Maghreb–Fez

1. When and how did Islam enter the Maghreb region?

The first significant place where Islam was transmitted in the Maghreb region was Kairouan in Tunisia. An expedition led by the first caliph of the Umayyad dynasty, Muawiya I, constructed the military base of Kairouan in 670. At that time, the “Uqba ibn Nafi Mosque,” built in commemoration of General Uqba ibn Nafi, is one of the oldest mosques in North Africa and holds a position next in importance after Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem among the various holy sites of Islam. Among some Muslims, there is even a belief that making seven pilgrimages to Kairouan is equivalent to performing the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).

The place where Islam, which had spread to the Maghreb region, flourished was Fez in Morocco. Fez was founded during the Idrisid dynasty in the 8th–9th centuries CE, and in the early 9th century, successive waves of migration composed mainly of Arabs from Ifriqiya (present-day Tunisia) and al-Andalus (present-day Spain and Portugal) added an Arab character to early Fez. After the fall of the Idrisid dynasty, during the rule of the Almohad dynasty, Fez gained renown as a center of theology and trade.

In Fez there is al-Qarawiyyin Islamic University, founded in 857, and some people regard this institution as the place that has functioned for the longest continuous period as a higher educational institution in the world. Therefore, Fez is called the “Mecca of the West” and is sometimes considered the spiritual and cultural capital of Morocco.

2. Were there religious groups or powers that resisted when Islam was introduced? If Christianity existed before Islam, why did Christianity decline?

The early Islamic forces expanded their territory by defeating the Byzantine Empire and the Sasanian Persian Empire on the basis of strong military power. The reason Islam was able to spread rapidly in the Maghreb was not only strong military power but also Islam’s tolerant policies and integrative capacity.

Islamic forces promised religious freedom to local inhabitants who were dissatisfied with the oppressive rule of the Byzantine and Persian Empires, and they provided benefits such as tax reductions. In the early period of Islamic conquest, they preferred tribute and indirect rule rather than imposing excessive taxation on the conquered population, thereby reducing resistance and receiving welcome, and they encouraged conversion by offering tax benefits to those who converted to Islam. Islam had no religious hierarchy, and it permitted religious freedom to the inhabitants of conquered territories on the condition that they pay a poll tax, without discrimination based on ethnicity or class. This was a far more tolerant attitude compared to the oppressive rule of previous empires.

In addition, the trade activities and cultural exchanges of Muslim merchants also greatly contributed to its spread.

3. What position did Islam take after the World Wars?

After the Second World War, Islamic communities in the Maghreb region actively carried out anti-colonial movements opposing colonial rule and pursuing independence. At the same time, efforts continued to reestablish religious and cultural identity, and alternative identities such as Pan-Arabism and Islamic solidarity were explored. In the late 20th century, new ideological trends such as Islamic fundamentalism also emerged.

Pan-Arabism, which emphasized the solidarity and unity of the Arab nation, spread widely, and movements advocating the unity of the entire Islamic world beyond specific states or ethnic groups also developed. In addition, various attempts were made to restore the religious and cultural identity of Islam that had been weakened or damaged during the period of colonial rule.

4. What is the most influential Islamic school in the Maghreb region, who is its central figure, and what is the core of his teaching?

The most influential Islamic school of law in the Maghreb region is the Maliki school. The Maliki school is one of the four major Sunni schools of jurisprudence and has had a significant influence on the law and customs of the Maghreb region. The Maliki school was founded in the late 7th century by Malik ibn Anas of Medina. In addition to the Qur’an and the Sunnah (tradition) of the Prophet Muhammad, it is characterized by taking the practice (‘amal) of Medina as an important source of authority. A difference from the other three schools is that, under the influence of kingdoms or long-term rule, it also seeks religious teachings in the governing laws of various secular rulers. Whereas the other schools regard the Qur’an as most important and emphasize the hadith, which are the sayings of Muhammad, the Maliki school emphasizes the governing laws of rulers together with the hadith.

5. What influence does Islam have on the Maghreb, and what is its role in the Islamic world?

Islam in the Maghreb region has a profound influence across politics, society, and culture, and it plays an important role particularly in political stability, social norms and ways of life, and economic activity. Islamic law, Sharia, sometimes forms the basis of the constitution and influences family and communal life. In terms of lifestyle, Islamic customs influence society as a whole from birth to funeral rites. Considering that more than 90 percent of “Arabs” are Muslim, Islam plays a central role in shaping the cultural identity of North Africa.

Islam plays a role in integrating the community, but in the Maghreb, where secularist Islam is strong, it also at times becomes a cause of religious conflict such as Islamic fundamentalism.