Popular Name(s): Shaykh Muhammad Sa’id Linggi, Shaykh Muhammad Sa‘id Negeri Sembilan, Haji Encik ‘Id

Origin: Mecca, with Patani roots

Location(s): Patani, 1882-7; Mecca 1892, Medina, Cairo, Negri Sembilan

Biographical Details: b. 3^rd or 4^th Saturday (Sabtu) of Sha’ban 1292/18 or 25 Sep 1875, in Mecca. His father taught at masjid al-haram. His mother, Hajja Safiyya b. Haji Muhammad Salih al-Fatani, was from a Patani family. Safiyya’s mother was Hajja Maryam b. Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rashid al-Fatani, the younger brother of Shaykh Da’ud al-Fatani. He married three times and had 16 children. His grandfather, Haji ‘Idris, was the son of Hajja Rahimah b. Khatib Musa b. ‘Amal al-Din b. Awal al-Din (Datuk Awal b. Faqih (Daeng ‘Abd al-Malik)). In turn, Khatib Musa, above, married Zalikha, daughter of a “orang pembesar” of Kampung Semabuk, Minangkabau. Awal al-Din is mentioned as a settler of the Linggi region of Negeri Sembilan in 1783. Rahimah’s husband was Haji ‘Abd al-Mu‘min Linggi b. Shaykh Muhammad Nakhoda Minangkabau b. Ahmad b. ‘Umar b. Salih b. ‘Abd Allah (the last of whom came from the Hadramaut). Thus ‘Idris was a mixture of Minangkabau, Bugis, Linggi, and Hadrami descent. d. malam Ahad, 12 Rabi al-awwal 1345 AH [20 Sep 1926 CE], at the age of 53 (Islamic years).

He was taken to Patani at age 7 in 1882, where he first studied with Tuan Minal for five years. Then, in 1892, he embarked for Mecca to continue his education. He later obtained a letter from Shaykh Ahmad al-Fatani that introduced him to teachers in Cairo. He later returned to Mecca, where he became part of the Ahmadiyya tariqa. He returned to the peninsula c. 1320/1902. He later became mufti of Negri Sembilan.

Teachers:

1. Tuan Minal (1820-1913), Patani
2. Sayyid ‘Abu Bakar Syata, who wrote I‘anah al-Talibin (Mecca)
3. Shaykh Ahmad al-Minshawi (Mecca)
4. Shaykh ‘Umar Barakat, Mufti of Mecca (Mecca)
5. Shaykh Muhammad Sa‘id Babsail (Mecca)
6. Shaykh ‘Abd al-Karim Daghastani (Mecca)
7. Shaykh Muhammad Yusuf al-Khaiyat (Mecca)
8. Shaykh ‘Umar Bajuned (Mecca)
9. Shaykh Muhammad Sa‘id al-Yamani (Mecca)
10. Shaykh Ahmad Khatib Minangkabau (Mecca)
11. Shaykh Muhammad Zayn al-Din al-Sumbawi, who wrote Siraj al-Huda
    (Mecca)
12. Tok Wan ‘Ali Kutan (1837-1913), Mecca
13. Shaykh Ahmad b. Muhammad Zayn al-Fatani (1856-1908), Mecca
14. Sayyid Ja‘far Barzanji Mufti Syafi‘i (Medina)
15. Shaykh Shams al-Din al-Anbani, Shaykh al-Jami‘ al-Azhar (Cairo)
16. Shaykh Ahmad al-Rifa‘i al-Maliki, an important ‘ulama of the Maliki madhhab.
17. Sayyid Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Dandarawi, who inducted him into the Ahmadiyya tariqa, in 1318/Apr 1901.

Students:

Writing(s):

1. al-Ahzab al-‘Irfaniyyat wa al-Awrad al-Nuraniyyah – 15 Rabiulawal 1323, Singapore
2. Kashf al-Ghiba an Haqiqat al-Riba
3. Al-Kashf wa al-Tanfs an Ashab Sidi Ahmad bin Idris
4. Risalah Fath (ilmu sarf)
5. Sullam al-Ta‘rif ila ‘Ilm al-Tasrif (ilmu sarf)
6. Sharh Kunuz al-Jawahir al-Nuraniyyat fi Qawa‘id al-Tariqat al-Shadhiliyah (alt title: Risalat al-Fawa‘id or Rasa‘il Jawiyyah) – akhir Rabiulawal 1323 ~ 3 Jun 1905

References:

1. Abdullah, Haji Wan Mohd. Shaghir. “Syeikh Muhammad Sa‘id Negeri Sembilan Mursyid Tarikat Ahmadiyah Idrisiyah,” Dakwah 14 (Mar 1991): 46-9.
2. Daud, Ismail Che. “Syaikh Muhammad Said Linggi (1875-1926),” in Tokoh-tokoh Ulama’ Semenanjung Melayu, vol. 1, 3^rd ed., 229-40. Kota Bharu: Majlis Ugama Islam dan Adat Istiadat Melayu Kelantan, 2001.