TheSecretsandHistoryoftheMadaniyyaSufiTariqahofKsibetal‐

Mediouni,Tunisia.

RyanHeislerSITFinalPaperMay11,2009

IbeganmyIndependentStudyProjectintentonstudyingSufismin

Tunisia,althoughIwasnotsurehowIwasgoingtodoso.Tobegin,Sufismis

Islamicmysticism,theadherentsofwhichstrivetounderstandGodasthesource

ofeverythingintheUniverse,andembracetheirexistencethroughHim.1Iasked

quiteafewpeopleaboutSufituruq(pluraloftariqah,whichliterallymeans

"way,"inArabic.ThiswordrefersbothtothewaybywhichSufisattemptto

drawneartoGod,andtoindividualordersorbrotherhoods)2,butnoneseemed

toknowanySufiswithwhomIcoulddiscusstheirpracticesandbeliefs.Earlier

thisyear,thegroupIwasstudyingwithvisitedtheshrineofSidial‐Hajj

Ambarak,asaintwholivedandtaughttheremanyhundredsofyearsago.While

there,thesharifah,thewomanwholivesinit,watchesoverit,and

accommodatesguestswhocometovisitthesaint,saidthatshereceivesvisitors

throughouttheyear,whoIassumedtobeSufis,sinceIknewfrommyprevious

studiesofSufismthatsaintsandshrinesplayanimportantroleinSufismin

general.Idecidedtobeginmyresearchthere,andsoIreturnedtospeakwiththe

sharifahandherhusband.

Thezawiyyah(alsoreferredtoasashrine,itisaplaceofworship,usually

ofaSufitariqah,althoughSidiAl‐HajjAmbarakisnotassociatedwithaspecific

brotherhood.Onemayincludethetombofarespectedshaykh,prayerrooms,

anddormitoriesforvisitors)islocatedonthesideofahillonthenortherncoast

ofTunisiaoutsideofavillagecalledGharal‐Milh.Itssharifah,whoiscalledKhalti

Beya3,andherhusbandSiHedi4occupythetombitself,andhaveoneothersmall

roomtostorefoodandwater.Theycooktheirfoodonametalgrillovercoalsin

aclaypot,andboilwaterforteaonakerosenestove.Theyusecandlesforlight

atnight,andsleeponfutonsonthefloor,nexttothetomb.Behindthebuilding

standmanystonewalls,allfallingapart,thatusedtomakeupotherbuildings,

1Foramorefullexplanation,seeChittick,WillliamC.Sufism:AShortIntroduction.OneworldProductions.2000.Iwilldiscussthisidea,alsocalledWahdatal­Wujud,later.2Lings,Martin.ASufiSaintoftheTwentiethCentury:ShaikhAhmadal­‘Alawi.UniversityofCaliforniaPress,BerkleyCalifornia.January1972.3TheTunisianwordkhalticomesfromtheArabickhalati,meaning‘mymaternalaunt.’InTunisia,itisusedasatermofendearmentandrespect.4‘Si’isacommonprefixattachedtoaman’snametoshowrespect.Itisroughlyequivalenttothetitle‘Mr.’

buthavenowfallenintodisrepair.Theyarebothelderly,andcannoyleavethe

zawiyyah,asitwouldmeanclimbingdownaverysteephill,andwalkingmore

thanakilometertothenearestvillage,sotheyrelyonrelativestobringthem

suppliesperiodically.Despitewhatlittletheyhave,theyveryinsistentlyfedme

andgavemeabedforthenight,andIwillbeforevergratefulfortheir

generosity.

KhaltiBeyaandSiHedihadlittletooffermeonthesubjectofSufism,

however.WhenIaskedthemaboutthevisitorswhocometotheshrine,they

couldonlytellmethatsomeofthemwereSufis,andotherswerenot.Theycould

nottellmetowhichturuqtheirvisitorsbelonged,norcouldtheydescribethe

specificthingspeopledowhentheycometovisit.IleftwiththeideaofSufismin

TunisianoclearerthanwhenIcame,anddecidedtostoponmywaybackto

TunisatthezawiyyahofSidi'Alial‐Makki,locatedinalargecaveinthesamehill

asSidiAl‐HajjAmbarak's.Ittoowasinpoorcondition,withthestuccopeelingoff

thewalls.Mostoftheroomswerealmostcompletelyempty,exceptforaprayer

rug,oramattomakesittingonthestonemorecomfortable.Eventhetombof

thesaintcontainedlittlemorethanaclothoverthegraveandaQur'anontop.

Thesharifah(thewomanwholivesatthezawiyyah,watchesoverit,and

accommodatesanyvisitorstothesaint)livesinasetofroomsseparatefromthe

restoftheshrine,althoughtheyarehardlybetterfurnished.Sheoccupiesonly

twooftherooms:abedroom,whichhasabed,aradio,andherQur'an,andthe

kitchen,withasmallgasstove,asink,andafewcabinets.

Ilearnedmanythingsfromthesharifahofthisshrine,whosenameis

Sharifah,butnothingaboutthepracticeofSufisminTunisia.Asshebroughtme

throughtheshrine,shetoldmemanystoriesaboutSidi'Alial‐Makki.Hewas

originallyfromMecca,andcametoTunisiamayhundredsofyearsago(she

couldnotsayexactlywhen)withtwocompanionsaftertravelingtoMoroccoto

visitthem.Hespentmanyyearsinthecavewherehiszawiyyahnowstands,

practicingdhikr(theremembranceofGodthroughtheinvocationofHisname,

discussedbelow).Beforetheendofhislife,hetraveledbacktoMecca,butdied

soonafterhisreturn.Hisfamily,accordinghiswishes,placedhisbodyona

camel,andsetitloose.Hewastobeburiedwhereverthecamelstopped.

AccordingtoSharifah,thecamelreturnedtothecaveinTunisiaandcametorest

atapoolofwater,wherethesaint'stombnowstands.DescendentsofSidi'Alial

Makkithensetupthezawiyyahthatisstilltheretoday.Sharifahtoldmethat

throughouttheyears,manydifferentSufituruqwouldcometotheshrineto

practicedhikr.Shecurrentlyreceivesvisitorsthroughouttheyear,although

mostlyinthesummer,someofwhomareSufisandsomearenot.

AftermytriptoGharal‐Milh,Idecidedtotryadifferentmethodof

studyingSufisminTunisia.Bythattime,IhadheardofatariqahcalledTariqat

al­MadaniyyainKsibetal‐Mediouni,avillageoutsideofMonastir,and,through

thedirectorofmyprogram,foundsomeonewhocouldputmeintouchwiththe

shaykh.5IvisitedthezawiyyahoftheMadaniyyatwice,andspokewiththe

shaykhonce,althoughhewasreluctanttoprovidemewithmuchinformation.

Instead,IgatheredmuchoftheinformationIfoundfromtheMadaniyya's

website,andfromaninterviewwiththenephewofthecurrentshaykh.My

interviewwiththeshaykhdemonstratedtomethelevelofsecrecytheSufituruq

inTunisiakeepup,andthus,whyithadbeensodifficultformetofindany

informationonthemwhenIbeganmyresearch.

ThefatheroftheMadaniyya'scurrentshaykhandfounderofthetariqah,

ShaykhMuhammadibnKhalifaal‐Madani,tookhisinstructionintheSufiWay

fromShaykhAhmadal‐'Alawi,ashaykhoftheDarqawitariqahinAlgeria,6which

isanoffshootoftheShadhilyya,alargetariqahwhosebranchesaremainly

locatedinnorthernAfrica.Itwillbehelpfultoknowalittleaboutthelifeof

Shaykhal‐'AlawitounderstandhowhecametobethespiritualmasterofShaykh

al‐Madani.Alloftheinformationinthisshortaccountoftheshaykh'slifemaybe

foundwithinhisautobiography,whichMartinLingshasreproducedinfullinhis

bookASufiSaintoftheTwentiethCenturyonpages47‐78.

Al‐'Alawireceivedhisfirstinstructioninthemysticalpathinthe'Isawi

tariqah,abrotherhoodknownforitsunorthodoxpractices(forexample,hesays

thatduringhistimeinthegroupandafterheleftit,hepracticedsnake

charming).Afterbecomingproficientinthetariqah'spractices,al‐'Alawiclaims,

5Thewordshaykhisusuallyusedtodenoteamanwisewithage,althoughintheworldofSufism,itreferstotheheadofabrotherhood.6Lings,68

"GodwilledthatIshouldbeinspiredwiththetruth,"7afterwhichhegradually

begantodiscontinuethepracticeshehadlearnedanddistancehimselffromthe

tariqah.Al‐'Alawicontinuedtocharmsnakesandrunhisbusinesswithhis

friend,whomhecallsSidial‐Ḥajjbin'Awdah,untiltheymetandbegantomeet

withShaykhSidiMuhammadAl‐Buzidi.

Afterspendingtimewithal‐'Alawi,theshaykhsawinhimanaptitudefor

learningthemysticway,andsoinductedhimintohistariqah.Al‐Buzidigavehim

thebrotherhood'swird,8andeventuallytoldhimhowtopracticedhikrasa

Darqawi.Al‐'AlawisaysthathegainedaknowledgeofGodfrompracticingdhikr,

afterwhichpointBuziditoldhimthathemustguidementotheDarqawipathby

sharinghisknowledgewiththem.Al‐'Alawispentthenextfifteenyearsinthe

order,practicingdhikr,teachingfromhisshop,andhelpingattractfollowersto

thebrotherhood.

Al‐'Alawisaysthat,attheendofthisperiodoftime,Godputadesireto

leavehishomeofMostaganeminAlgeria.9Hesoldhisbelongings,acquireda

permittotravel,andsenthiswifetovisitherfamilyinTlemceninpreparationto

leave,buthecouldnotfulfillhisplansbecauseShaykhal‐Buzidibecameill,and

wassoontodie.Afterhisdeath,al‐'AlawireceivedwordfromTlemcenthathis

wifehadtakenillaswell,sohewenttoseeher,butwaswithheronlyforashort

timebeforeshepassedaway.HereturnedtoMostaganem,stillresolvedto

emigrate,buthadtowaitwhilehistravelpermitwasrenewed.Inthemeantime,

thebrothersofhisorderspenttheirtimetryingtodecidewhowouldtakeover

Shaykhal‐Buzidi'sroleandguidethetariqah.AlthoughShaykhal‐'Alawiknewhe

wouldbeconsideredfortheposition,heassumedthatthetariqahwouldelect

anothermanbecausetheyallknewofhisdesiretoleave.However,thebrothers

couldnotagree,anddecidedtoleavethedecisionforaweek'stimeandseeif

anyofthemwouldhaveavisionrevealingwhowastobecomethenewleaderof

thetariqah.10

7Lings,518AlitanyorformulamadeupofversesoftheQur'anwhichtheshaykhprescribeshisfollowerstorecitetwiceperday.Ibid.53.9Ibid.8210Lingsusesahadith,asayingattributedtotheProphetMuhammad,onpage64todemonstratethatvisionsareawayinwhichGodcommunicateswithbelievers.

Manyofal‐'Alawi'sfellowbrothershadvisionsinwhichShaykhal‐Buzidi

toldthemthatal‐'Alawiwashisspiritualheir,andsotheybeggedhimtoguide

thematleastinthetimebeforehelefttotravel.Theysucceededinpersuading

himtoremainwiththem,atleastforashorttime,andsohetookoathsof

allegiancefromallofthem.Atthispoint,theorderwasstillaDarqawitariqah.

AboutfiveyearsafterShaykhal‐'Alawitookover,hewoulddecidetobreakoff

thetariqah'sconnectionwiththeDarqawiyyah,andforgehisownway,whichhe

called"at­Tariqatal­'Alawiyatad­Darqawiyatash­Shadhiliyah."11

Al‐'Alawiremainedrestless,andonedaycouldnolongerbeartostayin

Mostaganemanylonger,sohewenttovisitsomeofhisfollowersoutsidethe

city,bringingadisciplewithhim.Fromthere,theytraveledtoGhalizantovisit

otherdisciples.Al‐'Alawi'scompanionsuggestedtheycontinueontoAlgiersto

lookforapublishertoprintthebookal‐'Alawihadbeenwriting,towhichthe

shaykhagreed.Whilethere,theyfounditverydifficulttofindapublisher,andso

decidedtocontinueontoTunis,wheretheyweresuretheywouldfinda

companywillingtoprintthebook.InTunis,al‐'Alawireceivedagroupof

visitors,Sufis,whohadbeenthefollowersofShaykhSidiAs‐SadiqAs‐Sahrawi,

whohadrecentlydied.Thisshaykhtracedhisspiritualrootsthroughaman

calledSidiMuhammadal‐MadanitoShaykhSidiMawlayAl‐'Arabiad‐Darqawi,

thefounderofal‐'Alawi'sowntariqah.Thevisitorscametohimseeking

guidancesincetheirmasterhadpassedaway,andal‐'Alawistayedwiththemfor

afewdays,teachingthemandacceptingsomeofthemasdisciples.Oneofthe

visitorsShaykhal‐'AlawireceivedwasMuhammadibnKhalifaal‐Madani,who

wouldlaterfollowShaykhal‐'AlawitoMostaganemandstudywithhim.

ItisnowappropriatetoexplorethebiographyofShaykhMuhammadibn

Khalifaal‐Madani.12Shaykhal‐Madaniwasbornin1888inKsibetal‐Mediounito

KhalifaibnHassin,amerchantwhousedtotravelbetweenhishomeandTunis

toselloilthere.WhileinTunis,hespentpartofhistimestudyingthemysticalInthefootnoteonpage66,herelatesthatoneofShaykhal­'Alawi'sdiscipleslaterrelatedtoLingsthatvisionstendtobemuchmorevisuallyclearthandreams,andareusuallyfollowedbycompletewakefulness.11Ibid.8412All of this information in this section comes from the biography of the shaykh published on the Madaniyya's website at http://www.madaniyya.com/Mohammed-Al-Madani which was accessed on May 1st, 2009

wayintheTariqatal‐Madaniyyaal‐ShadhiliyyaunderShaykhas‐Sadiqas‐

Sahrawi,whosespiritualmasterwasShaykhMuhammadZafiral‐Madani.He

namedhissonafterthismaster,anddideverythinghecouldtoencouragethe

youngMuhammadal‐MadanitolearnaboutIslam.

Muhammadal‐Madanispenthischildhoodlearningtherecitationofthe

Qur'anbyheart,whichhecompletedbyage12.Afterheachievedthis,hisfather

senthimtothenearbycityofMonastirtolearntoreadandwrite.After

completinghisstudiesinMonastir,hewenttostudyIslamicsciencesand

theologyatZaytunaUniversityinTunisattheageof15.WhileinTunis,hebegan

toattendmeetingsofal­Tariqatal­Madaniyyaal­Shadhiliyyainwhichhisfather

hadstudied.In1909,afterthedeathofShaykhas‐Sahrawi,whenShaykhAhmad

al‐'AlawicametoTunis,Muhammadal‐Madaniwentwithhisbrotherstovisital‐

'Alawi.Thewebsite'sbiographyreportsthatal‐Madaniimmediatelytookaliking

toShaykhal‐'Alawi,andwasoneofthemenwhotookanoathofallegiancetothe

shaykhduringhisvisit.Muhammadal‐MadanididnotfollowShaykhal‐'Alawi

whenheleftTunistogotoTripoliandontoIstanbul,butstayedatZaytuna

Mosqueforthenexttwoyears.Hewasunhappyinhisstudieswithouthis

shaykh,sohelefttheuniversityin1911andwenttoMostaganemtobewithal‐

'Alawi.

AfterspendingayearstudyingIslamiclawandthemysticalwayunder

Shaykhal‐'Alawi,al‐Madanireceivedfromhismasteralicenseconnectinghimto

theDarqawitariqah,andallowinghimtopassonitsteachingstootherpeople.

