Biographical notice
Sidi Muḥammad Lahjouji
Sidi Muḥammad Lahjouji (1880–1951) was a renowned Moroccan scholar, hadith expert, jurist, and Sufi figure. He is widely known for his scholarly contributions to Islamic sciences, particularly in hadith studies, jurisprudence, and Sufi literature.
Early Life
He was born in Fez in August 1880 (1297 AH) into a family distinguished by knowledge, religious devotion, and spiritual leadership.
He memorized the Qur’an at an early age before pursuing advanced studies at the famous Al-Qarawiyyine University.
Education
At Al-Qarawiyyine, he studied under several prominent scholars, including:
Sidi Muḥammad Kannon
Abdelmalek Al-Alawi Ad-Darir
Ahmed Ben Al-Khayyat
Muḥammad Al-Qadiri
Muḥammad Ben Jaafar Al-Kettani
He became especially known for his mastery of hadith scholarship and biographical literature.
Works
Sidi Muḥammad Lahjouji authored more than one hundred books covering a wide range of Islamic sciences, including hadith, jurisprudence, Sufism, Quranic interpretation, and literature.
Among his most important works:
Fath al-Malik al-Allam – biographies of Tijani scholars (2 volumes)
Ithaf Ahl al-Maratib al-Irfaniyya – biographies of Tijani masters (8 volumes)
Tadhkirat al-Mustarshidin – commentary on the book of weak narrators
Sulafat as-Safa fi Tarajim Rijal ash-Shifa
Fath al-Qadir – commentary on Tarikh al-Saghir
Role in the Tijāniyya Order
He was one of the leading figures of the Tijani Sufi order in his time and played a major role in documenting the lives and teachings of its scholars.
Death
He spent the last 17 years of his life in Demnate, where he continued teaching and writing.
He passed away on March 11, 1951, leaving behind an important intellectual and spiritual legacy.
