Muhammad al-Arabi al-Darqawi

Who was Muhammad al-Arabi al-Darqawi?

Abu Abdullah Muhammad al-Arabi al-Darqawi was a Moroccan Sufi leader of the Shadhili tariqa and the author of letters concerning the dhikr he preached and instructions for daily life. He stressed noninvolvement in worldly affairs and spoke against other Sufi orders exploiting claims of barakah. He was imprisoned by the Moroccan ruler Mulay Slimane for supporting revolts against the throne, but was released by Abderrahmane. A branch of the Shadhili order, the Darqawa, was organized around his teachings after his death, with members coming from a wide range of social groups. Though the Darqawa was once the most important tariqah in Morocco, its power waned as it spread throughout North Africa. Al-Darqawi was descended from a Hasanid/Idrissid sherif family that lived amongst the Beni Zerwal Berbers, in the hills to the north-east of Fez. His tomb is in the zawiya Beni Brih also in the Rif.