Ahmad al-Tijani was born in 1150 AH/1735 CE in the town of Ain Madhi in southern Algeria. He memorized the Quran young and studied the religious sciences, then traveled to Fez, Tlemcen, Tunis, and the Hijaz in pursuit of knowledge and to meet Sufi masters, affiliating with several Sufi orders before founding his own.
Ahmad al-Tijani founded the Tijaniyya order in the late eighteenth century, presenting a Sufi method centered on simplicity of devotional formulas and strict adherence to Islamic law. He eventually settled in Fez, Morocco, where he spent most of his later years teaching and guiding his disciples, and his order spread rapidly across North Africa and then West Africa.
His Legacy
Ahmad al-Tijani died in Fez in 1230 AH/1815 CE and was buried there; his tomb remains an important site of visitation today. After his death, the Tijaniyya order became one of the most widely followed Sufi orders in Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, Mauritania, and Morocco, and continues to have millions of followers across Africa.
