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The Leading Scholars of Algeria
Compiled by: Syed Muhammad Bokreta
Algiers, Algeria
Sidi Abderrahmane Athaalibi
It is noteworthy to recall that Jaafar Ibn Abi Taleb (Imam Ali’s Brother) or “Dul-Janahayeen” (the one with two wings) because in the battle of Mu’uta both his arms were cut off, but he did not allow the flag of Islam o fall to the ground. One day the Beloved Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) said: “I dreamt last night that Jaafar bin Abi Talib (RA) was among a group of angels, and he had two wings on either side of his body, the front part of the wings had some blood on them, with the help of his wings he flew wherever he wished in Paradise in the company of the angels.”
Thus he was given the title of “Dul-Janahayeen” after he attained martyrdom, and because he flew in Paradise with the angels he was called “At-Tayyar”or “The Bird”.
So Sidi Abderrahmane is from this blessed and high profile calibre lineage, He is Abou Zayd Abdu Rahman son of Mohamed son of Makhlouf son of Talha son of Amer son of Nawfal son of Amer son of Mawsour son of Mohamed son of Sbaa son of Mekki son of Thaalaba son of Moussa son of Said son of Moufadhal son of Abdelbar son of Fissi son of Hillal son of Amer son of Hassan son of Mohamed son of Jaafar Ibn Abi Taleb.
Sidi Abderrahmane was born in 1384 AD -785 AH in the town of Wad Isser about 86 km south east of Algiers and was brought up in a very spiritual parental background as high Islamic values and ethics were shaping the brilliant future of this great man after reaching the age of 15 at the end of the 14th century, Sidi Abderrahmane in the company of his father Sidi Mohamed Ben Makhlouf went to Morocco in a Knowledge-Seeking campaign where he met a great Muslim scholar Sidi Mohamed Ibn Marzoug Al Adjissi.
In 1392 and always in the company of his father, Sidi Abderrahmane took the opposite road to Bijaya (200km east of Algiers) for the same sublime purpose of Science after a brief sojourn, his father passed away this unexpected event obliged him to return to Algiers for a short while after only one year stay in Bijaya, then another return to Bijaya the centre of knowledge at that time, where Sidi Abderrahmane took enough time (seven years) to study different high profile subjects of Islamic sciences.
In 1406 , he went further eastern to Tunis where he stayed there for eight years , duly getting deep probing knowledge from eminent Scholars and having being graduated in many Islamic science topics such knowledge maturity had a burning yearning for more knowledge acquiring, in this context, and in 1414 he went to Egypt after a brief stay in Cairo he continued the blessed march to Bursa in Turkey, he was greatly welcomed by the Scholars of the city and as a sign of scholarly recognition, a Zawiya was erected in his honour which still at present as an endowment for this Saint.
From Turkey, Sidi Abderrahmane went to perform the Hajj to Makkah, after accomplishing this Islamic pillar, he returned back to his native Algeria after a 20 year absence spent in all directional knowledge seeking, furthermore Sidi Abderrahmane and after settling in Algiers went to teach in Masjid Al Kabir (the Great Mosque) as a matter of fact, the acquired deep knowledge was duly given to the younger Generations at that time, until his passing away a certain Friday the 23rd of Ramadhan 875AH – the 15th of March 1479 after dedicating a 95 year service to Islam and the Muslims.
He was buried near the quarter of “Bab El Oued” in the heart of Algiers next to his Sheikh Sidi Abi Djamaa Al Maknassi, the legacy of Sidi Abderrahmane is a full fledged heritage that speaks for itself more than 100 books totally compiled by him, mostly important is “The Jawahir Al hissane fi Tafsir Al Quran” (the fine pearls in the exegesis of the Quran), a jewelled combination of rhetoric Arabic and a highly inspired version of the Quran’s exegesis.
Moreover, Sidi Abderrahmane had one of his daughter married to the Great Scholar and Mujahid Sidi Abdulkarim Al Maghilli of Touat (Southern Algeria) as both were linked by the brotherhood of Islam and having the same message of that time: spreading and calling to Islam within their different places.
Surely, Sidi Abderrahmane Athaalibi‘s work and devotion is a paramount constitution of those same ideals meant for the service to God and to humanity in the path of truth , endowed with such Divine grace (Baraka) , the Great Erudite and Sufi (he was very influenced by Abou Hamed Al Ghazali) had certainly played a great role in the Algerian society at that time and vigorously shaped North Africa for centuries and that’s why he is still living in the memory of many people and loyal disciples.
