Remember to turn on CC/captions for the translation.
Sidi Ali Niasse and other disciples of the Tijani tariqah (Sufi order) recite a madih (poem praising the Prophet Muhammad) in the presence of a shaykh in Ma'ta Mawlana, Mauritania. I'm not sure who the shaykh is, so if anyone knows feel free to let me know.
¹ Ta-Ha is a chapter in the Qur'an named after its first verse, which is also one of the Qur'anic muqatta'at (mysterious letters). It is widely believed to be one of the names of the Prophet Muhammad, possibly because the following verses directly address him.
² An Arabic expression meaning everything. Pulp is the juicy core of a fruit, and pith is the white lining underneath the peel of citrus fruits like oranges and lemons.
³ i.e. By love or music. The Rebab is a traditional string instrument popular throughout North Africa and the Middle East, and has existed since at least the 8th century.
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The madih being recited is حبُ طه يُستطاب / Hubbu Taha Yustataabu. I don't know of a reliable source for who it was written by, although it appears to be popular in North Africa, especially in gatherings of the Tijani tariqah.
The Tijani tariqah (Sufi order) was originally founded by Shaykh Ahmad al-Tijani in modern-day Algeria in the 18th century. In 1929, a then-29 year-old Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse established the Tijani Ibrahimi branch of the tariqah, and in the years since it has expanded to be the largest branch of the Tijani tariqah as well as the largest tariqah in West Africa. The tariqah is widespread in Senegal, the Gambia, Mauritania, Mali, Ghana, Nigeria and Sudan, and is also common throughout North Africa. The shaykh was known affectionately to his disciples as Baye (Wolof for "father"), and the city from which he taught became known as Medina Baye ("city of the father"). Since 2008, the tariqah has been led by Shaykh Ahmad Tijani Ali Cisse.
If there are any mistakes in this description or in the translation please let me know so they can be checked and corrected as soon as possible.
#Tijani
#Mauritania
#Dhikr
#Sufi
#Qasidah
