The Role of Sufism in Shaping Cultural Identity and Preserving Civilizational Memory in Morocco: A Historical Approach

Abstract

Sufism is a spiritual and ethical movement within Islam, based primarily on curbing worldly desires, refining the soul and purifying it through frequent acts of worship such as fasting, night prayers and the remembrance of God, as well as through moral excellence, the refinement of behaviour and ascending the ladder of spiritual stations, with the possibility of attaining miraculous powers. The phenomenon of Sufism has evolved considerably, giving rise to a multitude of schools, paths and concepts, with clear and fundamental differences between them, making it difficult for researchers interested in studying it to fully grasp and comprehend all aspects of this complex phenomenon. This has led them to focus their research on specific aspects in order to arrive at precise and methodologically sound scientific interpretations. There is no doubt about the profound and structural role that Sufism has played and the influence it has exerted on Arab, Islamic and other societies. In this context, it has left a profound mark on various periods of Morocco’s history from the Middle Ages to the present day, and has made clear and evident impacts on the country at several levels by contributing to the formation of a distinct cultural identity that has set the country apart from its counterparts in the rest of the Islamic world. The phenomenon under study has also contributed to the preservation of cultural memory and its protection from extinction and oblivion. However, what is striking – and on which researchers are in agreement – is the ambiguity of Sufi discourse and its dense symbolism, which complicates the process of analysing and deconstructing this discourse and grasping its various nuances.  We may begin with the central question: what are the limits of Sufism’s contribution to the construction of cultural identity and the preservation of the cultural memory of the Maghreb? This issue can be approached by examining the subject of the research at three levels:

1. The connection with the Maliki school of jurisprudence.
2. Hagiographical Literature as Sources for History and Memory.
3. Relationship between Sufism and education.

In this article, we shall rely heavily on the historical-analytical approach in our in-depth and impartial examination of various sources, in order to elucidate their underlying meanings and implications and to arrive at sound scholarly conclusions, which will assist us in filling in the gaps and blank spaces in the field of religious, social and cultural history in the Maghreb.