Abu al-Abbas as-Sabti facts for kids
Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Ja'far al-Khazraji al-Sabti (Arabic: أبوالعباس أحمد بن جعفر الخزرجي السبتي), often called Sidi Bel Abbas, was an important Muslim saint from Morocco. He was born in 1129 in a city called Sabta (which is now Ceuta) and passed away in 1204 in Marrakesh. He is known as the special protector saint of Marrakesh and is one of the "Seven Saints" of the city. A big festival celebrating him was started by a scholar named al-Hasan al-Yusi because Moulay Ismael wanted it.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Abu al-Abbas grew up in Sabta. He was a very good student and learned from a teacher named Abu Abd Allah al-Fakhkhar. This teacher had also learned from a famous judge, Qadi Ayyad.
Moving to Marrakesh
Around 1145 or 1146, Abu al-Abbas moved to Marrakesh. This was during a time when the Almohad army was trying to take over the city. For several years, he lived a simple life in a cave on a hill outside Marrakesh called Igilliz. He would only go into the city on Fridays to join the special group prayer.
A Sultan's Friend
The Almohad ruler, Sultan Yaqub al-Mansur, respected Abu al-Abbas greatly and became his student. The Sultan asked him to move into the city and even gave him a house. He also provided a place for Abu al-Abbas's students to stay and a school (called a madrasa) for them to study. The Sultan himself paid for the teaching. Whenever Sultan Yaqub al-Mansur visited Abu al-Abbas, he would act very humbly, almost like a servant.
His Ideas on Kindness
Abu al-Abbas believed that every act of human kindness (which he called rahma) would bring a kind response from God, who is always merciful. He had a simple saying to explain this idea: "Being is made real by being generous." A famous thinker from Spain, Ibn Rushd, visited Abu al-Abbas many times in Marrakesh to discuss ideas.
His Legacy and Resting Place
When Abu al-Abbas passed away in 1204, he was buried in a graveyard near a gate called Bab Taghzout. Later, in 1605, a ruler named Abu Faris built a special tomb, or mausoleum, for him. Abu Faris hoped that the saint's spiritual power would help him get better from his illness. Much later, in 1988, Sultan Hassan II made improvements to the holy place. It is also the location of his zawiya, which is like a religious center.
A book about Abu al-Abbas's life, called Akhbar Abi'l-Abbas as-Sabti, was written by Abu Ya’qub Yusuf ibn Yahya at-Tadili. Parts of this book were actually written by Abu al-Abbas himself, telling his own story.
See Also
In Spanish: Abu ul-Abbás as-Sabti para niños
- Sidi Bel Abbas sanctuary, a Muslim holy place located in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta
- Zawiya of Sidi Bel Abbes in Marrakesh, containing his mausoleum
