Morocco Travel Guide - Sufi Tourist

The Patron Saints of Marrakech

The Concealed Pole, the Known Mohammedian Seal, the Seal of Special Mohammedian Sainthood, Shaykh Abil Abbas Sidi Ahmed Tijani (may Allah be pleased with him)

For centuries Marrakech has been known for its Seven Saints (Sab'atu Rijal). When Sufism was at the height of its popularity, during the reign of the sultan Moulay Ismail, the festival of the Seven Saints was founded by the Allama Abu Ali al-Hassan al-Yusi (d. 1102/1687 in Sefrou) at the request of the sultan. The tombs of several renowned figures were moved to Marrakesh to attract pilgrims in the same way Essaouira (Mogador) did at that time with its Ragraga festivals. The Seven Saints  is now a firmly established institution, attracting visitors from everywhere. The Seven Saints include  Sidi Yusuf ibn Ali (d. 593/1178), Sidi Abderrahman al-Suhayli (d. 581/1166), al-Qadi Iyyad  (d. 544/1129),  Abul Abbas Sabti (d. 6o1/1186),   Sidi Muhammad al-Jazouli (d. 869/1454), Sidi Abdellaziz at-Tabba'a (d. 914/1499) and Sidi Abdellah al-Ghazwani (d. 935/1520). A special ritual was established to pay tribute to the holy memory of these saints. This practice became a national religious institution, to the point where many Moroccans say "I am going to the Seven Men, meaning that they are traveling to Marrakech even though, except for the annual Mawsim of the Seven Saints, the practice has now been largely abandoned. 

Why Seven?

Islam and Christianity to an older universal myth. In Ceuta, Jabal Hadid, Fez and Marrakesh all share in this common tradition. Most cultures of the world hold certain numbers to be especially significant, even symbolic, and this is reflected in their religions. In Islam, the number seven is of particular importance. There are approximately twenty-five references made to the number seven in the Noble Quran. These references usually concern the seven heavens, the seven periods of creation, seven groups of things, or seven individuals, such as the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus. An allusion made to the number seven in the Quran typically includes references to Allah—Excelled is He—as the all-powerful creator. Allah created seven heavens, seven earths and seven days, and man’s creation is completed in seven stages; Allah has prescribed that His bondsmen should walk around the Ka’bah seven times (tawaaf) and go back and forth between Safa and Marwah seven times (sa’ay), and stone the jamarat with seven pebbles each, and the takbirat of Eid are seven in the first rak’ah. A Muslim child is to be named on the seventh day. There are seven methods of the recitation of the Quran and seven styles of Arabic calligraphy.

Numerous other examples may be cited to illustrate how Muslims reinforce the significance of the number seven in practice and belief.  The number seven, in addition to being incorporated into art and children's stories, such as "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad" from the popular Arabian Nights, also turns up time and again in rite of passage ceremonies to protect oneself from evil spirits. Thus, the number seven is directly linked to the power of Allah—Excelled is He—and has great symbolic value as expression of Islam. The number seven is a key symbol in many Sufi cultural productions including art, architecture, folklore, literature, and ritual practices. Sufis model their sevenfold path to enlightenment after the Ascension of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, into the seven heavens. Sidi Muhyiddin Ibn al-Arabi (d. 636/1221) recounts in detail in his book al-Isra his experience of mystical ascension in the city of Fez. In the Futuhat, he speaks in addition about seven men known as al-abdal who are appointed the control of the seven sections of this earth. They are seven selected ones and blessed with enormous duty by God. They protect these seven regions with great exactitude.  

Many traditions related to seven saints are known among Muslims throughout the Muslim world. Group of seven saints (sab’at rijal) buried at the same spot are found in many places in Morocco. By the early Almoravid period folk tales about the Seven Saints of Ragraga had began to be circulated as a means of promoting the Masmouda tradition. They were said to be Berber companions of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, who introduced Islam into Morocco long before the arrival of the Arab armies of 'Uqaba ibn Nafi' and Moussa ibn Nusayr. They are: Sidi Wasmin (buried at Jabal Hadid, north of Essaouira), Sidi Abu Bakr Ashmas (buried at Zawiyat Qarmud, now the village of Akermoud), Sidi Ali ibn Abi Bakr Ashmas, Sidi Abdellah Adnas, Sidi Aissa Bu Khabya, Sidi Said ibn Yabqa as-Sabiq, and Sidi Yaala (the founder of Ribat Shiker) predated the Barghwata polity in Tamesna, a city close to modern Rabat, which was founded in 124/741-2. Other traditions relate to the Seven Saints of Bani ‘Arous associated with Moulay Abdessalam b. Mashish (d. 622/1207) and his legacy in Northern Morocco; the Seven Saints of Fez in Bab al-Futuh; the Seven Saints of Fnideq, near Tetouan; the Seven Saints of Wazzan (Moulay Abdellah Sharif, Sidi Mohammed, Moulay Tuhami, Moulay Tayyeb, Moulay Ahmed, Moulay al-Arabi, Moulay Abdessalam); and the Seven Saints of Lalla Takerkoust.  

In the 18th century, Sultan Moulay Ismail removed various unorthodox aspects of the annual celebration of Marrakech’s Patron Saints, and at the same time rebuilt the sanctuaries of the historical, orthodox saints. A new week-long mawsim was established, which began at the shrine of Sidi Qadi Iyad, moved on to Sidi Youssef ibn Ali, Sidi Abd el Aziz, Sidi el-Ghawzani, Sidi es Suhayi and Sidi ben Sllmane al Jazuli before culminating at the major shrine of the city, that of Sidi Bel Abbes.

The Seven Patrons Saints 

Marrakech is not only a fabulous place to visit, but also a symbol of ancient Morocco. Regardless of the origins of the word, Marrakech gave its name to the whole country of Morocco in all its many foreign versions - Morocco, Maroc, Morokko, Marruecos, etc. All these names come from the Latin "Morroch" which derives from the medieval name for Marrakech. The Almoravides made Marrakech the capital of an empire that covered most of the Magreb and extended well into Europe. With the  Almoravide conquest of southern Spain, Marrakech was invested with the cosmopolitan culture of Andalucia. Under the Almoravides Marrakech became a bastion of Islamic civilization and an intellectual center where the most famous scholars and philosophers of the age converged. The power of the  Almoravides also made Marrakech into a great commercial center and wealth flowed into the city, further transforming its architecture. Lavish buildings were constructed and splendid gardens designed. The ancient ramparts and gates of the city are monuments to its medieval pre-eminence. Prior to the advent of the Almoravides in the 11th century, the area was ruled from the city of Aghmat. The Almoravid leader, Abu Bakr Ibn-Umar decided Aghmat was becoming overcrowded and chose to build a new capital. Being a nomad from the Sahara Desert, he decided to build it in the plains, away from the mountains and rivers. He chose the site of Marrakech, because it was in neutral territory between two tribes who were vying for the honor of hosting the new capital. Work started in Rajab 462/May 1070, but Abu Bakr was recalled to the Sahara to put down a rebellion in Rabi’a al-Awwal 463/January 1071 and the city was completed by his deputy and eventual successor Yusuf ibn Tashfin. 

The Almohades under Abdel Moumin continued their conquest of the Maghreb, extending their empire through Algeria and Tunisia and moving across the Mediterranean to capture Seville, Cordoba and Granada. Under Abdel Moumin, Marrakech became an even greater Islamic capital. Abdel Moumin was a great builder and gave Marrakech its most spectacular landmark, the Minaret Al Kutubiyya with four walls, each face measuring 13m/42ft, rising 69m/226ft to the tip of a lantern turret. Masjid Al-Kutubiyya is among the greatest works of Maghrebi architecture and is surrounded by gardens. The city experienced its greatest period under the leadership of Yacoub al-Mansour, the third Almohad sultan. A number of poets and scholars entered the city during his reign and he began the construction of the Koutubiya Mosque and a new kasbah. Moroccan crafts reached a high watermark during the Saadian period and many splendid palaces were built which bear witness to their exquisite artistry. 

Under the Alawids, Marrakech became known as a magnet for some of the greatest saints of Islam, many of whom are buried within the city. In the seventeenth century, the sultan Moulay Ismail (d. 1139/1727) who extended the borders of Morocco south to Ghana, Ivory Coast and the Sudan, assigned the Sufi Shaykh Sidi al-Hassan al-Yusi to choose seven Muslim saints buried in Marrakech to form a spiritual hierarchy for the city. The holy men chosen lived and died in Marrakech between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries. They are Sidi Bel Abbass, Sidi al-Suhayli, Sidi al-Qadi Iyyad, Sidi Yusuf ibn Ali,  Sidi Ben Slimane al-Jazouli, Sidi Abdellaziz at-Tabba'a and Sidi al-Ghazwani. Sidi al-Hassan al-Yusi organized a kind of spiritual tour of their tombs which became known as the Visit of the Seven Men of Marrakech. The exercise consists of visits to these tombs which were highly gratifying in terms of spiritual fulfilment. Each visit includes a rotary motion meant to express the quest for inner perfection. It reflects the city's configuration more than the sequential order of the history of its Patron Saints. The tour is performed on Fridays in the following sequence:  

1. Sidi Yusuf ibn Ali Sanhaji (d. 593/1178)

Abu Yacoub Sidi Yusuf ibn Ali Sanhaji known as “al-Mubtala” (He who is put to the test). He is also known as “Sahib al-Ghar” (The One of the Cave) because he has lived in a cave after he suffered from leprosy, displaying total trust in God and submission to His will, as well as a great sense of compassion and charity; the place. Hagiographical books contain little information about the life and career of our subject. The historian Mohammed al-Ifrani (d. 1159/1747) set forth a remarkable eulogy of Sidi Yusuf and his place within Marrakech. All the records mention that he was born in Marrakech of Yemen origin. Al-Ifrani was certain to add in his book, "Durar al-Hijal fi Manaqib Sab’at Rijal” that he was the nephew of Sidi Abu Madyan al-Ghawt (d. 594/1179) (Number of biography: 152). The historian of Marrakech, al-Abbas ibn Ibrahim al- Muaqqit (d. 1378/1959), made the same statement without reservation in his book, “al-I’alam bi man ‘Halla Murrakush wa Aghmat mina’l A’alam” (Notification on the Figures that Entered Marrakech and Aghmat” (Number of biography: 10/177). 

