Masters of Shaykh
Sultan ul-Awliya Ghawth Al-Adham Al-Sayyid Al-Sharif Shaykh Abi Muhammad 'Abd al-Qadir Al-Hasani Al-Husayni Al-Ja'fari Al-Jilani (RadhiAlllahu 'anhu)
He is our Master, the Shaykh of Islam, the exemplar of the splendid saints [awliya], the signpost to right guidance. Those who trace their spiritual affiliation to him are among the blissfully fortunate. He is the Lordly Cardinal Pole [al-Qutb ar-Rabbani], the incomparable, the universal, the everlasting, the pure foundation, Muhyi ’d-Din Abu Muhammad Abd al-Qadir, the son of Abu Salih Jangi Dost . (Necklaces of Gems)
“One day the Holy Prophet salutations and blessings be upon Him, kissed the forehead of Imam al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali once, and that of Imam al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali twelve times. Sayyida Fatima al-Zahra, daughter of the Seal of Prophets, salutations be upon him, inquired of the reason for kissing her eldest son only once. The Messenger of Allah salutations be upon him responded, “In the forehead of my youngest grandson, I see twelve lights of the Twelve Imams, and so I kissed the Twelve Imams in this son, and in the forehead of my eldest grandson, I see only one light, which is the culmination (merging together) of the twelve lights of the Twelve Imams: He will flourish in Iraq and his name will be ‘Abd al-Qadir. I kissed the light of that illustrious child in the forehead of this Imam” – Allama Arbali’s Al Mawaddatul Qurba
“All hail to a newcomer, upon whose arrival the first showers of blissful good fortune began to arrive, for a land in whose towns he alighted, and where the clouds of mercy came in succession, to the general benefit of its modern and its ancient districts, and right guidance was multiplied therein, so that light was shed by its spiritual deputies [abdal] and its mainstays [awtad], and the delegations of good tidings arrived there on one another’s heels, so that all its propitious times and festivals dawned brightly, and the heart of Iraq began to glow with the light of his love, ecstatic with joy, while the tongue of its frontier access-road responded to the advent of his countenance by uttering encomiums in praise of Allah.” – The Splendor of the Mysteries, by Shaikh Imam al-AwHad Nur ad-Din Abu ’l Hasan Ali ibn Jarir ibn Mi dad ibn Fadl ash-Shafi ‘i al-Lakhmi.
The venerable Sultan ul-Awliya Ghawth al-Adham Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani announced, “Men have Mashaykh; Jinn have Mashaykh; Angels have Mashaykh; and I am the Shaykh of all” (Abul Hasan Ali Shatnufi’s Bahjat ul-Asrar). Furthermore, the venerable Sultan ul-Awliya Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani said, “The vibrational frequency of the Awliya Allah is like that of the prophets, except their names are different” (Fathur Rabbani). He said further, “Every Wali earns the frequency of a prophet (Nabi), and I have earned the frequency of my forefather, salutations and blessings be upon him. I have reached each of the stages of al-Mustafa salutations and blessings be upon him except the stage of prophet hood to which a non-prophet can have no access” (Bahjat ul-Asrar).
The Grey Falcon [al-Baz al-Ashab] is an epithet by which Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (may Allah be well pleased with him) is widely known. Since the Falcon always does the bidding of its master, without question, and returns directly to his hand, this bird has come to symbolize the faithful servant of the Lord of Truth (Almighty Allah and Glorious is He). The Shaykh (may Allah be pleased with him) once said: “All the other birds talk, but they do not act, whereas the Falcon acts, and does so without talking. This explains how the glove of Kings came to be its perch.” (shaikhabdalqadir.org)
Shaykh Nur Hussein Bale (qs)
Shaykh Nur Hussein qs, an Islamic saint who lived about 800 years ago at a sanctuary named after him known as Dirre Shaykh Hussein, is the icon of Bale. He is the father of Husseiniya Qadirriya Tariqa. He was born in Mecca. His connection to the blood line of Prophet Mohammed (SAW), as well as his spiritual graces and deeds is also credited for founding and establishing the Sultanate of Bale that led to his veneration as a saint.
Shaykh Hussein’s genealogy has connected the local inhabitants of Bale to the family of Prophet Mohammed (s). As to Eshetu Settegn (1973: 3), the father of Shaykh Hussein, Shaykh Ibrahim al-Malkai Sheik Abdulla is the 12th descendant of Abu Talib, the paternal uncle of Prophet Mohammed (s). According to oral sources, Makida, the mother of the Shaykh, was an Oromo woman native to Bale. The life time of Shaykh Hussein qs is dated to 29 generations ago, when he converted the people of Bali to Islam. Oral tradition of the area affirms that he was the first one to bring the light of Islam to Bale. Written sources also unanimously show that Bali was Islamized before the 13th century and its Islamic culture was firmly established before its conquest by King Amde-Tsiyon in 1332. The birth of the pious Shaykh qs was believed to have been based on prophesy that he was destined to a great mission.
