Shaykh Salih al-Ja'fari: A Biography — Imam Ghazali Institute

His Birth:

Shaykh Salih al-Ja’fari رَحِمَهُ الله hailed from the Dongola region in Sudan. He was born in 15 Jumada al-Thaniyah/24 June of the year 1328/1910. The sheikh conducted his preliminary studies in the famous Old Mosque situated in his native home country, where he managed to memorize the entire Qur’an by heart. The sheikh then journeyed to Egypt after deciding to conduct formal studies at al-Azhar University. During his time there, the sheikh was able to communicate with some of his existing family members who lived in Salmiyyah, a small town situated in the outskirts of Luxor.

His Descent:

The sheikh comes from the most noble and pure of lineages. An examination of his line of descendants reveals that he is from the progeny of the Prophet ﷺ. His earliest ancestor, Sayyid 'Ali Muhammad al-Hadi, was the son of Sayyid Muhammad 'Ali al-Jawwad, with the latter's father being Sayyid Musa al-Rida. After Sayyid al-Rida's father Sayyid Musa al-Kazim and Ja'far al-Sadiq, Sheikh al-Ja'fari's hereditary line continues chronologically from Sayyid Muhammad al-Baqir to Zayd al-'Abidin, the latter who was from the offspring of our Imam and Mawlana al-Husayn. Imam al-Husayn was the son of Imam 'Ali and the Noble Lady Fatimah al-Zahra’, with the latter being from the blessed children of the Prophet and Our Master Muhammad ﷺ.

The Shaykh’s ancestors trace their original roots to the city of Luxor, which is situated in Upper Egypt.

His Early Life:

During his upbringing in Dongola, the sheikh was nurtured to lead a life based on obedience to the divine commandments of Allah and expressing reverence to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. It was Allah’s divine will that the sheikh came from a family known for its admiration for knowledge, firm commitment to memorizing the Qur’an and studying the sacred religious sciences. Subsequently, very early on in his life, the sheikh acquired literacy skills in both reading and writing. Furthermore, he was able to memorize the entirety of the Qur’an with full competency under the tutelage of Ḥasan Effendī, who was in fact a student of the sheikh’s grandfather, Sayyid Salih al-Rifa'i رَحِمَهُ الله. Sheikh Salih al-Rifa'i رَحِمَهُ الله had played an instrumental role in nurturing the next generations of Qur’an reciters in the town of Dongola, since he had built a major religious seminary (kuttab) devoted to the memorization of the Qur’an. The sheikh himself would benefit from his grandfather’s institution by studying there, ultimately gaining mastery in the different Qur’anic modes of recitation and the Mālikī school of jurisprudence.

His Ancestors:

The sheikh has provided an abundant degree of information regarding his ancestors and next of kin by sharing the following details:

“They trace their original roots to the city of Luxor, which is situated in Upper Egypt. The name of the clan which they belonged to was known as the 'Alawiyyah, which at some point fragmented from the Ja'afiriyyah tribe. At present, their members have dispersed throughout various cities and towns, such as Luxor, al-Hulaylah, and al-Hillah. Besides scattering in different areas, their numbers have shrunk considerably.
"The grave of my great-grandfather can be found in al-Salmiyyah district. The grave is located inside the main cemetery of the Ja'afiriyyah patriarch Sayyid Hamad, who used to live in the area. A matter of immense significance is that the Ja'afiriyyah have elaborately recorded their past roots by drafting documents that trace their family genealogy. This is to the extent that until this day, members of the tribe can readily describe their blessed family trees with relative ease. Notable examples of scholars who continue to uphold the tradition of being able to identify their ancestors include the Sayyid and Sharif Isma'il al-Naqshbandi, and his student sheikh Musa al-Mar'ayabi.”

His Allegiance to the Sacred Path:

Our sheikh pledged allegiance to the sacred path (tariqah) of Sayyid Ahmad ibn Idris at the hands of the Sayyid Muhammad al-Sharif. Regarding this, our Imam has provided the following details:

“My sheikh, virtuous Master, and spiritual guide of the seekers Muhammad al-Sharif provided me formal authorization (ijazah) to partake in the sacred path. The route of transmission for this authorization continues to my sheikh's father, Sayyid 'Abd al-'Ali, who received his dispensation from the eminent scholar Muhammad ibn 'Ali al-Sanusi. Finally, the latter received his blessings to join the same group from the sheikh and Sayyid Ahmad ibn Idris رَحِمَهُ الله.”