Al‐'Alawisental‐MadanibacktoKsibetal‐Mediouniatthistime,wherehebegan

teachingArabicandIslamiclawataschoolinMonastir.Hetaughtfrom1912

until1915,whenShaykhal‐'Alawitoldhimtoleavethejobandfocusonteaching

thewaysofthetariqah.Hebegantofarmtheland,andtravelthroughoutthe

regioninwhichhelivedofferingtoeducatethepoor,usuallyilliterate,farmers

wholivedthere.Ashegainedfavorintheregion,peoplebegantocometohis

homeandlistentohimspeakabouthistariqah.Hisnewrecruitsbroughtgifts,

whichhedistributedamongstthemalongwithpartofhisownincomefrom

farming.13In1920,heandhisfollowersbuiltthezawiyyahwhereitnowstands

ondonatedland(accordingtothecurrentshaykh'snephew,thelandwas

donatedbyalocal,richman).

Fromthenon,Shaykhal‐Madani'sfollowing,andthezawiyyahgrewuntil

hisdeathin1959.Thewebsitelistsanumberofexpansionsmadetothe

zawiyyahthroughouttheyears,includingtwoexpansionsofthemosqueto

accommodatemorefollowers,andtheadditionsofamadrasah,oraschoolfor

teachingtherecitationoftheQur'an.ThegrandsonofShaykhMuhammadal‐

Madani,andthenephewofthecurrentshaykh,Munawwaral‐Madani,satwith

meandspoketomeabouthismemoriesofthebrotherhoodsincehischildhood

followingmyinterviewwiththecurrentshaykh.Heremembersthatintheearly

daysofthezawiyyah,fiveortenpeoplewouldstaythereatatime,andeach

woulddonateanythinghecouldtothetariqah.Therewereevenafew

permanentresidentsofthezawiyyah,whohaddevotedtheirlivestothetariqah

andprovidedservicesfortheshaykhandhisfollowers.Hetoldmeaboutone

man,whohecalledSiMabrouk,whocamefromAlgeriaafteravisionprompted

himtogiveuphislifeasathiefandseekoutaTunisianshaykh.Oncehearrived,

SiMabrouksetuparoominthezawiyyahwherehemadeteaforallthevisitors

whocame.Anotherman,fromLibya,apparentlybroughtamillwheeltothe

zawiyyah,andalwaysgroundwheatintoflourtomakebreadforvisitors.

DuringthelateryearsofthezawiyyahunderShaykhMuhammadal‐

Madani,andespeciallythelastfewyearsofhislife,theMadanitariqahgaineda

largeamountofdisapprovalfromthepeopleofKsibetal‐Mediouni.Kenneth

Brownrelatesthatin1937,al‐Madaniwasacandidateforthepositionofimam

atthemainmosqueofKsibet,andthepeopleofthevillagesentmanylettersof

supportandoppositiontothePrimeMinister.Thoseagainsttheshaykh's

appointmentarguedthathewasnotatrueauthorityonIslam,buthadgained

moneyinfluencebypreachingtotheignorantfarmersinthesurroundingarea.14

Althoughthecurrentshaykh'snephewbelieveshisgrandfatherstartedthe

zawiyyahwithgoodintentions,heagreesthathetookinalargenumberofgifts,13Ed.Gellner,Ernest.IslamicDilemmas:Reformers,NationalistsandIndustrialization:TheSouthernShoreoftheMediterranean.MoutonDeGruyter,Germany,1985.Page150.14Gellner,161‐162.

andthinksthismayhaveinfluencedthewayheranthetariqah.

Muhammadal‐Madani'sdownfallcamewiththeriseofHabibBourguiba

andhisNeo‐Destourparty.AccordingtoKennethBrown,Muhammadal‐Madani

receivedtheFrenchMédailled'Honneur.15AlthoughhesupportedtheFrench

colonialists,andevenwroteagainsttheNeo‐Destourparty,16manypeopleI

talkedtoassuredmethatthiswasonlyarumorthattheNeo‐Destourparty

startedwhenShaykhal‐Madanirefusedtoofferhissupporttothemduring

independence.Al‐MadaniapparentlyalsoattendedarallyforBourguibain1955,

inwhichhecalledforanIslamicconstitution,completelycontrarytoBourguiba's

wishes.UnhappinesswiththeshaykhgrewuntiltheMuladcelebration(the

prophetMuhammad'sbirthday)in1957.Thatyear,theNeo‐Destourdecided

thatitwouldrunthecelebrationsthroughoutthecountry,andforbade

Muhammadal‐Madanifromholdinghisyearlycelebration,thefirstofwhichtook

placein1925,accordingtotheMadniyya'swebsite.17Whenal‐Madanishowed

upattheMuladcelebrationwithalargegroupofhisfollowers,membersofthe

partybegantodenouncehiminfrontofthewholetown.Theyaccusedhimboth

ofcollaboratingwiththeFrench,andusinghisfollowerstoaccumulatewealth.

ThisiswhatKennethBrownexplainstobethefinalblowdealttoalMadani.

Althoughthecurrentshaykh'snephewtoldmeadifferentstory,bothendedwith

Muhammadal‐Madanisecludinghimselfinhishouseuntilhisdeathin1959.

OnmyfirstvisittoKsibetal‐Mediounitheshaykhoftheorderwason

vacation,visitingahammam(bathhouse)inanothercity,butmyhostsSiMuldi

Malek,andhiswifeSaīda,spokewithhimbeforemyarrival,andheagreedtolet

SiMuldishowmearoundthezawiyyah.Hetookmethere,lessthanakilometer

awayfromhishome,onthedayofmyarrival.

ThezawiyyahwasunliketheothersIvisitedinTunisia.Itwasverylarge,

withmultiplebuildings,alllocatedonprimerealestateoverlookingthesea.The

firstthingthatstruckmewasabrandnewcarinthepaveddriveway.SiMuldi

explainedthatitbelongedtooneofShaykhal‐Madani'schildren,mostofwhom

liveinhousesonthegroundsofthezawiyyah.Forourfirststop,weenteredthe15Ibid.163.16Ibid.162.17http://www.madaniyya.com/Mohammed­Al­Madani?artsuite=5asofMay1,2009.

tombofShaykhMuhammadal‐Madani,andstoodintheentrance,asmallarea

insidethedoorwithoutamatonthefloor.Likemanysaints'tombs(althoughSi

MulditoldmethatShaykhal‐Madaniisnotasaint),thetombitselfwas

surroundedbylow,woodenwallswithdesignscarvedintothem,pastwhich

visitorsmaynotgo.Thefloorwascoveredinathick,reedmatting,andthewalls

wereadornedateyelevelwithphotographsoftheshaykh,ofthebrotherhood

standinginagroup,andofvariousholyplacesintheIslamicworld.Abovethe

photographs,alongthewallswheretheymettheceiling,hunggreenpiecesof

woodcarvedtolooklikeleaves,andeachbearingoneofGod's99names.Above

thecenteroftheroom,fromthedomeintheceiling,hungalarge,crystaland

brasschandelier.InaclosetalongonewallhungsomeofShaykhMuhammadal‐

Madani'sclothes,preservedafterhisdeathandstoredinhistomb.

Fromthetomb,wemovedintotheprayerroom,whichwasverysparse

comparedtowhatIhadseensofar.Itwasmostlyempty,exceptforthecolumns

holdinguptheroof,themihrab(thenicheinonewallofeverymosquethat

indicatesthedirectionofMecca,andinwhichtheimam,orprayerleader,prays),

andsignsonthewallswithsayingsfromtheQur'anandinformationaboutthe

prophetMuhammadonthem.Themihrabwasmadeofbrownstucco,andhad

veryornatedecorationsandversesoftheQur'animpressedinit.Fromthe

middleoftheceilinghunganotherchandelier,whichwasalsomadeofbrassand

crystal,butwaslessornatethantheoneinthetomb.Theonlythingoutofplace

wasasmall,bluemotorscooterinthecorneroftheroom.Normally,towalkinto

aprayerroom,onemustremovehisshoestopreservethecleanlinessofthe

space.Icanonlyguessthattheshaykhwasstoringthescootertherewhilehe

wasaway,andhedoesnotnormallyparkitinsuchaholyplace.

