empire founded in the 12th century. At its height, it controlled much of the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus) and North Africa (the Maghreb). The Almohad ...

state. There, he studied under Abu Ya’azza al-Hazmiri, ‘Ali Hirzihim, and al-Dakkak. It was al-Dakkak that provided him with the ''

khirka A Sheikh or shaykh (, pl. , ), of Sufism is a Sufi who is authorized to teach, initiate and guide aspiring dervishes in the Islamic faith. The sheik is vital to the path of the novice Sufi, for the sheik has himself travelled the path of mystic ...

'', the cloak passed from Master to student in the study of Sufism. Abu Madyan was particularly fascinated with mysticism by Sidi Ali Ibn Harazem. After finishing his studies with his master Abu Ya'za, he traveled to the Orient. During his time in the Orient, he became familiar with the works of

Al-Ghazali Al-Ghazali ( – 19 December 1111), archaically Latinized as Algazelus, was a Shafi'i Sunni Muslim scholar and polymath. He is known as one of the most prominent and influential jurisconsults, legal theoreticians, muftis, philosophers, the ...

, one of the most prominent theologians, philosophers, and mystics of

Sunni Islam Sunni Islam is the largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any Succession to Muhammad, successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr ...

regarded as one of the renewers of the religion. Abu Madyan went to Mecca where he met the great Muslim saint, Jilani, and completed his spiritual training under him. On his return, he went to the town of

Béjaïa Béjaïa ( ; , , ), formerly known as Bougie and Bugia, is a Mediterranean seaport, port city and communes of Algeria, commune on the Gulf of Béjaïa in Algeria; it is the capital of Béjaïa Province. Geography Location Béjaïa owes its ...

where he practiced very strict asceticism and acquired an honorable reputation for his knowledge. People would come far to both listen to his public lectures and consult him on certain manners. People believed he could even perform miracles. His beliefs were in opposition to the Almohade doctors of that town. The Almohads were disturbed at his increasing reputation and wanted to get rid of him. Eventually, Madyan settled in the town of Béjaïa where he established a mosque-school (''zawiya''). The sheer amount of fame and influence that Abu Madyan evoked raised serious concern from the political powers of the time. The Almohad Caliph

Ya’qub al-Mansur Abū Yūsuf Yaʿqūb ibn Yūsuf ibn Abd al-Muʾmin al-Manṣūr (; d. 23 January 1199), commonly known as Yaqub al-Mansur () or Moulay Yacoub (), was the third Almohad caliph. Succeeding his father, al-Mansur reigned from 1184 to 1199. His reig ...

summoned Abu Madyan to

Marrakech Marrakesh or Marrakech (; , ) is the fourth-largest city in Morocco. It is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakesh–Safi Regions of Morocco, region. The city lies west of the foothills of the Atlas Mounta ...

for this reason so he could talk to Abu Madyan himself. Upon his summoning to Marrakech, Abu Madyan was taken ill and died before he reached his destination in 594/1198, near the river of Ysser (). His last sigh was supposedly "Allah al-Haqq." He was buried in al-‘Ubbad near Tlemcen, Algeria. His funeral was widely commemorated by the people of Tlemcen and he has been considered the patron saint and protector of Tlemcen ever since. A mausoleum was built by the order of the Almohade sovereign, Muhammad al-Nasir, too shortly after his death. Many princes and kings of Tlemcen have contributed to this mausoleum since his demise. Many monuments, a good number of them still well preserved, were built in his honor next to his tomb by the

Marinid The Marinid dynasty ( ) was a Berber Muslim dynasty that controlled present-day Morocco from the mid-13th to the 15th century and intermittently controlled other parts of North Africa (Algeria and Tunisia) and of the southern Iberian Peninsula ...

kings, who controlled Tlemcen in the 14th century. One such monument is the Mosque of Madrasa. His tomb became the center of fine architecture and is still a place of pilgrimage for many Sufis today.

Teachings

The basic principles and virtues taught at Madyan’s school in Bejaia were repentance (''tawba''),

asceticism Asceticism is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from worldly pleasures through self-discipline, self-imposed poverty, and simple living, often for the purpose of pursuing Spirituality, spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world ...

(''zuhd''), paying visits to other masters, and service to experienced masters. He emphasized ''futuwa'' (youth/chivalry) but only when accompanied by the obedience of devotees to their master, the avoidance of disagreements between devotees, justice, constancy, nobility of mind, the denunciation of the unjust, and a feeling of satisfaction with the gifts of God. Because of his focus on the acceptance of one’s emotions, Madyan and his followers refused to confine themselves to only asceticism and meditation alone, but instead lived day to day by maintaining close relationships with the people around them. Along with sharing his knowledge and ideas with his disciples, Abu Madyan wrote many poems and spoke in proverbs in order to connect with the masses and not just the intellectuals. According to Yahya ibn Khaldun, Abu Madyan's teachings may all be summed up in this verse which he often repeated, "Say

Allah Allah ( ; , ) is an Arabic term for God, specifically the God in Abrahamic religions, God of Abraham. Outside of the Middle East, it is principally associated with God in Islam, Islam (in which it is also considered the proper name), althoug ...

