Mawlāy al-ʿArbī ad-Darqāwī

Mawlāy al-ʿArbī ad-Darqāwī (c. 1737–1823) was a Moroccan Sufi mystic and the founder of the Darqāwā brotherhood. An offshoot of the Shadhilī Sufi order, the Darqāwā brought together individuals from various social classes. The order's doctrine is orthodox, emphasizing devotion, contemplation, and union with God through solitary or communal prayer, often involving repetitive phrases, poetry, song, and dance to induce ecstasy.1

Darqāwī members generally avoid public life, though they did engage in political actions, such as agitating against the Ottoman Turks and supporting the nationalist cause in Algeria. The Darqāwā order is found in Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, and Sri Lanka. Sufism, the mystical dimension of Islam, involves a spiritual path guided by a shaykh, focusing on self-struggle, patience, gratitude, and ultimately, annihilation of the self to achieve union with God.12