Afterwesawtheprayerroom,wewalkedoutsideanddownaflightof

stairstothelowerlevelofthezawiyyah.Averylargepavilion,atinroof

supportedbymetallegs,tookupmostofthespaceonthelowerlevel.Theroof

supportedatwenty‐footsignbearingthenameoftheprophetMuhammadand

wishesofpeaceuponhim,whichmarkedthepavilionastheplacewherethe

Muladcelebrationtakesplace.Thepavilionwasemptyforthetimebeing,since

theMuladtookplaceonMarchninthin2009,butthereweremanythings

leftoverthathintedatthenatureofthecelebration.Thewallshadlargewhite

areasborderedwithgoldwherevideocouldbeprojected,althoughShaykh

Munawwaral‐MadaniwouldnottellmewhatvideostheyusewhenIspokewith

him.Manyofthelegssupportingtheroofalsohadplatformsabouteightfeetoff

thegroundwithchairsandstandsforcamerasonthem.SiMuldisaidthatevery

year,theMadaniyyafilmtheirMuladcelebration,andmakethevideointoaDVD.

WhenIaskedShaykhMunawwarifIcouldseethesomeofthevideos,hetoldme

hedidnothaveany,althoughIwillcommentmoreonhissecrecylater.

Inthefarcornerofthepavilion,adoorwassetinthewall,throughwhich

werethegravesofseveraloftheshaykh'srelatives,includingthreeofhis

brotherswhodiedinchildhood.Itwasclearfromtheconstructionofthe

pavilionthatthegraveshadbeentherefirst,anditwasbuiltaroundthem,asthe

cornertheyoccupiedjuttedintothepavilion.Itwasalsoclearthatthepavilion

wasbuiltoverwhatusedtobepartofthezawiyyah'sgarden.Throughagate

nexttothepavilionwaswhatisleftofthegardentoday:a25by40footpieceof

landwithafewtrees,grassgrowingwild,andpilesofrubblefrompast

constructionprojects.IspokewithShaykhMunawwar'snephewaftermy

interviewwiththeshaykhhimself,andherelatedtomehismemoriesofthe

zawiyyahwhenhisgrandfather,ShaykhMuhammadal‐Madaniwasstillalive.He

remembersmostofthezawiyyahbeingalargegarden,fulloffruittrees.Hetold

methateveryFriday,whenhisgrandfatherwenttothemosquetodeliverthe

sermon(hewasthentheimamofoneofthemosquesinKsibet),hewouldclose

thelargegatetothezawiyyah,cuttingitofffromoutsiders,whichallowedthe

womenwholivedtheretowalkaroundthegardenfreely,gatheringfruits.He

alsotoldme,withdismay,thatafterMuhammadal‐Madani'sdeathin1959,

ShaykhMunawwardividedupthelandthegardenoccupied,andgaveittohis

sevensons,eachofwhomnowhasahouseonthezawiyyah'sland.

Comingoutofthegarden,Isawthehousesthatnowstandthere.

Buildingssurroundthepavilion,whichSiMulditoldmewherethehousesofthe

shaykh'srelatives,althoughhecouldnottellmewhom.Inthebottomofthe

buildingthathousestheprayerroomandthetombthereweremanymore

rooms.Thefirstone,closesttothebottomofthestairs,wasacommunal

washroomfordoingtheritualablutionsbeforeprayer.Theentrancetotheroom

hadahallwaywithtoilets,fromwhichbrotherscangotothewashroom,wherea

dozenlow,squareseatsbordertheroom.Infrontofthemisatrough‐likegutter

fordrainingwater,abovewhichrunsapipewithavalveforeachseat.Outside,

fartherfromthebottomofthestairswereseveralwindowsanddoorssetinto

thewall.Peeringintothewindows,Idiscoveredthattheyweredormitoriesfor

visitors,althoughitappearedtheyhadbeenoutofuseforsometime.Thedoors

werealllockedwithpadlocksandchains,andinsidesatstacksoflightweight

chairsinstorageuntiltheywereneededagain.

Betweenmytripstothezawiyyah,Ispentmytimereadingallaboutthe

tariqahonitswebsite,whichcontainsarticleswrittenbythesite'sadministrator,

called"Madani,"aswellasDr.SalahKhelifa,amanfromKsibetal‐Mediouniwho

wrotehisdoctoraldissertationontheMadniyya.ThereIwasabletoreada

biographyofShaykhMuhammadal‐Madani,the"16principlesofgoodconduct

oftheMadaniyya,"18thetariqah'swird,19andthefirstissueofaquarterly

newslettercalled"LaLumiere",or"Al‐Nibras"inArabic,whichbothmean

"lantern."20WhenIreadwhatwasonthewebsite,Iwasstruckbyhowopenthe

Madaniyyaseemedtobe.Manyturuqhavewebsitesnow,includingthe

Shadhiliyya,21soIwasnotsurprisedtofindthattheMadaniyyahadawebsite,

northattheyhadpublishedabiographyoftheshaykh.Iwassurprised,however,

tofindtheArabictextofthetariqah'swird.ManySufiswouldregardrecitinga

tariqah’swirdwithouttheguidanceoftheshaykhasdangerous.Without

guidance,theadherentdoesnotunderstandwhyheisrecitingthewordsofthe

wird,andsomaydrawfurtherfromGod,ratherthannearertoHim,while

recitingit.Forthisreason,shuyukh(pluralofshaykh)givethetariqah'slitany

onlytoadherentsaftertheyarereadytojointhetariqahandhavetakenanoath

ofallegiancetotheshaykh.22

18http://www.madaniyya.com/Principes­de­bonne­conduite­de­la,15519http://www.madaniyya.com/al­Wird,08220http://www.madaniyya.com/­AL­NIBRAS­21http://www.shadhilitariqa.com/site/index.phpasofMay11,2009.22In the autobiography of Shaykh Ahmad al-'Alawi, he says that he spent many days over the course of months with the man who would become his shaykh, Muhammad al-Buzidi, before the shaykh let him take the oath and join the tariqah. Before admitting al-'Alawi into the tariqah, al-Buzidi declared that "he would be receptive to instruction," but waited still to let him take the oath. Only after al-'Alawi had taken the other did the shaykh give him the wird. Lings,52-53.

OnmysecondtriptoKsibetal‐Mediouni,abouttwoweekslater,SiMuldi

broughtmebacktothezawiyyahoftheMadaniyya.Theshaykh,Munawwaral‐

Madani,waswaitingforusinsidehisoffice,whichislocatedhalfwaydownthe

stairs,inasmallbuildingseparatefromthemainbuilding.Thelevelofdécorin

theofficematchedthatoftherestofthezawiyyah.Itwasfurnishedmainlywitha

large,woodendesk,uponwhichsatarotarytelephonewithgoldtrimand

variouspapers,andaleatherofficechairfacingthedoor.Infrontofthedeskwas

alowtable,aroundwhichwerethreechairs.Alongthebackwallandthewallto

therightuponenteringwerebookshelvesfullofunlabeledfolderscontaining

stacksofpaper.Abovethemhungaphotographoftheshaykh'sfatheralongwith

multipleframesofArabiccalligraphy.Isatacrossthetablefromshaykh

MunawwarandSiMuldiwhilethelatterintroducedmeandexplainedwhoIwas

again.Theshaykhfurrowedhisbrowattheexplanation,andturnedtometoask

whatIwasstudying.

WhileIwasexplainingmyresearchtopic,SiMuldileft,leavingmeto

speaktotheshaykhalone.ShaykhMunawwarlookedatmewithaskeptical

expressionwhileItoldhimthatIhadstudiedSufismatmyuniversity,andIwas

interestedinexaminingtheformsandpracticesofTunisianSufis.Ialsotoldhim

thatIwantedtoaskhimaboutthetariqah'srelationshipwiththepeopleof

Ksibetal‐Mediouni,andwiththegovernment.AfterIhadexplainedmyself,he

toldmethathis,orhisfather's,relationshipwiththegovernmentorwiththe

peopleofKsibethadnothingtodowithSufism(Tasawwuf),whichhethought

wasthesubjectofmypaper.WhenIexplainedthattherewasa

miscommunication,andthatIactuallywantedtotalkaboutmorehistorical

events,heelaboratedonhisanswer,butstillrefusedtotalkaboutit.Hetoldme

thatheinteractswithotherpeople,includingpeoplewhoworkinthe

government,asaperson,notasaSufiorasashaykh.Inhisview,allpeopleare

fromGodandwillreturntoGod,sothereisnoreasonforhimtohaveanything

butgoodrelationswithotherpeople.

