Festival of Sufi Culture: Immersion in the Spiritual World of the Boutchichiya

Fez – The Samaa Al Jamal ensemble of the Qadiriya Boutchichiya Tariqa offered an immersion into the spiritual world of the samaa on Monday evening at Bab El Makina. The performance, part of the 18th edition of the Fez Festival of Sufi Culture and World Wisdom, featured fervent chants, mystical poetry, and evocations of divine love.

Led by Sheikh Moad, the ensemble presented a repertoire drawn from the spiritual heritage of the brotherhood, where chants and poems combined to foster contemplation and inner exploration. The performance illustrated the place of the samaa in the Moroccan Sufi tradition as a means of transmitting spiritual teachings and a path toward the knowledge of God.

This evening also allowed the Sufi brotherhood to reconnect with its loyal audience, who came to share a moment of communion through its musical and poetic expressions.

“Our participation, for the second consecutive year, in the Fes Festival of Sufi Culture is another opportunity to renew the bonds of love and peace that unite us with the public,” stated Tariq Bakhat, a member of the samaa group of the Qadiriya Boutchichiya Sufi order.

The repertoire presented was carefully selected to remain faithful to the spiritual foundations of the brotherhood, he explained, specifying that “the samaa of the Qadiriya Boutchichiya Sufi order is part of the system of dhikr, the remembrance of God.”

For his part, Abdelilah Bendaoud, a member of the group, praised the warm welcome extended to the brotherhood during its performances at the festival, both by the residents of Fes and by visitors from other cities.

Through a composition blending dhikr, prayers upon the Prophet, and invocations, the group intends to make samaa a vehicle for spiritual connection and contemplation, he emphasized.

“Samaa and dhikr constitute a spiritual link that allows one to draw closer to God and rekindle feelings of divine love and longing for the Messenger of God, through chants and creative expression,” he noted.

Through this performance, the Qadiriya Boutchichiya Tariqa highlighted a spiritual heritage founded on knowledge, love, and remembrance of God, demonstrating the vitality of a tradition that continues to resonate beyond the borders of the Kingdom.

Under the leadership of Sheikh Jamal Eddine, who passed away in August 2025, and subsequently his current representative, Sheikh Moad, the Sufi order continues its work of transmitting and preserving the Sufi heritage, in a spirit that combines fidelity to its foundations with openness to contemporary realities. Present internationally, it also contributes to intercultural dialogue through the various expressions of Sufi spirituality.

This evening’s event is part of the program for the 18th edition of the Fes Festival of Sufi Culture and World Wisdom, which opened last Saturday at Bab El Makina with the performance “Paths of Spiritual Love.”

Held under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, this edition, which runs until October 24, celebrates the power of mystical poetry, music, and beauty to foster inner peace and closer ties between cultures. Its ambition is to make Fez a space for encounter and dialogue between Moroccan spiritual traditions and the wisdom of the world.

The program gives particular prominence to Moroccan Sufi brotherhoods, with samaa evenings dedicated to the Charqawiya, Ouazzaniya, Rissouniya, and Sqalliya tariqas, while also welcoming other international spiritual traditions. This diversity of mystical expression highlights the richness of the spiritual heritage and its contribution to intercultural dialogue.