Abdessalame Yacine

1928 -

Islamic intellectual and spiritual leader in Morocco.

Abdessalame Yacine is one of the foremost Islamic intellectuals in Morocco and the spiritual leader of the al-Adl wa al-Ihsan ( Justice and Charity) movement. A former teacher and school principal, Yacine became an Islamic activist in the early 1970s after having been religiously awakened by an encounter with Sufism. Following his bold criticism of King Hassan II in an open letter entitled "Islam or the Deluge" in 1974, Yacine was jailed on a few occasions, and ultimately put under house arrest between 1989 and 2000. Besides this clash with the monarchy, he has mostly distinguished himself through a prolific literary production and the originality of his philosophy. Deeply influenced by his short Sufi experience, Yacine developed a nonvio-lent Islamism based on spiritual regeneration. His major works in Arabic and French underline the importance of spiritual guidance (tarbiya), proper companionship (suhbah), and prayer. In doing so, Yacine invites Muslims to reach a higher stage of consciousness called ihsan in order to become truly benevolent and build a better society. Yacine thus wishes to instill justice, honesty, and responsibility within various spheres, from family life to politics. His emphasis on spiritual growth, which he attempts to reconcile with the dryness of Islamic law, sets him apart from the more rigorist Islamists in Morocco and elsewhere. Nevertheless, al-Adl wa al-Ihsan, officially founded in 1987, is currently one of the most important Islamic organizations in the country. Although Yacine continues to criticize the Moroccan monarchy and government within acceptable limits, he has so far eschewed direct political involvement.

Bibliography

Shahin, Emad Eldin. "Secularism and Nationalism: The Political Discourse of ʿAbd al-Salam Yassin," in Islamism and Secularism in North Africa, edited by John Ruedy. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1994: 167 - 186.

— HENRI LAUZIÈRE