His Journey for Knowledge:

The sheikh’s decision to travel and conduct his studies at al-Azhar University was moulded by a moving spiritual sign that he received from Sayyid ʿAbd al-ʿAli رَحِمَهُ الله. The sheikh himself has provided the details of this experience, and how it changed his life’s trajectory:

“Before going to al-Azhar, I was actually learning autodidactically after someone brought to our city al-Nawawi’s commentary on Sahih Muslim. I took this book from them on loan and began reading it on my own. One night, I saw in a dream that the sheikh and Sayyid ʿAbd al-ʿAli al-Idrisi was seated. The presence of the sheikh’s provisions near him pointed to the conclusion that he wanted to travel. Someone in fact stated at that moment that the sheikh planned to travel to Egypt, and study at al-Azhar. I proceeded to greet him and kiss his hands. But the sheikh said me in a stern voice: “Knowledge is not to be taken from lifeless books, but from the hearts of living teachers.” The sheikh repeated this dictum more than once. When I woke up, Allah inspired me to prepare for travel and study at al-Azhar. After I had moved to Egypt, I discovered the sheikh Muhammad Ibrahim al-Samaluti teaching the same commentary of al-Nawawi to his students. I thus attended his lesson and heard from him the explanation of the hadith: “There is no more migration [from Makkah to Madinah] after the conquest [of Makkah]. But warfare and good intentions remain. If you are called into battle [by the political authorities], then go and mobilize.”

During his time at al-Azhar, the sheikh رَحِمَهُ الله had the opportunity to study under the hands of a number of eminent scholars. Many of his teachers were from among the greatest scholars of that generation and combined the knowledge of both the religious sciences and the hidden spiritual realities. The sheikh’s teachers include illustrious names like the Grand Mufti and Sheikh Muhammad Ibrahim al-Samaluti and Sheikh Muhammad Bakhit al-Muti’i. To this list one may also add the eminent hadith master Sheikh Habibullah al-Shanqiti, who penned notable books such as Zad al-Muslim. With the latter sheikh, our sheikh experienced many memorable moments and witnessed miracles. Our sheikh has related many of his memories by stating:

The Salawat of Shaykh Salih al-Ja’fari is a collection of over 400 unique salawat composed by the Shaykh, reflecting his own knowledge and spiritual outpourings. The salawat were published by IGI in 2021, in both illuminated leather PU (pictured) and pocket editions.

“I visited the home of Sheikh Habibullah al-Shanqiti, which is located near the Citadel. This was in order to request from him the position of hadith reciter for his classes on Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. After entering his household, I sat and waited at the reception room. This was the first time that I was seeing the sheikh, so we did not know one another. The sheikh entered upon me with a smiling face. I approached him, gave the customary greetings, and kissed his hands. Without saying anything else, he informed me: “In sha’ Allah you will be my reciter for this year.” From that point onwards I studied and benefited from the sheikh. This continued until the sheikh’s death, who I buried myself during his funeral.
“Before the sheikh would arrive to give his lessons at Husaynid Mosque, I would make use of the free time by delivering short lectures to the attendees. It was sometimes the case that a few of the listeners would disturb me with their objections. After he would arrived at the mosque to begin his lessons, he would sometimes whisper in my ear, saying, ‘They might have bothered you, but nevertheless you are superior to them.’ It was as if he was fully aware of what occurred beforehand, despite him not being physically present. Furthermore, during his lessons, he would issue corrections or make reference to any crucial points that I omitted during my short lectures.
“If the case ever arose that the sheikh could not present a lesson, he would order a student to come and inform me regarding his absence and subsequently request me to teach the material in his place. However, it so happened that in one of his absences, he directly sent me a handwritten message informing me that that I had been assigned the task of teaching the lesson of the day. The sheikh’s sudden transition for indicating my authorization was a matter of surprise, since it was customary for him to indicate my right to teach through oral means, not writing. The administrator of the mosques entered upon me during my delivery of the lesson. He interrupted me by asking whether the sheikh had formally made me responsible for the delivery of the daily lesson. I replied in the affirmative. He asked me regarding the assignment, so I handed over to him the dictation of the sheikh. This made the administrator extremely pleased, and he even supplicated for my well-being. I counted that to be a divine miracle from him. I ask Allah to grant the sheikh His spacious mercy, overlook his faults, and provide him the biggest of residencies in Jannah. He used to adore me greatly and would frequently say to me, ‘You are the true blessing of the classes! I give you permission to narrate from me everything I have been authorized in, as well as my writings.’
“I accompanied and benefited from the sheikh’s teachings for 15 years. He would often present to me the following piece of advice: ‘Ensure that you study well my commentary Zad al-Muslim, since when writing it I did not omit any matter of importance.’”

