Sidi Jamal's speech at the dikra 2025

By Sidi Jamal al-Qâdirî Bûtshîsh · August 14, 2025 · 9 min read

Contents

Authentic translation of Sidi Jamal’s speech, dikra 2025.

In the name of God, the Clement, the Merciful.

May prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, the chosen Prophet, of sublime and perfect attributes. The Prophet of the whole of creation, the noblest, the most honoured of beings. The perfect man, the essence of beauty and perfection, the guide towards God’s straight path. He who was sent as compassion and mercy for all creation. May he be blessed, together with his noble family and his beloved, pure and virtuous companions.

In memory of Sidi Hamza

Dear assembly of those who invoke God,

Praise be to God, who gathers us today to commemorate the memory of our spiritual master, our father and our guide, Sidi al-Hajj Hamza al-Qâdirî, may his secret be sanctified.

This noble man, of pure lineage, devoted his life to the service of religion and to calling to God with wisdom and gentle exhortation. Recognising his qualities and his merits, we affirm that he was a radiant light in the heavens of holiness and a steadfast mountain on the path of God and His Messenger. Through him, we received immense blessings and an education that raised our souls towards higher spiritual dimensions.

We owe to our spiritual father the merit of the renewal of Sufism, adapted to the requirements of our time and to the changes in contemporary contexts, whilst taking care to preserve the essential principles of Sufi spiritual education. These principles remain alive and manifest within our Qadiriya Boutchichiya zawiya, recognised for its spiritual and intellectual riches.

The aim is to preserve this Muhammadan heritage whilst making it accessible to aspirants from every social and intellectual background, thereby protecting them from the dangers of extremism, exclusion and misinformation. This initiative is part of a vision that upholds an Islam of moderation, justice, love, peace and compassion.

Sidi al-Hajj Hamza (may his secret be sanctified) embodied piety and spiritual elevation, attaining through his reforming words and his deeds the heights of spiritual knowledge and moral leadership. Under his influence, the Boutchichiya zawiya became a house of light, devoted to the education of souls, to bringing hearts to life through the remembrance of God, and to the promotion of solidarity and sincere service towards the homeland and the Commander of the Faithful. Through an approach at once simple and profound, it teaches that the path to God rests on humility, renunciation and inner purification, aiming to reform souls and to nourish the hearts of believers.

Preserving the heritage

Dear brothers, dear sisters,

Since our master’s departure to divine mercy, the responsibility for preserving this heritage, which is the message of the call to God, now rests on our shoulders. This call rests on sincerity in word and deed, on clarity of spirit, and on the balance between wisdom and spiritual guidance, whilst following the path built upon the Book and the Sunna. It is therefore incumbent upon us to hold fast to the holy Qur’an, as God Most High has said:

‘Indeed, this Qur’an guides to that which is most upright.’

And it is for us to hold firmly to the tradition of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, as God Most High has said:

‘You have in the Messenger of God an excellent model.’

Then it falls to us to follow his noble companions, as God Most High has said:

‘The very first [believers] among the Emigrants (al-muhajirun) and the Helpers (al-ansar), and those who followed them in excellence, God is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, and they shall dwell therein forever. That is the supreme triumph!’

Today we consolidate this message of calling to goodness and to drawing near to God, by adopting an approach founded on inner peace and the serenity of hearts. By God’s grace, the Qadiriya Boutchichiya zawiya continues to extend its radiance, growing in breadth and in influence, whilst touching a growing number of hearts eager for guidance through its teachings, its learning and its spiritual dynamism.

The endurance of this blessed path bears witness to the solid foundations laid by our pious forebears, a sacred heritage handed down through a golden chain going back to the Prophet Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). This precious deposit, borne with pride and dignity, is a divine light that illuminates souls and purifies hearts.

‘What I hold, Sidi Mounir holds also’

As for me, as a humble servant, I share with you the good news: this divine secret, which has been granted to me, is a light that illuminates and a treasure that enriches our souls, and it is the same secret that illuminates the heart of my beloved son, Sidi Mounir, to ensure a luminous and unbroken bond. As my father told me, shortly before the death of my grandfather, Sidi al-Hajj ’Abbas (may God sanctify their secrets), whilst entrusting his testament to me. He said to me with clarity and insistence:

‘What I hold, you hold also.’

