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Marrakech – Sheikh Moulay Jamal Eddine El Qadiri Boutchich, guide of the Qadiriyya Boutchichiyya Sufi order, died Friday afternoon at the Military Hospital in Rabat. He was 83 years old.
The death follows a prolonged illness that had earlier prompted King Mohammed VI to order his medical evacuation from Oujda to Rabat via a medically equipped helicopter from the Royal Gendarmerie in April.
Born in 1942 in Madagh village in Berkane province, Sheikh Jamal Eddine had led the influential Sufi order since 2017. The order’s headquarters in Madagh, near Berkane in eastern Morocco, serves as its spiritual center.
He succeeded his father, Sheikh Sidi Hamza El Qadiri Boutchich, according to a written testament sealed in 1990. The document designated Jamal Eddine as inheritor of “the authorization to transmit dhikr and call to God.”
Sheikh Jamal Eddine received his early education at the zawiya before continuing his studies at Moulay Idriss High School in Fez. He later attended the Faculty of Sharia and Dar Al-Hadith Al-Hassania in Rabat, where he obtained a higher education diploma in Islamic sciences.
In 2001, he completed his doctorate with a thesis titled “The Institution of the Zawiya in Morocco Between Authenticity and Modernity.”
Known for his media discretion, Sheikh Jamal Eddine devoted himself entirely to the Sufi path and spiritual training. He rarely appeared in public except during major spiritual celebrations, particularly the commemoration of Mawlid (the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad).
In January, during the eighth commemoration of Sheikh Hamza’s death, Sheikh Jamal Eddine had officially announced his son, Moulay Mounir El Qadiri Boutchich, as his spiritual successor and guardian of the order’s spiritual secrets.
During this announcement, he reaffirmed the order’s fundamental principles, stating: “We consolidate today this message, a message of benevolence toward others and closeness to God, according to a method that fills hearts with serenity.”
Read also: Islam Is Couched in Sufism in Morocco
The Qadiriyya Boutchichiyya is considered one of Morocco’s largest Sufi orders with disciples of various nationalities worldwide. Tracing its roots to the 11th century and named after Sufi master Abdul Qadir Jilani, the order gained the “Boutchichiyya” designation from a sheikh who fed people a simple porridge called “dshisha” during famines.
The order expanded significantly during the 20th century, particularly under Sheikh Abbas and later his son Sheikh Hamza who assumed leadership in 1972.
Sheikh Hamza, who had participated in Morocco’s liberation movement against French colonization, worked to revitalize the order’s practices and extend its reach throughout different regions of Morocco.
Followers, known as “fuqara” (the poor ones) in reference to spiritual humility, gather twice yearly in massive assemblies exceeding 250,000 participants – during the 27th night of Ramadan and for Mawlid celebrations.
It plays a pivotal role in the country’s spiritual diplomacy, actively participating in interfaith and intercultural dialogue through initiatives like the World Forum of Sufism.
The order is known for its balanced approach, combining unwavering fidelity to traditions with controlled openness to modernity. It draws inspiration from Quranic teachings and the Sunna while adapting to contemporary realities.
With his passing, Morocco loses one of its most eminent scholars in Sufism and a major figure in the modernization of zawiyas and the revival of their educational and intellectual roles.
Sheikh Jamal Eddine successfully combined rigorous academic training with profound spiritual experience, extending the influence of the Qadiriyya Boutchichiyya order nationally and internationally.
