15th century – 16th century
Southern Morocco and the Maghrib
The Jazuliyya was a branch of the Shadhiliyya Sufi brotherhood centred in southern Morocco and associated with the saint Abu 'Abdallah Muhammad b. Sulayman al-Jazuli. Its zawiyas formed a dispersed religious network that acquired political significance during the weakening of central Moroccan authority. The brotherhood supported Sharifian rulers and helped mobilize opposition to the Wattasids and Portuguese expansion.
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The Story
The Jazuliyya was the Shadhiliyya branch associated with Abu 'Abdallah Muhammad b. Sulayman al-Jazuli, whose tomb at Afughal made that place a major sacred centre of the Sus. The wider Shadhiliyya network had influence in Tlemcen, the Rif, and the Sus, while the Qadiriyya was stronger in Algiers, Bougie, Tuat, and Fez. Their differing political relationships shaped the religious landscape of the Maghrib.
Al-Jazuli claimed descent from the Prophet and composed Dala'il al-Khayrat, a collection of prayers for the Prophet. He established new zawiyas, mainly in southern Morocco, which joined older Shadhiliyya centres to create a widely distributed organization. As central authority disintegrated in the fifteenth century, this religious network gained political importance and participated in agitation against the last Marinid sultan.
After al-Jazuli’s death in 1465, rumours that he had been poisoned helped intensify his status as a martyr. His disciples, including 'Umar b. Sulayman al-Shayazmi, known as al-Sayyaf, carried his body during campaigns through the Sus until it was buried at Afughal. The sanctity of al-Jazuli and the brotherhood’s alliances strengthened the Sharifian dynasty, which relied on marabouts and shaykhs to recruit broad support.
15th century – 16th century
Southern Morocco and the Maghrib
The Jazuliyya was a branch of the Shadhiliyya Sufi brotherhood centred in southern Morocco and associated with the saint Abu 'Abdallah Muhammad b. Sulayman al-Jazuli. Its zawiyas formed a dispersed religious network that acquired political significance during the weakening of central Moroccan authority. The brotherhood supported Sharifian rulers and helped mobilize opposition to the Wattasids and Portuguese expansion.
Continue exploring
The Story
The Jazuliyya was the Shadhiliyya branch associated with Abu 'Abdallah Muhammad b. Sulayman al-Jazuli, whose tomb at Afughal made that place a major sacred centre of the Sus. The wider Shadhiliyya network had influence in Tlemcen, the Rif, and the Sus, while the Qadiriyya was stronger in Algiers, Bougie, Tuat, and Fez. Their differing political relationships shaped the religious landscape of the Maghrib.
Al-Jazuli claimed descent from the Prophet and composed Dala'il al-Khayrat, a collection of prayers for the Prophet. He established new zawiyas, mainly in southern Morocco, which joined older Shadhiliyya centres to create a widely distributed organization. As central authority disintegrated in the fifteenth century, this religious network gained political importance and participated in agitation against the last Marinid sultan.
After al-Jazuli’s death in 1465, rumours that he had been poisoned helped intensify his status as a martyr. His disciples, including 'Umar b. Sulayman al-Shayazmi, known as al-Sayyaf, carried his body during campaigns through the Sus until it was buried at Afughal. The sanctity of al-Jazuli and the brotherhood’s alliances strengthened the Sharifian dynasty, which relied on marabouts and shaykhs to recruit broad support.
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