By: Professor Rüdiger Seesemann (Germany)
In: The Shurafa and the Blacksmith: The Role of the Idaw 'Ali of Mauritania in the Career of the Senegalese Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse (1900-75). Published in: {The Transmission of Learning in Islamic Africa (2004) - [Chapter 3, pgs 72-98], Edited by Dr. Scott S. Resse}
AND
The Divine Flood: Ibrāhīm Niasse and the Roots of a Twentieth-Century Sufi Revival (2011)
Muhamdi Baddi b. Sidina (d. 1264/1847-1848)...had his license from his father-in-law Muhammad al-Hafiz b. al-Mukhtar al-'Alawi (d. 1248/1831-1832), who was initiated by Ahmad al-Tijani in Fez in the year 1800.
The early spread of the Tijaniyya in Mauritania and the Western Sudan was essentially the work of Muhammad al-Hafiz (from whom the branch derived its name) and his successors. Virtually all nineteenth-century West African Tijani leaders received their original appointments from Hafizi scholars.
In a letter from 1934, Niasse referred to the Hafizi chain as “the highest and the most treasured.”
When Muhammad al-Hafiz passed away, his succession was shared by his eldest son Ahmaddu, known as Manna (d. 1325/1907-1908), and his closest confidant and brother-in-law Muhamdi Baddi b. Sidina, known as Hassan al-Tariq (b. 1202/1787-1788, d. 1264/1847-1248).
The epithet Hassan al-Tariq is an allusion to Hassan b. Thabit, a companion of the Prophet known for his beautiful praise poetry (panegyric). Muhamdi Baddi was also a celebrated poet, whose verses continue to be memorized and recited among the Idaw 'Ali.
In the course of the fierce controversies over the teachings of Ahmad al-Tijani that evolved among Mauritanian scholars as early as the first half of the nineteenth century, Baddi composed several poems in defense of his Sufi order that earned him the nickname Hassan al-Tariq (the Tijaniyya order's Hassan).
In addition, he managed to establish himself as one of the three major leaders within the Hafiziyya branch of the Tijaniyya, the other two being Ahmaddu ibn Muhammad al-Hafiz, also known as Abba, and Mawlud Fal.
The head of the Baddi lineage (in the third generation) was Ahmad’s son Muhammad al-Amin (d. 1383/1963-1964).
Muhammad al-Hafiz, the founding figure of the Tijaniyya in Mauritania, had chosen Muhamdi Baddi’s sister Fatima bt. Sidina, known as Hututu, as one of the ten deputies he was allowed to appoint according to his ijaza from Ahmad al-Tijani.
MONTH OF APRIL: MONTH OF MAWLID AN-NABIYY (BIRTH OF THE PROPHET) - {20th of April, 570 AD}
Poem authored by:
Baddi bin Sidina (known as 'Hassan al-tariq' or the Hassan of the Tariqa Tijaniya)
In: His mawlid poem called 'Tania'.
Poem translation extracted from ongoing Translation of the Tania by:
Mustafa Okon-Briggs
»»»
أهلا بشهر العجم......ابريل شهر الكرم
أكرم بأرض الحرم ..... مولد خير مرسل
Meaning;
Welcome to the non-Arabic month,.....April the month of nobility,
When the Holy Land was ennobled,......with the birth of the best of messengers
»»»
أهلا بشهر نيسان ..... مولد خير إنسان
قدوة أهل الإحسان ..... والكامل المكمل
Meaning;
Welcome to the month of Nissan (April),.......the (time of the) birth of the best of all men,
the role-model of the people of excellence (Ihsan),.......and the complete one who makes others complete
Note;
These couplets where written by the Mauritanian Tijani Scholar and poet Baddi bin Sidina in his mawlid poem 'Tania'.
Baddi was also known as 'Hassan al-tariq' or the Hassan of the Tariqa Tijaniya in reference to Hassan ibn Thabit, the poet of the prophet who defended Islam and praised the prophet with his poetry.
This poem was recited during mawlid season by Sheikh al-Islam Ibrahim Niasse and makes reference to the fact that the prophet saws was born on the 20th of April in the Gregorian calendar.
