If you have visited Cafe Clock on a Sunday evening you may have seen our fantastic local Issawa group. The boys perform a selection of rousing songs accompanied by tight, drumming rhythms.
But what is Issawa and when did it start?
The Aissawa (also Aïssâwa, Issâwa, Aïssaoua, Issaoua) is a religious and mystical brotherhood and order founded in Meknès, Morocco by Muhammad Ben Aïssâ (1465–1526), best known as the Chaykh Al-Kâmil (translated as the Perfect Sufi Master). The terms Aïssâwiyya (`Isâwiyya) and Aïssâwa (`Isâwa), came from the name of the founder, designate respectively the brotherhood (tariqa, litt. “way”) and its disciples (fuqarâ, sing. to fakir, litt. “poor”).
The Aïssâwa are known for their spiritual music characterized by collective songs of religious psalms accompanied by an orchestra of percussions using polyrhythm. Their complex ceremony, which use symbolic dances bringing the participants to ecstatic trance, take place in the private sphere during domestic rituals nights (lîla-s), and also in the public sphere during celebrations of national festivals (the moussem-s, which are also pilgrimages) and touristic (folk spectacles) or religious festivities (Ramadan, mawlid or birth of the Prophet).
The founder of the Aïssâwa brotherhood remains a somewhat enigmatic character whose genealogy is always prone to controversy. His h
agiography sends to us the image of a sufi master and legendary ascetic of a considerable spiritual influence. His mausoleum is today in the Zaouia that he built himself in Meknès, a holy house where today several people come to pray and to participate to mystical and religious acts of piety, individual or collective. Muhammad Ben Aïssâ was initiated with the Sufism by three masters of the tariqa Shadhiliyya/Jazûliyya : `Abbâs Ahmad Al-Hâritî (Meknès), Muhammad `Abd Al `Azîz At-Tabbâ (Marrakech) and Muhammad as-Saghîr as-Sahlî (Fès).
The spiritual doctrine of the Aïssâwa follows the mystical tradition historically preceding, the tariqa Shadhiliyya/Jazûliyya. This religious teaching, appeared in 15th century in Marrakech, is the most orthodox mystical method appeared in the Maghreb. The Aïssâwî disciples are held to respect the recommendations of their founder : to follow sunni islam and to practice additional psalms like the long prayer knowns under the name of “Glory to the Eternal” (Al-hizb Subhân Al-Dâ `im). The original Aïssâwa doctrine doesn’t mention extatics and rituals exercices (like music and dances).
The Zaouia of Meknès is the main spiritual center of Aissawa. It was founded by Muhammad Ben Aïssâ at the end of the 15th century. Construction resumed three centuries later by the sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah. Often renovated by the Ministry for Habous and the Islamic Affairs and maintained by the municipal services, the site is open to the public every day of the year. It shelters three principal tombs today: the tomb of the founder Chaykh Al-Kâmil, the tomb of his disciple Abû-ar-Rawâyil and the tomb of the supposed son of the founder, Aïssâ Al-Mehdi.
The hypnotic rhythm and dance is truely magical so make you keep your dairies free for sunday nights at the Clock…………
