Sidi Shaykh Mohamed Al Faouzi Al Karkari
Sidi Mohamed Faouzi
ㅤ“What use are your eyes if they have not been given a vision of the Messenger of Allah?”
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If you are searching for the Light of Muhammad, then know that this is where the pangs of your separation ends and the start of your journey begins. To begin the path is not so easy, it demands from you that which you desire the most, so the question remains, are you ready to give up that which you love the most? Are you ready to leave behind your self, and efface yourself in the Oneness of your Lord.
The inheritor of the Light of Muhammad, and the one from whom flows the Light of Muhammad, the unique man of Allah of His time, the Sahib Al Waqt, the ocean of knowledge basking in the light of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the Knower of Allah, the gnostic, leader of the Shadhili Darqawiya Order, The Qutb, Sidi Mohamed Al Faouzi Al Karkari.
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He is the Murabbi (spiritual trainer), Shaykh Abu Abd Allah, Sidi Mohamed Faouzi b. Tayyib al-Karkari, may God sanctify his inner secret. His very name bears the mark of a profound spiritual connection (nisba) and the lofty rank he occupied, even among the noble Sharīf and Sa’dāt. Holding a lineage of Al-Idrisi Al-Hasani, he is part of a distinguished family tree that traces back through Mawlay Idrīs and Imām Hassan to the beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
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This blessed ancestry carries immense reverence throughout the region of Morocco and far beyond, as it reflects the noble heritage shared by some of the most transformative figures in the history of Sufism. Alongside Sidi Shaykh Fawzi al-Karkari, three other towering spiritual figures who have shaped the path of Islamic mysticism across the world are Sīdī Abd Al-Salām Ibn Mashīsh (d. 1227), Sīdī Abdul Azīz Ad-Dabbāgh (d. 1719), and Sidi Ahmed Ibn Idrīs (d. 1837). Their influence extends across centuries, not only guiding the faithful within Morocco but leaving an enduring legacy that has enriched the practice of Tasawwuf globally.
Sidi Shaykh was born in the year 1973 in the town of Al-Aroui, situated in the Rif region of northern Morocco, approximately twenty kilometers from the city of Nador. The family of Sidi Shaykh have resided in the town of Al-Aroui for twelve generations, and for each of his ancestors, there is a shrine in the precincts of the town.
Remarkably, Sidi Shaykh is not the only Shaykh from amongst his noble family whose name is inscribed in the golden chain of the Shadhili Sufi Order. Their esteemed grandfather, Sidi Mawlay al-Tahir al-Karkari, may God sanctify their secret, took the spiritual path directly from the renowned Sufi master, Sidi Shaykh Ahmad al-Alawi of Algeria. Shaykh Ahmad al-Alawi served a pivotal role in the widespread of the Darqawi branch of the Shadhili Sufi Order, spreading the order far and wide throughout West Africa, Europe, and the Middle East through his representatives. From amongst them was Sidi Mawlay al-Tahir al-Karkari who had brought the order to northern Morocco.
Sidi Mawlay al-Tahir al-Karkari
After the veiling of Sidi Mawlay at-Tahir, the order was chosen to continue at the hands of Sidi Mawlay Hassan al-Karkari, the uncle of our Shaykh, Sidi Mohamed Fawzi al-Karkari. They became the possessor of the light, whereby the illumination of many seekers including our Shaykh, Sidi Mohamed Fawzi al-Karkari would take place. It is from Sidi Mawlay at-Tahir that our Shaykh, Sidi Mohamed Fawzi al-Karkari received the idhn (authorisation) to transmit the Muhammadan Light. It was from that spring our Shaykh had drank and continues to drink from.
It is narrated that the opening of Sidi Mawlay Hassan took place after witnessing their brother in a state of euphoria upon receiving the sirr (secret). Sidi Mawlay Hassan then experienced an insatiable longing to attain closeness to Allah. They secluded themselves in caves and taverns until the veil was lifted and wherever they laid their eyes, they beheld the luminous inscription of the name of God, Allah, written in letters of light.