In accordance with this, Sheikh Ibrahim Niasse established a mawlud at his house in Dakar every 20th of April, a tradition which is still upheld by his family until this day.
The practice is also continued by one of Sheikh Ibrahims muqaddams in Mauritania Sheikh Ould khayri who organises a mawlid in his village of Boubacare every 20th of April.
TAH'NIAT AR-RABEE'HI (GREETING OF [THE SEASON OF MAWLID] RABEE'HU-L-AWWAL)
Translated by: Khalifa (Dr.) Awwal Baba-Taofiq
In His Book:
The Icon of Mystics: Shaykh Ibrahim Niass Al-Kawlakhy
The following is an extract from the Tah'niah;
»»» »»» »»» »»» »»» »»»
ﻳﺎ ﺭﺑﻨﺎ ﺻﻞ ﻋﻠﻰ *** ﺧﻴﺮ ﺍﻷﻧﺎﻡ ﻣﻦ ﻋﻼ
ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﺴﻤﻮﺍﺕ ﺍﻟﻌﻠﻰ *** ﺑﺈﺫﻥ ﺭﺑﻪ ﺍﻟﻌﻠﻲ
Yaa Rabbanaa salli alaa *** khayri-l-anaam man 'alaa
'alaa-s-samaawaati l 'ulaa *** bi-idhni Rabihi-l-'ulaa
Oh our Lord! Bless the *** best of mankind, who is high-up...
more than the high heaven *** with the leave of his Lord, the Exalted.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
»»» »»» »»» »»» »»» »»»
ﺗﻬﻨﺌﺔ ﺍﻟﺮﺑﻴﻊ *** ﺑﻤﺪﺣﺔ ﺍﻟﺸﻔﻴﻊ
ﺑﺎﻟﻤﻨﻄﻖ ﺍﻟﺒﺪﻳﻊ *** ﺃﺑﻐﻲ ﺑﻬﺎ ﻣﺆﻣﻠﻲ
Tah'niatu-r-Rabee'hi *** bi-mid'hati-sh-
shafee'hi
Bil Mantiqi-l-badee'hi *** abgii bihaa mu'amalii
Greeting of the season (of Rabiu-l-Awwal) *** with eulogy of the supreme intercessor (Muhammad)..
(made up of) rhetorical expression *** by it, I seek for my aspiration.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
»»» »»» »»» »»» »»» »»»
ﺃﻫﻼ ﺑﺸﻬﺮ ﺍﻟﻤﻮﻟﺪ *** ﺷﻬﺮ ﺍﻟﻌﻼ ﻭﺍﻟﺴﺆﺩﺩ
ﺷﻬﺮ ﺍﻟﻨﺒﻲ ﺃﺣﻤﺪ *** ﺷﻬﺮ ﺭﺑﻴﻊ ﺍﻷﻭﻝ
Ahlaan bi shahri-l-mawlidi *** shahru-l-'ulaa wa-s-su'dadi
Shahru-n-Nabiyyi Ahmadin *** shahru
Rabee'hi-l-Awwali
Welcome to the month of birthday (of the Prophet) *** the month of greatness and leadership...
the month of Prophet Ahmad *** the month of Rabi'u-l-Awwal.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
»»» »»» »»» »»» »»» »»»
ﻗﺪ ﺧﺺ ﺑﺎﻟﺮﺑﻴﻊ *** ﺇﺫ ﻛﺎﻥ ﻛﺎﻟﺮﺑﻴﻊ
ﻟﻸﺭﺽ ﻭﺍﻟﺸﻔﻴﻊ *** ﺑﻜﻞ ﺧﻄﺐ ﻣﻌﻀﻞ
Qad khasa bi-Rabee'hi *** idh kaana ka-rabee'hi
Lil-ardi wa shafee'hi *** bi-kuli khatbi
mu'adalin
It (Prophet's birth) was designed (to take place) in the month of Rabi'u-l-Awwal *** for being analogous to Rabi' (harvest time)...
for the (entire) world and a solution *** to every difficult situation.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
أهلا بشهر الفرح ** شهر ذهاب الترح.