! and abandon all that is matter, or is connected with it, if though desirest to attain the truth goal."

Legacy

Aside from attaining Ghawth status and teaching hundreds and hundreds of disciples, Abu Madyan left his mark in more ways than one. He gained immense popularity because he was relatable, despite his high scholarly status. He had a personality and way of speaking that united people from all walks of life, from the common people to the academics. Even to this day, scholars say that no one of the time surpassed him in religious and intellectual influence. His school produced hundreds of saints and out of the 46 Sufi saints in the Rif region, 15 were his disciples. People still visit his tomb today for asking God through him, which is called

tawassul Tawassul, is an Arabic word originated from 'wasilat'. The ''wasilah'' is a means by which a person, goal or objective is approached, attained or achieved. In another version of the meaning of tawassul in another text: Tawassul is an Arabic word t ...

, they visit him from all around the world.

Sayings

There are very few surviving writings from Abu Madyan, and of those that do still exist, there are mystical poems, a testament (''wasiyya'') and a creed (''akida''). He encouraged the free expression of emotions rather than rigidity, but also made known his support of asceticism complete devotion to God and a minimalist lifestyle.

Works

* ''Bidayat al Mouridin'', Ms 938, Bibliot. Nat. Alger. * ''Diwan'', (collection of his poems) édit. Chaouar of Tlemcen, Damascus, 1938. * ''Ouns al Wahid'', Ms 2-105 (8) fol. 337–343, Bibliot. Nat. Paris, ed. in Cairo 1301–1884, with a commentary by Ahmed Bâ'chan. * ''Tahfat al Arib'', pub. et trad. in Latin par F. de Dombay, Vindobonae, Ebn Médirai Mauri Fessani Sentenciae quaedam arabicae, 1805 * ''The Way of Abu Madyan'', bilingual collection,

Islamic Texts Society The Islamic Texts Society (ITS) is a peer-reviewed, British publishing house which concentrates on academic and general titles on Islam. It is registered as an educational charity in the UK. History The Islamic Texts Society was founded in Cam ...

, Cambridge, 1996. Transl by

Vincent Cornell Vincent J. Cornell is an American scholar of Islam and the Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Middle East and Islamic Studies at Emory University. Biography Cornell graduated with a B.A. in Anthropology from University of California, Berkeley. He ...

. * ''Adab al-Murid'', A poem on the etiquette of the

murid In Sufism, a (Arabic ) is a novice committed to spiritual enlightenment by (traversing a path) under a spiritual guide, who may take the title , or . A or Sufi follower only becomes a when he makes a pledge () to a . The equivalent Pers ...

for beginners on the spiritual path of suluk.

References

Sources

* Arnaldez, R. "Falsafa". ''

Encyclopaedia of Islam The ''Encyclopaedia of Islam'' (''EI'') is a reference work that facilitates the Islamic studies, academic study of Islam. It is published by Brill Publishers, Brill and provides information on various aspects of Islam and the Muslim world, Isl ...

'', Second Edition. Edited by: P. Bearman;, Th. Bianquis; C.E. Bosworth;, E. van Donzel; and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2011. Brill Online Augustana. 5 April 2011 * Zarcone, Th.; Hunwick, J.O.; Ernst, C.; Jong, F. de;, L. Massignon- . Radtke Aubin, Françoise. "Taṣawwuf (a."). ''

'', Second Edition. Edited by: P. Bearman;, Th. Bianquis;, C.E. Bosworth;, E. van Donzel; and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2011. Brill Online. Augustana. 5 April 2011 * Griffel, Frank, "Al-Ghazali", ''The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' (Fall 2008), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), * Marçais, G. "Abū Madyan, S̲h̲uʿayb b. al-Ḥusayn al-Andalusī". ''

'', Second Edition. Edited by: P. Bearman;, Th. Bianquis;, C.E. Bosworth;, E. van Donzel; and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2011. Brill Online. Augustana. 3 April 2011 {{DEFAULTSORT:Abu Madyan 1120s births 1198 deaths 12th-century writers from al-Andalus People from Vega del Guadalquivir Sufis from al-Andalus Shadhili order University of al-Qarawiyyin alumni Sunni Sufis Supporters of Ibn Arabi