Zawiyet Sidi Boushaki: Difference between revisions

'''Zawiyet Sidi Brahim Boushaki''' ({{lang-ar|زاوية سيدي إبراهيم البوسحاقي}}) or '''Zawiyet [[Thénia]]''' is a [[Zawiya (institution)|zawiya]] of the [[Rahmaniyya]] [[Sufi brotherhood]] located in [[Boumerdès Province]] within [[lower Kabylia]] of [[Algeria]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wikimapia.org/39601305/Zaou%C3%AFa-of-Sidi-Boushaki|title=Zaouïa of Sidi Boushaki|website=wikimapia.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/2012._201808|title=2012 توشيح الديباج وحلية الابتهاج ، محمد بن يحيى القرافي ، ت د. علي عمر|via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n75jDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA97|title = موسوعة العلماء و الأدباء الجزائريين. الجزء الثاني، من حرف الدال إلى حرف الياء|date = January 2014| publisher=Al Manhal |isbn = 9796500167794}}</ref>

The zawiya of [[Soumâa]] was built in 1442 in the [[Col des Beni Aïcha]] within the south-east heights of the current town of [[Boumerdès]] within the [[Kabylia]] region.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xy10DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA378|title = شجرة النور الزكية في طبقات المالكية 1-2 ج1|date = January 2010| publisher=Dar Al Kotob Al Ilmiyah دار الكتب العلمية |isbn = 9782745137340}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ipNDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA30|title = الألفية الصغيرة المسماة الحديقة في علوم الحديث الشريف|date = January 2018| publisher=Dar Al Kotob Al Ilmiyah دار الكتب العلمية |isbn = 9782745185723}}</ref>

The founder of this [[Sufi]] school is the great scholar [[Sidi Boushaki|Sidi Brahim bin Faïd al-Boushaki]] (1394–1453), who established this zawiya of education, which served as a beacon for the people of the [[Khachna mountains]] region, and its scientific and light rays extendtothe outskirtsofthe homeland.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/Dawou_Lami|title=الضوء اللامع لأهل القرن التاسع|via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tfZHDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA185|title = تحريم نهب أموال المعاهدين للنصارى|date = January 2012| publisher=Dar Al Kotob Al Ilmiyah دار الكتب العلمية |isbn = 9782745175977}}</ref>

The zawiya of Sidi Brahim Boushaki in [[Thala Oufella]] (Soumâa) village was considered a prominent religious teacher in memorizing and indoctrinating the [[Quran]] and its basic rulings for young people and providing the various mosques of [[lower Kabylia]] during the month of [[Ramadan]] every year with a preservation that leads to [[Tarawih]] prayers by reciting the Quran with the [[Warsh recitation]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/Neilu_AlIbtihaj_Bi_Tatriz_Dibaj|title=نيل الابتهاج بتطريز الديباج|via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9fFHDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA31|title = نور اليقين في شرح حديث أولياء الله المتقين (سلسلة الرسائل والدراسات الجامعية)|date = January 2016| publisher=Dar Al Kotob Al Ilmiyah دار الكتب العلمية |isbn = 9782745101891}}</ref>

This zawiya, which opened its doors in 1442, had an important placeinits fields of formation, as it had annually graduated several [[Hafiz (Quran)|Hafiz]] of the Quran with its rulings and the [[Hadith]] that he depends on in framing the various mosques of the region around [[Meraldene River]].<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/Tarikh.Al-jazair.Al-am|title=كتاب تاريخ الجزائر العام للشيخ عبد الرحمان الجيلالي|via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PsQmDwAAQBAJ&pg=PP7|title=(معجم المؤلفين (علماء|author1=الخطيب}}</ref>

It was a place to study and teach the Quran, as well as providing aid to the needy and those about to get married and organizing circumcision ceremonies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/do-dorrat-al7ijal|title=do-dorrat-al7ijal|publisher=www.dorat-ghawas.com|via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/TaarifKhalafBiRijalSalaf|title=Taarif Khalaf Bi Rijal Salaf|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

It was one of the [[Zawiyas in Algeria]] that played an important role in social life in [[Thénia]] region, andit was consideredas a Sufi zawiya, as it was based on the traditional way of teaching the Qur’an and Sunnah as well.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/MoajamAlamAljazair|title=معجم أعلام الجزائر من صدر الإسلام حتى العصرالحاضر - لعادل نويهض|via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref name="auto"/>

