SUFI ORDER AND RESISTANCE MOVEMENT: THE SANÜSMTA OF LIBYA, 1911-1932 A thesis ~ubdttedto the Fadty of Graduate Studies and Resevch in pdfiiIfïhent of the requirements for the degree of Master of Aas - - - p-pppppppp-p-------- hstitute of Isl?unic Studies McGill University, Montreal 1999 National Libraiy Bibliothèque nationale mm dC-& du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliîraphic Services services bibliographiques The author has granteci a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Libracy of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loaq distribute or seli reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur consewe la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Author :Awalia Rahrna Title :Sufi Oder and Resistance Movanent: The Sanisiyya O€ Libya, 191 1-1932 Department : Institute of Islamic Studies, McGill Universi9 DeWee :Mastez of Arts This thesis is a stdy of the Sanïîsiyya osdex, in which partîculaf emphasis is placed on its role as a iesistance movement Based on a meyof the socid, economic, rebgious and political adVities of this sufi bmthdd and its involvement in the mbd system of the Noah Afkica diiting the first three decldes of bis century, an attempt will be made to identifir on the one hand die fhctom th ccmtgbuted to the stxength of its resistance to Italian invasicm, and cm the other, the elements that led to its fidur;e. It is ygraed that its Mitiail success m the resistance benefited fiom the netwodt of the qibiyus where kdbxvin hmdiff-t tcibes were intepteci sodlyand eccmornidy m accordance with strmg Islamic values. However, hck of dtvptraining and weaps, dependenq on a prominent figue, cornpeting ambitions witbin the SmÜG fvrmy and geographical distance dtimately weakened the resistance. Auteur : Awralia Rahma Titre : Ordie sufi et mouvement de résistance: La SanÜsiyya de Libye de 1911 à 1932 Département : Institut des Études IsWques, Université McGill Diplôme : WAt&e ès Arts - - -- Ce mémoire porte sur i'énide de l'ordre SanGsiyya, avec une attention particulière sur son mouvement de résistance. En se fondant sur les activités sociales, économiques, religieuses et politiques de la fratemité sufse, ahsi que son impfidon au sein du système txibd pendant la pénétration occidentale ea -que du Nord durant les trois premières décennies, la recherche tentera dSidenti6erd'me pmles fiacteurs ayant contniué i la force de sa résistance à l'invasion italienne, et, d'autre pwles éléments qui ont causé sa chute. Il a été débattu que le succès initial de la Sankiyya dans la rédstance a pu tirex parti du réseau des x&ytas où les iMw2 des &€fiérentes tribus fixent intégrés socialement et économiquement et ce, avec des valem islamiques solides. Toutefois, le peu d'entraînement militaire et d'mement, h dépendance à l'égard des leaderss Ies cüffkentes persdtés au sein de la fàmille Sans et les distances géographiques ont &Ni la résistance. I wddlike to express my gratitude in the ktplace to Professor Eric L Onnsby, my academic advisor and diesis superclisoq whose schohdy cntiLism, patience and encouragement have made this thesis possible. My thvlks ais0 go to Pmfessor A. Üner T-y, the Diffaor of the Institute of Islamic Studies, fa his imightfd couxnents. I wodd aiso like to thank my teachers at die Institute, espediy Pmfessor Hemian Landolt, my former academic supervisor, and Fmugh Jbbakhsh who widened my insight mto Islamic mystiusm and die Pe- hqpage. My thanks are also due to ShFerahkm and Wame St. Thomas of the Islamic Studies Libram for their assistance in 0 4 obtaining iesdmatds. I wodd also like to record my thah to Zakgi Ibrahim fbr his rneanhgfd help m the very eady stages of my study; and to Steve Wez for his editoriai help, espeady as he accomodated me in spite of his own busy schedule. 1 wkh to acknowIedge here the generosity of the Ministry of Religious Afftus of the Republic of Indonesh, the Canadian Intemational Development Agency (CIDA) and the Mcclll-Indonesia Project in providiag me with a gmnt to stdy nt McGill University. My th?nks h go to Prot Dr. Nourouzzaman Sbiddiqi and PmE Dr. Buzhanuddin Daya of Yogyakarta for di& moral e support and encouragement 1 am likewise gntefbl to my Indoneskm fiaends for th& wum fiendship during my stay in Montreal, I wodd also iike to express my heartfelt dimks to my parents H. Abubakar Mdand Hj. Isrmwati and to my yomger bmthers and sisters for their suppm as wd as to my father and mother-in-law who were so encoutaging. Fidy 1 dediute this thesis to my husband, Kusmana, who desemes spedho= and thanlrs for his constant love, criticism and support. The system of transliteration of Arabic wods and names applied in this thesis is htused by the Instihite of Isl?mic Studies, University. The table of tr;uisliteration is as follows: b =+ t =a th =& j =c h =t kh =i d =3 dh=i =J Short : Long : vii TABU3 OF CONTENTS .