Sidi Yusuf was affiliated to the Nuriya Path at the hands of Abi ‘Usfur Yaala ibn Wifan Youfan (d. 583/1187), who also suffered from some form of leprosy, himself the student of Sidi Abu Yaaza Yalnour al-Hazmiri (d. 572/1157), whom Sidi Abu Madyan al-Ghawt took as a master. He died during the month of Rajab, 593/ May, 1197 and was buried at Bab Aghmat, eastern Marrakech in the Hermitage of the Cave next to his Shaykh Abi ‘Usfur Yaala and the Shaykh Abi Imran al-Haskouri al-Aswad (d. 590/1193). The hermitage became known as “Rabitat al-Ghar” (Hermitage of the Cave) and “Harat al-Judhma” (Neighbourhood of Leprosy) and was a favourite place for refuge for the lepers before the Saadis developed it into a residential area outside Bab Dukkala. My Shaykh Sidi Mohammed Erradi Genoun, may Allah be pleased with him, informed me that Sidi Yusuf ibn Ali did not die before he reached the Qutbaniya al-Udhma.   

2. Sidi al-Qadi Iyyad al-Yahsubi (d. 544/1129)

The Judge Abul Fadl Iyyad ibn Musa al-Yahsubi (d. 544/1129) was the most famous of Malikite scholars in the western part of the Muslim world. He was born in Sabta (Ceuta, may Allah turn it to Dar al-Islam) in the year 467/1083 and buried in Marrakech in the year 544/1149. He was the premier Hadith scholar of the late Almoravid period and qadi al-jama'a of the cities of Granada and Sabta. Al-Qadi Iyyad is mostly famous for his flawless Malikite orthodoxy and book “Kitab as-Shifa Bita'rif Huquq al-Mustapha” (The Antidote in Knowing the Rights of Chosen Prophet), is a tradition based treatise that promotes the veneration of the Chieftain of the Universe, the Reason of Existence, the Seal of Prophethood and Messengership, Sidna Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) as the universal archetype of humanity. A famous adage, of whom it was said, "Were it not for Iyyad Morocco would not have been mentioned." Sidi al-Qadi Iyyad gives two chains of Sufi transmission to himself from (1) Sidi Abi Bakr ibn al-Arbi al-Mu’afiri (d. 543/1128) to Sidi Abu Yaaza Yalnour (d. 572/1157) and Sidi Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d. 526/1111), (2) and from Sidi Abu Ali as-Sadafi (d. 514/1099) to Mawlana Abdelqadir al-Jilani (d. 563/1148) and to Abu Omar ibn Abdelbarr (d. 436/1021), to Sidi Ahmed at-Talamanki (d. 429/1014), to Abu Ahmed ibn 'Awn'Allah and Sidi Abu Ali al-Hassan ibn Abdellah Jarjani al-Makki, to Sidi Abi Said ibn al-'Arabi, to Salam ibn Abdellah Khurasani, to Abu Abdellah Amrou ibn Uthman al-Makki, to Sidi Abul Qacem al-Junaid (d. 297/882). His famous student is named Sidi Abdellah al-Fakhar, the teacher of Sidi Abul Abbas Sabti (d. 601/1186). He died in 544/1129 in Marrakech and was buried inside Bab Eilan, where later on also the Jazoulite pole Sidi Abdelkarim al-Fallah (d. 933/1518) and the Tijani axis Abil Abbas Sidi Ahmed Skirej (d. 1363/1944) were buried. 

3. Sidi Abul Abbas Sabti (d. 601/1186)

Abul Abbas Sidi Ahmed ibn Jaafar al-Khazraji Sabti was born in Sabta in 524/1129. He took the Khirqa in Sabta from Sidi Abu Abdellah al-Fakhar, who had it from the aforementioned Sidi al-Qadi Iyyad (d. 544/1129) when he was a judge in Sabta. Sidi Abul Abbas left Sabta in 540/1125 at 16 years of age and settled in Jabal Gueliz just outside Marrakech in company of his servant Masoud al-Haj for forty years. His fame became widespread that the sultan Yacoub al-Mansour did not hesitate to climb the mountain and attend his meetings at all occasions. Later the sultan convinced the Shaykh to enter Marrakech where he offered him a house and built him a Madrasa and Zawiya. He had many students there in his courses among them Sidi Isa ibn Shu'ayb, Abu Bakr ibn Musaid al-Lamti and Sidi Abu Yacoub Yusuf ibn Mohammed al-Hassani al-Ansari al-Andalusi known as Ibn al-Hakim. Sidi Abul Abbas built his doctrine on the notion of giving and donating. He stood up for the poor, the underprivileged, the unfortunate, the disabled and, more particularly, the blind. He was buried in his zawiya in 601/1186.

Centred on his shrine, his gifts continue today: city merchants support the zawiya in running a number of schools and hostels, and in feeding the blind each evening. A number of potent legends still circulate in the city—that Christians venerate Sidi Bel Abbes as St Augustine, for instance, and that he haunts the minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque each night until he is certain that all the blind have been fed. The direct approach to the shrine is through an arch lined with an expensive and elaborate arcade of jewellers. The zawiya, mosque and tomb are forbidden to non-Muslims, but by going to the left or the right of the main entrance you can get impressive views into the extensive complex and of the great pyramidal shrine. The zawiya rose beside the grave of the Sidi Bel Abbas in the cemetery of Sidi Marwan, which at that time was just to the north of the city walls. The existing buildings are the work of the 18th-century Alawi Sultan Sidi Mohammed, who, apart from extending the city walls and rebuilding the entire shrine complex, added a further gift of a medrasa courtyard with two flights of horseshoe arches.

   

4. Sidi Mohamed ibn Sulayman al-Jazouli (d. 857/1454)

Sidi Mohammed ibn Sulayman al-Jazouli ( d. 857/1454) known in Marrakech simply as Ben Slimane, considered a patron saint in Morocco and throughout the Islamic World, is the founder of a Shadhili branch that is named after him, the Jazouliya. Like Abu Abdellah ibn Yassin (d. 451/1059), Mohammed ibn Tumart (d. 524/1130) and other reformers who proceeded him Imam al-Jazouli is better remembered as a character of legend that as a real human being. Having spent the majority of his life in rural Morocco, and sojourning only briefly in the urban centres where his biographers where to live, al-Jazouli was known to the generations following his death for his charismatic reputation than for his Sufi teachings. Even more, because so many of the traditions that detailed his life were transcribed at a much later date from secondary sources or hearsay, none of his biographies can be considered definitive. The same can also be said of Moulay Abdessalam ibn Mashish (d. 622/1207), the teacher of Abul Hassan Shadhili, who despite the absence of any written legacy expect a short prayer called As-Salat al-Mashishiya, has risen to the status of patron saint for all Moroccan Sufism.

He spent the years between 843/1428 and 850/1435 between Fez and Ribat Ayn al-Firt while been a disciple of the Shadhili Master, the Sharif, Sidi Abu Abdellah Mohammed as-Saghir Amghar (d. 850/1435 in Fez). He is mostly famous for his book "Dala'il al-Khayrat wa Shawaariq al-Anwar fi Dhikri s-Salat ‘ala n-Nabiyy al-Mukhtaar" (The Waymarks of Benefits and the Brilliant Burst of Sunshine in the Remembrance of Blessings on the Chosen Prophet) which he wrote in Fez when he was studying in the Medrasa of al-Halfawiyyin (present-day Medrasa of Saffarin). Based in his Ribat at Afughal, a foothill region of the High Atlas mountains midway between Dukkala and the Sus, he played a big role in combating the Portuguese who invaded Essaouira and many coastal cities along the Atlantic. He was to spend no more than six years at the place. According to the testimony of his closest disciples, on the fourth day of Dul-Qi'ada, 869/ 28 June, 1465, he collapsed and died while making his Subh prayer. Because of the suddenness of his death and the fact that he gave no sign of illness beforehand, it was immediately assumed that someone had poisoned him. Fearing for his body would be dug up by restive tribespeople, was the main reason why the Saadian sharif Ahmed al-Araj moved his never-corrupted body to Marrakech in the year 940/1525. He was succeeded by Sidi Abdellaziz Tabba'a (d. 914/1499).  

