The Effects of the Sanūssiyya Movement in the Hejaz

This article deals with the religious and cultural impacts of the Sanūssiyya Movement in the Hejaz as one of the most influential Islamic movements because, based on the capabilities and available facilities, it helped in creating a human society with cultural and economic components according to the then data. This movement was not a local one; rather, its founder, Muhammad ibn Ali al-Sannssi, acted in a way to make it an influential Arab movement. This study sought to record an important period in the history of the Sanūssiyya movement in the Hejaz and attempted to discover its roles and effects on the Hejaz community. The Hejaz region, due to its religious importance, enjoyed a prominent place in the history of this movement. In fact, the Sanussi invitation began in the Hejaz. The first Sanussi Zāwiyah (assembly) was established in the Hejaz and in Abi Qabis Mountain, then many of the Sanussi Zāwiyahs were established in the Hejaz and other Islamic countries, welcomed by many people of the region. Sheikh Faleh Al-Zahiri was one of the most prominent students of the Sanussi Zāwiyah and later became one of its prominent sheikhs and his fame spread in the horizons. He achieved a prominent scientific place in many Islamic regions to teach, so much so that Sultan Abdul Hamid invited him to teach in Istanbul. He trained scholars who carried the standard of science in the Islamic world.