The sincere presence of Spiritual yearning and practice and the recognition of the inseparability of Shariah and Tariqah all together embodied the depth and the breadth of the genuine Islam within the vision of this Great Man.
Paying him a great Tribute, as this month of March marks his 541th anniversary of his passing away, is but a mere attempt to give the Man his merits and his achievements, but in downtown Algiers Sidi Abderrahmane‘s most sacred architectural masterpiece is still proudly witnessing its spiritual legacy and reverberating the perennial Divine message which has always come and will always come to enlighten humanity.
Algeria is a marvel in its condition* and no hardship can last
Whatever narrowness inflicted upon it *Lord’s salvation is to be followed.
The Tragic Death of Salah Bey
Place:Constantine-Algeria
*It goes without saying that the sad story of Salah Bey of Constantine is closely linked to his tragic fate , the Man who ruled for 21 years in the last third of the eighteenth century , was by far the most important figure in the region due to his simplicity, honesty and modesty towards his citizens this why after his death came the "Phenomena " of wearing the famous black veil by women or as it is known in Eastern Algeria as “M'laya” is a rare occurrence both in Constantine and in most eastern Algerian cities and despite all odds the M’laya dress has resisted the temptations of modernity and other “modern” women fashion,Salah Bey if we can say was behind the wearing of such “mourning garb” by Constantine’s women at large , dating back more than two centuries , Salah who was an exceptional man who will mark forever the collective memory of Constantine , and it is him who ruled for 21 years in the last third of the eighteenth century , he was known for his unlimited political ambitions , and mercy towards his citizens, sadely he lived a tragic and abrupt end
On the 08th of August 1792 while Algeria was under Ottoman rule, the Dey Hussain newly appointed declared the removal of Salah bey of Constantine and proclaimed insteadBousbaa Ibrahim a former Wali or Caid from Western Algeria , not only four days have elapsed that the newly appointed Bey of Constantine was killed by an angry mob partisans of Salah Bey and as a matter of fact Salah was re- installed as Bey of Constantine by the local populace.
Such action was seen by the Ottoman regency in Algiers as a sign of Rebellion, and the regency did not hesitate to send a full fledged army to Constantine to crush the Bey and his supporters and in favour of this insurrection, Salah Bey lost its last support, his last attempt to disobedience ends in blood, to the great dam of his many admirers and partisans of the city of Constantine he was arrested and strangled on the 01st of September 1792.
As a direct consequence of this event came the origin of M'laya worn by Women which was a sign of mourning, grief and sorrow while evoking passionate feelings about this drama that took place on this date of the 01st September 1792,sooth to say that this ritual is handed down from generation to generation with the same gestures, even if the accompanying accessories have changed over time, the black colour sign of grief and mourning is still present in all different types.
Furthermore the mourning ofSalahBeyofConstantinecoveredall East -Beylik, whose boundaries werethe Mediterraneanto the north and Tunisiain the east, theSahara to the south until Ouargla as well the Biban chains, moreover East Beylik of Constantine was by far thelargest andmost populousof the threebeyliksthe regencywith 1,300,000inhabitants and it lasted untilthe dawn of the21st centuryandgenerations of women ineastern Algeriaremainalltime, by imitationandreproductiveripple effect,thebereavedwho are unaware of the genuine scale, actions and popularity of this Great Man so much loved by his subjects.
History not only tells us about the Past, it influences our Present and shapes our Future, as such and during the 12th century, the Eastern Algerian city of Constantine stayed prosperous despite periodic looting, and its commerce was extensive enough to attract merchants from Pisa, Genoa and Venice. Although it was frequently taken and then lost by the Turks, it became the seat of a Bey who was subordinate to the Dey of Algiers.
Salah Bey, who ruled Constantine from 1770 to 1792, greatly embellished the city and was responsible for the construction of most of its existing Muslim buildings and his tragic death that occured on this date of the First of September 1792 , the women of the city wear a black haik (a tentlike garment) in mourning, instead of the white haik regularly worn in the rest of Algeria. In 1826 Constantine asserted its independence of the Dey of Algiers and in 1836 the French made an unsuccessful attempt to storm the city and suffered heavy losses, but the following year they were able to take it with another assault.
