The Jbala people are Muslims, but their religious practices are characterized by many specific local traditions.
In particular, they practice what is known in the Muslim tradition as the minor or local pilgrimage, or ‘ziyara’ (زيارة).
Such pilgrimages are usually made to shrines of local saints all over the Muslim world.
The Jbala region, however, has the reputation of being the land of saints, due to high density of sacred places scattered all over the area.
Each of the Jebli tribes has at least one Sufi lodge, or ‘zawiya’ (زاوية), adjacent to its shrine, or ‘darih’ (ضريح).
Almost all zawiya-s have their season or ‘mawsem’ (موسم), or grand gatherings of faithful Muslims that happen on fixed dates during a particular time frame.
For instance, the tribe of Bni Zerwal alone, which inhabits the southeast area of the Jbala, is said to have seven such locations.
Some saints, such as Moulay Bou Shta el-Khammar (مولاي  بوشتا   الخمار) and Sidi Allal el-Hajj (سيدي  علال  الحاج), seem to be more reputable than others.

However, there is one particular saint who is highly honoured not only by members of Jebli society but also across the Moroccan kingdom.
This is Moulay Abdessalam Ben Mshish (مولاي  عبدالسلام  بن   مشيشš), a native of the Jbala region.
Moulay Abdessalam is the quṭb al-Maġrib al-aqṣa  (قطب  المغرب  الاقصى) —‘the spiritual pole of the far Maghreb’.
It is important to mention that the term qutb has a special meaning in the Islamic tradition, referring to a spiritual symbol of particular time.
It is also of importance that throughout their history Sufi orders in the Kingdom of Morocco developed and evolved around only two quṭbs—Moulay Abdessalam ben Mshish, a native of the Jbala who is viewed as the ‘western pole’, and Moulay Abdelqader Jilali, a native of Iraq who is regarded as the ‘eastern pole'.
In Morocco this term has acquired an extra nuance: quṭbs are considered to be those who play the role of spiritual leaders for other saints.

This idea is closely linked to the brotherhood of Shadhiliya, one of the most powerful Sufi orders not only in Morocco but throughout North Africa.
The tradition of going on pilgrimage to the shrine of Moulay Abdessalam ben Mshish has played an exceptionally important role in Jebli society over many centuries.
Traditionally, the beginning of the pilgrimage season to Moulay Abdessalam is calculated based on the Islamic calendar and takes place around the 15th of Shaaban.
At this time not only do Jebli pilgrims come from all corners of the land of the Jbala but also pilgrims from other parts of Morocco.
They flock to Mount Alam (جبلالعلم).The gathering of pilgrims, also known as lamma (لامة), is accompanied by the chanting of religious hymns and prayers, and then smoothly transforms into picnics and get-togethers of family and friends during which it is common to exchange short sung poems, or ayyu-s (عيوع).
The Jbala people are Muslims, but their religious practices are characterized by many specific local traditions. In particular, they practice what is known in the Muslim tradition as the minor or local pilgrimage, or ‘ziyara’ (زيارة). Such pilgrimages are usually made to shrines of local saints all over the Muslim world. The Jbala region, however, has the reputation of being the land of saints, due to high density of sacred places scattered all over the area. Each of the Jebli tribes has at least one Sufi lodge, or ‘zawiya’ (زاوية), adjacent to its shrine, or ‘darih’ (ضريح). Almost all zawiya-s have their season or ‘mawsem’ (موسم), or grand gatherings of faithful Muslims that happen on fixed dates during a particular time frame. For instance, the tribe of Bni Zerwal alone, which inhabits the southeast area of the Jbala, is said to have seven such locations. Some saints, such as Moulay Bou Shta el-Khammar (مولاي  بوشتا   الخمار) and Sidi Allal el-Hajj (سيدي  علال  الحاج), seem to be more reputable than others. 
However, there is one particular saint who is highly honoured not only by members of Jebli society but also across the Moroccan kingdom. This is Moulay Abdessalam Ben Mshish (مولاي  عبدالسلام  بن   مشيشš), a native of the Jbala region. Moulay Abdessalam is the quṭb al-Maġrib al-aqṣa  (قطب  المغرب  الاقصى) —‘the spiritual pole of the far Maghreb’. It is important to mention that the term qutb has a special meaning in the Islamic tradition, referring to a spiritual symbol of particular time. It is also of importance that throughout their history Sufi orders in the Kingdom of Morocco developed and evolved around only two quṭbs—Moulay Abdessalam ben Mshish, a native of the Jbala who is viewed as the ‘western pole’, and Moulay Abdelqader Jilali, a native of Iraq who is regarded as the ‘eastern pole'. In Morocco this term has acquired an extra nuance: quṭbs are considered to be those who play the role of spiritual leaders for other saints.
This idea is closely linked to the brotherhood of Shadhiliya, one of the most powerful Sufi orders not only in Morocco but throughout North Africa. The tradition of going on pilgrimage to the shrine of Moulay Abdessalam ben Mshish has played an exceptionally important role in Jebli society over many centuries. Traditionally, the beginning of the pilgrimage season to Moulay Abdessalam is calculated based on the Islamic calendar and takes place around the 15th of Shaaban. At this time not only do Jebli pilgrims come from all corners of the land of the Jbala but also pilgrims from other parts of Morocco. They flock to Mount Alam (جبلالعلم).The gathering of pilgrims, also known as lamma (لامة), is accompanied by the chanting of religious hymns and prayers, and then smoothly transforms into picnics and get-togethers of family and friends during which it is common to exchange short sung poems, or ayyu-s (عيوع).
Jebala people