al-Mukhtar al-Susi

al-Mukhtar al-Susi (1318–1383 AH / 1900–1963 CE) was a Moroccan historian, jurist, poet, and statesman from the Sous region, best known for his twenty-volume regional history al-Ma'sul.Sus al-Alima+1

Early life and education

Muhammad al-Mukhtar ibn 'Ali ibn Ahmad al-Ilghi al-Susi was born in 1318 AH (1900 CE) in the village of Doukadir Illigh, located 174 kilometers south of Agadir, into an Amazigh family noted for scholarly learning and religious devotion.Sus al-Alima+1 His father, 'Ali ibn Ahmad al-Ilghi, was the head of the Darqawiyya Sufi order in the region, and his mother was Ruqayya, the daughter of the scholar and teacher Muhammad ibn al-'Arabi al-Aduzi.Sus al-Alima

Al-Susi began his studies under his mother, who taught him reading, writing, and early memorization of the Quran, which he later completed under disciples at his father's zawiya.Sus al-Alima He then moved among several traditional schools in the Sous region, including those of Ighashan, Bou Nou'man, and Tanakart, studying Arabic grammar, jurisprudence, inheritance law, arithmetic, and legal principles under teachers such as al-Tahir al-Ifrani and Muhammad ibn al-Tahir al-Susi.Sus al-Alima+1 At Tanakart, encouraged by a senior fellow student, 'Abd al-Rahman al-Buzkarni, he read extensively in Andalusian literature and composed his first poetry.Sus al-Alima He later continued his advanced studies in Marrakech and Fes, where he adopted a Salafi theological orientation.al-Alam lil-Zirikli

Political activism and offices

During the French Protectorate in Morocco, al-Susi opposed colonial rule following the enactment of the Berber Dahir and became an active participant in the national movement.al-Alam lil-Zirikli French authorities arrested him and placed him in an internment camp alongside other Moroccan nationalists, before subjecting him to compulsory residence in his hometown of Illigh for five years.al-Alam lil-Zirikli When colonial authorities deposed Sultan Muhammad V and demanded that religious scholars pledge allegiance to Muhammad ibn 'Arafa, al-Susi refused and remained loyal to the exiled monarch.al-Alam lil-Zirikli

Following Morocco's independence, al-Susi was appointed Minister of Awqaf (Religious Endowments) in the first post-independence government.al-Alam lil-Zirikli Sultan Muhammad V subsequently appointed him as one of three ministers on the Crown Council (Majlis al-Taj), an executive advisory post that he retained for the rest of his life.al-Alam lil-Zirikli

Later life and death

Alongside his official duties, al-Susi dedicated himself to documenting the history, genealogy, and literary heritage of southern Morocco.al-Alam lil-Zirikli His most prominent work is al-Ma'sul, an extensive twenty-volume biographical and historical survey of the tribes, notable families, and scholars of Sous, complemented by his regional travel account Khilal Jazula.al-Alam lil-Zirikli

Al-Susi died in 1383 AH (1963 CE).Sus al-Alima+1