Muhammad al-Tijani
Encyclopedia
Muhammad al-Tijani al-Samawi ,(born 2 February 1943 in Gafsa
, Tunisia
) is a Tunisian Muslim
scholar, academic and theologian.
student who, upon making Hajj
, was influenced by orthodox Saudi teachings, against saint veneration and tomb visitation, which were central to the North African Sufi tradition.
A few years later, al-Samawi was in Egypt
on an Islamic tour of the Middle East and ran into an Iraqi student, Mun'im, who invited him to Iraq to see Shia Islam with his own eyes, and forget what he had heard of them through reputations. Al-Samawi spent several weeks with Mun'im and visited Baghdad
, and Najaf
, and met with several leading Shi'a scholars, including Grand Ayatollah Abul-Qassim Khoei (al-Khu'i), Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr
(Grand Ayatollah to-be) and Allameh Tabatabaei
, who spent hours teaching him about Shia Islam. Eventually, he considered himself converted to the Shi'i school of thought.
Three of his books are also available in Urdu titled as:
by Dr. Muhammad al-Tijani al-Samawi
Gafsa
Gafsa is the capital of Gafsa Governorate of Tunisia. Its name was appropriated by archaeologists for the Mesolithic Capsian culture. With a population of 84,676, it is the 9th Tunisian city.-Overview:...
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
) is a Tunisian Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
scholar, academic and theologian.
Biography
Mohammad al-Tijani al-Samawi was a TunisianDemographics of Tunisia
The majority of modern Tunisians are Arab-Berber orArabized Berber, and are speakers of Tunisian Arabic. However, there is also a small population of Berbers located in the Jabal Dahar mountains in the South East and on the island of Jerba...
student who, upon making Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
, was influenced by orthodox Saudi teachings, against saint veneration and tomb visitation, which were central to the North African Sufi tradition.
A few years later, al-Samawi was in Egypt
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...
on an Islamic tour of the Middle East and ran into an Iraqi student, Mun'im, who invited him to Iraq to see Shia Islam with his own eyes, and forget what he had heard of them through reputations. Al-Samawi spent several weeks with Mun'im and visited Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, and Najaf
Najaf
Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 560,000 people. It is the capital of Najaf Governorate...
, and met with several leading Shi'a scholars, including Grand Ayatollah Abul-Qassim Khoei (al-Khu'i), Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr
Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr
Shahid-e-Khamis Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Baqir al-Sadr was an Iraqi Shi'a cleric, a philosopher, and ideological founder of Islamic Dawa Party born in al-Kazimiya, Iraq. He is the father-in-law of Muqtada al-Sadr and cousin of both Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr and Imam Musa as-Sadr...
(Grand Ayatollah to-be) and Allameh Tabatabaei
Allameh Tabatabaei
Allameh Seyyed Muhammad Husayn Tabatabaei was one of the most prominent thinkers of philosophy and contemporary Shia Islam...
, who spent hours teaching him about Shia Islam. Eventually, he considered himself converted to the Shi'i school of thought.
Works
He wrote five books:- Then I was GuidedThen I was Guided (book)Then I was guided is a book written by the Tunisian Muslim scholar Muhammad al-Tijani.The author found the Shia arguments for their account of history to be valid and sourced, and he began to write about it...
- (Arabic Thumma Ihtadaytu) - Ask those who knowAsk Those Who Know (book)Ask Those Who Know is a book written by the Tunisian Muslim scholar Muhammad al-Tijani.The author found the Shi'a arguments for their account of history to be valid and sourced, and he began to write about it...
- To be with the truthfulTo be with the truthful (book)-Etymology:The name of the book is derived from a Quranic verse: "Oh you who believe, fear Allah and be with the Truthful" -Content:...
- The Shi'ah are (the real) Ahl al-SunnahThe Shi'ah are (the real) Ahl al-Sunnah (book)The Shi'a: The Real Followers of the Sunnah is a book by Muhammad al-Tijani. The title is more accurately translated as "The Shi'ah are the real Ahl al-Sunnah". This book has been published by Message of Peace Inc ....
- Fa siru fi al-Ard
- All solutions are with the prophet's progeny
Three of his books are also available in Urdu titled as:
- 1. 'Aur Mein Hidayat Pa Gia'Another title of this book Printed by Majma Ilmi Islami is TAJALLI
- 2. 'Hukm-may-Azan'
- 3. 'Ho Jao Sachchon Ke Saath'
- 4. 'Tajali'
External links
- A series of books by Muhammad al-Tijani with English translations
- LES RELATIONS ENTRE LA COMMUNAUTÉ TIJANE DU SÉNÉGAL ET LA ZAWIYA DE FÈZ, article by OUMAR KANE, Professeur, Département d’Histoire, Faculté des Lettres & Sciences Humaines, Dakar (French with English summary)
- Striving for Right Guidance — A speech delivered
- Collection of Al-Tijani Arabic ( original) books
by Dr. Muhammad al-Tijani al-Samawi