The Way of the Saints: Tunisia's Sufi Tradition

foreign [Music] [Music] Tunisia is today a popular tourist destination in North Africa it's a country that has beautiful sandy beaches incredible architecture delicious Cuisine and a lot of culture to explore and get immersed in but what many people don't realize or aren't aware of is the strong mystical history of this place particularly its relationship with Sufism [Music] thank you the country has a long history as an important cultural center of course in ancient times it was the location of Carthage one of the most significant cities of the ancient world that also had a very famous beef with the Romans but later in history under the Islamic hit Empires it continued to play a major role the City of Cairo Wan is sometimes considered the fourth holiest city in Sunni Islam due to its prominence as a cultural and religious Center in the early centuries housing one of the oldest mosques in the world and the current capital of Tunis in the north of the country has also hosted some of the most significant Scholars and Mystics in history when you walk the modern streets of Tunis today it can be hard to imagine the Deep mystical roots that hide beneath your feet and all around you but once you know where to look they're actually pretty easy to find in the so-called Medina The Old City District lies the great zetuna mosque another one of the oldest in the entire world originally built around the year 731 but with most of the current structure dating from the mid 9th century zaituna has always been at the center of Social and religious life in Tunis here all the great Scholars that visited the city would have come to pray and sometimes also to teach people like IBN Arabi Abu Hassan khaldoon and everyone that we will talk about today visited and worshiped in this beautiful structure the minaret of which Towers over the busy streets in a way Tunis is a city of Saints and only a few minutes walk from zetuna mosque we find the azawia of Sidi mahrez now zawia is the word commonly used in the maghrebin western North Africa to refer to a house or institution associated with a Sufi order it's a place where sufis will gather to pray together recite litanese and to do communal vicar azawia is often built in association with the grave site or Mausoleum of a saint which is important to that order and sometimes the word zawia simply refers to a mausoleum in that sense without necessarily connections to a Sufi order and this is the case here Sadie mahres was an important scholar and figure in the early history of Islamic Tunisia he was a great scholar of the Maliki School of Law and became considered a Wali which is what we sometimes problematically translate as Saint here Wally literally means something like friend of God and is given to people considered to have had a special spiritual status is often considered the patron saint of the city of Tunis and his Mausoleum is an absolutely beautiful and peaceful place which people regularly visit to be in the presence of his Baraka or spiritual Grace wasn't necessarily associated with Sufism per se even though he would become important to later sufis in the region but his Mausoleum is definitely one of the most ornate and impressive in the country due to his great importance but as Sufism and its more developed form started to flourish in the following centuries Tunis and its surrounding regions became a meeting point for some of the most celebrated Mystics in history perhaps the greatest expounder of Sufi metaphysics and history the Sheikh al- Akbar or greatest Master IBN Arabi visited the city on two occasions indeed it was here that one of his principled spiritual teachers resided Abdul Aziz stayed with him and his group of disciples twice once in 1194 when he was 29 years old a stay which lasted for over a year and another time in 1201 just before he permanently left for the Eastern Islamic lands it was in Tunis and under the discipleship of al-mahdawi that IBN Arabi had some of his most significant spiritual visions and experiences it is for example here that he entered what he calls God's vast Earth or the Earth of reality signifying one of the highest stations on the spiritual path indeed IBN Arabic consideredawi to be so important and dear to him that he dedicated his massive magnum opus the meccan revelations to this great master Abdel azizawi is a significant figure in himself even putting aside his role as a teacher to IBN Arabi he was one of the Central and most revered Sufi teachers in the region at the time having a kind of school of disciples in Tunis he himself had been a student of the North African Sufi abomadyan which in itself gave him great status some might even have considered him the kutub the spiritual pole of his age and in general he was held in great esteem he was as mentioned a teacher of the great IBN Arabi but also of the more controversial Ahmad al-buni author of the original but aside from accounts by these students we don't know all that much about his actual life given the fact that both IBN Arabi and albuni are strongly preoccupied with the mystical powers of the Arabic alphabet we might speculate that we might be the connecting link here thus himself being involved in that kind of Science in some way but this is just that speculation nonetheless this great Wali died in 1221 and was buried in the town of La Marsa just a few kilometers outside of central Tunas and bite by the Mediterranean Coast his humble Mausoleum still stands here today with a beautiful view of the Mediterranean Sea I did visit the site while I was there but it was a really beautiful moment with the caretaker of the zawia so it felt kind of inappropriate to get my camera out I did get these pictures of the surrounding Cemetery though also right by the Mediterranean coast and not far from La Marsa is the picturesque town of sidibusaid a very popular tourist destination and rightfully so due to its incredible location and beautiful architecture but even here while you are navigating the tourist traps there is a central undercurrent of religious and mystical history right away [Applause] [Music] [Applause] I am currently in the beautiful little town of sidibusaid in Northern Tunisia just a few kilometers outside of the capital Tunis this is a very popular tourist destination it's very famous for its blue and white