Sufism in the feminine form: Lalla “Ta’alat”… Rabea Sus and inspiring jurists
Amina El Mestari
Suss knew many names of scholars, worshipers, righteous women, whose names were mentioned among a group of Moroccan Sufi women, ascetics who were known for righteousness and piety, and became a title for Sufism, at a time when it was the preserve of men.
The Sussi community was famous for the notables of virtuous women, including those who were forgotten throughout history, including princesses, jurists and scholars, and some of them were mentioned in the stomachs of books, such as al-Ma’soul by al-Mukhtar al-Sussi … but Lalla Ta’alaat is the most influential of them in the historical memory of the region, especially among jurists and students.
But who is Lalla Ta’alat, a Sufi who integrated into a male-dominated society during her lifetime, and attracted thousands to visit her grave after her death? She is Fatimah bint Muhammad Ta’alat, or Ta’ulat, according to her belonging to the “Ait Ala” of the Taskdelt tribe in Ilan. She died at the age of 110… A Berber woman, a devout ascetic Sufi worshiper, hailing from the village of Imi Ntakad. Ha, the “Taskdelt” community, Pashtouka Ait Baha, to their destination and pilgrimage, which is visited by thousands of jurists and students of ancient schools every year, and its “spiritual” men’s season is considered the opening of the spiritual seasons in the Souss region.
She got married on the 12th of the 12th month during the 12th century AH… an unusual date, with a husband who tells many stories about his cruelty. She was known to be sterile and childless, and her life partner was married. She was subjected to marital violence, and according to some accounts, it was said that he disagreed with her on jurisprudential issues, especially the permissibility of pleading with guardians in times of distress and anguish.
Lala Ta’alat was considered a spiritual leader in the Helala region. She was close to men of knowledge in a conservative, patriarchal society that considers Sufism to be the exclusive domain of men, and broke the restrictions that governed her social milieu. She passionately loved science, jurisprudence, and religion, and asceticised in the pleasures of the world. She endured marital violence with a lot of worship and prayer. She was able to memorize the Qur’an and recite supplications and jurisprudential texts. She also directed her attention to the ancient schools. 5 AH, building a mausoleum over her grave.
Rabea Zamanha did good deeds and some men of jurisprudence and knowledge testified to it, such as the scholar Sidi Emhamed bin Salih Al-Muti Al-Bugaadi, who wrote to her asking her to pray for him, as mentioned by the jurist Al-Bouqduri in his book The Tribes of Hilala. “Lalla Ta’alat” was respected by the men of jurisprudence and religion and students of ancient schools to the point of allocating its agricultural crops on its land during her life, and at her death the revenues of the shrine were allocated for the benefit of the ancient school “Lalla Ta’alat” that is located close to it, so that it was called “inspiring” men of jurists and religious values. They value her after her death as they valued them during her life. T, Al-Burdah and Al-Hamziyah.. Its season comes to pilgrims from every valley in the Su mountains, and it is an opportunity for communication between students of knowledge and jurists, getting to know them and exchanging their knowledge, and deliberating on legal issues… until its season has become a destination for many scholars and researchers in religious matters.
The jurist Al-Bouqduri stated that “Ta’alat” was organizing Susian Amazigh poems, in pleading, guidance, and praising the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, including a poem that includes 50 poetic verses.
The jurists and clerics respected her, and they went to her season to reside in the mausoleum cabin, on the first Thursday of March Al-Falahi, and they compete to be blessed by her grave, not out of ignorance, but an expression of their respect for her and their appreciation for her biography. Dozens stand at the door of the wilaya in the form of queues, to conclude the season, which marks a milestone in women’s Sufism, at a time when Sufism was close to men.
