He is the noble descendant of the Prophet and a guide of Islam, who had the extraordinary honour of kissing the hand of the Truthful Messenger, our master 'Abu l-^Abbas, Shaykh 'Ahmad Ar-Rifa^iyyi l-Kabir, son of Sultan ^Aliyy Abu l-Hasan, the illustrious deceased of Baghdad, son of Yahya l-Maghribiyy, son of Ath-Thabit, son of Al-Hazim, son of 'Ahmad, son of ^Aliyy, son of 'Abu l-Makarim Rifa^ah Al-Hasan Al-Makkiyy, son of Al-Mahdiyy, son of Muhammad 'Abu l-Qasim, son of Al-Hasan, son of Al-Husayn 'Ahmad, son of Musa Ah-Thaniyy, son of Imam 'Ibrahim Al-Murtada, son of Imam Musa l-Kadhim, son of Imam Ja^far As-Sadiq, son of Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir, son of Imam Zaynu l-^Abidin ^Aliyy, son of Imam Al-Husayn —the unjustly martyred grandson of the Prophet and fruit of the union between Imam ^Aliyy, standard-bearer of Islam, may Allah honour and accept him, and Fatimah Al-Batul, peace be upon her.
His maternal lineage is also firmly established, tracing back to our master Al-Husayn, the son of Lady Fatimah Az-Zahra', the daughter of the Messenger (peace be upon him). Additionally, he shares kinship with the Commander of the Believers, 'Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, through his ancestor Imam Ja^far As-Sadiq. Imam Ja'far's mother, Farwah, was the daughter of Al-Qasim, son of Muhammad, who in turn was the son of 'Abu Bakr As-Siddiq.
He was born in the year 512 AH in Iraq, in Al-Bata'ih, a cluster of villages encircled by lakes, situated between Wasit and Al-Basrah. At the tender age of seven, he lost his father, who passed away in Baghdad. Subsequently, his maternal uncle, Shaykh Mansur Al-Bata'ihiyy, an esteemed ascetic and spiritual guide, assumed his guardianship and ensured he received a comprehensive religious education.
Imam Ar-Rifa^iyy is the founder of the spiritual path that bears his name, akin to those established by Al-Jilaniyy, An-Naqshabandiyy, and other revered saints. Although some of these Sufi paths have been distorted by misguided adherents, they remain fundamentally praiseworthy innovations with indisputable merits.
His Advancement in Knowledge and His Shaykhs
From his earliest years, Imam Ar-Rifa^iyy was dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, immersing himself in the various sciences of religion. At the age of seven, he memorized the honoured Qur'an and studied the rules of recitation with Shaykh ^Abdu s-Sami^ Al-Harbuniyy in his village. Following this, he moved with his mother, brothers, and maternal uncle to the village of Nahr Difliyy in the region of Wasit. His uncle entrusted him to Imam and jurist, Shaykh 'Abu l-Fadl ^Aliyy Al-Wasitiyy, a specialist in Qur'anic recitation, Prophetic tradition, and an eminent preacher. Shaykh Al-Wasitiyy undertook his education, diligently nurturing and expanding his knowledge.
Master 'Ahmad Ar-Rifa^iyy demonstrated exemplary diligence in learning and acquiring Islamic sciences, excelling in both the textual disciplines (Qur’an et Sunnah) and in fields related to rational argumentation, thereby surpassing his peers.
Imam 'Ahmad Ar-Rifa^iyy diligently attended religious classes, including those taught by his maternal uncle, Shaykh 'Abu Bakr, who was one of the leading scholars of his time. He also frequented gatherings of other scholars, such as those held by his other maternal uncle, Shaykh Mansur Al-Bata'ihiyy. In addition, he studied various sciences under Shaykh ^Abdu l-Malik Al-Harbaniyy. Imam 'Ahmad Ar-Rifa^iyy memorized Imam 'Abu 'Ishaq Ash-Shiraziyy’s book " At-Tanbih " in Shafi^iyy jurisprudence, for which he wrote an admirable commentary.
He dedicated his time to acquiring various branches of religious sciences and fervently adhered to obedience to Allah, becoming a devout worshipper. His dedication was such that Allah bestowed upon him a specific knowledge. Consequently, he became a scholar, specializing in Shafi^iyy jurisprudence, and a spiritual educator. Even his former mentors sought his guidance, passing into his hands for instruction.
The venerable Shaykh 'Abu l-Fadl ^Aliyy, the Muhaddith and Shaykh of Wasit, granted him unconditional approval to teach all religious sciences, including the path of Sufi spiritual elevation, when Imam Ar-Rifa^iyy was only twenty years old. He also lauded him with praises and bestowed upon him the title "'Abu l-^Alamayn" the master of the two standards, for he combined the formal knowledge taught in scholarly circles with the divine wisdom granted by Allah to those He favours, which cannot be acquired through mere learning. Consequently, his teachers unanimously testified to his greatness and his eminent status.