Amongst his notable teachers was Sheikh Yusuf al-Dijwi. Our sheikh said about his teacher:

“He was both a scholar and a gnostic of Allah. I would appear for his classes which he held at al-Azhar Mosque, and more specifically, inside the Abbasid Hall. He would hold these classes early after dawn in al-Azhar Mosque, and over the span of seven years I would attend them on a regular basis. It was the case that Sayyid Hasan al-Idrisi sometimes would visit us from Sudan. After speaking and conversing with me after his lessons, he would then proceed to give salutations to the sheikh. This would make the sheikh immensely pleased, where he would sometimes say: 'Sayyid Ahmad ibn Idris is a pivotal guide (qutb) with no equal!'
"Sheikh al-Dijwi belonged to the Idrisi path, after being given formal authorization to join by my sheikh, Muhammad al-Sharif رَحِمَهُ الله. Sheikh al-Dijwi belonged to al-Azhar's Council of Senior Scholars, and penned a number of useful works and precious articles that were published in al-Azhar magazine. I attended the lectures he gave in exegesis (tafsir) from the beginning of Surah Muhammad until the end of Surah al-Nas. Afterwards, he started a commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari. The sheikh memorized the Qur'an with impeccable articulation of its letters, while also having comprehensive knowledge of the different modes of recitation. During his lessons he would mention the various positions held by the commentators of the Qur'an, discuss the grammatical case endings of each verse precisely, and explore the linguistic meaning of words. When discussing issues pertaining to Islamic law, he would mention the positions held by the various madhhabs. When reciting hadiths, he would do so with the entire chain, while also providing fascinating biographical information for every narrator. For the legal issue of doing tawassul with the Prophet ﷺ, he had many remarks, mentioning an impressive range of proofs for its permissibility. Many of his writings on the topic have published in al-Azhar magazine, whose former name was Nur al-Islam.
“Our sheikh رَحِمَهُ الله was present during the lectures of many of these scholars, in a state full of attentiveness and reverence for the people of knowledge. On many occasions he would take the opportunity to raise up matters and issues of concern with his teachers with the utmost respect. His teachers were amazed by his memory, reasoning skills, and the deep insights he would draw attention to while developing his points. They would pray that he be blessed and successful in his affairs.”

Our sheikh tells us of a notable experience that he had with his teacher Sheikh al-Dijwi:

"He was once reading the hadith regarding the angelic interrogation that occurs after one is buried. I recalled in my mind al-Kirmani's statement regarding what occurs when the angels ask the deceased, 'What do you have to say about this person?' According to this commentator, when this question is posed, the Prophet ﷺ and his family become visible to the deceased. After the lesson concluded, I approached the sheikh and kissed his hand. I then told him of al-Kirmani's remarks regarding this crucial passage. The sheikh thumped my bosom and said, 'I had reviewed al-Kirmani's commentary and examined his points on this issue. Why did you not mention this extract to me during the class so I could have told all the people regarding it?'
"On another occasion he was speaking about seeing the Prophet ﷺ in a dream. He mentioned the following: 'The accursed Satan cannot personify the Prophet ﷺ in his original form. In addition, the relied-upon position is that he cannot even personify the Prophet in another state or form as well.' I said at this juncture that our sheikh and Sayyid Ahmad ibn Idris has related in his book entitled Ruh al-Sunnah the following narration: 'Whoever perceives to have seen me, then they have truly seen me, for I can become visible in all forms.' The sheikh became immensely pleased after hearing this narration and added as a commentary to it: 'This proves that Satan cannot personify the Prophet ﷺ, even in a different form. You are a blessed person, O Salih! May Allah make you a source of benefit for the Muslim community.'"

Another of his teachers was Sheikh 'Ali al-Shayib, a scholar of theology. He taught him the famous poem on theology entitled Jawharah al-Tawhid, which was written by Sheikh al-Laqani. Our sheikh said regarding his teacher:

Shaykh Faraz Khan of Zaytuna College gave a series of classes on Imam al-Laqani’s Jawharah al-Tawhid several years ago.

"He was giving lessons on this work of creed during my first year of studies at al-Azhar. He would teach both the composition and its commentary directly by heart, without relying on any notes. He was from the scholars who combined both piety and knowledge. Whenever he entered the mausoleum of al-Husayn رضي الله عنه, a peculiar sense of tranquility and devotion would emanate from him, and he would perspire severely. It was as if at that moment he was truly seeing him alive. I would attend his lessons on Arabic grammar, where the book of instruction was Ibn 'Aqil's explanation of the Alfiyyah. During this period, I witnessed the Prophet ﷺ in a dream, who reprimanded me for an error that I had committed in a matter pertaining to knowledge. The Prophet ﷺ was visibly upset with me, and within his lengthy comments he would often refer to me as a boy. After awakening and then sitting at my morning class, I questioned myself by saying, 'The Prophet ﷺ said to me 'O boy', so does that mean that I am actually a boy?' Immediately the sheikh stopped his lecture and turned towards me, saying: 'We only said that since it is the common usage of the Arabs, and not to indicate that you are actually a minor.' The sheikh and the people who share his rank have a special status among the Sufis, often being known as the Master of Hearts (arbab al-qulub). In fact, it is quite likely that they are from among the individuals who receive divine inspiration (muhaddathin). Our Master 'Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه was a member of this latter rank, as confirmed in a hadith found in al-Bukhari."