5. Sidi Abdellaziz Tabba'a (d. 914/1499)

The great Qutb, Sidi Abdellaziz ibn Abdelhaq Tabba'a known as al-'Harrar (Silk Waver) is the first Jazulite Shaykh al-Jama'a after the death of the aforementioned Sidi Mohammed ibn Sulayman al-Jazouli. Singled out by Imam Jazouli himself for his "chemistry of hearts," an intuitive knowledge of the human psyche, Tabba'a was entrusted by the Imam to his renowned disciple, the Qutb Sidi Mohammed al-'Amri (d. 918/1513), otherwise known as "as-Sughayyir Sahli". Accompanying this latter—after the death of their master—to Fez and then to the region of Ahyayna in a site called Khandaq az-Zaytun (Canal of the Olive) on Wadi al-Laban, Sidi as-Sughayyir Sahli put him herding sheep and cutting wood until he could instruct disciples on his own. Around the year 880/1465, Shaykh Tabba'a left Ahyayna for Marrakech, where he founded the first urban Zawiya of the Jazouliya Sufi order. He is credited with uniting the Jazouliya after the collapse of Amr ibn Sayyaf's revolt in 890/1475 and ending the doctrinal disputes that divided its members. Never forgetting his working-class origins (he was a silk weaver in Marrakech before joining the order), he promoted himself as a spokesman for the common people backed with a sharifian authority,

Verily, I am a slave of God and a Follower [of the Prophet],

    Exalted in praise through [my] perfection and qualities.

Yet Abdellaziz the Silk Waver is my name,

    Turning my filth into potters' clay and leading me to guidance.

If my ancestor the Messenger of God were alive [today],

    I would say that this, too, is part of my reality.

As a leader of the Jazouliya, Sidi Abdellaziz Tabba'a's career was similar to that of Sidi Abul Abbas al-Mursi (d. 686/1271), the successor of Sidi Abul Hassan Shadhili (d. 656/1241), in Egypt. Like al-Mursi, he left little behind as a written legacy, preferring instead to act as an instructor for his disciples and to turn the Tariqa into a corporate institution. Also like al-Mursi, he extended the scope of his order both geographically and intellectually. This involved travelling to Fez, where he gave lectures 7on Sufism and led recitations of Dalail al-Khayrat at Madrasat al-Attarin. In Fez, he initiated the Grenadian refugee and author of Sharh rahbat al-aman, Sidi Ali Salih al-Andalusi (d. 903/1488), who founded the second urban zawiya of the Jazouliya in the Wattasid capital.  

Like Shaykh Jazouli himself, Sidi Abdellaziz Tabba'a was regarded by his followers as the possessor of great spiritual knowledge and baraka. Hagiographical accounts claim that his face glowed that his face glowed with a "light" or radiance, and that merely looking at him could cause a person to be come rich. The colonial-era biographer Ibn al-Muwaqqit reports that a large crowd once gathered outside of Sidi Tabba'a's zawiya in Marrakech while the Shaykh was in retreat. When he appeared into the sunlight, his face was to radiate that it "gave birth" to five hundred saints. Traditions such as these are taken seriously in Marrakech even today. It is still believed that a visit to Sidi Tabba'a's tomb can cure both physical and mentally handicapped, who seek relief by touching Sidi Tabba'a's catafalque or by drinking water from a fountain in the tomb's courtyard. 

Sidi Abdellaziz maintained a wide range of contacts with other Jazouli leaders of the region and a network of discipleship that extended from Marrakech to Fez and northward to Ghumara. Among the celebrated scholars who trached their Jazouliya initiation through him are  Sidi Ali Salih al-Andalusi (d. 903/1488 in Fez), Sidi Abdellah Ghazwani (d. 935/1520 in Marrakech),  Sidi Mhammed al-Hadi Ben Aissa (d. 933/1518 in Meknes), Sidi Rahhal al-Kush (d. after 945/1530 in Sidi Rahal), Sidi Aissa al-Misbahi (928/1513 in Fez),  Sidi Abdelkarim al-Falah (d. 933/1518 in Marrakech), Sidi Abu Hafs Omar al-Khattab (d. 943/1528 in Zerhoun), Sidi Mohammed ibn Mansour al-Sufyani, Sidi Mohammed Genoun al-Mutai and Sidi Abu Salim Ibrahim al-Zuwari (d. 961/1276).    

6. Sidi Abdellah al-Ghazwani (d. 935/1520)

Abu Mohammed Sidi Abdellah al-Ghazwani (d. 935/1520), the successor of Sidi Abdellaziz Al-Tabba’a (d. 914/1499) as Shaykh al-jama'a of the Jazouliya and one of Marrakech' Sab'atu Rijal Saints, was born among the Banu Ghazwan tribal segment of ash-Shawiya region near the modern Moroccan capital of Rabat. He inherited a taste of mysticism from his father, Sidi Abul Barakat Ajal Ghazwani (d. after 910/1495), a Malammati Sufi and holy warrior who preached jihad and religious revival at tribal markets. The younger Ghazwani joined the Jazouliya in Fez, where his father has sent him to acquire a legal education at Madrasat al-Wadi on the Andalusian side of the city. While there he met a group of Jazouli Sufis who stopped by the Madrasa and invited its students to hear the words of their master Sidi Ali Salih al-Andalusi (d. 903/1488). To encourage the students to join them, the fuqara allowed them to take part in their Wadifa and give them all the couscous they could eat. That very night, Sidi Abdellah Ghazwani "placed himself between the hands" of Shaykh Ali Salih and asked to be accepted as his disciple. After receiving the assent of other Sufis, Shaykh Ali Salih agreed to Ghazwani's request and clasped the young man's hands in his own, saying in his original Granadan dialect: "This is a powerful bedouin!" (huwa 'arbi guwi). Soon afterward, Sidi Abdellah Ghazwani went to Marrakech and joined Sidi Abdellaziz at-Tabba’a, who put him to work cultivating crops and tending his orchard.

Before he passed away, the Shaykh earned a reputation for contributing to the revival and upgrading of Sufi tradition and for building on the efforts initiated by Imam Mohammed Jazouli. He had a compelling impact on the grassroots thanks to his righteousness and virtues. He was also instrumental in the return of Sharifs dignitaries to power. This effort was particularly necessary after the Sa'adian takeover of Marrakech in 930/1524, which resulted in the murder of the city's Hintati amir. The less than noble circumstances of this coup cost the sharifs dearly in terms of lost prestige, and the leaders of the Sa'adian movement, the brothers Ahmed al-A'raj (d. 964/1557) and Mohammed Shaykh, needed an ally whose reputation was unassailable. As it turned out, the final and most dramatic of al-Ghazwani's gifts also took place in 930/1524 and involved his intercession on behalf of the Sa'adians when their occupation of Marrakech was contested by the Wattasid sultan Mohammed al-Burtughali.  The message of Sidi Abdellah Ghazwani proliferated in Morocco at hands of his students, including: Sidi Abdellah al-Habti (d. 963/1548), Sidi Abderrahman ibn Raysoun (d. 950/1536), Sidi Mohammed al-Misbahi at-Talib (d. 964/1549), Sidi Ali ibn Raysun (d. 963/1548), Sidi Omar ibn Abdelwahhab Alami (d. 958/1543), Sidi Youssef ibn al-Hassan Talidi (d. 950/1535), Sidi Ahmed Shabih al-Jouti, Sidi Abdellah ibn Sasi (d. 961/1553), Sidi Ali 'Hamamouch, Sidi Masoud al-Darani, Sidi al-Hassan al-Jazouli, Sidi Abdellah ibn al-Husayn al-Amghari (d.  991/1583) and Sidi Ridwan ibn Abdellah al-Jinwi (d. 991/1583).

7. Sidi Abderrahman al-Suhayli (d. 581/1185)

Abul Qacem Sidi Abderrahman ibn Abdellah al-Suhayli was born in Fuengirola (formerly called Suhayl), just outside Malaga in al-Andalus. He was born into a family known for religiosity and knowledge. He turned blind at the early age of seven years due to illness. Sold into slavery in childhood, he managed nevertheless to become one of the premier scholars of language, tradition and jurisprudence in the West thanks to his intelligence and creativity. He was known as a learned scholar, well versed in spiritual matters and in Sufi poetry. He was a great scholar gathering around him many students in the size of Abul Hassan al-Maliqi al-Nahwi and  Sidi Muhyiddin Ibn al-Arabi (d. 636/1221) who studied under him the sciences of Hadith, Fiqh and Sira. He was also famous for his open-mindedness at a time of strong doctrinal censorship. Unlike Sidi al-Qadi Iyad and Sidi Abu Bakr b. al-Arabi (d. 543/1128), al-Suhayli was one of the most active supporters of the Almohad movement. His views made him be the guest of the sultan Abu Yusuf Ya'qub al-Mansur at Marrakesh around 597/1183 where he died three years later in 581/1185. The Imam wrote many books on grammar and Islamic law, but he is especially known as a scholar by his commentary on the sira of Ibn Hisham (al-Rawd al-Unuf fī Sharh as-Sirah al-Nabawiyya li Ibn Hicham" (7 volumes). He was buried just outside Bab ar-Robb, where later on also the Tijani axis Sidi Mohammed ibn Ahmed Akansus (d. 1294/1877) was buried, in a cemetery, which hides a former gate in the wall called Bab al-Charia. The cemetery, walled today, is built at the place where the Almohad troops of Abdel Moumin defeated the Almoravids in 541/1147. Virtues embodied by this holy man made up a model still cherished and emulated by Moroccans as a key to self-accomplishment.  

