Abu Madyan

Devoted to the fervent service of God, he helped introduce looking into oneself and harmonizing internal occurrences with the external observances through asceticism. Among his most famous students were Ibn 'Arabi (d. 637/1240) and the historian Ibn Hammad (d.

Abu Madyan studied at University of al-Qarawiyyin. Training under Ali ibn Harzihim, Abu Yaaza and Abdul Qadir Gilani is recorded. The field of work recorded is Sufism and poet. Abul Abbas al-Mursi, Abd as-Salam ibn Mashish al-Alami and Abu Said al-Baji are recorded as an influence.

Abu Madyan was born in Cantillana, a small town about 35 km away from Seville, in 1126. He came from an obscure family and his parents were poor. As he grew up, he learned the trade of a weaver as it was a popular practice at the time. His insatiable hunger for knowledge, however, piqued his interest in the Qur'an and the study of religion and mysticism. After crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, he worked for a while in Sabta (Ceuta) with fishermen. Afterwards, he went to Marrakesh, where he served in the Almoravid army defending the city. Soon after, Abu Madyan traveled to Fez to complete his education. He left for Fez at about the end of the Almoravid era or at the beginning of the founding of the Almohad state. There, he studied under Abu Ya’azza al-Hazmiri, ‘Ali Hirzihim, and al-Dakkak. It was al-Dakkak that provided him with the khirka, the cloak passed from Master to student in the study of Sufism. Abu Madyan was particularly fascinated with mysticism by Sidi Ali Ibn Harazem. After finishing his studies with his master Abu Ya'za, he traveled to the Orient. During his time in the Orient, he became familiar with the works of Al-Ghazali, one of the most prominent theologians, philosophers, and mystics of Sunni Islam regarded as one of the renewers of the religion. Abu Madyan went to Mecca where he met the great Muslim saint, Jilani, and completed his spiritual training under him. On his return, he went to the town of Béjaïa where he practiced very strict asceticism and acquired an honorable reputation for his knowledge. People would come far to both listen to his public lectures and consult him on certain manners. People believed he could even perform miracles. His beliefs were in opposition to the Almohade doctors of that town. The Almohads were disturbed at his increasing reputation and wanted to get rid of him. Eventually, Madyan settled in the town of Béjaïa where he established a mosque-school (zawiya). The sheer amount of fame and influence that Abu Madyan evoked raised serious concern from the political powers of the time. The Almohad Caliph Ya’qub al-Mansur summoned Abu Madyan to Marrakesh for this reason so he could talk to Abu Madyan himself. Upon his summoning to Marrakesh, Abu Madyan was taken ill and died before he reached his destination in 594/1198, near the river of Ysser (يسر). His last sigh was supposedly "Allah al-Haqq." He was buried in al-‘Ubbad near Tlemcen, Algeria. His funeral was widely commemorated by the people of Tlemcen and he has been considered the patron saint and protector of Tlemcen ever since. A mausoleum was built by the order of the Almohade sovereign, Muhammad al-Nasir, too shortly after his death. Many princes and kings of Tlemcen have contributed to this mausoleum since his demise. Many monuments, a good number of them still well preserved, were built in his honor next to his tomb by the Marinid kings, who controlled Tlemcen in the 14th century. One such monument is the Mosque of Madrasa. His tomb became the center of fine architecture and is still a place of pilgrimage for many Sufis today.

There are very few surviving writings from Abu Madyan, and of those that do still exist, there are mystical poems, a testament (wasiyya) and a creed (aqida). He encouraged the free expression of emotions rather than rigidity, but also made known his support of asceticism complete devotion to God and a minimalist lifestyle.

Bidayat al Mouridin, Ms 938, Bibliot. Nat. Alger. Diwan, (collection of his poems) édit. Chaouar of Tlemcen, Damascus, 1938. Ouns al Wahid, Ms 2-105 (8) fol. 337–343, Bibliot. Nat. Paris, ed. in Cairo 1301–1884, with a commentary by Ahmed Bâ'chan. Tahfat al Arib, pub. et trad. in Latin par F. de Dombay, Vindobonae, Ebn Médirai Mauri Fessani Sentenciae quaedam arabicae, 1805 The Way of Abu Madyan, bilingual collection, Islamic Texts Society, Cambridge, 1996. Transl by Vincent Cornell. Adab al-Murid, A poem on the etiquette of the murid for beginners on the spiritual path of suluk.