Journal · 3 min read
The Seven Saints of Marrakech: a ziyara guide
By Nūr Morocco ·
In short
The Seven Saints (sabʿatu rijāl) are seven holy men buried in Marrakech and visited in a fixed order since the late seventeenth century: Sidi Youssef Ben Ali, Qadi Ayyad, Sidi Bel Abbes, Imam al-Jazuli, Sidi Abdelaziz Tebbâa, Sidi Abdallah al-Ghazwani and Sidi Abderrahman al-Suhayli. A guided ziyara of all seven takes a full day.
Who are the Seven Saints?
Marrakech is sometimes called the city of the seven men, sabʿatu rijāl. The name refers to seven saints and scholars who lived between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries and are buried in the city. Some were jurists and scholars, some ascetics, and three belong to the Shadhili line of Imam al-Jazuli.
Their tombs are living places. Families come to recite al-Fatiha, students to read, and visitors to give charity. The zawiya of Sidi Bel Abbes, the patron saint of the city, has long been known for its charity to the poor and the blind.
The traditional order
The ziyara follows the same sequence it has kept for more than three centuries:
- Sidi Youssef Ben Ali (d. 1196–97): an ascetic remembered for bearing a long illness with patience and gratitude.
- Qadi Ayyad (1083–1149): judge of Ceuta and Granada, and author of al-Shifāʾ, a much-loved book on the qualities of the Prophet ﷺ.
- Sidi Bel Abbes (1130–1204): Abu al-Abbas al-Sabti, the patron saint of Marrakech, known for his teaching on charity.
- Imam al-Jazuli (d. 1465): author of the Dalāʾil al-Khayrāt and renewer of the Shadhili path in Morocco.
- Sidi Abdelaziz Tebbâa (d. 1508): al-Jazuli’s disciple and successor.
- Sidi Abdallah al-Ghazwani (d. 1528–29): known as Moul el-Ksour, a master of the same Jazuli line.
- Sidi Abderrahman al-Suhayli (1114–1185): the scholar of Malaga, author of a celebrated commentary on the life of the Prophet ﷺ.
How the ziyara began
Tradition credits the Alaouite sultan Moulay Ismail, in the late seventeenth century, with establishing the pilgrimage of the Seven Saints, on the advice of the scholar al-Hasan al-Yusi. A fixed route of seven visits gave Marrakech a pilgrimage of its own, and the order has been kept ever since. Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech records the traditional sequence.
Imam al-Jazuli and his line
Three of the seven are masters of one spiritual line. Imam Muhammad al-Jazuli wrote the Dalāʾil al-Khayrāt, a book of blessings on the Prophet ﷺ that is still recited across the Muslim world, and renewed the Shadhili path in fifteenth-century Morocco. His disciple Sidi Abdelaziz Tebbâa and, after him, Sidi Abdallah al-Ghazwani carried the teaching on. For anyone drawn to the Shadhili path, these three visits are the heart of the day.
Visiting the tombs today
The guided sequence and the exteriors are open to every visitor. Entry to the tomb interiors depends on the custodians’ rules and is, in most cases, reserved for Muslim visitors; your guide tells you at each stop. Visit outside prayer times, dress modestly, speak quietly and ask before taking any photograph.
All seven can be visited in one day with a guide, a vehicle for the longer distances between them, and lunch and a rest at midday. On our Seven Saints Retreat the ziyara is spread over four days, so each visit has time for reading and prayer, with evenings of al-Shifāʾ and the Dalāʾil al-Khayrāt.
The adab of the ziyara
- Greet the people of the graves and recite al-Fatiha for them.
- Pray to God for them and for yourself; the visit is a reminder of death and the hereafter.
- Give charity quietly, in the boxes provided or to those who ask.
- Follow the custodian’s guidance on where to stand, where to sit and what to cover.
Questions
In what order are the Seven Saints of Marrakech visited?
Sidi Youssef Ben Ali, Qadi Ayyad, Sidi Bel Abbes, Imam al-Jazuli, Sidi Abdelaziz Tebbâa, Sidi Abdallah al-Ghazwani, then Sidi Abderrahman al-Suhayli.
How long does the Seven Saints ziyara take?
A full day with a guide, including lunch and a rest at midday. Our six-day Seven Saints Retreat spreads it over four days.
Can non-Muslims visit the Seven Saints?
Every visitor can follow the route with a guide and see the tombs from outside. Most interiors are reserved for Muslim visitors, according to the custodians’ rules.
Why are there seven saints in Marrakech?
Tradition credits Sultan Moulay Ismail, in the late seventeenth century, with gathering seven of the city’s saints into one pilgrimage, on the advice of the scholar al-Hasan al-Yusi.