TheideathatallpeoplecomefromandwillreturntoGodcomesfromthe

doctrineoftheOnenessofBeing,orWahdatal­Wujud.23Inshort,thisisoneof

23Foramuchmorein‐depthexplanationofWahdatal­Wujud,seeChapter5ofLings'ASufiSaintoftheTwentiethCenturybeginningonpage121.

theprincipleideasofSufism,andsaysthatGodistheonlythinginexistence,and

fromHimcomeseverythingintheuniverse.TheQur'anicverse"Wheresoeverye

turn,thereistheFaceofGod."24isoneofthechieforiginsofthisdoctrine.Itsays

thatinallthingsinthecreateduniverse,onemayperceiveGod.Increatingthe

universe,Godimbuedeverythinginitwithqualitiesofhimself,andsoeach

createdthingdisplayspartofHim.25AnotherQur'anicverse,"Everything

perishethbutHisFace,"26revealshowGodremainstheonlythingexistentina

universeofthingsthatarenotHim.God's'face'inthissenseisthewayinwhich

eachobjectintheuniversedisplayshisattributesatalltimes.Sincenothing

wouldexisthadGodnotcreateditandgivenitattributesofHimself,thereis

nothingintheexistenceofanobjectexceptGod'sownexistence.

AfterShaykhMunawwarhadconvincedmethatIwouldnotgetany

answersfromhimabouttheinteractionsheandhisfatherhavehadwiththe

government,hetoldmethatstudyingSufismwasnotsomethingIcoulddoina

halfhour.Hesaidthatthesubjectwasbettersuitedtoamuchlongerpaper,like

thedoctoralthesiswrittenbyDr.SalahKhelifaofKsibet.Dr.Khelifahadspenta

yearlivinginthezawiyyah,hetoldme,andwrittenallabouttheMadaniyyaand

itsparenttariqah,the'Alawiyya.Ipressedhimagain,andheagreedtoanswer

somequestions,butheseemedtothinkIwaswastingmytime.

Ifounditverydifficulttocontinuefromthispoint.Thestrong,although

subtleoppositionthatShaykhMunawwargavemedisorientedmeandleftmeat

alossforwheretostart.Hehad,infiveminutes,toldmethathewouldnot

answerhalfofmyquestions,andthattheotherhalfweretoodifficulttoanswer

andfitintoa20‐pagepaper.Therewasalsosomethingveryuncomfortable

aboutthewholesituation.ShaykhMunawwarisalargeman,about6feettalland

heavyset.Hewaswearingaredshashiyya(abrimless,felthat,alsocalledafez)

andagrayjalabiyya(averylong,collar‐lessshirtwornbysomeTunisianmen

overotherclothing)thatcamedownalmosttohisleathersandals.Hesatacross

thetablefrommewithhisbacktothebookshelfandhisarmsfoldedacrosshis

torso.Hisstature,andthewaythathetoldmehecouldnotanswermyquestions,

24Qur’an2:115fromLings,121.25Chittick,10.26Qur’an28:88fromLings,121.

seemedverydefensivetome,althoughIcouldnotthinkofareasonforthisat

thetime.

Istaredatmynotesandafteralongsilence,begantoaskhimaboutthe

tariqahasitistoday.Fromthispointon,theshaykhadoptedamore

accommodatingair.Hetookpleasureinansweringmyquestions,andseemed

satisfiedwitheveryanswerhegave.Everythinghesaidwasshortandsimple,

andcouldbetracedbacktotheideaofWahdatal­Wujudabove.Afteralmost

everyanswer,hesmiled,shookhishead,andusedtheTunisianphrase

"akahaou,"theliteralmeaningofwhichis'only,'butisusedtomean'that'sall'at

theendofananecdote.Inthisway,hecutmeoffaftereveryquestionandforced

metomoveontoadifferenttopic.Evenifhedidn'tsay"akahaou,"hefound

anotherwaytoanswereveryquestioninveryfewwords,andleavemewithout

anyquestionstofollowupwith.

Iaskedhimwhocomestovisitthezawiyyahnow,andallhecouldtellme

wasthatpeoplefromKsibetandpeoplefromotherplacesaroundTuniscome,

mostlyduringtheMulad,orthecelebrationoftheProphetMuhammad's

birthday.Iaskedaboutthemanyroomshehasbelowfilledwithchairs,andhe

toldmethattheyareforvisitors,butthecelebrationisonlyforonenight.Iwas

surprisedtohearthatbasedonmypreviousvisitstozawiyyat(pluralof

zawiyyah).Theshuruf(pluralofsharifah)oftheshrinesofSidi'Alial‐Makkiand

Sidial‐HajjAmbaraktoldmethattheygetvisitorsthroughouttheyear,bothSufi

andnon,comingformultiplenightstopray,andshareintheblessing(baraka)

thesaintshavefrombeingneartoGod.

BeforehetoldmethatmostofhisvisitorsnowarefromKsibet,hewas

morevague.Hesaidthatanyonewhowantstocomecan.First,hesaidthatSufis

fromanytariqahmaycomeandpray,andtoexplainwhy,helikenedthevarious

turuqtothestatesofAmerica.HesaidthatinspeakingtoAmericans,youmay

findthatoneisfromChicago,oneisfromTexas,oneisfromWashington,and

anotherisfromNewYork,buttheyareallAmerican.Iadmittedthatasan

American,IfeltasenseofcommunitywithotherAmericans,eveniftheyare

fromanotherstate.Inhisview(andthisisnottrueofallSufis)hesharesabond

withotherSufisintheirmutualloveofGodanddesiretodrawnearertoHim,so

hewouldwelcomeaSufifromtheSanussiyyaor'Isawwiyyatothezawiyyahasif

hewereaMadani.

Continuing,heexplainedthatMuslimswhoarenotcurrentlyfollowinga

Sufitariqaharealsocompletelywelcometocomeandprayatthezawiyyah.They

are,afterall,justasmuchapartofGodasheis.Beforeanyofthecurrent

brothersbeganvisitingthezawiyyah,theywerealljustthesame.Notonlymay

Muslimscometovisitandpray,butpeopleofotherreligionsarewelcomeas

well.HereferredtoJewsandChristiansas"friendsofthebook"(Ashabal­Kitab),

whichisaplayonmultipleversesoftheQur'an.,whichrefertoJews,Christians,

andagroupcalledtheSabians,the“peopleofthebook.”"Anddonotdispute

withthefollowersoftheBookexceptbywhatisbest,exceptthoseofthemwho

actunjustly,andsay:Webelieveinthatwhichhasbeenrevealedtousand

revealedtoyou,andourAllahandyourAllahisOne,andtoHimdowesubmit,"

and"Surelythosewhobelieve,andthosewhoareJews,andthef[sic]Christians,

andtheSabians,whoeverbelievesinAllahandtheLastdayanddoesgood,they

shallhavetheirrewardfromtheirLord,andthereisnofearforthem,norshall

theygrieve."27Adherentstootherreligionsarewelcomealso,becauseofhisidea

ofwhatreligionisinitsbasicform.Tohim,allreligionsboildowntoPrayer

(salah)andGathering,orCommunity(Ijtima').Regardlessofthespecificwaysin

whichareligiouspersonmayworship,heisstillworshippingGod,andifhe

desirestopraywiththebrothersofthezawiyyah,hemaydoso.

