The Barghawata were a Berber religious group/tribal confederation that ruled the western coastline of Morocco for more than three centuries (Wikipedia). They practiced a peculiar Islam-influenced religion centered on the prophet Salih until 1149, when the last Barghawata rebellion was crushed by the Almohads. According to the eleventh-century Andalusian historian Abu ‘Ubayd al-Bakri (from "Devout Heretics: The Barghawata in Maghribi Historiography")
Salih also gave the Barghawata a Qur'an in the Berber language, the beginning of which has survived in an Arabic translation:
How could this religion (or heresy of Islam?) become a major world religion, or at least not be destroyed by Muslim invasion?
Salih commanded them to fast in Rajab and eat in Ramadan, to pray five times in the day and five in the night, and to sacrifice on the 11th day of Muharram. Their ablutions before the prayers vaguely resemble those of Muslims, but are said to include the shocking practice of washing the navel and anus directly before washing the mouth. Moreover, their rules of marriage and divorce, punishment of crime, food purity, and prayer ritual are depicted as being either somewhat different from or wholly opposite to those of ‘Muslims’.
They meet on Thursday in the afternoon. Fasting a day of each week is obligatory for them, and they fast on the same day in the next week, and so on, permanently. They take a tithe for alms of all the grains, but do not take anything from the Muslims. The man among them may marry as many wives, without numerical restriction, as he is able to care for and spend on. But he is not allowed to marry from his paternal cousins except for a relation of three grandfathers (third cousins). They do not marry or take as concubines Muslim women, nor do they marry their children to Muslims. They divorce and remarry as they wish. The thief who is known to be a thief, or who has been caught is killed. The punishment for adultery is stoning, and exile for the liar. They call the latter al-mughayyir (the one who alters). Blood-price, among them, is one hundred cows. The head of every animal is forbidden to them. Fish cannot be eaten unless it is ritually slaughtered. Eggs are forbidden to them, and chicken is reprehensible (makruha), except if one is forced to eat it. They do not have a call-to-prayer, nor the iqama (introduction to the prayer). They make do, in knowing the hours of prayer, with the crowing of the cocks and for that reason they forbid (eating) them. He (Salih) used to spit in their hands, and they would lick it so as to gain a blessing from it. They would carry his saliva to the sick among them, so as to heal them with it.
Salih also gave the Barghawata a Qur'an in the Berber language, the beginning of which has survived in an Arabic translation:
In the name of God who sent by him His book to humanity. God has made plain his reports therein. [...] Look at Muhammad. When he (Muhammad) was alive, all the people who accompanied him lived uprightly until he died. Then the people became corrupt. They lie who say that the truth is made upright while there is not a prophet of God present.
How could this religion (or heresy of Islam?) become a major world religion, or at least not be destroyed by Muslim invasion?
