Senousiyya

History

Muhammad Ali Senousi was born in Mostaghanem and first studied in Fes, Morocco, and then for fourteen years (from 1830 AD to 1843 AD)he studied in Mecca under Ahmed ebn Idris Fasi. With the death of Ahmad, his followers were divided into two groups and Senousi became the leader of one of these two branches (Senousi) [3].

Sayyed Muhammad bin Ali Sanusi created the Zavaya  and promoted knowledge and Islam in Burqa, Fazan, Shad, etc. [4].

After traveling to some of the Islamic lands in North and East Africa and Hejaz, he sought to reform the situation of Muslims and, like Abdul Wahhab, declared the deviation of Muslims from the principles of Islam as the root of their dispersion and backwardness.

Muhammad, the son of Senousi, claimed  Mahdism and his movement found many followers in Raqqa (in the west of Egypt, located in present-day Libya) and the Algerian desert, and after a while, it spread to Sudan as well [5].

Attitudes & Beliefs

Senousiyya, like Tijaniyyah, its emergence was mostly the result of the revival of Sufism in Azhar at the end of the 18th century (12/13 AH). Also, it was an attempt to respond to the criticism of the Wahhabis by creating reforms in Sufism; Senusis remained Sufis, but they accepted many Wahhabi ideas and theories and made them their own beliefs. Like the Tijanis, the Senusis did not consider pure adherence to any of the religions as permissible. They defended ijtihad, the freedom of every Muslim to accept any of the four schools of Sunni sects  which people  likes. They also objected to the tradition of imitation and doubted the ancient belief of Sufism about the possibility of achieving unity with God through spiritual practices. Instead, they sought to achieve unity with the Prophet of Islam, but their Sufism was expressed both through active preaching and conversion of infidels to Islam, and through individual Sufism and withdrawal from traditional Sufis. The difference between them and the previous Sufi reformers of Western Sudan was that their goal was not limited to Sudan, but included North Africa, the Sahara, and even the Ottoman Empire. In fact, one of the main goals of Sanousi was to provide the means for the unity of Islam. Muhammad Ali Sanousi, despite his strong opinions about the political and religious affairs of his time, was a peaceful person who opposed violence. His teachings indicated that war is justified only when faced with an attack, although it must be admitted that not all of his followers were so peaceful [6].

The approach of traditional Islam, both in the level and field of Sharia and in Sufi circles and orders, continued in this period (during the 13th century and the beginning of the 14th century A.H.), and there were cases of revival and modernization of purely traditional ways of life which  was very important, came true . Among these cases, for example, it is possible to mention the establishment of Darqawiyyah and Senousyyeh  orders in North Africa, which brought about religious changes and even important political developments in the case of Senousyyeh [7].

Political activity

The Sanousiyya  order basically wanted to return to real Islam, based on the Qur'an and the Sunnah. The great Senousi, despite  the enmity of Ebne Timiyyeh  with Sufism, was influenced by his thoughts. Senousi's Zekr(invocation of God) does not aim to stimulate any kind of ecstasy and fascination, although he tries to align himself with Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) [8].

There have been reform trends in the Arab world,which  some of them, such as Wahhabism in the peninsula and the Sanouusi movement in Burqa or Tunisia, aimed at returning to real Islam and promoted it [9].  Movements such as Wahhabism in the peninsula and Sanousiyya in Libya wanted the renewal of religion so that to return to its original source [10].

In the time interval of the First World War, we witness reform movements, especially in the area of ​​Barqa, that is, the place where Sanousiyya appeared. This movement developed and expanded religious culture and revolutionary ideas and opened the door to jihad and struggle, and also created Zavaya in the desert (Sahara)that were actually considered as intellectual and ideological bases [11].

Muhammad Ali Senousi wanted to establish his  order in Algeria, but the occupation of this country by the French prevented him from doing so. This order  changed its location to Barqa (Cyrenaica) in the eastern end of East Africa, where its members established their base for preaching in the desert(Sahara). Their method was to establish Zavaya from which Islamic and Sanousi principles were transmitted everywhere by Sanousi preachers. The Sanousiyye  order gradually spread from Barqa to the south through Zuweila, Kovar, and Kafrauburgo, and then went east and west to the lower Sudan of the Sahara.