Marrakech's New Patron Saints

If the Allama Sidi al-Hassan al-Yusi were alive today, he will consider to include three names to his list of saints on account of what they had experienced of the highest stations of sainthood and authority, i.e. the Qutbaniya al-Udhma. They are: Sidi Mohammed Akansus, Sidi Ahmed Skirej al-Fasi and Sidi Mohammed Nadhifi.  

8. Sidi Mohammed Akansus (d. 1294/1877)

Abu Abdellah Sidi Mohammed ibn Ahmed Akansus, a eminent Moroccan scholar, poet, mystic,  biographer, historian, vizier and man of letters, was born in Sous in the year 1211/1796. He was one of the most learned of his time, and acquired a mastery of all branches of learning. For his education he went to the Qarawiyyine University in Fez at 18 years of age, where he met some scholars who introduced him to the Qutb of his age Mawlana Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani, may Allah be pleased with him. He in the following years received the permission (ijaza) to read the Awrad of the Tijani Path from Sidi Mohammed al-Ghali Boutaleb al-Fasi (d. 1244/1828). The, he advanced himself to be a virtuous, well-informed, mature person through the authorized teachers: Sidi Mohammed ibn Abi Nasr Alawi (d. 1273/1856) and Sidi Abdelwahhab ibn al-'Ahmar (d. 1269/1852). He built a zawiya in the district of al-Mawasine, easy of access. He was the author of dozens of books and monographs of varying length, as well as poetry. Among the most well known are “Al-Jaysh al-‘Aramramu al-Khukasi fi Dawlat Awlad Mawlana Ali Sijilmasi” (The Great Fivefold Army in the State of the Children of Our Lord Ali Sijilmasi) and “Al-Jawab al-Muskit” (The Silenced Answer) in reply to Shaykh Ahmed al-Bakkay. He was esteemed by Tijani students and well known among their scholars. Among his fellow-students was Sidi Said ibn Ahmed Darariki (d. 1287/1870) and current Patron of Rabat Sidi Al-Arbi ibn Sayeh (d. 1309/1891), the great-grandson of the Jazoulite Pole Sidi Mohammed al-Sharqi. He was entrusted with the Maqam of Qutbaniya for 18 years, before he passed away in Marrakech in the year 1294/1877. His tomb at the cemetery of al-Imam Suhayli is today one of the most venerated holy Tijani places of Morocco after that of Sidi Abil Abbas Tijani in Fez and Sidi Al-Arbi ibn Sayeh in Rabat (map).

9. Sidi Ahmed Skirej (d. 1363/1944)

Within the context of profoundly spiritualising revival of Tijani Sufism during the 19th century that the Tijani Path was leveraged in the life and career of  the red sulphur, the refuge of sainthood and authority who possesses graces and in complete measure, and mounts to the highest position as upon the backs of horses or camels, the evidence of God upon earth, the pole that around which the sciences orbit the length and breadth of the world, the mountain of knowledge, skilled in understanding, who takes seekers by the hand into the way of righteousness, exemplar of the learned, educator of followers, the ocean that draws the people to straighten the tails of falsehood and conceit, the moon that clarifies the paths of the farthest east and the western regions, and dispels clouds of ignorance, the truest of people in his submission to this Mohammedian Presence, and the first of them in its care and attention to its command in departing and abiding,  the Shaykh, the Allama, the Qadi, Abul Abbas Sidi Ahmed ibn al-Iyyachi Skirej al-Khazraji al-Fasi (d. 1366/1944).  The sudden rising popularity of the Shaykh and responses to his emergence as a powerful force, both reflected and influenced Tijani Sufism worldwide. His association with the Tijaniya proved to be the sparkling prowess in the regeneration of the Path. For, it was his gaining influence among the Tijani confidents and brothers that expanded the borders of Islam and Sufism beyond imagination. By the first decades of the 20th century and under his leadership, the Tijani Path had spread from a Maghrebi institution to a network that spanned Egypt, Sudan, Senegal and West Africa.  

A geneologist, lexicographer, judge, jurist and biographer, Shaykh Skirej also excelled in poetry and journey literature. Almost 120 in number, his eye-opening books, poems and letters have underdisputedly cheered the conditions which have come to foster the Tijani tradition throughout the Muslim world. The Shaykh has been always in the front side of any religious compilation; an attribute rarely found elsewhere within erudite circles. He was in Prophetic tradition, jurisprudence, literature, history and poetry a genuine pioneer and it is because of that that he entered with a determination and a full-fledged confidence the arena of different science topics. His quench for knowledge-seeking is beyond comparison as he was extremely affectionate of research and innovation while possessing the important and main authorised sources and references of all sciences in the form of a large home library incomparable in terms of the richness and diversity of its rare manuscripts. The Shaykh was then just a very dexterous penman with the aim to serve people from all different ranks and in that he entered in their hearts joy and pleasure. His tireless efforts to defend and expand the Tijaniya Path provided an institutional framework for spreading the original teaching of the Concealed Pole, Mawlana Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani. These activities, in conjunction with his travels and sacrifices, formed the basis for his authority in the eyes of his students.  

He obtained his ijazas as muqaddam of the Tijani Path from many scholars. Among of them: Sidi Mhammed b. Mohammed Genoun (d. 1326/1911), Sidi Ahmed b. Mohammed al-Abdellawi (d. 1328/1913), Sidi Hamid b. Mohammed Bannani (d. 1326/1911), Moulay Abdellah b. Idriss al-Badrawi (d. 1310/1895), Moulay Abdelmalik Darir al-Alawi (d. 1318/1903) and Sidi 'Ubayda b. Saghir Chinguiti (d. 1284/1869). His students later spread the distinctive teachings and practices of the Tijani path especially to West Africa and the Sudan, notably, Moulay Ahmed b. Mohammed al-Figuigui al-Wadghiri, the Moroccan Sultan Moulay Abdelhafidh al-Alawi (d. 1352/1937), Sidi Mohammed Shawni, Sidi Mohammed Mghara, Sidi Mohammed b. al-‘Abid al-Iraqi (d. 1365/1950), Sidi al-Haj Idriss al-Iraqi (d. 1430/2009), Sidi Abdellah b. Sidi Mohammed Niasse, Sidi Ibrahim b. Abdellah Niasse al-Kawlakhi (d. 1390/1975), Sidi Mohammed al-Hafidh b. Abdellatif al-Misri (d. 1398/1983), Sidi Maodo Malick Sy (d. 1337/1922), Sidi Abdellaziz Dabbagh b. Mohammed b. Abdellah al-Majid al-Umdarmani, Sidi Abdellrahim al-Bur'i Sudani Sammani, Sidi Afandim al-Muddathir b. Ibrahim al-Hijazi (d. 1356/1941), Sidi Mohammed b. Said Afandi al-Misri, and Sidi Mohammed b. Abdellah Shafi’i Taftawi al-Misri. He died in 1363/1944 in Marrakech and lies buried in the Shrine of al-Qadi Iyyad, where before also the Jazoulite Qutb Sidi Abdelkarim al-Fallah (d. 933/1518) was buried (Map).

10. Sidi Mohammed Nadhifi (d. 1366/1947)

The Righteous Friend, the Grand Allama, the Khalifa of the Concealed Pole, the Radiant Mohammedian Axis, Sidi Mohammed ibn Abdelwahid ibn al-Hassan al-Nadhifi was born in Sous in the year 1267/1851. After he learned the Quran, he took knowledge from prestigious scholars. Among them the Allama Sharif Mawlay Abdelmalik Darir al-Alawi, the Judge of the Fasite Presence Mawlay Mhammed al-Alawi,  the Allama al-Haj Ahmed ibn Mousa Tatai Susi, the Allama Sidi Ali ibn Abil Jama’a al-Masfiwi. As for the Tijani Path, he took it first from the Knower of His Lord Sidi Ahmed Mahmoud (d. 1319/1904 in Labhira, Rhamna). Then he received licenses to teach the Path from the Allama, the Poet, Sidi Abdellah the son of the Allama, the Famous Historian, the Pole, Sidi Mohammed Akansus; the Jurist, the Knower of Allah, the Pole, Sidi al-Hussayn al-Ifrani; the Allama, the Sharif, the Baraka, Sidi Mohammed ibn Mohammed ibn Abdessalam Gannun. He received a general certificate in the Tijani Path from Sidi Ahmed  Mahmoud al-Bahrawi (d. 1319/1904 in Rhamna), Sidi Abdellah ibn Sidi Mohammed Akansus (d.1317/1899 in Marrakech), Sidi al-Hussayn al-Ifrani (d. 1328/1910 in Tiznit), Sidi Mhammed b. Mohammed Genoun (d. 1326/1911 in Fez). He lectured to hundreds of students such as Moulay al-Hassan ibn Abdurrahman al-Ragragui as-Susi (d. 1393/1974), Sidi al-Haj al-Abbas al-Razi (d. 1395/1974), Sidi al-Haj Abdellah al-Ghashani (d. 1397/1976), Moulay al-Hassan al-Kathiri (d. 1409/1988), Sidi Mohammed Nadhifi (d. 1370/1951) and Mawlay Lahsen al-Radi al-Fatwaki (d. 1414/1994), becoming thereby one of the leading men of learning in the city of Marrakech.