IwasalsosurprisedtolearnthatShaykhMunawwarwouldwelcome

anyonetothezawiyyah,evennon‐religiouspeople.Ofcourse,ifsomeonedidnot

believeinGod,hewouldnotwishtopray,andsohewouldbeunlikelytoseek

outandvisitagroupofpeoplewhobelievethateverythingcomesfromand

inevitablyreturnstoGod.However,ShaykhMunawwarwouldnothesitateto

welcomeanypersonasaguest.IsawthiskindofhospitalityateveryzawiyyahI

visited.ThepeoplewhokeepshrinesviewtheirguestsasguestsofGod(dhuyuf

Allah),andwillalwaysgivefoodandshelterforGod'ssake.Inmyvisitstothe

shrinesKhaltiBeyaandSiHedigavemeabedforthenight,sinceIarrivedlatein

theday,andinsistedthatIeatdinnerwiththem,withoutexpectinganythingin

27Thetranslationsofthesetwoverses,29:46and2:62respectivelycomefromhttp://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/engagement/resources/texts/muslim/search.htmlaccessedonMay3rd,2009.

return.Sharifah,ofSidi'Alial‐Makki'szawiyyah,happilytalkedtomeaboutthe

shrine,gavemeacompletetour,andwouldnotletmeleavewithouteatingabig

lunch.Bothshuruftoldmethateverythingtheydidforme,theyactuallydidfor

God,whoexpectedthemtotreattheirguestsasHis.

MypresenceattheMadanizawiyyahwasatestofthispolicyforthe

shaykhandhisfollowers.Earlyintheinterview,theshaykhaskedmewhich

religionIfollow.IexplainedtohimthatIwasraisedwithoutareligion,although

IbelieveinGodandamcurrentlylearningaboutmanyreligionsinordertofind

theoneIwanttofollow.AlthoughheexpressedawishthatIconverttoIslam,he

didnotinsistthatIslamwasthecorrectreligionliketheshurufoftheother

zawiyyatdid.HetoldmethatwhicheverreligionIendupin,aslongasIbelieve

inoneGod,Iwouldbeontherighttrack.

Itwascleartomethattheshaykh'spolicyofwelcomingallpeopleheld

trueforthewholegroupwhenseveralsmallgroupsofbrotherscamein.About

twentyminutesintoourinterview,agroupofthreemenwalkedthroughthe

zawiyyahandintotheoffice.ShaykhMunawwarstooduptogreetthem,and

whenhemetthem,theyeachsharedaspecialhandshakewithhim.Forthe

handshake,theywouldextendtheirhandsalmostverticallywiththepalmfacing

thatoftheirpartner.Firsttheywouldinterlocktheirthumbsandthenwraptheir

fingersaroundthebaseoftheother'sthumb.Aftertheirhandswereinterlocked,

theywouldeachkisstheother'sfingersinturn.

IhaveneverheardofSufituruqusingaspecialhandshakebetweenits

members,anditseemedtobeasimplegestureofconfraternitythatidentified

thefollowersofShaykhMunawwar.WhenSiMuldicamebacktopickmeup,

everyoneintheroomstoodup,happilygreetedhimbyname,andwishedhim

peace,butnoneofthemeventriedtousetheMadanihandshakewithhim.They

allknewhimfromthecommunity,andsoknewthathewasnotafollowerofthe

Madanitariqah.I,ontheotherhand,hadquiteafewawkwardencounterswith

thebrothersastheycamein.Withblondhairandblueeyes,Tunisiansusually

guessthatI'mGermanorAmerican,rarelyconfusingmeforTunisia.Almostallof

theMadanistriedtousetheirhandshakeonme,acceptingmewithoutquestion.I

offeredastandardhandshakeatfirst,buteachtimeIdid,thepersongreetingme

wouldstarttheMadanihandshake,switchatthelastminute,andlookatme,

confused.AfterIcaughton,Istartedreturningit,andhadnofurtherproblems

greetingthebrothers.Fromthemomenttheyentered,theyacceptedmelikelyas

anaspiringSufi,theretoconsulttheshaykhonaspiritualmatter,especiallysince

Iwastherewhentheyhadallcometomeet.

ThiswasthefirstcontradictionIsawbetweenwhattheshaykhtoldme

abouttheorder,andwhatwaswrittenonitswebsite.Atthebeginningofthe

meeting,hetoldmethattheyhadnosettimetomeetanddodhikr,andwithin

twentyminutes,15peoplehadarrivedinsmallgroups,onebriningenough

cookiesfor25.Heclaimedeveryonehaddroppedbyforavisit,butoncepeople

startedarriving,heseemedmoreanxioustofinishthemeeting.Irealizedthat

whenhesaidIcouldn'tstudySufisminhalfanhour,hehadmeantitliterally,and

itwasclearthatIwasintrudingonaplannedmeeting.Icontinuedtoaskthe

shaykhquestionsaspeoplearrived,andonceeveryonewasseated,Iintroduced

myselftothegroupandexplainedwhatIwasstudying.Theyallgaveme

affirmingnodsandsatlistening,seemingquiteinterestedinthequestionsIhad

forthem.

Formostoftherestoftheinterview,IstillspokesolelywithShaykh

Munawwar,althoughIsometimesaddressedthegroupasawhole,andindoing

so,Inoticedaverystronggroupadherencetofourofthewebsite'sprinciples.

ThefifthprinciplesaysthatoneoftheMadaniSufi'smaingoalsistoerasethe

egoandbecompletelyhumble.Itsaysthatheshouldconsiderhimselfalwaysa

beginner.Thefourthandthesixteenthprinciplesencourageloveandrespectfor

theshaykhandforallthebrothersoftheMadanitariqah.Thethirdprinciple

goesfurtherandsaysthatbrothersshouldhaveabsoluterespectfortheshaykh,

because,aftertheprophetMuhammad,heisthe"Lord"(Maître)guidingthemon

thepathtoGod.Althoughitforbidssimpledisrespect,liketalkingoutofturnand

laughingduringmeetings,italsosaysthatbrothersmustcomplyfullywithallof

hisdecisions,andcallshisknowledge"apricelesstreasurethatdeservesourfull

devotion."28

Beforethegroupofbrothersarrived,Iexpectedthattheseprinciples

weremoreguidelinesthanrules,sincemanyofthethingsShaykhMunawwar

toldmeaboutthegroup'scurrentpracticeonlylooselyfollowedtheprinciples28http://www.madaniyya.com/Principes­de­bonne­conduite­de­la,155

outlinedonthewebsite.However,allofthebrothersshowedextremedeference

totheshaykhtothepointthattheywerealmostabsentfromthemeetingintheir

passivity.Theylistenedtomyquestions,andoccasionallynoddedin

understanding,butitwasclearthattheonlypersonwhowouldanswerwas

ShaykhMunawwar.Onlyoncedidsomeoneelseansweroneofmyquestions,on

thetopicofmeetingtimesandoccasions.Firsttheshaykhanswered,andthen

calledonthemannexttome,whohadmadeagesturetoMunawwarrequesting

tospeak.Insteadofexpandingontheshaykh'sanswer,hemerelyrepeateditto

me,butinEnglish.Ihadaskedaboutmeetingtimesalready,andhewantedto

allaymyconfusiononceandforallbyusingmylanguage,nottoofferananswer

differentfromtheshaykh's,whichwouldhaveshownhimdisrespect.

Attheendofthemeeting,Iasked,addressingthewholegroup,howthey

allfelttheyfitintosocietyintheirtown,becauseofwhatIhadreadinKenneth

Brown'sarticlesaboutsomeofthepeopleofKsibetdislikingthetariqah's

presenceandpractices.IexplainedthatsinceIarrivedinTunisia,Ihadspokento

manypeopleaboutSufism,althoughmostdidnotknowmorethanthenamesof

afewlocalsaints,andmanyhadlowopinionsofthespiritualpracticesofthe

turuq.Ihadverymuchtroublecommunicatingmythoughtsonthisquestion,

especiallytoShaykhMunawwar,whodidn'tseemtounderstand,orperhapsdid

notwanttounderstand,consideringthequestionwasirrelevanttothetopicof

Sufism.IttookmequiteabitoftimeandenergytosayeverythingIhadsaid,and

Ididnotwanttostartfromthebeginning.Ihadnoticedthatoneman,atthefar

endoftheroom,hadbeennoddingvigorouslythroughoutmyexplanation,soI

turnedtohimtoaskifheunderstood,andtoaskhimtohelpme.Heremained

silent,andShaykhMunawwar,withafurrowedbrow,calledmyattentionbackto

himandmademerepeatmyquestionfromthebeginning.Themanwhohad

noddedmadenomoregestures,andletmerepeatmyquestionwithoutoffering

tohelp.Theprincipleofhumilityonthewebsitegoessofarastosaythata

brothershouldnotofferexplanationtoanother'squestion,forfearoflosingthat

humility,andwhatIobservedleadmetobelievethattheMadaniyyafollowthis

injunctiontothepointoftimidity.

