The Conditioned ''Bay'ah'' (; January 5, 1908) or the ''Bay'ah'' of Fes was a ''

bay'ah ''Bayʿah'' (, "Pledge of allegiance"), in Islamic terminology, is an oath of allegiance to a leader. It is known to have been practiced by the Islamic prophet Muhammad. In Bedouin culture it was a procedure for choosing the leader of the trib ...

'' contract of the conditional support of the people of Fes for Abd al-Hafid as

sultan of Morocco This is a list of rulers of Morocco since 789. The common and formal titles of these rulers has varied, depending on the time period. Since 1957, the designation King has been used. The present King of Morocco is Mohammed VI of Morocco, Mohammed ...

in the Hafidiya. Led by the Sufi leader Muhammad al-Kattani, the people of Fes imposed, for the first time in

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

, a set of conditions on the sovereign in return for their support.

History

The period of the Treaty of Algeciras in 1906, marked by state bankruptcy, failed taxes and rebellions, was turbulent for Sultan Abdelaziz. French forces led by

Hubert Lyautey Louis Hubert Gonzalve Lyautey (17 November 1854 – 27 July 1934) was a French Army general and colonial administrator. After serving in Indochina and Madagascar, he became the first French Resident-General in Morocco from 1912 to 1925. In earl ...

took

Oujda Oujda (, ) is a major city in northeast Morocco near the Algeria–Morocco border, border with Algeria. Oujda is the capital city of the Oriental (Morocco), Oriental region of northeastern Morocco and has a population of 506,224 people (2024 censu ...

in the east, in April 1907, ostensibly in retribution for the assassination of Émile Mauchamp in Marrakesh. In August, French warships bombarded Casablanca after an insurrection in response to the application of the terms of the Treaty of Algeciras. Abdelaziz was seen as lax and ineffective. His brother, Abd al-Hafid, was seen as more forceful, and his ''bay'ah'' as sultan of

was offered by the southern aristocrats in Marrakesh in September 1907. Abd al-Hafid's support came from the

Amazigh Berbers, or the Berber peoples, also known as Amazigh or Imazighen, are a diverse grouping of distinct ethnic groups indigenous to North Africa who predate the arrival of Arabs in the Maghreb. Their main connections are identified by their u ...

of the south, instead of the ''

ulama In Islam, the ''ulama'' ( ; also spelled ''ulema''; ; singular ; feminine singular , plural ) are scholars of Islamic doctrine and law. They are considered the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious knowledge in Islam. "Ulama ...

'' of Fes, who felt bypassed and considered the ''bay'ah'' in Marrakesh illegitimate. Muhammad al-Kattani pushed his community in Fes to rebuke Abdelaziz and to support Abd al-Hafid under conditions, which were reportedly referred to as the "Kattani Conditions" ().

Conditions

The Conditioned ''Bay'ah'' had stipulations that included that Abd al-Hafid had to consult the ''

Ummah ' (; ) is an Arabic word meaning Muslim identity, nation, religious community, or the concept of a Commonwealth of the Muslim Believers ( '). It is a synonym for ' (, lit. 'the Islamic nation'); it is commonly used to mean the collective com ...

'' in all major decisions and wage ''

jihad ''Jihad'' (; ) is an Arabic word that means "exerting", "striving", or "struggling", particularly with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it encompasses almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with God in Islam, God ...

'' for the liberation of Morocco, which was occupied by France in Oujda since April and in Casablanca since August. It essentially called for Abd al-Hafid to back out of the 1906 Treaty of Algeciras and also called for an end to the ''protégé'' system.

Impact

The support of Fes changed the course of Abdelhafid's struggle for power, as other Moroccan imperial cities followed suit. However, Abdelaziz, encouraged by the French, continued to resist until his defeat in the Battle of Marrakesh August 19, 1908.

References

{{Portal bar, History, Morocco Politics of Morocco Sufism in Morocco Documents of Morocco