In a scene that in itself sums up the spiritual history of Morocco, fuqahâ and students of the traditional Qur’anic schools (madâris ‘atîqa) of Souss al-‘Âlima presented a khatma and an illuminated Qur’anic lawha to His Eminence Cheikh Hajj Mouad al-Qadiri Boutchich, cheikh of the Tariqa Qâdiriya Boutchichiya.
This lawha, traced by the hand of the students of the traditional schools and their teachers, is not a mere gift. It is a pact of love and union, written in the authentic ink of the Souss, a witness to the alliance between two pillars firmly rooted in Moroccan identity: the traditional schools, bearers of the banner of Maliki fiqh, the religious sciences and the memorisation of the Qur’an, and the Sufi zaouïas, bearers of the banner of the purification of the soul (tazkiya) and spiritual education (tarbiya).
Through this gift, the bond between the fuqahâ of Souss al-‘Âlima, the elders of the traditional schools and the Tariqa Qâdiriya Boutchichiya is renewed. It is a token of recognition for the efforts of Cheikh Hajj Mouad al-Qadiri Boutchich, may Allah preserve him, in building bridges between the institutions of religious learning and Sufism, and in spreading the values of the middle way and moderation in which Moroccans have been raised, within their own particular religious character.
May Allah preserve our master the Commander of the Faithful as He has preserved the Wise Reminder (the Qur’an), and may He maintain upon this homeland the blessing of security and faith, in the shade of the Commandery of the Faithful.