His list of prominent teachers includes the following scholars:

Sheikh Ḥasan Madkur,
Sheikh Muhammad 'Ilish
Sheikh Muhammad Abu al-Qasim al-Hijazi
Sheikh 'Abd al-Hayy al-Kattani
Sheikh'Abd al-Khayr al-Madani of Syria
Sheikh Ahmad al-Sharif al-Ghumari and his brother Sheikh 'Abdullah
Sheikh Ali Adham al-Maliki from Sudan
Sheikh Hasan al-Mashshat of Makkah
Sheikh Mustafa Safwat
Sheikh 'Abd al-Halim Ibrahim
Sheikh Abu Yusuf
Sheikh Muhammad al-Halabi
Sheikh 'Abd al-Khaliq al-Shabrawi
Sheikh Muhammad 'Atiyah al-Buqali
Sheikh Muhammad Hasanayn Makhluf al-'Adawi al-Maliki, the grand authority of the Maliki school
Sheikh Muhammad al-'Anani, Sheikh al-Dalishni
Sheikh Salamah al-'Azzami
Sheikh Sadiq al-'Adawi
Sheikh Ahmad al-Wadidi
The Imam and preacher of Dongola mosque, Sheikh Ali Muhammad.

He also studied with three other teachers in Dongola mosque: Sheikh Hasan Effendi, Sheikh 'Ali ibn 'Awf, and Sheikh Ahmad Najjar. This list is not comprehensive, as the sheikh studied with other scholars and teachers at al-Azhar Mosque as well.

While it is true that he رَحِمَهُ الله was endowed with a gifted memory and a strong natural aptitude, nevertheless these scholars were extremely influential in the development of the sheikh’s encompassing knowledge. The sheikh persisted hard in his studies and was able to succeed in obtaining two degrees: one as a Higher Diploma, and the other as an Islamic Scholarship. Afterwards, the sheikh was appointed as an instructor and would lead his own study circles.

The Circumstances Behind His Appointment as Instructor at al-Azhar

As for the reason for why the sheikh رَحِمَهُ الله became an instructor at al-Azhar Mosque, then it is a lengthy story which is worthy of being narrated in full. After all, it is a brilliant indication of the sheikh’s intellectual faculties, and his love for his teachers and knowledge. The story has been recounted by Sheikh Rajab al-Bayumi in an article:

“One of the cases where the sheikh had a splendid and notable impact was when he recited a moving accolade to lament the passing of his eminent teacher Sheikh al-Dijwi. We were studying at the Arabic Academy when suddenly a person rushed to announce the demise of the great sheikh. This person also provided details regarding when the funeral would take place. I rushed there to bid my farewell to the sheikh, and upon arriving to the place, I found it to be a moving spectacle. A large group of prominent scholars had arrived to pay their respects, which was led by the senior instructor and Sheikh Mustafa ʿAbd al-Raziq, who presided as Sheikh al-Azhar back then. When the funeral procession reached the final burial stage, Sheikh Salih al-Ja’fari rose up to be the orator by lamenting the passing of his sheikh. He began his elegy by citing the words of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ: ‘Allah does not capture knowledge by directly depriving the people of it. Rather, He takes it away through the passing of the scholars, until the point where there is no scholar left. Then the people will take ignoramuses as their leaders. Such people will issue verdicts without any knowledge, misguiding themselves and others.’ Then the sheikh proceeded to clarify the eminent status of the deceased scholar.
“Correspondingly, the sheikh commended the deceased for their daring stances against the people of innovation and non-theists. The sublimity of the setting, wonder of the occasion, and mass gathering were factors which further amplified the sheikh’s message, causing his message to disperse and flow to the entire audience. His mournful voice stirred the souls and awakened the intellects. He had hardly finished his elegy when Sheikh al-Azhar became impressed by his address, even asking about his identity. Afterwards, Sheikh al-Azhar immediately proceeded to appoint him as an instructor at al-Azhar mosque.”

With his heart brimming with love for knowledge in accordance to the guidance of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the sheikh رَحِمَهُ الله began to deliver classes at the al-Azhar mosque. On this matter the sheikh said:

“The Prophet ﷺ used to enlighten the people by teaching them the Qur’an and delivering lessons of knowledge. Our sheikh, Ahmad ibn Idris رَحِمَهُ الله tried to emulate him in that regard, as he would counsel the people with the Qur’an and sacred knowledge. He continued on that path until he met his Lord. I asked Allah to enable me to trek the same teaching path of our sheikh and Master Ahmad ibn Idris رَحِمَهُ الله, who was a possessor of valuable knowledge.”