architecture as you can see here behind me many many tourists come here every year but what a lot of people don't know is that the city or town has a very strong connection to Sufism or Islamic mysticism the town is named after a Sufi Saint from the 13th century called abusaid al-baji who would come up to this mountain on which this town is located called Jebel al-manar which means the the Mountain of Fire basically to meditate and pray for long periods of time and then go down to the capital Tunis to the zetuna mark to teach because it was also of course a spiritual teacher it is said that he also built a kind of Fortress here so they could keep out for any enemies or armies that were approaching Tunis and thus could warn the population in time during his lifetime was a very respected Sufi master of spiritual Master associated with people like Abdul Aziz who was a teacher also of IBN Arabi it's quite likely that Abu said also himself met IBN alabi and associated with him at some point so he was a very significant figure at his time after he died in the mid 13th century a mausoleum azawia as it's called here was built which you can see right behind me the zawa is still a place of kind of pilgrimage for many Muslims around the world who especially in Tunisia who come here to seek the Baraka or spiritual Grace of the old master [Music] oh I've been told that sufis of the shadowy order still gather weekly at the zawiya for hadra which literally means gathering in Arabic a gathering where rituals like zikr or remembrance is performed involving communal recitations of God's names or phrases for long periods of time that's a kind of meditation you could say the zawia is literally in the middle of the Town among tourist-filled streets you can easily miss it but the town is literally built on its mystical Sufi history and around the zawiya of Sidi Abu Saeed al-baji as you walk the main street of see the bus side you will probably encounter a cute Cafe reached by a flight of stairs this is literally the high Cafe it sits right at the base of the zawia and in fact used to be the old entrance from male worshipers inside the cafe you'll find a very traditional looking room where they serve some delicious mint tea and even this place has a connection to Sufism Not only was it previously one of the main entrances to the zawia above but according to the travel publication sacred footsteps it has also long served as a Gathering Place for Sufi practitioners particularly in the evenings after a long hadra session walking down the stairs from the zawaya after doing zikr for several hours the male sufis would proceed to the cafe continue to recite the prayers and eventually have some very strong Arabic coffee well deserved if you ask me quite amazing to imagine when you sit here drinking your tea or coffee that Within These Walls so many prayers have been sung and stories have been told and in general to walk the streets of sidibusaid among the crowds of fellow tourists it can be hard to see past the modern coat of paint but the great Mystic that the town is named after Abu Sayed al-baji remains a constant presence here he too was a student of the famous Abu madyan in the west and became one of the great Mystics of his age especially in this region he chose this mountain as a place where he would go every day to meditate and come close to God to find intimacy with the reality that lies at the core of existence and especially when you turn away from the relatively modern structures beautiful as they may be and instead look out of the ocean and mountains that surround you at those natural features that have remained unchanged and would have looked basically exactly the same way to Abu said as he sat here 800 years ago you kind of understand why [Music] According to some stories I would say that al-baji was also the teacher of one of the most famous and important Sufi Personalities in history but for that story we'll have to return to tune his proper because it is here close to the city center of Tunis sitting on top of a hill by the jealous Cemetery that we find zawia belhasan the name belhasan refers to Abu Hassan the founder and Main figure of the shadowy Sufi order and a Mystic who is considered one of the greatest Saints in Islamic history Abu Hassan as shadowy was originally from Morocco and became a Sufi there under the discipleship of Abdul Salam IBN mashish but it wasn't until he moved to Tunisia but he started his career as a spiritual teacher and Sheikh himself indeed the name a shadowy comes from a village outside of Tunis called shadila where he recited for a period eventually though he moved to Tunis itself and started teaching there building his first community of Sufi students regularly he would Retreat to a small cave on top of the hill in the city to meditate and pray in the darkness for long periods of time at other times emerging to guide his students on the spiritual path to God eventually a shadowy left Tunis and settled in Egypt where he established his tariqba proper he is buried in homeifara in Egypt where he died while on pilgrimage to Mecca the Sufi tarika or order that he started or was formed around him and his teachings known as the shadelia quickly became one of the largest and most prominent in the world a position that it retains to this day particularly in North Africa the shadelia is unquestionably the most widespread and popular Sufi order and in Tunisia his disciples continue to grow and teach twin is had after all been one of the main centers where a shadowy spent his time shortly thereafter azawia was built for the shadowy order in Tunis however this zawa was not built on the resting place of the master as is usually the case his Mausoleum was in Egypt after all Instead This zawia was established right on top of the cave where he would famously go to meditate this became the zawia belhasan or the zawa of Abu Hassan which Remains the main center for the shadowy order in Tunisia it's still active today as shadowy murids will gather here every Saturday morning for hadra where they recite the litanese of the order and perform intense zikr together foreign [Music] you'll know that it is a very powerful experience the purpose of zikr is right in the name remembrance to remember God and come closer to God it's a kind of meditation you could say where one focuses all of one's Consciousness