He wrote several treatises on Sufism and the Tijani Path. The following is a list of his important works that still exist today, and can be traced back to him with credibility. “Dhurra al-Kharida f Sharh al-Yaqouta al-Farida” (The Virgin Gem in the Commentary of the Unique Ruby); “at-Tibb al-Faih wa al-Wird Saih fi Salat al-Fatih” (The Blossomed Medicine and the Rubbernecked Litany in the Prayer of the Opening), “Zubdat al-I’arab” (The Crème of Analysis), “al-‘Atfah al-Kanbziya fi Takhmis al-Hamziya” (The Paragoned Kindness in the Quintet of Hamziya); “Tiryaq al-Qalb al-Jarih fi Takhmis Burdat al-Madih” (The Antidote the Wounded Heart in the Quintet of the Borda). He gave birth to great poles of their own right, notably: Moulay al-Hassan ibn Abdurrahman Regragui (d. 1393/1974 in Ahermoumou), Sidi Mohammed ibn al-Mamoun Sibai (d. 1403/1983 in Safi) and Moulay al-Hassan al-Kathiri (d. 1409/1988 in Bani Kathir. Among his students were also such outstanding personalities as Sidi Mohammed al-Hajouji al-Fasi (d. 1370/1950) and Mawlay al-Hassan al-Fatwaki (d. 1414/1994 in Rabat). Sidi Mohammed Nadhifi passed away in 1366/1947 at the age of 99. He was buried in his zawiya in Squiqat Laqsour at Bab al-Futuh within a one minute walk from the square of Sa’hat Lafna (Map).

Other Attractions in Marrakech

Marrakech, like Fez, is a genuinely Islamic city in both its genesis and traditions. Reliable records speak of over three hundred men of virtue who have marked the religious history of Marrakech over the centuries.  

 

 

 

 

Sulan Yusuf ibn Tashfin (d. 499/1106)

The mystic tradition which runs through Sidi Abu Imran al-Fasi (d. 430/1015) was later in the same century attached to the Junaidi Silsila by Sidi Abdellah ibn Yassin (d. 451/1036), who was succeeded by Abu Bakr b. Omar, Yusuf b. Tashfin’s uncle. Under the leadership of Yusuf b. Tashfin, the Murabitun, between 1082-1106 expanded their territory to incorporate the area of Algeria and the Andalus. Historians in his praise paid rich tributes to his virtue, piety, religiosity, courage and other qualities of the heart and the mind. His shrine is located near Masjid al-Kutubiya, a walk from the square of Sa’hat Lafna.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sulan Yacoub al-Mansur  (d. 1011/1603)

Of all the sights in Marrakech, the most unique is the Saadian tombs which contain the corpse of the sultan Ahmed Yacoub al-Mansur. The mausoleum comprises the corpses of about 60 members of the Sharifian Saadi Dynasty that originated in the valley of the Dra’a River. Ahmed al-Mansur was born in Fez in 955/1549 and died, they said, in Marrakech in 1011/1603. The Battle of the "Wadi al-Makhazin", also known as “Battle of Three Kings” marked his career. The victory provided him with a rich booty and gave him a new prestige in Europe, furthering his kingdom as south as Songhai. The sultan descended Sidi Bel Abbas from Jabal Gueliz, provided a hostel for his disciples, gave him a madrasa for study and teaching that was maintained by the caliph's own funds, and when he visited him he made a point of behaving in a humble manner and acted "as a servant" in the saint’s presence.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sulan Moulay Sulayman (d. 1238/1822) 

The Sultan Mawlana Sulayman b. Mohammed al-Alawi is one of the most enigmatic figures in Moroccan history, a figure as shaded as his time. Known for his extreme piety, staunch puritanism and sense of justice, he is often referred to as the Omar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz of his period; a rather signifi­cant comparison indicating the lasting effect of his father Sidi Mohammed ibn Abdellah's reformist spirit. During the month of Ramadan Mawlay Sulayman would spend his evenings reading and praying, often in the company of knowledgeable Muhaddiths. Together they would discuss the significance of each Hadith and debate their authenticity. He was an adept of the Nasiri Path, and when Sidna Shaykh Abil Abbas  Tijani settled in Fez 1213/1796, the sultan received him well and gave a house to live in, then he  took his wird. He died in Marrakech and his tomb stands in Moulay Ali Sharif inside Bab Eilan, just next to al-Qadi Iyyad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sidi Ahmed ibn al-'Arif (d. 536/11211)

One of the most prominent examples of a usuli-oriented mystic and Sunni internationalist in Post-Taifa Spain was Sidi Ahmed ibn Mohammed b. Mousa b. Ataillah Sanhaji (d. 536/11211), better known to posterity as Ibn al-Arif. Although his origins were from Tangier in northern Morocco, Ibn al-Arif was born and raised in Almeria, where his father had moved in order to become a platoon leader ('arif) in the local guard. From this circumstance came his surname Ibn al-Arif. He was initiated into Sufism by Sidi Abu Bakr b. al-Arabi (d. 543/1128). The complete chain of the succession will be found in the text of epitaph, published and translated by Deverdun. The only work of Ibn al-'Arif known today is the short work entitled Mahasin al-Majalis, studied and translated by Asin Palacios. Sidi Muhyiddin Ibn al-Arabi (d. 636/1221) found it extremely valuable. His students include Sidi Ali ibn Ghalib (d. 568/1153), Sidi Abul Qasim ibn Qasi (d. 546/1151) and Sidi Abul Hakam ibn Barrajan (d. 536/1121). His sanctuary is found in the iron market on the road to Lamwasine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Sidi Berrijal (d. 318/931)

Abul Hakam Abdessalam b. Abderrahman al-Lakhmi Ibn Barrajan was an eminent Andalusian mystic theologian. He was born in Morocco, who taught in Seville during the first half of the 6th/12th century. Ibn al-Abbar, his principale biographer, states that he was outstanding among his colleagues in merit and abilities, and that he was known as the Ghazali of al-Andalus. He belongs to the tradition of al-Junaid, but like the other Andalusian mystics of his time, he felt the influence of al-Ghazali. The Almoravid prince summoned him to Marrakech, then gave orders that his body should be thrown without any prayers for the dead. The intervention of Sidi Ali b. Harazem (d. 559/1144) saved him from such a disgrace. He was buried in the corn-market square, where he is still known by the name Sidi Berrijal (Abu ar-Rijal).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sidi Abdelkarim al-Falah (d. 933/1518)

Sidi Abdelkarim al-Falah was responsible for the kitchen of the zawiya of Sidi Abdellaziz Tabba'a (d. 914/1499) and became later the main rival of Sidi Abdellah al-Ghazwani in Marrakech. Unlike Sidi Abdellah al-Ghazwani, he took pains to distance his more charismatic and politically neutral Tabba'iya approach from the pro-Saadian activism of the Ghazwaniya. Still, his student, Sidi Abu Amr al-Qastali (d. 974/1566),  reports that his master have given Mohammed al-Burtughali, the Sultan of Fez, victory over the Portuguese at Ma’mura Sabu (present-day Mahdiya), a fort on the Atlantic coast of Morocco between the regions of Shawiya and al-Gharb. Sidi Abdellah al-Kush (d. 961/1553), another famous follower of Sidi Abdelkarim enjoyed a broad following among the lower classes of Marrakech. Sidi Abdelkarim, who was entrusted the Sufis say with the Qutbaniya al-Udhma, died in Marrakech and was buried by the feet of al-Qadi Iyyad (d. 544/1129). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sidi Abu Amr al-Qastali (d. 974/1566)

The most important student of Sidi Abdelkarim al-Falah was Sidi Abu Amr ibn Ahmed al-Qastali al-Murrakushi, one of the Jazoulite shaykhs entrusted with the Qutbaniya al-Udhma. 

The patron saints Sidi Abdellah al-Habti (d. 963/1548 in Chefchaouen) and Sidi Abu Bakr Majjati Dilai (d. 1021/1620) took him as a teacher. Among the influencing students of al-Habti were Sidi Moussa ibn Ali Wazzani (d. 970/1555) and Sidi Abdellah Benhassoun (d. 1013/1598), the Patron Saint of Salé. The  zawiya of al-Qastali in Marrakech provided numerous services for neighbouring communities including it'am at-ta'am. For the Shaykh, feeding the needy was a task that God has assigned exclusively to consummate Sufi elders. It was, he stated, a divine secret (Sirr Ilahi), revealed only to a handful of practitioners.  

 

The popularity of the Jazulite masters' relief programmes and the possibility that lodges might wield their dominance to give voice to their increasing political ambitions did not escape the Saadian court, always suspicious of any development likely to strengthen their influence. In 958/1551, the Sultan Mohammed Shaykh Saghir (d. 964/1549) initiated a clamp-down on Sufi brotherhoods. Among the zawaya subjected to censorship were some that had excelled at providing relief in times of famine. Sidi Abu Amr al-Qastali, was kept under house arrest in Marrakech because rulers feared his game—partly derived from the fact that his zawiya ran a renowned couscous and soup-kitchen—and large following.

