Aissawa - Current Situation

Current Situation

Theoretically, the brotherhood's network is led from the mother-monastery in Meknès by direct biological descendants of Muhammad Ben Aïssâ. The leader is currently Sîdî Allal Aïssâwî, a teacher and member of the League of Oulémas of Morocco and Senegal, as well as a poet and historian. In Morocco, the brotherhood – the musicians together with their rituals and music – currently enjoy a particular vogue. The basic cell of the religious order in Morocco is the team (tâ `ifa), which takes the form of a traditional musical orchestra with twenty to fifty disciples.

Since a decision taken in the 17th century by the mother-monastery, groups of musicians are placed under the authority of a delegate (muqaddem). There are currently orchestras of the brotherhood across Morocco, but they are especially numerous in the towns of Fès and Meknès, under the authority of the master Haj Azedine Bettahi, who is a well-known Sufi musician.

As leader of the muqaddem-s, Haj Azedine Bettahi has under his authority the following individuals:

• Haj Mohamed Ben Bouhama
• Haj Muhammad 'Azzam
• Haj Saïd El Guissy
• Haj Saïd Berrada
• Abdeljelil Al Aouam
• 'Abdelatif Razini
• 'Adnan Chouni
• 'Omar 'Alawi
• 'Abou Lhaz Muhammad
• 'Abdallah Yaqoubi
• Muhammad Ben Hammou
• Haj Hussein Lbaghmi
• Idriss Boumaza
• Haj 'Abdelhak Khaldun
• Muhammad Ben Chabou
• Mohcine Arafa Bricha
• Moustafa Barakat
• Nabil Ben Slimane
• Hassan Amrani
• Youssef 'Alami
• Youssef Semlali
• 'Abdellah al-Mrabet
• Benaissa Ghouali
• Djamel Sahli
• Nadjib Mekdia
• Lounis Ghazali
• Djamel Blidi
• Essaid Haddadou
• Mustapha Ben Ouahchia
• Hadj Ali Al Badawi
• Cheikhuna Hakim Meftah Al Bedri

All Aïssâwa groups lead ceremonies that mix mystical invocation with exorcisms and trance-inducing group dances.