on the Divine reality and thus purifies oneself of egoism and self the ultimate goal of zikr is to reach an ecstatic State for the self to be annihilated completely in God to realize God's all-encompassing reality and become United with him although this uniting is a complicated concept and can be very easily misinterpreted once a week the izawia of Abul Hassan is filled with the ecstatic mystical chanting of the shadowy sufis a haunting call of divine longing in words that date back hundreds of years the place is filled with the presence one of the great Mystics in history and in different ways not least because his Cave of meditation lies directly under the building a cave that can still be visited today murids will go into the cave into the very place where a shadowy would have sat to pray and meditate themselves an incredibly special and Powerful experience that connects them spiritually to the great founder of the shadowy order the statue of a shadowy looms over the whole city it's incredible to think that all the figures we have talked about today with the exception of CD mahres lived and mingled here basically at the same time in the 13th century what a place it must have been and we're not even done yet because one of our shadowy students in Tunis was a woman who would become incredibly famous and revered in her own right and is still an important figure in the region her name was Aisha al-manubia but is affectionately referred to as Saida manobia she was from the region of manuba which today is basically a part of the city of Tunis and was born into a prominent family her father being an important religious Authority in some way eventually she chose to go her own way and travel to Tunis proper to study the religious Sciences of which she became very proficient a turning point came when she met and became a student of Abu Hassan a shadowy as he was established himself as a spiritual teacher in the city in fact she became one of the leading authorities especially as Ashanti left for the east putting aside her role as a shadowy student Saida manobia became a revered and significant personality and Mystic in her own right as a woman she was quite unique in her position as a spiritual and religious leader for both fellow women and for men it wasn't uncommon for women to be spiritual teachers at this time even to men as we can see from many accounts by people like the aforementioned even Arabi so the common idea that she was completely unique in this regard isn't entirely Justified still this was certainly not the norm and in this way Saida manubia was of course very special as she broke some of the gender assumptions at the time she would engage in debates with male Scholars and in general became a great Authority now for this reason said has become a powerful symbol for women to this day representing these spiritual and intellectual power that women have had in history and still have today some even consider her a kind of feminist icon for her breaking of social norms although this should be somewhat nuanced as we have said she was an accomplished Mystic who reached the heights of spiritual experience and journeying which was also reflected outwardly Saida was known as an incredibly caring and compassionate person spending much of her time giving to the poor and needy and taking care of those humans and animals that were less fortunate in this way she represented the importance to the principles of love a love that is directed primarily towards God but which for that reason is also extended to a caring love for fellow creatures as not only creations of God but as Reflections and manifestations of God's being and attributes the zawia or Mausoleum of Saida manubia stands in manuba the place where she grew up and is still active today it's become an important place for women in particular who will gather there regularly to seek her blessings and to perform zikr chanting ecstatically playing percussion instruments and Performing ritual dance as a form of worship of God which is common in some Sufi circles but it isn't exclusively for women of course as men will often come here too even though they are often separated during the rituals themselves in general Saida manubia and herzawia is a place of Grace for many people a safe space not only for women but for other groups of people shunned by Society in different ways the compassion and caring nature of cider thus lives on in her place of rest where people from all walks of life come to worship God in a welcoming environment as we visited the zawia we were greeted by the caretaker there who was an incredibly kind and welcoming woman that gladly answered questions and offered us gifts something in the kindness of her eyes and conduct reflected the character of Saida manubia the tomb of whom she was the caretaker as did the peaceful nature of the place itself it can be a wonderful experience to walk the streets of Tunis the markets of the Medina to smell the spices and the incense it's an exciting modern city that has a lot to offer in different ways but hiding beneath the layers of modernity lies a history of mysticism and Sufism great Saints and Mystics whose lives and teachings have shaped not only Tunisia itself but the whole world and actually not just a history of Sufism but a living and thriving tradition still practiced today that stretches back into the distant past an undercurrent of divine love ecstatic longing and spirituality that has woven the threads on which even a modern city like Tunis rests uh foreign [Music]

Channel: Let's Talk Religion

Views: 144,923

Keywords: The Saints of Tunisia, Sufism, Sufi, Tunisia Sufism, Mysticism, North Africa, Western sufism, Maghreb, Maghreb sufism, Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia, Tunis, Kariouan, Carthage, Tunisia history, Tunisia documentary, Ibn Arabi, Shadhiliyya, Shadhili, al-Mahdawi, Abu Said al-Baji, Abu Said, Aisha Manoubia, Saida Manoubia, Manoubia, Mysticism in North Africa, sufism history, history, religion, islam, islamic history, philosophy, let's talk religion, Filip Holm

Id: SrZodU4a-_Q

Length: 23min 8sec (1388 seconds)

Published: Fri Mar 17 2023

Reddit Comments

[u/Techtrekzz]

My pantheistic beliefs mesh beautifully with the Sufi's of this period.

“God sleeps in the rock, dreams in the plant, stirs in the animal, and awakens in man.”

― Ibn Arabi