Question Summary:
is it true , can pray behind a tijani imam ? what is the hukm of the sunna about his Salat al-Fatih ?

Question Detail:

Tijaniyya claims

Salat al-Fatih :"this prayer is “equivalent to the recitation of all prayers of glorification to God (tasbih) that have ever been said in the universe, all Sufi prayers or remembrance of God (dhikr), every invocation (du’a) long or short "
(Jawahir, p. 57.)

is it true , can pray behind a tijani imam ? what is the hukm of the sunna about his Salat al-Fatih ?

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Tijanis are a group who attribute themselves to Shaykh Abu Abbaas Ahmad bin Muhammad At Tijani (1150). It is a tasawwuf tariqah, just like the other turuq eg. qadariyyah, chistiyyah etc. We are unaware of any difference in belief between the Tijanis and others of the ahl as-sunnah (this is to the best of our knowledge). There are many senior Ulama who are connected to this tariq, especially amongst the muttaqi and pious Ulama of Mauritania. One of the greatest Mauritanian Ulama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan al-Khadim (hafidha hu Allah) is also a Tijani.
Yes, there are those Tijani's who indulge in bid'ah (innovations); however this is the case with all turuq. This bida'h is not part of the tariq, rather the actions of such of those who associate themselves with it. It is for this reason that the senior Ulama who are involved in it stay far from these bid'aat (innovations) and openly speak out against them, as they have no part in tasawwuf and the Deen.
It will be permissible to pray salah behind a Tijani who holds beliefs which are in accordance with the beliefs of the Ahl as Sunnah.
As for Salah al-Fatih, there is no mention of it in Hadih. Tijanis belief that a Shaykh by the name of Sayyad Bakri retreated into solitude for 40 years and continued to implore Allah Ta’ala to bestow him with the greatest Durood. When he looked up he found it written on the wall. This proves that this Durood is not based on any Hadith. While the wordings may be correct; erroneous and over exaggerated virtues are attached to it. It is thus best to confine oneself to the forms of Durood found in the Ahaadith as the greatest rewards are found in that which was practiced in the khair al quroon (time of Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), Sahabah and Tabieen). For the correct forms of Durood we recommend the forty Duroods compiled by Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya R.A.
And Allah knows best
Wassalam
Ml. Ismail Moosa,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah