Sīdī Bū ʿAzzā al-Mahhājī

(d.1277)
Masters of the Shādhili Path Series

Translated by Sidi Idris Watts

His name is Abū ʿAbd Allāh Bū ʿAzzā at-Tilimsānī al-Mahhājī from

the tribe of Mahhājah, who originate from a region outside of Tilimsān;
Algeria. He had two zāwiyahs: one in Oujda in Morocco and the other in
Tilimsān. He took from Moulay al-ʿArabī al-Darqāwī. He was a man of a
high spiritual station. It was related that one day he was sitting with a
scholar of law when a man came asking about a very complex issue.
The scholar gave his answer, quoting what he had memorised from the
book of Khalīl (a traditional Mālikī book of law). Once the scholar had
finished his answer, Abū ʿAzzā sat up and said, “I don’t think that to be
the correct answer. Go back and review the issue in the commentaries
of Khalīl.” (This he said even though Abū ʿAzzā had never touched a
book of law.) On reviewing the commentaries, the scholar found to his
astonishment that all of them were in contrary to what he had said.

He would always surpass the scholars in discussion and leave

them speechless if they sat with him. He would say, “If the angels were
to descend from the heavens, I would be able to discourse with them.”

Initially he was a man of silence until one day his teacher

ordered him to speak. From that day, he would talk of things that
would confound the intellects of the people.

One day Sīdī Aḥmed al-Ghumārī was with Moulay al-ʿArabī near
his death. Sīdī Aḥmed said that he had still not completed his path.
Moulay al-ʿArabī told him that Abū ʿAzzā would complete his path. He
went to sit with him in Fez. When he came to him he told him he
wanted to sit with him in order that he would take him to knowledge of
God. Abū ʿAzzā welcomed him in. One day Abū ʿAzzā was talking to him
and Sīdī Aḥmed was playing with his beard. Abū ʿAzzā told him to get up
and showed him the door. Sīdī Aḥmed asked him why he was treating
him so. He explained to him that he was giving him the wisdom Moulay
al-ʿArabī and he was distracted with his beard.

He passed away on Friday 15 th (in the middle of Rabīʿ al-Awwal)

September 1277. He was buried in the Ramīlah District of Fez just in
front of the mosque of Sīdī Abū Madyan.