Sidi Mawlay Hassan al-Karkari
The noble heritage of Sidi Shaykh Mohamed Fawzi does not stop just there. They are also the grandson of the esteemed master of the path of the 5th generation in the golden chain, Sidi Muhammad Ben Qaddur Al Wakiliy, may God sanctify and preserve their secret. Sidi Muhammad Ben Qaddur Al Wakiliy was the first to settle in Mount Karkar which is located approximately forty kilometers outside the town of Al-Aroui.
Their disciple was Sidi Muhammad Ibn Al-Habib Al Buzidi, who spread the teachings of the Darqawi order through their heir, Sidi Shaykh Ahmad al-Alawi of Algeria, and Sidi Shaykh Muhammad al-Hibri, founder of the Hibriyya Path whose branches extend through out the Maghreb in the wake of the Belqadiyya in Algeria. They transmitted the mysteries of the Supreme Name Allah and the initiatic sciences so well, they were named 'the man of divine bestowals' (Abu al-Mawahib). This illustrious lineage connects Sidi Shaykh to a continuous chain of saints and scholars whose influence has shaped the course of Islamic spirituality.
Al Buzidi Al Hibri Al Alawi
Another notable figure from amongst the family of Sidi Shaykh is Sidi Mukhtar Bukhnif, who was known for his saintly miracles. It is said that they possessed the secrets of Tay Al-Ard, the folding of the earth, and were known to offer the Friday prayers in the holy city of Mecca despite living in Morocco.
A Moroccan traveler, having recently completed the pilgrimage, found himself stranded after losing his belongings, with no means to return home. As he reflected on his predicament, a group of individuals advised him to seek out a particular person, whom he would find at a specific location in the mosque during the Friday prayer.
Following their guidance, the traveler found none other than Sidi Mukhtar Bukhnif at the indicated place. Sidi Mukhtar advised the traveler to return next week, whereby he would have a solution to the travelers problem. Sidi Mukhtar instructed the traveler to close his eyes and wait for further direction. Upon opening them, the traveler was astonished to find himself miraculously back in his home village.
This traveler then became one of the closest devotes to Sidi Mukhtar, and upon the latter's passing, they had ordered a hand-carved dome made of a precious wood all the way from Fes to be built for Sidi Mukhtar. This required great effort as the distance between Fes & Al-Aroui was over 300 kilometeres, and it was at a time where cars and modern means of transportation did not exist.
However, Sidi Shaykh’s distinction is not solely derived from their lineage. From a young age, they exhibited profound piety and a noble character. Their childhood was marked by a series of blessed dreams that later manifested into reality, serving as early signs of their spiritual calling.
The primary education of Sidi Shaykh Fawzi took place at Al Hoceima, thereafter attending high school in Taza (Taza, situated in eastern Morocco, is a city home of the family of the Ghawth Sidi Abdul Wahhab Al-Tazi). However, this is the part of Sidi Shaykhs journey where God had desired for their formal education to come to an end, and the apparent beginning of their spiritual journey to begin.
“Know that the path begins when Allah throws into the heart of the slave a powerful urge, which troubles and unnerves him, and drives him towards Allah and the last abode. It turns him away from life on earth and from being, like others, busily engaged in gathering and building, tasting and enjoying the pleasures of the world, and deceived by its ornaments.”
Imam Al Haddad
“Consider then your state and see where you are in terms of giving your goods (nafaqa) and selling your nafs, are you or are you not able to give up the shadow of your being, to fade away and disappear into the Light of the Lord? In the Light of the Lord there is neither money nor nafs. The Light of the Lord is a Breath of the Spirit, pure and immaculate. If you have a single dirham in your pocket, the Diwan will not accept you into its bosom. Get rid of the dirham, and then come and enter the Divine Presence.
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If your nafs still cares about your wife, daughter and son, you are forbidden to enter the Diwan. Get rid of your nafs, and then come and enter the Divine Presence. In the Diwan of the Lord, there is only “Light upon Light, Allãh guides to His Light who He wills” [s24.35], and only people of total and absolute purification by the Divine Light can enter it.
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Of course, there is absolutely nothing that could defile these people. Spare us the words like, “The world is in my hand, not in my heart!”, the language of “specialists”, forget this immediately! Do not even say it in the presence of the Ahl Allah! The dunya will not come out of your heart until it leaves your hand! Only by tearing it out of your hand can your heart get rid of it, and only then will you begin to realize its true value, only then will you begin to savour the handful of Light that you have in your heart, and only then will you be able to access the Diwan.
