Algerian Sufi saint Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Makhlūf ath-Tha‘ālibī عبد الرحمن بن مخلوف الثعالبي | |
|---|---|
| Personal life | |
| Born | 1384 CE/785AH |
| Died | 15 March 1479 / Friday, 23rd ofRamadan 875AH |
| Resting place | Thaalibia Cemetery,Bab El Oued |
| Region | Algeria |
| Main interest(s) | kalam,Sufism,Aqida,Tafsir,Hadith,Fiqh |
| Notable work(s) | Al Jawahir Al Hissane fi Tafsir Al Koran (the fine pearls in the exegesis of the Koran) andHaqaiq at-Tawhid (Realities of Oneness) |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Maliki |
| Creed | Ash'ari |
| Muslim leader | |
Influenced by | |
Abdul-Rahman al-Tha'alibi (Arabic:أبو زيد عـبـد الـرحـمـن بن مـخـلـوف الـثـعـالـبـي,romanized: Abū Zayd ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Makhlūf ath-Tha‘ālibī) (1384 CE/785AH – 15 March 1479 CE/875AH) was an Algerian Islamic scholar,Imam andSufiwali. Born near the town ofIsser (86 km south east ofAlgiers), he was raised in a very spiritual environment with high Islamic values and ethics.[1] He had great interpersonal skills and devoted his entire life in service of the most deprived, todhikr ofAllah, and to writing of over 100 books and treatises.
He has become a symbol ofAlgiers, which has become known as the "city of sidi Abder Rahman."
Abdul-Rahman al-Tha'alibi was born in the year 1384 CE/785AH inIsser in modern-dayBoumerdès Province into a pious family with a lineage going back toJa'far ibn Abi Talib. His ArabMaqillian Bedouin tribe, theTha'aliba,[2][3][4] had long dominated several regions of Algeria from 1204 CE to 1515 CE. In 1378 CE, their nomadic dominance had been broken up byAbu Hammu II, the Sultan of theKingdom of Tlemcen.
His full lineage is Abu Zaid Abdul Rahman bin Muhammad bin Makhlouf bin Talha bin Amer bin Noufal bin Amer bin Mussour bin Muhammad bin Saba'a bin Makki bin Thalabah bin Musa bin Saeed bin Mufaddal bin Abdul Bar bin Fisi bin Hilal bin Amer bin Hassan bin Muhammad binJa'far ibn Abi Talib.
When 15 years old, Abdul-Rahman, with his father Mohamed Ben Makhlouf, went to Morocco for studies where he met the Muslim scholar Mohamed Ibn Marzoug Al Adrissi.
In 1392, he made another trip toBejaia (200 km east ofAlgiers) seeking knowledge where his father died. He stayed inBejaia for 7 years studying Islamic sciences. There he learned from disciples ofAbdurrahman El-Waghlissi (d. 1383 CE), such as Abû al-Husayn al-Mangalâtî.
Then 24 years old, he travelled toTunis in 1406 where he stayed for eight years. He met thesheikhs Mohammed Ibn Khalf al-Ubay and Abû al-Mahdi al-Ghabrînî (d. 1413 CE) who introduced him toSufism andtafsir.Then traveled toCairo in 1414 where he stayed with Walî Eddîn al-'Irâqî (d. 1422 CE). Then he traveled toBursa inTurkey. He returned toTunisia.From Tunisia at the age of 32, Abdul-Rahman went to performHajj toMecca, then returned to his native Algeria.
He taught in theDjamaa el Kebir mosque until he died on the Friday of 23rd of Ramadan 875 AH, the 15th of March 1479 and was buried inThaalibia Cemetery next to his sheikhAbi Djamaa Al Maknassi in theCasbah of Algiers.[5]
Abdul-Rahman taught severalmurids andtolbas inAlgiers, as:
Thezawiya contains his tomb, though it is a misnomer since it does not contain any Sufiorder in the building. Currently the location houses the tombs of several Algerian historical figures. The first construction dates to 1611 CE and has gone through several changes and additions since, with little left of the original today. In 1696 Dey al-Hadj Ahmed al-Euldji decided to turn it into a funeral mosque. More tombs have been added over the years. Today the mausoleum is often visited by locals of Algiers, especially onFridays andreligious holidays.[22]
He left a legacy of more than 100 books, of which the most important wasAl Jawahir Al hassān fi Tafsir Al Koran (the fine pearls in the exegesis of the Koran).
In his lifetime (1384-1479 CE) the region was split into three states whose legal schools stood out:Tunis,Tlemcen andFez. The city ofAlgiers offered little in comparison in terms of religious and cultural pull. It had very few religious schools for teaching theQur'an,hadith, andlegal texts. Economically it also waned in comparison to other cities in the region. Abd al-Rahman al-Tha'alibi's founding of theTha'alibiyya school attracted many students from all over the world. Families moved into the surrounding area which turned into a place of religious education and training. From then on, Algiers became known as "The city of Sidi Abd al-Rahman."[5]
He is not to be confused withAhmad ibn Muhammad al-Thalabi.
His works cover nearly every aspect of the Islamic sciences.[23]
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