Why the West Backs Un-Islamic Rituals of Sufi Mawlids

Exaggerated celebrations during the mawlid (birthday festival) of "Sayyid Ahmad Al-Badawi" in Egypt, followed by "Sidi Ibrahim Al-Desouki," organized by Sufi orders, have sparked widespread questions. The spread of vulgar scenes inside the mosques where these celebrations are held—alongside the promotion of these festivals by media outlets and Western organizations—has raised concerns regarding the underlying reasons behind the excessive embrace of these un-Islamic rituals.

Egyptian Sufi orders celebrate 23 annual mawlids dedicated to "righteous saints." However, the violations and excesses occurring during some of these festivals form part of a broader image promoted globally under the label of "popular Islam," "civil Islam," or "non-political Islam"—terms used by Western newspapers and think tanks that celebrate such festivals and promote the activities of Sufi orders within them.

The underlying rationale for celebrating these festivals—or more accurately, the accompanying practices that contradict orthodox Islam—was previously unveiled in a report by the RAND Corporation, an American research center. The report summarized that supporting Sufi mawlids, despite their observed violations, aims to present an alternative image to Sharia-based Islam—an Islam focused purely on outward appearances and rituals.

Western reports have indicated that American entities have provided support and encouragement to Sufi orders practicing actions that conflict with Islamic teachings, promoting them as an alternative to what they term "political Islam" under the label of "civil democratic Islam."

These reports emphasize that Western promotion of Sufism is not culturally neutral; rather, it carries political objectives. These include containing "political Islam," weakening movements opposed to Western influence, and deploying Sufi religious discourse to redefine religious moderation according to Western standards rather than authentic Islamic criteria.

Although the original concept of a mawlid centered on a religious commemoration of the birth of a historical religious or Sufi figure, the modern-day mawlid has evolved into exotic innovations (bid'ah). These include dancing, swaying to chants, and establishing areas for entertainment and commercial sales, while remaining a social and commercial occasion marked by food distribution.

Why Do They Support Mawlids and Sufism?

The number of Sufi orders in Egypt stands at 77, most of which branch out from six major orders, including the Badawiyyah, Rifa'iyyah, and Qadiriyyah. The leaders of these Sufi orders are typically drawn from the Ashraf (descendants tracing their lineage to the family of the Prophet, pbuh).

According to multiple foreign sources, U.S. foreign policy encourages specific Sufi movements—termed "moderate Islam"—as part of its broader counter-extremism strategy.

In previous years, the participation of American diplomats in Egyptian mawlids was notable. For instance, former U.S. Ambassador Francis Ricciardone made a point of attending and encouraging Sufi order celebrations during events such as the mawlid of Sayyid Al-Badawi in the city of Tanta in 2005.

A report published by Foreign Policy magazine on November 3, 2015, titled "The Complications of Sponsoring Sufism as a Counterterrorism Strategy," quoted researchers stating that the West views Sufism as a component that can be supported under the pretext of combating Islamic extremism, whereas the ultimate target remains Sharia-based Islam.

The report noted that circles within U.S. policy—including think tanks, government departments, and congressional committees—have sought since the September 11, 2001 attacks to promote policies advancing "moderate Islam" through support for Sufi groups.

In 2009, U.S. News & World Report revealed efforts by the United States and Congress to encourage and support Sufism. The report highlighted a conference hosted in the U.S. on April 25 of that year regarding Sufism, to which numerous Sufi orders from across the Arab and Islamic world, Africa, and Asia were invited.

Additionally, on April 25, 2005, U.S. News published a report titled "Hearts, Minds, and Dollars," stating: "U.S. strategists increasingly believe that the Sufi movement may be one of the best weapons, and they are openly pushing to strengthen ties with it."

Proposed measures included utilizing U.S. aid to restore Sufi shrines abroad, preserve and translate classical medieval manuscripts, and encourage Arab and Islamic governments to foster a Sufi revival, according to the report.

Furthermore, a research paper published in 2017 on the website of the Geneva-based Cordoba Foundation referenced a 2003 conference in Washington titled "Understanding How the United States Can Support Sufism."

The late encyclopedic scholar Dr. Abdel-Wahab El-Messiri highlighted this American role in a study on support for Sufism titled The Islamic World After September 11, stating: "It is telling that the Western world, while combating Islam, encourages Sufi movements!"

Similarly, historian and researcher Daniel Pipes, founder and director of the Middle East Forum, noted that the West sought to support Islamic Sufism to occupy the religious arena within the framework of secularization, thereby permanently side-lining religion from political and economic affairs.

In 2004, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended that Arab and Islamic nations encourage Sufi movements to divert attention away from Muslims' pressing issues toward external rituals and practices within mawlids that are foreign to Islam.

Commercialization and Superstition

Not a single Hijri month passes in Egypt without a mawlid. Egyptians celebrate 23 annual mawlids for "righteous saints." These include festivals for the Prophet's family (Ahl al-Bayt), such as the Prophet’s Birthday (Al-Mawlid Al-Nabawi Al-Sharif) on the 12th of Rabi' al-Awwal, the mawlid of Imam Al-Hussein on the 4th of Sha'ban, and the mawlid of Sayyida Zainab on the 5th of Sha'ban, as well as those of Sayyida Sakina and Sayyida Nafisa in Jumada al-Ula.

Other notable celebrations include the mawlid of Sayyid Al-Badawi in Tanta (Gharbia Governorate), Abu Al-Abbas Al-Mursi in Alexandria, and Ibrahim Al-Desouki in Desouk (Kafr El-Sheikh), alongside numerous other saints' festivals organized by various Sufi orders throughout Egypt.

The late sociologist Dr. Sayyid 'Oways noted in his famous work, Encyclopedia of Egyptian Society, that Egypt hosts approximately 2,850 saints' mawlids, attended by more than half of the country's population, drawing attendees from all regions.

While these mawlids initially aimed to commemorate and uphold the virtues of the celebrated figures, they gradually transformed into venues where politicians and foreign diplomats compete to attend in order to build rapport with the public. Over time, inappropriate dancing and swaying rituals became widespread at these gatherings.

Furthermore, the practices surrounding certain Sufi orders, mawlids, and shrines have devolved into superstition, sorcery, and commercial enterprise—lacking genuine devotion or remembrance of Allah—compounded by the mixing of men and women in what are termed dhikr (remembrance) circles.

Sociological studies have linked the intense Egyptian interest in these mawlids and religious festivals to Pharaonic history and ancient traditions of celebrating royalty, such as the Pharaoh's accession to the throne, his birthday, the harvest festival, and the Plenitude of the Nile (Wafaa El-Nil).

According to a study by researcher Amr Tawfiq on innovations (bid'ah) in mawlids, published on the Sufism website, the root cause for the spread of these festivals, shrines, and the practice of seeking blessings (tabarruk) from them stems from certain scholars abandoning their educational duties over time. As a result, segments of Muslims deviated from the straight path, misled by human and jinn devils into practices for which Allah has sent down no authority.