Aissaoua Brotherhood of Marrakesh

The Aissawa (Isawiyya) are a Sufi ṭarīqa founded in Meknes in the late 15th–early 16th century by Muḥammad al-Hādī ben ‘Īssa (“al-Kāmil”). From Meknes the order spread across Morocco, with strong centres in Fez, Salé and later Marrakesh. Local branches (like the Marrakesh brotherhood) keep the core spiritual framework but develop regional styles. Their musical traditions sit at the crossroads of: Dhikr / dikr – rhythmic invocation of the divine names.