Brief History of the City of Constantine
It is the capital of Constantine Province in north-east Algeria, slightly inland, at about 80 kilometers from the Mediterranean coast. The city was originally settled by Numidian people, and was known as Sarim Batim. Later its name was Cirta, from the Phoenician word for "city". Constantine was capital city of the Numidia, a berber empire that emerged in the 3rd century BC. The city was founded in 203 BC by king Micipsa, with the help of Greek colonists.It is distinguished for the splendour of the public buildings and its population overcame that of all other towns of northern Africa. It had an army of 10,000 cavalry and 20,000 infantry. In 113 BC the town was conquered by Jugurtha. Later it served as base of the Roman generals Caecilius Metellus Numidicus and Caius Marius. In 107 BC the latter gained a victory over Jugurtha in the nearby of Cirta. With the suppression of king Juba I and the rest of the supporters of Pompey in Africa (46 BC), Julius Caesar gave special civil rights to a part of Cirta, under the name of Sittlanorum Colonia.
Constantine becames the head of a confederation of four similar settlements in North Africa. In 311, during the civil war between emperor Maxentius and usurper Domitius Alexander (former governor of Africa), the city was destroyed. Rebuilt in 313, it was subsequently named after emperor Constantine the Great, who had defeated Maxentius. Conquered by the Vandals in 432, Constantine returned to the Byzantine exarchate of North Africa from 534 to 697. It was conquered by Muslim Arabs in the 7th century, receiving the name of Qusantina.
In the 12th century,Constantine was again a prosperous market, with connection to Pisa, Genoa and Venice. Since 1529 it was intermittently part of Ottoman Empire, ruled by a Turkish bey (governor) subordinate to the dey of Algiers. Salah Bey, who ruled the city in 1770-1792, greatly embellished it and built much of the Muslim architecture still visible today. In 1826 ,the last Bey, Ahmed Bey ben Mohamed Chérif became the new head of state and led a fierce resistance against French occupation forces. By 13 October 1837 the territory was reconquered by France, and in 1848 it was incorporated into the colony of Algiers (Algeria).
In World War II, during campaign in North Africa (1942-43), Constantine and the nearby city of Sétif were used by the Allied forces as operational bases. Regarded as the capital of eastern Algeria, it has a population of over 500,000 (750,000 with the agglomeration) making it the third largest city in the country after Algiers and Oran. Situated in north eastern Algeria, Constantine is the centre of its region.
Constantine is situated on a plateau at 640 meters (2,100 ft) above sea level, the city is framed by a deep ravine and has a dramatic appearance truly speaking the city is very picturesque with a number of bridges over the Rhumel river and a viaduct crossing the ravine, the latter is crossed by four bridges, including Sidi M’cid Bridge, while Constantine remains the railhead of a prosperous and diverse agricultural area, it also a centre of the grain trade and has flour mills, a tractor factory, and industries producing textiles, wool, linen and leather goods , both Algeria and Neighbouring Tunisia serve as its markets.
The Islamic Thinker Malek Bennabi
Place of Birth: City of Constantine-Eastern Algeria
Date of Birth: January 1st, 1905
Profession: Social and Religious Philosopher
His Life:
Regarded as one of the greatest Islamic thinkers of the twentieth century, may God have mercy on him, Malik was born in the city of Constantine in the Eastern part of Algeria on January 1st, 1905, of a poor family and a very conservative Algerian culture.
After birth, Malik’s family moved to Tébessa where he enrolled in a primary and lower secondary education, happily he succeeded in the ‘Examination of Grants’ (an exam made specifically for students whose families can't afford to pay for their education) and was rewarded a grant to continue his studies in the city of Constantine. There he spent the first year of study (1921-1922) in an environment full of patriotism and thoughts of reform after the First World War.
Malik studied in the same school as nationalist feeling professors, who taught in Arabic and planted in him the seed of national unity and love. Contrarily, he also studied at the hands of racist French professors, who made him feel and understand the pain of French colonialism and their goal of depersonalization from anything Islamic and Arabic , as well as distorting the history of the country.
After graduating from high school and finishing four years of study, in June 1925, Malik had an eagerness to go to France in order to further his education and expand on his knowledge. Therefore he and his friend Waqawao got on a ship from skikda to Marseille, in search of work. They found work at a cement factory in Notredame – lorette, where they had to carry heavy 50Kg bags. Later switching to work at a juice factory, soon after disillusioned he realized that there is nothing for him in France and so he returned to Algeria.
After returning, Malik found a position in the Courthouse of Aflou, a city to the south of Algeria, in March 1927. In Aflou, was the school where he realised that the virtues of the great knowledge of the Algerian people were still sound and unaffected, such as before the colonialism tide swept in, wreaking havoc.
