Who was Shaykh Muhammad al-Qandusi?

"The biographies are like a sword from the swords of God."

—Imam Abu Hanifa

He is the Shaykh and knower of Allah, Abu ‘Abdillah Muhammad b. al-Qasim b. Ahmad al-Qandusi al-Awsi (d. 1278 AH/1861 CE) of Kénadsa, Algeria.

Biographers of al-Qandusi mention that he was a humble man with an affable disposition. He made his living selling medicinal herbs and spices in the spice market of Fez. He lived a life of relative obscurity, and by outward appearances he appeared unremarkable, but it was clear to those who kept company with him, and others endowed with spiritual insight and unveiling, that he was a knower of Allah, an ‘Arif, blessed with sainthood and an intimate connection with the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace).

      Muhammad al-Fatimi b. al-Husayn al-Saqalli (d. 1311 AH/1893 CE) said in Wafayat al-Saqalli, in his biography of Shaykh Muhammad b. al-Qasim al-Qandusi:

He is the blessed and righteous master, possessor of spiritual effulgence from the Holy Presence, Abu ‘Abdillah Sidi Muhammad b. al-Qasim al-Qandusi. He (Allah have mercy upon him and bring benefit through him) was one of the singular masters and possessors of spiritual succor. He would receive inspirations (waridat) and wafts of divine breezes, and would articulate a variety of spiritual allusions and expressions. I have seen a volume of his work wherein he gathered some of his spiritual inspirations. His focus was on writing out verses of the Quran or the testimony of faith [There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah] with a sublime form of calligraphy and hang them in the mausoleums of the righteous. He is the one who wrote the Majestic Name [Allah] in a sublime style that was hung at the mausoleum of Mawlay Idris [II]. He was a virtuous and exemplary individual. The signs of goodness were apparent upon him, and several mystical secrets and blessings were opened for him—may Allah bring benefit through him!

MIGRATION TO FEZ

In the time of Shaykh Muhammad al-Qandusi, Fez was the cultural and intellectual hub of North Africa, housing the ancient Qarawiyyin Mosque and seminary, and home to thousands of living and deceased scholars and saints. It was common at the time for aspiring students and budding scholars from distant regions to migrate to Fez to further their studies and connect with the scholarly elite. Why did Shaykh Muhammad al-Qandusi leave his homeland to settle in Fez and build a new life? By his own admission, he was not from the scholarly class, and based on his own words and the words of his students, we learn that he married, opened a shop in the city, settled down, had children, and ostensibly lived the life of an “ordinary” family man.

   He arrived in Fez in the year 1248 AH/1832 CE. He said in a brief biography appended to an unnamed manuscript (nr. 1699):

 I went to the resting place of Mawlay Idris II—may Allah’s mercy, blessings, and peace be upon him and it!—after traveling alone with the intention of journeying to visit Allah’s Sacred House and live in Medina. But once in the presence of Moulay Idris II, my master [the Prophet] (Allah bless him and give him peace) gave me permission to remain there in the presence of the Sultan of the People of Allah, our master Idris—Allah be pleased with him and his household, amin!—in order to serve him for the sake of Allah. After receiving permission to remain there, my master [the Prophet] promised me that my original objective would be met and that I would be given everything conferred upon one who sets out for Hajj and resides in Medina near the Noble Resting Place; all of that was stored up for me in the presence of my master (Allah bless him and give him peace)! I complied with the command given to me and soon after that I was given permission to marry and then to sell herbs in the Suq al-‘Ashshabin.

   It is improbable that Shaykh Muhammad al-Qandusi traveled to Fez with the intention of journeying from there to the Holy Lands for Hajj and visiting the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). Fez is further away from the sacred lands than Kénadsa. There is no record of the exact date he left Kénadsa and settled in Fez; all we know is that he settled in Fez in 1248 AH/1832 CE, so we are left with several unanswered questions: did the Shaykh leave his homeland and journey—alone, as he stated—with the intention of performing the Hajj and living out the rest of his days in the City of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), only to find the route too treacherous and dangerous, leading him to journey to Fez instead? If so, how long was he traveling before reaching Fez? These questions remain unanswered.

   After settling in Fez, Shaykh Muhammad al-Qandusi married the daughter of the chief representative of the Qadiri order in Fez, Sayyida ‘A’isha b. ‘Abd al-Karim al-Safrawi, who bore him two daughters and three sons. After her passing in 1255 AH he married Habiba b. al-Hajj Qasim, who bore him six daughters and four sons.

DISCIPLES AND STUDENTS

Details concerning Shaykh Muhammad al-Qandusi’s circles of invocation and instruction are sparse. From various passages in his works, we get the impression that he would teach disciples and students in his shop in the spice market. It is also possible that he taught students in his home or in other private settings. To date, no records have been found that would indicate him having a public space dedicated to teaching. The biographers who wrote about the Shaykh all mentioned that he had numerous disciples and students, but of them we only know about two: Shaykh Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Wahid al-Kattani (d. 1289 AH/1873 CE) and al-Wazir Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Sanhaji (d. 1309 AH/1891 CE).

SHAYKH MUHAMMAD 'ABD AL-WAHID AL-KATTANI

He is the gnostic Shaykh and heir of Shaykh Muhammad al-Qandusi, and founder of the Kattani-Ahmadi spiritual order and the Kattani Zawiya in the Qattanin quarter in the old city of Fez. He was born in Fez in 1234 AH and received his spiritual training early on from a number of gnostic masters, such as Mawlay al-Tayyib al-Kattani, Mawlay al-Ta’i b. Hashim al-Kattani, Sidi Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Hafiz al-Dabbagh, and finally Shaykh Muhammad b. al-Qasim al-Qandusi, who was to become his main spiritual guide and source.

   Shaykh Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Wahid mastered the exoteric and esoteric sciences and performed Hajj three times, the first of which took place in 1268 AH. In his Hajj journey he studied with and received transmissions from some of the most prominent scholars and spiritual masters of the time, such as Shaykh Muhammad b. ‘Ali al-Sanusi (of the famed Sanusi order and one of the leaders in the resistance against the Italians in Libya), Shaykh Muhammad Salih al-Siba’i, and Shaykh ‘Abd al-Baqi b. Qayyum al-Zaman al-Naqshabandi, among others.

   Having previously been authorized by Shaykh Muhammad al-Qandusi as a Shaykh of spiritual wayfaring, Shaykh Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Wahid, upon his return to Fez, took on the role of a spiritual guide, transmitting to many of Fez’s common folk and elite the litanies, invocations, and spiritual instructions that were transmitted to him. In 1272 AH he established the Kattani Zawiya and made it a center of learning and spirituality with a heavy focus on the study of Prophetic traditions (hadith).

   Shaykh Muhammad b. al-Mukhtar al-Tashfini said of Shaykh Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Wahid in al-Lu’lu’ al-Maknun, “He is the marvel of the age. He has authored numerous books and compiled many beneficial works in both poetry and prose—all of which are among the divine gifts bestowed upon him. He does not quote anyone, only verses from the Quran or Prophetic traditions…”

   Shaykh Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Wahid al-Kattani wrote over forty books. The best known among them include:

1. al-‘Ulum al-Muhammadiyya (Muhammadan Lore).
2. Thubut al-Barzakhiya al-Ahmadiyya (On the Supreme Intermediation of the Ahmadan Reality). The full title of this work is Thubut al-Barzakhiyya al-Ahmadiyya li Jami’ Junud al-Malik al-‘Allam wa Taqaddum Madda Jismaniyyatihi al-Muhammadiyya ‘Ala Jismaniyya Abina Sayyidina Adam ‘Alayhima al-Salat wa al-Salam, or: Affirming the Ahmadan Intermediation for the Entirety of the Hosts of the All-Knowing King and the Precedence of His Muhammadan Form over the Form of Our Father Sayyiduna Adam, May Prayers and Peace be upon Both of Them. The Shaykh states in his introduction that he set out to prove two things: [1] that the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) is “The Prophet of the Prophets” and “The Messenger of the Messengers,” and that all of them are his representatives and followers tasked by Allah with conveying his Sacred Laws, and [2] that the physical form (jismaniyya) of the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) preceded the physical form of Prophet Adam.
3. Rihlat al-Fath al-Mubin fi Waqa’i al-Hajj wa Ziyarat al-Nabi al-Ummi al-Amin (The Travelogue of the Manifest Opening through the Occurrences During the Pilgrimage and Visit to the Primordial and Trustworthy Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). In this work the Shaykh recounted his journey to Hajj and his various experiences, whom he met and received from, along with reflections on the journey.

 Shaykh Muhammad 'Abd al-Wahid al-Kattani passed away on Dhu al-Qa’da 26, 1289 AH and was buried in the old Kattani Zawiya in Fez.

WAZIR MUHAMMAD B. AHMAD AL-SANHAJI

Wazir Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Sanhaji was a well-known poet and official working under the governor of Fez at the time, Sayyid ‘Abdullah b. Ahmad Ba-Shuwaya. He would teach legal theory (usul al-fiqh) in the Qarawiyyin Mosque. At the time of writing this biography, we have no information regarding the details of his companionship with Shaykh Muhammad al-Qandusi beyond the fact that he collected the Shaykh’s letters of advice to the governor of Fez in a work he titled al-Fath al-Quddusi fima Fada bihi Sayyidi Muhammad al-Qandusi (The Holy Opening Concerning the Outpourings of My Master Muhammad al-Qandusi). It is said that this work is preserved in a private collection, perhaps with some of the older families in Marrakesh.

SHAYKH MUHAMMAD AL-QANDUSI'S WRITTEN WORKS

 It appears that Shaykh Muhammad al-Qandusi began writing in the 14^th of Ramadan, 1244 AH/1829 CE, when he started with his marginalia on Imam al-Jazuli’s Dala’il al-Khayrat. What follows is a list of the Shaykh’s works, both those available to us and those that are unavailable due to their being either lost or contained within private collections.

1.  Inter-lineal commentary on Imam al-Jazuli’s Dala’il al-Khayrat. In this marginalia and artistic rendering of Imam Muhammad b. Sulayman al-Jazuli’s celebrated manual of prayers upon the Prophet s, Dala’il al-Khayrat, Shaykh Muhammad al-Qandusi noted that two years after writing it, he compared it to twenty-two older copies of Dala’il al-Khayrat and made a number of corrections to it.
2. Sharab Ahl al-Safa fi al-Salat ‘ala al-Nabi al-Mustafa (The Drink of the People of Purity in Prayers upon the Chosen Prophet ). The Shaykh completed this small work in the latter part of 1254 AH/1839 CE. This work, affectionately known in English as The Drink, is the first of Shaykh Muhammad al-Qandusi’s works translated into English.  
3. A commentary on the Hamziya Ode of Imam Sharaf al-Din al-Busayri. This work was mentioned by al-Makhluf in Shajarat al-Nur al-Zakiyya, though unfortunately no copy of it has been located to date. In a sixteen-page manuscript of miscellaneous writings, Shaykh Muhammad al-Qandusi mentioned that it was two volumes. In his largest work, al-Bawariq al-Ahmadiyya, the Shaykh advised readers to consult his commentary on the Hamziyya if they wish to deepen their connection to the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace). May Allah facilitate its discovery and allow us to benefit from it, amin.
4. Cipher of the Spirit. The full title of the Arabic original is al-Ta’sis fi Masawi al-Dunya wa Mahawi Iblis, which translates as Laying the Foundation for the Ills of the Lower World and the Abysmal Traps of Satan. This work, the Shaykh’s second largest and widely regarded as his magnum opus, was completed in the end of the month of Dhu al-Qa’da, 1253 aH/1838 CE. The Ta’sis is a multifaceted work that defies classification and structure. It speaks vividly on metaphysics, spiritual alchemy, human desires, self-discipline, child rearing, sacred anatomy, medicine, invocation, domestic life, relationships, charlatans, and much more. There are two extant copies of this work, one that is privately owned and another that is located in the Bibliothèque Générale in Rabat, Morocco.
5. Sayf al-’Inaya li Murid al-Kifaya (The Sword of Solicitude for the Seeker of Plenitude). This title, Shaykh Muhammad al-Qandusi said, is the work’s name outwardly (zahir), while its inward (batin) name is al-Talwin wa al-Tamkin fi Matla’ al-Salat ‘ala Sahib al-Wahi al-Mubin ‘Alayhi al-Salat wa al-Salam fi Kulli Hin (Variegation and Stability in the Rising Point of Prayers upon the Recipient of the Clarion Revelation—May Prayers and Peace Be Upon Him at Every Moment). The Shaykh completed this work on the 19^th of Rabi’ al-Awwal, 1269 AH/1852 CE. A copy of this work is located at the Bibliothèque Générale in Rabat, Morocco (nr. 1699).
6. An unnamed treatise on the Supreme Name. This three-page treatise on the meaning of the Supreme Name (Allah) is located in the Bibliothèque Générale in Rabat, Morocco and is appended to the aforementioned work Sayf al-’Inaya li Murid al-Kifaya (The Sword of Solicitude for the Seeker of Plenitude).
7. An unnamed treatise of thirty-eight pages on metaphysics, cosmology, and spiritual counsel drawn from select passages of al-Shaykh al-Akbar Ibn ‘Arabi’s al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya (The Meccan Openings) and Fusus al-Hikam (The Gemstones of Wisdom). This work is located in the Bibliothèque Générale in Rabat, Morocco, nr. 1699.
8. Miftah al-Bab li Hubb al-Ahbab (The Key to the Door for the Lovers’ Love). This work, also located in the Bibliothèque Générale in Rabat, Morocco, nr. 1699, is a four-page collection of prayers and invocations. No date was given for this work.
9. Zubdat al-Mahbub al-Mamkhuda min Labani ‘Ilm al-Ghuyub (The Cream of the Beloved from the Milk of Unseen Knowledge). Similar to his The Sword of Solicitude, Shaykh Muhammad al-Qandusi gave this work two titles. In the beginning he named it The Cream of the Beloved from the Milk of Unseen Knowledge, and at the end of the work he named it al-Haqa’iq al-Munshilla Sahibaha min Awhali Tawhid al-Madayiq (Realities That Pluck One from the Constrictive Mires of Illusory Unity). The second title is reminiscent of a famous line in the prayer of Mawlay ‘Abd al-Salam Ibn Mashish, “…and pluck me from the mires of illusory unity (awhal al-tawhid).” Through an in-depth discussion on Muhammadan Metaphysics and Prophetology, he explained how one can gain “knowledge of self,” and described the interrelatedness of the sacred and so-called mundane. This work is located in the Bibliothèque Générale in Rabat, Morocco, nr. 1699, and was completed on Rabi’ al-Awwal 1, 1270 AH/1853 CE.
10. Nubdha al-Bawariq al-Ahmadiyya fi al-Haraka wa al-Sukuniyya min al-Haqiqa al-Muhammadiyya (A Fraction of Ahmadan Flashes in Movement and Stillness from the Muhammadan Reality). This incredibly dense text, and the Shaykh’s largest work, looks at the metacosmic reality of the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) his relation to the macrocosm and microcosm and how a believer should relate to him at all stages of his or her spiritual journey, in particular within the postures of the ritual prayer (salat). He completed this work on Rabi’ al-Awwal 29, 1270 AH/1854 CE. This work is located in the Bibliothèque Générale in Rabat, Morocco, nr. 2135.
11. Al-Nur al-Sati’ fi al-’Ilm al-Nafi’ (The Resplendent Light in Beneficial Knowledge). This small work is contained in the same volume as the Bawariq, and is a commentary on a prayer that the Shaykh received directly from the Prophet Muhammad s in a wakeful state inside the Qarawiyyin Mosque. The prayer is:

