i read this story in the Tabaqat al-Kubra of he Qutb Abdul Wahhab al-Sha’rani….it refers to Shaykh Shamsuddin Muhammad l-Hanafi, who was the successor of Sidi Nasir ad-Din bn al-Mablaq, the successor of Sidi Shihab ad-Din ibn l-Mablaq, the successor of Sidi Yaqut al-’Arshi l-Habashi, the successor of Sidi Ahmad Abu’l Abbas l-Mursi, the successor of Sidi Ali Abu’l Hasan sh-Shadhuli (may Allah sanctify all their secrets!).
Imam Sha’rani writes, because of this, that Imam sh-Shadhdhuli said:
“there will appear in Egypt a man by the name of Muhammad al-Hanafi, who will “open this door” (of the
Tariqa) wide, and become well-known in his time, and he will have an immense rank”
and in another narration:
“there will appear in Egypt a youth who will be known as “the repentant youth” (this refers to one of the 7
categories of people shaded in Allah’s Throne on the ay of Rising), who will follow the Hanafi madhhab
(while Egypt is mostly Shafi’i), whose name will be Muhammad ibn Hasan, and he will have a mark on his
right cheek, and he will have white skin with a touch of red in it, and he will be raised as a poor orphan.”
and he also used to say: “al-Hanafi is the fifth successor after me.”
The Story
ash-Sharif an-Nu’mani, one of the murids of Sidi
Muhammad al-Hanafi, narrates that he had a dream,
“wherein i saw my grandfather the Messenger of Allah
(saws) in a great wide tent, and the Awliya were
coming to him and greeting him one by one, while one
person next to him would introduce them and say, “this
is so-and-so,” and then they would sit next to him
(alayhi salat wa salam). And then i saw a great group
of people, and that person called out, “this is
Muhammad al-Hanafi,” and when he reached the Messenger
(asws) he sat him down next to him, then turned to
Sayyidina Abi Bakr (radiyallahu anhu) and said, “i
love this man, except for his turban (‘imamah),” and
Abu Bakr replied, “ya Rasul Allah, do u give me
permission to dress him with a turban?” and the
Messenger (asws) gave him permission. So Abu Bakr took
off his own turban and placed it on the head of Sidi
Muhammad al-Hanafi, and let loose from it an extension and
hung it on his left shoulder.”
So after he told this to Sidi Muhammad Hanafi, he
cried, and the people in the group with them cried
too, and Shaykh Muhammad said to him, “if you see your
grandfather (asws) again in a dream, then ask him by
what specific action of mine he came to know me and i
became connected to him.” So a couple days later, he
saw the Prophet (asws) again in his dream, and he
asked him that question, and the Prophet (asws) said:
“It is because of his salawat he sends to me every day
before maghrib in his cell/room of devotion (khalwa),
which is:
“Allahumma Salli ‘ala Sayyidina Muhammadin
an-Nabiyy al-Ummiyy wa ‘ala aalihi wa sahbihi wa
Sallim, ‘adada ma ‘alimta wa zinata ma ‘alimta wa
mil’a ma ‘alimta”
(which translated means: “O Allah,
send your benedictions of blessing upon our liege-lord
Muhammad, the Unlettered Prophet, and upon his
household and companions, and greetings of peace,
according to the number of things You have knowledge
of, and the weight of things You have knowledge of,
and the amount of things You have knowledge of”).
So after hearing this Shaykh Muhammad said, “the
Messenger of Allah (asws) spoke the truth,” and he
re-adjusted his turban and hung down a tassel/extension on his
left shoulder, and so did everyone else in the group
(majlis), and he continued to wear his turban that way
until his passing – may Allah be pleased with him!
May Allah connect us to the Prophet (asws) and make
our connection to him firm and unbreakable, ameen…!
