Al-Qawl al-Muhkam on the Role of the Muqaddam

This treatise by Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad al-Ḥajūjī al-Ḥasanī is an important contribution to Tijani literature on spiritual conduct and leadership. It defines the muqaddam in the Tijaniyya, clarifying his function, responsibility, and sphere of authority within the spiritual community. The muqaddam is not presented as a ceremonial rank, but as an educator, guide, and bearer of a moral trust. The author outlines the conditions, duties, virtues, and disciplines required of anyone who assumes this role, and explains how such a person should guide disciples in accordance with the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the adab of the path. The scholarly edition further highlights a concrete model of an upright muqaddam in the person of the faqih Sidi al-Hajj Lahsan al-Fatwaki al-Damnati. The book thus offers a concise and valuable synthesis on spiritual authority, pedagogy, and ethical leadership within the Tijani tradition.