اللهم صل على النور الساطع الذاتي الكامل الساري سره في الوجود

“O Allah, send prayers upon the radiant, perfect, and essential light whose secret permeates all of existence.”

12. Al-Salat al-Waqiya min al-Ahwal al-Zulmaniyya (The Prayer that Delivers from Dark States). In this small work, Shaykh Muhammad al-Qandusi spoke about the importance of abundant prayers upon the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), especially in the latter age, as a means of guarding oneself from delusions and warding off spiritual darkness. It is followed by a series of prayers upon the Prophet s organized in five “Rising Points.” He completed this work in Rabi’ al-Awwal 1274 AH/1857 CE and it is located in the Bibliothèque Générale in Rabat, Morocco, nr. 2127. Within this short collection of prayers upon the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace), Shaykh Muhammad al-Qandusi offered seekers what will help them “secure spiritual benefits, openings, and protection in the latter age of dissolution” when traditional methods of spiritual work will be unsustainable and lose their effect and “will not benefit seekers in the least.” The Shaykh maintained that in the latter age of dissolution, heart-felt prayers upon the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and connection to him will serve as the means of regaining spiritual balance and journeying safely to the realm of the Hereafter:

 Prayers upon the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) will become the Elixir in the latter age when all other means of spiritual refinement will fade into oblivion except for his means, for he is the sun that will never set until the Day of Resurrection. One of the secrets of Allah’s wisdom is that a sick person should neither be given strong medicines nor rich foods; rather, a physician should prescribe him gentle-acting medicines and gentle foods until he regains his health and is able to eat rich foods. It is the same with regard to the religion: it has become weak and sickly in this latter age, therefore it can only be remedied by patience and nourished with prayers upon the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), as they contain the secret for re-establishing equilibrium.  As for the lights of other forms of remembrance, their food is too powerful, and the medicines of spiritual struggle are also too strong. Understand this!

