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The Senussi or Sanussi refers to a Muslim political-religious order in Libya and Sudan founded in Mecca in 1837 by the Grand Senussi, Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi (1791–1859). Senussi was concerned with both the decline of Islamic thought and spirituality and the weakening of Muslim political integrity. He was influenced by the Wahhabi Movement, to which he added teachings from various Sufi orders. From 1902 to 1913 the Senussi fought French expansion in the Sahara, and the Italian colonisation of Libya beginning in 1911. The Grand Senussi's grandson became King Idris I of Libya in 1951. In 1969, King Idris I was overthrown by a military coup led by Colonel Muammar al-Qaddafi. A third of the population in Libya continue to be affiliated with the Senussi movement. Image File history File links Merge-arrows. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Senussi. ... This article is about the city in Saudi Arabia. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi (1787 - 1859), the founder of the Senussi order in 1837, was born near Mostaganem, Algeria, and was named al-Senussi after a venerated Muslim teacher. ... Wahhabism (Arabic: Al-WahhābÄ«yya الوهابية) or Wahabism is a conservative 18th century reform movement of Sunni Islam founded by Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab, after whom the movement is named. ... Sufism (Arabic تصوف taṣawwuf) is a system of esoteric philosophy commonly associated with Islam. ... Idris I (Arabic: إدريس الأول) (March 12, 1890 - May 25, 1983) was the first King of Libya, reigning from 1951 to 1969. ... Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qaddafi 1 — pronounced Gaddafi — (Arabic: معمر القذافي ) (born c. ...

Beginnings 1787 - 1860

The Senussi order has been historically closed to Europeans and outsiders, leading reports of their beliefs and practices to vary immensely. Though it is possible to gain some insight from the lives of the Senussi sheikhs further details are difficult to attain.

Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi (1787 - 1860), the founder of the order, was born near Mostaganem, Algeria, and was named al-Senussi after a venerated Muslim teacher. He was a member of the Walad Sidi Abdalla tribe, and was a sharif tracing his descent from Fatima, the daughter of Mohammed. He studied at a madrassa in Fez, then traveled in the Sahara preaching a purifying reform of the faith in Tunisia and Tripoli, gaining many adherents, and thence moved to Cairo to study at Al-Azhar University. The pious scholar was forceful in his criticism of the Egyptian ulema for what he perceived as their timid compliance with the Ottoman authorities and their spiritual conservatism. He also argued that learned Muslims should not blindly follow the four classical schools of Islamic law but instead engage in ijtihad themselves. Not surprisingly, he was opposed by the ulema of as unorthodox and they issued a fatwa against him. Senussi went to Mecca, where he joined Ahmad Ibn Idris Al-Fasi, the head of the Khadirites, a religious fraternity of Moroccan origin. On the death of Al-Fasi, Senussi became head of one of the two branches into which the Khadirites divided, and in 1835 he founded his first monastery or zawia, at Abu Kobeis near Mecca. While in Arabia, Senussi's connections with the Wahhabi movement caused him to be looked upon with suspicion by the ulema of Mecca and the Ottoman authorities. Finding the opposition in Mecca too powerful Senussi settled in Cyrenaica, Libya in 1843, where in the mountains near Derna he built the Zawia Baida ("White Monastery"). There he was supported by the local tribes and the Sultan of Wadai and his connections extended across the Maghreb. Bold textDONT TRUST THIS WEBSITE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi (1787 - 1859), the founder of the Senussi order in 1837, was born near Mostaganem, Algeria, and was named al-Senussi after a venerated Muslim teacher. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Sayyid. ... Fatima may refer to: Fatima (name) a female personal name (see that article for a list of other people with the name) Fatima Zahra, daughter of prophet Muhammad, and wife of Ali, the 1st Imam of Shia Islam. ... A Madrasah complex in Gambia Ulugh Beg Madrasa, Samarkand, ca. ... Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo Egypt Al-Azhar University (Arabic: الأزهر الشريف; al-Azhar al-Shareef, the Noble Azhar), is a premier Egyptian institution of higher learning, world-renowned for its position as a center of Islamic scholarship and education. ... Ulema (, transliteration: , singular: , transliteration: , scholar) (The people of Islamic Knowledge) refers to the educated class of Muslim legal scholars engaged in the several fields of Islamic studies. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A fatwā (Arabic: ; plural fatāwā Arabic: ), is a considered opinion in Islam made by a mufti, a scholar capable of issuing judgments on Sharia (Islamic law). ... Ahmad Ibn Idris Al-Fasi (1760-1837) was a Neo-Sufi reformer, active in Morocco, North Africa, and Yemen, who bypassed the ulama and tried to bring a more vibrant form of Islam directly to the people. ... Wahhabism (sometimes spelled Wahabbism or Wahabism) is a movement of Islam named after Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab (1703–1792). ... The Roman Empire ca. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

