THINGS SHAYKH AHMAD TIJANI ADDED TO THIS RELIGION
After nearly 20 years of following the Tijaniyyah path, I decided to make a list of things Shaykh Ahmad Tijjani (r) added to this Deen.
So, here they are:
1- Nothing
End of list.
Thanks for reading.
It suffices to end this article at this.
The several things Tijjani Adherents are accused of innovating have never been an in-house Tijaniyyah issue. The ONLY in-house Tariqa issue is upholding compulsions, abstaining from prohibitions and participating in virtuous acts.
It is not impossible for Tijjanis to slip into Himalayan blunders. Everyone recedes sometimes; but attributing every ill-act of a Tijjani Adherent to Tijaniyyah, without a clear cut evidence from its known scholars, is barking up a wrong tree.
The foundation of Tijjaniyyah is laid upon three pillars; Istighfar, Salat ala Nabiyy, La-ilaha illa Llah, all which, as you know, are enshrined in the Islamic laws.
Shaykh Ahmad Tijjani (r) taught nothing but Sunnah. It is for this reason he empowered his lovers and foes alike to weigh him upon al Mizanul Shar'.
People, due to ignorance, drag up issues of fiqh amidst others, lingering in the realm of Islamic knowledge for donkey years, and tag them as "bid'ar yan Tijjaniyyah" (innovations of the Tijjanis), toh karyanka (you lie)!
Some people think Tasbih (chaplet) was first handled by Tijjaniyyah Adherents. Imam Suyuti wrote a piece in defense of Tasbih titled al Minha fii Jawazi Ahlis Sibha (you can find this book in our library). In this book, he relates ahadith from Abu Dawud & others, to prove the legitimacy of using the Tasbih. He predates Shaykh Ahmad Tijjani (r) by almost 300 years.
They say Shaykh Ahmad Tijjani (r) invented Salatul Fatih, again you, sir, are quite distanced from fact. This salat was reported by Imam At Tabarani d.360H in Mu'jamul kabir, wa mu'jamul ausat, Ibn Kathir d.774H in his tafsir, Imam Qadhi Iyadh d.544H in Kitabush Shifa amongst others. Even Maulid, is said to be from Tijjaniyyah. I am shocked people do not know that Maulid, in its current format, was first celebrated by King Muzaffar over a thousand years ago. This king was praised by Imam Adhahabi in his Siyar.
If not of recent, many people have accused Shaykh Ahmad Tijjani (r) of pioneering Tawassul, Istighatha, Istimdad etc. Probably, this is because they never knew that these were not even a subject to criticism until the criticizer of companions and Ahlussunnah, *you know who* came along.
Excess love for the Prophet, additional 'Ibadah, BismiLlah or not while reciting al Fatiha in Salat, repetition of Qad qaamatis salat in Iqamah, etc are all classical fiqh issues the a-immah debated over and before them, the companions.
Shaykh Ahmad Tijjani (r) only helped us cultivate a habit, confirmed by the Qur'an and Hadith. So says people who know Islam, Tijaniyyah & Shaykh Ahmad Tijjani.
Shaykh Al Islam Alhaj Ibrahim Inyass said:
"This path which is full of favors & pleasures, founded upon Sunnah & Qur'an."
Shaykh Al Islam, Sharif Ibrahim Saleh al Hussainy said:
"Your Shaykh did not add an atoms weight of external activity to the Deen."
This is the fact, and this is what we are upon. May Allah bless our scholars.