13. An unnamed, concise work on Allah’s Beautiful names followed by a 237-page commentary on the divine name al-Latif (The Benevolent). This work is located in the Bibliothèque Générale in Rabat, Morocco, nr. 12.
14. Qasr al-Zamarjad fi Burda Madh al-Rasul al-Mumajjad (The Peridot Palace: On the Burda Ode in Praise of the Glorified Messenger). This is a detailed commentary on the Burda Ode of Imam al-Busiri. He also calls it Qasr al-Marjan fi Burda Madh Habib al-Rahman (The Diamond Palace on the Burda Ode to the Beloved of the All-Merciful). This work is located in the Bibliothèque Générale in Rabat, Morocco.
15. An unnamed compendium of supplications and prayers upon the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), nr,1386.
16. Risalat al-Matalib fi al-Suluk ‘ala Tariqa al-Maratib (Lofty Quests in Spiritual Wayfaring Through the Degrees of Being). This work examines the hierarchy of being and explains each degree of human becoming and the etiquette one must have at each of them. This work is located in the Bibliothèque Générale in Rabat, Morocco.
17. Qasida Ra’iyya fi Madh Mawlana Idris (An Ode Rhyming with the Letter Ra’ in Praise of Mawlay Idris II of Fez). A copy of this ode is found in the Royal Library in Rabat, Morocco. It is followed by a short ode in praise of Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani.
18. A handwritten copy of the Quran (Mushaf). With the patronage of Hajj Sayyid Idris b. Muhammad b. Idris, the son of Muhammad b. Idris al-‘Amrani (d. 1264 AH), a well-known poet and astronomer who served as a minister in the court of Sultan ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Hashim, Shaykh Muhammad al-Qandusi wrote out the entire Quran in an ornate and mystical calligraphic style spanning twelve volumes. Shaykh Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Hayy al-Kattani  noted that each volume was encased in a large wooden box and sealed with a locket, and that each volume was approximately one meter in height and contained five ahzab each (2.5 juz’). Shaykh Muhammad al-Qandusi completed the writing of this Mushaf on Shawwal 30, 1266 AH/1850 CE. Astoundingly, the Shaykh described the unique properties of this Mushaf as if others would have access to all volumes of it or at least certain volumes. Records indicate that it was at the Zaydaniyya Library in Meknes (which belonged to Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Muhammad b. Zaydan al-‘Alawi) and that in 1969 CE it was moved to the Royal Library in Ribat, where it remains till today. Shaykh Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Hayy al-Kattani said about the Qandusi Mushaf:

The author of Salwat al-Anfas said in his biographical entry for the Shaykh of our grandfather [Shaykh Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Wahid], the knower of Allah and righteous and lordly sage, Abu ‘Abdillah Muhammad b. Qasim al-Qandusi who is buried in Fez, that he wrote with his own hand a Mushaf described as “unrivaled by anything else in the world.” I used to find it odd that the Mushaf was described in such absolute terms—that was until I came across it at the Zaydaniyya Library in Meknes. It spans twelve extremely large volumes; however, one of the volumes has been lost. Each volume of the Mushaf is contained in a large, wide ornate wooden case approximately one meter tall. The Mushaf itself was written in very thick pen strokes, similar to the style in which the Supreme Name hanging on the wall of the outer courtyard of the mausoleum of [Mawlay] Idris II is written, which has been there for nearly one hundred years. At the end of the Mushaf there is, in the copyist’s [Shaykh Muhammad al-Qandusi’s] handwriting, his story and an account of how long it took to complete. It is, as we have described, one of the prized rarities of Moroccan calligraphy that we have seen.

 HIS PASSING

 Shaykh Muhammad b. al-Qasim al-Qandusi passed away on Saturday the twelfth of Jumada al-Ula, 1278 AH/1861 CE. He is buried outside of Bab al-Futuh in Fes, Morocco in an unmarked grave behind the Rawdat al-‘Ulama sepulcher, in the plot called Rawdat Awlad Siraj. He was survived by his wife Habiba b. al-Hajj Qasim and eight of his children. May Allah have mercy upon him and reward him on behalf of all who benefit from his secrets!