Ahmad Tijani bin Ali Cisse, the spiritual leader of the Tijaniye Order, was born in 1955. He received his early education under the guidance of his father Sheikh Ali Cisse and grandfather Sheikh Ibrahim Niasse. He studied the Quran, Arabic and classical texts with his father and grandfather. He then went to Egypt to join his older brother Sheikh Hassan Jisse. He studied Arabic and Usul-i din at Al-Azhar University in Egypt. In 1974, he graduated from Al-Azhar preparatory school with a diploma in Arabic. In 1977, he received his bachelor’s degree in Arabic language from the same university. He traveled to Africa, the Middle East, and the United States, participating in various conferences and lectures after graduating from his higher education there. In 1981, he received his master’s degree in theology. He then taught in the Hadith department of Al-Azhar University.
He was awarded the Ordre de Merite (1993), Senegal’s distinguished award. After his studies, Ahmad Cisse traveled extensively, giving sermons and speeches on various topics. During this time, he published several books, including one of Sheikh Ibrahim’s famous works. He published Sheikh Ibrahim’s Saadat Al-Anam, a compilation of his writings. He also assisted in the publication of many other books. In 2001, Sheikh Cisse took office as Senegal’s Commissioner General for Hajj. In 2006, he was re-recognized by the President of Senegal, Aboulaye Wade, and began serving as the Senegalese “Special Mission Ambassador”. Following his many services and publications, in 2008 he was elected leader by the leading imams of the Tijaniyye Sufi Order, a sect based in Senegal.
Today, he serves as the Imam of the Great Mosque in the village of Medina Baye, part of the city of Kaolack. The Tijaniyya Sufi Order was initiated by Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Tijani al-Hasani in the late 18th century. As the spiritual leader of the Tijaniyya, Jisse was authorized to carry on the teachings of Ahmad Al-Tijani al-Hasani. As such, he was seen as the bearer of the Sunnah and teachings and was given the rank of spiritual inspiration (Fayda Tijaniyya). Because of this position, some Tijani Muslims refer to Jisse as the revivalist of the Sunnah. As such, Jisse has the highest authority to advise and guide the followers of the sect, which has amassed around 300 million followers. As of 2012, Ahmad Jisse was ranked 23rd in the “World’s Most Influential Muslims”. In 2016, he attended the Tijaniyya Annual Conference in Luton.
