Abu Madyan
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Sidi Abu Madyan أبو مدين |
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Entrance of Sidi Abu Madyan mosque and mausoleum in Tlemcen, as pictured in 2007
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| Title |
al-Ghawth (The succour) الغوث |
| Born |
Shu'ayb ibn al-Hussein شعيب أبو مدين 1126 Cantillana, al-Andalus, Almoravid empire |
| Died | 1198 near the river of Ysser, outskirts of Tlemcen |
| Resting place | Sidi Boumediene Mousoleum |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Maliki |
| Creed | Ash'ari |
| Notable work(s) |
Bidayt al-Muridin (بداية المريدين) Uns al-Wahid (أنس الوحيد) Tuhfat al-Arib (تحفة الأريب) poetry collection |
| Alma mater | al-Qarawiyyin |
| Sufi order | Qadiriyya?/Shadhili? |
| Disciple of | Sidi Harazem |
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Influenced by
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Abu Madyan (1126–1198), also known as Abu Madyan Shu'ayb Al-Ghawth, or Abū Madyan, or Sidi Bou-Mediene, or Sidi Abu Madyan Shuayb ibn al-Hussein al-Ansari, was an influential Andalusian mystic and a great Sufi master.
Some even refer to him as the national figure of Maghreb 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.
Abu Madyan was born in Cantillana (Arabic: قطنيانة), a small town about 35 km away from Seville, 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 and the study of religion and mysticism.
Soon after, Abu Madyan traveled to Fes to complete his education. He left for Fes at about the end of the Almoravid era or at the beginning of the founding of 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, the cloak passed from Master to student in the study of Sufism. During his time studying in Fes, Abu Madyan became familiar within the works of Al-Ghazali, one of the most prominent, if not the most prominent theologian, philosopher, and mystic of Sunni Islam regarded as one of the renewers of the religion.
Abu Madyan was particularly fascinated with mysticism by Sidi Ali Ibn Harazem. They fasted and prayed together in a continuous fashion as the ideal Sufi, practicing very strict asceticism. Abu Madyan, who came from a poor background, didn't have a hard time distancing himself from such pleasures. Because of his strict practices, he reached the rank of Qutb and Ghawth. Abu Madyan went to Mecca where he met the great Muslim saint, Jilani, and completed his mystic studies under him. On his return,he went to the town of Béjaïa 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.
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Wikipedia