Cherkaoui (Zaouia)
The Cherkaoui (also Cherqaoui or Sherqawi ) were a Moroccan Sufi brotherhood ( zaouia ) in the city of Bejaâd (or Boujad ) in the north of the Tadla plain . The Brotherhood has numerous followers in other parts of the country as well; it still exists today.
history
The brotherhood was founded by Sidi Bouabid Charki at the beginning of the 16th century; however, it did not play a significant role for a long time. Until the death of Mulai al-Hassan I (1894), the Sultan's government ( makhzen ) did not have any major disputes with the then Cherkaoui head Sidi al- Hajj al-Arbi. Under the subsequent sultan, the minor Abd al-Aziz , there was a dispute over the succession to the throne. Some members of the court rebelled against the Sultan and were hostile to the Cherkaoui. When his brother and adversary Mulai Abd al-Hafiz came to power in 1908, the Cherkaoui lost their support at the Sultan's court. However, they already had so much power that they could determine the qadi of the city themselves, who had been appointed by the sultan . In return, the Cherkaoui undertook to represent the sultan's interests on certain occasions. In general, the Cherkaouis in Bejaâd in the border area between the Makhzen and the tribal areas had alternating relationships with both. With the beginning of colonial rule, they built relationships with the French . In 1913 the colonial power installed a military post in Bejaâd. At that time, there were two warring Cherkaoui leaders (the Arbawi and Zawiya lineage groups) who ruled the same tribe. Both became the most important allies of the French in the northern Tadla Plain and in 1912, as "Friends of France", they were granted the right to appoint the Kadi (Arbawi faction) and the Kaid (tribal leader during the Protectorate, Zawiya faction).
financing
The Cherkaoui Brotherhood grew rich through donations from pilgrims, trade with the Sultan's government, and agricultural income. Most of the land belonged to individual Cherkaoui families; most of which were irrigated gardens that were tended by slaves. The population paid their taxes to the head (representative, mqaddem ) of the Cherkaoui, as a religious poor tax zakāt and as aschur (from Arabic “ten”, a public tax approved by the Sultan corresponding to the tithe ) to a certain marabout . In return, the inhabitants of Bejaâd (or Boujad ) were not, as is customary in Sultan's land, obliged to do corvée work or military service.
Moussem
Every year at the beginning of September a collective pilgrimage ( moussem , Arabic mausim , Pl. Mawāsim) to the holy tombs ( qubbas ) in Bejaād is organized. Individual pilgrims can pay a visit ( ziyāra , Pl. Ziyārāt) to the holy places at any time . In doing so, they leave gifts or donations of money behind and receive something from the blessing power ( baraka ) of the holy place or the holy person ( wali ) . The moussems are staged with processions and singing events . The pilgrimage lasts a month. The traditional journey is made by donkeys, horses and tents, larger distances are covered by coaches. Each tour group spends around three to four days in the city. In September 1969, an estimated 25,000 pilgrims came in two weeks.
literature
- Dale F. Eickelman: Moroccan Islam. Tradition and Society in a Pilgrimage Center. (Modern Middle East Series, No. 1) University of Texas Press, Austin / London 1976.
Web links
- Cherkaoui Brotherhood - Info (French)