Sidi Wassay: Possible Interpretations of the History of a Famous Coastal Scene (Part Two)
Hussein Boualzit - Journalist and researcher in history
Establishment: It Mast's relationship with the sea
The relationship of Ait Mast with the sea is an ancient and long-standing one, as indicated by the local crafts and traditions related to maritime activity, a relationship that is no different from its counterparts on the northern and southern coasts of Morocco, which historians spoke about when they said, “The Roman lived on bread made from wheat that grows in North Africa, or in Egypt, and on fish that was caught and dried there near Gibraltar, and was cooked with North African oil in copper pots made in Spain…” This is conclusive evidence of the antiquity of the relationship between Moroccans and the maritime domain, evidence that refutes colonial theses that claim that the Amazigh are afraid of the sea, and that they are a people who turn their backs on oceans and seas.
The antiquity of the relationship between the Amazighs and the sea is indicated by the diversity of the marine lexicon of marine creatures and the lexicon of crafts and means used in navigational activity and fishing, in addition to the states of the sea, from calm to turbulence, in addition to the weather conditions. Among the terms that embody the antiquity of the relationship between the Masians and the sea, we find: Tikri, Azaiz, A Mon, Arkenoz, Asrkal, Ari, Azaiz, A Mon, Arkenoz, Asrkal, Azlamza, Tanawt, Aghrabou, Takalout, Tadinka, Aftas, Iksaa al-Bahr, Asghar n al-Bakhr, Takout, and other words that belong to the field of the marine lexicon.
We also find many historical indicators that show and confirm the antiquity of Ait Mast's relationship with the maritime domain. In this context, we must point out the abundance of natural ports and their alignment along the coast of the tribe. These ports are likely to be points of trade exchange between the local population and foreign merchants. If we add to all this the customary codes regulating various maritime professions, we find ourselves before an indisputable historical fact, which is that the Amazighs, including Ait Mast, have practiced maritime activities since ancient times and that their relationship with the maritime domain is not a coincidence. Thus, history tells us about the commercial relations between the Amazighs and the Phoenicians, as well as about pirate raids and the expansion of the European threat during the industrial revolution and the launch of colonial expansion projects that reached the southern coasts of Morocco. This expansion was imposed by the nature of the period characterized by the urgent need for natural resources within the framework of the industrial revolution and the great geographical discoveries.
There is no doubt that the spread of shrines along the Moroccan coasts has its justification, in history, as well as social and religious justifications, including achieving moral and worldly benefits. We do not doubt now that this phenomenon is an ancient one, and belongs to the eras before the emergence of monotheistic religions, and there is no doubt that they are places of worship and contemplation, and the sites of their construction on the highlands of hills and mounds tell us of the multiple roles of these shrines, which are transformed into fortresses to guard the coasts and castles to repel the attacks of invaders and repel the infiltration of enemies, and in other words, they are towers to monitor, guard and defend the borders.