Then, when he reached the age of twenty-eight, his maternal uncle, Shaykh Mansur, entrusted him with the training of teachers and the instruction of students from the various riwaqs under his supervision. He also insisted that he remain in 'Ummu ^Abidah, in the riwaq of his maternal grandfather, Shaykh Yahya An-Najjariyy, and the father of Shaykh Mansur, who had cared for him since his youth.
The merits of Imam Ar-Rifa^iyy
Imam ‘Abu l-Qasim ^Abdu l-Karim Ar-Rafi^iyy, renowned among the followers of the Shafi^iyy school for the breadth of his knowledge, his asceticism, and his karamat, lauded Shaykh Ahmad Ar-Rifa^iyy in his book " Sawadu l-^inayn fi manaqibi l-Ghawth 'Abi l-^Alamayn " which he dedicated to praising him:
"Shaykh, Imam Abu Shuja^ Ash-Shafi^iyy relayed to me that Shaykh Ahmad Ar-Rifa^iyy was a standard-bearer of knowledge atop a mountain of wisdom, a distinguished scholar, a traditionist (muhaddith), a jurist, an exegete whose sources were renowned figures. His teaching authorizations were granted by the highest authorities in the field. He excelled as a Qur’an reciter, mastering its rules, and was a notable specialist in Prophetic tradition. In summary, he was a benchmark in the mastery of religious sciences. He demonstrated leniency towards fellow Muslims while remaining resolute against adversaries of Islam. His demeanour was marked by gentleness, attentiveness, tenderness, and a warm smile, reflecting an amiable disposition and pleasing appearance. His conduct was exemplary, characterized by benevolent conversations and enjoyable companionship. Unperturbed by his audience, he would only depart from gatherings to engage in acts of worship. He endured hardships and remained true to his commitments, demonstrating great patience in facing difficulties. He maintained humility without experiencing humiliation and controlled his anger without harbouring resentment. He surpassed his peers in knowledge and conviction regarding the teachings of the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He was an ocean among the oceans of knowledge, standing out among his contemporaries as a staunch defender of the religion accepted by Allah. He embodied the noble traits of his ancestor, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, making him a worthy heir to his legacy.
Ar-Rafi^iyy also said: "Our Shaykh ^Umar Al-Faruthiyy reported to me that Shaykh Badr Al-'Ansariyy relayed from Shaykh, Imam Mansur Al-Bata'ihiyy Ar-Rabbaniyy: 'Forty days before the birth of my nephew, Shaykh ‘Ahmad Ar-Rifa^iyy, I saw the Prophet ﷺ in a dream. He said to me: "O Mansur, I bring you glad tidings that Allah will grant your sister a son in forty days who will be named Ahmad Ar-Rifa^iyy. Just as I am the best of the Prophets, he will be the best of the saints [of his time]; and when he grows up, take him to Shaykh ^Aliyy Al-Qari' Al-Wasitiyy and leave him with him so that he may educate him, for he is a man accepted by Allah, and keep an eye on him." I responded: "It shall be as you command, O Messenger of Allah, may Allah honour you and elevate you further in rank." And what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ foretold indeed came to pass.'"
Ar-Rafi^iyy also stated: "The jurist and eminent scholar ‘Abu Zakariyya Yahya, the son of Shaykh As-Salih Yusuf Al-^Asqalaniyy Al-Hanbaliyy, conveyed to me that he said: 'I went to visit our master ‘Ahmad Ar-Rifa^iyy at 'Ummu ^Ubaydah. In his riwaq and its surroundings, more than one hundred thousand people went to visit also. Among them were governors, scholars, shaykhs, and common people; he greeted their arrival with a smile, offering them food and honouring them according to their status. After the Dhuhr prayer, he would take his place on his seat and exhort the people who formed concentric circles around him. One Thursday, after the Dhuhr prayer, he took his seat as usual. In his gathering were the preachers of Wasit, numerous scholars from Iraq, and the dignitaries of the region. Some began to ask him about the meanings of certain verses, others about the meanings of certain Hadith, some about Jurisprudence, others about the subjects of disagreement among scholars, some about the Fundamentals, and others about various sciences. He answered two hundred questions across various disciplines without showing any signs of irritation or disturbance. The relentless questioning tested my patience; I stood up and exclaimed: "Is this not enough for you?! By Allah, if you had inquired about every science ever recorded, he would have answered you by Allah’s permission without any difficulty!"
He smiled and said: "O 'Abu Zakariyya, let them ask me before they lose me; for the world is perishing, and Allah is the One Who changes things." With this, the people began to weep and surged forward in a growing tumult. Tragically, five men died in the crush while over eight thousand people among the Sabians, Christians, and Jews embraced Islam, and forty thousand people repented.'"
