A brief biography of the author of Hizbul Bahr
His full name was Ali ibn Abdullah Nooruddin Abul Hasan. He was born in the year 593 and passed away in 657 AH. His genealogy traces back to Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth caliph. The Shaykh was born in a village called Shazla, which is near the city of Tetouan in northern Morocco. Despite being blind (he lost his sight towards the end of his life), he had a mastery of the outward and inner sciences. He was an expert debater. In his adulthood, he turned to devotion and the path of Tasawuf.
He left his hometown to live in Alexandria, Egypt. Before he entered the city, Abul Hasan sought permission to enter the city from Abul Fatah, the saint of Alexandria. However, the saint declined to permit him to enter the city and sent the message, “How can two Faqirs live in one city?” That very night, the saint died, so that was the sign for Shaykh Abul Hasan to enter Alexandria.
Ibn Daqeeq, one of the famous scholars of the time, notes that the Shaykh was the greatest Gnostic of his time. The Moroccans had expelled the Shaykh on charges of heresy and had alleged to the Sultan of Egypt that a heretic had entered his country, and he should be aware of him. As a result of this false propaganda, the Shaykh was constantly harassed in Alexandria. The Sultan was convinced and gave orders to arrest him. But the Sultan consequently received a letter from the King of Morocco extolling the Shaykh’s qualities. The Sultan let him go in the end.
His miracles were many. He once said, “The Divine plan is such that in the beginning the prophets and the saints must undergo trials, tribulations and tests, falsely labelled and even banished from home. Their patience and forbearance is eventually rewarded by Allah.” He also said, “No scholar can reach great heights until he goes through these four stages: the enemies are happy when he is afflicted; his friends blame him; the ignorant are sarcastic to him, and other scholars are jealous of him. When he is patient over these things, Allah makes him the leader and the guide of people.”
Whenever Imam Shadhili mounted his horse and came out from his home, he would be accompanied by the saints and men of rank. Flags flew over his head, and an announcer would call out, “Anyone who wishes to serve the Ghaus and Qutb must kiss Imam Shadhili’s feet”.
It is said that one year, the Shaykh decided to go on Hajj, and he boarded a ship to cross the Red Sea. However, the wind was blowing in the opposite direction, so the ship had to be anchored. A week passed by, and the direction of the wind didn’t change. The Christians who were aboard began to say that the time of Hajj is fast approaching, and the ship is at a standstill: “We’ll see how he does his Hajj”. The Shaykh was troubled by this and fell asleep. In his dream, he was told to read the Hizbul Bahr. When he woke up, he quickly performed Wudu, recited the Dua and asked the ship captain to pull up the anchor. As he did so, the wind blew in the right direction, and they safely landed on the other side. Seeing this miracle, the Christian captain’s sons became Muslim.
The Shaykh decided to go on Hajj later on in his life, setting out with deep longing to fulfil the sacred pilgrimage once again. However, during the journey, he fell ill and passed away before reaching his destination. He died in the desert of Iezab in Egypt, a place of stark beauty and isolation, where he was ultimately buried. Despite not completing the pilgrimage, his intention and devotion are remembered as a testament to his sincerity and unwavering commitment to Allah.
