Muhammad ibn Ali al-Sanusi (; full name Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī al-Sanūsī al-Mujāhirī al-Ḥasanī al-Idrīsī; 1787 or 1791–1859), also known as Sīdī Muḥammad al-Sanūsī, was an Algerian Muslim theologian, religious leader, and mystic who founded the Sanūsīya order in 1837. He sought to combine orthodox Islamic practice with mystical attainment, placing particular emphasis on dhikr, and the movement he founded subsequently became an important religious and political force in North Africa.
Life and teachings Al-Sanusi was born at al-Wasita near Mostaganem, Algeria, in 1787.Shillington, Kevin (2005), "Libya: Muhammad Al-Sanusi (c.1787–1859) and the Sanusiyya", Encyclopedia of African History, Fitzroy Dearborn, New York, pp. 830–831, . He belonged to the Algerian Walad Sidi Abdallah tribe and claimed descent from the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He was named al-Sanusi after Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Sanusi, a venerated Muslim teacher associated with Tlemcen in the 13th century.
After spending a period in Mecca, al-Sanusi returned to North Africa and established himself at Jaghbub, where freed slaves were welcomed into his community. He had been initiated into Qādiriyya mysticism and sought to harmonize orthodox religious practice with mystical attainment, giving particular prominence to dhikr. In 1837 he founded the Sanūsīya, or Sanusi order.
Legacy The Sanusi movement developed into a militant mystical movement of considerable importance in North Africa and later contributed to Libya's struggle for independence from Italy, which culminated in freedom on 10 February 1947. Al-Sanusi's grandson, Idris, subsequently became king of Libya and reigned from 1951 until 1969.
References
Sources S. Khuda Bukhsh, Studies Indian and Islamic, Routledge 2001, p. 28 (retrieved 26-09-2011)