A
marabout is a
MuslimIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
religious leader and teacher in
West AfricaWest Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
, and (historically) in the
MaghrebThe Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
. The marabout is often a scholar of the
Qur'anThe Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
, or religious teacher. Others may be wandering holy men who survive on alms, Sufi
MurshidMurshid is Arabic for "guide" or "teacher". Particularly in Sufism it refers to a Sufi teacher. The term is used by other branches of Islam as well, e.g. by the Nizaris, the main school of Ismā‘īlī Shiites....
s ("
Guides"), or leaders of religious communities. Still others keep alive
syncreticSyncretism is the combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term means "combining", but see below for the origin of the word...
pre-Islamic traditions, making
amuletAn amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
s for good luck, presiding at various ceremonies, telling the future, and in some cases actively guiding the lives of followers. The common practice of receiving gifts or money for this service is disapproved of by orthodox Muslims.
The Maghreb
The term Marabout appears during the Muslim conquest of North Africa. It is derived from the Arabic word "
Mourabit" or "
mrabet" (
one who is garrisoned): religious students and military volunteers who manned the
RibatA ribat is an Arabic term for a small fortification as built along a frontier during the first years of the Muslim conquest of North Africa to house military volunteers, called the murabitun...
s at the time of the conquest. Today marabout means "Saint" in the Berber language, and refers to Sufi Muslim teachers who lead lodge or school called a
zaouïaA zaouia or zawiya is an Islamic religious school or monastery. The term is Maghrebi and West African, roughly corresponding to the Eastern term madrassa...
, associated with a specific school or tradition, called a
TariqahA tariqa is an Islamic religious order. In Sufism one starts with Islamic law, the exoteric or mundane practice of Islam and then is initiated onto the mystical path of a tariqa. Through spiritual practices and guidance of a tariqa the aspirant seeks ḥaqīqah - ultimate truth.-Meaning:A tariqa is a...
(
: "way", "path").
The pronunciation of that word may vary according the spoken Berber dialect, for example it is pronounced as "Amrabadh" in the Riff dialect. The "marabout" is known as "Sayyed" (سيد) to the Arabic speaking Maghribians. Many cities in Morocco got their names from local "marabouts", and the name of those cities does usually begin with "Sidi" (سيدي) followed with the name of the local "marabout." The standard Arabic for "saint" would be "Waliy" (ولي).
Syncretic holy sites
A marabout may also refer to a
tombA tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes...
( [qubba]) of a venerated saint, and such places have become holy centers and places of pious reflection.
The roots of this tradition can be traced back to ancient times when the
BerbersBerbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
believed in the polytheistic religions.
HerodotusHerodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
mentioned the tradition too, when he has spoke of the Nasamones bringing animal sacrifices to the tombs of holy men.
Some Zawiyas linked with specific marabouts
Note that these are not places of formal pilgrimage (limited in Islam to religious pilgrimages of the Hadj and
Jerusalem), but are rather places of reflection and inspiration for the pious.
- Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
- Sidi Ali el Goumi
- Sidi Allal el Behraoui
- Sidi Abdelah ben Hassoun
- Sidi Moulay Idriss
- Sidi fath
- Sidi el Arbi ben sayyeh
- Sidi Ahmed Tijani
- Sidi Moulay Ali sherif
- Sidi Hajj Hamza Qadiri Boutchichi
- Sidi Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani
- Sidi Abdel Kader el Alami
- Sidi Moulay Ibrahim
- Sidi Mohammed Ben Aissa
- Sidi Ahmed Ben Idris Al-Fassi (Idrissiya and Sanoussiya)
- Sidi Abu Lhcen Shadili
- Sidi Abdeslam ibn Mchich Alami
- Sidi Muhammad al-Arabi al-Darqawi
- Sidi Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli al-Simlali
- Sidi Abu Abdallah Mohammed Amghar
- Sidi Abu Abdallah al-Qaim bi Amrillah
- Sidi Muhammad ben Issa al-Barnusi al-Fasi Zarruq
Or
-
- zawiyas:
- Zaouïa Naciria
- Zaouïa Cherqaouia
- Zaouia Aïssaouia
- Zaouia Tidjaniya
- Zaouia Idrissiya
- Zaouia Sanoussiya
- Zaouia Al Qadiriya
- Zaouia Al Alamiya
- Zaouia Jazouliya semlaliya
- Zaouia Hamdouchia
- Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
- Sidi Ahmed Tidjani de 'Ainou Mahdi proche de Laguouate fondateur dela Tidjaniya
- Sidi M'hamed Bou Qobrine Founder of the Rahmaniya (Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
and Bounouh)
- Sidi Abderrahmane Thaalibi Founder of the Thaalibiya (Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
)
- Sidi M'hend oumalek (Tifrit nait oumalek)
- Sidi Moh'Ali oulhadj (Tifrit n'Aït el Hadj)
- Sidi Harrat Benaissa El Idrissi (Zemmora, Relizane)
- Sidi Abd-Allah ben Mançour
- Sidi Abdelkader djilali (tizi-ouzou)
- Sidi Abid Echerrif (Guentis)
- Sidi Abou AbdAllah Ech Choudi El Halloui
- Sidi A'hmed el Mejdoub
- Sidi Bel Abbes (namesake of Sidi Bel Abbès
Sidi Bel-Abbes is capital of the Sidi Bel Abbès wilaya , Algeria. It is named after a Muslim holy man who is buried there. It is the commercial center of an important area of vineyards, market gardens, orchards, and grain fields. It is surrounded by a wall with four gates and there is a...
