Noble Lineage (Sharīfianism) in the Central Maghreb: Between Symbolic Legitimacy and Social Functions (7th–9th Centuries AH / 13th–15th Centuries AD)

Abstract

This study addresses the issue of Noble Lineage (al-Nasab al-Sharīf) in the Central Maghreb, examining it not from the perspective of verification or refutation, nor merely as a biological affiliation, but as a constitutive element of the social fabric and a vital historic force. This role was dictated by the prestigious standing held by the Prophet’s Household (Ahl al-Bayt) within wider society and among political authorities alike. Consequently, political rulers viewed noble lineage through a symbolically significant lens that transcended intra-tribal blood ties. It served to regulate relations between the jurists (fuqahāʾ) and Sufis while preserving equilibrium between the state and society.

As a result, affiliation with the Sharīfian domain became highly coveted, prompting numerous individuals to forge claims to noble descent in order to secure the privileges and social status accorded to the Sharīfs by both society and the political elite. This phenomenon ultimately gave rise to the question of maternal Sharīfian descent, wherein a segment of the population claimed noble lineage through their mothers. This sparked divergent positions among jurists and Sufis, who issued fatwās (legal opinions) either affirming or denying the validity of maternal lineage