After spending one year there, Malik returned to Tebessa in March 1928 and went into business with his brother-in-law, which ended up causing him severe stress because his partner and brother-in-law had a family in need of food. (why?)This brought up the idea of travelling abroad again, but in a more reasonable and better planned manner. This time, his mother said to him: "Go to Paris and continue your studies" that's when his father added: "Know that Ibn Stiti studied a year at the School of Oriental languages, after completing his studies at the same school as you, he then enrolled in the Faculty of Law. We'll send you what you need (money) every month".
Three days later, Malik took the next ship from Annaba to Marseille, and from there he went to Paris by train, until he arrived at Lyon Station on the morning of September 1930, declaring that he will not return, in the manner of the summer of 1925.
This time the journey was a serious educational journey, a journey in which Malik had an ambition to study in "the Institute of Oriental Studies in Paris " hoping to graduate as a lawyer. He prepared well for the enrolment exam. Thus he took the exam full of confidence of success, but the result was disappointing, he reported: "I was called by the Director of the Institute, in the dignified calmness of his office, he informed me of the unlikelihood of being accepted to his faculty no matter how many times I tried, his words made it very clear to me: The entry to the Institute of Oriental Studies, to the Algerian Muslim, is not based on a scientific measure, but on a political one.
The words of the director came down on my ambitions as the guillotine would go down on a condemned's neck.... On that day, not only was my hope broken, but I felt that the dream of my mother and my father had crashed on the rock."
Malik started afresh by amending his goals and objectives, so he enrolled into the School of Engineering Faculty of Wireless, not far from the (Institute of Oriental languages), which would make his intentions seem purely technical and scientific instead of being judicial and political.
Malik was engrossed in his study and intellectual life. In 1935 he graduated as an electrical engineer making him the first Algerian electrical engineer. At this time he started pursuing his dream of writing and started writing articles about the issues surrounding the Islamic world and in the year (1946) he published his first book "The phenomenon Quranic". Between year 1948 and 1955, he published articles in the "Republic of Algeria " and "the young Muslim" newspapers. He wrote close to 300 articles, through which his school of thought grew bigger and became more popular in the Arab world. He married a French woman and chose to reside in France , but frequently visited Algeria with his French Muslim wife (Khadija). During those years he also published two books, "The conditions for rebirth" in 1948 and "The problem of ideas in the Muslim World" in 1954.
Although Malik was part of the Algerian revolution and played an important part in standing against the French occupation, he moved to Cairo after the announcement of the armed revolution in Algeria (1954) after he was denied being sent to the Algerian-Tunisian borders to help with the war. In Egypt , he earned the respect of fellow thinkers and philosophers. From then on, his work started to flourish and gain popularity in Algeria and in the Arab world. After the independence of Algeria, he returned home and was appointed Director of Higher Education, which back then was confined to (the University of Algiers) until he resigned in 1967, wanting to focus on his writing. Starting with the first part of his memoirs entitled the "Memoirs of this century's witness" which was published first in French, then translated into Arabic by Marwan Alguenwati in year 1969.
Shortly after and under the same main heading, he added the second part, which was published in 1970 and he used the name of (the student) in the title to relate to the part of his life when he studied in France starting in 1930. Part III remains as a manuscript after his death in 31-10-1973.
At the end of his life, Malik suffered great strain and pain in his eyes and head after falling down a set of stairs at his home. Despite treatment abroad he remained affected by this incident and on October 31st, 1973 Malik Bennabi, scholar of civilization, and the most renowned Muslim thinker of our time, died in Algiers leaving behind work designed specifically to help thinkers of the twenty-first century create a new road leading to the convergence of many different civilizations, including the formation of a "humanitarian civilization". May Allah's mercy be with his soul and may his name shine as a guiding star for every soul and mind for eternity.