 

It is significant for the strength and political relevance of the Jazouli order in Morocco at that time was based on the Dilaiya headquarters in central Atlas. Founded in the late tenth/sixteenth century, this was a centre exclusively concentrated among the Sanhaja Berbers. When succeeded by his son Sidi Mohammed ibn Abi Bakr (d. 1046/1631), the Dilai Zawiya became more politically-motivated. From around 1640 to the late 1660's it controlled most of northern Morocco, including Fez, with which it had an ambivalent relationship. However, the might of Dilai rulers did not last. At the end of 1660's, the Alawi imam Moulay Rachid (d. 1087/1672) was able to raise the headquarters of Dilaiya to the ground. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sidi Ghanem

Sidi Ghanem ibn Said al-Siba'i is one of the famous saints of Marrakech. His tomb is found at industrial district of Sidi Ghanem, so called in honor of his legacy. His chain of sainthood and authority goes back to Sidi Muhammad al-Jazouli (d. 869/1454), through his teacher, the Knower of Allah, the Noted Friend, the Mujahid Sidi Abdellah ibn Sasi (d. 961/1553), the student of Sidi Abdellah al- Ghazwani (d. 935/1520), himself the pupil of Sidi Abdellaziz at-Tabba'a (d. 914/1499). His noble ancestors  established themselves region of his ancetors called 'Bilad al-Siba', a vacinity between Chichaoua (90km away from Marrakech) and Essaouira.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sidi Ibn al-Banna 

Abul Abbas Sidi Ahmed ibn Mohammed ibn Uthman al-Azdi al-Marrakushi known as Ibn al-Banna, mathematician and astronomer, was born in Marrakech where he studied a variety of subjects, reportedly with at least 17 masters. However, he frequently went to Aghmat, near Marrakech, where he was a student of the Sufi Shayky Abu Abdellah al-Hazmiri (d. 677/1279); it may have been due to his influence that Ibn al-Banna became interested in both astronomy and astrology, and gained the reputation of being a Sufi. Ibn al-Banna was probably a practicing astrologer in the service of the Marinid sultan Abu Said (d. 731/1331), and he is said to have predicted the exact circumstances of the latter's death, which took place some 10 years after his own. He was dedicated to his teaching, which took place both in the great mosque of Marrakech and in his own home, and he had at least eight disciples.

 

 

 

Sidi Amara 

The Shrine of Abu Hafs Sidi Omar ibn al-Qacem known as Sidi 'Amara. Sidi Amara is just 800 meters from Bab er-Rob. This elegant ramped fortress was built by the sultan Sidi Mohammed ibn Abdellah in the 18th century to house a mobile squadron from the 600 strong regiment of cavalry he kept permanently posted to defend against the Rehamna tribe. Beyond it you can see the white mihrab of the msalla, an open-air mosque used during religious festivals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sidi Ahmed Zawiya, Zawiya Darqawiya

The northern end of the medina has spilled beyond the walls around the Souk al-Khamis, the Thursday market Fruit and vegetables are sold throughout the week here, though live­stock trading is still concentrated on Thursdays. From the souk enclosure a road passes between the cemetery of Sidi Ahmed Zawiya and a lunar landscape of baked mud and refuse to approach the old Almoravid Fez gate which when rebuilt became known as Bab al-Khamis. Just before the gate, on the left is the shrine of Sidi al-Barbouchi, and straight through the gate within the walls is the Zawiya Darqawiya and Zawiya Sidi Ghalim. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zawiya Sidi Ali Boughaleb

Return outside the city walls, then follow the road south beside a magnificent stretch of wall and an extensive cemetery through which snakes the dry bank of the river Issil. The cemetery is often flecked with the bright colours of drying skins as you approach Bab Dabbagh, the tanners' gate. Instead of retracing your steps, you could also continue south from the Sahrija Medersa out of the medina down Rue Sidi Ali Boughaleb. The shrine of this saint is on the right just at the beginning of the cemetery. The saint is actually buried in Fez, but the shrine remains an important popular cult centre. The ill and the mad surround the shrine on Tuesday nights, and wait for the saint to appear in their dreams and promise a cure.

 

 

Other Shrines 

 Lalla 'Hanna, next to a-Qadi Iyyad;  Zawiya Nasiriya, on the way to Sidi Ben Slimane al-Jazouli; Sidi Marwan and Sidi Bel Abbas al-Jabbari,  next to Sidi Bel Abbas Sabti; Lalla Aicha, next to Masjid al-Kutubiya, Sidi Fath Allah ibn Abu Bakr al-Bannani Darqawi; Sidi Lakhder; Lalla Oudda Saadiya; Moulay Bouazza; Sidi Ben Said; Sidi al-Yamani.

Marabouts around Marrakech

Word used in the Maghreb, especially Morocco, to refer to a holy, revered person, roughly equivalent to the English "saint" and similar to another Islamic term, wali. Marabout probably derives from the Arabic murabit, indicating a fortified religious sanctuary. Marabouts are often the focus of popular pilgrimages, called ziyarat, because they have been granted special power to give baraka), and many followers attribute thaumaturgic gifts (karamat) to them. Until the beginning of the twentieth century, Maraboutism formed an integral part of the social fabric of both rural and urban Muslim society, which considered marabouts the connecting point between the supernatural and the physical worlds. Although many standard tracts of Salafi Islam censure reverence to marabouts, veneration at tombs of marabouts is still a significant part of Moroccan culture.  

Throughout the cities, towns, villages and countryside of Morocco you will observe these shrines, the domed tombs of marabouts. They are a striking feature of the Moroccan landscape and can range from a simple whitewashed, earth-walled hut to an opulent chamber covered by a green-tiled pyramid roof. The marabouts's tomb may be obscure, half-ruined and forgotten, or stand at the centre of a great city surrounded by a maze of outer courtyards around which stand dependent mosques, markets, hammams, schools and charitable institutions. As well as the size of the shrine, the nature of the holy man can vary. 

The venerated Lalla or Sidi could be a reforming sultan, a fearless warrior of the jihad, a Sufi master, the near-legendary ancestor of a tribe, the founder of a city, a pious protector of the poor, a learned arbitrator, or an Islamic identity for an old pagan deity of the mountain, river, forest or field. The one thing they have in common is baraka, which means both an enhanced spiritual standing and the power to benefit a pilgrim with a blessing. The shrine is often the centre of spiritual life for the women of the area, as well as functioning as an asylum and a charitable centre, in the countryside it may also be the site of a weekly market or an annual mawsims. These mawsims  may officially be held in honour of the saint but also function as exuberant secular festivals, popular social events, trade fairs and marriage markets.  

Tameslouht, 17km away from Marrakech

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sidi Abdellah Ben Hssayen 

The founder of the zawiya of Tameslouht, one of the greatest Zawiyas in the region of Marrakech. Sidi Abdellah Ghazwani (d. 935/1520) dispatched his disciple Sidi Abdellah ibn al-Hussayn Amghari to the agricultural hinterland of Marrakech (hawz) he assigned him a specific task, namely "to render this land fertile, to become an instrument through which God would lavish His favours upon its inhabitants". Sidi Abdellah proved to be extremely diligent; shortly after his arrival to the future site of the zawiya, he managed to enlist the help of local peasants and built and built an elaborate irrigation network based on underground channels, thus diverting water from a nearby spring to surrounding fields. 

Sidi Abdellah ben Hsayen, also suffered political repression; he was expelled from the capital in times of Sultan Moulay Abdellah al-Ghalib (r. 1557-74). His grandson, Mawlay Brahim ibn Ahmed al-Amghari (d. 1661) was a well-known sufi saint. He founded his zawiya in 1628 during the reign of sultan Zidan Abu Maali in the village 'Kik', since called 'Moulay Brahim'. It lies a few kilometers to the west of Tameslouht.

Tansift, 26km away from Marrakech

 

 

 

Sidi Abdellah ibn Sasi (d. 961/1553)

The Knower of Allah, the Holy Warrior, the Siba'i Sharif, Sidi Abdellah ibn Sasi (d. 961/1553), is the student of the Qutb Sidi Abdellah al- Ghazwani (d. 935/1520 in Marrakech), the student of the Qutb Sidi Abdellaziz Al-Tabba’a (d. 914/1499). He declared holy war against the Portuguese upon their occupation of Azemmour in the year 920/1515. Among the advanced students of Sidi Abdellah were Sidi Mohammed Sharqi (d. 1010/1595), Sidi Abul Mahasin Yusuf al-Fasi (d. 1013/1598) and Sidi Ghanem ibn Said al-Siba'i (d. after 961/1553). He died before the morning of the 26th of Sha'aban in the year 961/ 8 August 1554, and was buried in his zawiya in Tansift, Rhamna in the suburbs of Marrakech. 

