Yusuf Abu el Haggag | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | c. 1150 Baghdad |
| Residence | Luxor |
| Died | c. 1245 Luxor |
| Patronage | Abu Haggag Mosque |
Tradition or genre | Sufism |
Sheikh Yusuf Abu el Haggag (Arabic:الشيخ يوسف أبو الحجاج;c. 1150 – c. 1245), alsoal Haggag orAl-Hajjaj,[A] was amysticSufi scholar and religious figure whosebirthday is celebrated annually in the town ofLuxor, Egypt.[1]
Yusuf Abu el-Haggag was born inBaghdad c. 1150 and is regarded as one of theSharif, or one of the descendants of the Holy ProphetMuhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Salam. His lineage goes back to Sayyidna ImamHusayn ibn Ali RA.[2]
Abu el-Haggag moved toMecca, likely between the years 1190 and 1200,[3] and later settled in theupper Egyptian town ofLuxor.[1] He established azawiya in the settlement[3] and devoted himself to knowledge,asceticism and worship.[2] He traveled toAlexandria, where he met prominentSufis and became a student of Sheikh Abd Al-Razeq. He then returned to Luxor and convened with Sheikh Abdal Rahim Al-Qanai, the owner of theQena mosque.[2] In his pursuits, he earned the nickname "Father of the Pilgrim".[B]
Abu el-Haggag is the patron of theAbu Haggag Mosque, where his birthday (Mawlid)[C] is celebrated annually. Local folklore indicates that he did not build the mosque, but saved it from later attempts by officials to demolish it.[D][1] el-Haggag likely lived within the site of the temple and conducted his religious teaching there.[4]
Abu el-Haggag died c. 1244 during the reign of SultanAs-Salih Ayyub.[1] By the time of his death, he had amassed a large and devoted following inLuxor. His body was placed in a mausoleum located on the roof of the ancientchurch, which at this time was buried below ground level. This site is where the early structure of the current mosque was erected a decade later by el-Haggag's son. el-Haggag may have been buried on the site of an already existing mosque.[4]
Haggag’s descendants constitute the Haggag family, who organise the celebrations devoted to him. Ahmed Al-Hajj, the head of the Heritage Series at theEgyptian Ministry of Culture, states: “Based on my background and experience working in Luxor, I can say that the annual Sufi Mawlids are unique and highly anticipated rituals for the people of Luxor.”[5]
