Rahmaniyya

The Brotherhood Rahmaniya is a Sufi Muslim Brotherhood, founded in 1774 by Sidi M'hamed Bou Qobrine in Algeria. The Rahmanyyia originally known as Khalwatiya got a strong audience until the nineteenth century. They successfully establish themselves strongly and spread in North Africa.

The founder
Sidi M'hamed was born in the village of Ait Smail, near Boghni in Kabylie. After thirty years of absence, he finally returns home. He first settled in the village of Ait Smail, where he founded a Zaouia. He later decides to move to Algiers to establish another Zaouia. He chose to settle in what would later be the neighborhood of El-Hamma east side of the Casbah.

His Zaouia radiated throughout all Algeria. This Zawiya, welcomed the poor, orphans and strangers. It is also a university where many sciences are taught. It becomes the privileged place of Khalwa (retirement) of those who come to ask for initiation. Tariqa Khalwatiya (طريقة خلواتية) became Rahmaniya (which give the name to the Zaouia Lalla Rahmaniya), in reference to Abderrahmane, the name of his father.