Where Knowledge Meets Practice. Nurturing The Right Values & Inculcating A True Balance In The Modern World
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“Whosoever surrenders his affairs to Allah at the start of his suluk, Allah will honour him at its end.”
Sīdī Shaykh Youssef Al-Hasani is the spiritual father and leader of our tāriqah. He is a contemporary scholar who guides people to Allah(swt) in this modern day and age. Since many of his students hail from Nusantara, his presence and da’wah is more focused on this region. Every year, he would make multiple visits to Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei to visit his students and conduct lessons as well as ṣuḥbah. Thus is the dedication of a teacher to his students. Born in Akka, Lebanon on 10th October 1947 (26 Dhul Qa’idah 1366 H), his father was of Hasani descent and his mother of Husayni.
Ash-Shaykh grew up in a wealthy family which was well-known in Lebanon. However, despite receiving modern education since young, he always had a strong inclination to the religious sciences. The guidance and influence of the various Mashayikh in his region spurred his love for the religious sciences. Upon completing his education in Lebanon, his father intended to send him to Sweden to further his studies in the field of engineering. However, not long after going to Sweden, ash-Shaykh travelled to Syria to deepen his knowledge on the religious sciences which he loved dearly. He enrolled in the Ma’had Al-Fath Al-Islami in Damascus.
In 1974, ash-Shaykh undertook two bachelor’s degree simultaneously – Islamic Studies from the Islamic University of Lebanon and the other, Asy-Syariah Wal-Qanun from the Al-Azhar University in Cairo. Upon successfully completing both degrees, he pursued his masters degree at the Al-Azhar University in the same field. This phase of formal education ended in 1989 when ash-Shaykh completed his masters degree. He was later granted an honorary doctorate (Ph.D) from the Islamic University of Lebanon in 1991.
Sīdī Shaykh Youssef Al-Hasani initiated his spiritual journey during his early days at the hands of Sīdī Muḥammad Saʿīd al-Burhānī, who was among the senior students and caliphs of the renowned Sīdī Muḥammad al-Hāshimī at-Tilimsānī. During this period of mentorship, Ash-Shaykh was granted the good fortune of accompanying Sidi Muhammad Sa’id to meet with Sidi Muhammad Al-Hashimi shortly before the latter passed on in 1961. Soon after this, in 1967, ash-Shaykh would be separated from his beloved master Sidi Muhammad Sa’id who himself passed on due to old age.
Due to his thirst for tarbiyyah, which is the continuous and comprehensive process of developing one’s character, values and spiritual adeptness at the hands of an accomplished master, ash-Shaykh took bay’ah with Sīdī ʿAbd al-Qādir ʿĪsā al-Ḥalabī – a close friend of Sidi Muhammad Sa’id Al-Burhani and fellow caliph of Sidi Muhammad Al-Hashimi. This took place when ash-Shaykh was furthering his religious studies at Ma’had al-Fatḥ al-Islāmī in Damascus. Through sincere and diligent suhbah with his new master, ash-Shaykh proved to be proficient in matters of tarbiyyah and was thus granted permission by Sīdī ʿAbd al-Qādir ʿĪsā al-Ḥalabī to transmit the honourable Wiridul ‘Amm.
Upon completion of his degree, Ash-Shaykh was appointed as the representative to the Mufti of Lebanon and was sent to a mosque in Hamilton, Canada as an Imam and da’ie. He carried out this duty from 1982 to 1986.
In 1992, ash-Shaykh was appointed as a guiding teacher at the Bosnia & Hamilton Mosque in Toronto. Alongside this appointment, he also served at a centre for the propagation of Islam known as Markaz ar-Rashad where he was later appointed as the Mufti of the local Muslim community. Ash-Shaykh used this opportunity to spread At-Tāriqah ash-Shadhilīyah ad-Darqāwīyah al-‘Alawīyah, while staying in Canada for the next 30 years. At this point, the dakwah of ash-Shaykh started to spread and became widely accepted.
Ash-Shaykh has also been appointed as a lecturer at the Islamic University of Lebanon, and assumed the responsibilities as a Qadhi. He was also an executive committee member of the Fatwa Committee of Lebanon. During this period, he had to travel frequently between Canada and Lebanon in order to fulfil his duties and obligations.
In the mid 1990’s, ash-Shaykh started to widen his dakwah to Cairo, Egypt by establishing Darul Hasani Centre. The centre would serve as a place for the esteemed students of Al-Azhar University to gather and receive knowledge and tarbiyah. Many of ash-Shaykh’s students were from Nusantara. When they graduated and returned to their homeland, they would establish their own centres of dakwah under the supervision of ash-Shaykh who would visit them numerous times each year. To date, there are a total of 15 Darul Hasani centres in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Alhamdulillah.
Do not rely on your 'ibadah, because reliance must only be on Allah (swt).
Sidi Shaykh Zulkifli bin Md Isa is the Murabbi of Thoriqah Syadziliyah Darqawiyah in Singapore. He is a traditionally trained guide of the Islamic sciences and spirituality, known for nurturing seekers in matters of both the intellect and the heart. With a background in modern psychology and counselling, he bridges the needs of contemporary seekers with the wisdom of traditional Sufi scholarship.
Shaykh Zulkifli studied under the tutelage of several esteemed mashāyikh, including Shaykh Youssef Muhieddine Rek El Bakhour Al Hasani, Shaykh Abdel Maqsoud Al-Sayed Al-Sayed Ahmed Faris Al-Hasani, Habib Al-Syed Abbas bin Muhammad Al-Saggoff, Sidi Moulay Hashim bin Abdul Kabir Al Belghithi Al-Idrisi and Ustaz Syed Abdullah bin Ahmad Al-Jufri, amongst many other local and overseas scholars.
From Shaykh Youssef Muhieddine Rek El Bakhour and Shaykh Abdel Maqsoud, he received both knowledge and tarbiyah in the path of taṣawwuf. With rigorous study and companionship (ṣuḥbah), he embodies and was given idhin (permission) to transmit both the outward and inward sciences and guide other spiritual aspirants.
Previously, Shaykh Zulkifli taught at Madarasah Aljunied for 12 years, before continuing for another 5 years to head the Education Division at Darul Arqam (Muslim Converts' Association of Singapore). After which, Shaykh Zulkifli began full-time Da'wah in the year 2015, a step that later gave rise to the establishment of Shadz Learning Centre - The Zawiyah.
Shaykh Zulkifli has also authored and translated several works, including:
Currently, Shaykh Zulkifli continues to serve as a guide and advisor to The Zawiyah, nurturing its seekers, programmes and wider community.
A truthful Salik is not one who is able to display grand acts of mujahadah, to the praises of others.
But a truthful Salik is one who silently abides to the Path, dictated by the Prophet ﷺ, regardless of how insignificant others would view such actions.
Teachers here are graduates from internationally-recognized universities and certified with ARS
Programs are deeply intertwined in theoratical and practical approaches
Lessons conducted are curated to accommodate both young and senior minds
We offer a holistic array of programmes, ranging from ukhrawi and academic tuition, to personalised quranic classes and exclusive ladies-only courses, just to name a few.
These programmes will be led by experienced and qualified MOE-trained teachers and asatizah from renowned universities like Al-Azhar University and International Islamic University Malaysia at extremely affordable prices!
Shadz Learning Centre (SLC), or fondly known as ‘The Zawiyah’ aspires to be a place where one will witness how knowledge meets practice.
