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Ahmad al-Badawi

Type Figure Region Egypt Time 1199–1276 Also known as Sayyid al-Badawi

Egyptian Sufi saint born in Fez in 1199; he settled in Tanta, founded the Badawiyya order, and his tomb remains a major pilgrimage site.

Timeline

  1. 1199–1236Fez · MoroccoTradition holds that he was born into a family of scholars and in his youth traveled to Mecca, Medina, and Iraq, studying under several Sufi masters and receiving training in the Shadhili tradition.
  2. 1236–1276Tanta · Nile DeltaAround 1236 he settled in Tanta in the Nile Delta, becoming known for itinerant preaching, ascetic practice, and charity. He attracted a large following and established the Badawiyya order at the center of Egyptian popular religious life.
  3. 1261–1276Tanta · Nile DeltaIn the 1260s his religious influence in Tanta peaked and the order's organization matured. Tales of his travels and miracles spread widely among the people, making him one of the most important Sufi saints of Mamluk Egypt.

Sources