THE GRACE OF FEZ:
Sidi ‘Abdul ‘Aziz b. Masoud ad-Dabbagh رحمه الله
THE JOURNEY THE PLEASURE & THE CLOSENESS OF ALLAH
This is among the most exalted of the short sanads because Al-Khidir, on whom be peace, met the Prophet, may God bless and grant him peace, during his lifetime in the same way as all the Companions took from the Prophet. Likewise Sidi ‘Abdul-Aziz took from the Prophet in (the same way as all the successors (at-Tabi’un of the Companions) took on the authority of the Companions who were contemporaries of the Prophet, may God bless and grant him peace, and so on. Thus the intermediaries between us and the Prophet, may God bless and grant him peace, are four.”(Shaykh Mohammed b. Alial-Sanusi)
Introduction
Imam Mubarak Sjilmasi, the student
of Hazrat ‘Adbul ‘Aziz Ad Dabbagh
Praise be to God Who has opened the path of intercession for His Friends and by their noble hand has brought about many an excellent benefit! Whoever follows their example triumphs and is rightly guided, whereas he who veers from their path suffers reversal and decline. Whoever clings to their hem prospers and attains the goal, while he who confronts them in opposition is cut off and destroyed.
I praise Him with the praise of one who knows there is no refuge from God except in God, and I thank Him with the thanks of one who has realized that both goods, that of this world and the world to come, are in His Hands. I seek His assistance as one who relies on Him alone in resolving his affairs, and I invoke blessings upon our Master Muhammad and upon his family, upon Muhammad and his family I utter salutations equal in number to the creation of magnanimous God and His gifts.
I also heard from him knowledge (ma’arifa) about the noble angels and the diversity of their kinds and the differences between their awesome ranks, and I'd thought human beings couldn't attain such science ('ilm) or advance to that level.
And I heard from him knowledge about the Heavenly Books and the Shari’as brought by Prophets in previous ages and times gone by, such that if you heard it you'd be of the firm opinion and assert that he was the Prince of the knowers of God and Chief of all the Friends of God of his Era.
And I heard from him knowledge about the Final Day and all it will contain in the way of gathering and dispersal, the narrow path (first) and the scales, and the resplendent ease, such that were you to hear it you'd know he speaks from witnessing and direct vision, and reports on the basis of experience and divine knowledge (irfan).
Thus, by then I was certain of his awesome Friendship with God (wilaya) and I attached myself to his most protective person, remarking:
“Praise be to God Who has guided us hither, for we wouldn't have been guided if God hadn't guided us” (Quran 7:43).
Verily, the person most acquainted with these matters is the best of people with respect to faith, and most perfect in divine knowledge (‘irfan). For this is the shining track and the path whose dawn sends forth light—God give you success.
And I met him during the month of Rajab in the year 1125/July-August 1713. I then remained in his company and under the banner of his love, listening to his forms of divine insight (ma’arif) which are too numerous to be counted. Meanwhile, God the Sublime didn't cause me to record any of his words, but I went on listening to his words and understood them, and I mentioned them to some of my friends and a select few of my companions.
Everyone who heard his words was amazed by them and said: 'we’ve never heard divine insights like these!’ Their amazement was increased even further by the fact that the author of these insights was formally unschooled (ummi) and hadn't pursued religious learning. Indeed, he was among those who've completely turned away from religious learning, as far as appearances are concerned. And everyone of them who heard something experienced a feeling of delight for one or two days, or for one or two weeks. Whenever I encountered them or they encountered me, they'd ask me: 'Have you [recently] heard any of his divine insights or subtle instructive points (fawaid)?' And I'd tell them what I could, and this caused their love and amazement to increase.
In sum, no one heard his words without immediately accepting them in full. And you'll become aware of him and they said: 'By God, he's the perfect Friend and Knower of God from what you read in the present book—if God the Sublime so wills—through His grace and His generosity!
When it was Rajab of the year 1129/June 1717, God inspired me to write down some of his instructive sayings so that benefit from them might be disseminated and profit he had. Thus I compiled some of what I'd heard during the months of Rajab and Sha'ban. Ramadan, Shawwal and Dhu'l-Qa'da. And behold, this filled nearly fifteen notebooks! I realized that were I to record what I'd heard over the last four years, it would fill more than two hundred notebooks. 'Not being recorded is a blight upon knowledge.
And know that everything I've written down is no more than a few drops from an abounding ocean that has no bottom and has no shore. Its waves buffeted one another and I was sprinkled with some of their drops. As for the sciences contained within the Shaykh's breast only the exalted Lord Who's distinguished him with them is capable of counting them.
Section One
On what preceded his affair
before his birth
And Sidi al-'Arabi used to say to us:
"A child will be born to you whose name will be ‘Abdul-‘Aziz. He'll have a great rank as regards to Friendship with God."
And I heard my mother say:
"Sidi al-’Arabi al-Fishtali said: 'I beheld the Prophet—God's blessings and peace be upon him-—and he told me: "A great Friend of God will be born to your sister's daughter." I asked: "Oh Prophet of God, who will be his father?" He replied: "His father will be Masoud Dabbagh."
And Sidi al-’Arabi wished to live up until the birth of Mawlay Abdul-Aziz, but when the epidemic of the year 1090/167926 occurred. Sayyid at-'Arabi died in that epidemic. 'When his death was at hand, he sent for my father Masoud who came to him, and he said: "Where's your wife?" They sent for her as well, and when they were both present, Sidi al-‘Arabi said to them: "This is a trust from God (amanat Allah)for the two of you to keep until Abdul -Aziz is born to you. Then give him this trust." The trust consisted of a skullcap (shashiyya) and black kuttabi-shoes, for this is what was worn at the time.'
Our Shaykh, said—God be pleased with him: 'My mother took the trust and put it away safely. But the child of her first pregnancy was a girl. Then when a certain amount of time went by, she became pregnant with me and I was born to them.
Time passed until I reached puberty and was fasting during Ramadan. God the Sublime then moved my mother to think of the trust. She went and brought it to me, saying:
"Oh my son, Sidi al-Arabi al-Fishtali bequeathed this trust to you."
I took hold of the trust and I placed the skullcap on my head and put the shoes on my feet lust then a great heat came over me so that my eyes filled with tears. And I perceived what Sidi al-’Arabi said to me and I understood his instructions, this took place in the year1109/1697-8.
I heard from trustworthy informants that Sidi Ahmed b. ‘Abd Allah(“Ma’in al-Andalusi: from the offspring of the Almohad Sultan Yaqub al-Mansour; d. 792/1377), the great Friend and celebrated knower of God, the (spiritual) master of the neighborhood al-Makhfiyya—God be pleased with him—used lo praise Sidi al-’Arabi al-Fishtali very much and would say: ‘Sidi al-‘Arabi was surely one of the great Friends and knowers of God.'
AL-IBREEZ AND IT’S UNIQUE NATURE
MIRACLES OF SYYIDUNA ABDUL AZEEZ AL-DABBĀGH
PROMINENT DISCIPLES AND REPRESENTATIVES OF SAYYIDUNA ABDUL AZEEZ DABBAGH
SPECIAL AND SPIRITUAL NAME OF DABBAGH