Indications of Moroccan Sufi Dance

Sofian Ijdirah 

My study, "Signs of the Moroccan Sufi Dance", is based on a semiotic reference that seeks to analyse what Moroccan Sufi dance movements expresses. It is known that the Sufi field is connected to multiple art forms, such as poetry, prose, music, dance, and much more. In this paper, I address a new topic related to the Harraqi Darkawi dance model in Morocco, particularly in the city of Rabat, where Sheikh Muhammad Belarabi Al-Dalaei established a central branch following his great Sufi Sheikh Sidi Muhammad Al-Harraq Al-Hasani.

The dance in the Zawiya Harraqia Darqawia in Rabat is ruled by particular rituals and traditions that do not deviate much from the Shadhili school's broad Sufi foundation. We have concluded that the dance in this regard is significant movements that derive their beauty from the Sufi thought that relies on the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the sayings of the masters and the sages. The reason this art is important is that it has survived in a world that is spiritually and morally broken.  and since I have lived in the Zawiya Harraqiya of Rabat, I described what I have witnessed since childhood, looking for the meaning of these Sufi dance moves that reflect cosmic signs based on Islamic belief.