Skhour Rhamna, before Ben Guerir between Casablanca and Marrakech

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sidi Ahmed Mahmoud (d. 1319/1901)

Abu Abdellah Sidi Ahmed Mahmoud ibn Ahmed ibn al-Fudayl A‘Hanini Mahmoudi al-Idrissi al-Hassani, scholar, jurist and a Tijani Muqaddam. The Muqaddam is the highest spiritual and communal leader in the Tijani hierarchy, whose exact functions varied from place to place and from person to person and had to be fixed or approved by an authorised Muqaddam. He was born in the morning of Sunday, 2 Jumada al-Uwla 1247 (1831) in the village of al-Bahira, one of the tribes of Rhamna. Sidi Mohammed al-Saghir al-Shinguiti taught him the Tijani Path in the year 1275/1858. Then, the Allama Sidi Mohammed Akansus gave him permission to teach its litanies to every Muslim who asks for them. He has also taken the Tariqa for the sake of baraka from the Allama Sidi Mohammed al-Arabi ibn Sayeh. Sidi Ahmed Mahmoud was one of the brightest Muqaddams of his age. He founded his zawiya at al-Bahira in an unknown date, which he managed in the best of ways. He composed many panegyrics (madh) in honour of Shaykh Tijani, may Allah be pleased with him. His most celebrated work is a qasida, rhymed in Ba’, in which he lauds his inexhaustible generosity that begins:

Al-Tijani won every glory,

  Pure milk  is the source of his flow.

Another poem through which he asks for help (istighata) begins,

O Shaykh, O Shaykh, al-Tijani!

  O Shaykh, O One of Clear Evidence!

He passed away in Dhi al-Qiada 1319 (1901) and was buried in his zawiya. 

His famous student is the above mentioned Sidi Mohammed Nadhifi (d. 1366/1947), one of the Patron Saints of Marrakech. 

Aghmat, 30km away from Marrakech

 

 

 

Sidi Abdellaziz Tunsi (d. 468/1053) 

Of Tunisian origin, Abul Mawahib Sidi Abdellaziz Tunsi (d. 468/1053) is recognized as authority on Almoravides Sufism and was legitimate member of the ulama class, popular mystic in southern Morocco, a renown disciple of Sidi Abu Imran al-Fasi (d. 430/1039) from the Masmuda members of the High Atlas mountains. Unlike Sidi Waggag al-Lamti (d. 445/1030), who founded mosques and ribats of learning in sparsely populated rural areas, Abul Mahawib Tunsi established a ribat at Aghmat Urika, then the premier urban centre of the Nafis valley, just south of the new Almoravid capital of Marrakech. His shrine stands in a village that bears his name near Aghmat. 

Aghmat, 30km away from Marrakech

Sidi Abdelljalil ibn Wayhan (d. 541/1126)

An important advocate of eastern Sufi traditions in Morocco was a Masmuda saint from Dukkala named Sidi Abdelljalil ibn Wayhan (d. 541/1126), who founded the Nuriya mystical tradition at Aghmat. His teacher, an Egyptian Sufi named Sidi Abul Fadl al-Jawhari, traced his spiritual linage (silsila) to Sidi Abul Hassan an-Nuri (d. 295/880). He is the teacher of the famous Sidi Bannour (d. 550/1135) and Moulay Boushayb Sarya (d. 561/1166).  

Aghmat, 30km away from Marrakech

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sidi Mohamed ibn Sadoun al-Qayrawani

Son mausolée et situé dans le cimetière historique d’Aghmat. Selon l’auteur de l’ouvrage « Attachaouf » : Abou Abdallah Mohamd Ben Sâadoune Ben Ali Ben Billal Al Quayrawani (d. 485/1092) est originaire d’Al Quayraouane, et a rencontré à la Mecque Abou Baker El Matouii, qui lui a servi de maitre et de source d’inspiration et de ressourcement dans le soufisme ainsi que dans d’autres disciplines. Faisant partie de la famille de l’érudition, de la connaissance et du savoir, Abou Abdallah Mohamd Ben Sâadoune Ben Ali Ben Billal Al Quayrawani s’est installé à Aghmat, où il est décédé en 785 de l’hégire. Pour l’auteur de l’ouvrage « Al Alam », il fût l’un des éminents savants qui a codifié des hadits à la Mecque, en Egypte et à Al Quayraouane (….). 

Il est aussi l’auteur de plusieurs ouvrages dont « Taassi Ahl Al Imane Bima Taraa Ala Madinat Al Quayraoune », un ouvrage en science téléologique sur le rite de Malik Bnou Anas. Sa sortie d’Al Quayraoune a été pour l’exercice du commerce, ce qui lui avait permis de visiter plusieurs coins du Maroc et de se rendre à l’Andalousie, d’autant plus que sa science et son savoir furent sollicités par nombre d’habitants notamment d’Almer?a et de Valence ainsi que ceux d’autres pays, qui ont aimé de s’en inspirer. Inséré dans une simple construction en pisé, le tombeau de cet éminent savant est communément connu actuellement chez les habitants d’Aghmat, sous l’appellation du mausolée de Sidi Sâadoun.

Aghmat, 30km away from Marrakech

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Saints of Amghar

In addition to the above mentioned Abul Mawahib Sidi Abdellaziz Tunsi (d. 468/1053), Sidi Abdelljalil ibn Wayhan (d. 541/1126), and Sidi Mohamed ibn Sadoun al-Qayrawani, Aghmat is home to several other Sufis, including: (1) Abu Abdellah Sidi Mohammed ibn Abdelkarim al-Hazmiri, deceased in 678/1279 and buried in the cemetery of Aghmat behind the Souq; (2) Abu Zayd al-Imam; buried outside the shrine of al-Hazmiri; (3) Sidi Sayeh (d. 605/1208); (4) Abul Abbas Ahmed ibn Abderrahman al-Houar; (5) Abul Hassan Ali ibn Abderrahman al-Huwari; (6) Abu Wakil Maymoun ibn Tikert al-Ouriki al-Aswad; (7) Abu Zakariya Yahiya Ibn Issoulal Sanhaji; (8) Lokman Assayoui; (9) Sidi Abdellaziz ibn Mohammed al-Baghani of Aghmat Ourika; (10) Abu Mohammed Abdellah Elamliji (d. 540/1145); (11) Sidi Ahmed Abu Amrou; (12) Sidi Salih ibn Omar; buried in Jabal Massfiwa, 10 km from Aghmat; (13) Abu Ibrahim Ishak ibn Wazane, buried in the village of Imi N’taghrist at Tidili Massfioua; (14) Abu Mohammed Abd al-Ghafur al-Illani (d. 586/1190 in Adouz Ighandafan); (15) Sidi Yusuf ibn Yacoub ibn Moumen al-Maradi known as Sidi Yacoub from Aghmat Ourika. Aghmat is also home of the shrine of al-Mu'tamid ibn Abbad, the third and last ruler of the taifa of Seville in Al-Andalus. 

Sidi Rahal, 51km away from Marrakech

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sidi Rahal (d. after 945/1530)

The Sharif Sidi Mohammed ibn Ahmed ibn al-Hassan al-Hassani (b. 890/1485 - 945/1530), popular mystic in Morocco known as Sidi Rahal, al-Budali, al-Kush, al-Simlali, Tayr Lejbel (Mountain Flier), Sab'a al-Adru' (The Seven Arms), was the student of  the Pole Sidi Abdellaziz at-Tabba'a (d. 914/1499). His famous adage: "I am the vehicle of bridegrooms (rikab al-'arais). He who has not ridden his bridegroom is not meant to ride. Verily I am the Nurturer (sahib al-ighata) on land and sea!" Upon Sidi Abdellaziz's death, Sidi Rahal gathered his disciples and left for Anmay, a day's ride east of Marrakech, on the way to Demnate, where he remained for the rest of his life. People saw from his thaumaturgic gifts (karamat) what astonishes the minds. Many of these were epistemological in nature, since they involved subduing wild animals, traversing great distances, healing, finding treasure controling spirits (jin), and finding water. 

The Zawiya of Sidi Rahhal was closed down at the order of the Sultan in 960/1552. Sidi Rahal had with him two chaste women who served him. The Saadi sultan, having heard his saintliness praised, wanted to see him. He sent two of his people to fetch him: one was Sidi Ali ben Hamdush (d. 1131/1716), the other Sidi Ahmed al-'Arusi (d. 1002/1587). But these two were moved by his piety to the point that they attached themselves to him and did not want to return to Marrakech. The sultan sent his soldiers for them, and they were condemned to death. As they arrived at the place of execution, Sidi Rahal appeared in the skies, holding an axe which filled the spec­tators with dread. He gave it to Sidi Ali ben Hamdush and told him that, thanks to it, he should have no fear of anyone at all. Then he took Ahmed al-Arusi by the belt and carried him off in flight. The belt tore, al-Arusi fell into the Valley of the Sous, where he ended his life in retirement. Sidi Rahal returned to his hermitage; Sidi Ali retired to the Zerhoune, where he bequeathed his axe to his followers and died.

