Ahmad Zarruq was born in 846 AH/1442 CE in Fez, Morocco. Orphaned young, he was raised by his grandfather and studied Maliki jurisprudence at the Qarawiyyin mosque-university, later embracing Sufism under several prominent masters and traveling to Egypt and the Hijaz for pilgrimage and further study.
Zarruq was known for his critical approach to Sufism, insisting it be measured against the standards of Islamic law and purged of innovation. His reference work «Qawa'id al-Tasawwuf» (Principles of Sufism) laid out methodological criteria for sound spiritual practice. He also wrote an extensive commentary on Ibn Ata Allah al-Iskandari's «Al-Hikam», regarded as one of its finest.
His Legacy
Ahmad Zarruq settled late in life in Misrata, Libya, where he died in 899 AH/1493 CE and was buried; his tomb remains a well-known site of visitation. His writings left a deep and lasting influence on Moroccan and North African Sufism.
