Ibrahim El-Desouki
Encyclopedia
'Ibrahīm Bin ʿAbd-El-ʿAzīz 'Abu al-Majd , better known as El-Desouki (الدسوقي) (Desouk, Egypt
, 1255 - 1296), was a Sufi
saint and Imam
and the founder of the Desouki Order.
and there he lived he whole life, hence his attribution to it. According to tradition, He is a descendant of Ali ibn Abi Talib from his paternal side and to the Caliph of the Rifa'i
order in Egypt from his maternal side. El-Desouki was influenced by the Shadhili
Sufi order and was as well close to his contemporary Sufi Ahmad al-Badawi
of Tanta
. He became Sheikh ul-Islam
of Egypt during Baibars
' rule.
His feast is celebrated twice a year: the first during April, and the second on October the 2nd.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, 1255 - 1296), was a Sufi
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
saint and Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
and the founder of the Desouki Order.
Life
El-Desouki was born in Desouk on the Nile deltaNile Delta
The Nile Delta is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers some 240 km of Mediterranean coastline—and is a rich...
and there he lived he whole life, hence his attribution to it. According to tradition, He is a descendant of Ali ibn Abi Talib from his paternal side and to the Caliph of the Rifa'i
Rifa'i
The Rifa'i order is an eminent Sufi order founded by Ahmed ar-Rifa'i and developed in the Lower Iraq marshlands between Wasit and Basra. The Rifa'iyya had its greatest following until the 15th century C.E. when it was overtaken by the Qadiri order. Presently the order is said to maintain...
order in Egypt from his maternal side. El-Desouki was influenced by the Shadhili
Shadhili
The Shadhili Tariqa is a Sufi order of Sunni Islam founded by Abul Hasan Ali ash-Shadhili. Followers of the Shadhiliya are known as Shadhilis....
Sufi order and was as well close to his contemporary Sufi Ahmad al-Badawi
Ahmad al-Badawi
The Shaykh Ahmad Al-Badawī was a Muslim founder of the Badawiyyah Sufi order. He was born in Fes, Morocco in 596 AH and died in Tanta, Egypt in 675 AH...
of Tanta
Tanta
Tanta is a city in Egypt. It is the country's fifth largest populated area, with an estimated 429,000 inhabitants . Tanta is located north of Cairo and southeast of Alexandria...
. He became Sheikh ul-Islam
Sheikh ul-Islam
Shaykh al-Islām is a title of superior authority in the issues of Islam....
of Egypt during Baibars
Baibars
Baibars or Baybars , nicknamed Abu l-Futuh , was a Mamluk Sultan of Egypt. He was one of the commanders of the forces which inflicted a devastating defeat on the Seventh Crusade of King Louis IX of France and he led the vanguard of the Egyptian army at the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260, which marked...
' rule.
His feast is celebrated twice a year: the first during April, and the second on October the 2nd.
External links
- Anatomy of Sufism, Al-AhramAl-AhramAl-Ahram , founded in 1875, is the most widely circulating Egyptian daily newspaper, and the second oldest after al-Waqa'i`al-Masriya . It is majority owned by the Egyptian government....