Mysticism and Social ChangePresented by:Ashaki Taha-Cisse

HOWARD THURMAN EXCERPTS FROM “MYSTICISM AND SOCIAL CHANGE” “Affirmation Mystics” are concerned with working out in a social frame of reference the realism of their mystic experience.

In his effort to achieve the good, he finds that he must be responsive to the human needs with which his life is surrounded.

The mystic is forced to deal with social relations because in his effort to achieve the good he finds that he must be responsible to human need by which he is surrounded, particularly the kind of human need in which the sufferers are victims of circumstances over which they have no control.

It is in moral and spiritual leadership of this quality that the affirmation mystic comes into his own.

He has been loved by God, he has received the blessing of the Presence of God as an act of grace and he must salute the good that there is in the other by the quality of humility present in his deeds for others.

  

THE MYSTICAL PATH THE TARIQA TIJANIYYA Founded in Algeria in 1784 by Shaykh Abu Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Tijani (RA) (1737-1815) following the order of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in a waking vision.

This Sufi way has spread all over the world with Tijani communities today found in Morocco, Algeria, Mautitania, Egypt, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Sudan, South Africa, Indonesia, America, Singapore, Canada, France, England, Italy, Scotland, Sweden, Norway, Pakistan and India.

Conservative estimates of the number of Tijanis around the world would number somewhere around 100 million.

The Tariqa Tijaniyya is the most prominent Sufi order on the African continent.

PRACTICES OF THE TARIQA The daily practice of the Tariqa Tijaniyya revolves exclusively around the remembrance of God (dhikrullah). The litany specific to the Tijaniyya, like many other of the blessed Sufi paths, is comprised of asking the forgiveness of God (astaghfirullah), sending prayers on the Prophet Muhammad (salat ‘ala nabiyy) and affirming the Oneness of God (la ilaha ill-Allah).

Three Principles of the Tijani Litany Asking Allah for forgiveness (astaghfirullah). The second principle is to say la ilaha illallah, “There is nothing worthy of worship but God.”

And the third principle is Salat ‘ala Nabi, the offering of prayers upon the Prophet.

Remembering God Prayer on the Prophet

THE MYSTICSHAYKH HASSAN ALI CISSE (1945-2008)

The preeminent representative of the Tariqa Tijaniyya in recent times. Accomplished Islamic scholar, emerging from a long and vibrant legacy in Islamic learning in West Africa.

Was a consummate spiritual guide. He received a complete training in the traditional Islamic sciences: the Qur’an and its exegesis, Prophetic traditions and history, jurisprudence and its sources, literature, poetry, grammar and Sufism.

Attained high merit in later academic education, to include a B.A. in Islamic Studies and Arabic Literature from Ain Shams University (Cairo, Egypt) and an M.A. in Philosophy from the University of London where he earned Certificates of Mastery in English and French.

Near completion of his PhD in Islamic Studies a Northwestern University (Chicago, IL), his father passed away and Shaykh Hassan returned to Senegal to assume the imamate in Kaolack. Shyakh Hassan was fluent in Arabic, English, French, Hausa and his native Wolof language.

Born December 4, 1945 in Kaolack, Senegal Died August 14, 2008 in Kaolack, Senegal The first grandson of Shaykh-al-Islam, Al Hajj Ibrahim Niass and the son of Seydi Aliou Cisse and Fatimata Zahra Niass

SHAYKH HASSAN ALI CISSE

Internationally respected Islamic scholar and leader Chief Imam, The Central Mosque, Medina-Kaolack, Senegal

President, Elhadji Ibrahim Niass University, Dakar, Senegal

President, Network of African Islamic Organizations for Population and Development

Special Adviser for Islamic Affairs, Republic of Ghana

Honorary Member, Ulama League of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania

Distinguished leader of the Tariqa Tijaniyya

SHAYKH HASSAN ALI CISSE In 1976, he introduced the Tariqa Tijaniyya to American Muslims. Taught, guided and inspired Muslims throughout the world to:

Fear ALLAH Love Prophet Muhammad (SAW) Do what ALLAH says do, and Stop where ALLAH says stop

SHAYKH HASSAN ALI CISSE Recognized in the United States:

Key to the City of Cleveland, OH Key to the City of Washington, DC Proclamation of June 16, 1986 as “Shaykh Hassan Cisse Day”, Washington, D.C. Key to the City of Detroit, MI Key to the City of Memphis, TN Honorary Citizen, Memphis TN Honorary Member of the City Council, Memphis, TN Proclamation of October 2, 1996 as “Shaykh Hassan Cisse Day”, New Orleans, LA Key to the City of New Orleans, LA

SHAYKH HASSAN ALI CISSE Recognized for social contributions:

Appointed Ambassador of Good Will for the Promotion of Child Survival and Maternal Breastfeeding by the Senegalese Ministry of Health, 2008

Recipient of Rotary International 2007 “Polio Eradication Champion Award”

Key to the City of Banjul, The Gambia Recognized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for outstanding work and cooperation toward achieving the goals of the Beijing and Cairo Conferences regarding family planning, the status of women and the education of the girl child.

