We have
many Halifa of sheik Ibrahim Niyass. But, there is no how we can avoid to mentioning
of Sheikh Hassan Cisse (R.T.A) In (1945-2008) Sheikh Hassan Cisse was the preeminent spokesmen
of the Toriqat Tijjaniyya in recent times. Sheikh Hassan was a consummate
scholar and spiritual guide. He received a complete training in the traditional
Islamic sciences: the Qur’an and its Tefsir (Exegesis) Prophetic
traditions (Hadith) and history (Seerah), jurisprudence and its
sources (Fiqh and usul), literature (Adab), poetry,
grammar and Sufism (tasawwuf). After Sheikh Hassan Cisse memorized the Qur’an at a young
age in Mauritania, he was educated mostly in Senegal under the personal
supervision of Maolana Sheikh Alhaji brahim Niyass (R.T.A) who had gathered in Kaolaq, Senegal, some
of the most renowned scholars from Senegal, Mauritania, Nigeria, and beyond.
These included Sheikh Hassan’s own father, Sheidy Ali Cisse (R.T.A), and his mother,
Sheidat Fatima Zahra Niyass. He was a Islamic
scholar, emerging from a long and vibrant legacy of Islamic learning in West
Africa. The grandson and spiritual of Sheikh Ibrahim Niyass, he was
designated by Sheikh Ibrahim as Imam of the Jama’at Nasr al-Ilm (“Community
of Helping Knowledge”), the followers of Sheikh Ibrahim who are
historically the largest single Muslim movement in twentieth-century of West Africa.
Sheikh Hassan Cisse was the thirty years of age at the time of his
grandfather’s died, Sheikh Ibrahim Niyass was said to show Sheikh Hassan Cisse special favor
from the time of his birth in 1945. Sheikh Ibrahim says, he recommended his own children to
his closest disciple and lifelong companion, Sidi Ali Cisse, and said that they
should “be with him as they are with me now.” The will mentions Sheikh Hassan Cisse
by name as the community’s Imam after his father. Sheikh Hassan Cisse was the
last to see Maolana Sheikh Ibrahim Niyass alive. Sheikh Hassan Cisse also
attained high merit in later academic education, completing a B.A. in Islamic
Studies and Arabic Literature from Ain Shams University (Cairo, Egypt) and an M.A. in English from the University of
London. Near completion of his PhD in Islamic Studies at Northwestern
University Chicago his father passed, and Sheikh Hassan was obliged to
return to Senegal to assume the imamate in Kaolaq. Sheikh Hassan Cisse was fluently
in Arabic, English, French, Hausa and his native language speaking Wolof. Sheikh
Hassan Cisse continued the work of his grandfather, introducing Islam to
thousands and unifying diverse cultures under the banner of Islam. The Sheikh
positively affected the lives of many in societies life with ethnics and
religious tensions, such as Nigeria, Mauritania, South Africa and the United
States. Sheikh Hassan Cisse (R.T.A) was firstly traveled to America in 1976 and he
worked tirelessly to promote the good-will and positive exchange between
Americans and the international Muslim community, emphasizing the essential
spirituality and etiquette (Sufism)
of Islam to promote individual betterment and real brotherhood. Its later clearly knew that Sheikh Hassan’s
social efforts were well recognized by several international organizations,
such as the World Health Organization (WHO) the United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA) the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Rotary International.
He frequently participated in the United Nations annual conference for the
world-wide NGO community. He participated in annual United Nations conferences
for NGOs and was a frequently invited guest speaker at UNICEF and other -sponsored
events.
