#26 The Last of the Muslims: Amīr ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jazāʾirī with Dr Lahouari Ramzi Taleb

#26 The Last of the Muslims: Amīr ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jazāʾirī with Dr Lahouari Ramzi Taleb

Guest
Dr Lahouari Ramzi Taleb was born and raised in the beautiful coastal city of Oran, Algeria. In his teenage years, he migrated with his family to Montreal and then Toronto (Canada) where he lived there for the past 25 years. Before joining
AUS, he taught courses in Islamic studies at the University of Toronto and University of Western Ontario. His main interest lies with the mystical teachings of the Qur'an, the Hadith, and the Sufi philosophical tradition. He finished his PhD at the University of Toronto on the Sufi mystical thought of Amir Abd al-Qadir al-Jaza'iri (d. 1883), the renowned Algerian freedom fighter, saint and poet.

I am of those whom God has favored through/by His allencompassing
Mercy by making Himself known to them and
making them know the essential nature of the cosmos by way
of spiritual rapture (ʿalā tarīqat al-jadhba), not by way of
spiritual wayfaring (lā ʿalā tarīq al-sulūk)
– Amīr ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jazāʾirī.

In this deeply insightful episode of The Hikmah Project Podcast, host Saqib Safdar sits down with Dr Ramzi Taleb to explore the life, legacy, and metaphysical thought of Amīr ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jazāʾirī, a towering figure who embodied the archetype of the saint-scholar-warrior.

A Life of Resistance, Spirituality, and Knowledge

Born in 1803 in the oasis town of Mascara, Algeria, Amīr ʿAbd al-Qādir hailed from a lineage of scholars and spiritual guides, belonging to the noble Qādirī Sufi order. Trained in both the exoteric and esoteric sciences, he excelled in Islamic jurisprudence, theology, astronomy, and horsemanship, preparing him for the multifaceted life he would lead.

When French colonial forces invaded Algeria in 1830, he emerged as a brilliant military leader, uniting the fragmented tribes to wage a resistance that lasted for over 15 years. Yet, his warrior ethos was deeply imbued with spiritual discipline—he treated captives with kindness, upheld justice, and resisted tyranny with unwavering chivalry (فتوة).

After his eventual surrender, he was betrayed by the French, imprisoned in France, and later exiled to Damascus. There, he turned fully towards the contemplative path, becoming a key figure in the Akbarian (أكبرية) tradition of Shaykh Muḥyiddīn Ibn ʿArabī.

The Scholar and the Mystic

Dr Ramzi Taleb unpacks the Amīr’s profound engagement with the teachings of Ibn ʿArabī, particularly his visionary encounters with the Shaykh in the imaginal realm (عالم الخيال). These dialogues, recorded in his magnum opus, Kitāb al-Mawāqif (كتاب المواقف), provide deep insights into Qur'ānic hermeneutics, spiritual wayfaring, and divine realities.

Key themes explored in the podcast include:

  • The role of the saint-scholar-warrior archetype in Islam, modeled after Sayyidunā ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib.
  • His visionary dialogues with Ibn ʿArabī, where the Shaykh confirms that none had fully grasped his teachings until the Amīr.
  • The significance of his khalwa (خلوة) in the Cave of Ḥirāʾ, where he underwent his supreme spiritual unveiling (فتح نوري).
  • His defence of Damascene Christians from massacre in 1860, which earned him worldwide honour and recognition, including gifts from Abraham Lincoln.

The Integration of Sharia (شريعة), Tariqa (طريقة), and Haqiqa (حقيقة)

A key takeaway from the discussion is how Amīr ʿAbd al-Qādir embodied the synthesis of the outward and inward dimensions of Islam. He upheld Sharia as the necessary foundation, traversed the Tariqa through disciplined spiritual practice (ذكر), and ultimately arrived at the Haqiqa, the direct gnosis of divine reality.

His teachings offer timeless wisdom for navigating the modern world, bridging the intellect (‘aql) and the heart (qalb), and countering materialist rationalism with a spiritually rooted epistemology.

A Living Legacy

The podcast concludes with a reflection on what it would be like to sit with the Amīr today. Dr Ramzi Taleb shares a powerful visionary encounter he had with the Shaykh, receiving his blessing to continue his work on the Mawāqif. The conversation is a **reminder that the path of knowledge is not merely an academic pursuit but a lived reality, transmitted through chains of spiritual authority (سند).

As the world rediscovers the unparalleled legacy of Amīr ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jazāʾirī, his life stands as a beacon of integrity, wisdom, and devotion—a legacy that speaks directly to the seekers of today.

🎧 Listen now and join the conversation.