Muhammad al-Arabi al-Darqawi

Born in the Rif mountains near Beni Zerwal, Sidi Muhammad al-Arabi al-Darqawi studied in Fez under Ali al-Jamal. He formulated a radical spiritual revival of the Shadhili path, ordering his disciples to cast off costly silks and pride, wear coarse patched wool (muraqqa'a), and carry prayer beads in public humility.

His letters to his disciples, collected in the *Rasa'il al-Darqawiyya*, are revered as classics of spiritual psychology, teaching ego-extinction (fana) and active compassion. His order spread across North Africa, Egypt, and the Levant, profoundly shaping 19th-century anti-colonial spiritual resilience.