- Abstract 11 Réd iii Acknowledgements iv Transli teration Table of Contents Intrioductim Chapm 1 THE POLJTICAL AND ECONOMIC BACKGROUND OFLIBYA IN THE EARLY TWENTlETH CENTURY A. People and Land a B. Economy C. Politid Situation 1. Ottoman Administration 2 Tripolitanian Resistance and the Emergence of the Repubk of Tripolitania 3. Itahm Penetration Chapter 11 ROLES OF THE SANÜSZYYA: THE CENTRAL POSITIONS OF smm,IKHW~AND ~FWYRT A Stmctuie and Oiganizaaon of the SanÜsiyya B. Socio-Religious Role 1. Dbikr as die essence of SanÜsiyya's Mystical Teachkgs 2 Education 3. ?'&ai Integration C. Economic Role Chapter III RE!SPONSES TO COLOISIAIJSM A. Baclrground of the Resistance B. Responses tu Colonialism 1. Responses of the Libyan People 2 The SanGsiyya Responses C. The SanÜsiyya Resistance: Roles of the Lea&g SanÜsiyya Leaders 1. The Role of Sayyid Aipd Shdf (1 813-1933) 2 The Role of Sa@ Muhammad Idris (1890-1983) 3. The Role of 'Uniar al-Mukhtk (1 862-1931) Conclusion Bibliography INTRODUCTION The Sanusiyya movement constitutes an interesting phenornenon in Islamic history, and pvtiCUISlifly in that of North Ahican sufism. This sufi bmtherbood wls narned afk its founder, Mdpmmad ibn 'sal-San= al- ~ham-bial-~asd a1-1&; a-miijiii (1787-1859 AD), & - &O knm as the Ginnd SpniG, a prominent Sufi-scholat ia nineteenth ceatury Noah Afnca. This &a evolved fiom a rrhgious to a politid movernent when ît bep to play a substantial part in the sesistance agrinst the French in the Sdma, Wst the British and It?lians in Cyremica and m the emergence of the Kingdom of Iibya. The latter was ded at ktby SaniiSi's pdson, Çayyid Mdpmmad Idris, who ascended die thme in 1951, dyto lose it in a miiitaq coup d'état led by Mu 'ammat al-Qaddafi in September 1969. Muiy scholars have discussed the SanÜsiyya and their correspondmg poIitica3 movement Most have noted the role of the Sankiyya in resisting colcmialism in their homeland. Bark for instance, points out that the Libyan iesistance during the years 1911-1920 depended heady on Sankiyya foices, Ahmida discusses the soapl cuItuial and historical background of modem Libya hm the eady nineteenth centiiiy to the end of the amied anticolonial resistance? Hebelieves diat Sufi Islam, tribai ditzuy ocg?nizauon and d traditions wem crucial M the f#ît against coloniafisfn. The politid and cultural legacy of the resistance has ais0 been pmeiful strengthdg Libyan natidsm and leadiag to the mhlof a strcmg attichment to Islam d the clan. The memory of this pePod has not yet fided, and appreciation of this background is essential to understanding present-ciay Lib@ The ptBiitish anduopologist, Evans-Pritchard, cm the 0th- han4 interprets the Sanùsjlya's politicai development estth& historical background in Tba Sdof ~~'ca~Yet here the emphasis is more on the development, traàng the historg of the SanGiyya fkom its ori@ to the @od of Itlliui colonjzabon. The present thesis is however as indebted to this book as are so muiy odiec writings tbnt focus on Liiya. A pdcular character is amibuted to the SanÜsiyya by Nicola Ziadeh who sees the brotherhds deas that of a revivaiist movement. As Leoivalist 2 Ah Abcidatif Ahmidz. Th Making ofM& fi& Shte Fodn,Cdof*@im ad&abta=, 1830-1932 (Amiuiy, New Y&. SUW1994). 0 3 E.E. Evans Pritchard, Tbr Saami ojfCw(Oxfd: Clarendon Press, 1954). -e movement, the SanÜsiyya ans consexvative to the extent it did not recogaize the dedopent "the wddhad known since the advent of Isiam." ' Research dl now hm covered various aspects of the order, such as reiïgiosity, ethnic, economic, and sochl issues, and politics. Howeveq only fm scholars have tned to see the interconnection between the doctrines and the political movement of the &a One scholar who has, Knut S. Vikor, ccmcluded that the political movemmt was not the central aspect of the Thus the histoy of the Sanùsiyya is dso the history of a Sufi bmtherhood which welded the edinic identity of the Sahafan bedouin and neighborhg The movement hm also become my focus by mon of its distinctme Wahhabi doctrines, a unique blend that consïsted in maintainhg Sufi values and &g for a retum to the fundamental IslYnic sources, the Q6an and Sunna.