A typically Moroccan phenomenon is maraboutism.
To the foreign traveler, Moroccan Sufism is most visible in the cult of marabouts -saintly tombs and zawiyas of which (numbering hundreds, if not thousands) are found throughout the kingdom. But in reality a marabout is the living Sufi mystic who builds a Ribat (zawiya with many departments) for the purpose of gathering people around God Almighty and His invocation.
Ribat is a verbal noun derived from râbata, yurâbitu, meaning "to station and stay in place".
The ribat played an important and major role in the awakening and preparation of Moroccan society since it provided a focus for combating illiteracy and inculcating knowledge, a place of worship, defence of the safety of the homeland and fighting injustice and social corruption.
Most of Moroccan marabouts won the respect and veneration of their communities through their uncommon piety and karamat (miracles).