SheikhSa’eed ibn Isa al-Amoudi (1203/1204-1272) (Arabic:الشيخ سعيد بن عيسى العمودي) was a prominentSunniShafi’i Islamic scholar of Hadhramaut and was known by the epithetWali Allah, meaning Saint of God.^[1][2] He had exercised significant spiritual influence and leadership in religious affairs in his region of birth, theWadi Daw’an, bringing eminence to his birth townQaydun. This influence would be inherited by his descendants, the Al-Amoudi tribe who would go on to establish an independent state in Wadi Daw’an and found the village ofBudha which would serve as the capital of the Al-Amoudi state.^[3][4]

Sheikh Sa’eed ibn Isa al-Amoudial-Bakrial-Taymial-Qurayshial-Kinani was born in the year 600 Hijri (1203/1204 CE) in the town ofQaydun in theWadi Daw’an region ofHadhramaut inYemen.^[1] His father Sheikh Isa ibn Ahmad Al-Amoudi was originally an inhabitant ofMedina and was also aMufti of Medina, he had decided to migrate toNubia to spread Islamic learning with his sons, after years passed he further went on toAbyssinia, leaving his sons back in Nubia who would go on to migrate intoNorth Africa. Isa ibn Ahmed after spending time in Abyssinia decided that it was time to return to his home city of Medina as he longed to see his relatives, as he had not seen them in many years, and so he boarded a ship with the intent of doing so, while he was on the ship, he met Hadhrami Sibanid tribesmen, they begged him to come with them to Hadhramaut so that they may benefit from his knowledge and counsel. Eventually being convinced after much persuasion, he settled in Qaydun where the Bani Muhammad of theHimayarite Siban tribe married to him a woman from themselves, this woman would be Sheikh Sa'eed ibn Isa al-Amoudi's mother.^[1][2][5] Isa ibn Ahmed's migration out of Medina to spread knowledge about the religion was much like his uncle, Abdul Qadir ibn Sa'eed al-Amoudi's migration toPalestine.^[1] Isa ibn Ahmad was a fifth generation descendant of Hejazi saint and his son's namesake Sa’eed ibn Isa Al-Bakri who was known asAmoududdin meaning Pillar of the religion, due to his habit of standing inSalah for prolonged periods much like a 'pillar', thus the family nameAl-Amoudi derives from him.^[6][1] Sa’eed ibn Isa Al-Bakri in turn was a ninth-generation descendant of the first Muslim CaliphAbu Bakr As-Siddiq’s eldest sonAbdur-Rahman. Sheikh Sa’eed ibn Isa Al-Amoudi’s lineage back to him as follows is; Sa’eed son of Isa son of Ahmad son of Sha’ban son of Sa’eed son of Ahmad son of Sa’eedAmoududdin son of Isa son of Sha’ban son of Isa son of Dawood son of Muhammad son of Nuh son of Talha son of Abdullah son of Abdurrahman son of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq al-Taymi al-Qurayshi.^[1][6] Sa’eed ibn Isa in his youth was diligent in attending the lessons of local scholars of Qaydun, being eager to learn from them.^[1][2]

Sa’eed ibn Isa Al-Amoudi had initially learnt and took from theTariqah ofAbu Madyan Shu’ayb ibn Husayn Al-Andalusi, aMalikiSufi master ofAndalusian origin residing inMorocco who himself was a student of the renownedHanbali saintSayyid Abdul Qadir Jilani. Among others who learnt from Abu Madyan Shu’ayb wereIbn Hammad andIbn Arabi. Sa’eed ibn Isa became exposed to the ways of Abu Madyan via his envoy to Hadhramaut, Sheikh Abdullah al-Salih al-Maghribi. Sa’eed ibn Isa was also a student of the founder of theBa’Alawi Tariqah,Faqih Al-MuqaddamSayyid Muhammad ibn Ali Ba’Alawi, Muhammad ibn Ali himself was also a student of Abu Madyan Shu’ayb.^[7]