وفخرنا والمرح ** شهر النبي الأفضل.
شهر الفلاح والسرر ** شهر به ساد الدهور.
موشح بين الشهور ** متوج مكلل.
أهلا بشهر الفاتح ** إغلاق كون الفاتح.
من خص بالفواتح ** وحار ختم الملل.
أهلا بالشهر الخاتم ** شهر نبي القسم.
وفاتح وخاتم ** وءاخر وأول
In: The Shurafa and the Blacksmith: The Role of the Idaw 'Ali of Mauritania in the Career of the Senegalese Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse (1900-75). Published in: {The Transmission of Learning in Islamic Africa (2004) - [Chapter 3, pgs 72-98], Edited by Dr. Scott S. Resse}
AND
The Divine Flood: Ibrāhīm Niasse and the Roots of a Twentieth-Centu
Muhamdi Baddi b. Sidina (d. 1264/
The early spread of the Tijaniyya in Mauritania and the Western Sudan was essentially the work of Muhammad al-Hafiz (from whom the branch derived its name) and his successors. Virtually all nineteenth-cent
In a letter from 1934, Niasse referred to the Hafizi chain as “the highest and the most treasured.”
When Muhammad al-Hafiz passed away, his succession was shared by his eldest son Ahmaddu, known as Manna (d. 1325/
The epithet Hassan al-Tariq is an allusion to Hassan b. Thabit, a companion of the Prophet known for his beautiful praise poetry (panegyric). Muhamdi Baddi was also a celebrated poet, whose verses continue to be memorized and recited among the Idaw 'Ali.
In the course of the fierce controversies over the teachings of Ahmad al-Tijani that evolved among Mauritanian scholars as early as the first half of the nineteenth century, Baddi composed several poems in defense of his Sufi order that earned him the nickname Hassan al-Tariq (the Tijaniyya order's Hassan).
In addition, he managed to establish himself as one of the three major leaders within the Hafiziyya branch of the Tijaniyya, the other two being Ahmaddu ibn Muhammad al-Hafiz, also known as Abba, and Mawlud Fal.
The head of the Baddi lineage (in the third generation) was Ahmad’s son Muhammad al-Amin (d. 1383/
Muhammad al-Hafiz, the founding figure of the Tijaniyya in Mauritania, had chosen Muhamdi Baddi’s sister Fatima bt. Sidina, known as Hututu, as one of the ten deputies he was allowed to appoint according to his ijaza from Ahmad al-Tijani.
MONTH OF APRIL: MONTH OF MAWLID AN-NABIYY (BIRTH OF THE PROPHET) - {20th of April, 570 AD}
Poem authored by:
Baddi bin Sidina (known as 'Hassan al-tariq' or the Hassan of the Tariqa Tijaniya)
In: His mawlid poem called 'Tania'.
Poem translation extracted from ongoing Translation of the Tania by:
Mustafa Okon-Briggs
»»»
أهلا بشهر العجم......ابري
أكرم بأرض الحرم ..... مولد خير مرسل
Meaning;
Welcome to the non-Arabic month,.....Apri
When the Holy Land was ennobled,......
»»»
أهلا بشهر نيسان ..... مولد خير إنسان
قدوة أهل الإحسان ..... والكامل المكمل
Meaning;
Welcome to the month of Nissan (April),.......
the role-model of the people of excellence (Ihsan),.......
Note;
These couplets where written by the Mauritanian Tijani Scholar and poet Baddi bin Sidina in his mawlid poem 'Tania'.
Baddi was also known as 'Hassan al-tariq' or the Hassan of the Tariqa Tijaniya in reference to Hassan ibn Thabit, the poet of the prophet who defended Islam and praised the prophet with his poetry.
This poem was recited during mawlid season by Sheikh al-Islam Ibrahim Niasse and makes reference to the fact that the prophet saws was born on the 20th of April in the Gregorian calendar.
In accordance with this, Sheikh Ibrahim Niasse established a mawlud at his house in Dakar every 20th of April, a tradition which is still upheld by his family until this day.