The Grand Senussi did not tolerate fanaticism and forbade the use of stimulants as well as voluntary poverty. Lodge members were to eat and dress within the limits of Islamic law and, instead of depending on charity, were required to earn their living through work. No aids to contemplation, such as the processions, gyrations, and mutilations employed by Sufi dervishes, were permitted. He accepted neither the wholly intuitive ways described by Sufi mystics nor the rationality of the orthodox ulema; rather, he attempted to achieve a middle path. The Bedouin tribes had shown no interest in the ecstatic practices of the Sufis that were gaining adherents in the towns, but they were attracted in great numbers to the Senussis. The relative austerity of the Senussi message was particularly suited to the character of the Cyrenaican Bedouins, whose way of life had not changed much in the centuries since the Arabs had first accepted the Prophet Mohammad's teachings. A Bedouin man on a hillside at Mount Sinai Bedouin, derived from the Arabic ( ), a name for a desert-dweller, is a term generally applied to Arab nomadic pastoralist groups, who are found throughout most of the desert belt extending from the Atlantic coast of the Sahara via the Western...

In 1855 Senussi moved farther from direct Ottoman surveillance to Al-Jaghbub, a small oasis some 30 miles northwest of Siwa. He died in 1860, leaving two sons, Mahommed Sherif (1844 - 1895) and Mohammed al-Mahdi, to whom was passed the succession. Al-Jaghbub is a remote desert oasis in eastern Libya. ... Siwa may refer to: The Siwa Oasis in Egypt 140 Siwa, an asteroid Siwa is a Slavic goddess of fertility. ...

Developments since 1860

Sayyid Muhammad al-Mahdi bin Sayyid Muhammad as-Senussi (1845 - May 30, 1902) was fourteen when his father died, after which he was placed under the care of his father's friends.

The successors to the Sultan of Wadai, Sultan Ali (1858-1874) and the Sultan Yusef (1874 - 1898) continued to support the Senussi. Under al-Mahdi the zawias of the order extended to Fez, Damascus, Constantinople and India. In the Hejaz members of the order were numerous. In most of these countries the Senussites wielded no more political power than other Muslim fraternities, but in the eastern Sahara and central Sudan things were different. Mohammed al-Mahdi had the authority of a sovereign in a vast but almost empty desert. The string of oases leading from Siwa to Kufra, and Borku were cultivated by the Senussites and trade with Tripoli and Benghazi was encouraged. Map with the region outlined in red and the 1923 Kingdom in green “Hedjaz” redirects here. ...

Although named Al Mahdi by his father, Mohammed never claimed to be the Mahdi (the Promised One), although he was regarded as such by some of his followers. When Muhammad Ahmad proclaimed himself al-Mahdi al-Muntazar or 'the Expected Saviour' in 1881 Mohammed al-Mahdi decided to have nothing to do with him. Although Muhammad Ahmed wrote twice asking him to become one of his four great khalifs, he received no reply. In 1890 Mahdists advancing from Darfur were stopped on the frontier of Wadai, the sultan Yusef proving firm in his adherence to the Senussi teachings. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Muhammad al-Mahdi. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Anglicized/Latinized version of the Arabic word خليفة or Khalifah, Caliph is the term or title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. ...