Like Fulani Muslim reformers, Senousi  people were Mahdiists. Muhammad Ali Sanousi named one of his sons "Muhammad Mahdi", which was probably a clever attempt to attract the broad Mahdiist sentiments of Muslims throughout North Africa, the Sahara, and the Ottoman Empire to support his order. He made Mahdiism the center of his teachings and related it precisely to the political and international requirements of his time. For example, he carefully announced the progress of the European conquests in advance and taught his followers that those conquests should be considered as signs that bring the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (a.s.) closer and closer.

Leaders

When Muhammad Ali Senousi passed away, the attention of the people, as he intended, was focused on his son "Mohammed Mahdi", and many of the followers of this order considered the choice of this name by the founder of the order as a clear proof that this Muhammad is really the same Mahdi which  they have been waiting for him for a long time. They considered this naming not a smart political calculation, but an extraordinary insight, moreover, the resulting excitement was more than these, because the year 1822-3 AD, corresponding to the year 1300 AH, was also the beginning of the new Hijri century. All the expectations in the year 1785/1200, when after all the hopes, Hazrat Mahdi (PBUH) did not appear, so converted to disappointment.  Did the year 1300 Hijri witness the fulfillment of this long expectation? [12]

Achievements

During the invasion of the French and Italian governments to North Africa, the Senousi movement was an obstacle in the way of those colonial powers because it called the Muslims of North Africa to unity and struggle. With the occupation of Libya by Italy in 1329 AH/ 1911 AD, the Senousian forces were also crushed [13].

The resistance of the Senousi against the Italian rule over Libya, which started in 1912 AD, lasted for twenty years, although the aforementioned resistance caused heavy casualties and financial losses, but instead, it strengthened the close relations between Libya and the Arab world. [14].

After the death of Mohammad Ali Senousi, his  brother’s son Sayyed Ahmed Sharif took over the leadership of Senousi. During the Ottoman war in the two regions of Germany, the Ottomans appointed Sayyed Ahmed Sharif Senousi as the leader of North Africa and asked him to declare jihad against England in the western regions of Egypt [15].

During the Holy Jihad (Jihad against England), Sayyed Ahmed Sharif appointed Muhammad Idris as his deputy in Barqa area, and Idris used this opportunity for his influence and power [16]).

During the war with Italy, Mohammad Idris proposed the issue of recognizing the independence of the Senousi to the Italian and British delegation and asked them to officially recognize the leader of the Senousi and their region, and finally a treaty was concluded between them on April 16, 1917 [17].  In 1922, Muhammad Idris Al-Mahdi (Sayyed Idrisi), the great-grandson of the founder of Sanousiyya, who had settled in Egypt, was recognized as the "Emir of all Libya" in a conference composed of the Arab leaders of Tripolitania and Cyrenaic [18]. And it is said that Muhammad Idris Al-Mahdi, the leader of the Sanousi order, was elected as the constitutional king of the Libyan Federation [19].

In 1930-31, a large number of Senousis fled to Egypt. These people played an important role in the future during the war [20].  The Sanousi order was disbanded in 1930, but with the rise of Idris I (Sanousi leader) in Libya, they regained power [21]. Sanousiyya  order  had many followers in Cyrenaica [or Barqa] and its  activities finally led to the establishment and independence of Libya [22]. Sanousi's followers resisted the invasion of Italy and France and finally managed to establish the Sanousi government led by King Idris I in Libya in 1947. [23]

The works [24] of  Muhammad Ali Sanousi are :

1) – Alddrarol  Alsunniah fi Akhabar Alsalalah Al- Idrisiyyah

2) Iyqazol vasnan filamal  bel -Hadith and Qur’an.

3) – Boghyatolqased

4) Shafaolsadr

5) Al-Kawkeb al-Durriyah  fi Avael Alkotobalasaryyah.

6) – Alshomoos Alshreqah fimalana  men Asanid  Almagharebah valmashareqah 

7) Al-Tuhfato fi Avael Alkotobalsharifah

Finally,  when Muhammad Ali Sanousi,  saw that, Ottoman government was watching over him ,so he went to  the desert (Sahara) and resided  in area of ​​Jaghbub  and lived there until 1276 which he died. [25].