The Sanoosi Movement

22-4-2001 | IslamWeb

Question:

We heard about this Sanusi movement spread in North Africa al-Maghrib al Islami, not Arabi! Could you, please, tell us about this movement? Was this a Salafi Movement? Or a deviant Sufi movement?
We heard that they had their schools even in Saudi Arabia! Is it true?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The Sanoossi movement is an Islamic Da’wah reformist movement that was founded by Shaykh Mohammad Bin Ali Al-Sanoossi (1202-1276 AH). This movement takes its teachings from the Quran and the Sunnah as sources. It started in Libya in the thirteenth century and spread in North Africa, Somalia, Sudan and some Arab countries. But we do not know any one who reported that this movement spread to Saudi Arabia.

This Da’wah movement was influenced by the teachings of Imam Ahmad Ibn Hambal, Ibn Taymiyah, Abu Haamid Al-Ghazaali and Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahaab, may Allaah have mercy upon all of them. It was also influenced by some Sufism. But this Sufism is free from innovations and superstitions, like seeking the help from the dead, slaughtering to them and so forth.

This movement has a comprehensive methodology for the advancement and progress of the Muslim.

The founder of this movement follows the Maaliki School of jurisprudence but he does not abide to his Madhhab (School of jurisprudence) if he finds that he evidence is with other Schools [or scholars].

Moreover, this movement calls people to Allah with wisdom and good instruction and it is very practical, and it strives in the Cause of Allah against the colonialists and crusaders.

Allah knows best.