History

The Ahmadiah Idrisiah Tariqah is a tariqah that emerged and centred in Asir,(Arab Saudi) in the 19th century. It was founded by Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad bin Idris 'Ali al-Mashishi al-Yamlakhi al-Hasmi radhiAllahu 'anhu.

Since young Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad ibn Idris radhiAllahu 'anhu was educated in an environment that is filled with zuhud and knowledge and he had trained and thought many well known scholars and sufi masters in his era. Based on the education background of Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad bin Idris radhiAllahu 'anhu, it is clear that he had inherited knowledge which are encompassing, especially in hadith, tafsir, fiqh (4 mazhab) dan tasawwuf. If we scrutinised the chain of transmissions that were obtained from world reknowned scholars like al-Muhaddith Shaykh Yasin al-Fadani radhiAllahu 'anhu, Shaykh Sayyid Abbas ibn Abdul Aziz al-Maliki radhiAllahu 'anhu, al-Muhaddith Tuan Shaykh Sayyid Muhammad ibn ‘Alwi al-Maliki radhiAllahu 'anhu and others, we will find the name of Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad ibn Idris radhiAllahu 'anhu among those that are listed in their chain of transmission. Also, Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad ibn Idris radhiAllahu 'anhu is well known to narrate the Musalsal Hadiths and obtained the chain of transmission of ‘Aali [1], for example, the length chain of transmission between Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad ibn Idris radhiAllahu 'anhu and Imam al Bukhari radhiAllahu 'anhu includes onlyi 9 narrators.

Shaykh Yasin al-Fadani Sayyid Muhammad 'Alawi al-Maliki Sayyid Abbas ibn Abd 'Aziz Al-Maliki

Besides possessing the knowledge of al-Quran, Hadiths,Tafsir, Aqidah dan Fiqh, As Shaykh also studied the knowledge of tasawuf until he got the authorisation from Tuan Shaykh Sayyid Abu Al-Mawahib Abdul Wahhab at-Tazi radhiAllahu 'anhu to spread this knowledge as a sufi master of the Khidriah Tariqah. His other spiritual master in the field of tasawuf includes Shaykh Abdul Qosim Al-Wazir radhiAllahu 'anhu(Syaziliah Tariqah ) dan Shaykh Hasan Al-Qina’i (Khalwatiah Tariqah ) radhiAllahu 'anhu.[2]

Here we acknowledge that Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad ibn Idris radhiAllahu 'anhu had mastered and taught various Tariqah. The tariqahs that he had inherited includes Naqshabandiah Tariqah, Qadiriah Tariqah, amongst others.[3]

Also, it was narrated by Shaykh Muhammad bin Ali as-Sanusi radhiAllahu 'anhu that during his understudy with Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad bin Idris radhiAllahu 'anhu, besides the Khidiriah Tariqahin, As Shaykh had taught him other Tariqahs namely, the Nasiriah Tariqah, Naqsyabandiah Tariqah, Uwaysiah Tariqah, Suhrawardiah Tariqah, Shadziliah Tariqah, Hatimiyazamqiah Tariqah dan QadariahTariqah, until Shaykh Muhammad As-Sanusi radhiAllahu 'anhu regards him as "Qutb". [4]

Yusuf bin Ismail al-Nabhani author of kitab Jami' Karamat al-Auliya, pictured Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad bin Idris radhiAllahu 'anhu as a Shaykh who manage to synergise and master both outward knowledge(syari'ah) and inward knowledge(tasawuf). He also acquired and submerged himself in the knowledge of al-Quran dan Hadiths through Kasyf(spiritual acquisition).

Al-‘Arif billah Tuan Shaykh Sayyid Muhammad al-Sanusi radhiAllahu 'anhu named this tariqah as al-Tariqah al-Muhammadiah. He said “I transmitted this al-Tariqah al-Muhammadiah ini from various transmission. The highest transmission that we acquired is from our shakyh Qutb al-‘Arifin Imam al-Muhaqqiqin Maulana Sayyid Ahmad bin Idris radhiAllahu 'anhu…”[5]

The great significance about this tariqah is that it was acquired and transmitted directly from Rasulullah shallAllahu 'alaihi wasallam in all aspects. Every spiritual works that are taught and practiced in this tariqah is regarded as an inheritance and transmission from Rasulullah shallAllahu 'alaihi wasallam and his Sunnah.

