Idou-Ali tribe (Alawites) is an arabian tribe mainly present in Mauritania and Morocco and has other presence in Mali, Algeria, Senegal and Saudi Arabia. They claim descent from the Prophet Muhammad through his grandson Hassan Ibn Ali. It is a large tribe, mainly inhabiting Mauritania, although there are communities of varying numbers in Mali, Senegal, Morocco and Algeria. It also has a significant presence in West African countries as well. This tribe is mainly settled in Chinguetti, Tidjikja, and Trarza (Al-Aql) in the R'kiz Province. In addition, there is rarely a region in Mauritania that is devoid of an influential presence. This tribe claim that it belongs to Ali bin Abi Talib, as indicated by its name. It also claim descent from the descendants of the Holy Prophet, from his daughter Fatima bint Muhammad, according to their claimed lineage.[1][2][3][4]
| Idou-Ali Oulad Ali, Alaouyinn, L'Ashraf | |
|---|---|
| Arab Zawiya Tribe | |
 | |
| Ethnicity | Arabian |
| Nisba | Yahya al-Akbar bin Ali bin Abdullah al-Ahmar bin Ali (Abu al-Hasan) bin Yahya (Abu Zakaria) bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Issa (Abu al-Aish) bin Idris bin Muhammad bin Suleiman bin Abdullah al-Kamil bin al-Hasan al-Muthanna bin al-Hasan al-Sabt bin Ali bin Abi Talib. |
| Location | Mauritania, Morocco |
| Parent tribe | Bani Hashim, Idrisid |
| Branches | Idou-Ali el Bidh, Idou-Ali el Kehl |
| Language | Arabic |
| Religion | Malikite Sunni Islam |
The word has two parts which derives each: "Idou" or "Idaw" means "Sons of", derived from Znaga language and Ali which is derived from arabic.[5][6]
This begins with Yahya, the great grandfather of most of its members. He is Yahya, nicknamed "the Great", bin Ali bin Abdullah al-Ahmar bin Ali (Abu al-Hasan) bin Yahya (Abu Zakaria) bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim Issa bin Idris the Greatest bin Suleiman bin Abdullah Al-Kamil bin Al-Hassan Al-Mutani bin Al-Hassan, son of Ali bin Abi Talib.[7][2][8]
Considered one of the tribes of the Zawiyas, "people of knowledge", according to the class division that prevailed during the era of the Emirates of Banu Hassan, although it was considered a strong one. This tribe had the credit for building Abeer, which is ancient Chinguetti, in the second century of the Hijri century, and after that the current city of Chinguetti, and that was when Yahya Al-Alawi abandoned the city of Abeer because he killed a person, and he and Muhammad Ghali joined him, and Omar built the current city (Chinguetti), according to local traditions.[9] Chinguetti is the name by which Mauritania was known during a not-so-short period of its history. Many scholars, poets, authors, judges, and politicians emerged from this tribe.[10][4][8][3][11]
Some of the famous people of this tribe:[10][6][12][13]
- Yahya Al-Alawi "The Great", who is the grandfather of most of the tribe and built the modern city of Chinguetti, along with Muhammad Ghali and Omar.
- Judge, the greatest imam, and the eminent scholar, Abdullah bin Habib bin Abij (known as the judge), the grandfather of Ibn Razikah.
- Scholar, El Hajj Muhammad Ahmad bin Al-Mukhtar bin Yaqoub Andumuki Al-Alawi.
- Venerable scholar Muhammad Bouksa bin Al-Hajj Muhammad Ahmad Al-Alawi.
- Imam, judge, and scholar, Muhammad ibn al-Mukhtar ibn al-A'mash, whom Muhammad al-Mukhtar ibn al-Saad counted in his book, (The Book of the Harb of Sharbab), counted him as one of four whose level of knowledge in the land of Chinguetti was not reached by anyone.
- Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Talib bin Habib bin Abija, known as (Ibn Razekah), who is the first historically known poet of Mauritania.
- Scholar, Horma bin Abdul Jalil, who had a famous mahdara in western Mauritania, from which a large number of scholars graduated, perhaps the most prominent of whom is Sheikh Sidiya Al-Kabir.
- Scholar, Sayyid Sidi-Abdullah bin Al-Hajj Ibrahim, who is considered one of the greatest scholars of Mauritania.
- Scholar Bab bin Ahmed Bab.
- Sheikh Muhammad Al-Hafiz bin Habib, who introduced the Tijaniya order to Mauritania.
- Mohammadi (Badi) bin Sidina, the father of the two influential poets Mohamedou Ould Mohammadi and Al-Hadi Ould Badi, was the sheikh of a Sufi order, a scholar and a poet.
- Scholar and poet, Sayed Mohamed Ould Abuja.
- Ahmed bin Al-Amin Al-Shanqiti, author of the book Al-Wasit fi Tarajim Udabaa' Shinqitt.[9]
- Jeddou Ould Ahmed, Chief of Tidjikja and influential scholar.
- Jurist Al Fatta bin Al-Hajj.
- Poet and judge Muhammad Abd al-Rahman Ould al-Salik, nicknamed al-Nah.
- Poet Mohamed Al-Hassan Ould Mohamed Ould Abdel Jalil.
- Mohamed El Hacene Ould Babe Ould Jeddou, jurist and Cadi of Tidjikja.
- Ahmedou Ben Horma Ould Bebaneh, the first Mauritanian MP during the era of the French colonizers.
- Sheikh Mohamed El Hafed Ould Tolba, scholar
- Sidi Mohamed Ould Sidi Abdoullah Ould El Hadj Brahim, scholar
- Hadrami Ould Khattry, politician, former Minister. One of the opposition leaders who asserted himself during the democratization process initiated by the military regime in 1991.
- Sidi Ould Zein, poet, writer, Cadi of Tagant, and notable.
- Mohamed Lemin Ould Mohamed Ahid, resistance fighter during the French occupation
- Mohamed Limam Ould Zein, poet, resistance fighter during the French occupation and close to Cheikh Melainine.
- Di Ould Zein, general advisor of Mauritania and representative to the Assembly of the French Union during the French occupation, in the coalition hostile to the occupation, led by Horma Ould Babana.
- Ahmedou Ould Memoun, poet.
- Kaber Hachim, poet.
- Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Ahmed Louly, former president of the republic.
- Hasni Ould Didi, governement official.
- Abdallahi Ould Khalifa, historian, writer and professor.
- Ahmed Ould Zein, Governor of Central Bank of Mauritania.
- Mohamed Ould Maouloud, politician and presidential candidate.