Together with Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali Ba’Alawi, Sheikh Sa’eed ibn Isa Al-Amoudi went toTarim and decided to break their swords, as a symbol of the transition from the prevailing aspects of social life in that era, to the life of asceticism and abandoning politics, as the sword at that time symbolized plunder, robbery, crime, and the pursuit of rule, revenge, and retaliation.^[7][2]

Sheikh Sa’eed ibn Isa Al-Amoudi after years of learning under differentSufi Mashaikh and their different methods was able to develop his own way ofTasawwuf, which would be known as theTariqah Al-Amoudiyyah, which is one of the renowned twenty three different ways of Tasawwuf that took root inHadhramaut as is mentioned by the Hadhrami scholar Abdur Rahman ibn Abdullah Balfaqih in his work,Raf’a Al-Ustar, ‘Raising the Curtains.’^[7] This way ofTasawwuf is prevalent in Hadhramaut, especially amongst his direct descendants, the Al-Amoudi family and in other Hadhrami diaspora areas such as in theMalay Archipelago andIndian Subcontinent where his descendants spread with the Hadhrami migrations.^[8][2][1]

Abu Madyan Shu’ayb of Morocco was alleged to have had possession of theStaff of Moses and theCoat of Joseph, and he had stipulated in his will before his demise in 1198 CE, that they be sent toFaqih Al-MuqaddamSayyid Muhammad ibn Ali Ba’Alawi in Hadhramaut. Thus after the death of Abu Madyan Shu’ayb, an envoy took the staff and started travelling to Hadhramaut viaIraq, stopping atMecca whereupon he had become ill and died. So, another man continued the journey with the staff and coat and arrived inTarim where it came to the hands of Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali Ba’Alawi. Sheikh Sa’eed ibn Isa Al-Amoudi was a great friend and student of Muhammad ibn Ali, and so he gave theStaff of Moses and theCoat of Joseph to him in order to honor him. Sa’eed ibn Isa had died in his region of birth, the Wadi Daw’an and so the staff and coat are now in the custodianship of his descendants whose headquarters are in the village ofBudha.^[9]

The staff in possession of the Al-Amoudi family is stated to be three cubits tall, this is contrary to the well-accepted description of the Staff of Moses being ten cubits long. Additionally, the staff in the possession of the Al-Amoudi family is described as having a sweet smell, a tip made of whitish brass tinged with silver and black smudge marks over it. The alleged coat is inside a cubed-shaped bundle of yellow satin which itself is kept inside green velvet, the Al-Amoudi family though is claimed to have never opened up the bundle to see it. The staff and coat regularly attracts visitors in Hadhramaut, and from theHadhrami diaspora, it is in the possession of Sheikh Mutahar Abood Al-Amoudi as of 2007.^[9]

Ahmed ibn Abi Al-Ja'ad asked him about the nature of the path ofTasawwuf, to this Sa’eed ibn Isa replied; “The path of Tasawwuf is path of theMuhaqiq, the one that seeks the truth and the path of theMujtahid, the jurist. The path of theMuhaqiq is abandoning people, cutting worldly ties and striving to be aKhadim ofAl-Malik, The King,Al-Khaliq, The Creator. The path of theMujtahid is observingSawm, standing inSalah and abandoning sins.”^[10]