His origin and lineage
On the other hand, the phenomenon of the spread of domes along the Diamond Coast can be considered an honor and glorification of the figures buried in them, due to their righteousness, their struggle to repel invaders, their guarding of the beaches, their construction and their making of them places of assembly and worship, and their doing good deeds, including feeding and sheltering passersby and other acts of charity. Thus, the domes developed in these areas according to the succession of generations and the passage of years, and the beginnings of their appearance go back to the beginning of the Christian invasion of the Atlantic Ocean. In this regard, we find those who attribute most of the owners of these domes to those who fled the Inquisition in the Iberian Peninsula, including Sidi Abdel Rahman Al-Rundi, buried in Wassay on the beach of Mast, although Muhammad Al-Mukhtar Al-Soussi in Al-Masoul, while talking about Sheikh Yahya bin Abdullah Al-Duwaimlalni before 945 AH and after 999 AH, acknowledged that he was from the Rkrakiyyin when he said: “Sidi Wasmin “bin Ya’la, as I found him in another place,” who is the leader of the Rkrakiyyin buried in Jebel Al-Hadid in Al-Shiadma, has ten sons, all of whom memorized the Qur’an, and their descendants still memorize it to this day. Then one of these sons was buried in (Imdioun) in Hchtouka, and the second in (Intimelt) under the sands - Dimlaln - in the Ait Simyoun tribe, and the third in Massa, and the fourth in (Tardart) in the Great Valley, also in Hshtoka - thus - and the fifth Sidi Daoud in Tizlemi, and the sixth in (Wadi Noun) in the place of (Takawst), on the side of the rain - thus - and the remaining four in Maamoura Baqi in Wadi Draa, they went on their tour until they died there, may God have mercy on them and be pleased with them. As for the one buried in (Tizlemi) Sidi Daoud, his son Sidi Musa is in (Tadaift) in Ait Jarrar, and his other son Muhammad in Massa, then Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Daoud was buried in (Taghjijt) and he had a son called Issa bin Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Daoud, who was buried in (Tamricast) in (Wadi Noun) and they are the sons of the Kattanis and they are now Khanak.
This text of Muhammad al-Mukhtar al-Soussi, which he mentioned in the fourth part of al-Ma’sool, is clear and without doubt regarding the lineage of Sidi Abd al-Rahman al-Rundi to the Rkrakiyyin or Irkrakiyyin, who are a well-known sect in the history of Morocco. Al-Soussi was not satisfied with this much regarding the third son of Sheikh Yahya mentioned above. He once confirmed the Rkraki origins of the dean of the saints of Mast when he said: “As for Abd al-Rahman, nicknamed Wsay, here you see him from the Rkrajiyyin, and this is one of the sayings in [perhaps al-Mukhtar al-Soussi did not want to decide on his lineage at the beginning of talking about him, but he will decide the matter at the end of his speech, as we will see.] It was said that he is from the Bakris of the Ya’za and Yahdi, as he was mentioned among their men. It was said that his origin is from Ronda in Andalusia, so some of them mention him as Abd al-Rahman al-Rundi, and that he is Amri Adwi, as his sons still have, and that Abu Namir, who is famous in (Asdhdh), is his son, and we have a complete lineage in that, and that is what is correct with us.” So the Rkrakari origin of Sidi Abdel Rahman Al-Rundi, buried in Wasay, Massa, is indisputable according to Muhammad Al-Mukhtar Al-Soussi, who mentioned all the other accounts regarding his lineage to the Al-Amriyyin Al-Adawiyyin and the Bakriyyin of Al-I’za and Yahda, and also touched upon his Andalusian origin, but in the end he preferred his Rkrakari origin without reservation. When he looked at a booklet in the Mas’udiyyah Library on the Al-Ma’dar tribe, he did not look at it at first, but when he was able to look at it, he confirmed the lineage of Sidi Abdel Rahman as he mentioned in the text above. In this regard, Al-Soussi says: “I know of a booklet under this title, in the collection of the Mas’udiyyah Al-Ma’dariyah Library, which I did not look at. Perhaps it contains something that sheds light on his life and nature, so let him search for that. Then I looked at that, and I found what was mentioned above to be more likely.”
Anyone who follows the phenomenon of the density of the righteous in the Moroccan maritime areas will discover that the reason for this is due to the intervention of the European powers in Morocco within the framework of the desire of the Christian Church to spread the Christian religion and acquire lands outside the European continent. In this context, we recall the Spanish ambitions in the Ait Baamrane regions, to establish a fishing port. The Catholic Church published the famous Mar Pekinia propaganda, to cover up the real ambitions that moved this Iberian state outside its European borders. It moved the concerns of the corners and Sufis to dispel the fears of Moroccans, and each tribe began to defame the righteous, and establish markets near the beaches and name them after their previous righteous people. The date of the beginning of the enactment of this procedure apparently dates back to the beginning of the Marinid era and it became widely known in the following eras. This hypothesis is temporary until something is found to refute it.
Source: websites