أبو الحسن الشاذلي
Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili (RH)
Also known as: Imam al-Shadhili
593–656 AH · 1196–1258 CE
Sufism & Theology Maliki Sufism
Founder of the Shadhili order, which teaches the inner path while living in the world.
Al-Shadhili was born in northern Morocco and found his master in 'Abd al-Salam ibn Mashish. He taught first near Tunis and then in Alexandria, where crowds of scholars and ordinary people came to him.
He taught that the seeker need not withdraw from society or wear special clothing, but should keep the Shari'ah, show gratitude and depend wholly on Allah. His litanies, such as Hizb al-Bahr, are recited worldwide. Through his successor Abu al-'Abbas al-Mursi and Ibn 'Ata'illah, the Shadhiliyyah became one of the great Sufi orders of North Africa and beyond.
Life journey
- 1196 CE Ghumara (northern Morocco) غمارةStudied in Fez and with 'Abd al-Salam ibn Mashish in the Rif mountains.
- 1228 CE Tunis تونسTaught near Tunis, at the village of Shadhila, which gave him his name. The year is approximate.
- 1244 CE Alexandria (al-Iskandariyyah) الإسكندرية
- 1258 CE Humaythira حميثرةDied 1258 CE · 656 AHDied at Humaythira in the eastern desert of Egypt on his way to Hajj.
Key works
- Hizb al-Bahr حزب البحرThe Litany of the SeaA litany of protection recited worldwide.
Places in their life
Photo: Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sources
- Ibn 'Ata'illah, Lata'if al-Minan
- Elmer Douglas, The Mystical Teachings of al-Shadhili (1993)