Shadhili, Abu al-Hasan 'Ali ibn 'Abdu' Allah ibn 'Abdu'l-Jabbar [d.656H/1258CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan

This now is something of the story of the life and sayings of the Shaykh and Master Abu al-Hasan ash-Shadhdhili, whose full name was `Ali ibn `Abdullah ibn `Abdu 'l-Jabbar, who, on his father's side, descended from the Fatimid-Hasanid line, and on his mother's side from the Fatimid-Husaynid line.

He was born in the year 593 A.H./1196 C.E., in the mountain village of Ghumara in the Rif area of the northern Atlas mountains of the Maghrib. The Berber tribe to which he belonged had virtually separated itself from the rest of the Maghrib by refusing to accept the Religion of Islam, which was otherwise universally followed in this region. Sidi Abu Madyan had tried to teach and guide this tribe to the Truth, but they had preferred to live in their state of spiritual ignorance, relying mostly upon witchcraft, magic and idols for their form of worship.