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Then and only then, go and take what you want from the dunya. Just as Sulayman (‘alayhisalam) did when he plunged into the Luminous Presence, fainted there and disappeared completely, he said; “Lord, forgive me and give me the gift of a kingdom such that no one after me will have such a kingdom” [s38.v35]. It was then that the wind was indeed subjected to him, the mountains were subjected to him… even the Shayatin were only acting under his orders! All this obviously by the Permission of Allah, but this happened only after Sayyidina Sulayman reached the Exclusive Handle of Light and plunged into it with a total and absolute dive.
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Your share in the spiritual dimension will therefore only be according to and in proportion to your plunge and erasure into the Light. Therefore, consider your state; have you really killed yourself, in a total death? Did you really realise death, did you really die before you died?
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It is not a matter of being drowned in carelessness (ghafla), never doing dhikr, and then coming to me and saying; “Ah… Sidi Shaykh, get me out of this state…” As was the case of a disciple who recently came to tell me that he could no longer evoke the Name of Allah. Ah well… you can no longer evoke the Name…Of course not! In truth, it is not you who can no longer evoke the Name, but rather the Name that does not want you! Because you are impure!
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The verse says: “Allah wants only to rid you of all defilement, O people of the house (Ahl Al-Bayt), and to purify you totally” [s33.v33]. The Ahl Al-Bayt are the people of the Presence, the people of the Shining Handle, they are not defiled, they are not affected by impurity. They are of immaculate purity, such are the Ahl Al-Bayt. Ahl al-Ka’ba, the people of the House of Sayyidina al-Mustafa. Ahl bayt al-Haqq, Ahl bayt al-Ma’mour! They are the ones who enter it, they are the ones who reach the state of intimacy, like Sayyidina Ibrahim alayhi salām.”
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The Chain Of Transmission
Shaykh Abi Muhammad Jabir Al-Ansari
Shaykh Sa’id al-Ghazwani
Shaykh Fath al-Su’ud
Shaykh Sa’d
Shaykh Abi Muhammad Sa’id
Shaykh Abi al-Qasim Ahmad al-Marwani
Shaykh Abi Ishaq Ibrahim al-Basri
Shaykh Zayn al-Din al-Qazwini
Shaykh Muhammad Shams al-Din
Shaykh Muhmmad Taj al-Din
Shaykh Nur al-Din
Shaykh Fakhr al-Din
Shaykh Taqi al-Din
Shaykh Abu Zayd Al Rahman Al Hasani al-Attar
Shaykh Abu Abd Allah Abd al-Salam ibn Mashish al-Hasani al-Idrisi
Shaykh Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili
Shaykh Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi
Shaykh ibn Ata Allah al-Iskandari
Shaykh Abu Sulayman Dawud ibn Umar al-Bakhili
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Wafa
Shaykh Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Wafa
Shaykh Yahya ibn Ahmad al-Qadiri
Shaykh Ahmad ibn al-Burnusi al-Fasi (Sidi Ahmad Zarruq)
Shaykh Ibrahim al-Fahham al-Zurhuni
Shaykh Ali al-Sanhaji
Shaykh Yusuf ibn Muhammad al-Fasi
Shaykh Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad al-Fasi
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn Ma'an al-Andalusi al-Fasi
Shaykh Qasim al-Khassasi
Shaykh Ahmad al-Fasi
Shaykh al-Arbi ibn Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Fasi
Shaykh Ali ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Umrani (Sidi Ali al-Jamal al-Umrani)
Shaykh Mulay al-Arbi ibn Ahmad al-Darqawi
Shaykh Abi Ya'za al-Mahaji
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Qadir al-Wakili (Sidi Muhammad Ben Qaddur Al Wakiliy)
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Habib al-Buzidi
Shaykh Ahmad ibn Mustafa al-Alawi al-Mustaghanimi
Shaykh Mulay Tahir al-Karkari
Shaykh Mulay al-Hasan al-Karkari
Sidi Shaykh Mohamed Faouzi al-Karkari al-Hasani al-Idrisi