Asfortheanswertomyquestionaboutthecommunity,theshaykh

understoodthesecondtimeandrepeatedwhathehadtoldmeatthebeginning

oftheinterview.HesaidthathisinteractionswiththepeopleofKsibetal‐

Mediouniwerealwaysgood.SincetheyandheareallthecreationsofGod,hehas

noreasontohaveanyproblemwiththem.Whenhehadfinishedhisanswer,he

lookedtohisleftalongtherowofbrotherssittingnexttohim.Fromthislook,a

fewofthemfeltcomfortableenoughtochimein,althoughtheyallrepeatedwhat

ShaykhMunawwarhadsaid;theyallfeltperfectlyacceptedbytheircommunity.

Thenextday,IattendedperformancebysomeofthechildrenofKsibet,inwhich

theyactedoutplays,andrecitedmanychaptersoftheQur'an.Atthe

performance,Isawawiderangeofpeople:parentsandchildren,aswellasmen

ofthecommunitywhohadcomejusttowatch.OneofthemenfromtheMadani

meetingthedaybeforewalkedinaheadofme,greetingandshakinghandswith

everyonehemet.

WhenIcametothezawiyyah,Iwasespeciallyinterestedinaskingthe

shaykhaboutthepracticesofdhikrtheyfollowintheMadaniyyatariqah.Dhikr,

ordhikrullah,istheremembranceofGodthroughthementionofHisname,and

istheprimarypracticethatseparatesSufisfromnon‐Sufis.29TheQur'an

commandsthereaderinmanyversestorememberGod,usuallycombinedwith

aninjunctiontomentionhisname,30becausehumansarebynatureforgetful.31

Oneoftheprimaryreasonsforpracticingdhikristohelptheperson

rememberGodtomanifestHisattributesmorefully.BecauseeachofGod's

namesisoneofhisattributes,practicingdhikrwithit,bymeditatingonitand

continuallymentioningit,onemaygainanunderstandingofitandbringitoutin

hisownlife.32TheformofdhikrthatSufisofaspecifictariqahpracticecomes

fromtherecommendationofitsshaykh,33andsomanydiverseformshave

developedwithintheturuq.Groupspracticeboth'loud'and'quiet'dhikr,the

formeringroupsandthelatterinprivatebasedontheinstructionsoftheshaykh.

Formsof'loud'dhikrarebyfarthemostdiverse,andrangefromthedancingto

musicandpoetryoftheMawlawiyyaofTurkey(commonlyknownasthe

WhirlingDervishes),toverytamerecitationoftheQur'anwithno

29Chittick,16,57.30Ibid.54.31Ibid.16.32Ibid.56‐57.33Ibid.57.

accompaniment.34

SoIaskedMunawwarhowtheyremember(yudhakkirun,oryadhkuruin

Tunisiandialect)Godinthetariqah.Hetoldmethatwhenevertheygettogether,

theyarerememberingGod,convincingmefurtherthatmypresencewas

interruptingaregularmeeting.Theygatherandtalkabouthim,althoughhe

maintainedthattheyhavenosettimetodoit.ItoldhimthatIwantedtoknow

themethodstheyusedtopracticedhikr,andgavehimanexampletoexplain.I

toldhimaboutaclassonSufismthatItookatmyuniversity,inwhichtheteacher

gatheredusaroundinacircle,andhadusholdhands.Webeganrepeatingthe

firstofthetwoshahadas,partoftheIslamictestamentoffaith,"Laillahailla

Allah,"or"thereisnoGodbutGod,"35andturningourbodiesinrhythm.Forthe

"la,"wewouldallbefacingleft,andduringthe"illa,"wewouldbefacingtothe

right.Eachtimewesaidtheword"allah",wewouldbefacingthecenterofthe

circle.ManySufituruq,includingtheMadaniyya,incorporatechanting,breathing

heavily,andmovementofthebodyintodhikr.Icouldn'tquitegetmypoint

across,soIdemonstratedforeveryone.Shaykhal‐Madanilaughedatmydisplay

andshookhishead.

Hetoldmethattheydon'tdoanythinglikethatinhiszawiyyah.To

demonstratetheirpractice,heaskedme,inArabic,sincehespeaksverylittle

English,"WhatUniversitydoyouattend?"Ididn'tunderstandthepointofthe

question,soIaskedhimtorepeat."WhatUniversitydoyougoto?Doyoulike

it?"Perplexed,Ianswered,"IstudyatBrandeisUniversity,andyes,Ilikeit."

ShaykhMunawwarheldouthishandsandgrinned,asiftosay,"IbelieveI've

provenmypoint,"andthebrothersintheroombeganlaughingheartilyand

clapping.Isatperplexedforamoment,andthenrealizedthatbymakingme

expressmyfeelingsformyuniversity,hehadmademe'remember'ittheway

theyrememberGodduringdhikr.Heexplainedittomeaswell;Theytakedhikr

literally,inthatitisenoughforthemtoinvokeGod'snamebytalkingaboutHim

andtheirloveforHim.Theydon'treadpoetryorplayinstruments,theysimply

readtheQur'an(whichreferstoitselfasdhikr)36anddiscussGod.

34Ibid.5935Chittick,57.36Chittick,52.

AsImentionedbefore,theMadaniyyahaveincorporatedchantingand

breathingintotheirdhikrinthepast,anditislikelytheystilldonow.KennethL.

Brown,ananthropologistwhospentayearinKsibetal‐Mediounibetween1975

and1976,relatesthefollowingstoryaboutanighthespentinthecompanyofa

fewmenfromKsibet:

"Adramaticperformance,thehadra('seance')oftheMadaniyyaorderfollows

[theyhadpreviouslybeenplayingmusic]:everyonestandsinacircle,holding

hands,bowingandstraighteningupinrhythmicmotionandatanaccelerating

pace,allthewhileincreasingtherateofbreathing;onbowingoneexpels­

almostgrunts­thesoundah,followedbytoah­sonstraighteningup;the

tempobuildstoacrescendo,almostafrenzyasA[anunnamedperson]chants

aQuranicVerseincounterpointandguidestheperformance."

Despitethefactthathereferredtotheperformanceasa“hadra,”andnot

asdhikr,therecanbenodoubtthatthemenhewaswithwereimitatingthe

practicesusedbytheMadaniyyafortheremembranceofGod.Hegoesontosay

thatthemenwereusingtheahsound,whichiscomprisedofthefirstandlast

lettersoftheDivineName,Allah,toinvokeGod.Heexplainsthattheinvocation,

whichemptiedthemenofbreath,combinedwiththerhythmandincreasing

speed,werea"meansofattainingilluminationoradirectknowledgeofGod."37

WhenItalkedtotheShaykh'snephewlaterthatdayandpartofthenext,

healsotoldmeaboutthepracticesofdhikrhehadobserved,althoughhehas

seenitonlyonceortwicebecausehedoesnotsupporthisuncle'stariqah.His

storycomesfromthetimewhenhisgrandfatherwasalive,duringadhikrsession

duringthemonthofRamadan.HesaidthattheMadaniyyawouldalwaysgather

atthezawiyyah'smosqueduringRamadanafterbreakingthefastatnightand

prayingthefinalprayeruntilmorning.Hesaidhisunclewouldgatherhis

disciplesaroundhim,sittinginalargecircle(consistingofabout100people),

andbegintorecitesomeofhisownpoetryexpressinglovefortheprophet

MuhammadandforGod.Thediscipleswouldrepeatthepoetryaftertheir

masterintempo.Shaykhal‐Madaniwouldgraduallyincreasethetempo,andas

hedid,thewholegroupwouldriseandcontinuethedhikrstanding.Theywould

proceedinthiswayuntiltheFajrprayer,thefirst(althoughnotobligatory)of37Gellner,146.

themorning,eatbeforesunrise,praytheSubah,thefirstobligatoryprayer,and

gotosleep.

