Diapositive 1

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1.Sidi Ahmed Benyoucef The commemorative plaque
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2.Sidi Ahmed Benyoucef Sidi Ahmeds Mosque
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3.Sidi Ahmed Benyoucef The Ablution Fountain
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Sidi Ahmed Benyoucef the Writer beside the
Mausoleum
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5.Sidi Ahmed Benyoucef the Writer with Sheikh
Hadj Mohamed Tahar Kouadri , an Eminent Imam
Historian of the city of Khemis -Miliana
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6.Sidi Ahmed Benyoucef the Writer with Sheikh
Salem Ben Brahim an Eminent Alim from Adrar
inside Sidi Ahmeds Courtyard
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??? ???? ?????? ?????? ??? ?? ?????? ???? ?? ???
????? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????? 10-62 IN THE
NAME OF GOD THE COMPASSIONATE THE
MERCIFUL Behold Verily on the Friends of Allah
there is no fear nor shall they Grieve
Holy-Quran 10-62. Subject Muslim Saints of
Algeria the Maghrib 1.SIDI AHMED BENYOUCEF AL
MELYANI
He is one of the most popular Saint of North
Africa according to the rare historical manual
(in French Language) in my possession that of
Emile Dermengheim- Le Culte des Saints de
LIslam Maghrébin he was born in the XV century
( around 1446 CE) in the area of Qalaa of Bani
Rashed near the town of Relizane
(Western-Algeria) he travelled a lot in search of
science while in Bijaya (Eastern-Algeria) he met
an Erudite Saint Sidi Ahmed Zerrouk Al Barnoussi
he was very fond of him and it was him who
initiated Sidi Ahmed to the Chadiliyya Tarika
or Sufi path . It was revealed that during this
sojourn in Bijaya, Sidi Ahmeds Sheikh or Master
Sidi Zarrouk invited three of his disciples and
asked them to express their most cherished hope
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I wish to perform the Hajj journey said one I
wish that my curses against the oppressors will
be fulfilled said the other I wish that Allah
will make me similar to the earth upon which the
Believer and the infidel, the righteous and the
perverse, the slave and the free, man and woman
trample under feet!! This last wish emanating
from Sidi Ahmed Ben Youssouf pleased a lot Sidi
Zarrouk who instantaneously declared Sidi Ahmed
as the most learned and rightly-initiated Student
while blessing him added O Ahmed you will be
very beneficial to Mankind. Sidi Ahmed Ben
Youcef had also a great political role , as the
Bani Ziyan or Abdel Wad dynasty of Tlemcen were
in falling decadence , moreover the great and
warm welcome given to Sidi Ahmed by the
inhabitants of Oran attracted the Bani Ziyan s
wrath towards this reception as it was seen as
a challenge to their rule , consequently Sidi
Ahmed was harmed and in the aftermath of this row
a quick curse by this Wali was to be inflicted
on the dynasty rulers as a result of this sad
event Spanish forces captured Oran in 1509.
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When the Ottomans entered Algiers in 1516 in
order to put an end to the Spanish threat on
Western Algerian coasts such as Oran, Ténés and
Mers Al Kabir, Sidi Ahmed had cordial and close
relations with the famous Ottoman Brothers
Kheirdinne Barbarousse and Arroudj and blessed
their intervention. Further to the south or
Sahara, Sidi Ahmed made another journey where he
had as usual a great and careful audience to whom
he made this sermon after a sandstorm your sand
has dried up my mouth, your stones have worn out
my feet and your water has not quenched my
thirst Sidi Bousmaha (Sidi Ahmeds close
Companion) replicated If you found the Sahara
so ugly it is better for you to leave it? Sidi
Ahmed replied back No my dear brother, you will
remain here and your descendents will populate
this place.
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It is noteworthy to say that during this Sahara
journey , another event occurred in the form of a
hard trial of the famous Seven slain people or
(Mdabih) in this historical anecdote it was
revealed that in a bid to test his disciples
faith and so as to choose a lasting and reliable
elite among the large mob , Sidi Ahmed announced
to the crowd that he had received a (Divine call)
to slay seven of his best followers , therefore
the crowd was less than dense and only seven Men
remained there and successively entered in the
house where there were supposed to be slain ,
blood was flowing under the door , it was that of
sheep and it was the Sheikh huge and
appropriate selection of the very best of his
companions and disciples. Sidi Ahmed Ben
Youssouf died while on a journey in the town of
Kherba (Ain Defla District) in 1526, and
according to his will as well as to other fairy
tales his corpse was attached to his mule and be
buried at the last stop of the animal, so at the
entrance of the city of Miliana or Melyana, in a
garbage dump there was the final stop as it was
predicted by his Master Sidi Zarrouk.
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The site was also predestined, as a Saint or Wali
Sidi Hadli lived there and for years this Saint
was making baskets for no apparent use, but were
later used for building and earth clearing for
the well renowned shrine of Sidi Ahmed Ben
Youcef, that up to these days is still glittering
in a magnificent landscape in the city of Miliana
a 120 km distance west of Algiers.
???? ??????? ???? ????? ? ?????? ?? ???????
???????? mbokreta_at_maktoob.com MOHAMED
BOKRETA FREELANCE WRITER CULTURAL TOURISM
CONSULTANT mohbokreta_at_yahoo.com