Recognized by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for scholarship, leadership, cooperation and advocacy for the eradication of violence against children, prevention of drug abuse and other issues vital to the health and education of children.

World Association for Non-Governmental Organizations (WANGO) 2002 Education Award

Honorary Degree of ‘Highest Distinction”, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

SHAYKH HASSAN ALI CISSE

Gave the generous use of his life for the benefit of humankind

Committed to serving Allah through service to humanity and protection of Allah’s creation

Envisioned lifting the barriers of ignorance, poverty and disease, especially as they affect women and children, through access to education, health care, and economic empowerment

Founded the African American Islamic Institute (AAII) in 1988 in Senegal, West Africa

SOCIAL CHANGE: THE AFRICAN AMERICAN ISLAMIC

INSITUTE (AAII) AAII is an international humanitarian Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) founded by Shaykh Hasan Ali Cisse in Senegal in 1988.

AAII is a non-profit, tax exempt corporation founded in New York in 1987 and granted tax exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code.

AAII’s Mission is TO ESTABLISH SUSTAINABLE HUMAN AND NATURAL RESOURCES THAT PROMOTE EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE, EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN, PROTECTION OF CHILDREN, ALLEVIATION OF HUNGER AND EXTREME POVERTY AND PROMOTION OF PEACE.

THE TEACHINGS OF ISLAM provide the foundation for AAII’s humanitarian activities: FEED THE HUNGRY CARE FOR THE SICK PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN TEACH THE UNLETTERED PURSUE KNOWLEDGE FOSTER PEACE AMONG HUMANKIND

THE AFRICAN AMERICAN ISLAMIC INSITUTE (AAII)

AAII and the UN Relationship with the United Nations began in 1997 in Association with the United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI) Relationship formalized AAII’s commitment to disseminate information and raise public awareness about the work of the United Nations.

AAII is committed to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Collaborates with several United Nations Special Agencies and other NGOs toward their achievement.

Provide an Islamic perspective to the work of the United Nations and to effectively interpret United Nations goals and programs to Islamic leaders and populations within their religious and cultural contexts.

THE AFRICAN AMERICAN ISLAMIC INSITUTE (AAII)

Partnership AAII is always interested in collaborating with organizations and individuals committed to sustainable international development.

Significant aspects of AAII ’s work are currently supported through strategic partnerships with the following American organizations: AMERICARES (Distribution of AIDS medication and other pharmaceuticals)

VOICE OF AMERICA (Support of Al Fayda Radio) US DOCTORS FOR AFRICA (Mobile Clinic for rural outreach)

CHILDRENS’ CHANCE (Pro Bono Medical Intervention)

EDUCATION

AAII considers Universal Education a basic human right that is well supported by Islamic teachings regarding literacy and the pursuit of knowledge.

AAII is in the forefront of advocacy for the inclusion of girls and women in all educational opportunities, as reflected in AAII’s educational and literacy initiatives.

AAII offers an Islamic education that is rooted in the true teachings of Islam that counter radical ideologies that distort Islamic principles. AAII is dedicated to developing educational strategies that foster peace and respect among the people of the world.

AAII’s International Islamic Schools Program enables students from Africa, America, Europe and the Caribbean to experience spiritual, intellectual, physical and emotional growth

AAII’s Education Program was honored by the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (WANGO) with its 2002 Education Award.

HEALTH CARE

AAII is committed to improving access to health care throughout West Africa. Recognizing that lack of access to medical services is a major cause of death among residents of rural communities

AAII began to address the needs of a severely medically underserved population by conducting ad-hoc, primary care “clinics” three times a year for approximately eight years in the late 1980s

AAII sought funding to build a permanent facility that could offer year-round primary and reproductive health care and where residents of rural communities could be trained as Community Health Workers.

In 1997, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund-Senegal (UNFPA), AAII established the SHIFA-AL-ASQAM (HEALING OF THE SICK) SOCIO-MEDICAL CENTER in Medina-Kaolack.

SHIFA’AL- ASQAM’S MISSION is to PROVIDE COMPASSIONATE, COMPREHENSIVE PATIENT CARE to meet the medical and social needs of the people of Medina-Kaolack and the surrounding rural communities.

EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN

AAII’s unwavering commitment to the advancement of the status of women in Africa has informed all of AAII’s education and literacy, health care, poverty alleviation and human rights initiatives Female Genital Prevention Initiative Badr Well Digging Project and the Kossi-Atlanta Water Project

Hazrat Zainab Women’s Collective offers women training in textile design and manufacturing, and individual and collective business development.

Collaborations and staunch advocacy for the education of the girl child and adult literacy

CHILDREN

AAII’s demonstrated commitment to the protection and well being of children is evident in all of its programs and projects, whether in the area of education, health care, poverty alleviation or human rights. Fatimata Zahra Orphan Care Program United Nations Children’s Assembly United Nations Secretary General’s Study On Violence Against Children, Regional Consultation, West And Central Africa

Established African Children’s Medical Network To Facilitate Pro-bono Medical Treatment For African Children In The United States

ALLEVIATION OF HUNGER AND POVERTY

AAII recognizes that poverty is the leading cause of death as a result of a lack of clean drinking water, adequate nutrition and basic health AAII’s Maida Food Distribution Network provides rice, millet, sugar and powdered milk to families throughout the region whose limited resources put them at risk for prolonged hunger.