Sa’eed ibn Isa was asked about the attributes ofFaqeer As-Sabr, the patient one that has renounced worldly wealth, to this he said; “ He should wear a coat of mail to protect him from affliction, a cloak to protect him from isolation, a robe to protect him from loss of humility, trousers to protect him from loss of chastity, a cloak to protect him from loss of modesty, a cloak to protect him from loss of vigilance, a staff to protect him from loss of trust, a torch to protect him from loss of steadfastness, a sandal to protect him from loss of patience, and a toothpick to protect him from loss of contentment. He should take a corner of knowledge and a drink of wisdom. When he stands at the door ofAl-Malik, he has reached the end. When he reaches the end, he will be given strange qualities by which he will be known. When he is known by them, he will be finer than water and higher than the sky, and his side will be more fertile than summer. His ambition is sharper than the sword, and his speech prevents injustice. He is like the sea, in which the washer washes and the eater eats from its fish. The one who enters it is relieved from the fatigue of the distance, and it saves him from fear. If he speaks, he is truthful, and if he is told, he is believed. He is fair to himself, but does not seek justice for himself. Whatever Allah provides him, he is satisfied with and content, and he does not wrong any of the creation of Allah, and if he is wronged, he is patient and forgives.”^[10]

Sa’eed ibn Isa was asked about the status of aSheikh, and the one who deserves to be one, he replied;

“To have a wandering mind, a substantial thought, a beautiful debate, a generous reviewer, great patience, abundant knowledge, broad-minded, humble soul, his speech is a smile, his questioning is learning, he reminds the heedless, and teaches the ignorant, he does not rejoice over a calamity, nor does he mention anyone in absentia, he is trustworthy with trusts, far from betrayal, he does not treat those who are ignorant of him with ignorance, he is happy with those who come to him, he is friendly with the stranger, he helps the Muslims in every matter that is shameful, he is a father to the orphan, he helps the weak, the forlorn. His heart, happy with his Lord, is lonely with the people of this world. He is not stingy, nor is he hasty, nor does he seek revenge, nor does he get angry with those who harm him, but rather he is patient, and forgives, and does not delve into what does not concern him. If he is insulted, he does not insult, and if he is asked, he does not refuse, and if he is refused, he does not get angry. He is softer than foam, and sweeter than honey, close to goodness and its people, far from evil and its people. He does not get angry except by the judgment of His justice, knowing the principles and branches of the religion.”^[1][2]

Sheikh Sa’eed ibn Isa Al-Amoudi married the daughter of Ahmed ibn Sa’eed Ba’ Wa’ar of the Banu Afif of theKindah and had three sons Isa, Muhammad and Ali. His son Isa had died young and left no descendants, and so his bloodline continued through his other sons, Muhammad and Ali. Sa'eed ibn Isa died in around 1272 CE in his birth townQaydun in theWadi Daw’an. He was buried next to hisMasjid, now calledSheikh Sa’eed ibn Isa Al-Amoudi Masjid in Qaydun, his grave is a major attraction site in Hadhramaut.^{[1][2][11][4]}

Sa’eed ibn Isa had extensive religious and spiritual influence in Hadhramaut, and hisMansab, his status as a leader in religious affairs was inherited by his sons Muhammad and Ali, with Sheikh Muhammad ibn Sa’eed Al-Amoudi being his successor, in his position Muhammad ibn Sa’eed was able to further strengthen his father’s legacy in Hadhrami society, and so did his successors.^[4][3] It got to an extent that tribal chiefs and army men rallied around the Al-Amoudi family, thus giving the family political influence as well with religious authority. The first one to use this political power was Sheikh Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al-Amoudi, great-great-great grandson of Sa’eed ibn Isa who conquered the town ofAl-Khurayba in the year 1433 CE.^[12] The Al-Amoudi family would establish a state, independent of theAl-Kathiri Sultanate in 1531 CE under the leadership of Sheikh Uthman ibn Ahmed Al-Amoudi which would sustain until 1899 CE whereupon it fell to theAl-Quaiti Sultanate.^[1][2][13]

His descendants, the Al-Amoudi family also established the villageBudha during their political tenure, which served as the capital of their state.^[1][2] The Al-Amoudi family is considered the most important family amongst theMashaikh tribes of Hadhramaut which include the Ba’ Wazeer, Ba’Abbad, etc., second in prestige to only theBa’Alawi sada.^[7]

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