And our Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad bin Idris radhiAllahu 'anhu named this tariqah by the name of Ahmadiah, which is named after him – may Allah purify his soul – because Rasulullah shallAllahu 'alaihi wasallam specifically taught him this tariqah with the zikir and spiritual works that are complete, prayers that move hearts and sources which are aplenty.[6]

Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad bin Idris radhiAllahu 'anhu acquired the knowledge of this Tariqah directly from Rasulullah shallAllahu 'alaihi wasallam [7]. In the meeting (termed as 'suri') between Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad bin Idris radhiAllahu 'anhu with Rasulullah shallAllahu 'alaihi wasallam, Khidr 'alaihis salam the prophet, was also present. Rasulullah shallAllahu 'alaihi wasallam instructed Saiyidina Khidr 'alaihis salam to teach Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad radhiAllahu 'anhu the verses from the zikir of the Syaziliyah Tariqah. After that, Rasulullah shallAllahu 'alaihi wasallam instructed prophet Khidr 'alaihis salam to teach Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad radhiAllahu 'anhu the zikir, selawat and istighfar that is the most significant and eminent. And so the prophet of Allah, Khidr 'alaihis salam taught Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad radhiAllahu 'anhu the sayings of the Tahlil Khusus, Selawat Azimiah and Istighfar Kabir. [8] In that meeting, Rasulullah shallAllahu 'alaihi wasallam also explained to Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad radhiAllahu 'anhu on the significance anf secrets of the Tahlil Khusus, Selawat Azimiah dan Istighfar Kabir. Afterwards Rasulullah shallAllahu 'alaihi wasallam transmitted those dzikir to Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad radhiAllahu 'anhu directly, without any intercessor. [9]

And so this great tariqah was inherited and formed, lead and propagated by the distinguished sufi master al-Qutb al-Muhaqiqqin Tuan Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad ibn Idris radhiAllahu 'anhu.








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[1] The Ulama felt honoured when they get the transmission from him, amonst those, Sayyid Muhammad Ali as Sanusi, Mufti Zabid Yaman Shaykh Abdur Rahman ibn Sulaiman al Ahdali, Qadhi Hassan ‘Akish. Imam Muhammad bin Ali Syaukani gave his endorsement, as was recorded by Shaykh Soleh Al Ja’afari, al-Muntaqa al-Nafis fiManaqib Qutb Dairah al-Taqdis Sayyidi Ahmad ibn Idris, pg 27

[2] Shaykh Ahmad bin Muhammad Sa’id radhiAllahu 'anhu, 1354H/1935M. Majmuk, al-Ahmadiyah Press, Singapore, (written in Jawi), pg 13

[3] Shaykh Ahmad bin Muhammad Sa’id radhiAllahu 'anhu, (without date). Faraid al-Ma’thir al-Marwiyah li al Tariqah al-Ahmadiyah al-Rashidiyah al-Dandarawiyah, published by Sungai Ujung Press (written in Jwai), in the 4th Chapter pg 34

[4] Knut S. Vikor, Sufi and Scholar, pg 120.

[5] Al-Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali al-Sanusi al-Khattabi al-Hasani. Kitab Al-Manhal al-Rawiy al-Ra’iq fi Asanid al-‘Ulum wa Usul al-Tara’iq

[6] Al-Shaykh Al-Sayyid Ibnu Idris. Kitab Al-Raksu wal Ghanaa’ was Sima’ ‘indal Thoriqatul Shufiyyah (Tarian, Nyanyian & al-Sima’ dalam Tariqah Tasawwuf, published by the Mufti Office of Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus -written in Malay- pg 5)

[7] Hadhihi Turjumah Sidi Ahmad, (Egypt : Dar al-Kutub al-‘Arabiyyah, without date) pg 2-4

[8] Ibid.

[9] Shaykh Ahmad bin Muhammad Sa’id radhiAllahu 'anhu. Faraid al-Ma’thir al-Marwiyah li al Tariqah al-Ahmadiyah al-Rasyidiyah al-Dandarawiyah, written in Jawi, pg 37

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