)
- Sidi Ben-Ali (Aïn el Hout - Tlemcen)
- Sidi Ben-Ali (Nédromah)
- Sidi Ben-Azzouz (Borj Ben Azzouz)
- Sidi Bicinti el basco
- Sidi Bou Adjami
- Sidi Boudarga
- Sidi Boudjemaa
- Sidi Brahim
- Sidi Daoudi
- Sioud anta' El-Eubbad es-Saffi
- Sidi En-Naceur
- Sidi Et Toumi
- Sidi Hamadouche
- Sî ibn 'Alî Sharîf (Akbou)
- Sidi Mohammed Ben Omar El Houari
- Sidi Mohammed bou Semah'a,
- Sidi Moh'amed Ou'l Il'afian.
- Sidi Moulebhar
- Sidi Qadir
- Sidi Bel-Ezrag
- Sidi Serhane
- Sidi ghiles (tipaza)
- Sidi Soumeymane Ben Abdallah
- Zaouia de Sidi Benamar (Fillaoussenne)
- Sidi-Wahhab
- Sidi Yahia el Aidly (Akbou)
- Sidi Yakkout
- Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
- Zaouïa de Sidi Ben Azzouz. Nefta
- Zaouïa de Sidi Bouteffaha. Béja
- Zaouïa de Sidi Salah Zlaoui. Béja
- Zaouïa de Sidi Abdelkader. Béja
- Zaouïa de Sidi Bou Arba. Béja
- Zaouïa de Sidi Taieb. Béja
- Zaouïa de Sidi Baba Ali Smadhi. Béja
- Zaouïa de Sidi Ali El Mekki
- Zaouïa de Sidi El Mazri. Monastir
- Zaouïa de Sidi Bou Jaafar. Sousse
- Zaouïa de Sidi Abdel Hamid. Sousse
Muslim religious teachers
Muslim religious brotherhoods (
TariqahA tariqa is an Islamic religious order. In Sufism one starts with Islamic law, the exoteric or mundane practice of Islam and then is initiated onto the mystical path of a tariqa. Through spiritual practices and guidance of a tariqa the aspirant seeks ḥaqīqah - ultimate truth.-Meaning:A tariqa is a...
in the Sufi tradition) are one of the main organizing forms of West African Islam, and with the spread of Sufi ideas into the area, the marabout's role combined with local practices throughout Senegambia, the
Niger riverThe Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in southeastern Guinea...
valley, and the Futa Jallon. Here, Sufi believers follow a marabout, elsewhere known as a
MurshidMurshid is Arabic for "guide" or "teacher". Particularly in Sufism it refers to a Sufi teacher. The term is used by other branches of Islam as well, e.g. by the Nizaris, the main school of Ismā‘īlī Shiites....
("
Guide"). Marabout was also adopted by French colonial officials, and applied to most any
imamAn imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
, Muslim teacher, or secular leader who appealed to Islamic tradition.
Today marabouts can be traveling holy men who survive on alms, religious teachers who take in young talibes at koranic schools, or distinguished religious leaders and scholars, both in and out of the sufi brotherhoods which dominate spiritual life in Senegambia.
In the
Muslim brotherhoods of SenegalThis is a list of Muslim groups in Senegal . They are active Muslim organizations that can also be found in many other parts of Africa and the Islamic world.The three largest are:...
, marabouts are organized in elaborate hierarchies; the highest marabout of the Mourides, for example, has been elevated to the status of a
CaliphThe Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
or ruler of the faithful (Amir al-Mu'minin). Older, North African based traditions such as the
TijaniyyahThe Tijāniyyah is a sufi tariqa originating in North Africa but now more widespread in West Africa, particularly in Senegal, The Gambia, Mauritania, Mali, Guinea, and Northern Nigeria and Sudan...
and the Qadiriyyah base their structures on respect for teachers and religious leaders who, south of the Sahara, often are called marabouts. Those who devote themselves to prayer or study, either based in communities, religious centers, or wandering in the larger society, are named marabouts. In
SenegalSenegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
and
MaliMali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
, these Marabouts rely on donations to live. Often there is a traditional bond to support a specific marabout that has accumulated over generations within a family. Marabouts normally dress in traditional West African robes and live a simple, ascetic life.
Child exploitation schemes
Some
SenegalSenegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
ese marabouts have been accused of exploiting young students, recruiting young boys from all over Senegal and neighboring countries to enroll in their schools. These children are then forced to beg on the streets for money under threat of physical harm, while their teachers take the profits, leaving the children without proper clothing, food or shelter. This exploitation is in stark contrast to the tradition of Marbout-led koranic schools which have operated across West Africa for centuries.
Syncretic spiritualists
The spread in sub-Saharan Africa of the marabout's role from the eighth through 13th centuries CE created in some places a mixture of roles with pre-Islamic priests and divines. Thus many fortune tellers and self-styled spiritual guides take the name "marabout" (something rejected by more orthodox Muslims and Sufi brotherhoods alike). The recent diaspora of West Africans (to
ParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in particular) has brought this tradition to Europe and North America, where some marabouts advertise their services as fortune tellers.
External links