I am Professor Yousef Casewit, a scholar of Qur'anic Studies at the University of Chicago, focusing on the spiritual and intellectual legacy of al-Andalus and the Maghrib, where I was raised.

In April 2024, during a research trip to Fez, I visited the tomb of the great Andalusian Sufi scholar Ibn ʿAbbad of Ronda (d. 1390)—a saintly figure whose writings are a cornerstone of the North African Sufi tradition. Ibn ʿAbbad wrote the first and most influential commentary on the aphorisms (ḥikam) of Ibn ʿAṭāʾ Allāh al-Iskandarī, and his teachings continue to be studied in academic and devotional circles alike. Moreover, his deeply insightful letters of spiritual counsel have guided generations of wayfarers on the Sufi path.

What I found was heartbreaking: the tomb enclosure is crumbling. Its outer walls are cracked and partially collapsed, and the structure is in urgent need of repair. The tombkeeper and his family live in extremely modest conditions within the enclosure itself, in a poverty-stricken neighborhood at the edge of the Bāb Futūḥ cemetery.

But this site is more than just a grave—it is a link to our silisila (chain) of knowledge and spiritual-intellectual transmission. A few steps from Ibn ʿAbbad’s tomb lies the resting place of another intellectual giant: Ibn Ajurrūm (d. 1323), author of the Ajurrūmiyya, the foundational primer in Arabic grammar. This slim yet powerful work has shaped centuries of linguistic education and remains a staple in Islamic seminaries—and university classrooms—even today.

As students of the Arabic sciences, Islamic theology, and tasawwuf, we owe a great deal to these two figures. They taught with clarity, discipline, and insight. They gifted us tools for understanding sacred texts and cultivating the transformation of the soul.

This project is a chance to give back—to honor the legacy of two teaching ancestors whose contributions continue to guide our studies and shape our inner lives. It is an opportunity to reconnect the living with the dead, to help a family in need, and to uphold the ethics of gratitude and care that lie at the heart of the Islamic tradition.

We are working with an excellent team of restorers who successfully restored the tombs of the ʿAbdullāwī Maʿān Shādhilīs in the Bāb Futūḥ cemetery during the winter of 2025. The Restoration Will Proceed in Two Phases:

Phase One: Rebuilding the outer wall surrounding the tomb enclosure and the family's home, which has collapsed in several places.

Phase Two: Restoring the tiled surfaces of the graves and renovating the front entrance.

The site is now publicly marked on Google Maps—simply search for “Ibn Abbad al-Rundi.” Any contribution, however modest, is a step toward preserving this sacred space and reaffirming our bond with the scholarly and spiritual lineages that have shaped us. Your support will ensure that future generations of students, scholars, and seekers can continue to visit and draw inspiration from the presence of these luminous figures.

Thank you for your support!