AAII’s Badr Well Digging Project increases access to clean drinking water in rural communities through the strategic digging of wells.

AAII’s Kossi-Atlanta Water Project was established in 1996 to distribute potable water to 15 villages in rural Senegal

AAII’s Kossi Atlanta Rural Development Project focuses on: Low Cost Housing Development Land and Infrastructure Development Education and Adult Literacy Primary and Reproductive Health Care Agricultural Development as a Source of Food and Income Micro Credit Opportunities

PROMOTION OF PEACE

AAII demonstrates a deep commitment to the promotion of peace through its on-going work to advance inter-religious understanding and respect and the development of peacebuilding approaches to conflict resolution

AAII has been in the forefront of efforts to promote inter-religious harmony between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria and other countries in which conflict has erupted among followers of these religious traditions. Peacebuilding strategies include:

elder and youth dialogs, respectively, that bring Christians and Muslims together to engage in focused discussions;

involving NGOs in the formation of councils for inter-religious unity and developing their boards of directors from among respected Muslim and Christian leaders;

encouraging the development of school curricula and multi-media inter-religious educational materials;

the organization of conferences that facilitate the establishment of standing committees that function on an on-going basis after the conferences have been adjourned

PROMOTION OF SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH INFORMATION Al Fayda Radio

Media project of the African American Islamic Institute (AAII), in cooperation with Voice of America (VOA)

Broadcasts to an international audience from its studio in Kaolack, Senegal.

The mission of Al Fayda Radio FM is to provide programming that demonstrates the true nature of Islam as a religion of peace and compassion.

In addition to its religious broadcasts, Al Fayda Radio FM features programs designed to promote literacy, support maternal and child health, encourage protection of the environment and inform listeners of the political, social and economic issues affecting their lives and the lives of future generations.

Rebroadcast relevant VOA programs in Wolof, Peul, Hausa, French and English

MORAL AND ETHICAL LEADERSHIP

AAII PROJECT ENABLES SENEGLESE TEENAGER TO RECEIVE PROSTHETIC HAND (AAII) African Children’s Medical Network project arranged for a 16 year old Senegalese girl with severe upper orthopedic deformities to receive pro bono care at the Shriners’ Hospital for Children in Springfield, Massachussettes.

AAII FACILITATES PRO BONO MEDICAL INTERVENTION FOR TWELVE YEAR OLD SENEGALESE BOY A twelve year old Senegalese boy named Mamadou emerged from the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York with a huge smile and the absence of the large nasal encephlocele that has marred his face since birth as a result of pro bono medical intervention was made possible through the networking activities of AAII’s African Children’s Medical Network project.

AAII PARTNERSHIP WITH U.S. DOCTORS FOR AFRICA PROVIDES FIRST MOBILE CLINIC TO SHIFA-AL-ASQAM FOR RURAL OUTREACH A fully equipped Mobile Clinic donated to AAII by US Doctors for Africa to provide medical care to people in rural communities.

MORAL AND ETHICAL LEADERSHIP

AAII FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN ATTENDS PEACE AND HARMONY CONFERENCE IN NORWAY Shaykh Hassan Ali Cisse attended the ‘Peace and Harmony Conference’ held in Tonsberg, Norway, June 21-22, 2008, as a representative of Islam, Senegal, the Network of African Islamic Organizations for Population and Development and AAII to address the urgent need for significant progress toward integration, mutual respect and tolerance for all religions and ethnicities within Norwegian society.

AAII FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN NAMED AMBASSADOR OF GOODWILL FOR THE PROMOTION OF CHILD SURVIVAL AND MATERNAL BREASTFEEDING On May 14, 2008, Shaykh Hassan Ali Cisse was appointed Ambassador of Good Will for the Promotion of Child Survival and Maternal Breastfeeding by the Senegalese Ministry of Health.

THE ROLE OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS IN POLIO ERADICATION By invoking a moral imperative to fulfill society’s duty toward its most vulnerable members, religious leaders possess a unique opportunity to mobilize communities toward the global eradication of Polio. In November 2006, Shaykh Hassan Ali Cisse embarked on a three week campaign to sensitize religious and governmental leaders and the people of Nigeria to the necessity of immunizing their children against Polio.

SOURCES Thurman, Howard, Excerpt from "Mysticism and Social Change" (1939) in A Strange Freedom: The Best of Howard Thurman on Religious Experience and Public Life. Walter Earl Fluker and Catherine Tumber, Eds. Boston: Beacon Press. 1998.

Wright, Z. Shaykh Imam Hassan Ali Cisse. Retrieved on May 9, 2010 from www.tijani.org

The Tariqa Tijaniyya was retrieved on May 9, 2010 from www.tijani.org

African American Islamic Institute was retrieved on May 9, 2012 from www.aaii.info