Imam Fassi

Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Mas'ud al-Fasi (commonly known as Qutbul Ujud Imam Fassi) (Arabic: محمد بن محمد بن مسعود بن عبد الرحمن الفاسي, Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Mas'ūd ibn 'Abd al-Rahmān al-Fāsī; 1760?–1863) was the originator of the Fassi family of Sheikhs who constitute the Fassiyatush Shadhiliyya Sufi order.

Al-Fasi was born either in the year 1173 Hijri (ca 1760 CE) or 1218 Hijri in Fes in Morocco, from which the family name "al-Fassi" had earlier been derived. His mother died during his very childhood. He was a hafiz of the Quran during his childhood and travelled to various parts of the world and finally Makkah in search of wisdom.^{[citation needed]}

His full name is Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Muhammad ibn Mas'ūd ibn Abd al-Rahmān al-Makkī al-Hasanī al-Idrisī al-Fāsī al-Shadhilī, or sometimes written and referenced as Hazrat Qutbul Ujud Seyyidina Mohammad al-Fassy ash-Shadhili. Within the tariqa, Muhammad al-Fasi, or Imam Fassi is widely referred to as Qutbul Ujud (Arabic: قطب الوجود, Quṭb al-Wujūd) or Qutbul Ujud Hazrat Fassi (Arabic: قطب الوجود حضرة فاسي, Quṭb al-Wujūd Haḍraẗ Fāsī) due to his lofty status in the diwān of saints. He is also sometimes referred to as Sidi Muhammad al-Fasi. His other titles include Qutbur Rabbani and Haikalus Samadhani.

Muhammad al-Fasi travelled to Mecca to memorise and learn the Quran with tajwid. He travelled to many places in search of good preachers. His main sheikh was Sidi al-Sheikh Muhammad ibn Hamza Zafir al-Madani (also written as Sheikh Qutb Mohammad bin Hamza lafir al-Madani).

Muhammad al-Fasi and his descendants form a branch of the Shadhili known as the Fāsiyya al-Shadhiliyya or Fassiyatush Shadhiliyya, often remarked as the Ṭarīq al-Shukr ("Order of Gratitude").

The silsila of the Fassiyatush Shadhiliyya order (remarked as the Silsilat al-Dhahab, "the Golden Chain") is as follows: