Kutama - Origins of The Kutama

Origins of The Kutama

The Kutama are a sub-branch of Ulhaca. The Ulhasa tribe find their origin from a branch of the great nomadic Berber tribe, the Nefzaouas, and are also Zeneta .

In his book published in 1867 Ernest Mercier mentions the presence of Oulhaça in the vicinity of Annaba in Algeria today. The group of eastern Algeria is located at the border terminals Wilayas of Bejaia and Constantine and the borders of the Aures.

The Zedjala are part of Ulhassa in the Medjana,plain bordered by the Aures. They are installed near the Aures mountains Eiad.

Today, representatives of this branch lived in the neighborhood of Wadi Tafna west of modern Algeria in the wilaya of Ain Temouchent. The Kutama have also settled in the Rif (in the Fatima Dynasty), this is why we find in the Rif region of Morocco tribes akin to that dynasty

An anecdote explaining the origins of the term “Kutama” is recounted by the tenth-century Ismaili jurist, al-Qadi al Nu‘man in his work entitled Iftitāḥ al-da‘wa, in which a preacher by the name of Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Shi’i encountered a group of Shi’i Kutama on the pilgrimage at Mecca in 893 CE. Upon meeting him, this particular group of Kutama pilgrims became convinced of the Ismaili faith and brought Abu ‘Abd Allah along with them back to their country of origin. Along the way, Abu ‘Abd Allah asked the pilgrims about a region called the Valley of the Pious (fajj al-akhyār). The Kutama were astounded that he knew of this place and asked how he came to hear of it. Citing a prophetic tradition (hadīth) of Muhammad, Abu ‘Abd Allah replied that in fact this place was named after the very Kutama themselves: “The Mahdi shall emigrate far from his home at a time full of trails and tribulations. The pious (al-akhyār) of that age shall support him, a people whose name is derived from kitmān (secrecy).” He explained that it was to the Kutama that the tradition referred and on account of them that the region was named the Valley of the Pious.