Sidi El Houari
Encyclopedia
Sidi El Houari was an Algeria
n imam
whose real name Ben-Amar El Houari. He died 12 September 1439 at the age of 89. He is the patron saint of the city of Oran
in Algeria.
The famous old quarter of Sidi El Houari in Oran is named after him.
Maghrawa
tribe. He was born in 1350 in the village Saure or Soure (ex: Bellevue
) near Ain Tedles in the Wilayah
of Mostaganem
(Algeria). After his death he was buried in his native village of Saure (ex: Bellevue).
Sidi El Houari El Maghraoui was a very respected scholar, and many cities would have wished whether he was their guest. Out of Tlemcen
, Fes
, Tunis
, Mecca
, Jerusalem, Damascus
and many other cities which he visited, he chose Oran to settle and honour his inhabitants. Oranians in return welcomed him well and, and although he was buried far away from the city, the visit of its mausoleum
, which would shelter its supposed tomb, resembles an irremovable daily pilgrimage.
At the age of ten years, he was already memorizing all the Qur'an
by heart and had acquired the title of Hafiz, educated in the Sufism
doctrine
He went to Kel Mitou, meadows of Chlef
to visit a distinguished Saint and acquire his favour. Then he came to Oran searching for theology
of Islam
to study Koranic sciences in Zaouia
" Derkaouia Mahajia ' " His known for its traditions in the field of religious studies. Having been studied in Béjaïa
and then Fes.
He went to the Mecca
for Hajj
(pilgrimage
). Once he returned he settled definitely in Oran where he opened a Madrasah
of Koranic education. Among the known adherents who were companions of the imam Sidi El Houari El Maghraoui, we shall name Sidi Ibrahim Tazi and Sidi Said (m'rabet of Hassi El Ghella).
Sidi El Houari died on September 12, 1439. He is buried in its natal village Saure (ex: Bellevue
) near Ain Tedles in the wilayah of Mostaganem
.
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
whose real name Ben-Amar El Houari. He died 12 September 1439 at the age of 89. He is the patron saint of the city of Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
in Algeria.
The famous old quarter of Sidi El Houari in Oran is named after him.
Biography
Sidi El Houari El Maghraoui belonged to the BerberBerber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
Maghrawa
Maghrawa
The Maghrawa or Meghrawa were a Berber tribe in Morocco and central and western Algeria.-History:The Meghrawa, a tribe of Zanata Berbers, were one of the first Berber tribes to submit to Islam in the 7th century. They supported Uqba ibn Nafi in his campaign to the Atlantic in 683...
tribe. He was born in 1350 in the village Saure or Soure (ex: Bellevue
Bellevue
Bellevue can refer to:-Australia:* Bellevue, Western Australia* Bellevue Hill, New South Wales* Bellevue, Glebe, an historic house in Sydney, New South Wales-Canada:* Bellevue, Alberta...
) near Ain Tedles in the Wilayah
Wilayah
A wilāyah or vilâyet , or vilayat in Urdu and Turkish, is an administrative division, usually translated as "province", rarely as "governorate". The word comes from the Arabic "w-l-y", "to govern": a wāli — "governor" — governs a wilayah, "that which is governed"...
of Mostaganem
Mostaganem
Mostaganem is a port city in and capital of Mostaganem province, in the northwest of Algeria. The city, founded in the 11th century lies on the Gulf of Arzew, Mediterranean Sea and is 72 km ENE of Oran...
(Algeria). After his death he was buried in his native village of Saure (ex: Bellevue).
Sidi El Houari El Maghraoui was a very respected scholar, and many cities would have wished whether he was their guest. Out of Tlemcen
Tlemcen
Tlemcen is a town in Northwestern Algeria, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is located inland in the center of a region known for its olive plantations and vineyards...
, Fes
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
, Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
, Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
, Jerusalem, Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
and many other cities which he visited, he chose Oran to settle and honour his inhabitants. Oranians in return welcomed him well and, and although he was buried far away from the city, the visit of its mausoleum
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
, which would shelter its supposed tomb, resembles an irremovable daily pilgrimage.
At the age of ten years, he was already memorizing all the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
by heart and had acquired the title of Hafiz, educated in the Sufism
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
doctrine
He went to Kel Mitou, meadows of Chlef
Chlef
Chlef is the capital of Chlef Province, Algeria. It is home to the soccer club ASO Chlef, the Hassiba Ben Bouali university, and the basilica of Saint Reparatus, which is home to the oldest Christian labyrinth in the world....
to visit a distinguished Saint and acquire his favour. Then he came to Oran searching for theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
to study Koranic sciences in Zaouia
Zaouia
A zaouia or zawiya is an Islamic religious school or monastery. The term is Maghrebi and West African, roughly corresponding to the Eastern term madrassa...
" Derkaouia Mahajia ' " His known for its traditions in the field of religious studies. Having been studied in Béjaïa
Béjaïa
Béjaïa, Vgaiet or Bejaya is a Mediterranean port city on the Gulf of Béjaïa in Algeria; it is the capital of Béjaïa Province, Kabylia. Under French rule, it was formerly known under various European names, such as Budschaja in German, Bugia in Italian, and Bougie...
and then Fes.
He went to the Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
for Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
(pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
). Once he returned he settled definitely in Oran where he opened a Madrasah
Madrasah
Madrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...
of Koranic education. Among the known adherents who were companions of the imam Sidi El Houari El Maghraoui, we shall name Sidi Ibrahim Tazi and Sidi Said (m'rabet of Hassi El Ghella).
Sidi El Houari died on September 12, 1439. He is buried in its natal village Saure (ex: Bellevue
Bellevue
Bellevue can refer to:-Australia:* Bellevue, Western Australia* Bellevue Hill, New South Wales* Bellevue, Glebe, an historic house in Sydney, New South Wales-Canada:* Bellevue, Alberta...
) near Ain Tedles in the wilayah of Mostaganem
Mostaganem Province
Mostaganem is a province of Algeria. The capital is Mostaganem. Other localities include Ain Nouissi, Ain Tadles, Tazgait and Stidia.-Administrative divisions:...
.