The learner ([[talibe]]) intended to write the [[Ayah|verses]] by himself using the traditional ink, which is a special ink that the learner makes from sheep's wool, where he melts it on fire until it becomes black, then mixes it with water, and the characteristic of this ink is that it does not disappear from the written tablet except by rubbing it with clay and water.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/chajarat-annour|title=شجرة النور الزكية في طبقات المالكية - محمد مخلوف ( نسخة واضحة ومنسقة )|via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://al-maktaba.org/book/34174/296|title=ص160 - كتاب معجم أعلام الجزائر - إبراهيم بن فائد بن موسى بن عمر بن سعيد أبو اسحاق الزواوي القسنطيني - المكتبة الشاملة الحديثة|website=al-maktaba.org}}</ref>

This zawiya is located on the mountain which is part of the [[Tell Atlas]] and which houses the village of [[Soumâa]] at an altitude of 410 meters in the [[Col des Beni Aïcha]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bibliotheque-numerique.inha.fr/viewer/21113/?offset=#page=25&viewer=picture&o=bookmark&n=0&q=|title=Atlas archéologique de l'Algérie|website=bibliotheque-numerique.inha.fr}}</ref>

| Centre = [[Zawiyet]] [[Sidi Boushaki]]

| East = [[Baloul]], [[Tebabkha]], [[Isser River]]

The period of the 15th Gregorian century which saw the establishment of this zawiya on the heights of the [[Col des Beni Aïcha]] coincided with the spread of the Sufi and mystical [[tariqa]] of the [[Qadiriyya]] in [[Mitidja]] and [[Kabylia]].{{fact|date=July 2023}}

This is how the [[talibe]] who presented himself for the ascetic and transcendent initiation in this [[Sunni]] zawiya had to follow a spiritual path based on the [[dhikr]], the [[Wird (Sufism)|wird]] and the [[wazifa]] to put his foot on the path of the [[murid]]s and the [[salik]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abdenour-boushaki.blogspot.com/2019/07/sidi-boushaki.html|title=Sidi Boushaki}}</ref>

The [[marabout]]s and [[muqaddam]]s who oversaw this zawiya worked to initiate each [[Hafiz (Quran)|hafiz]] and [[qari]] who frequented this institution to becomea [[Wasil (Sufism)|wasil]] anda [[Rabbani (Sufism)|rabbani]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.depechedekabylie.com/national/175021-proteger-imperativement-notre-referent-religieux/|title=Boumerdès|first=La|last=Rédaction|date=April 13, 2017}}</ref>

This religious establishment was not content only to instill the rudiments of religious knowledge in the disciples, but it aimed to raise their spiritual rank to reach the heights of [[qutb]], [[siddiq]] and [[wali]].{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

And with the advent of the [[Rahmaniyya]] [[tariqa]] in [[Algeria]] during the 18th century, the zawiya of Sidi Boushaki joined this brotherhood of [[Khalwatiyya]] and then adapted its initiatory program to the precepts of this ascetic mode.{{fact|date=July 2023}}

Several Islamic sciences were taught in this zawiya followinل the [[Rahmaniyya]] [[Sufi brotherhood]], as the [[Hadith]] which is taught on the basis of [[Muwatta Imam Malik|Al-Muwatta]] compiled by Imam [[Malik ibn Anas]]. This is how the [[fiqh]] according to the [[Malikite]] [[Madhhab]] was observed in the courts of this Algerian zawiya which is based on the body of the [[Mukhtasar|Mukhtasar Khalil]] written by [[Khalil ibn Ishaq al-Jundi]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/kori-zawawi|title=شرح منظومة الزواوي|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

Another reference of the Malikite fiqh dispensed in this zawiya is the [[Risala fiqhiya]] written by [[Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani]], and a third Malikite fiqh reference inculcated in this zawiya is [[Matn Ibn Ashir]] written by [[Ibn Ashir|Abdul Wahid Ibn Ashir]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/24_20191204_201912|title=الجامع الحاوي لمعاني نظم الزواوي إعداد وتقديم الفقيه الحسين بلفقيه|date=December 3, 2019|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

