This study analyses the authority of Shaykh Ahmad al-Yashruti in Amman, Acre, and Jaffa. He is the master of the Shadhuliyya-Yashrutiyya, a Sufi ṭarīqa (brotherhood) which originated in Acre but is now based in Amman. It examines how the changing religious climate and the challenges faced by the Palestinian people affect the role of the Shaykh and the cohesion of the community. This study approaches both the concept of authority and the practice of fieldwork from a relational perspective, and discusses the challenges faced when doing multi-sited fieldwork using Graham Harvey’s concept of ‘methodological guesthood’. The study analyses how the founding Shaykh’s charisma is maintained in a ṭarīqa which is institutionalised on traditional (kinship) lines, and focuses on the doctrinal, functional and locational aspects of Shaykh Ahmad’s authority by examining the underlying paradigm of authority, as well as the different roles his followers attribute to him, how these are connected to the functions of the zawāya (lodges) in Amman and Acre, and how this affects the ṭarīqa’s place in society and in the arena of ‘Muslim Politics’ (as understood by Eickelman and Piscatori). This is mainly done by focusing on the emic concept of tarbiya (education), which corresponds to Berger and Luckmann’s concept of ‘socialisation’ and Asad’s approach to the transmission of a discursive tradition that is in a continuous process of transmission and reinterpretation through the institutionalised relationship between Sufi shaykhs and followers. The study argues that the process of tarbiya and the mode of communication between Shaykh and follower – which mainly consists of indirect communications and signs to be identified and interpreted by the follower – allows the ṭarīqa to value both individuality and submission to the Shaykh; it also allows it to be centralised, while at the same time adaptable to local circumstances. This thus explains the development of a discursive tradition, the functioning of a translocal ṭarīqa, and the changing position of a Sufi shaykh, enabling us to see that a Sufi movement can be both traditional and innovative.

Cette thèse s’intitule : « Les Zaouïas Darqâwiyyas au Maroc ; Zaouïa d’al-Basîr comme exemple ». Elle présente une confrérie marocaine active basée sur une méthode d’éducation spirituelle d’origine Darqâwiyya. Cette Zaouïa joue un rôle important dans la société marocaine à plusieurs niveaux : le savoir et la culture religieux, le social et la politique, illustrant ainsi la pratique des anciens soufis. A travers les chapitres de cette thèse, je donnerai une vue d’ensemble sur l’histoire du soufisme marocain et des différentes étapes qu’il a franchies ainsi que les raisons de la permanence ou de la disparition de certains courants soufis. La Tariqa Darqâwiyya ainsi que son origine la Shâdhiliyya vont être abordées dans un second temps. Je présenterai la genèse de la tariqa Darqâwiyya ainsi que son fondateur le Shaykh Mulay al-‘Arabi al-Darqâwi. La Tariqa Darqawiyya a donné naissance à différentes voies soufies. Les modalités de son expansion en Orient et en Europe, ainsi que les principes employés dans l’éducation spirituelle seront abordés aussi. Enfin, je traiterai en détail un exemple vivant de l’enseignement issu de la Darqâwiyya : la «Zaouia Basîriyya», son origine, son fondateur le Shaykh Ibrâhîm al-Basîr et les caractéristiques de cette Tariqa. / This thesis is entitled "The Zaouïas Darqâwiyyas in Morocco; Zawiya al-Basir as an example." It has an active Moroccan Tariqa based on an original method Darqawiyya spiritual education. This Zaouïa plays an important role in Moroccan society on several levels: Knowledge and religious culture, social and political, reflecting the practice of early Sufis. Through the chapters of this thesis, I will give an overview on the history of Moroccan Sufism and the various stages it has crossed and the reasons of permanence or disappearance of some Sufi currents. Tariqa Darqawiyya as well as its origin the Shadhiliyya will be addressed in a second time. I will present the genesis of Darqawiyya tariqa and its founder Shaykh al-Arabi Mulay al-Darqawi. Tariqa Darqawiyya gave birth to various Sufi paths. The terms of its expansion in the East and in Europe, and the principles used in spiritual education will be addressed too. Finally, I will discuss in detail about "Zaouia Basîriyya", its origin, its founder, Shaykh Ibrahim al-Basir and characteristics of this Tariqa.