Tin Mall, Aghmat Uriqa, 50km away from Marrakech 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Imam Mahdi Ibn Tumart

The figure of the Idrissid Sharif, Sidi Mohammed al-Mahdi b. Tumart(d. 524/1130), Mahdi of the Almohads (al-Muwahhidun), continues to loom large over the Maghreb seven hundred years after the passing of the state created by his successor Abdelmumin ibn Ali (d. 551/1136). Massive monuments of brick and stone, physical reminders of a century and a half of Almohad power (515-674/1100-1259), attest to the vitality of a movement that for a time united the Muslim West from Ifriqiya (Tunisia) to the Atlantic coast of Spain (Andalusia), whose army posed a threat to Salah ad-Din al-Ayyubi in Egypt, and, but for the untimely death of its first "Caliph," very nearly succeeded in extending Islamic rule once again to the Pyrenees. Muslim historians tell us of the horror Ibn Tumart's movement inspired in its enemies, such as that which compelled a Maliki jurist to flee from the Andalus to Egypt, and thence to India before he felt safe enough to die in peace. Scholars from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century have discussed Almohad politics and administration, as well as the roles played by figures like muhtasibs, mizwars, huffadh, and tullab in spreading the Mahdi's doctrine of tawhid (Oneness of God) throughout the region.

Setti Fatma, Ourika, 50km away from Marrakech

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Setti Fatma

Morocco is the country known as the land of thousand saints, many of whom are women.  Setti (Lady) Fatma of Ourika, a saint revered for her piety and extraordinary healing capabilities. She is said to have arrived from Egypt in the Moroccan valley of Ourika, southeast of Marrakesh, sometime between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries. Legend says that she came to Morocco at age seven and stayed with a local family until she married a man named L'Oussaine at age twelve. 

Setti Fatma had two daughters, Lalla Fatima Zahra and Lalla Aisha, who predeceased her. They are buried with her in her tomb. It is said that when gathering wood in the mountains, Setti Fa­tima pushed a stick into the ground to get water, creating a spring. This is known as the origin of the seven waterfalls in the beautiful Ourika Valley. At another place in the mountains where she hit the ground with a stick, five litters of water flowed out. The water is said to have had medicinal qualities; drinking it is also purported to have helped people solve their marital and fertility problems.

After Setti Fatma died, people would take water from the waterfall named for her and bathe in it, then spend the night at her grave, praying for a remedy for their marital or fertility problems. Setti Fatma is buried high up on the mountainside over­looking the village. A three-room building of orange stucco with a green tile roof protects her tomb. Her elevated grave is in the middle of the largest room, with those of her daughters on each side. 

The graves are covered with green cloths, in keeping with the traditional covering for the grave of a Sufi saint. Woven mats cover the floors, and daily offerings of couscous are placed at the head and foot of each grave by one of the women overseeing the tomb. Two other rooms allow for overnight vigils by supplicants who seek intercession through Setti Fatima. The local graveyard has developed around the tomb area. 

The village houses a zawiya complex that bears Setti Fatima's name. Its date of origin is unconfirmed. Some say it was established 400-500 years ago, while others insist it was built 800 years ago, right after Setti Fatima's time. Three times a week, the zawiya provides food for the poor, who are welcome to stay there overnight. Other visitors to the zawiya are also welcomed. A simple traditional meal of corn and potato chowder is served, and visitors may leave a small donation.

Tahanaoute, Asni, km away from Marrakech

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mawlay Brahim 

Beyond Tahanaoute, Asni, about an hour drive from Marrakech, the road twists up above the meandering course of the river as it flows past the five knuckles of black rock that protrude into Moulay Brahim Gorge. A cluster of cafés line the roadside and the riverbed just before the turning uphill to the village of Zawiya of Moulay Brahim; they look out over a wooded hill on the other side of the river. This hillside zawiya is one of the most important centres of spiritual life in the region. A fortnight after Mawlid a great festival is held here. A camel is sacrificed at the gates of the town, and its head and skin are taken down to honour two nearby springs that are used for ritual washing by men and women. 

The road to the dome on the summit is an integral part of the pilgrimage. Gaily caparisoned horses stand patiently on the banks of the riverbed beside mounting stools for the use of pilgrims in need of a photographic souvenir of themselves in the pose of a cavalier. Even outside the festival, Moulay Brahim remains a popular day-trip destination for Marrakeshi families. The town is formed from a small maze of streets that extend in a confusion of levels, courts and paved passages around the central shrine. This has a distinc­tive green pyramid roof; a wooden bar has been placed below the minaret as a barrier to non-Muslims. The rest of the village, with its cafes, pilgrim trinket stalls, two surviving potteries and hill views, is open and the population is pleasantly welcoming.

Arremdt, Imlil, 60 km south of Marrakech

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sidi Chamharouch 

One of several places claiming that Abu Abdellah Sidi Chamharouch, a companion of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, Sultan of Jinns, lived there for a while, making it the focus of a popular regional pilgrimage. For early Sufis in both the Muslim East and the West, Sidi Chamharouch most commonly appeared as the Supreme Spiritual Authority of Jinn. He has been an important Sufi figure in Morocco with at least one hun­dred houses spread across the country including one in Fez, according to the Shaykh Sidi Mohammed ibn Omar Dabbagh.

The final outcome of this process is observed in the life and career of the author of Kitab Jawahir al-Maani, the Holy Link, Abul Hassan Sidi Ali Harazem Berrada (d. 1218/1803)—the Supreme Caliph of the Shaykh Sidi Ahmed Tijani. “One of the things that show how particular he is stems from his encounter with the companion of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, the judge Abu Mohammed Chamharouch, may Allah be pleased with him, who was a king of the Jinns. The latter passed down to him, with the permission of our Master, may Allah be pleased with him, Hizb al-Sayfi, in a clear voice as was the case among the elite of the companions.” (Kashf al-Hijab)

This particular shrine of Sidi Chamharouch is located in a small old mosque in Arremdt, in the area of Imlil, 60 kilometers south of Marrakech. The master is well known in the area around Arremdt, which is the homeland of the Ait Mizane, a conglomeration of four clans of Berber people. In the early twentieth century, about 3,000 pilgrims might visit the shrine an­nually. Since the paving of the road into Imlil, pilgrims from a wider area can travel to the shrine, and the cult has grown. Pilgrims come especially on the saint’s day in late August. A visit to this saint's shrine is espe­cially favored by people suffering from mental disorders, because Sidi Chamarharouch's baraka is said to be especially powerful in combating psychological ills.

Sidi Shiker , 82km away from Marrakech

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sidi Shiker

Ribat Sidi Shiker so called after Sidi Shakir, known today as Sidi Shiker, a companion of Uqba ibn Nafi' was instrumental in the conversion of Christian Masmuda Berbers living in the Atlas foothills in the region of Ragraga. Around the end of the tenth century, a ribat was built on the side of Shiker's tomb by a Berber mujahid named Sidi Yaala ibn Muslin Ragragi.

By the early Almoravides period folk tales about the Seven Saints of Ragraga had began to be circulated as a means of promoting the Masmuda tradition. These seven awliya forerunners of the more famous Seven Saints of Marrakech were said to be Berber companions of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, who introduced Islam into Morocco long before the arrival of the Arab armies of 'Uqaba ibn Nafi' a and Moussa ibn Nusayr. 

They are: (1) Sidi Wasmin (buried at Jabal Hadid, north of Essaouira, (2) Sidi Abu Bakr Ashmas (buried at Zawiyat Qarmud, now the village of Akermoud), (3) Sidi Ali ibn Abi Bakr Ashmas, (4) Sidi Abdellah Adnas, (5) Sidi Aissa Bu Khabya, (6) Sidi Said ibn Yabqa as-Sabiq, and (7) Sidi Yaala (the founder of Ribat Shikir) predated the Barghwata polity in Tamesna, a city close to modern Rabat, which was founded in 124/741-2. 

Chichaoua, 90km away from Marrakech

 

 

 

Sidi Abderrahman al-Ragragui 

Contemporary to the urban Shadhilite Wafawiya in Egypt, Sidi Abderrahman ibn Ilyas al-Ragragui was the Shaykh of Shaykhs of the rural Shadhili Path whose mass appeal started in Morocco at the hands of Sidi Mohammed b. Sulayman al-Jazouli (d. 869/1454) after he took from his master the Sharif Sidi Abu Abdellah Mohammed as-Saghir al-Amghari (d. 850/1435), who had it from Sidi Abu Uthman Said al-Hintati al-Hartanani, who succeeded his master Sidi Abderrahman al-Ragragui, as head of Ribat Shakir after his death. The town of Chichaoua sits at the crossroad where the roads from Marrakech to Essaouia and to Agadir meet.

Demnat, 99km away from Marrakech

 

 

 

 

Sidi Mohammed al-'Hajouji

The second-generation Tijani awakening took place at the beginning of the twentieth century Morocco at the hands of unique muqaddams in the size of the Allama Sidi Mohammed ibn Mohammedal-Hajouji al-Fasi (d. 1370/1950). He was initiated into the Tijani Path at the hands of the Allama Sidi Mohammed Genoun, the Sultan of Muqaddams Sidi al-Arabi ibn Idriss al-Alami of Zerhoune, and others. To get there, take a Petit Taxi ride from anywhere in downtown Marrakech to Bab al-Khamis. You will now take a one hour and half minutes Grand Taxi ride to the small town of Demnate. It will end up being a five minute walk to the Zawiya Tijaniya and the Shrine of the Allama Sidi Mohammed al-Hajouji, may Allah be pleased with him, located right next to Café Fatwaka (Map).