Sîdî Bû ‘Azzâ al-Mahhâjî

His name is Abu ‘Abdullâh Bû ‘Azzâ al-Tilimsânî al-Mahhâjî from the tribe of Mahhâja, who originate from a region outside of Tilimsân, Algeria. He had two
zâwiyas: one in Oujda in Morocco, the other in Tilimsân. He took from Moulay al-‘Arabî al-Darqâwî. He was a man of a high spiritual station. It was related
that one day he was sitting with a scholar of law when a man came asking about a very complex issue. The scholar gave his answer, quoting what he had memorised
from the book of Khalîl (a traditional Maliki book of law). Once the scholar had finished his answer, Abû ‘Azzâ sat up and said, “I don’t think that to be the
correct answer. Go back and review the issue in the commentaries of Khalîl.” (This he said even though Abû ‘Azzâ had never touched a book of law.) On reviewing
the commentaries, the scholar found to his astonishment that the matter was just as Abû ‘Azzâ had said.

He would always surpass the scholars in discussion and leave them speechless if they sat with him. He would say, “If the angels were to descend from the
heavens, I would be able to converse with them.” At first he was a man of silence, until one day his teacher ordered him to speak. From that day, he would talk of things that would confound the intellects of the people.

He passed away on Friday 15th (in the middle of Rabî’ al-Awwal) September 1277. He was buried in the Ramîla District of Fez just in front of the mosque of Sîdî Bû Madyan.
Idris