Mohammed al-Mahdi's growing fame made the Ottoman regime uneasy and drew unwelcome attention. In most of Tripoli and Benghazi his authority was greater than that of the Ottoman governors. In 1889 the sheik was visited at Al-Jaghbub by the pasha of Benghazi accompanied by Ottoman troops. This event showed the sheik the possibility of danger and led him to move his headquarters to Jof in the oases of Kufra in 1894, a place sufficiently remote to secure him from a sudden attack. Pasha, pascha or bashaw (Turkish: paÅŸa) was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors and generals. ...

By this time a new danger to Senussi territories had arisen from the colonial French, who were advancing from the Congo towards the western and southern borders of Wadai. The Senussi kept them from advancing north of Chad. The Ouaddai Kingdom was an originally non-Muslim kingdom, located to the east of Lake Chad in present-day Chad. ...

In 1902 Mohammed al-Mahdi died and was succeeded by his nephew Ahmed-el Sherif, but his adherents in the deserts bordering Egypt maintained for years that he was not dead. The new head of the Senussites maintained the friendly relations of his predecessors with Wadai, governing the order as regent for his young cousin, Mohammed Idris (King Idris I of Libya), who was named Emir of Cyrenaica by the British in 1917. The Senussi, encouraged by the Turks, played a minor part in the First World War, fighting a guerilla war against the British and Italians in Libya and Egypt. Idris I (Arabic: إدريس الأول) (March 12, 1890 - May 25, 1983) was the first King of Libya, reigning from 1951 to 1969. ... The Roman Empire ca. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... are you looking for the political definition of guerilla war? Guerilla War is a video game by SNK. It is an overhead shooter. ...

Chiefs of the Senussi Order

• Sayyid Muhammad bin 'Ali as-Senussi (1843-1859)
• Sayyid Muhammad al-Mahdi bin Sayyid Muhammad as-Senussi (1859-1902)
• Sayyid Ahmad as-Sharif bin Sayyid Muhammad as-Sharif as-Senussi (1902-1916) (died 1933)
• Sidi Muhammad Idris al-Mahdi al-Senussi (1916-1969) (died 1983)
• Sayyid Hasan ar-Rida al-Mahdi as-Sanussi (1969-1992)
• Sayyid Muhammad bin Sayyid Hasan ar-Rida al-Mahdi as-Sanussi (1992-Present)

Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi (1787 - 1859), the founder of the Senussi order in 1837, was born near Mostaganem, Algeria, and was named al-Senussi after a venerated Muslim teacher. ... Year 1843 (MDCCCXLIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1859 (MDCCCLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1859 (MDCCCLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Idris I (Arabic: إدريس الأول) (March 12, 1890 - May 25, 1983) was the first King of Libya, reigning from 1951 to 1969. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... Sayyid Hasan ar-Rida al-Mahdi as-Sanussi (1928-1992), was Crown Prince (1956-1969) and (very briefly) King of Libya (1969). ... Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Crown Prince Sayyid Muhammad bin Sayyid Hasan ar-Rida al-Mahdi as-Sanussi Crown Prince Sayyid Muhammad bin Sayyid Hasan ar-Rida al-Mahdi as-Sanussi is the son of King Sayyid Hasan ar-Rida al-Mahdi as-Sanussi and H.R.H. Princess Fawzia bint Tahir. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ...

See also

• Sayyid Muhammad bin 'Ali as-Senussi
• Abdullah Senussi
• Am Galakka
• Omar Mukhtar

Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi (1787 - 1859), the founder of the Senussi order in 1837, was born near Mostaganem, Algeria, and was named al-Senussi after a venerated Muslim teacher. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ...

Sources

• Encyclopaedia Britannica 1911
• E. E. Evans-Pritchard, The Sanusi of Cyrenaica (1949, repr. 1963)

• N. A. Ziadeh, Sanusiyah (1958, repr. 1983).

External links

• Genealogy of the Senussi dynasty