Today, I declare before the heavenly assembly and bear witness before you all to this secret by repeating the words of my grandfather:

‘What I hold, Sidi Mounir holds also.’

God Most High has said:

‘God knows best where to place His message.’

O God, I call You to witness, together with Your angels, Your prophets and Your saints, that I entrust this secret to my son Sidi Mounir. Accept him and be with him, strengthen him and support him, make him a light in this world and a guide in the hereafter. O Lord of the merciful, may he be, with Your permission, a worthy bearer of this divine secret.

By the will and power of God, this divine secret shall remain in this house until God inherits the earth and all who dwell upon it, according to His will and His omnipotence.

God, the Most Merciful, has said:

‘Such is the grace of God which He gives to whom He wills. And God is the Holder of immense grace.’

The recommendations

O assembly of those who invoke:

Know that the path to God rests on sincere commitment, truthfulness in intentions, and devotion in deeds.

‘O you who believe! When you meet a host, stand firm, and invoke God much, that you may succeed.’

Dear assembly of those who invoke God,

I exhort you, as I exhort myself, to hold firmly to the Book of God and to the Sunna of His Messenger (may peace and blessings be upon him), with sincerity in remembrance and in action.

I likewise recommend that you care for the holy Qur’an, recite it and memorise it. The Qur’an is God’s heavenly table for His servants and a mercy for the whole of humanity.

I also exhort you to love the Qur’an, to study it and to prepare yourselves to draw its benefits. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

‘Learn the Qur’an, for on the Day of Judgement it will come as an intercessor for its companions’ (related by Muslim).

I also encourage you to practise individual and regular dhikr of God and to persevere in your spiritual commitments. As the Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him) said:

‘O people, act according to your capacities, for God does not grow weary until you grow weary. And the deeds God loves best are those performed constantly, even if they are few.’

I urge you to preserve religious practices, to avoid pointless or frivolous gatherings, and to stress the importance of covering one’s own faults and those of others. Cultivate moral qualities whilst ridding yourselves of bad habits. The Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) said: ‘Hold fast to what is obligatory and persevere in your deeds.’

I exhort you to persevere in the circles of collective dhikr, in the spiritual life of the zawiyas, and to take your children to these places so that they grow up in the love of dhikr and of good deeds, whilst progressing in worship.

I likewise recommend generosity and almsgiving on the path of God, through the accomplishment of good deeds. God Most High has said:

‘Those who recite the Book of God, perform the prayer and spend [on the path of God] secretly and openly from what God has granted them, hope for a commerce that shall never perish’ (surah Fatir, verse 29).

The fruits of dhikr are expressed in good deeds, among them mutual help between the disciples of this path. This includes visiting the sick, assisting the needy, and supporting spiritual and patriotic foundations, in a spirit of service towards the community and the nation, in close collaboration with the other Sufi paths of our Kingdom.

Attachment to the covenant

Honourable assembly,

I recommend that you hold fast to the glorious covenant of al-’Arsh, a covenant of faith and spirit that guarantees the honour and dignity of our nation. Our commitment to this covenant is a sacred duty. The Commander of the Faithful, an example of strategic reflection and enlightened governance, requires of us attentiveness, obedience, loyalty, sincerity and faithfulness.

This is in accordance with the verse revealed by God:

‘O you who have believed, obey God, obey the Messenger and those among you who hold authority.’

We implore God to grant eternal glory to the heavenly throne and victory to the Commander of the Faithful, His Majesty King Mohammed VI. May God support him, raise him in dignity and fulfilment, and clothe him in health, happiness and success throughout his life.

May God strengthen and guide the crown prince Moulay El Hassan, as well as Prince Moulay Rachid and all the members of the noble royal family.

O Almighty, protect our Sahara and preserve the unity of our homeland. Bring security and peace to our brothers in Palestine, and bless them with the means to live in justice and tranquillity.

O God, show us the truth and guide us to follow it; show us falsehood and help us to avoid it. Accept our invocations, for You are the One who answers prayers.

O God, keep wars and conflicts away from all humanity. God Most High has said: ‘Whenever they kindle a fire of war, God extinguishes it.’

God has said:

‘And when My servants ask you about Me, then I am near: I answer the call of the one who prays to Me when he invokes Me. Let them therefore answer My call and believe in Me, that they may be rightly guided.’

‘Lord, do not let our hearts stray after You have guided us, and grant us Your mercy, for You are the Giver.’