Sheikh Abu Al-Abbas Ahmed bin Mustafa Al-Alawi

Shaykh Abul Abbas Ahmad bin Mustafa bin Aliwa, known as Al-Alawi. He was born in Mostaganem in 1291 AH, where he grew up, and he passed away in 1934. He learned the principles of reading and some surahs from the Qur'an under the tutelage of his father, then engaged in trade and devoted his nights to learning. He eventually met his spiritual mentor, Shaykh Muhammad ibn al-Habib al-Bouzidi al-Mostaganemi, whom he stuck by until his death in 1909. After his mentor's death, he was inaugurated as the head of the Darqawiyya Order in Mostaganem and its surroundings. At the beginning of the second decade of the twentieth century, he founded the Alawiyya Order, which was an extension of the Shadhili-Darqawiyya Order.

Shaykh Al-Alawi is considered one of the great Sufis of the twentieth century and a renewer of Sufism. He was a potent spiritual guide, leading many who flocked to him from various regions towards Allah, enabling them to become distinguished Sufis.

Shaykh Al-Alawi enriched spiritual and intellectual life in the twentieth century with his contributions to Sufism, Sufi poetry, monotheism, jurisprudence, astronomy, philosophy, and exegesis, in addition to his journalistic articles. This was in addition to modern institutions and tools like schools, print media, newspapers, societies, and cultural clubs.

He founded the newspaper "Lisan al-Din" in 1923 and then "Al-Balagh al-Jazairi" in 1926.

Shaykh Al-Alawi devoted his life to striving in the path of Allah and serving humanity, guiding them to rectify their connection with Allah and their fellow human beings. He called for dialogue, renunciation of sectarian disagreements, deepening the concept of communication and tolerance, promoting peace and love, and establishing the principles of monotheism. These values continued to stand with his successors at his great Zawiya in Mostaganem and his widespread followers.

Shaykh Ahmad Al-Alawi, may Allah have mercy on him, died in 1351 AH/1932 CE and was buried in his Zawiya in Mostaganem, where a tomb was erected, visited by people from all over the world.