Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi (1787 - 1859) was the founder of the
SenussiThe Senussi or Sanussi refers to a Muslim political-religious order in Libya and Sudan founded in Mecca in 1837 by the Grand Senussi, Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi. Senussi was concerned with both the decline of Islamic thought and spirituality and the weakening of Muslim political integrity...
order. The order was founded in 1837.
Al-Senussi was born in al-Wasita near
MostaganemMostaganem is a port city in and capital of Mostaganem province, in the northwest of Algeria. The city, founded in the 11th century lies on the Gulf of Arzew, Mediterranean Sea and is 72 km ENE of Oran...
,
AlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country located in North Africa. It is the largest country on the Mediterranean sea, the second largest on the African continent and the eleventh-largest country in the world in terms of land area.It is bordered by Tunisia in...
, and was named al-Senussi after a venerated Muslim teacher. He was a member of the Walad Sidi Abdalla tribe, and was a
sharifSharīf is a traditional Arab tribal title given to those who serve as the protector of the tribe and all tribal assets, such as property, wells, and land. The feminine form is sharifa....
tracing his descent from
FatimaFatima may refer to:* Fátima, Portugal, Portuguese town** Our Lady of Fátima, what believers say was a Marian apparition at Fátima in 1917** Fatima Prayer, prayer originating from what believers say was an apparition...
, the daughter of Mohammed. He studied at a madrassa in
FezFes or Fez is the third largest city in Morocco, after Casablanca and Rabat with a population of 946,815 . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
, then traveled in the
SaharaThe Sahara , , "The Greatest Desert") is the world's largest hot desert. At over 9,000,000 square kilometres , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as the United States or the continent of Europe. The desert stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean...
preaching a purifying reform of the faith in
TunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian Republic , is a country located in North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and Libya to the southeast. Tunisia is located southwest of the island of Sicily and south of Sardinia. Its size is almost 165,000 km² with an estimated population of just...
and
TripoliTripoli is the largest and capital city of Libya.Tripoli has a population of 1.69 million...
, gaining many adherents, and thence moved to
CairoCairo is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab World. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a center of the region's political and cultural life...
to study at
Al-Azhar UniversityAl-Azhar University in Egypt, founded in 970~972, is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Sunni Islamic learning in the world and the world's second oldest surviving degree granting university. It is associated with Al-Azhar mosque in Islamic Cairo. The university's mission includes the...
.
Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi (1787 - 1859) was the founder of the
SenussiThe Senussi or Sanussi refers to a Muslim political-religious order in Libya and Sudan founded in Mecca in 1837 by the Grand Senussi, Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi. Senussi was concerned with both the decline of Islamic thought and spirituality and the weakening of Muslim political integrity...
order. The order was founded in 1837.
Al-Senussi was born in al-Wasita near
MostaganemMostaganem is a port city in and capital of Mostaganem province, in the northwest of Algeria. The city, founded in the 11th century lies on the Gulf of Arzew, Mediterranean Sea and is 72 km ENE of Oran...
,
AlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country located in North Africa. It is the largest country on the Mediterranean sea, the second largest on the African continent and the eleventh-largest country in the world in terms of land area.It is bordered by Tunisia in...
, and was named al-Senussi after a venerated Muslim teacher. He was a member of the Walad Sidi Abdalla tribe, and was a
sharifSharīf is a traditional Arab tribal title given to those who serve as the protector of the tribe and all tribal assets, such as property, wells, and land. The feminine form is sharifa....
tracing his descent from
FatimaFatima may refer to:* Fátima, Portugal, Portuguese town** Our Lady of Fátima, what believers say was a Marian apparition at Fátima in 1917** Fatima Prayer, prayer originating from what believers say was an apparition...
, the daughter of Mohammed. He studied at a madrassa in
FezFes or Fez is the third largest city in Morocco, after Casablanca and Rabat with a population of 946,815 . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
, then traveled in the
SaharaThe Sahara , , "The Greatest Desert") is the world's largest hot desert. At over 9,000,000 square kilometres , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as the United States or the continent of Europe. The desert stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean...
preaching a purifying reform of the faith in
TunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian Republic , is a country located in North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and Libya to the southeast. Tunisia is located southwest of the island of Sicily and south of Sardinia. Its size is almost 165,000 km² with an estimated population of just...
and
TripoliTripoli is the largest and capital city of Libya.Tripoli has a population of 1.69 million...
, gaining many adherents, and thence moved to
CairoCairo is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab World. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a center of the region's political and cultural life...
to study at
Al-Azhar UniversityAl-Azhar University in Egypt, founded in 970~972, is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Sunni Islamic learning in the world and the world's second oldest surviving degree granting university. It is associated with Al-Azhar mosque in Islamic Cairo. The university's mission includes the...
. Unable to cross Algeria because of the French occupation, he established his capital at
JaghbubAl-Jaghbub is a remote desert oasis in the eastern Libyan Desert. It is actually closer to the Egyptian town of Siwa than to any Libyan town of note. The oasis is located in Al Butnan District and is the administrative seat of the Al Jaghbub Basic People's Congress...
, in
CyrenaicaCyrenaica is the eastern coastal region of Libya and also an ex-province or state of the country in the pre-1963 administrative system. What used to be Cyrenaica in the old system is now divided up into several "shabiyat"...
. He built a great mosque and a university which came to rival Al-Azhar, but which was shut down on the orders of
Khadafy in 1984, the graves and remains of the Sanussi family being desecrated at the same time. After the death of Muhmmad as-Sanussi his son Sayyid Muhammad al-Mahdi bin Sayyid Muhammad al-Senussi (1859-1902) became the new leader of the
SenussiThe Senussi or Sanussi refers to a Muslim political-religious order in Libya and Sudan founded in Mecca in 1837 by the Grand Senussi, Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi. Senussi was concerned with both the decline of Islamic thought and spirituality and the weakening of Muslim political integrity...
order, and moved it south from Jaghbub to
KufraKufra is an oasis in Southeastern Libya that played a minor role in the Western Desert Campaign of World War II. It is in a particularly isolated location not only because it is in the middle of the Sahara Desert but also because it is surrounded on three sides by depressions...
. His grandson through Muhammad became
King IdrisIdris, GBE born Sayyid Muhammad Idris bin Sayyid Muhammad al-Mahdi al-Senussi was the only King of Libya, reigning from 1951 to 1969 and the Chief of the Senussi Muslim order.-Early life:...
, the only King of Libya.