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Marabout
Westernized form of Arabic murabit , referring to a saint or to a person living in a Sufi hospice. Specific to North Africa. Refers to Sufi leaders or saints who are believed to have received barakah, or blessing, from God, which they are able to pass on to their followers when petitioned, whether they are dead or alive. Marabouts are at the center of popular Sufi shrine culture, which is considered heretical by modern reformers and orthodox movements.