The [[Arabic|Arabic language]] was taught on the basis of the text of the [[Al-Alfiyya of Ibn Malik]] composed by [[Ibn Malik]], and the [[syntax]] of the Arabic language was taught on the basis of the text of the [[Al-Ajurrumiyya]] composed by [[Ibn Adjurrum]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/31_20200423|title=إفعام الذهن الخاوي بمعاني نظم الزواوي إعداد وتقديم الفقيه جامع ابو عدي الوجاني|date=April 23, 2020|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

The teaching of this same syntax was based on the text of [[Qatr al-Nada (Book)|Qatr al-Nada]] composed by [[Ibn Hisham al-Ansari]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/alhazimi2010_gmail_17|title=شرح نظم الزواوي على قواعد الإعراب.. للعلامة أحمد بن عمر الحازمي|via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/zawawi_201803|title=أرجوزة نظم قواعد الإعراب الزواوي|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

This zawiya has been at the center of the Algerian resistance of the [[Kabyle people|Kabyles]] of the [[Col des Beni Aïcha]] since 1830 against the [[French invasion of Algeria]], and has participated through its murids in several decisive battles, including:

During the visit of the [[Emir Abdelkader]] in 1839 to [[Kabylia]], he made a stay in [[Dellys]] where he went to visit the [[Zawiyet Sidi Amar Cherif]] in the mountain of Bouberrak and had lunch there before going to spend at night with the [[Issers]] tribe.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kIBlAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA595|title = Le Spectateur militaire; Recueil de science, d'art et d'histoire militaires|year = 1844}}</ref>

During this visit to the Issers, the Emir also went to [[Zawiyet Sidi Boumerdassi]] near EI-Djebil and then continued his journey by going to the [[Col des Beni Aïcha]] where he was warmly received by the marabouts of Zawiyet Sidi Boushaki.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bRQ7AQAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA49|title = Bulletin de la Société de géographie|last1 = (France)|first1 = Société de Géographie|year = 1844}}</ref>

He was well received by the descendants of the theologian [[Sidi Boushaki]] and gunshots were fired as a sign of rejoicing for his reassuring presence, then a meal of hospitality of distinguished inivities was prepared for him thinking that he was going to spend the night at home, but at nightfall he left to sleep elsewhere to create a diversion among the possible spies of colonial France.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rM9BAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA43-PA4|title = Algeria: Moniteur algerién. Journal officiel de la colonie. Nr. 532-880 (5 avril 1843-10 fevr. 1848) 2 V|year = 1843}}</ref>

Before leaving the village of [[Soumâa]], Emir Abdelkader had announced to the inhabitants that peace with the French was fragile and would soon be broken at any time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ag9DAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA199|title = La grande Kabylie: Etudes historiques par M. Daumas et M. Faber ouvrage publie avec l'autorisation de M. Le. Marechal due d'Jsly. 5|last1 = Daumas|first1 = Melchior Joseph Eugène|year = 1847}}</ref>

During the Algerian independence revolution, this zawiya was completely involved in the fight for the freedom of the country, and thus the chahid [[Yahia Boushaki]] (1935-1960) was one of the emblematic figures of the revolution in the Historic WilayaIV.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.djazairess.com/fr/liberte/95801|title=Guenaïzia rend hommage à la gendarmerie|website=Djazairess}}</ref>

The zawiya continued to supervise the [[mosque]]s in the villages of the [[Col des Beni Aïcha]] by providing them with [[imam]]s to maintain the practice of Muslim worship ([[Ibadah]]) in these warlike circumstances.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abdenour-boushaki.blogspot.com/2019/07/yahia-boushaki.html|title=Yahia Boushaki}}</ref>

This is how the mosque in the village of [[Aït Hamadouche]] had previously been framed by an imam of the zawiya, and the same with the villages of [[Djenah]], [[Fekhara]], Itoubal and [[Zaatra]], before the whole region was devastated after the [[Soummam conference]] on 20 August 1956 by the reprisals of the [[French Army]].

The village of [[Soumâa]] was destroyed by French colonial artillery during the month of April 1957, and the zawiya was razed by shell fire which buried several mujahideen who were sheltering in its premises.

Several [[murid]]s of this zawiya were sequestered in the torture center of [[Ferme Gauthier]] near [[Oued Isser]] where several of them suffered the most formidable pangs and others died.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dzayer24.com/boumerdes-l-histoire-de-la-revolution-algerienne-revisitee-569dc4c4ac2e4cda2b8b48a2-a|title=BOUMERDES: L'histoire de la révolution algérienne revisitée|website=DZAYER24|date=19 January 2016}}</ref>