Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi (; in full Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī al-Sanūsī al-Mujāhirī al-Ḥasanī al-Idrīsī) (1787–1859) was an Algerian Muslim theologian and leader who founded the Senussi mystical order in 1837. His militant mystical movement proved very significant and helped

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

to win its freedom from Italy on 10 February 1947. Omar Mukhtar was one of the most significant leaders of the Senussi military campaign launched by Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi. Al-Sanūsī's grandson Idrīs I ruled as king of Libya from 1951 to 1969.

Life

Al-Senussi was born in al-Wasita near Mostaganem,

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

,Shillington, Kevin (2005) "Libya: Muhammad Al-Sanusi (c.1787–1859) and the Sanusiyya" ''Encyclopedia of African History'' Fitzroy Dearborn, New York
p. 830-831
and was named al-Senussi after a venerated Muslim teacher. He was an Algerian Walad Sidi Abdallah tribesman who claimed descent from the Islamic prophet

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

. The family takes its name from a religious Sheikh named Sanussi who lived in

Tlemcen Tlemcen (; ) is the second-largest city in northwestern Algeria after Oran and is the capital of Tlemcen Province. The city has developed leather, carpet, and textile industries, which it exports through the port of Rachgoun. It had a population of ...

during the 13th century. Unable to cross Algeria because of the French occupation, the beginning, the centre of Imam Mohammed Ali El Senussi's call was Jebel Akhdar and he built a mosque in Bayda of

Cyrenaica Cyrenaica ( ) or Kyrenaika (, , after the city of Cyrene), is the eastern region of Libya. Cyrenaica includes all of the eastern part of Libya between the 16th and 25th meridians east, including the Kufra District. The coastal region, als ...

and named it after himself, then he moved to Jaghbub in Cyrenaica from where the mosques spread to the remaining cities of Barqa and Tripoli.The Senussi Family
Retrieved 1 October 2011.

References

*S. Khuda Bukhsh, ''Studies Indian and Islamic'', Routledge 2001, p. 28

(retrieved 26-09-2011)

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muhammad Ibn Ali As-Senussi Senussi dynasty Algerian Sufis 1787 births 1859 deaths People from Mostaganem Province Al-Azhar University alumni Muslims from the Ottoman Empire Founders of Sufi orders 18th-century Arab people 19th-century Arab people

Life

See also

References

Notes