As to Eshetu (1973) before the birth of Shaykh Hussein, Abu-al Qasim had a vision in which Prophet Mohammed (SAW) announced to him about a great saint to be born and ordered him to wash the baby. When the time was ripe, Abu-al Qasim was taken to a particular house in Anajina, where Makida was beginning to feel the labor of childbirth, to perform salaat prayer and immediately Nur Hussein was born. He grew up there as a descent, envisioned and spiritual man. When he came of age, he succeeded in converting the people of Bale and taught Quran and Hadith to tens of thousands. He was known as performer of miracles, interpreter of dreams and prophesizes future events.
In sum, Shaykh Hussein QS has been venerated as much he is regarded as the light and the king (garada) of Bale because he taught Islam and won the hearts of the people (Jeylan 2005: 33).
The mureeds are known for singing of melodious songs in praise of Shaykh Nur Hussein qs, known as baaroo, and it goes as follows:
Peace be upon you father
You the Light, whose birth lights
is the temple of culture
of the descendants of the Oromo
We returned back again to your shrine
Please come to us in our vision…
The following baaroo also states Shaykh Hussein as the pride of Bale:
We call ‘Our Father’ Hussein the pride of Bale
For the sake of God don’t forget the tariqa
For grace of the heavens our end is on you [Dad]
Reference: Dynamics of the Tariqa of Shaykh Hussein of Bale, Ethiopia by Kefyalew Tessema Semu
Shaykh Habib Ahmad Mashhur al-Haddad (QS)
Shaykh Tauheed Tufail has been under the guidance of Shaykh Habib Ahmed Mashhur al Haddad (qs) from an early age. Shaykh Tauheed relates one of his early experiences when he was in his teens and going through a really tough period in his life and in his dream he saw Shaykh Habib Ahmad who appear before him in his room and gave him a litany to recite. That litany unveiled many openings for him and since then it’s been a part of his daily dhikr. He also gives ijaza to his disciples and seekers to recite it and take benefit from.
“Shaykh Habib Ahmed Mashhur al-Haddad was widely acknowledged as among the leading scholars and spiritual masters of the twentieth century. He was born in a town in Hadramawt, in southern Arabia. At an early age he committed the Quran to memory and spent most of his time in the relentless pursuit of the various branches of religious knowledge. He dedicated his life to teaching and spreading the word of Islam. He died in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in 1995.
Shaykh al-Haddad, religious counsellor to ministers and paupers alike, was a rare living embodiment of traditional styles of da’wa. He was a founder member of the Muslim World League, but never accepted money for his services to Islam. Running a small business in East Africa, he lived to obey Allah’s injunction to bring Islam to all people.
One week he would almost be eaten by crocodiles during a mission to the Pygmies of Western Uganda; the next he would be using his fluent Swahili to defeat the Ahmadiyya cult in a vast public debate in Kampala. Not a second of his life was wasted: his annual Hajj, his regular teaching of Shafi’i fiqh at the houses of friends in Jeddah, his support for new madrasas, his Mawlids in Mombasa mosques which caused the conversion of so many: every moment was filled with the remembrance of Allah, and the quest for still greater learning. Even in advanced old age, weighed down by illness and deeply distressed by the war in Bosnia, he insisted that his house remain open seven days a week, every day of the year, for those who wished to sit with him, and absorb some of his learning and the subtle blessings of his company. And when his guests left each evening, he would rest only briefly, before beginning his long nightly vigil of Qur’anic recitation and tahajjud. Having travelled with him, I know that he rarely rested for more than two hours a night.
Shaykh al-Haddad was distressed by even slight variations from the Sunna. His house and household, his wives and great grandsons, all lived in the radiance which only the full Sunna can bestow. Part of this, for him was his dislike of any criticism of other Muslims, whatever their tendency, or however grievous their faults. Anyone voicing such criticism would be discouraged in his gatherings from continuing to speak. The reputation of all Muslims, as one of his favorite hadiths affirms is sacred and inviolable. It is estimated he administered between 20-30,000 shahadas.” – Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad
Source: http://thefinalbrick.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/introducing-habib-ahmad-mashhur-al.html
Shaykh Abbagadda (HA), The Lion of East Africa
Shaykh Abbagadda (Qaddas Allahu Sirrah Al Aziz) was a devoted pious Shaykh blessed with many charismatic talents and spiritual himmat. He passed away in 2024 after years of relentless service in the way of Allah at the age of 110 years old. His faiz reached far and wide across the world.
Shaykh Abbagadda(qs) took Shaykh Tauheed (HA) under his discipleship. He saw something in Shaykh Tauheed Tufail and appointed him as his Khalifa at a very young age of 17 years old.
Shaykh Abagadda (qs) is from Kenya, known for his miraculous healing powers and charismatic talents (karamah). He’s a very powerful Qadiri shaykh, jalali in nature and a wali of Allah. He’s a great saint who has helped many in healing various malicious diseases, spiritual ailments and jinn related issues faced by the people. Many people come to him to seek spiritual support and cure from all over the world in large numbers including people at the helm.
They call him the Lion of East Africa.
May Allah grant him lofty stations and grant eternity to his soul and may we attain his nazar and spiritual support continually. Ameen