His Books:
Place of Publication Year of Publication Title of Publication #
Algiers 1946 ÇáÙÇåÑÉ ÇáÞÑÂäíÉ 1
Algiers 1947 áÈíß ( ÑæÇíÉ ) 2
Algiers 1948 ÔÑæØ ÇáäåÖÉ 3
Paris 1954 æÌåÉ ÇáÚÇáã ÇáÅÓáÇãí 4
Cairo 1956 ÝßÑÉ ÇáÅÝÑíÞíÉ ÇáÂÓíæíÉ 5
Cairo 1957 ÇáäÌÏÉ … ÇáÔÚÈ ÇáÌÒÇÆÑí íÈÇÏ 6
Cairo 1960 ÍÏíË Ýí ÇáÈäÇÁ ÇáÌÏíÏ 7
Cairo 1959 ãÔßáÉ ÇáËÞÇÝÉ 8
Cairo 1960 ÇáÑÇÚ ÇáÝßÑí Ýí ÇáÈáÇÏ ÇáãÓÊÚãÑÉ 9
Cairo 1960 ÇáÚæÈÇÊ – ÚáÇÞÉ Çáäãæ Ýí ÇáãÌÊãÚ ÇáÚÑÈí 10
Cairo 1960 ÇáÅÓÊÚãÇÑ íáÌà Åáì ÇáÅÛÊíÇá ÈæÓÇÆá ÇáÚáã 11
Cairo 1960 ÝßÑÉ ßãäæíáË ÅÓáÇãí 12
Cairo 1961 ÊÃãáÇÊ Ýí ÇáãÌÊãÚ ÇáÚÑÈí 13
Cairo 1961 Ýí ãåÈ ÇáãÚÑßÉ 14
Cairo 1962 ãíáÇÏ ãÌÊãÚ 15
1964 ÂÝÇÞ ÌÒÇÆÑíÉ 16
Algiers 1965 ãÐßÑÇÊ ÔÇåÏ ÇáÞÑä ( ÇáÞÓã ÇáÃæá ) 17
Cairo 1969 ÅäÊÇÌ ÇáãÓÊÔÑÞíä æ ÃËÑå Ýí ÇáÝßÑ ÇáÅÓáÇãí ÇáÍÏíË 18
Beirut 1970 ãÐßÑÇÊ ÔÇåÏ ÇáÞÑä ( ÇáÞÓã ÇáËÇäí – ÇáØÇáÈ ) 19
Cairo 1972 ãÔßáÉ ÇáÃÝßÇÑ Ýí ÇáÚÇáã ÇáÅÓáÇãí 20
Beirut 1972 ÇáãÓáã Ýí ÚÇáã ÇáÅÞÊÇÏ 21
Beirut 1977 ÏæÑ ÇáãÓáã æ ÑÓÇáÊå Ýí ÇáËáË ÇáÃÎíÑ ãä ÇáÞÑä ÇáÚÔÑíä 22
Tripoli 1978 Èíä ÇáÑÔÇÏ æ ÇáÊíå 23
(ãÌÇáÓ ÏãÔÞ ( ãÌãæÚÉ ãÍÇÖÑÇÊ ÈÇááÛÉ ÇáÚÑÈíÉ 24
French Language Publication:
• Les conditions de la renaissance (Conditions of a Renaissance)
• Vocation de l'islam (Vocation of Islam)
• Le problème des idées dans le monde musulman (Problem of Ideas in Muslim World)
• Le phénomène coranique (The Quranic Phenomenon)
• Lebbeik (Firstand only novel that attracted interest of French filmakers, due to theseductions and attractions he received, the writer decided no more toinvolve in novelry, but to engage himself for noble causes)
• La lutte idéologique (The Ideological Struggle in Third World Countries)
• L'Afro-asiatisme (Afro-asiatisme)
• Islam et Démocratie (Islam and Democracy)
• Dans le souffle de la bataille.( Within the breath of the battle)
• S.O.S Algérie (Save Algeria)
• Idée d'un commenwealth islamique (An Idea of Islamic Commenwealth)
• Naissance d'une société (Birth of a Society)
• Perspectives Algérienne (Algerian Prescriptives)
• Mémoires d'un témoin du siècle, tome1 et tome2
• Le rôle du musulman dans le dernier tiers du 20ème siècle
• Le role du musulman dans le monde de l'economie (The Role of the Muslim in the world of economy)
• Le livre et le milieu humain(inedit 2006)(Book and Human Milieu)
• l'Oeuvre des orientalistes (The Result of Orientalists)
• Contemplations (Reflections)
• Le Musulman dans le Monde de l'Economie
• Memoires d'un temoin du siecle, 2 first volumes (the Child, The Student
• Memoires d'un temoin du siecle, 4 with two added unpublished volumes (The Writer and Notes)
Malek Bennabiwrote more than 25 books, all his works were written between 1946 (TheQuranic Phenomenon) and 1973. Yet, due to Mr.X whom he calls theimperialist enemies, many of his works are ceased from beingpublished,some were lost or censored.
Sheikh Ahmed Sahnoun
It is paramount to stress that a quick glance at the history of Algeria suggests that the country has known many deep rooted Scholars or Ulamas throughout the ages, but despite such rich endowment and while the country has gone through difficult and thorny times, mainly due to the “molding” of Algerian society particularly by French colonization which lasted 132 years from 1830 to 1962.
