Muhammad ibn Ali Ba 'Alawi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 574 H / 1178 CE |
| Died | 653/1255 Tarim |
| Resting place | Zanbal,Hadhramaut |
| Citizenship | Yemeni |
| Occupation(s) | Islamic scholar,Sufi |
| Known for | Founder of Ba 'Alawiyya sufi order |
| Title | Imam |
| Spouse | Zaynab bint Ahmad ibn Muhammad Sahib al-Mirbat |
| Children |
|
| Father | Sayyid Ali ibn Muhammad Sahib al-Mirbat Ba' Alawi |
Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī Bā ʿAlawī (Arabic:محمد بن علي باعلوي) commonly known asal-Faqīhal-Muqaddam (Arabic:الفقيه المقدم),Arabic pronunciation:[muˈħammɑdal-faˈqiːhal-ˈmuqaddam]; 574 H - 653 H or 1178 CE - 1232 CE) is known as the founder ofBa 'Alawiyya Sufi order[1] which has influenced Sufism inYemen,South Asia andSoutheast Asia. He is the only son of Ali son of Muhammad Sahib al-Mirbath whom all 75 families ofBa 'Alawi sada that spread out from Yemen toSoutheast Asia are rooted.[2]
The Titleal-Faqih was given because he was a great teacher and student of religion and jurisprudence. One of his teachers, Ali Bamarwan said that he mastered the science of jurisprudence as great as the former scholarMuhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Shafi'i Furak who died in 406 H.[2]
While the titleal-Muqaddam means he is theforemost. In this case, Muhammad ibn Ali throughout his life was always given precedence. His grave located in Zanbal[1] inHadhramaut is frequently visited by Muslims often before they visit other religious sites in Yemen.[2] It can also means somebody who has been authorized by hismurshid to assist in teaching the path to other students (seeMuqaddam).
Muhammad Faqih al-Muqaddam was born inTarim into the scholarly and respectedBa 'Alawi sada clan whose ancestors had arrived fromBasra inIraq and initially dwelt inal-Husaisa inHadhramaut. The Ba 'Alawi sada areHusaynidSayyids from the lineage of Ali al-Uraydi, the son of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, Faqih al-Muqaddam's lineage is as follows; Muhammad Faqih al-Muqaddam son of Ali son of Muhammad Sahib al-Mirbat son of Ali Khali Qasam son of Alawi al-Thani son of Muhammad Sahib al-Sawma'ah son of Alawi al-Awwal son of Abdullah son ofAhmad al-Muhajir son of Isa al-Rumi son of Muhammad al-Naqib son ofAli al-Uraydi son ofJa'far al-Sadiq son ofMuhammad al-Baqir son ofAli al-Sajjad son ofHusayn al-Sibt son ofal-Imam Ali andFatima al-Zahra, daughter of theProphet Muhammad.
Muhammad grew up in an environment of knowledge and righteousness, memorizing the Qur'an and mastering the sciences of the Sacred Law in his youth. He studied until became aMujtahid. He taught and fasted in the daytime, while in the night he spent his nights in one of the caves being busy inmeditation in Nu'ayr Valley outside Tarim.[3]
Muhammad was the founder ofBa 'Alawiyyatariqa (Sufi order) and the first who introduceSufism in Yemen. He received hisIjazah fromAbu Madyan through one of his prominent students, Abd al-Rahman bin Ahmad al-Hadhrami al-Maghribi (he died before reaching Hadramaut, but it was continued by another Moroccan Sufi he met in Mecca).[4] However, Muhammad al-Faqih did not follow fully Abu Madyan's tariqa, but he combined it with the teachings of his forefathers and the tariqa ofAbdul Qadir Gilani.[3]
During his time,Sayyid families in Hadramaut were seen as a threat by other tribes. Due to instability in the region, it was normal during his study that Muhammad bin Ali put a sword on his lap for protection. Muhammad grew tired of the tension and bloodshed in the ranks of the believers thus symbolically broke his sword and announced that his Tariqa and the way ofAlawiyyinSayyids are non-violence and renounced any tariqa that uses violence.[3]It is believed the dissemination of Islam in Southeast Asia was carried out by Sufi traders and clerics of Hadramaut (followers and descendants of Muhammad al-Faqih Muqaddam) who transited in India since 15th century as the Sufism and its influences can be traced strongly in the region.[5][6]
Among the followers of his teachings and also his descendants that are prominent before 20th century are ImamAbd Allah ibn Alawi al-Haddad and SayyidAbu Bakr al-Aydarus. and in modern time are HabibUmar bin Hafiz and HabibAli al-Jifri, among others. Another follower in modern time who is not directly descendants of him is SayyidMuhammad ibn 'Alawi al-Maliki.
islam dissemination in south east asia.