The practice is also continued by one of Sheikh Ibrahims muqaddams in Mauritania Sheikh Ould khayri who organises a mawlid in his village of Boubacare every 20th of April.
TAH'NIAT AR-RABEE'HI (GREETING OF [THE SEASON OF MAWLID] RABEE'HU-L-AWWA
Translated by: Khalifa (Dr.) Awwal Baba-Taofiq
In His Book:
The Icon of Mystics: Shaykh Ibrahim Niass Al-Kawlakhy
The following is an extract from the Tah'niah;
»»» »»» »»» »»» »»» »»»
ﻳﺎ ﺭﺑﻨﺎ ﺻﻞ ﻋﻠﻰ *** ﺧﻴﺮ ﺍﻷﻧﺎﻡ ﻣﻦ ﻋﻼ
ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﺴﻤﻮﺍﺕ ﺍﻟﻌﻠﻰ *** ﺑﺈﺫﻥ ﺭﺑﻪ ﺍﻟﻌﻠﻲ
Yaa Rabbanaa salli alaa *** khayri-l-anaam man 'alaa
'alaa-s-samaawa
Oh our Lord! Bless the *** best of mankind, who is high-up...
more than the high heaven *** with the leave of his Lord, the Exalted.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
»»» »»» »»» »»» »»» »»»
ﺗﻬﻨﺌﺔ ﺍﻟﺮﺑﻴﻊ *** ﺑﻤﺪﺣﺔ ﺍﻟﺸﻔﻴﻊ
ﺑﺎﻟﻤﻨﻄﻖ ﺍﻟﺒﺪﻳﻊ *** ﺃﺑﻐﻲ ﺑﻬﺎ ﻣﺆﻣﻠﻲ
Tah'niatu-r-Rab
shafee'hi
Bil Mantiqi-l-badee
Greeting of the season (of Rabiu-l-Awwal) *** with eulogy of the supreme intercessor (Muhammad)..
(made up of) rhetorical expression *** by it, I seek for my aspiration.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
»»» »»» »»» »»» »»» »»»
ﺃﻫﻼ ﺑﺸﻬﺮ ﺍﻟﻤﻮﻟﺪ *** ﺷﻬﺮ ﺍﻟﻌﻼ ﻭﺍﻟﺴﺆﺩﺩ
ﺷﻬﺮ ﺍﻟﻨﺒﻲ ﺃﺣﻤﺪ *** ﺷﻬﺮ ﺭﺑﻴﻊ ﺍﻷﻭﻝ
Ahlaan bi shahri-l-mawlid
Shahru-n-Nabiyy
Rabee'hi-l-Awwa
Welcome to the month of birthday (of the Prophet) *** the month of greatness and leadership...
the month of Prophet Ahmad *** the month of Rabi'u-l-Awwal.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
»»» »»» »»» »»» »»» »»»
ﻗﺪ ﺧﺺ ﺑﺎﻟﺮﺑﻴﻊ *** ﺇﺫ ﻛﺎﻥ ﻛﺎﻟﺮﺑﻴﻊ
ﻟﻸﺭﺽ ﻭﺍﻟﺸﻔﻴﻊ *** ﺑﻜﻞ ﺧﻄﺐ ﻣﻌﻀﻞ
Qad khasa bi-Rabee'hi *** idh kaana ka-rabee'hi
Lil-ardi wa shafee'hi *** bi-kuli khatbi
mu'adalin
It (Prophet's birth) was designed (to take place) in the month of Rabi'u-l-Awwal *** for being analogous to Rabi' (harvest time)...
for the (entire) world and a solution *** to every difficult situation.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
أهلا بشهر الفرح ** شهر ذهاب الترح.
وفخرنا والمرح ** شهر النبي الأفضل.
شهر الفلاح والسرر ** شهر به ساد الدهور.
موشح بين الشهور ** متوج مكلل.
أهلا بشهر الفاتح ** إغلاق كون الفاتح.
من خص بالفواتح ** وحار ختم الملل.
أهلا بالشهر الخاتم ** شهر نبي القسم.
وفاتح وخاتم ** وءاخر وأول