ShaykhMunawwarwasreluctanttotellmeaboutthespecificpractices

theMadaniyyausefordhikr,becausetheyareusuallykeptsecretfrompeople

whohavearenotfollowingthetariqah.Tryingtopracticedhikrwithoutthe

guidanceofshaykhcanbedangeroustothespiritualdevelopmentofaperson,

andsoitisguardedverycarefullyandonlyprescribedtofollowerswhoare

readytopracticeit.ShaykhMuhammadal‐BuzidididnoteventalktoShaykhal‐

'AlawiaboutdhikruntilaboutaweekafterhejoinedtheDarqawitariqah,and

onlyafterhehadbeenrecitingthewird.Healsotoldal‐'Alawitokeepeverything

helearnedasecretfromeveryoneuntiltheshaykhtoldhimhewasreadyto

speakofthetariqah'spracticestoothers.38WhileShaykhMunawwarwouldhave

acceptedmeifhehadthoughtmefittolearnaboutthetariqah,hecouldnottell

meanythingunlessIwasafolloweronhispath.

ShaykhMunawwar'ssilenceontheMadaniyya'srelationshipwiththe

government,however,wassimplytoprotectthegroup.Hisfather'srun‐inswith

thegovernmentwerebynomeansthelastonesthegroupwouldhaveinits

history.Theshaykh'snephewtoldmeastoryaboutaproblemtheMadaniyya

hadinthelastyearsofHabibBourguiba'stermaspresident.Hetoldmethatin

about1985,ShaykhMunawwarhadapersonalconflictwithaministerinthe

government,whoshutdownthezawiyyahthatyearduringtheMulad

celebration,andwouldnotallowpeopletocome.Hesaiditwastheonlyyeara

problemlikethathappened,andbythenextMulad,theargumenthadbeen

smoothedover.However,itshowstheimportanceofkeepinguparapportwith

thegovernmentforthesakeofthezawiyyah.ShaykhMunawwar'sonlycomment

onthegovernmentwasthathedoesnot,andcannothaveaproblemwiththe

finepeoplewhoworkinit,becausehedoesnotwanttogiveitanyreasonto

abusethetariqah.

Towardtheendoftheinterview,IaskedShaykhMunawwaraboutthe

Madaniyya'swebsite,becauseIhadnoticeddiscrepanciesbetweenwhatitsaid

andwhathetoldme.Ialsoaskedhimaboutthenewsletterthewebsite

publishedforthefirsttimeinMarch,andwhytheyhadstartedtopublishit.He38Lings,53.

askedmewhatthediscrepanciesIsawwere,butalsotoldmestraightforwardly

thathedoesnotwriteorpublishanythingonthewebsite.Itisrunbyoneofhis

sonsinParis,andhehadnoknowledgeofthenewsletterpreviously,thoughI

couldnotgivehimanyinformationonit,sinceIcouldnotdownloaditbeforemy

meetingwithhim.

Asitturnsout,Al‐Nibrasispublishedspecificallyforthemembersofthe

Madanitariqah.Thefirstissue’sprimaryfocusseemedtobetheMulad

celebrationfor2009,asitlistedthedatesofthecelebrationatthevarious

MadanizawiyyatinTunisiaandEurope.Iwassurprisedtolearnthattherewere

manyzawiyyatwhentheshaykh'snephewexplainedthattheyhadcomeabout

afterthedeathofhisgrandfather.WhenShaykhMuhammadal‐Madanidied,

manyofhisfollowersclaimedtobehisspiritualheir,andtriedtotakechargeof

thegroup.Insteadofchoosingonepersontocontinueleadingthetariqah,many

ofthefollowerswenttotheirhometownsandsetuptheirownzawiyyat,sothat

nowthereisnowoneinSousse,oneinSfax,oneinMonastir,andevenonein

Paris.AttendanceatthezawiyyahinKsibetdroppedverymuchafterthegroup

spreadoutinthismanner,althoughthemembersofallofthebranchesofthe

MadaniyyastillgotothezawiyyahinKsibetontheMuladeveryyear.

Afterleavingthezawiyyahthesecondtime,Ifeltalmostbewildered.Ihad

barelymadeitthroughtheinterview,jumpingfromtopictotopicjusttokeepup

withShaykhMunawwar,whohaddoneeverythinghecouldtododgemy

questions.Ihadalsolearnedalmostnothingaboutthetariqahitself,exceptby

wayofobservation.Theshaykhsaidgoodbyewithasmile,invitingmetocome

back,thenexttimeasaguesttotalkmoreinformallyaboutGod.Hewouldbe

morecomfortabletalkingtomeaboutSufismwhenIwasn’tdoingacademic

research,andwhenhecouldjudgewhatIalreadyknewmoreeasily.

Myinterviewwithhisnephew,whichfollowedmytalkwithShaykh

Munawwar,providedmewiththeanswersIhadbeenlookingfororiginally.The

nephewhappilytoldmeallaboutthehistoryofhisuncle’sbrotherhood,butvery

methodicallycheckedeverythinghetoldmewithexplanationsofhowSufi

practicesareincorrect,aswellasanoverviewonthebasictenetsofIslam.Asa

scholarofIslamictheology,heconsidersthatSufisfocustoomuchonthe

spiritualaspectoflife,andignorethephysicalandmentalaspects.39Fromhim,

then,Igainedawealthofknowledgeonthepracticesofthetariqah,butwould

havelostoutonthelittlebitofSufitheologyShaykhMunawwarletmeinon.

IalsometbrieflywithDoctorSalahKhelifa,themanwhowrotehis

dissertationontheMadaniyya.SiMuldiandItrackedhimdownatcaféinKsibet,

whereItoldhimthetopicofmypaperandaskedhimifhecouldgivemeany

information.Herefused,sayingthatallofhisknowledgeoftheMadaniyyawas

ontheInternet,andsoIshouldfinditthere.Withouthim,however,Iwouldnot

havehadthechancetoreadaboutShaykhMuhammadal‐Madaniandhisorder

beforemytriptoKsibet.Withoutthatbackgroundknowledge,Iwouldhavehad

adifficulttimefollowingthehistorythatShaykhMunawwar’snephewgaveme,

andIcertainlywouldnothavegottenitfromtheshaykh.

WithoutallofthesourcesIfound,theinformationIhavegatheredonal­

Tariqatal­Madaniyyawouldhavelackedanessentialaspecttoit.ThedifficultyI

hadbeginningmyresearchcarriedthroughtherestofmyproject,especiallyin

findingsomeonewhoknewaboutSufismandwithwhomIcoulddiscussthe

subject.Inordertolearnanythingabouttheinnerworkingsofatariqahin

Tunisia,itwasessentialformetofindaconnectiontoashaykhthroughaperson,

sothatIwouldbetrustworthyintheshaykh’seyes.OnceIdidfindthat

connection,itwasbarelyenoughtoconvincetheshaykhtotalktomesincethe

practicesofSufituruqaresecrets,guardedfromallexceptthosewhoareready

tolearnthem.DespitethefactthatShaykhMunawwarwasreluctanttoreveal

anythingabouttheMadaniyyatome,Ilearnedasmuchfrommyobservationsat

theinterviewasIdidfromthebiographyontheMadaniyyawebsite,andI

considermeetingtheshaykhandtalkingwithhimanintegralpartofstudyinga

Sufitariqah.However,Iwouldhavehadtospendayearatthezawiyyahtolearn

thehistoryoftheMadaniyyalikeDr.Khelifalearnedit,andsoIfoundpeople

closetothetariqah,liketheshaykh’snephew,tobeanequallyimportantsource

ofinformation.

39ThesethreelevelsofhumanlifearealsodiscussedonChittick,4‐5.