Sooth to say that the colonization of Algeria was both intense and atrocious undoubtedly revealing the wicked aim of France in terms of assimilation and incorporation of the country as an integral part of France. This was to be achieved by “Frenchifying” the country, casting Algeria in the image of France culturally, linguistically, and even demographically (through the proliferation of the French settlements) ,adding fuel to oil , French influences were thoroughly woven into the fabric of the society, diluting long history culture and Islamic identity.
Furthermore and in a genuine bid to undress all aspects of local traditions and culture diversity the powerful colonial legacy went on the rampage and developed an alien culture that fully contrasted all kind of Human dignity and respect to the down trodden people of this country but unlike British colonialism (although repressive , but still respecting cultural traditions of colonized people, India for instance), the French were on the opposite , determined to cause havoc to whatever was seen as a danger to their ill fated colonial goals.
However, Islam the ever growing faith, remained essentially marginal in public life, confined to the rural Sufi orders and to few urban-based networks of the Ulamas (Muslim scholars), dealing mainly with religious issues, more often moral, true to assert that the French would not have tolerated any form of Islamic revivalism that might have threatened their rule, however, Islam was largely devoid of a dynamic activist spirit throughout much of the colonial period.
An exception or rather a sort of challenge to French rule and scornful colonialism was the establishment of the Association of Algerian Ulamas under the leadership of Sheikh Abdul Hamid Ben Badis in May 1931, in its founding articles, the association described itself as “an association for moral education” and stated as one of its primary aims the fight against the “social scourges” of alcoholism, gambling, and ignorance.
Moreover, the Imam Ben Badis movement has no tradition of political activity, its message laid the foundation of an Algerian national Muslim consciousness and identity that would give stimulus to the revolution in 1954, which, in turn, initiated the war of independence (1954-1962) true and during the revolutionary momentum that was sweeping the country, Imam Ben Badis’ reformist movement became constituent part of the wartime National Liberation Front (FLN), and by 1956, it was entirely subsumed.
Among those Influential and main member of the association is Sheikh Ahmed Sahnoun, the lofty Guest and Subject of our today’s diary , he was born in 1907 in Biskra, northeast of Algiers, was a highly respected religious figure and scholar viewed as the spiritual leader of all Algerian citizens and during the war of liberation, Sheikh Sahnoun was imprisoned several times by the French for his anti-colonial stance.
After independence in 1962, he refused to be associated with the state-controlled religious institutions, and continued preaching, promoting religious education, and establishing independent associations, while in the 1960s he cofounded al-Qiyam (Values) Association to reassert Arab and Islamic identity in independent Algeria and following violent clashes between University students at the main campus at the University of Algiers in 1982, Sheikh Sahnoun, along with Abbasi Madani and Shaykh Abdellatif Soltani, cosigned a fourteen-point statement that criticized the secular policies of the state and demanded the promotion of Islam in government and society, but due to his advanced age and health state, he was placed under house arrest rather than imprisoned, while released in 1984.
It is a history landmark to assert that Sheikh Ahmed Sahnoun and his peers wanted to create a revival of civilization, promoting Algerian identity that it is proud of its origins, drawing its inspiration and values from the Great Religion of Islam.
Cheikh Ahmed Sahnoun( Rahimahou Allah Ta’ala) was an outspoken Person against all presidents of Independent Algeria challenging them for all flaws that were detrimental to the Creator and the people, but as it prescribed “Every soul shall meet its Lord”, thus Sheikh Ahmed Sahnoun left this world on December the 08th, 2003- 14 Chawal 1424, at the age of 96 years, his funeral was, attended by a large crowd numbering to more than ten thousand people, his close Companion Sheikh Tahar Ait Aldjat read the farewell speech after “Funeral prayer” was performed at his “Ousama Ibn Zayd Mosque” in Bir Mourad Rais , West-centre of Algiers.
Sooth to say that this Great Sheikh, venerated not for his person, but for his true piety and closeness to Allah ta’ala, the light of his example though he may remain humbly anonymous, active for Allah’s sake alone. He made no claims in all the time of being who he was, yet others saw and respected him for what he would not claim for himself for anything he has done
The sincere presence of Spiritual yearning and practice all together embodied the depth and the breadth of the genuine Islam within the vision of this Great Man, the ever loyal disciples of this venerated Sheikh are still on his path, and are always present to demonstrate that the spiritual legacy of Sheikh is still ongoing and in perpetual continuation.
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